DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 15-36 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 6/16/2026.
Information Disclosure Statement
The listing of references in the specification is not a proper information disclosure statement. 37 CFR 1.98(b) requires a list of all patents, publications, or other information submitted for consideration by the Office, and MPEP § 609.04(a) states, "the list may not be incorporated into the specification but must be submitted in a separate paper." Therefore, unless the references have been cited by the examiner on form PTO-892, they have not been considered.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: at line 15, “steps;” should be: --steps:--.
Claim 11 is objected to because of the following informalities: the claim is missing “the” prior to “mobile platform”.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-6, 8, 13, and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kudo et al. (US 2024/0022806).
Regarding claim 1, Kudo discloses a system for measuring a characteristic signature of an object, the system comprising:
a computer (30) in data communication with a cart processor (301), the computer constructed to calculate a path (“moving route”; [0091], [0074]);
a measurement cart (10) comprising:
a mobile platform comprising a steering actuator connected to a steered wheel and a motor connected to a driven wheel ([0067]);
a characteristics sensor (13) directed at the object, the characteristics sensor comprising at least one of a radar, LiDAR, ultra-sonic or near/far infrared sensor ([0065]);
a GPS module (17);
the cart processor constructed to:
control the motor and steering actuator ([0067], [0080]);
receive data from the characteristics sensor and GPS module ([0080]); and
perform the following steps:
a. actuate the steering actuator based on location data generated from the GPS module and the calculated path and b. actuate the motor based on location data generated from the GPS module and the calculated path ([0067], [0090]-[0091]; and
c. record data generated from the characteristics sensor (e.g. [0113]-[0114]).
Regarding claim 2, Kudo discloses the computer is integrated into the cart (Fig. 8).
Regarding claims 3 and 4, Kudo discloses the characteristics sensor is at a fixed angle and a fixed range relative to the object during at least a portion of the calculated path ([0129]).
Regarding claim 5, Kudo discloses the computer accesses the data from the cart processor, and the computer processes the data to generate a file representing the characteristic signature of the object ([0153]).
Regarding claim 6, Kudo discloses the computer accesses the data from the cart processor and transfers the data to an external processor; and the external processor processes the data to generate a file representing the characteristic signature of the object ([0159], [0161]).
Regarding claim 8, Kudo discloses the characteristics sensor comprises a height adjustment and/or a rotational adjustment (14).
Regarding claim 13, Kudo discloses the characteristics sensor comprises a plurality of characteristics sensors (Fig 6, 13a), implying step (c) comprises recording data generated from the plurality of characteristics sensors simultaneously.
Regarding claim 14, Kudo discloses the cart further comprises a battery (120) connected to the cart processor ([0080]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kudo as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Janssen et al. (US 2019/0163196).
Kudo discloses the computer is integrated into the robot/cart and therefore does not disclose that the computer which calculates the path is in wireless communication with the cart processor. Kudo also discloses wirelessly receiving a process start request from a communication terminal which includes an ID of the area requested from communication terminal computer 70 ([0120]), but likewise does not specify that this computer calculates the path for the robot.
Janssen discloses a path following robot which receives its route wirelessly from an external computer which calculated it ([0016]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art with a reasonable expectation of success to modify the system of Kudo such that the terminal computer (70) calculates and wirelessly provides the path to the cart processor in addition to the process start request in order to allow the administrator greater control of the robot based on additional information available externally, as described by Janssen.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kudo as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Xiong et al. (US 2020/0206945).
Kudo does not indicate an IMU connected to the cart processor, where steps (a) and (b) are based on data from the IMU. However, use of an IMU in autonomous robots to implement steering and driving control was conventional practice in the field of path following robots for pose estimation described by Xiong as essential ([0003]-[0004]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art with a reasonable expectation of success to modify the cart of Kudo to employ an IMU in order to enable pose estimation for motion control as described by Xiong ([0003]).
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kudo as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Chowdhary (US 2021/0158041).
Kudo discloses the GPS module 17 mounted on top of the robot housing but does not disclose a mast extending from the mobile platform, wherein at least a portion of the GPS module mounts to the mast. Chowdhary discloses a similar path following inspection robot (Fig 3a) having a mast mounted GPS module (301). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art with a reasonable expectation of success to modify the system of Kudo to elevate the GPS module via mast as disclosed by Chowdhary in order to achieve the conventional advantages of reducing interference caused by the robot and ground reflections.
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kudo as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Igorevich (RU 2704048).
Kudo discloses generically the computer may be disposed outside the mobile platform ([0073]) but does not specifically indicate a support post extending from mobile platform, wherein the computer detachably mounts to the support post. Igorevich discloses an autonomous path following robot having a computer (133) elevated on a support posts (support rack 303) extending from the mobile platform, wherein the computer detachably mounts to the support posts (the described intel computer is clearly detachable from the rack). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art with a reasonable expectation of success to mount the computer of Kudo on support posts as taught by Igorevich in order to better isolate the computer from heat produced by the motors.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 12 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yuan et al. (CN 213244111) discloses a similar inspection robot with characteristic sensors for measuring an object characteristic signature.
Yoshida et al (2023/0080305) discloses an inspection robot which uses sensors to collect information along a set route.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Matthew M Barker whose telephone number is (571)272-3103. The examiner can normally be reached on a part time schedule, typically M-Fri 8:00 AM-4:30 PM Eastern Time, but having off alternating Monday-Tuesdays and Fridays.
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/MATTHEW M BARKER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3646
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