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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This action is responsive to the communications filed 08/16/2024 (claimed foreign priority date 02/18/2022):
Claims 1-20 have been examined.
Legend: “Under BRI” = “under broadest reasonable interpretation;”
“[Prior Art/Analogous/Non-Analogous Art Reference] discloses through the invention” means “See/read entire document;” Paragraph [No..] = e.g., Para [0005] = paragraph 5; P = page, e.g., p4 = page 4; C = column, e.g. c3 = column 3;
L = line, e.g., l25 = line 25; l25-36 = lines 25 through 36.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
1. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
1.1 Claims 9, 13-15 and 19-20 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
1.1.1 Claims 9, 13, 15 and 19 recite the limitations "the shortest moving distance" in the bodies of the claims. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claims.
1.1.2 Claim 15 recites the limitation "the intra-path moving step" in the body of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
1.1.3 Claims 14 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, because of their dependencies on rejected dependent claims 13 and 19 correspondingly, and for failing to cure the deficiencies listed above.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
1. Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SCHLOSS (US20180135325) in view of BIBER (DE102014226084A1).
As per claim 1, SCHLOSS discloses, under BRI, through the invention (see entire document), a swimming pool map boundary construction method (Para [0044] – teaching under BRI, robotic pool cleaner that utilizes some or all of the sensed motions to construct a map of the perimeter of the pool), comprising:
controlling a swimming pool cleaning robot to move forward and backward, relative to each preset path in a swimming pool map that covers a swimming pool, within a working area defined by the swimming pool, to determine two path endpoints of each preset path (fig. 3a-b, 4, 10, Para [0058, 0092, 0141, 0158] – teaching, under BRI, reference points for pool cleaned travel during cleaning; series of commands of directions or vectors and distance to travel between the two points; the pool cleaner, upon receiving user command, that performs fore and aft motion with limited travel and turning motion so as to clean the immediate area more thoroughly; movements forward and backward in fig. 10).
SCHLOSS does not explicitly disclose through the invention, or is missing, constructing map boundaries of the swimming pool map based on the determined two path endpoints of each preset path in the swimming pool map.
However, BIBER discloses, under BRI, these limitations/features through the invention (see entire document), particularly in fig. 2-4, abstract, Para [0004, 0010, 0015, 0017, 0021, 0026, 0028, 0034-0035, 0037-0042, 0052, 0062, 0067, 0087-0088, 0091-0092, 0094-0095] – teaching, under BRI, autonomous swimming pool cleaning machine; starting and ending points, direction and length of the boundary line, determined and processed relative to the processing area, the points that specifically mark the location on a boundary line from which a mapping of the unmapped area adjacent to the boundary line is initiated, preferably started, as part of a further mapping trip; autonomous robot vehicle 10 that moves by means of a transfer journey 72 from endpoint of the initial mapping journey to another endpoint on one of the identified boundary lines 66.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, who is also a person of ordinary creativity, not an automation, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the teaching of SCHLOSS by incorporating, applying and utilizing the above steps, technique and features as taught by BIBER, who is in the same field of endeavor. A person of ordinary skill, ordinary creativity would have been motivated to do so, with a reasonable expectation of success, for the purpose of and/or in order to map a processing surface, in particular for determining a processing surface as part of a navigation method for autonomous mobile robot vehicles (see entire BIBER document, particularly Para [0003]).
As per claim 2, SCHLOSS further discloses, under BRI, through the invention (see entire document), generating, based on an initial position and an initial orientation of the swimming pool cleaning robot, the swimming pool map that covers the working area of the swimming pool, wherein each preset path in the swimming pool map is parallel to the initial orientation of the swimming pool cleaning robot (fig. 4, 10, Para [0117] – teaching, under BRI, approach path 62a parallel to departure path 62b; parallel movements forward and backward in fig. 10).
