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 .
Status of Claims
The Office Action is in response to the application filed 07/11/2025. Claims 25-44 are presently pending and are presented for examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 07/11/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 35-39 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the enablement requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention.
Claim 34 recites the limitation “wherein the controller is configured to determine the wet floor status based on a comparison of estimated drying time associated with the wet clean flow rate information and an elapsed time since the autonomous floor cleaner traversed the associated portion of the cleaning region, the elapsed time calculated based on the autonomous floor cleaner position information.” It is particularly the idea that the position of the robot is used to calculate the elapsed time that is not properly enabled by the specification. As the claim is written, neither the claims, nor the specification, nor the drawings explain how the elapsed time is calculated from the autonomous floor cleaner.
Regarding the breadth of the claims, the language expressly states that the wet floor status is determined on a comparison involving the elapsed time since the autonomous floor cleaner, which is calculated based on the autonomous floor cleaner position information. The claims are narrow enough to insist that the wet floor status must be determined based on elapsed time, and that the elapsed time is based on the position of the autonomous floor cleaner. The claims are not overly broad, but their narrowness actually eliminates possible interpretations that would have been enabled.
Second, the nature of the invention is that of an autonomous floor cleaner that covers an area of a floor for cleaning. Due to the fact that the cleaning robot will have to cover every square inch of the floor in order to clean, the position of the robot relative to a previously covered wet area cannot simply be expected to be a function of the robot’s speed over time.
Third, regarding the state of the prior art, the examiner has found no prior art disclosure that discloses using the location of a cleaning robot to determine the amount of time elapsed since the robot was at a specific position.
Fourth, relating to the state of the prior art, the level of one of ordinary skill in the art would not be sufficient to predictably make a cleaning robot that can determine the amount of time elapsed based on the robot’s specific position.
Fifth, relating to the state of the prior art, the level of predictability in the art is not sufficient for a person of ordinary skill in the art to make the claimed invention with a predictable chance of success, as there is no know direct relation in the art.
Sixth, regarding the amount of direction provided by the inventor, the director has provided no information in the specification as to how to arrange or construct the described claimed element. The examiner cannot determine from the disclosure how the elapsed time is calculated from the position of the autonomous floor cleaner.
Seventh, regarding the existence of working examples, and relating to the state of the prior art, no working examples of the claimed invention have been presented, nor has the examiner found any working examples in the prior art.
Finally, regarding the quantity of experimentation needed to make or use the invention based on the content of the disclosure, no formula or direction has been provided by the applicant, and so a formula or method would have to be invented from scratch by a person trying to construct the claimed invention.
For these reasons, claim 35 lacks enablement. Likewise, claims 36-39, which depend from claim 35, are also lacking enablement by virtue of their dependency.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 43 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 43 recites the language “the path of the autonomous floor cleaner during the sanitizing spot clean mode.” As the claim is written, there is no prior mention of a sanitization spot clean mode in claim 43, or in claim 41, from which claim 43 depends. This makes the claim indefinite, as it is unclear what spot clean mode the claim is referring to.
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.
Claim(s) 25 and 27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bal et al. US 20200047343 A1 (“Bal”).
