DETAILED ACTION
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
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.
Claims 1, 3, 6, 11, 13, 16, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nakakuki et al. (JP 2018047725 A).
For claim 1, Nakakuki et al. discloses a current control method based on feedback control performed by at least one processor 20, the current control method comprising:
[identifying a final torque value that changes according to an action of a steering wheel 1] (page 8, paragraph [0009]);
[controlling a motor 5a that generates auxiliary power based on the identified final torque value] (page 17, paragraph [0017]);
[determining whether a rotation angle of the steering wheel reaches a predetermined rack end stop angle] (page 14, paragraph [0014]);
[in response to determining that the rotation angle of the steering wheel reaches the predetermined RES angle, switching the final torque value to a soft end stop torque value] (page 14, paragraph [0014]); and
[controlling the motor so that rotation of the steering wheel is limited based on the switched SES torque value] (page 14, paragraph [0014]).
For claims 3 and 13, Nakakuki et al. discloses the current control method [wherein the controlling of the motor so that the rotation of the steering wheel is limited based on the switched SES torque value comprises controlling the motor so that the rotation of the steering wheel is limited by applying torque of an opposite sign based on the switched SES torque value] (page 14, paragraph [0014]).
For claims 6 and 16, Nakakuki et al. discloses the current control method wherein the controlling of the motor so that the rotation of the steering wheel is limited based on the switched SES torque value comprises [controlling the motor so that the rotation of the steering wheel is limited based on the SES torque value that decreases or increases as the steering wheel moves toward an end from the predetermined RES angle] (page 14, paragraph [0014]), [wherein the end refers to a position where the steering wheel is no longer rotated] (page 11, paragraph [0011]).
For claim 11, Nakakuki et al. discloses an electric power steering (EPS) system comprising:
a torque sensor 11 [configured to detect torque applied to a steering wheel 1] (page 8, paragraph [0009]) and [output an electrical signal proportional to the detected torque] (page 8, paragraph [0009]);
a steering sensor 10 [configured to output an electrical signal proportional to a steering angle of the steering wheel] (page 8, paragraph [0009]);
a motor 5a [configured to generate auxiliary power applied to the steering wheel] (page 8, paragraph [0009]); and
an electronic control unit 20 [configured to control the motor] (page 8, paragraph [0009]), wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:
[identify a final torque value that changes according to an action of the steering wheel] (page 8, paragraph [0009]);
[control the motor that generates the auxiliary power based on the identified final torque value] (page 17, paragraph [0017]);
[determine whether a rotation angle of the steering wheel reaches a predetermined rack end stop (RES) angle] (page 14, paragraph [0014]);
[in response to determining that the rotation angle of the steering wheel reaches the predetermined RES angle, switch the final torque value to a soft end stop (SES) torque value] (page 14, paragraph [0014]); and
[control the motor so that rotation of the steering wheel is limited based on the switched 5 SES torque value] (page 14, paragraph [0014]).
For claim 20, Nakakuki et al. discloses a vehicle (page 8, paragraph [0009]) comprising the electric power steering (EPS) system.
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 2 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakakuki et al. (JP 2018047725 A) in view of Namikawa et al. (US 2020/0307686 A1).
For claims 2 and 12, Nakakuki et al. does not explicitly disclose the current control method wherein the SES torque value is generated to track a predetermined value using an SES feedback controller.
Namikawa et al. discloses [a reaction force control unit 50a having a target steering reaction force computation circuit 51, a target steering angle computation circuit 52, a steering angle computation unit 53, and a steering angle feedback control circuit 54] (page 4, paragraph [0049]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to alternatively use the feedback controller of Namikawa et al. with the method of Nakakuki et al. with a reasonable expectation of success because it would allow for improved system stability and response, thus improving overall system efficiency.
Claims 4, 5, 14, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakakuki et al. (JP 2018047725 A) in view of Shibuya (JP 6070711 B2).
For claims 4 and 14, Nakakuki et al. discloses the current control method wherein the switching of the final torque value to the SES torque value comprises:
[identifying the final torque value at the predetermined RES angle] (page 8, paragraph [0009] and page 14, paragraph [0014]); and
[switching the final torque value to the SES torque value by decreasing the final torque value] (page 14, paragraph [0014]); but does not explicitly disclose switching within a predetermined time interval.
Shibuya discloses [a flowchart showing a procedure of an end contact determination process executed by an end contact determination unit 21, the end determination process is repeatedly executed at predetermined time intervals] (page 42, paragraph [0028]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to additionally use the repeated execution at predetermined time intervals of Shibuya with the method of Nakakuki et al. with a reasonable expectation of success because it would allow for continuous monitoring of the steering system, thus providing for improved overall steering.