As per claim 3, SCHLOSS further discloses, under BRI, through the invention (see entire document), initial position and the initial orientation of the swimming pool cleaning robot determined by: determining, based on a position and an orientation of the swimming pool cleaning robot at a bottom of the swimming pool when freely sinking to the bottom of the swimming pool, the initial position and initial orientation of the swimming pool cleaning robot; or controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to move relative to the bottom of the swimming pool to a designated position and a designated orientation according to a movement instruction, and determining the designated position and the designated orientation as the initial position and the initial orientation of the swimming pool cleaning robot (fig. 3-4, 6, Para [0036, 0038, 0047] – teaching, under BRI, robotic pool cleaner configured to clean the floor or bottom of the pool, the pool surface that refers only to the floor; robotic pool cleaner configured to clean all or part of substantially vertical or steeply sloped walls of the pool, the pool surface that refers also to those parts of the wall that are to be cleaned).
As per claim 4, SCHLOSS further discloses, under BRI, through the invention (see entire document), controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to move forward and backward relative to each preset path in the swimming pool map within the working area defined by the swimming pool, to determine each preset path that comprises: determining a preset path where the swimming pool cleaning robot is currently located in the swimming pool map as the current path; controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to move backward and forward relative to the current path based on a preset orientation parallel to the current path within the working area defined by the swimming pool, until the swimming pool cleaning robot collides with side walls of the swimming pool at two opposite ends of the current path respectively, to determine the current path; controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot, according to a preset movement algorithm, to move from the current path to a preset path which is adjacent to the current path which have not been determined; and returning to and continuing with the step of determining the preset path where the swimming pool cleaning robot is currently located in the swimming pool map as the current path until each preset path in the swimming pool map is determined (fig. 3a-b, 4, 10, Para [0044, 0058, 0092, 0141, 0148 0158-0159] – teaching, under BRI, robotic pool cleaner commanded to stop upon contact with the pool wall, or to continue to the pool waterline, or to restart its cleaning, cycle from the point of contact with the pool wall, depending on the command issued).
SCHLOSS does not explicitly disclose through the invention, or is missing, controlling determine the two path endpoints of each preset path; current path and of which two path endpoints have not been determined; determining the preset path where the swimming pool cleaning robot is currently located in the swimming pool map as the current path until the two path endpoints of each preset path in the swimming pool map are determined.
However, BIBER discloses, under BRI, these limitations/features through the invention (see entire document), particularly in fig. 2-4, abstract, Para [0004, 0010, 0015, 0017, 0021, 0026, 0028, 0034-0035, 0037-0042, 0052, 0062, 0067, 0087-0088, 0091-0092, 0094-0095] – teaching, under BRI, autonomous swimming pool cleaning machine; starting and ending points, direction and length of the boundary line, determined and processed relative to the processing area, the points that specifically mark the location on a boundary line from which a mapping of the unmapped area adjacent to the boundary line is initiated, preferably started, as part of a further mapping trip; autonomous robot vehicle 10 that moves by means of a transfer journey 72 from endpoint of the initial mapping journey to another endpoint on one of the identified boundary lines 66.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, who is also a person of ordinary creativity, not an automation, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the teaching of SCHLOSS by incorporating, applying and utilizing the above steps, technique and features as taught by BIBER, who is in the same field of endeavor. A person of ordinary skill, ordinary creativity would have been motivated to do so, with a reasonable expectation of success, for the purpose of and/or in order to map a processing surface, in particular for determining a processing surface as part of a navigation method for autonomous mobile robot vehicles (see entire BIBER document, particularly Para [0003]).
As per claim 5, SCHLOSS further discloses, under BRI, through the invention (see entire document), controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to move backward and forward relative to the current path based on the preset orientation parallel to the current path within the working area defined by the swimming pool until the swimming pool cleaning robot collides with the side walls of the swimming pool at the two opposite ends of the current path respectively, to determine the current path comprises: controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to move backward relative to the current path based on the preset orientation until the swimming pool cleaning robot collides with the side wall of the swimming pool at a first end of the current path, and determining path endpoints of the current path based on the current position of the swimming pool cleaning robot relative to the current path; and controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to move forward relative to the current path based on the preset orientation until the swimming pool cleaning robot collides with the side wall of the swimming pool at a second end of the current path, and determining path endpoints of the current path based on the current position of the swimming pool cleaning robot relative to the current path (fig. 3a-b, 4, 10, Para [0044, 0058, 0092, 0141, 0148 0158-0159] – teaching, under BRI, robotic pool cleaner commanded to stop upon contact with the pool wall, or to continue to the pool waterline, or to restart its cleaning, cycle from the point of contact with the pool wall, depending on the command issued).
