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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the objections of claims 7 and 17 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The objections of claims 7 and 17 has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the rejections of claims 1-19 under 35 USC 112 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejections of claims 1-19 under 35 USC 112 has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the rejections of claims 1-3 and 11-18 under 35 USC 102 and 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejections of claims 1-3 and 11-18 under 35 USC 103 and 103 has been withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments with respect to the rejection of claim 19 under 35 USC 102 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Claim 1 is directed towards a device that is specifically configured to execute different alternatives in response to different condition and therefore each of the alternatives are required. Claim 19 is directed towards a process wherein one alternative is executed in response to a condition and therefore only one alternative is required. Therefore, the original rejection still applies to the amended claim.
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 (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.
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) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Vogel (US 2018/0246518).
As per claim 19, Vogel discloses a method for use in a robotic work tool arranged to operate in an operational area housing a service station (see at least para. 24-26 for a robot 100 performing a task within an environment containing base station 200 such as vacuuming), the robotic work tool comprising a navigation sensor and a memory storing a map application of the operational area (navigation sensor 110; see at least para. 24 and claims 17-18 for memory storing electronic map), the method comprising:
detecting that there has been a change in a location of the service station, and in response thereto (i) determining that the change is below a threshold acceptance level, and in response thereto automatically updating the location of the service station in the map application of the operational area; and (ii) determining that the change is below a second threshold acceptance level, and in response thereto automatically updating a docking point for the service station in the map application of the operational area (see at least para. 44 for recognizing base station at a new position and if new position deviates by a distance of less than 1m from the former position then record the new position and delete the former position; only one of the alternatives is required to be met in order to read on the method claim).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-18 are allowed.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-4838. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8AM - 4PM ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, ANNA MOMPER can be reached at (571) 270-5788. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ROBERT T NGUYEN/PRIMARY EXAMINER, Art Unit 3619
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