Regarding Claim 25. Bal teaches: a mobile device associated with an autonomous floor cleaner, the autonomous floor cleaner configurable in a wet clean mode (A robotic platform that can clean floors [paragraph 49], and can have a mopping service module [paragraph 51, with a damp-wet mopping system depicted in FIG. 8 [paragraph 105]. A user interface on a mobile device is taught in paragraph 141, shown in FIG. 1 at 130), the mobile device comprising:
a display screen (The user interface (UI) may include a UI display [paragraph 167]);
a memory configured to store a representation of a wet clean path of the autonomous floor cleaner (FIG. 26 shows a map view illustration screen at 2600 [paragraph 108]. A memory for storing map and path information is described in paragraph 54. Bal does not explicitly teach that the memory for storing the map information is the memory of the user device, but it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to apply the memory of the robotic platform to the user computing device so that the computing device, first because some form of memory is required to display information, and so that the device can display all of the information gathered by the robotic platform), the wet clean path including at least a clean and wet portion indicative of a path recently traversed by the autonomous floor cleaner that is still wet from the wet clean mode (The user interface (UI) may include a UI display [paragraph 167]. FIG. 26 shows a map view illustration screen at 2600 [paragraph 108]. In particular, FIG. 26 shows the areas that were not cleaned, in comparison with all of the areas that were cleaned and therefore traversed by the autonomous floor cleaner. FIG. 12 shows a function screen of the user interface, which includes an option for selecting a cleaning path of the robot [paragraph 106]. A home location screen 1600 may be provided that indicates, for instance, where the robot platform would start mopping the floor for the task area. As an example of such a plan available to select, referring to FIG. 52, once the inputs to the path planner 5104 have been made the mapping application 5102 may generate the service plan, perform quality checks, and communicate a service plan including the planned path 5202 to the robotic platform 100 for storage in memory [paragraph 56]);
a communication module configured to receive robot position information indicative of the wet clean path of the autonomous floor cleaner (paragraph 68 describes wireless communication between a robotic platform and a user computing device); and
a control system configured to display, on the display screen, at least the clean and wet portion of the representation of the wet clean path of the autonomous floor cleaner (a control system configured to display, on the display screen, a wet clean path of the autonomous floor cleaner, wherein the representation of the wet clean path dynamically changes over time based upon expected drying time of the wet clean path; and wherein the wet clean path is dynamically represented by a plurality of pixels, and wherein the control system determines a pixel value for each of the plurality of pixels based upon a comparison of drying time, elapsed time, and the position information), wherein the clean and wet portion dynamically changes over time based upon expected drying time of the clean and wet portion (In some embodiments, determining the planned path 5202 (at the remote planning facility 120) and/or the alternate path 5302 (at the robotic platform 100) may take physical and functional constraints for the robotic platform 100 into account (e.g., robotic platform width and turning radius for getting around an object, surface wetness generated when servicing the floor around a group of people (e.g., to not get them wet), and the like), meaning that surface wetness generated when servicing the floor can be interpreted as an obstacle. Once the robotic platform 100 is around the unplanned obstacle 146B and exited the alternate path 5302 the robotic platform 100 may then continue navigating along the planned path 5202 to complete the service plan [paragraph 57]).
Regarding Claim 27. Bal teaches the mobile device of claim 25.
Bal also teaches:
wherein the memory is configured to store a map of a cleaning region, and
wherein the control system is configured to display, on the display screen, the map of the cleaning region and the wet clean path of the autonomous floor cleaner relative to the map of the cleaning region (Once a task or plan has been completed, a map view illustration screen 2600 may be provided to indicate areas the robot platform 100 missed, such as skipping as a result of encountering an obstacle 146, needing to return to a special treatment area 144, and the like [paragraph 108], meaning that the obstacle skipped can be displayed on the map).
Claim(s) 26, 28-29, 34, and 40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bal et al. US 20200047343 A1 (“Bal”) as applied to claim 25 above, and further in view of Ueda et al. US 20160370802 A1 (“Ueda”).
Regarding Claim 26. Bal teaches the mobile device of claim 25.
Bal does not teach:
wherein the representation of the wet clean path further includes a clean and dry portion indicative of a path traversed by the autonomous floor cleaner in the wet clean mode that has transitioned from wet to dry based upon the expected drying time.
Bal does not teach:
wherein the representation of the wet clean path further includes a clean and dry portion indicative of a path traversed by the autonomous floor cleaner in the wet clean mode that has transitioned from wet to dry based upon the expected drying time.
However, Ueda teaches:
wherein the representation of the wet clean path further includes a clean and dry portion indicative of a path traversed by the autonomous floor cleaner in the wet clean mode that has transitioned from wet to dry based upon the expected drying time (Based on a weather acquisition program that determines the weather has been fine weather for a period, the area can be expected to be dry and therefore the possibility of a fall is low [Paragraph 29]. FIG. 7 shows examples of potential risk areas and risk occurrence conditions, showing that these indicia change over time).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the invention of Bal with wherein the representation of the wet clean path further includes a clean and dry portion indicative of a path traversed by the autonomous floor cleaner in the wet clean mode that has transitioned from wet to dry based upon the expected drying time as taught by Ueda so that the system can determine when the path becomes dry again.
Regarding Claim 28. Bal teaches the mobile device of claim 25.