For claims 5 and 15, Nakakuki et al. modified as above discloses the current control method [wherein the switching of the final torque value to the SES torque value by decreasing the final torque value comprises switching the final torque value to the SES torque value by increasing the SES torque value by an amount of decrease in the final torque value, such that a sum of the final torque value and the SES torque value is maintained, during the predetermined time interval, as a value corresponding to the final torque value at the predetermined RES angle] (page 14, paragraph [0014]).
Claims 7 – 9, 17 – 19, and 21 – 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakakuki et al. (JP 2018047725 A) in view of Kitazume et al. (US 2023/0016560 A1).
For claims 7 and 17, Nakakuki et al. does not explicitly disclose the current control method further comprising:
determining a rate of change of the SES torque value that decreases or increases as the steering wheel moves toward the end from the predetermined RES angle.
Kitazume et al. discloses reducing a rate of change of a steering reaction torque with respect to a steering angular velocity in an arbitrary velocity range of the steering angular velocity] (page 3, paragraph [0058]); and [a steering reaction force acting on the steering system fluctuates according to a vehicle speed] (page 7, paragraph [0147]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to additionally use the rate of change based on steering angular velocity and speed of Kitazume et al. with the method of Nakakuki et al. with a reasonable expectation of success because it would allow for reducing overall vibration, thus reducing overall replacement costs.
For claims 8 and 18, Nakakuki et al. modified as above discloses the current control method wherein the determining of the rate of change of the SES torque value comprises:
[identifying a speed of a vehicle 12] (page 8, paragraph [0009]); and
[determining the rate of change of the SES torque value based on the identified speed of the vehicle] (page 7, paragraph [0147] of Kitazume et al.).
For claims 9 and 19, Nakakuki et al. modified as above discloses the current control method wherein the determining of the rate of change of the SES torque value comprises determining the rate of change of the SES torque value that decreases or increases as the steering wheel moves toward the end from the predetermined RES angle] (page 14, paragraph [0014]) [based on a steering angular velocity of the steering wheel] (page 3, paragraph [0058] of Kitazumet al.).
For claim 21, Nakakuki et al. discloses an electric power steering (EPS) system comprising:
a torque sensor 11 [configured to detect torque applied to a steering wheel 1] (page 8, paragraph [0009]) and [output an electrical signal proportional to the detected torque] (page 8, paragraph [0009]);
a steering sensor 10 [configured to output an electrical signal proportional to a steering angle of the steering wheel] (page 8, paragraph [0009]);
a motor 5a [configured to generate auxiliary power applied to the steering wheel] (page 8, paragraph [0009]); and
an electronic control unit 20 [configured to control the motor] (page 8, paragraph [0009]), wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:
[identify a final torque value that changes according to an action of the steering wheel] (page 8, paragraph [0009]);
[control the motor that generates the auxiliary power based on the identified final torque value] (page 17, paragraph [0017]);
[determine whether a rotation angle of the steering wheel reaches a predetermined rack end stop (RES) angle] (page 14, paragraph [0014]);
[in response to determining that the rotation angle of the steering wheel reaches the predetermined RES angle, switch the final torque value to a soft end stop (SES) torque value] (page 14, paragraph [0014]); but does not explicitly disclose the final torque value has a rate of change different from a rate of change of the final torque value, and control the motor based on the switched SES torque value.
Kitazume et al. discloses reducing a rate of change of a steering reaction torque with respect to a steering angular velocity in an arbitrary velocity range of the steering angular velocity] (page 3, paragraph [0058]); and [a steering reaction force acting on the steering system fluctuates according to a vehicle speed] (page 7, paragraph [0147]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to additionally use the rate of change based on steering angular velocity and speed of Kitazume et al. with the method of Nakakuki et al. with a reasonable expectation of success because it would allow for reducing overall vibration, thus reducing overall replacement costs.
For claim 22, Nakakuki et al. modified as above discloses the current control method [wherein the controlling of the motor so that the rotation of the steering wheel is limited based on the switched SES torque value comprises controlling the motor so that the rotation of the steering wheel is limited by applying torque of an opposite sign based on the switched SES torque value] (page 14, paragraph [0014]).
For claim 23, Nakakuki et al. modified as above discloses the EPS system [wherein an absolute value of the switched SES torque value is less than or equal to an absolute value of the final torque value at the predetermined RES angle] (page 14, paragraph [0014]).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakakuki et al. (JP 2018047725 A) in view of Lickfold et al. (US 2016/0318443 A1).
For claim 10, Nakakuki et al. does not explicitly disclose a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing instructions for execution by one or more processors that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method.
Lickfold et al. discloses a controller 34 comprises an electronic processor 35; alternatively, some or all of the aforementioned instructions/information may be embedded in a computer-readable storage medium (e.g. a non-transitory or non-transient storage medium)] (page 3, paragraph [0031])
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to additionally use the processor and non-transitory medium of Lickfold et al. with the method of Nakakuki et al. with a reasonable expectation of success because it would allow for proper storing of data and instructions, thus allowing for proper execution of steering.
Conclusion
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/JACOB D KNUTSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3611