SCHLOSS does not explicitly disclose through the invention, or is missing, determining the two path endpoints of the current path; determining a first path endpoint of the current path based on the current position of the swimming pool cleaning robot relative to the current path; determining a second path endpoint of the current path based on the current position of the swimming pool cleaning robot relative to the current path.
However, BIBER discloses, under BRI, these limitations/features through the invention (see entire document), particularly in fig. 2-4, abstract, Para [0004, 0010, 0015, 0017, 0021, 0026, 0028, 0034-0035, 0037-0042, 0052, 0062, 0067, 0087-0088, 0091-0092, 0094-0095] – teaching, under BRI, autonomous swimming pool cleaning machine; starting and ending points, direction and length of the boundary line, determined and processed relative to the processing area, the points that specifically mark the location on a boundary line from which a mapping of the unmapped area adjacent to the boundary line is initiated, preferably started, as part of a further mapping trip; autonomous robot vehicle 10 that moves by means of a transfer journey 72 from endpoint of the initial mapping journey to another endpoint on one of the identified boundary lines 66.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, who is also a person of ordinary creativity, not an automation, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the teaching of SCHLOSS by incorporating, applying and utilizing the above steps, technique and features as taught by BIBER, who is in the same field of endeavor. A person of ordinary skill, ordinary creativity would have been motivated to do so, with a reasonable expectation of success, for the purpose of and/or in order to map a processing surface, in particular for determining a processing surface as part of a navigation method for autonomous mobile robot vehicles (see entire BIBER document, particularly Para [0003]).
As per claim 6, SCHLOSS further discloses, under BRI, through the invention (see entire document), controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot, according to the preset movement algorithm, to move from the current path to the preset path which is adjacent to the current path comprises: determining, based on the current path, a preset path that has not been determined and which is adjacent to the current path in the swimming pool map as a target path; and controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to perform a U-turn according to the preset movement algorithm, so that the swimming pool cleaning robot moves from the current path to the target path, wherein a U-turn orientation of the swimming pool cleaning robot after completion of the U-turn is opposite to the preset orientation (fig. 3a-b, 4, 10, Para [0041, 0044, 0047, 0050, 0056, 0058, 0066, 0087, 0090, 0092, 0097-0098, 0110, 0126, 0131] – teaching, under BRI, rotating robotic pool cleaner in a direction that is opposite to backward tipping motion; robotic pool cleaner commanded to stop upon contact with the pool wall, or to continue to the pool waterline, or to restart its cleaning, cycle from the point of contact with the pool wall, depending on the command issued).
SCHLOSS does not explicitly disclose through the invention, or is missing, preset to adjacent path two path endpoints that have not been determined; determining the two path endpoints of the current path; determining a first path endpoint of the current path based on the current position of the swimming pool cleaning robot relative to the current path; determining a second path endpoint of the current path based on the current position of the swimming pool cleaning robot relative to the current path.
However, BIBER discloses, under BRI, these limitations/features through the invention (see entire document), particularly in fig. 2-4, abstract, Para [0004, 0010, 0015, 0017, 0021, 0026, 0028, 0034-0035, 0037-0042, 0052, 0062, 0067, 0087-0088, 0091-0092, 0094-0095] – teaching, under BRI, autonomous swimming pool cleaning machine; starting and ending points, direction and length of the boundary line, determined and processed relative to the processing area, the points that specifically mark the location on a boundary line from which a mapping of the unmapped area adjacent to the boundary line is initiated, preferably started, as part of a further mapping trip; autonomous robot vehicle 10 that moves by means of a transfer journey 72 from endpoint of the initial mapping journey to another endpoint on one of the identified boundary lines 66.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, who is also a person of ordinary creativity, not an automation, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the teaching of SCHLOSS by incorporating, applying and utilizing the above steps, technique and features as taught by BIBER, who is in the same field of endeavor. A person of ordinary skill, ordinary creativity would have been motivated to do so, with a reasonable expectation of success, for the purpose of and/or in order to map a processing surface, in particular for determining a processing surface as part of a navigation method for autonomous mobile robot vehicles (see entire BIBER document, particularly Para [0003]).
