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
Acknowledgement is made of the receipt of Preliminary Amendment filed 21 November 2024.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The references cited on a Form PTO 1449 have been considered.
Specification
The specification has been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. However, the applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Rejections
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. (a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 16-17, 23-24,29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sharp et al. (US Pat. 6,330,503).
Sharp et al. disclose in Figures 1-6 a robot (12) for autonomous marking of a marking area comprising:
Regarding claim 16, a robot communication system (36) that is configured to at least receive a marking information data element from a remote component (16) (Figures 2 and 4, column 3, lines 60-67; column 4, lines 1-18; and column 6, lines 51-59); and
a controlling component (72) that is configured to control the robot (12) based, at least in part, on the marking information data element (Figures 2 and 4, column 6, lines 64-67; and column 7, lines 21-40).
Regarding claim 17, wherein the robot (12) comprises a marking component (32, 56), wherein the marking component is configured to be movable with respect to other parts of the robot (12), and wherein the robot comprises a guide rail (58) to facilitate motion of the marking component (32, 56) (Figures 2-4, column 6, lines 8-21; and column 7, lines 21-40).
Regarding claim 23, wherein the marking component (32, 58) comprises a plurality of marking nozzles (32) (Figure 3).
Regarding claim 24, wherein the robot (12) comprises a marking material reservoir, wherein the marking material reservoir comprises a fluid reservoir, wherein the robot comprises a plurality of fluid reservoirs (not show), and wherein the robot is further configured to deliver a mixture of fluids to the plurality of marking nozzles (32) (Figures 2-4, column 6, lines 14-28).
Regarding claim 29, wherein the robot (12) comprises a data processing unit (72), wherein the data processing unit is configured to exchange the marking information data element with the robot communication system, and wherein the data processing unit (72) is configured to generate a path for the robot based on the marking information data element (Figures 2-4, column 6, lines 37-67 and column 7, lines 1-20).
Regarding claim 30, a remote component (16) comprising a remote communication unit, wherein the remote component is configured to communicate, by means of the remote communication unit, with an autonomous robot (12) (Figures 2 and 4, column 6, lines 64-67; and column 7, lines 21-40).
Regarding claim 31, wherein the remote component (16) further comprises a remote data processing unit (18, 22, 24) configured to at least send data to the remote communication unit, wherein the remote data processing unit is configured to generate the marking information data element (Figures 2-3, column 5, lines 58- 67, and column 6, lines 1-10 and lines 51-67).
Regarding claim 32, wherein the remote component (16) further comprises a user interface unit (36) configured to accept input from a user, wherein the user input comprises a layout of markings to be made on the marking area (Figures 2 and 4, column 2, lines 6-15 and lines 32-36; and column 7, lines 21-40).
Regarding claim 33, a system for autonomous marking of a marking area comprising a robot (12) and a remote component (16) comprising a remote communication unit, wherein the remote component is configured to communicate, by means of the remote communication unit, with the robot for making a marking area (18), wherein: the remote component (16) is configured to generate a marking information data element based on marking data; the remote component is configured to send the marking information data element to the robot (12); and the robot is configured to mark the marking area based on the marking information data element (Figures 2-4, column 4, lines 18- 67; column 4, lines 1-18; column 6, lines 51-59 and lines 64-67; column 7, lines 21-40).
Regarding claim 34, wherein the marking data comprises a map or image of the marking area and a layout of markings to be made on the marking area (Figures 2-4, column 2, lines 22-67, and column 6, lines 1-10 and lines 51-67 and column 7, lines 21-40).
Regarding claim 35, a method for autonomous marking of a marking area comprises: generating a marking information data element based on marking data; sending the marking information data element to a robot; and the robot marking the marking area based on the marking information data element (Figures 2-4, column 6, lines 14-28 and lines 64-67; and column 7, lines 21-40).
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. These prior art references (US Pub. 2020/0157751; US Pat. 9,463,927) cited in the PTO 892 form show a self- propelled robot unit which is deemed to be relevant to the present invention. These references should be reviewed.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 18-21 would be allowable if rewritten to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. These claims would be allowable because the prior art references of record fail to teach or suggest a robot for autonomous marking of a marking area comprising a marking component that is configured such that a vertical height of the marking component is variable, wherein the marking component is configured to be movable in a horizontal plane, and wherein the marking component is configured to be movable along a line in the horizontal plane. in the combination as claimed in the combination as claimed.
Claim 22 would be allowable if rewritten to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. This claim would be allowable because the prior art references of record fail to teach or suggest a robot for autonomous marking of a marking area comprising robot comprises a plurality of guide rails. in the combination as claimed.
Claims 25-27 would be allowable if rewritten to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. These claims would be allowable because the prior art references of record fail to teach or suggest a robot for autonomous marking of a marking area comprising a robot that includes a sensor, and wherein the robot is configured to monitor a quality of markings based, at least in part, on a measurement made by the sensor in the combination as claimed.
Claims 28 would be allowable if rewritten to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. These claims would be allowable because the prior art references of record fail to teach or suggest a a robot for autonomous marking of a marking area comprising a robot that includes a sensor, and wherein the sensor comprises a lidar assembly configured to aid in navigation of the robot in the combination as claimed.
CONCLUSION
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Examiner Anh Vo whose telephone number is (571) 272-2262. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday from 9:30 A.M.to 6:00 P.M..
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner'ssupervisor, Douglas Rodriguez can be reached on (571) 431-0716. The fax phonenumber for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANH T VO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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