CTNF 18/897,904 CTNF 87775 DETAILED ACTION This Non-Final Office Action is in response to the claims filed on 9/26/2024. Claims 1-20 are currently pending. Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia 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 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15 AIA Claim (s) 1-8 and 11-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102( a)(1 ) as being anticipated by Sadamoto et al. (US2022/0080966) . As to claim 1 Sadamoto discloses an apparatus for a mobile robot (paragraph 0004), the apparatus comprising: a controller (figure 1C) configured to generate a plurality of control outputs to control a plurality of actuators (called drive motors in this art, Paragraph 0034) of a plurality of wheels (11a-11d) of the mobile robot, wherein the controller is to configure the plurality of control outputs (paragraph 0044) to control deceleration of the mobile robot while maintaining a controlled trajectory of the mobile robot during a controlled safety stop (paragraph 0042), wherein during the controlled safety stop the controller is to: monitor rotational velocities of the plurality of wheels (#13a-13d and paragraph 0034); configure a first control output of the plurality of control outputs to control an actuator of a first wheel of the plurality of wheels based on a rotational velocity of the first wheel (Φ1), a rotational velocity of a second wheel (Φ2) of the plurality of wheels, and a radius of the controlled trajectory (Vx and Vy); and configure a second control output of the plurality of control outputs to control an actuator of a second wheel (Φ2) of the plurality of wheels based on the rotational velocity of the first wheel (Φ1), the rotational velocity of the second wheel, and the radius of the controlled trajectory (Vx and Vy); and an output to output a controller output based on the plurality of control outputs. See paragraph 0078 that discloses calculation of the wheel rotation velocity according to the target velocity. As to claim 2 Sadamoto discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is to configure the first control output and the second control output based on a monitored trajectory radius of the mobile robot (shown in figure 5B, called the monitoring area #400), the monitored trajectory radius of the mobile robot based on the rotational velocity of the first wheel and the rotational velocity of the second wheel (This is based on the overall velocity which is calculated based on the velocity of each wheel, paragraph 0072-0074 shows the movement of the vehicle based on the individual wheel speed. Which is based on equation 00001, see paragraph 0076. The figure 5B shows the velocity based on distance to an object.). As to claim 3 Sadamoto discloses the apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller is to configure the first control output (control of the first wheel actuator) and the second control output (control of the first wheel actuator) based on a difference between the radius of the controlled trajectory and the monitored trajectory radius of the mobile robot. (paragraph 0079) As to claim 4 Sadamoto discloses the apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to determine the monitored trajectory radius (direction see paragraph 0069) of the mobile robot based on a ratio between a linear velocity sum and a linear velocity difference, the linear velocity sum comprising a sum of a linear velocity of the first wheel and a linear velocity of the second wheel, the linear velocity difference comprising a difference between the linear velocity of the first wheel and the linear velocity of the second wheel (see the equation for turning in paragraph 0074). As to claim 5 Sadamoto discloses the apparatus of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to determine the linear velocity of the first wheel based on the rotational velocity of the first wheel, and the linear velocity of the second wheel based on the rotational velocity of the second wheel. (shown in the equation s 0072 and 0073) As to claim 6 Sadamoto discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is to configure the first control output to control the rotational velocity of the first wheel according to a first rotational velocity profile, and to configure the second control output to control the rotational velocity of the second wheel according to a second rotational velocity profile, wherein the first rotational velocity profile and the second rotational velocity profile are configured to maintain the controlled trajectory of the mobile robot during the controlled safety stop. (paragraph 0078 and equation 2 discloses the control of the wheels according to the target velocity) As to claim 7 Sadamoto discloses the apparatus of claim 6, wherein at least one profile of the first rotational velocity profile or the second rotational velocity profile is non-linear. (figure 6 shows the non-linear profile) As to claim 8 Sadamoto discloses the apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first velocity profile is different from the second velocity profile. (according to the target velocity the profiles will be different) As to claim 11 Sadamoto discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to: determine a first first-wheel adjustment based on the rotational velocity of the first wheel; determine a second first-wheel adjustment based on the rotational velocity of the first wheel, the rotational velocity of the second wheel, and the radius of the controlled trajectory; and adjust the first control output based on the first first-wheel adjustment and the second first-wheel adjustment. (paragraph 0074 discloses the adjustment of the wheels to turn according to the radius control trajectory (ω≈1)). As to claim 12 Sadamoto discloses the apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to: determine a first second-wheel adjustment based on the rotational velocity of the second wheel; determine a second second-wheel adjustment based on the rotational velocity of the first wheel, the rotational velocity of the second wheel, and the radius of the controlled trajectory; and adjust the second control output based on the first second-wheel adjustment and the second second-wheel adjustment. (paragraph 0072 and 73 discloses the control for a straight line with no radius trajectory). As to claim 13 Sadamoto discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wheels comprises at least a third wheel (Φ3), wherein during the controlled safety stop the controller is to configure at least one control output of the first control output or the second control output based on a