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 .
Priority
The present application, filed 06 June 2024, is a 371 National Stage Entry of PCT/CN2022/119428, filed 16 September 2022, which claims priority to Chinese Patent App. No. CN202111486130.7, filed 07 December 2021.
Response to Amendment
Claims 1-2, 6-7, 17-18, 22-25, and 29 have been newly amended. Claims 4-5, 20-21, and 27-28 have been newly canceled. No claims have been newly added. Claims 1-3, 6-7, 17-19, 22-26, and 29 remain pending in the present application. The previous claim objections to claims 2, 7, 18, 21, 23, and 25 have been withdrawn as a result of amendment.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 28 November 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding claim 1, Applicant argues that the previously applied prior art fails to teach every limitation of newly amended claim 1. Specifically, Applicant asserts that neither the Wang reference nor the Choi reference teach at least the limitation of "acquiring map information, wherein the map information comprises region information on at least two regions, and the region information of any of the regions is associated with the category information of more than one type of obstacles; any of the regions corresponds to a label, and each label corresponds to a prior data set, wherein the prior data set in a same label corresponds to a same type of obstacles, and the prior data set in the same label corresponds to more than one type of obstacles." Applicant provides excerpts of [0043] and [0044] of Wang, and asserts that "[p]aragraphs [0043] and [0044] of Wang at most suggest a control scheme for a sweeping robot, where multiple storage locations can be set by the user during initial use, with different thrust thresholds assigned to each location, enabling the classification and storage of pushable obstacles based on mass intervals. But Wang is silent about the above-identified features of claim 1, which include that the region information on any of the regions is associated with the category information of more than one type of obstacles; any of the regions corresponds to a label, and each label corresponds to a prior data set, wherein the prior data set in a same label corresponds to a same type of obstacles, and the prior data set in the same label corresponds to more than one type of obstacles." Applicant then asserts, from the above, that "Wang does not disclose the above-identified features of claim 1, which require a classification management system based on labels and prior data sets that allows a single region to be mapped to multiple types of obstacles." Applicant further argues that the Choi reference fails to teach the features which Applicant asserts are not taught by Wang, which the examiner notes was not used as a reference in rejection previously presented claim 1 or claims 4-5. The examiner respectfully disagrees with Applicant's arguments regarding the Wang reference for at least the following reasons.
First, the examiner notes that Applicant's arguments appear to be a mere assertion that the Wang reference fails to teach the contested limitations, without providing any further evidence or analysis as to why/how the contested limitations differ from the teachings of Wang. The examiner reminds Applicant that, per at least MPEP 2145(I), Applicant's argument does not replace evidence where evidence is necessary.
Second, the examiner asserts that Wang does disclose the limitations that Applicant contests. Specifically, the examiner asserts that Wang discloses:
Acquiring map information (0043, in step S21, since multiple storage locations are involved, and the thrust value of each storage location is different, when the user uses the sweeping robot for the first time, multiple storage locations can be set), wherein the map information comprises region information on at least two regions (0043, in step S21, since multiple storage locations are involved, and the thrust value of each storage location is different, when the user uses the sweeping robot for the first time, multiple storage locations can be set, Examiner's note: the examiner asserts that the disclosure of storage locations reads on the "at least two regions" as claimed), and the region information of any of the regions is associated with the category information of more than one type of obstacles (0043, the present invention further classifies the pushable obstacles according to the size of the thrust when it is determined that the obstacle is a pushable obstacle, that is, pushable obstacles of different weights are stored in the same storage location);
Any of the regions corresponds to a label (0044, the sweeping robot of the present invention can divide the pushable obstacles into three categories, classified according to the mass intervals, for storage and classification, and push the above three categories to the storage locations respectively, Examiner's note: the examiner is interpreting the storage locations being associated with a mass interval as a "label"), and each label corresponds to a prior data set (0044, in a family environment with children, the pushable obstacles are usually only scattered toys of children), wherein the prior data set in a same label corresponds to a same type of obstacles (0044, in a family environment with children, the pushable obstacles are usually only scattered toys of children … in order to finely classify and store the pushable toys, several intervals should be divided between 1.5N and 6N), and the prior data set in the same label corresponds to more than one type of obstacles (0044, in a family environment with children, the pushable obstacles are usually only scattered toys of children … in order to finely classify and store the pushable toys, several intervals should be divided between 1.5N and 6N, Examiner's note: the examiner is interpreting the storage area being associated with "pushable toys" with similar mass intervals to read on the "more than one type of obstacle," as the "pushable toys," while being a category itself, would contain a plurality of types of "pushable toys").