As per claim 7, SCHLOSS further discloses, under BRI, through the invention (see entire document), returning to and the continuing with the step of determining the preset path where the swimming pool cleaning robot is currently located in the swimming pool map as the current path that comprises: updating the U-turn orientation of the swimming pool cleaning robot after completion of the U-turn as the preset orientation; and returning to and continuing with the step of determining the preset path where the swimming pool cleaning robot is currently located in the swimming pool map as the current path (fig. 3a-b, 4, 10, Para [0041, 0044, 0047, 0050, 0056, 0058, 0066, 0087, 0090, 0092, 0097-0098, 0110, 0126, 0131] – teaching, under BRI, rotating robotic pool cleaner in a direction that is opposite to backward tipping motion; robotic pool cleaner commanded to stop upon contact with the pool wall, or to continue to the pool waterline, or to restart its cleaning, cycle from the point of contact with the pool wall, depending on the command issued).
As per claim 8, SCHLOSS further discloses, under BRI, through the invention (see entire document), controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to perform the U-turn according to the preset movement algorithm that comprises: controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to perform the U-turn based on a right-angle turning mode or an arc turning mode, so that the U-turn orientation of the swimming pool cleaning robot after completion of the U-turn is opposite to the preset orientation (fig. 3a-b, 4, 10, Para [0041, 0044, 0047, 0050, 0056, 0058, 0066, 0087, 0090, 0092, 0097-0098, 0110, 0126, 0131] – teaching, under BRI, rotating robotic pool cleaner in a direction that is opposite to backward tipping motion; robotic pool cleaner commanded to stop upon contact with the pool wall, or to continue to the pool waterline, or to restart its cleaning, cycle from the point of contact with the pool wall, depending on the command issued).
As per claim 9, SCHLOSS further discloses, under BRI, through the invention (see entire document), determining each preset path that has not been determined in the swimming pool map as a candidate path when there is no preset path has not been determined and which is adjacent to the current path in the swimming pool map; determining the candidate path having the shortest moving distance from the current path as a target path based on the current path and each candidate path according to a preset path finding algorithm; controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to move from the current path to the target path according to the preset path finding algorithm; and returning to and continuing with the step of determining the preset path where the swimming pool cleaning robot is currently located in the swimming pool map as the current path (Para [0046, 0061, 0063, 0113-0114] – teaching, under BRI, algorithm that takes into account a shape of the pool (e.g., variations in a motion pattern as appropriate for a particular shape), or other factors).
SCHLOSS does not explicitly disclose through the invention, or is missing, determining each preset path of which the two path endpoints have not been determined in the swimming pool map as a candidate path when there is no preset path of which two path endpoints have not been determined and which is adjacent to the current path in the swimming pool map.
However, BIBER discloses, under BRI, these limitations/features through the invention (see entire document), particularly in fig. 2-4, abstract, Para [0004, 0010, 0015, 0017, 0021, 0026, 0028, 0034-0035, 0037-0042, 0052, 0062, 0067, 0087-0088, 0091-0092, 0094-0095] – teaching, under BRI, autonomous swimming pool cleaning machine; starting and ending points, direction and length of the boundary line, determined and processed relative to the processing area, the points that specifically mark the location on a boundary line from which a mapping of the unmapped area adjacent to the boundary line is initiated, preferably started, as part of a further mapping trip; autonomous robot vehicle 10 that moves by means of a transfer journey 72 from endpoint of the initial mapping journey to another endpoint on one of the identified boundary lines 66.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, who is also a person of ordinary creativity, not an automation, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the teaching of SCHLOSS by incorporating, applying and utilizing the above steps, technique and features as taught by BIBER, who is in the same field of endeavor. A person of ordinary skill, ordinary creativity would have been motivated to do so, with a reasonable expectation of success, for the purpose of and/or in order to map a processing surface, in particular for determining a processing surface as part of a navigation method for autonomous mobile robot vehicles (see entire BIBER document, particularly Para [0003]).
As per claim 10, SCHLOSS further discloses, under BRI, through the invention (see entire document), each preset path in the swimming pool map that comprises at least one grid zone, the method further comprising: for each preset path in the swimming pool map, determining each grid zone in the preset path of the preset path as a cleaning zone (Para [0045-0046, 0114, 0158] – teaching, under BRI, calculation of an operating time based on one or more of the area of the pool surfaces, a rate at which the robotic pool cleaner cleans the pool surfaces, a pattern of travel of the pool surfaces, or other assessed characteristics).
