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 .
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.
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.
Claims 1, 2, 4-6, 8, 10-12, 14 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hirata et al. (US Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0339879) in view of Takahashi et al. (US Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0085143).
In reference to claim 1, Hirata discloses a robot 10 (par. 0056) having a body 13, at least two drive wheels 15, said control unit 120 (par. 0060) being configured to generate a cleaning request signal and generate a drive signal for actuating said at least two drive wheels 15 so as to guide said robot 10 to an external cleaning station 20 (par. 0126); wherein said control unit 120 is further configured to generate a movement signal for actuating said at least two drive wheels 15 to cause a relative movement of said robot 10 in relation to said external cleaning station 20 while allowing cleaning of at least a part of the underside of said robot 10 (par. 0127).
Hirata fails to disclose that the robot is a robotic lawn mower comprising a grass cutting mechanism; at least two electric motor arrangements and a control unit adapted to control operation of the robotic lawn mower, wherein said at least two drive wheels are drivably connected to a first electric motor arrangement and the cutting mechanism is drivably connected to a second electric motor arrangement.
Takahashi discloses a robot 10 that is a robotic lawn mower (par. 0025) comprising a grass cutting mechanism 20 (par. 0026); at least two electric motor arrangements and a control unit 44 adapted to control operation of the robotic lawn mower 10, wherein said at least two drive wheels 16 are drivably connected to a first electric motor arrangement 26 and the cutting mechanism 20 is drivably connected to a second electric motor arrangement 22 (par. 0026).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to configure the robot at a robotic lawn mower with electric motor arrangements for the cutting mechanism and the drive wheels with a reasonable expectation of success so that the robot can cut grass and move independently.
In reference to claim 2, Hirata discloses that the control unit 120 is configured for generating said movement signal so as to cause rotating movement of said robot 10 about a generally vertical axis, following an arcuate path, during said cleaning (par. 0127).
In reference to claim 4, Takahashi discloses that said robotic lawn mower 10 is provided with at least one generally arcuate protective wall 12a (Figs. 1 and 2) extending along an end portion of said robotic lawn mower 10, and wherein the control unit 120 is configured for causing movement of said robotic lawn mower 10 generally along the arcuate extension of said protective wall 12a (Figs. 1 and 2, any movement or rotation of mower 10 would result in movement “along the arcuate extension of said protective wall”).
In reference to claim 5, Takahashi discloses that the robotic lawn mower 10 further comprises a first arcuate protective wall (Figs. 1 and 2, the rear portion of chassis 12a) that at least partly runs along the second end portion, and at least one further arcuate protective wall (Figs. 1 and 2, the front portion of chassis 12a), the first arcuate protective wall and the at least one further arcuate protective walls extending from the body 12b towards the ground GR during normal running (Fig. 2), the first arcuate protective wall and the at least one further arcuate protective walls being radially separated (Fig. 2).
In reference to claim 6, Takahashi discloses that the control unit 44 is configured for receiving a cleaning request signal (Fig. 5, step 501, par. 0053) which indicates a need for cleaning said protective wall 12a (par. 0048, discharge port 351b cleans lower portions of robot 10).
In reference to claim 8, Hirata discloses that said cleaning request signal comprises environmentally based (par. 0169, “perform the cleaning process of the wheels 15 when there is a change of the driving environment”) data or weather data (par. 0169, “wheel cleaning system 501 acquires weather information on the region”) which indicates that cleaning of said robot 10 is required.
In reference to claim 10, Hirata discloses that the control unit 120 is configured to generate said drive signal based on a sensor system 12 guiding the robot 10 to a predetermined position at the cleaning station 20 (Fig. 10, steps S301 and S302). Takahashi also discloses guiding a robotic lawn mower 10 to a predetermined position at the cleaning station 350 (par. 0050, “work vehicle 10a notified of the dirt information determines whether autonomous traveling is possible, and moves to the installation position of the cleaning apparatus 350”).
In reference to claim 11, Hirata discloses an arrangement for cleaning the robot 10 comprising the lawn mower according to claim 1 (see above) and an external cleaning station 20 (Fig. 1, par. 0056), said control unit 120 being configured to generate a cleaning request signal, and generate a drive signal for actuating said at least two drive wheels 15 so as to guide said robot 10 to the cleaning station 20 (Fig. 10, steps S301 and S302); wherein said control unit 120 is further configured to generate a movement signal for actuating said at least two drive wheels 15 to cause a relative movement of said robot 10 in relation to said cleaning station 20 during cleaning of at least a part of the underside of said robot 10 (Fig. 10, step S303, par. 0127).
In reference to claim 12, Takahashi discloses that said cleaning station 350 is at least partly positioned at a vertical position which is below a plane defining the extension of the cutting mechanism 20 (Fig. 4).
