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 § 102
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-5, 8-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Saito et al (US# 2019/210581).
Saito et al disclose all the limitations of the instant claim including; a method of controlling a hydraulic brake for a vehicle including a first brake device 7a and a second brake device 7b configured to supply hydraulic pressure to wheel brakes of the vehicle, and a control unit including a first controller 9a configured for controlling the first brake device and a second controller 9b configured for controlling the second brake device, the method comprising: receiving, by the control unit, information for determining a status of the first brake device [0038][0060]; determining, by the control unit, whether the first brake device is normally operated using the information for determining the status of the first brake device; and controlling, by the control unit, at least one of the first brake device 7a and the second brake device 7b to decrease a hydraulic pressure loss amount in the wheel brakes when the control unit concludes that the first brake device is not normally operated ([0060], closing of valve 21b), wherein the receiving information for determining the status of the first brake device includes: receiving from the second brake device 7b, by the control unit 9a/9b, information about hydraulic pressure supplied to the wheel brakes (via 82b1/82B2) by the first brake device. [0074]
Regarding claim 2, the receiving information for determining the status of the first brake device includes receiving a status signal of components of the first brake device from a signal generator of the first brake device by first brake device. [0038]
Regarding claim 3, the receiving the status signal of components includes receiving the status signal of the components of the first brake device by the control unit. [0038][0060]
Regarding claim 4, the determining, by the control unit, whether the first brake device is normally operated includes determining whether the first brake device is normally operated using information for determining the status of the first brake device by the first controller 9a. [0038][0060]
Regarding claim 5, the receiving information for determining the status of the first brake device 7a includes: receiving, by the control unit, required braking force information from a required braking force calculator [0035].
Regarding claim 6, the receiving information about the hydraulic pressure supplied to the wheel brakes by the first brake device includes receiving, by the control unit, a pressure measurement value from a middle flow path pressure sensor 82B1 mounted in a channel of the second brake device, the channel connect to the first brake device.
Regarding claim 8, the receiving information for determining the status of the first brake device 7a includes transmitting and receiving the information for determining the status of the first brake device by the first controller 9a and the second controller 9b. [0038][0060]
Regarding claim 9, the receiving, by the control unit, the required braking force information from the required braking force calculator includes receiving, by the second controller, the required braking force information from the required braking force calculator, and wherein the receiving, by the control unit, information about the hydraulic pressure supplied to the wheel brakes by the first brake device from the second brake device includes receiving, by the second controller, information about the hydraulic pressure (via 82B1) supplied to the wheel brakes by the first brake device from the second brake device. [0035]-[0038]
Regarding claim 10, the controlling at least one of the first brake device and the second brake device includes controlling the second brake device by the second controller to decrease an amount of fluid that is transmitted to a fluid reservoir 40 from the second brake device connected in series between the first brake device and at least one of the wheel brakes. Note valves 21/24.
Regarding claim 11, the controlling the second brake device includes controlling, by the second controller, an open or closed status of a second block valve 21b/24B, which controls flow of fluid from the second brake device to the first brake device.
Regarding claim 12, the controlling at least one of the first brake device and the second brake device includes controlling, by the control unit, an open or closed status of a plurality of valves 22a/24a mounted on the first brake device.
Regarding claim 13, the controlling the open or closed status of the plurality of valves mounted on the first brake device includes controlling, by the first controller, an open or closed status of a first block valve 24A, which controls flow of fluid from a fluid reservoir 40 from the wheel brakes 10.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16-20 are allowed.
Claims 7 and 14-15 are 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11/13/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding Saito, it is first noted that the rejection has been updated to rely on sensor 82B1 and/or 82B2 instead of 83B2 as the language has been amended to more clearly define that the information is about the pressure is supplied from the first brake device. Sensors 82B measure the pressure of the fluid from port 70AS1 and 70AP1 of the first braking device.
Applicant provides an argument assuming wheel cylinder 4RL and 4RR to be the wheel brake cylinders supplied by the first braking device. It is maintained that wheel cylinders 4FR and 4FL are supplied by the first braking device through the second braking device in the same manner as W1/W2 of the instant invention, and are readable on the recited wheel cylinders. It is further maintained that the second master cylinder pressure sensor provides information indicative of the pressure supplied by the first brake device to all the wheel brakes when the communication valves 23 are open.
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 BRADLEY T KING whose telephone number is (571)272-7117. The examiner can normally be reached 10:30-5:00 PM.
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/BRADLEY T KING/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616
BTK