SCHLOSS does not explicitly disclose through the invention, or is missing, determining each grid zone in the preset path between the two path endpoints of the preset path as a cleaning zone based on the two path endpoints.
However, BIBER discloses, under BRI, these limitations/features through the invention (see entire document), particularly in fig. 2-4, abstract, Para [0004, 0010, 0015, 0017, 0021, 0026, 0028, 0034-0035, 0037-0042, 0052, 0062, 0067, 0087-0088, 0091-0092, 0094-0095] – teaching, under BRI, autonomous swimming pool cleaning machine; starting and ending points, direction and length of the boundary line, determined and processed relative to the processing area, the points that specifically mark the location on a boundary line from which a mapping of the unmapped area adjacent to the boundary line is initiated, preferably started, as part of a further mapping trip; autonomous robot vehicle 10 that moves by means of a transfer journey 72 from endpoint of the initial mapping journey to another endpoint on one of the identified boundary lines 66.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, who is also a person of ordinary creativity, not an automation, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the teaching of SCHLOSS by incorporating, applying and utilizing the above steps, technique and features as taught by BIBER, who is in the same field of endeavor. A person of ordinary skill, ordinary creativity would have been motivated to do so, with a reasonable expectation of success, for the purpose of and/or in order to map a processing surface, in particular for determining a processing surface as part of a navigation method for autonomous mobile robot vehicles (see entire BIBER document, particularly Para [0003]).
As per claims 11 and 17, SCHLOSS discloses, under BRI, through the invention (see entire document), a swimming pool cleaning method/an electronic device (fig. 1b, Para [0016, 0034-0035, 0044, 0138, 0141] – teaching under BRI, controller 31, processor 32 of robotic pool cleaner 10; robotic pool cleaner that utilizes some or all of the sensed motions to construct a map of the perimeter of the pool; a robotic pool cleaner to transmit to an external computing device coordinates or location information in a swimming pool, such as for example location information on the location of that cleaner or other such cleaner or cleaners, or location of obstacles), comprising:
controlling, based on a cleaning map corresponding to a swimming pool, a swimming pool cleaning robot to traverse each cleaning path to clean the swimming pool, wherein each cleaning path in the cleaning map is determined using a swimming pool map boundary construction method (fig. 3a-b, 4, 10, Para [0058, 0092, 0141, 0158] – teaching, under BRI, reference points for pool cleaned travel during cleaning; series of commands of directions or vectors and distance to travel between the two points; the pool cleaner, upon receiving user command, that performs fore and aft motion with limited travel and turning motion so as to clean the immediate area more thoroughly; movements forward and backward in fig. 10), the swimming pool map boundary construction method comprising:
controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to move forward and backward, relative to each preset path in a swimming pool map that covers the swimming pool, within a working area defined by the swimming pool, to determine each preset path (fig. 3a-b, 4, 10, Para [0058, 0092, 0141, 0158] – teaching, under BRI, reference points for pool cleaned travel during cleaning; series of commands of directions or vectors and distance to travel between the two points; the pool cleaner, upon receiving user command, that performs fore and aft motion with limited travel and turning motion so as to clean the immediate area more thoroughly).
SCHLOSS does not explicitly disclose through the invention, or is missing, controlling, based on two path endpoints of each cleaning path in a cleaning map corresponding to a swimming pool, a swimming pool cleaning robot; two path endpoints of each cleaning path in the cleaning map determined using a swimming pool map boundary construction method; determining two path endpoints of each preset path; constructing map boundaries of the swimming pool map based on the determined two path endpoints of each preset path in the swimming pool map.
