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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the trajectories (claims 5 and 11) and the arrangement of the projections in intervals (claims 8 and 14) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-6, 9-12, 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jaegenstedt et al. WO 2011/115536 A1.
Independent Claim 1: Jaegenstedt discloses an autonomous lawn mower (100) comprising:
a housing (102), comprising a central axis in a longitudinal direction;
a movement module (108), configured to drive the housing to move;
a cutting module (104), mounted in the housing, and configured to be activated to form a cutting region, the cutting region including a first midpoint (at the center of 110) in a transverse direction, and the cutting module comprising a cutting element (110);
a cut-to-edge module (106), mounted in the housing (see Fig. 2A), and configured to be activated to form a cut-to-edge region, the cut-to-edge region including a second midpoint (at the center of 114) in the transverse direction, and the cut-to-edge module comprising a cut-to-edge element (112); and
a control module (“control device”, not shown), electrically connected to the movement module, the cutting module, and the cut-to-edge module (see page 5, line 30-page 6, line 2),
wherein the autonomous lawn mower is configured to operate in at least one of a cut-along-edge mode (during normal operation when the cut-to-edge module is in a passive state, pg. 8, lns. 11-12, pg. 10, lns. 4-5) or a cut-to-edge mode (when the cut-to-edge module is in an active state, pg. 8, lns. 12-13);
the control module is configured to control the cutting module to start in the cut-along-edge mode, control the cut-to-edge module to start in the cut-to-edge mode, and control the cut-along-edge mode to start before the cut-to-edge mode (see pg. 10, lns. 4-6 and pg. 11, lns. 8-10); and
in the cut-to-edge mode, the control module is configured to control the autonomous lawn mower to move along a boundary of a working region (at the perimeter wire), with a side where the second midpoint is located facing outward from the working region (as seen in Fig. 2, the boundary of the working region is to the right of the lawn mower), as per claim 1.
Dependent Claim 2-3, 5-6, 9: Jaegenstedt further discloses wherein in the cut-to-edge mode (when the cut-to-edge module is in an active state, pg. 8, lns. 12-13), the control module (“control device”, not shown) is further configured to control the cutting module (104) and the cut-to-edge module to work (as described in pg. 10, lns. 4-6, the lawn mower is in a normal operation which includes mowing with cutting module 104 and, when a perimeter wire is sensed, also activating the cut-to-edge module 106), as per claim 2;
wherein the control module (“control device”, not shown) is further configured to control the autonomous lawn mower (100) to move along the boundary of the working region (at the perimeter wire) in the cut-along-edge mode (as described in pg. 10, lns. 4-6, the lawn mower is in a normal operation which includes mowing with cutting module 104 and, when a perimeter wire is sensed, also activating the cut-to-edge module 106), as per claim 3;
wherein during a movement of the autonomous lawn mower (100), a trajectory formed by a cut-along-edge region (the swath cut by cutting module 104) at least partially overlaps with a trajectory formed by the cut-to-edge region (the swath cut by the cut-to-edge module 106, as seen in Fig. 2A, the right end of 110 overlaps in a travel direction with 112), as per claim 5;
wherein a distance between the first midpoint (at the center of 110) and the central axis is a first distance (zero), a distance between the second midpoint (at the center of 114) and the central axis is a second distance (a positive distance), and the first distance is smaller than the second distance (as seen in Fig. 2A), as per claim 6;
wherein the first midpoint (center of 110) is a first rotational axis, and the cutting module (104) rotates about the first rotational axis to form the cutting region; and
the second midpoint (center of 114) is a second rotational axis, and the cut-to-edge module (106) rotates about the second rotational axis to form the cut-to-edge region, as per claim 9.
Independent Claim 10: Jaegenstedt discloses an autonomous lawn mower (100) comprising:
a housing (102), comprising a central axis in a longitudinal direction;
a movement module (108) configured to drive the housing to move;
a cutting module (104), mounted in the housing, and configured to be activated to form a cutting region, the cutting region including a first midpoint (at the center of 110) in a transverse direction, and the cutting module comprising a cutting element (110);
a cut-to-edge module (106), mounted in the housing, and configured to be activated to form a cut-to-edge region, the cut-to-edge region including a second midpoint (at the center of 114) in the transverse direction, and the cut-to-edge module comprising a cut-to-edge element (112); and
a control module (“control device”, not shown), electrically connected to the movement module, the cutting module, and the cut-to-edge module (see page 5, line 30-page 6, line 2), wherein the autonomous lawn mower is configured to operate in a cut-to-edge mode (when the cut-to-edge module is in an active state, pg. 8, lns. 12-13);
the control module is configured to control the cutting module and the cut-to-edge module to work (as described in pg. 10, lns. 4-6, the lawn mower is in a normal operation which includes mowing with cutting module 104 and, when a perimeter wire is sensed, also activating the cut-to-edge module 106); and
in the cut-to-edge mode, the control module is configured to control the autonomous lawn mower to move along a boundary of a working region (at the perimeter), with a side where the second midpoint is located facing outward from the working region (as seen in Fig. 2, the boundary of the working region is to the right of the lawn mower), as per claim 10.
