Appeal No. 2000-0431 Page 16
Application No. 08/789,127
robot covers an entire accessible surface of a floor.
Specifically “it is possible to carry out a work in a large
working area at one time by operating the working member in a
fixed state or in a running state, depending on the situation.
It is also possible to carry out a work to a corner of the
working area efficiently. Further, the working member can
directly act on the working area of a narrowed portion.” Col. 8,
ll. 32-38.
For its part, Bancroft’s mobile robot also covers an entire
accessible surface of a floor. Specifically, “[o]nce the plan of
the area 40 is determined, the robot 10 determines a path to
completely traverse the area 40.” Col. 3, ll. 16-17 (emphasis
added). The reference mentions that its robot cannot clean an
area beyond “an obstacle 50 . . . detected by the forward
sensor 32, col. 3, ll. 9-10, “the obstacle 50 may be, for
example, a wall. . . .” Id. at l. 10. Stopping at the wall of a
room, however, does not prevent the robot from cleaning the
Page: Previous 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007