However, BIBER discloses, under BRI, these limitations/features through the invention (see entire document), particularly in fig. 2-4, abstract, Para [0004, 0010, 0015, 0017, 0021, 0026, 0028, 0034-0035, 0037-0042, 0052, 0062, 0067, 0087-0088, 0091-0092, 0094-0095] – teaching, under BRI, autonomous swimming pool cleaning machine; starting and ending points, direction and length of the boundary line, determined and processed relative to the processing area, the points that specifically mark the location on a boundary line from which a mapping of the unmapped area adjacent to the boundary line is initiated, preferably started, as part of a further mapping trip; autonomous robot vehicle 10 that moves by means of a transfer journey 72 from endpoint of the initial mapping journey to another endpoint on one of the identified boundary lines 66.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, who is also a person of ordinary creativity, not an automation, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the teaching of SCHLOSS by incorporating, applying and utilizing the above steps, technique and features as taught by BIBER, who is in the same field of endeavor. A person of ordinary skill, ordinary creativity would have been motivated to do so, with a reasonable expectation of success, for the purpose of and/or in order to map a processing surface, in particular for determining a processing surface as part of a navigation method for autonomous mobile robot vehicles (see entire BIBER document, particularly Para [0003]).
As per claims 12 and 18, SCHLOSS does not explicitly disclose through the invention, or is missing, controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to traverse each cleaning path based on the two path endpoints of each cleaning path in the cleaning map corresponding to the swimming pool that comprises: an inter-path moving step: controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to move between different cleaning paths according to a preset path finding algorithm; an intra-path moving step: controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to move in each cleaning path according to a preset cleaning movement algorithm; and alternately performing the inter-path moving step and intra-path moving step until the swimming pool cleaning robot traverses each cleaning path in the cleaning map.
However, BIBER discloses, under BRI, these limitations/features through the invention (see entire document), particularly in fig. 3-4, Para [0009, 0012, 0022-0023, 0026-0027, 0029-0033, 0043-0047, 0060, 0075, 0085, 0087, 0093, 0096, 0098] – teaching, under BRI, parallel paths, traversed paths; angular changes between traversed paths for determining position and/or odometry data.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, who is also a person of ordinary creativity, not an automation, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the teaching of SCHLOSS by incorporating, applying and utilizing the above steps, technique and features as taught by BIBER, who is in the same field of endeavor. A person of ordinary skill, ordinary creativity would have been motivated to do so, with a reasonable expectation of success, for the purpose of and/or in order to map a processing surface, in particular for determining a processing surface as part of a navigation method for autonomous mobile robot vehicles (see entire BIBER document, particularly Para [0003]).
As per claims 13 and 19, SCHLOSS does not explicitly disclose through the invention, or is missing, inter-path moving step that comprises: determining a path endpoint having the shortest moving distance from the swimming pool cleaning robot as a target endpoint based on a path endpoint of a current cleaning path where the swimming pool cleaning robot is currently located and two path endpoints of each uncleaned cleaning path in the cleaning map according to the preset path finding algorithm; determining a cleaning path including the target endpoint as a cleaning path to be cleaned; controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to move toward the target endpoint according to the preset path finding algorithm, so as to move from a current cleaning area to the cleaning path to be cleaned; and continuing to the intra-path moving step after the cleaning path to be cleaned is updated to the current cleaning path.
However, BIBER discloses, under BRI, these limitations/features through the invention (see entire document), particularly in fig. 3-4, Para [0009, 0012, 0022-0023, 0026-0027, 0029-0033, 0043-0047, 0060, 0075, 0085, 0087, 0093, 0096, 0098].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, who is also a person of ordinary creativity, not an automation, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the teaching of SCHLOSS by incorporating, applying and utilizing the above steps, technique and features as taught by BIBER, who is in the same field of endeavor. A person of ordinary skill, ordinary creativity would have been motivated to do so, with a reasonable expectation of success, for the purpose of and/or in order to map a processing surface, in particular for determining a processing surface as part of a navigation method for autonomous mobile robot vehicles (see entire BIBER document, particularly Para [0003]).
As per claims 14 and 20, SCHLOSS does not explicitly disclose through the invention, or is missing, intra-path moving step that comprises: determining one of the two path endpoints of the current cleaning path that matches the target endpoint as a starting endpoint; determining the other one of the two path endpoints as a termination endpoint; and controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to move from the starting endpoint to the termination endpoint, so as to traverse the current cleaning path; and continuing the inter-path moving step.