Hence, Applicant's arguments are not persuasive.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3, 6, 17-19, 22, and 24-26, and 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang (CN112155486A), hereafter Wang.
Regarding claim 1, Wang discloses a controlling method for a self-walking apparatus, comprising:
Recognizing category information of an obstacle on a travelling path of the self-walking apparatus (0038-0039, the sweeping robot can judge obstacles as a pushable obstacle, when the object is a pushable obstacle, it pushes the obstacle to a centralized placement point, thereby classifying and summarizing the pushable obstacles and cleaning the ground occupied by the pushable obstacles, the obstacle determination method S1 includes attempting to push the obstacle, and determining whether the thrust is less than a preset thrust value, in order to avoid the camera being unable to determine whether the obstacle can be pushed by collecting images, the present application provides a thrust sensor on the sweeping robot to determine whether the obstacle can be pushed based on the pushing force of the thrust sensor);
Acquiring region information of a current location of the obstacle (0041, when the sweeping robot determines that the toy car is a pushable obstacle according to the detection value of the thrust sensor, the sweeping robot starts to store the toy car, the storage of pushable obstacles described in the present invention means that when the sweeping robot determines that the obstacle can be pushed, the sweeping robot pushes the pushable obstacle to a designated storage location, 0046, after determining that the obstacle is a pushable obstacle, the present invention pushes the obstacle to the designated storage location to reduce the user's storage workload, when the sweeping robot pushes a pushable obstacle to a storage location, the sweeping robot returns to the original obstacle placement location and detects the amount of dust at the location and performs vacuuming and cleaning, Examiner's note: the examiner is interpreting the implicit determination that an obstacle is not located at a storage location as "acquiring region information," since the sweeping robot determines that an object is pushable and not at the storage location, then pushes it to a storage location); and
Controlling, in response to a mismatch between the category information and the region information, the self-walking apparatus to contact the obstacle and perform a push operation for pushing the obstacle into a region matching the category information (0041, when the sweeping robot determines that the toy car is a pushable obstacle according to the detection value of the thrust sensor, the sweeping robot starts to store the toy car, the storage of pushable obstacles described in the present invention means that when the sweeping robot determines that the obstacle can be pushed, the sweeping robot pushes the pushable obstacle to a designated storage location, Examiner's note: the examiner is interpreting the implicit determination that an obstacle is not located at a storage location as the "region information," since the sweeping robot determines that an object is pushable and not at the storage location, then pushes it to a storage location); and
Acquiring map information (0043, in step S21, since multiple storage locations are involved, and the thrust value of each storage location is different, when the user uses the sweeping robot for the first time, multiple storage locations can be set), wherein the map information comprises region information on at least two regions (0043, in step S21, since multiple storage locations are involved, and the thrust value of each storage location is different, when the user uses the sweeping robot for the first time, multiple storage locations can be set, Examiner's note: the examiner asserts that the disclosure of storage locations reads on the "at least two regions" as claimed), and the region information of any of the regions is associated with the category information of more than one type of obstacles (0043, the present invention further classifies the pushable obstacles according to the size of the thrust when it is determined that the obstacle is a pushable obstacle, that is, pushable obstacles of different weights are stored in the same storage location);
Any of the regions corresponds to a label (0044, the sweeping robot of the present invention can divide the pushable obstacles into three categories, classified according to the mass intervals, for storage and classification, and push the above three categories to the storage locations respectively, Examiner's note: the examiner is interpreting the storage locations being associated with a mass interval as a "label"), and each label corresponds to a prior data set (0044, in a family environment with children, the pushable obstacles are usually only scattered toys of children), wherein the prior data set in a same label corresponds to a same type of obstacles (0044, in a family environment with children, the pushable obstacles are usually only scattered toys of children … in order to finely classify and store the pushable toys, several intervals should be divided between 1.5N and 6N), and the prior data set in the same label corresponds to more than one type of obstacles (0044, in a family environment with children, the pushable obstacles are usually only scattered toys of children … in order to finely classify and store the pushable toys, several intervals should be divided between 1.5N and 6N, Examiner's note: the examiner is interpreting the storage area being associated with "pushable toys" with similar mass intervals to read on the "more than one type of obstacle," as the "pushable toys," while being a category itself, would contain a plurality of types of "pushable toys").
Claims 17 and 24 are similar in scope to claim 1, and are similarly rejected.
