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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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 2-4 and 6 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 3 discloses correcting voltage applied to the current supply section based on a current value measured before a last time and then correcting the voltage by multiplying a voltage with ratio between a reference current and a current value measured when using a correction object. It is unclear which method applicants want to adjust the voltage applied.
Claim 3 discloses a second control unit configured to correct the voltage that is applied to the current supply section by multiplying a voltage, which was applied at a time of supplying the current in a reference state of the joining device, by a numerical value, when operation of the joining device is resumed after a temporary stop, the numerical value being obtained by calculating a ratio between a current value, which is measured by the current measurement section at a time of supplying the current to a correction object instead of the object to be joined via the electrode, and a reference current value, which is a current supplied to the correction object via the electrode in the reference state.
It is unclear what is the difference between “the current in a reference state of the joining device” with “a current supplied to the correction object via the electrode in the reference state”.
There are similar indefiniteness and lack of clarity with regards to claims 2, 4, and 6. The claim limitations are confusing and difficult to decipher which current and which voltage are related to which state/condition. Applicants are urged to clarify the claim limitations or denote them as variables so that they are clear.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haefner (US 4849601 A) in view of Matsumoto (US 20170062110 A1) and Tiller (US 6040555 A).
Claim 1. Haefner discloses a joining device (spot welding, title), comprising:
an electrode (12, Fig. 1) to contact an object to be joined (workpiece 14, Fig. 1), the electrode being configured to transmit a current to the object to be joined (current is applied to the workpiece, abstract);
a current supply section configured to supply the current that flows through the object to be joined via the electrode, the current supply section being configured to generate the current that is supplied to the object to be joined due to a voltage being applied thereto (line voltage generates the current applied to the workpiece, col 1 lines 55-70);
a current measurement section configured to measure the current that is supplied to the object to be joined (current measurement device col 3 lines 43-45); and
wherein the first control unit is configured to correct the voltage that is applied to the current supply section by
Haefner does not disclose multiplying a voltage with the ratio, and that the predetermined current being between a highest value and a lowest value of the current values most recently measured for the predetermined number of times by the current measurement section.
However, PID control or proportional control of an input signal based a proportion of the actual output and desired output is well known as demonstrated by Haefner. One of ordinary skill in the art would be capable of multiplying the voltage with the proportional error to correct the applied voltage.
Additionally, measuring a predetermined current wherein the predetermined current value being between a highest value and a lowest value of the current values most recently measured for the predetermined number of times by the current measurement section is simply taking an average window of current measurements. This is well known to one of ordinary skill in the art as shown by Matsumoto, who takes an average of a set of measured current (abstract).
Haefner in view of Matsumoto does not disclose a first control unit configured to correct the voltage that is applied to the current supply section based on a current value measured before a last time by the current measurement section such that the current value measured by the current measurement section becomes a target current value.
Tiller discloses welding device wherein the calibrating current is sensed using a rheostat and compared to the previously set and is adjusted to a new desired weld current value (col 1 lines 40-50).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Haefner in view of Matsumoto to incorporate the teachings of Tiller and update the desired weld current. Doing so would have the benefit of recalibrating the desired weld current (col 1 lines 40-50, Tiller).
Claim 2. Haefner in view of Matsumoto and Tiller discloses the joining device according to claim 1, further comprising:
a second control unit configured to correct the voltage that is applied to the current supply section by multiplying a voltage, which was applied at a time of supplying the current in a reference state of the joining device, by a numerical value, when operation of the joining device is resumed after a temporary stop, the numerical value being obtained by calculating a ratio between a current value (the disclose system is capable of stopping and performing calibration), which is measured by the current measurement section at a time of supplying the current to a correction object instead of the object to be joined via the electrode (calibration using a rheostat, col 1 lines 40-50, Tiller), and a reference current value, which is a current supplied to the correction object via the electrode in the reference state (the prior art is capable of measuring a current in a reference state and using that current to compare with another current).
Claim(s) 3-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haefner in view of Tiller.
Claim 3. Haefner a joining device (spot welding, title), comprising:
an electrode (12, Fig. 1) to contact an object to be joined (workpiece 14, Fig. 1), the electrode being configured to transmit a current to the object to be joined (current is applied to the workpiece, abstract);
a current supply section configured to supply the current that flows through the object to be joined via the electrode, the current supply section being configured to generate the current that is supplied to the object to be joined due to a voltage being applied thereto (line voltage generates the current applied to the workpiece, col 1 lines 55-70);
a current measurement section configured to measure the current that is supplied to the object to be joined (current measurement device col 3 lines 43-45); and
a second control unit (controller measures and commands the current feedback, col 2 lines 5-17) configured to correct the voltage that is applied to the current supply section by multiplying a voltage, which was applied at a time of supplying the current in a reference state of the joining device, by a numerical value, when operation of the joining device is resumed after a temporary stop, the numerical value being obtained by calculating a ratio between a current value (controller measures and commands the current feedback to generate a proportional error based on the commanded current and actual current which is digitized and turned into an offset signal for the voltage to update the applied voltage, col 2 lines 5-17),
which is measured by the current measurement section at a time of supplying the current
Haefner does not disclose multiplying a voltage with the ratio
However, PID control or proportional control of an input signal based a proportion of the actual output and desired output is well known as demonstrated by Haefner. One of ordinary skill in the art would be capable of multiplying the voltage with the proportional error to correct the applied voltage.