rotational velocity of the third wheel (Φ1). (The formula for the wheel controls is based on a matrix that determines a control for all the wheels based on the current velocity of the wheels and the target velocity see formula 0001) As to claim 14 Sadamoto discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the radius of the controlled trajectory based on a radius of a trajectory of the mobile robot prior to the controlled safety stop. (figure 4) As to claim 15 Sadamoto discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is to configure the plurality of control outputs to maintain the controlled trajectory of the mobile robot during the controlled safety stop to be substantially constant and substantially equal to a radius of a trajectory of the mobile robot prior to the controlled safety stop. (the equation 1 discloses the velocity set for each wheel according to the requested or target velocity. In the safety stop the system slows the velocity such that the radius does not change according the same equation. With the velocity being lowered the closer to the object( see figure 5aB and 5C). As to claim 16 Sadamoto discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the radius of the controlled trajectory based on a radius of a predefined trajectory for the controlled safety stop. (The radius of trajectory, or the direction of the robot is determined by an external control, paragraph 0038) As to claim 17 Sadamoto discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controlled safety stop comprises a category 1 deceleration-controlled safety stop (SS1-d). (As per the applicants specification (000107) a category 1 requires power and a set deceleration within a limit. Figure 5B and 5C discloses the use of power to decelerate the robot to a lower limit speed based on the distance limit to an object. As to claim 18 Sadamoto discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to trigger the controlled safety stop based on a safety event detection, the safety event detection based on information from one or more sensors (31) of the mobile robot. As to claim 19 Sadamoto discloses a product comprising one or more tangible computer-readable non-transitory storage media comprising instructions operable to, when executed by at least one processor (paragraphs 0060 and 0061), enable the at least one processor to cause a controller of a mobile robot to: generate a plurality of control outputs to control a plurality of actuators of a plurality of wheels of the mobile robot (called drive motors in this art, Paragraph 0034) of a plurality of wheels (11a-11d), the plurality of control outputs to control deceleration of the mobile robot while maintaining a controlled trajectory of the mobile robot during a controlled safety stop (paragraph 0259), wherein, the instructions, when executed, cause the controller to, during the controlled safety stop: monitor rotational velocities of the plurality of wheels (#13a-13d and paragraph 0034); configure a first control output of the plurality of control outputs to control an actuator of a first wheel of the plurality of wheels based on a rotational velocity of the first wheel (Φ1), a rotational velocity of a second wheel (Φ2) of the plurality of wheels, and a radius of the controlled trajectory (Vx and Vy); and configure a second control output of the plurality of control outputs to control an actuator of a second wheel (Φ2) of the plurality of wheels based on the rotational velocity of the first wheel (Φ1), the rotational velocity of the second wheel, and the radius of the controlled trajectory (Vx and Vy); As to claim 20 Sadamoto discloses the product of claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the controller to configure the first control output and the second control output based on a monitored trajectory radius (figure 5b and 5C0 of the mobile robot, the monitored trajectory radius of the mobile robot based on the rotational velocity of the first wheel and the rotational velocity of the second wheel (the monitored trajectory is based on the velocity disclosed in paragraph 0085) . Allowable Subject Matter 12-151-08 AIA 07-43 12-51-08 Claim s 9 and 10 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. 13-03-01 AIA The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Sadamoto et al. (US2022/0080966) teaches claim 1 and 6 as disclosed above however does not teach claims 1 and 6 including the limitations of claims 9 and 10 ,the prior art of record fails to show or adequately teach the controller is to configure the first rotational velocity profile between an upper bound for the first rotational velocity profile and a lower bound for the first rotational velocity profile, wherein the upper bound for first rotational velocity profile is monotonously decreasing from a first time of the controlled safety stop to a second time of the controlled safety stop, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the lower bound for the first rotational velocity profile between the first time and the second time based on the rotational velocity of the second wheel. Nor the controller is to configure the second rotational velocity profile between an upper bound for the second rotational velocity profile and a lower bound for the second rotational velocity profile, wherein the upper bound for second rotational velocity profile is monotonously decreasing from a first time of the controlled safety stop to a second time of the controlled safety stop, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the lower bound for the second rotational velocity profile between the first time and the second time based on the rotational velocity of the first wheel. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHERMAN D MANLEY whose telephone number is (571)270-5539. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH 7-5:30 est. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Phutthiwat Wongwian can be reached at 571-270-5426. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. SHERMAN D. MANLEY Examiner Art Unit 3747 /SHERMAN D MANLEY/Examiner, Art Unit 3747 /LOGAN M KRAFT/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3747 Application/Control Number: 18/897,904 Page 2 Art Unit: 3747 Application/Control Number: 18/897,904 Page 4 Art Unit: 3747 Application/Control Number: 18/897,904 Page 6 Art Unit: 3747 Application/Control Number: 18/897,904 Page 7 Art Unit: 3747 Application/Control Number: 18/897,904 Page 8 Art Unit: 3747 Application/Control Number: 18/897,904 Page 9 Art Unit: 3747 Application/Control Number: 18/897,904 Page 10 Art Unit: 3747
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