Regarding claim 2, Wang discloses the controlling method according to claim 1, and further discloses it further comprising:
Acquiring a reaction force of the obstacle in response to contacting the obstacle (0009, Step S1 includes trying to push the obstacle and determined whether the thrust is less than a preset thrust value);
Controlling the self-walking apparatus to perform the push operation in response to the reaction force being less than a predetermined threshold (0010-0012, Step S2: according to the thrust determination result, the obstacles are divided into pushable obstacles and non-pushable obstacles, Step S21: when the obstacle is a pushable obstacle, the pushable obstacles are classified and stored according to the thrust size); and
Controlling the self-walking apparatus to perform an obstacle avoidance operation in response to the reaction force being greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold (0010-0012, Step S2: according to the thrust determination result, the obstacles are divided into pushable obstacles and non-pushable obstacles, 0014, Step S23: when the obstacle is an unmovable obstacle, the size of the obstacle is scanned and determined, 0051, when it is determined that the size of the obstacle cannot be crossed and cannot be climbed, the sweeping robot bypasses the obstacle).
Claims 18 and 25 are similar in scope to claim 2, and are similarly rejected.
Regarding claim 3, Wang discloses the controlling method according to claim 2, and further discloses wherein the self-walking apparatus comprises a collision sensor (0039, the present application provides a thrust sensor on the sweeping robot to determine whether the obstacle can be pushed based on the pushing force of the thrust sensor), and the acquiring the reaction force of the obstacle comprises:
Acquiring the reaction force sensed by the collision sensor (0039, the present application provides a thrust sensor on the sweeping robot to determine whether the obstacle can be pushed based on the pushing force of the thrust sensor).
Claims 19 and 26 are similar in scope to claim 3, and are similarly rejected.
Regarding claim 6, Wang discloses the controlling method according to claim 1, and discloses teaches it further comprising:
Establishing a correspondence between the region and an attribute of the obstacle in response to receiving a command to add attribute information of the obstacle with respect to any region information in the map information (0043, in step S21, since multiple storage locations are involved, and the thrust value of each storage location is different, when the user uses the sweeping robot for the first time, multiple storage locations can be set and the thrust threshold of the storage location can be set according to their own needs).
Claims 22 and 29 are similar in scope to claim 6, and are similarly rejected.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 7 and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang in view of Choi (US 20180210445 A1), hereafter Choi.
Regarding claim 7, Wang discloses the controlling method according to claim 1, and further discloses wherein after controlling the self-walking apparatus to contact the obstacle and perform the push operation for pushing the obstacle into the region matching the category information (0046, after pushing the pushable obstacle to the storage location, the sweeping robot returns to the placement location of the pushable obstacle and detects the amount of dust, according to the amount of dust, the area occupied by the pushable obstacle is vacuumed and cleaned), the control method further comprises:
Controlling the self-walking apparatus to return to the current location and to continue a sweep operation (0046, after pushing the pushable obstacle to the storage location, the sweeping robot returns to the placement location of the pushable obstacle and detects the amount of dust, according to the amount of dust, the area occupied by the pushable obstacle is vacuumed and cleaned); or
Determining whether a sweep operation of a region corresponding to the current location is completed; controlling, in response to the sweep operation being completed, the self-walking apparatus to move to an adjacent unswept region for restarting another sweep operation, and controlling, in response to the sweep operation not being completed, the self-walking apparatus to start the sweep operation.
Wang fails to disclose, however, wherein the traveling path comprises a predetermined sweep traveling path, and wherein the sweep operation is along the predetermined sweep traveling path.
Choi, however, in an analogous field of endeavor, does teach wherein the traveling path comprises a predetermined sweep traveling path, and wherein the sweep operation is along the predetermined sweep traveling path (0096, when receiving cleaning pattern information from the server, the traveling control module 441 may divide the whole traveling area into a plurality of areas based on the received cleaning pattern information and may set at least one area to the specific area, in addition, the traveling control module 441 may calculate the traveling path based on the received cleaning pattern information and may control the moving robot 400, 400a, or 400b to travel along the cleaning path while cleaning up).
Wang and Choi are analogous because they are in a similar field of endeavor, e.g., robotic cleaning systems. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention, with a reasonable expectation of success, to have included the predetermined traveling path of Choi in order to provide further means of cleaning the operating environment. The motivation to combine is to increase the effectiveness of the cleaning operation by allowing the robot’s path to be predominantly pre-planned.
Claim 23 is similar in scope to claim 7, and is similarly rejected.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/BLAKE A WOOD/Examiner, Art Unit 3658