Bal does not teach:
wherein the clean and wet portion of the wet clean path includes indicia indicative of a dynamic amount of wetness along the wet clean path.
However, Ueda teaches:
wherein the clean and wet portion of the wet clean path includes indicia indicative of a dynamic amount of wetness along the wet clean path (A robot that can recognize the degree of wetness on a floor [paragraph 6]. FIG. 1 shows a mobile robot system configuration in which a detection unit at 14 is capable of detecting potential risks such as wetness on the floor [paragraph 22], which is not always present on the path, making it a dynamic amount of wetness. If the moving route includes a potential risk area, the movement planning unit calculates a possibility of achieving the objective according to whether a risk occurrence condition applies. If the possibility of achieving the objective is low, the movement planning unit replans to raise the achievement of the objective [paragraph 8]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the invention of Bal with wherein the clean and wet portion of the wet clean path includes indicia indicative of a dynamic amount of wetness along the wet clean path as taught by Ueda so as to be able to identify potentially hazardous levels of wetness along the robot’s traveling path.
Regarding Claim 29. Bal teaches the mobile device of claim 28.
Bal does not teach:
wherein the wet clean path dynamically changes over time from a first indicia to a second indicia based upon expected drying time of the clean and wet portion.
However, Ueda teaches:
wherein the wet clean path dynamically changes over time from a first indicia to a second indicia based upon expected drying time of the wet clean path (Based on a weather acquisition program that determines the weather has been fine weather for a period, the area can be expected to be dry and therefore the possibility of a fall is low [Paragraph 29]. FIG. 7 shows examples of potential risk areas and risk occurrence conditions, showing that these indicia change over time).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the invention of Bal with wherein the wet clean path dynamically changes over time from a first indicia to a second indicia based upon expected drying time of the wet clean path as taught by Ueda so that the system can determine when the path becomes dry again.
Regarding Claim 34. Bal teaches a mobile device associated with an autonomous floor cleaner, the autonomous floor cleaner configurable in a wet clean mode (A robotic platform that can clean floors [paragraph 49], and can have a mopping service module [paragraph 51, with a damp-wet mopping system depicted in FIG. 8 [paragraph 105]. A user interface on a mobile device is taught in paragraph 141, shown in FIG. 1 at 130), the mobile device comprising:
a communication module configured to receive at least wet clean flow rate information and autonomous floor cleaner position information (paragraph 68 describes wireless communication between a robotic platform and a user computing device. For instance, service module 102A may be a rug cleaning service module with a cleaning fluid reservoir, where the cleaning fluid reservoir is monitored by sensors for quality (e.g., sensing cleanness quality of the fluid in the reservoir), level (e.g., sensing how much fluid remains), and the like [paragraph 52]. The robotic platform 100 may navigate through the service area through a combination of sensor-based position estimation and positional predication based on the physical movements of the robotic platform [paragraph 63], and this information as well as any other information necessary for monitoring the progress and performance of the robotic platform can be communicated with the user computing device at 130 [paragraph 67]);
a memory configured to store wet clean flow rate information, a map of a cleaning region, and the autonomous floor cleaner position information (FIG. 26 shows a map view illustration screen at 2600 [paragraph 108]. A memory for storing map and path information is described in paragraph 54. Bal does not explicitly teach that the memory for storing the map information us the memory of the user device, but it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to apply the memory of the robotic platform to the user computing device so that the computing device, first because some form of memory is required to display information, and so that the device can display all of the information gathered by the robotic platform);
a display screen configured to display the map of the cleaning region and a wet floor status on the map of the cleaning region associated with at least a portion of the cleaning region traversed by the autonomous floor cleaner during a current wet cleaning mode session (The user interface (UI) may include a UI display [paragraph 167]. FIG. 26 shows a map view illustration screen at 2600 [paragraph 108]. In particular, FIG. 26 shows the areas that were not cleaned, in comparison with all of the areas that were cleaned and therefore traversed by the autonomous floor cleaner. FIG. 12 shows a function screen of the user interface, which includes an option for selecting a cleaning path of the robot [paragraph 106]. A home location screen 1600 may be provided that indicates, for instance, where the robot platform would start mopping the floor for the task area. As an example of such a plan available to select, referring to FIG. 52, once the inputs to the path planner 5104 have been made the mapping application 5102 may generate the service plan, perform quality checks, and communicate a service plan including the planned path 5202 to the robotic platform 100 for storage in memory [paragraph 56]); and
a controller configured to determine and display, on the display screen, the wet floor status based at least on the wet clean flow rate information and the autonomous floor cleaner position information, the wet floor status indicative of one of at least a cleaned wet surface or a cleaned dry surface (The user interface (UI) may include a UI display [paragraph 167]. FIG. 26 shows a map view illustration screen at 2600 [paragraph 108]. In particular, FIG. 26 shows the areas that were not cleaned, in comparison with all of the areas that were cleaned and therefore traversed by the autonomous floor cleaner. FIG. 12 shows a function screen of the user interface, which includes an option for selecting a cleaning path of the robot [paragraph 106]. A home location screen 1600 may be provided that indicates, for instance, where the robot platform would start mopping the floor for the task area. As an example of such a plan available to select, referring to FIG. 52, once the inputs to the path planner 5104 have been made the mapping application 5102 may generate the service plan, perform quality checks, and communicate a service plan including the planned path 5202 to the robotic platform 100 for storage in memory [paragraph 56]).
