Obviousness

To establish obviousness under 35 U.S.C. § 103, it must be shown that "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." This analysis considers the scope and content of the prior art, the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art, the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art, and secondary considerations of non-obviousness. Crucially, there must be a "motivation to combine" prior art references, which can be explicit or implicit in market forces, design incentives, or problems known in the field. Mere conclusory statements or assertions of similarity are insufficient to demonstrate this motivation.

The effective filing date for US11880207 is July 10, 2012, based on the priority date of US Patent Application Serial No. 13/545,918. Therefore, the obviousness analysis will consider prior art available before this date.

Analysis of Obviousness for US11880207

A person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA) in the field of pool cleaning systems would likely possess knowledge of robotics, automated control systems, imaging technology, and water treatment.

Independent Claim 1:
Claim 1 describes a self-propelled pool cleaning system with a vehicle body, means for moving the body, a filter, at least one camera for capturing images of a first object, and a controller to generate control signals based on the captured image to move the body towards or away from the object.

• Prior Art elements:

  • Self-propelled pool cleaner with vehicle body, means for moving, and a filter: This is widely known in the prior art. For example, US20110049023A1 describes a pool cleaning vehicle with improved logic, which would inherently include propulsion mechanisms and a filter for debris. US20040025268A1 describes a submersible pool cleaner with an integral rechargeable battery, indicating self-propelled operation. Other general pool cleaner patents like US5435031A also show automatic pool cleaning apparatuses.
  • At least one camera for capturing an image of at least a first object within the swimming pool: US5886630A describes an "Alarm and monitoring device for the presumption of bodies in danger in a swimming pool" which uses cameras for detection within the pool. While not directly for cleaning, it establishes the use of cameras for monitoring objects within the pool. Similarly, US7362351B2 describes a "Method, system and device for detecting an object proximate to a water/air type interface," further demonstrating the use of cameras for object detection in a pool environment.
  • Controller in electronic communication with the camera to generate control signals based on the captured image to cause movement of the body within the swimming pool to, or away from, the first object: Prior art shows controllers for robotic pool cleaners and for processing camera signals. WO2004019295A1 describes a "Pool cleaner with on-board water analysis, data recording and transmission device" and mentions a microprocessor for data transmission. US20110049023A1 refers to improved logic for a pool cleaning vehicle. US20020097322A1 describes "Multiple video display configurations and remote control of multiple video signals transmitted to a monitoring station over a network," demonstrating the concept of remote control based on video. WO2012023676A1 describes a "Cleaning robot and underwater sediment cleaning apparatus and method" which would implicitly require a controller for movement.

• Motivation to Combine: A PHOSITA would be motivated to combine a self-propelled pool cleaner with a camera-based object detection and a controller for movement to improve the efficiency and autonomy of pool cleaning. The existing problem in the art was "controlling and monitoring such automated robotic pool cleaners to insure that all portions of the pool surfaces are satisfactorily cleaned." Integrating camera-based object detection, as seen in security systems for pools (e.g., US5886630A, US7362351B2), with the control systems of robotic pool cleaners (e.g., US20110049023A1, WO2004019295A1) would provide a mechanism to precisely identify areas needing cleaning or obstacles and direct the cleaner accordingly. This directly addresses the stated challenge of ensuring satisfactory cleaning by providing feedback for intelligent navigation. The desire to make a system "more efficient" or have "more features" can serve as a valid motivation to combine.

Independent Claim 2:
Claim 2 broadly covers a pool system with at least one piece of equipment for a swimming pool or spa, one or more cameras to capture video or images of at least a portion of the location, and a controller in communication with the equipment and cameras. The controller receives visual data and determines a control action for the equipment based on this data.

• Prior Art Elements:

  • At least one piece of equipment for a swimming pool or spa: This is a very broad element, encompassing various pool components well-known in the prior art, such as pool cleaners, pumps, filters, chemical dispensers, and heating systems.
  • One or more cameras configured to capture video or images of at least a portion of a location including the swimming pool or spa: As discussed for Claim 1, cameras for monitoring pools are known (e.g., US5886630A, US7362351B2, and even the general use of security cameras as mentioned in US11880207's detailed description).
  • Controller in communication with the at least one piece of equipment and the one or more cameras, the controller configured to receive visual data from the one or more cameras and determine a control action for the at least one piece of equipment based on the received visual data: Controllers for pool equipment are known (e.g., US7398138B2 for "Swimming pool and spa controller systems and equipment"). The concept of a controller receiving visual data and determining a control action is a common application of image processing and automation. For example, a controller for a home security system (which cameras 32 are explicitly stated to be part of in some implementations of US11880207) receives visual data and takes control actions (e.g., issuing alerts). Applying this to other pool equipment would be a logical extension.

• Motivation to Combine: A PHOSITA would be motivated to integrate camera monitoring with pool equipment control to enable more intelligent and automated operation of various pool functions. For instance, if a camera detects excessive debris (a "cleanliness characteristic" as described in the patent), the controller could activate a cleaning device. If the camera detects a person (as in security systems), the controller could adjust pump settings or chemical dispensing. This provides a "smarter" pool system that can react to real-time visual information, addressing a "need or problem known in the field of endeavor at the time of invention." The patent itself suggests that using pre-existing security cameras for cleaning makes the system "easier to set up, less complex and less expensive." This suggests an inherent motivation to integrate existing camera infrastructure with pool equipment control.

Independent Claim 12:
Claim 12 describes a method for monitoring a pool system, comprising receiving images from cameras, determining a target area and detecting a characteristic based on the images, and generating a control response based on the detected characteristic.

• Prior Art Elements:

  • Receiving images of at least a portion of a location including a swimming pool or spa from one or more cameras: This is directly taught by prior art discussing pool security systems or general camera monitoring of pools (e.g., US5886630A, US7362351B2).
  • Determining a target area and detecting a characteristic of the target area based on the images: Image processing to identify objects or characteristics within an image is a well-established field. For instance, security systems identify persons (a "characteristic"). The patent itself explicitly mentions that a "cleanliness characteristic measurement" could be "how well the color of a surface matches a predetermined desirable color." This type of image analysis for comparison is a known technique.
  • Generating a control response based on the detected characteristic of the target area: This refers to taking an action based on the image analysis. Examples from the prior art include generating alerts for security cameras (US5886630A) or controlling vehicle movement (as discussed for Claim 1).

• Motivation to Combine: The motivation to combine these steps would be to provide intelligent monitoring and automated responses for pool systems. Given that cameras are already used for monitoring for safety, extending this to monitoring for cleanliness or other pool conditions, and then triggering appropriate "control responses" (e.g., activating a cleaning robot, adjusting chemical levels, or simply notifying a user) would be a natural progression for a PHOSITA seeking to automate and improve pool maintenance. The stated problem of manually cleaning and monitoring pools provides a clear impetus for such automation. The method of using a portable electronic device to display the uncleaned portions of a pool and allow user input for re-cleaning would be a logical improvement to existing manual monitoring or less sophisticated automated systems.