However, BIBER discloses, under BRI, these limitations/features through the invention (see entire document), particularly in fig. 2-4, Para [0004, 0009-0010, 0012, 0015, 0017, 0021-0033, 0026, 0028, 0034-0035, 0037-0047, 0052, 0060, 0062, 0067, 0075, 0085, 0087-0088, 0091-0098].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, who is also a person of ordinary creativity, not an automation, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the teaching of SCHLOSS by incorporating, applying and utilizing the above steps, technique and features as taught by BIBER, who is in the same field of endeavor. A person of ordinary skill, ordinary creativity would have been motivated to do so, with a reasonable expectation of success, for the purpose of and/or in order to map a processing surface, in particular for determining a processing surface as part of a navigation method for autonomous mobile robot vehicles (see entire BIBER document, particularly Para [0003]).
As per claim 15, SCHLOSS does not explicitly disclose through the invention, or is missing, determining a path endpoint having the shortest moving distance from the swimming pool cleaning robot as a target endpoint based on a current cleaning path where the swimming pool cleaning robot is currently located in the cleaning map and two path endpoints of each uncleaned cleaning path in the cleaning map and according to a preset path finding algorithm; determining a cleaning path including the target endpoint as a cleaning path to be cleaned; controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to move toward the target endpoint according to the preset path finding algorithm; updating the cleaning path to be cleaned as the current cleaning path after the swimming pool cleaning robot arrives at the target endpoint; and continuing to the intra-path moving step.
However, BIBER discloses, under BRI, these limitations/features through the invention (see entire document), particularly in fig. 2-4, Para [0004, 0009-0010, 0012, 0015, 0017, 0021-0033, 0026, 0028, 0034-0035, 0037-0047, 0052, 0060, 0062-0063, 0067, 0075, 0085, 0087-0088, 0091-0098] – teaching, under BRI, use of appropriately complex algorithms executed by an evaluation unit, a comparison of distances traveled on traversed tracks can be carried out according to the invention from any arbitrary pattern; operating program with evaluation and calculation routines.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, who is also a person of ordinary creativity, not an automation, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the teaching of SCHLOSS by incorporating, applying and utilizing the above steps, technique and features as taught by BIBER, who is in the same field of endeavor. A person of ordinary skill, ordinary creativity would have been motivated to do so, with a reasonable expectation of success, for the purpose of and/or in order to map a processing surface, in particular for determining a processing surface as part of a navigation method for autonomous mobile robot vehicles (see entire BIBER document, particularly Para [0003]).
As per claim 16, SCHLOSS does not explicitly disclose through the invention, or is missing, controlling, by a swimming pool cleaning apparatus, the swimming pool cleaning robot to traverse each cleaning path to clean the swimming pool based on the two path endpoints of each cleaning path in the cleaning map corresponding to the swimming pool.
However, BIBER discloses, under BRI, these limitations/features through the invention (see entire document), particularly in fig. 2-4, Para [0012, 0017, 0019, 0029, 0031, 0046, 0085, 0093, 0098].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, who is also a person of ordinary creativity, not an automation, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the teaching of SCHLOSS by incorporating, applying and utilizing the above steps, technique and features as taught by BIBER, who is in the same field of endeavor. A person of ordinary skill, ordinary creativity would have been motivated to do so, with a reasonable expectation of success, for the purpose of and/or in order to map a processing surface, in particular for determining a processing surface as part of a navigation method for autonomous mobile robot vehicles (see entire BIBER document, particularly Para [0003]).
RELEVANT PRIOR ART THAT WAS CITED BUT NOT APPLIED
The following relevant prior art references that were found, by the Examiner while performing initial and/or additional search, cited but not applied:
GRAEFENSTEIN (WO2019034382A1) – (see entire GRAEFENSTEIN document, particularly abstract – teaching a method for detecting a position of a mobile, in particular autonomous robot vehicle along a boundary wire surrounding a defined region, comprising the following method steps: emitting a first delay time signal in the form of a current signal fed to the boundary wire, wherein an electromagnetic alternating field is generated; detecting an arrival of the first delay time signal at the robot vehicle, in particular as a result of a detection of an electromagnetic field change brought about by the delay time signal and in turn brought about by the generated electromagnetic alternating field; emitting a second delay time signal; detecting an arrival of the second delay time signal at the robot vehicle; determining a time delay between the arrival of the first delay time signal and the arrival of the second delay time signal; and determining the position of the robot vehicle along the boundary wire depending on the determined time delay.
Conclusion
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/YURI KAN, P.E./Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3662