Bal does not teach:
wherein the wet floor status of the portion of the display of cleaning region traversed by the autonomous floor cleaner transitions from cleaned wet surface to cleaned dry surface over time.
However, Ueda teaches:
wherein the wet floor status of the portion of the display of cleaning region traversed by the autonomous floor cleaner transitions from cleaned wet surface to cleaned dry surface over time (Based on a weather acquisition program that determines the weather has been fine weather for a period, the area can be expected to be dry and therefore the possibility of a fall is low [Paragraph 29]. FIG. 7 shows examples of potential risk areas and risk occurrence conditions, showing that these indicia change over time).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the invention of Bal with wherein the wet floor status of the portion of the display of cleaning region traversed by the autonomous floor cleaner transitions from cleaned wet surface to cleaned dry surface over time as taught by Ueda so that the system can determine when the path becomes dry again.
Regarding Claim 40. Bal in combination with Ueda teaches the mobile device of claim 34.
Bal also teaches:
including a region representing an area traversed by the autonomous floor cleaner, wherein a first wet floor status on the map of the cleaning region is represented by a first plurality of pixels of the region representing a first wet clean status and a second wet floor status on the map of the cleaning regions is represented by a second plurality of pixels of the region representing a second wet clean status (FIG. 26 shows a map view illustration screen at 2600 [paragraph 108]. The missed area map view at 2600 may be provided to indicate areas the robot missed, such as an area that was skipped as a result of an obstacle, needing to return to a special treatment area, and the like. The map in FIG. 26 even has different shaded areas representing the uncleaned areas, meaning different pixels can be applied to different cleaning regions).
Claim(s) 30 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bal et al. US 20200047343 A1 (“Bal”) as applied to claim 25 above, and further in view of Telleria et al. US 11499325 B2 (“Telleria”).
Regarding Claim 30. Bal teaches the mobile device of claim 25.
Bal does not teach:
wherein the expected drying time of the wet clean path is based on at least one of a flow rate of the autonomous floor cleaner, a floor type of a cleaning area, a solution type of a cleaning solution output by the autonomous floor cleaner, and a cleaning agitator orientation of the autonomous floor cleaner.
However, Telleria teaches:
wherein the expected drying time of the path is based on at least one of a flow rate of the autonomous floor cleaner, a floor type of a cleaning area, a solution type of a cleaning solution output by the autonomous floor cleaner, and a cleaning agitator orientation of the autonomous floor cleaner (A mobile base unit to perform at least one updated paint application task. based at least in part on data from one or more environmental sensors that are used to: determine or estimate a drying time for the paint that was previously applied to the plurality of drywall pieces during the at least one painting task; and determine, based at least in part on the determined or estimated drying time, when to begin driving at least one of the painting end effector [Claim 19, Column 19, lines 11-52]. Moisture content and other information can be collected by the robot’s sensors and the drying speed can also be used to adjust the composition of the paint. Monitoring the moisture content can allow the system 100 to accurately estimate the time when the next drywalling process can begin (e.g., painting, coating, or the like), so not only does the robot estimate the drying speed based on the composition of the paint, but it will adjust the moisture content of the paint to adjust the drying time).