Haefner does not disclose a correction object and measuring the current with the correction object.
Tiller discloses a welding device wherein the calibrating current is sensed using a rheostat and compared to the previously set and is adjusted to a new desired weld current value (col 1 lines 40-50).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Haefner to incorporate the teachings of Tiller and update the desired weld current. Doing so would have the benefit of recalibrating the desired weld current (col 1 lines 40-50, Tiller).
The combined prior art is capable of stopping the weld, measuring different currents at different states, and recalibrating.
Claim 4. Haefner discloses a joining device (spot welding, title) for joining an object to be joined, comprising:
an electrode (12, Fig. 1) to contact an object to be joined (workpiece 14, Fig. 1), the electrode being configured to transmit a current to the object to be joined (current is applied to the workpiece, abstract);
a current supply section configured to supply the current that flows through the object to be joined via the electrode, the current supply section being configured to generate the current that is supplied to the object to be joined due to a voltage being applied thereto (line voltage generates the current applied to the workpiece, col 1 lines 55-70);
a current measurement section configured to measure the current that is supplied to the object to be joined (current measurement device col 3 lines 43-45); and
a control unit configured to correct a voltage that is applied to the current supply section by
Haefner does not disclose multiplying a voltage with the ratio.
However, PID control or proportional control of an input signal based a proportion of the actual output and desired output is well known as demonstrated by Haefner. One of ordinary skill in the art would be capable of multiplying the voltage with the proportional error to correct the applied voltage.
Haefner does not disclose a correction object and measuring the current with the correction object.
Tiller discloses a welding device wherein the calibrating current is sensed using a rheostat and compared to the previously set and is adjusted to a new desired weld current value (col 1 lines 40-50).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Haefner to incorporate the teachings of Tiller and update the desired weld current. Doing so would have the benefit of recalibrating the desired weld current (col 1 lines 40-50, Tiller).
The combined prior art is capable of stopping the weld, measuring different currents at different states, and recalibrating.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haefner in view of Matsumoto.
Claim 5. Haefner discloses a method for manufacturing a joined object obtained by joining an object to be joined (spot welding, title), the method comprising:
a current supply step of supplying a current, which is generated by applying a voltage to a current supply section, to the object to be joined (line voltage generates the current applied to the workpiece, col 1 lines 55-70);
a current measurement step of measuring the current supplied to the object to be joined (current measurement device col 3 lines 43-45); and
a voltage correction step of correcting the voltage that is applied to the current supply section by (controller measures and commands the current feedback to generate a proportional error based on the commanded current and actual current which is digitized and turned into an offset signal for the voltage to update the applied voltage, col 2 lines 5-17).
Haefner does not disclose multiplying a voltage with the ratio, and that the predetermined current being between a highest value and a lowest value of the current values most recently measured for the predetermined number of times by the current measurement section.
However, PID control or proportional control of an input signal based a proportion of the actual output and desired output is well known as demonstrated by Haefner. One of ordinary skill in the art would be capable of multiplying the voltage with the proportional error to correct the applied voltage.
Additionally, measuring a predetermined current wherein the predetermined current value being between a highest value and a lowest value of the current values most recently measured for the predetermined number of times by the current measurement section is simply taking an average window of current measurements. This is well known to one of ordinary skill in the art as shown by Matsumoto, who takes an average of a set of measured current (abstract).
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haefner in view of Tiller and Witt (US 2869241 A).
Claim 6. Haefner discloses a method for manufacturing a joined object obtained by joining an object to be joined (spot welding, title), the method comprising:
a current supply step of supplying a current, which is generated by applying a voltage to a current supply section, to the object to be joined (line voltage generates the current applied to the workpiece, col 1 lines 55-70);
a current measurement step of measuring the current supplied to the object to be joined (current measurement device col 3 lines 43-45); and
a voltage correction step of correcting the voltage that is applied to the current supply section by
Haefner does not disclose multiplying a voltage with the ratio
However, PID control or proportional control of an input signal based a proportion of the actual output and desired output is well known as demonstrated by Haefner. One of ordinary skill in the art would be capable of multiplying the voltage with the proportional error to correct the applied voltage.
Haefner does not disclose a correction object and measuring the current with the correction object.
Tiller discloses a welding device wherein the calibrating current is sensed using a rheostat and compared to the previously set and is adjusted to a new desired weld current value (col 1 lines 40-50).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Haefner to incorporate the teachings of Tiller and update the desired weld current. Doing so would have the benefit of recalibrating the desired weld current (col 1 lines 40-50, Tiller).
Haefner in view of Tiller does not disclose correcting the voltage when manufacturing of the joined object is resumed after a temporary stop.
It would be obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to pause the process and recalibrate the system if an error is detected, as demonstrated by Witt (claim 1).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SIMPSON A CHEN whose telephone number is (571)272-6422. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8-5.
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/SIMPSON A CHEN/Examiner, Art Unit 3761
/ELIZABETH M KERR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761