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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
(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 1-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ebrahimi US 11,069,082.
1. Although broader, claim 1 is rejected using the same rejections as made to claim 10.
2. is rejected using the same rejections as made to claim 11.
3. is rejected using the same rejections as made to claim 12.
4. is rejected using the same rejections as made to claim 13.
5. is rejected using the same rejections as made to claim 14.
6. Although broader, is rejected using the same rejections as made to claim 15.
7. Although broader, is rejected using the same rejections as made to claim 16.
8. is rejected using the same rejections as made to claim 17.
9. Fig. 25 and C3L63 LIDAR map
10. A method of operating a robot to clean an area, the method comprising:
obtaining a floor plan of the area; C238L15; generating, with the processor of the robot [C1L54 vacuum, mower, mop…], a floor plan. [to generating is to obtaining]
capturing a first path in the area as the robot C49L65the application displays the camera view of the robot. is guided by a user about the areaC49L50 the user uses the application to define a path of the robot;
displaying the captured first path on the floor plan; C49L65 the application displays the camera view of the robot.
allowing the user to modify the captured first path to obtain a desired first path; and C49L45; display the map of the environment as it is being built and updated. The application may also be used to define a path of the robot and zones and label areas. the user uses the application to define a path of the robot using path tool 6402 to draw path
allowing the robot to be operated to automatically move along the desired path to clean the area. 50L10; toggling robot between autonomous and manual mode.
11. The method according to Claim 10, wherein the path defines a perimeter of a cleaning zone within the area, and
wherein the method further comprises:
automatically generating a second path within the cleaning zone; and C25L47; the processor generates a global map and at least one local map. Fig. 24 boustrophedon pattern i.e. second path
allowing the robot to be operated to clean the area along the second path while automatically moving there along.C25L52; covered by robot 4605 by execution of a boustrophedon pattern [second path] 4606 within coverage box
12. The method according to Claim 11, wherein automatically generating a second path within the cleaning zone comprises:
determining if a rectangle can be defined within the cleaning zone; and C67line 33; the robot may execute a wall-follow coverage algorithm in a first subarea and rectangular-spiral coverage algorithm in a second subarea
obtaining a pattern path for the rectangle and a spiral path around the rectangle that together define the second path if it is determined that a rectangle can be defined within the cleaning zone. C67line 33; the robot may execute a wall-follow coverage algorithm in a first subarea and rectangular-spiral coverage algorithm in a second subarea
13. The method according to Claim 12, wherein determining if a rectangle can be defined within the cleaning zone comprises:
increasingly reducing a size of the cleaning zone, each time by a cleaning width of the robot to obtain a current smaller cleaning zone until it is determined that one of a rectangle C130L30; reducing repeat coverage that occurs during such distant drives. and
minimum rotated rectangle bounding the current smaller cleaning zone fits within the cleaning zone C130L30; the processor chooses orientation of coverage areas such that their edges align with the walls of the environment to improve total surface coverage as coverage areas having various orientations with respect to the walls of the environment may result in small areas
or
no further smaller cleaning zone can be obtained.
14. The method according to Claim 12, wherein obtaining a pattern path for the rectangle and a spiral path around the rectangle that together define the second path comprises:
generating a candidate pattern path from each side of the rectangle to define a plurality of candidate pattern paths in the rectangle; C67L35; the robot may execute a wall-follow coverage algorithm in a first subarea and rectangular-spiral coverage algorithm in a second subarea
generating a plurality of candidate spiral paths; C67L35; and rectangular-spiral coverage algorithm in a second subarea,
determining a cleaning cost for each combination of each of the plurality of candidate pattern paths and each of the plurality of candidate spiral paths; and C67L40; unique tags [cost i.e. number giving based on size, rank, or coverage], such as a number or any label, may be assigned to each subarea. The unique tags may be used to set and control the operation and execution of tasks within each subarea and to set the order of coverage of each subarea. For example, the robot may cover a particular subarea first and another particular subarea last.
selecting a combination of candidate pattern path and candidate spiral path with a lowest cleaning cost as the second path.C67L45; the order of coverage of the subareas is such that repeat coverage within the total area is minimized.
15. The method according to Claim 10, wherein allowing the user to modify the captured first path comprises:
providing points along the captured first path which can be moved to modify the captured first path. Fig. 56
16. The method according to Claim 15, wherein providing points along the captured first path which can be moved to modify the captured first path comprises:
providing the points along the path which can be dragged and dropped to modify the captured first path. Fig. 56
17. The method according to Claim 10, wherein obtaining the floor plan of the area is performed at the same time as capturing the first path. Fig. 25 and C3L63 LIDAR map
18. is rejected using the same rejections as made to claim 10.
Conclusion
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/SIHAR A KARWAN/Examiner, Art Unit 3664