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 .
Priority
The following claimed benefit is acknowledged: The instant application, filed on 28 March 2023, claims foreign priority to TW Application No. 111144210, filed on 18 November 2022.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement (lDS) submitted on 03/28/2023 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 and has been considered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claims 1-5 and 9-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Krohn (US4698616A).
Regarding claim 1, Krohn discloses an angle sensing device (Figs. 1-2), comprising:
a base (Fig. 1, surface 14);
a rotation shaft, rotatably arranged on the base (Fig. 1, shaft 12 on surface 14 with rotational displacement 18), wherein the rotation shaft comprises a side surface (Fig. 1, cylindrical surface of shaft 12) and a virtual axis (Fig. 1, rotational axis of shaft 12);
a detected target, arranged on the side surface (Fig. 2, element 80 arranged on surface of shaft 12), wherein an outer contour of a cross section of the detected target along a radial direction of the rotation shaft comprises a first detected position and a second detected position (Fig. 2, track component 82 and track component 84), and
a distance of the first detected position with respect to the virtual axis is different from that of the second detected position with respect to the virtual axis (Col. 4:35-40, larger distance to 82 as compared to a distance to 84 at a counterclockwise rotational position around the virtual axis); and
a proximity sensor, fixedly arranged on the base and facing the detected target (Fig. 2, optoelectronic sensor 20 facing element 80; Col. 3:3-4, mounted in a fixed position to surface 14), wherein when the detected target rotates together with the rotation shaft (Col. 3:55), the proximity sensor emits light toward the detected target (Fig. 2, source 50, 55) and detects reflected light from the outer contour of the detected target (Fig. 2, photodetector 60, 65) to generate measurement data (Col. 3:33-36, producing signal proportional to intensity of received light).
Regarding claim 2, Krohn discloses the angle sensing device of claim 1, and further discloses: wherein a plurality of proximity sensors is provided (Fig. 2, first proximity sensor 40, 50, 60 and second proximity sensor 45, 55, 65).
Regarding claim 3, Krohn discloses the angle sensing device of claim 2, and further discloses: wherein the proximity sensors are equidistantly arranged around the rotation shaft (Col. 3:65-68 & 4:10-15, sensors arranged at a fixed, equal distance from the axis of shaft 12).
Regarding claim 4, Krohn discloses the angle sensing device of claim 2, and further discloses: wherein the angle sensing device is adapted to be coupled to a processing unit (Fig. 2, circuitry 70), wherein the processing unit obtains an angle value through conversion according to the measurement data generated by the proximity sensor (Col. 3:37-40, signal from photodetector processed to yield rotational position of shaft 12; Col. 4:49-52, amount of rotation from the reference position; Col. 1:46-56).
Regarding claim 5, Krohn discloses the angle sensing device of claim 1, and further discloses: wherein the proximity sensor comprises a light source (Fig. 2, source 50, 55) and an optical receiver (Fig. 2, photodetector 60, 65), the light source emits the light toward the detected target, and the optical receiver detects the reflected light from the outer contour of the detected target (Col. 4:15-20), and generates the measurement data according to a light intensity value of the received reflected light (Col. 3:33-36).
Regarding claim 9, Krohn discloses the angle sensing device of claim 1, and further discloses: wherein the detected target is an eccentric columnar structure, a regular polygonal columnar structure, an asymmetric polygonal columnar structure, or a spiral columnar structure (Figs. 1-2, element 80 is an eccentric columnar structure, i.e., cylinder with eccentric surface contour).
Regarding claim 10, Krohn discloses the angle sensing device of claim 1, and further discloses: further comprising a fixing frame, arranged on the base and around the rotation shaft (Fig. 2, housing 30 around shaft 12; Col. 3:20-22, housing 30 fixed to surface 14), wherein the fixing frame comprises at least one fixing base (Fig. 2, housing 30), configured to arrange the proximity sensor (Col. 3:20-22).
Regarding claim 11, Krohn discloses the angle sensing device of claim 1, and further discloses: wherein the detected target protrudes from the side surface (Fig. 2, element 80 protrudes from the surface of shaft 12).