In reference to claim 14, Hirata fails to disclose that said cleaning station comprises a water supply which is configured for ejecting water towards the underside of the robotic lawn mower during said cleaning.
Takahashi discloses a cleaning station 350 comprising a water supply which is configured for ejecting water towards the underside of the robotic lawn mower 10 during said cleaning (Fig. 4, via discharge ports 351c and 351d). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to configure the cleaning station to eject water towards the underside of the robot so that dirt on the underside of the robot can be cleaned.
In reference to claim 15, Hirata discloses a method for controlling a robot 10 having a body 13, at least two drive wheels 15, said method comprising the following steps: generating a cleaning request signal (par. 0126); generating a drive signal for actuating said at least two drive wheels 15 so as to guide said robot 10 to an external cleaning station 20 (Fig. 10, steps S301 and S302); generating a movement signal for actuating said at least two drive wheels 15 to cause a relative movement of said robot 10 in relation to said cleaning station 20 (Fig. 10, steps S301 and S302); and completing a cleaning process (Fig. 10, step S303).
Hirata fails to disclose that the robot is a robotic lawn mower comprising a grass cutting mechanism; at least two electric motor arrangements and a control unit adapted to control operation of the robotic lawn mower, wherein said at least two drive wheels are drivably connected to a first electric motor arrangement and the cutting mechanism is drivably connected to a second electric motor arrangement.
Takahashi discloses a robot 10 that is a robotic lawn mower (par. 0025) comprising a grass cutting mechanism 20 (par. 0026); at least two electric motor arrangements and a control unit 44 adapted to control operation of the robotic lawn mower 10, wherein said at least two drive wheels 16 are drivably connected to a first electric motor arrangement 26 and the cutting mechanism 20 is drivably connected to a second electric motor arrangement 22 (par. 0026).
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hirata et al. (US Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0339879) in view of Takahashi et al. (US Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0085143) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Mannefred et al. (US Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0108872).
In reference to claim 3, Takahashi discloses that the robotic lawn mower 10 comprises a first end portion (Fig. 2, the front), a second end portion (Fig. 2, the rear), wherein the cutting mechanism 20 comprises a rotatable grass cutting disc having a rotation axis and being drivably connected to the second electric motor arrangement 22 (Fig. 2), wherein the at least two drive wheels 16 have a drive wheel axis with a center (Fig. 2), wherein at least one front wheel 14 has an attachment axis (Fig. 2) positioned between the second end portion and the drive wheel axis (fig. 2), and wherein the cutting disc 20 is at least partially positioned between the attachment axis and the second end portion (Fig. 2).
Hirata and Takahashi fail to disclose at least one swivelable wheel.
Mannefred discloses front wheels on a robotic lawn mower that are swivelable (par. 0022, “front wheels 56 may be swivel wheels”). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to configure the front wheels to be swivelable wheels with a reasonable expectation of success so that the robot can better maneuver. In combination with Hirata and Takahashi, this would result in the swivelable wheels having a swivel axis and an attachment axis running through the swivel axis and parallel to the drive wheel axis.
Claims 7, 9 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hirata et al. (US Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0339879) in view of Takahashi et al. (US Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0085143) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Einecke et al. (US Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0198952).
In reference to claim 7, Hirata fails to disclose causing a movement back and forth of the robotic lawn mower in relation to the cleaning station, during said cleaning.
Einecke discloses causing a movement back and forth of the robotic lawn mower in relation to the cleaning station 3, during said cleaning (par. 0061, “control the cleaning process by regularly moving the sensor means 14 resp. the entire autonomous lawn mower 2 along the stationary sensor cleaning means 8”). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to cause a back and forth movement against a cleaning station with a reasonable expectation of success so that the back and forth movement can effectively clean the mower.
In reference to claim 9, Hirata fails to disclose that said cleaning request signal is generated based on information relating to the operating condition or a time schedule of operation of the robotic lawn mower.
Einecke discloses that a cleaning request signal is generated based on information relating to a time schedule of operation of the robotic lawn mower 2 (par. 0023, “autonomous robot device is configured to initiate cleaning of the sensor means based on to at least one of a time schedule”).
In reference to claim 13, Takahashi discloses upwardly directed cleaning elements 351c and 351d (Fig. 4) but not brushes.
Einecke discloses the use of brushes 8 for cleaning a robotic lawn mower 2 (par. 0041). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use brushes in place of the discharge ports disclosed by Takahashi as it amounts to a substitution of equivalents to perform the same function, which is in this case to clean a robotic lawn mower.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Boeh (US Patent No. 5,152,459) discloses a means 10 for washing lawn mowers (Fig. 3); and Johnson et al. (US Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0230850) discloses a method of cleaning the underside of a robotic lawn mower (par. 0072).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRAD HARCOURT whose telephone number is (571)272-7303. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday, 9am to 6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Doug Hutton can be reached at (571)272-4137. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRAD HARCOURT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3674
6/10/26
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