Telleria does not teach that the path is a wet cleaning path, but Bal teaches this element in paragraph 57.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the invention of Bal with wherein the expected drying time of the path is based on at least one or more of a flow rate of the autonomous floor cleaner, a floor type of a cleaning area, a solution type of a cleaning solution output by the autonomous floor cleaner, and a cleaning agitator orientation of the autonomous floor cleaner as taught by Telleria so as to allow the drying tool in Bal at paragraph 135 to know how long it will take for the surface to be dry.
Claim(s) 41-44 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bal et al. US 20200047343 A1 (“Bal”) in view of Ueda et al. US 20160370802 A1 (“Ueda”) and Liu et al. US 20220133114 A1 (“Liu”).
Regarding Claim 41. Bal teaches a mobile device associated with an autonomous floor cleaner, the autonomous floor cleaner (A robotic platform that can clean floors [paragraph 49], and can have a mopping service module [paragraph 51, with a damp-wet mopping system depicted in FIG. 8 [paragraph 105]. A user interface on a mobile device is taught in paragraph 141, shown in FIG. 1 at 130), the mobile device comprising:
a display screen (The user interface (UI) may include a UI display [paragraph 167]);
a memory configured to store a representation of a path traversed by the autonomous floor cleaner (FIG. 26 shows a map view illustration screen at 2600 [paragraph 108]. A memory for storing map and path information is described in paragraph 54. Bal does not explicitly teach that the memory for storing the map information is the memory of the user device, but it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to apply the memory of the robotic platform to the user computing device so that the computing device, first because some form of memory is required to display information, and so that the device can display all of the information gathered by the robotic platform);
a communication module configured to receive robot position information indicative of the path of the autonomous floor cleaner where the autonomous floor cleaner dispenses cleaning formula having a cleaning completion time (paragraph 68 describes wireless communication between a robotic platform and a user computing device); and
a control system configured to display, on the display screen, a visual representation of cleaning progress associated with the path of the autonomous floor cleaner (The robot path planning can take surface wetness of a floor into account [paragraph 57], and may even adjust a level of wetness to apply by a scrubbing applicator [paragraph 139]. FIG. 53 shows a robotic platform adapting to an unplanned obstacle. Additionally, the robot may include a drying tool for drying after the scrubbing-mopping action for the benefit of removing excess moisture left on the floor [paragraph 135]. FIG. 12 shows a function screen of the user interface, which includes an option for selecting a cleaning path of the robot [paragraph 106]. A home location screen 1600 may be provided that indicates, for instance, where the robot platform would start mopping the floor for the task area. As an example of such a plan available to select, referring to FIG. 52, once the inputs to the path planner 5104 have been made the mapping application 5102 may generate the service plan, perform quality checks, and communicate a service plan including the planned path 5202 to the robotic platform 100 for storage in memory [paragraph 56]), wherein the visual representation of the cleaning progress dynamically changes over time based upon the robot position information indicative of the path of the autonomous floor cleaner during the cleaning mode session and the cleaning completion time associated with the cleaning fluid (In some embodiments, determining the planned path 5202 (at the remote planning facility 120) and/or the alternate path 5302 (at the robotic platform 100) may take physical and functional constraints for the robotic platform 100 into account (e.g., robotic platform width and turning radius for getting around an object, surface wetness generated when servicing the floor around a group of people (e.g., to not get them wet), and the like), meaning that surface wetness generated when servicing the floor can be interpreted as an obstacle. Once the robotic platform 100 is around the unplanned obstacle 146B and exited the alternate path 5302 the robotic platform 100 may then continue navigating along the planned path 5202 to complete the service plan [paragraph 57]).
Bal does not teach:
the mobile device is configurable in a sanitizing mode;
the path is traversed during a sanitizing mode session; and
the cleaning fluid is a sanitization solution.
However, Liu teaches:
the mobile device is configurable in a sanitizing mode;
the path is traversed during a sanitizing mode session (Paragraph 17 describes how a high-intensity sanitization will be conducted, reading on a sanitization mode); and
the cleaning fluid is a sanitization solution (The sanitization involves usage of an electrostatic disinfectant solution [paragraph 27]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the invention of Bal with the mobile device is configurable in a sanitizing mode; the path is traversed during a sanitizing mode session; and the cleaning fluid is a sanitization solution as taught by Liu so as to allow the system to work with wet cleaning solutions that provide greater sanitization effects than simple water cleaning.