Dependent Claims 11-12: Jaegenstedt further discloses wherein during a movement of the autonomous lawn mower (100), a trajectory formed by a cut-along-edge region (the swath cut by cutting module 104) at least partially overlaps with a trajectory formed by the cut-to-edge region (the swath cut by the cut-to-edge module 106, as seen in Fig. 2A, the right end of 110 overlaps in a travel direction with 112), as per claim 11;
wherein a distance between the first midpoint (at the center of 110) and the central axis is a first distance (zero), a distance between the second midpoint (at the center of 114) and the central axis is a second distance (at positive distance), and the first distance is smaller than the second distance (as seen in Fig. 2A), as per claim 12.
Independent Claim 15: Jaegenstedt discloses an autonomous lawn mower (100) comprising:
a movement module (108) configured to drive the autonomous lawn mower to move;
a cutting module (104) configured to be activated to form a cutting region, the cutting region including a first midpoint (at the center of 110) in a transverse direction, and the cutting module comprising a cutting element (110);
a cut-to-edge module (106) configured to be activated to form a cut-to-edge region (the swath cut by 106), the cut-to-edge region including a second midpoint (at the center of 114) in a transverse direction, and the cut-to-edge module comprising a cut-to-edge element (112); and
a control module (“control device”, not shown), electrically connected to the movement module, the cutting module, and the cut-to-edge module (see page 5, line 30-page 6, line 2);
wherein the autonomous lawn mower is configured to operate in at least one of a cut-along-edge mode (during normal operation when the cut-to-edge module is in a passive state, pg. 8, lns. 11-12, pg. 10, lns. 4-5) or a cut-to-edge mode (when the cut-to-edge module is in an active state, pg. 8, lns. 12-13);
the control module is configured to control the cutting module to start in a cut-along-edge mode, control the cut-to-edge module to start in a cut-to-edge mode, and control the cut-along-edge mode to start before the cut-to-edge mode (see pg. 10, lns. 4-6 and pg. 11, lns. 8-10); and
in the cut-to-edge mode, the control module is configured to control the autonomous lawn mower to move along a boundary of the working region (at the perimeter wire), with a side where the second midpoint is located facing outward from the working region (as seen in Fig. 2, the boundary of the working region is to the right of the lawn mower), as per claim 15.
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) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jaegenstedt et al. in view of Peless et al. DE 69931131 T2.
Dependent Claim 4: The lawn mower is disclosed as applied above. However, Jaegenstedt fails to disclose wherein the control module is further configured to control the autonomous lawn mower to start the cut-to-edge mode after the cut-along-edge mode is completed, as per claim 4.
Peless discloses a similar lawn mower (20) wherein the control module (43) is further configured to control the autonomous lawn mower to start the cut-to-edge mode after the cut-along-edge mode is completed (see the boxed text of page 5 of the attached document which describes the programming of the lawn mower to start the edge trim mode after the mowing has been completed), as per claim 4.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the order of events as taught by Peless for the lawn mower of Jaegenstedt since waiting to edge a lawn after the completion of the mowing operation is completed is old and well-known in the art.
Claim(s) 7-8, 13-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jaegenstedt in view of Hildebrandt DE 19928270 A1.
Dependent Claims 7-8, 13-14: The lawn mower is disclosed as applied above. However, Jaegenstedt fails to disclose wherein the cutting module and the cut-to-edge module are at different heights, and projections of the cutting region and the cut-to-edge region in a height direction of the housing are at least partially overlapping with each other, as per claims 7 and 13;
wherein the projections of the cut-to-edge region and the cutting region that are in the height direction of the housing are arranged at intervals, as per claims 8 and 14.
Hildebrandt discloses a similar lawn mower wherein the cutting module (the unnumbered central mowing blade) and the cut-to-edge module (1-3) are at different heights (in order to have the overlap of the blade with the string, they must be at different heights so that the blade doesn’t shred the string), and projections of the cutting region (the circle outlined by the rotation of the central mowing blade) and the cut-to-edge region (the circle outlined by the strings 2) in a height direction of the housing are at least partially overlapping with each other (as seen in the figures), as per claims 7 and 13;
wherein the projections of the cut-to-edge region (the circle outlined by the strings 2) and the cutting region (the circle outlined by the central mowing blade) that are in the height direction of the housing are arranged at intervals (as seen in the figures), as per claims 8 and 14.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to overlap the projections of the cutting and cut-to-edge modules as taught by Hildebrandt on the lawn mower of Jaegenstedt in order to ensure that no strips of grass go uncut.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please see the attached PTOL-892. Hans et al. 10,681,863 discloses a lawn mower similar to that claimed, however, the cut-to-edge module is in a housing separate from the cutting module housing.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Alicia M. Torres whose telephone number is 571-272-6997. The examiner’s fax number is 571-273-6997. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kristina R. Fulton, can be reached at (571) 272-7376.
Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application or proceeding should be directed to the group receptionist whose telephone number is 571-272-3600. The fax number for this Group is 571-273-8300.
/Alicia Torres/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3671 September 15, 2026
Prosecution Insights