Regarding claim 12, Krohn discloses an angle sensing system (Figs. 1-2), comprising:
an angle sensing device (Figs. 1-2, elements 12, 14, 20, 80, 82, 84), comprising:
a base (Fig. 1, surface 14);
a rotation shaft, rotatably arranged on the base (Fig. 1, shaft 12 on surface 14 with rotational displacement 18), wherein the rotation shaft comprises a side surface (Fig. 1, cylindrical surface of shaft 12) and a virtual axis (Fig. 1, rotational axis of shaft 12);
a detected target, arranged on the side surface (Fig. 2, element 80 arranged on surface of shaft 12), wherein an outer contour of a cross section of the detected target along a radial direction of the rotation shaft comprises a first detected position and a second detected position (Fig. 2, track component 82 and track component 84), and
a distance of the first detected position with respect to the virtual axis is different from that of the second detected position with respect to the virtual axis (Col. 4:35-40, larger distance to 82 as compared to a distance to 84 at a counterclockwise rotational position around the virtual axis); and
a proximity sensor, fixedly arranged on the base and facing the detected target (Fig. 2, optoelectronic sensor 20 facing element 80; Col. 3:3-4, mounted in a fixed position to surface 14), wherein when the detected target rotates together with the rotation shaft (Col. 3:55), the proximity sensor emits light toward the detected target (Fig. 2, source 50, 55) and detects reflected light from the outer contour of the detected target (Fig. 2, photodetector 60, 65) to generate measurement data (Col. 3:33-36, producing signal proportional to intensity of received light); and
a processing unit, electrically coupled to the angle sensing device (Fig. 2, circuitry 70 electrically coupled to optoelectronic sensor 20) for obtaining an angle value through conversion according to the measurement data generated by the proximity sensor (Col. 3:37-40, signal from photodetector processed to yield rotational position of shaft 12; Col. 4:49-52, amount of rotation from the reference position; Col. 1:46-56).
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.
Claims 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Krohn in view of Ruh (US20180031395A1).
Regarding claim 6, Krohn discloses the angle sensing device of claim 5, and further discloses: wherein the light source is an infrared light source (Col. 3:41-44), […]. Krohn does not disclose: “the detected target comprises a gray measurement surface, and the light source projects the light toward the gray measurement surface.” However, Ruh teaches the limitation in Fig. 4, measurement surface 415 as illuminated by light source 440, where ¶¶ 35, 42 the contrast stripes of the measurement surface vary in shading between lighter and darker shades, i.e., gray levels. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the angle sensing device of Krohn with the teachings of Ruh with a reasonable expectation for success in order to enhance the measurement signal through employment of contrast stripes, thereby yielding a system with reduced measurement ambiguity and improved reliability in sensing rotational position, direction, and speed (Roh, ¶¶ 35, 40, 50-51, 54).
Regarding claim 7, Krohn in view of Roh teaches the angle sensing device of claim 6. The current combination does not teach: wherein the light source and the optical receiver are arranged along a vertical direction, and the vertical direction is parallel to the virtual axis of the rotation shaft. However, Roh further teaches the limitation in Fig. 4 and ¶ 68, where light source and optical receiver 430 are axially aligned with the axis of the rotation shaft 40. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the angle sensing device of Krohn in view of Ruh the further teachings of Ruh with a reasonable expectation for success in order to improve the quality and accuracy of the rotational measurement (Roh, ¶ 69).
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Krohn in view of Evans (US20180321062A1).
Regarding claim 8, Krohn discloses the angle sensing device of claim 1, however does not disclose: wherein a distance between the proximity sensor and the detected target ranges from 0.5 mm to 1 mm. Evans teaches an angle sensing device (Fig. 10; ¶¶ 6 & 117-120) with sensor (306) to detected target (304) standoff distance having nominal ranges disclosed between 0.5 mm to 1 mm (¶¶ 41-42). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the angle sensing device of Krohn with the teachings of Evans, since known work in one field of endeavor may prompt variations in design in either the same field or a different field based on design incentives or other market forces if the variations would have been predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art (KSR Rationale F). Here, the difference is merely a known variation of the optical working distance, and an artisan skilled in optical measurement systems would have recognized that adopting the standoff distance taught by Evans would provide for balancing both high signal contrast with vibrational/thermal tolerance, thereby yielding a system with improved signal integrity and measurement reliability across a range of operating environments. This update represents a known improvement and would have been pursued by the skilled artisan with a reasonable expectation of success.
Conclusion
Prior art made of record though not relied upon in the present basis of rejection are noted in the attached PTO 892 and include: Khaira (US20160274140A1) which discloses an angle sensing device employing a rotation shaft with a gradient grayscale surface for increasing contrast of reflected intensity measurements. Krohn2 (US4500870A) which discloses an angle sensing device based on measuring the distance variation of a rotation shaft with an eccentric surface contour. Rothamel (US6639206B1) discloses a rotary angle sensor based on the rotation of reflectors arranged on the surface of the rotary, where reflected is measured to determine rotational angle.
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/ZHENGQING QI/Examiner, Art Unit 3645