Regarding Claim 42. Bal in combination with Liu teaches the mobile device of claim 41.
Bal does not teach:
wherein the visual representation of progress associated with the path of the autonomous floor cleaner includes indicia indicative of a dynamic amount of wetness along the path of the autonomous floor cleaner.
However, Ueda teaches:
wherein the visual representation of progress associated with the path of the autonomous floor cleaner includes indicia indicative of a dynamic amount of wetness along the path of the autonomous floor cleaner (A robot that can recognize the degree of wetness on a floor [paragraph 6]. FIG. 1 shows a mobile robot system configuration in which a detection unit at 14 is capable of detecting potential risks such as wetness on the floor [paragraph 22], which is not always present on the path, making it a dynamic amount of wetness. If the moving route includes a potential risk area, the movement planning unit calculates a possibility of achieving the objective according to whether a risk occurrence condition applies. If the possibility of achieving the objective is low, the movement planning unit replans to raise the achievement of the objective [paragraph 8]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the invention of Bal with wherein the visual representation of progress associated with the path of the autonomous floor cleaner includes indicia indicative of a dynamic amount of wetness along the path of the autonomous floor cleaner as taught by Ueda so as to be able to identify potentially hazardous levels of wetness along the robot’s traveling path.
Bal in combination with Ueda does not teach:
the path is traversed during a sanitizing mode session; and
the dynamic amount of wetness is caused by the dispensing of the sanitizing formula.
However, Liu teaches:
the path is traversed during a sanitizing mode session (Paragraph 17 describes how a high-intensity sanitization will be conducted, reading on a sanitization mode); and
the dynamic amount of wetness is caused by the dispensing of the sanitizing formula (The sanitization involves usage of an electrostatic disinfectant solution [paragraph 27]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the invention of Bal with the path is traversed during a sanitizing mode session; and the dynamic amount of wetness is caused by the dispensing of the sanitizing formula as taught by Liu so as to allow the system to work with wet cleaning solutions that provide greater sanitization effects than simple water cleaning.
Regarding Claim 43. Bal in combination with Liu teaches the mobile device of claim 41.
Bal does not teach:
wherein the visual representation of the progress dynamically changes over time from a first indicia to a second indicia based upon completion time and the path of the autonomous floor cleaner.
However, Ueda teaches:
wherein the visual representation of the progress dynamically changes over time from a first indicia to a second indicia based upon completion time and the path of the autonomous floor cleaner (Based on a weather acquisition program that determines the weather has been fine weather for a period, the area can be expected to be dry and therefore the possibility of a fall is low [Paragraph 29]. FIG. 7 shows examples of potential risk areas and risk occurrence conditions, showing that these indicia change over time).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the invention of Bal with wherein the wet clean path dynamically changes over time from a first indicia to a second indicia based upon expected drying time of the wet clean path as taught by Ueda so that the system can determine when the path becomes dry again.
Bal also does not teach
the progress is a sanitization progress; and
the autonomous floor cleaner is in a sanitizing spot clean mode.
However, Liu teaches:
the progress is a sanitization progress; and
the autonomous floor cleaner is in a sanitizing spot clean mode (The robots of Liu are capable of quickly targeting high-risk areas and tackling them in the most efficient manner possible [paragraph 31]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the invention of Bal with the progress is a sanitization progress; and the autonomous floor cleaner is in a sanitizing spot clean mode as taught by Liu so as to allow the system to work with wet cleaning solutions that provide greater sanitization effects than simple water cleaning, and to target specific problem spots that should be targeted for sanitization.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 31-33 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. Specifically, it is the element regarding “wherein the wet clean path is dynamically represented by a plurality of pixels, and wherein the control system determines a pixel value for each of the plurality of pixels based upon a comparison of drying time, elapsed time, and the position information” that is distinguished from the prior art.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AARON G CAIN whose telephone number is (571)272-7009. The examiner can normally be reached Monday: 7:30am - 4:30pm EST to Friday 7:30pm - 4:30am.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Wade Miles can be reached at (571) 270-7777. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AARON G CAIN/Examiner, Art Unit 3656
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