DETAILED ACTION
1. This Final Office Action is in response to the Amendment filed February 4, 2026.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
2. 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 § 103
3. 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.
4. Claim(s) 1 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the Kim reference (US Patent Publication No. 2021/0094611).
5. Regarding claim 1, the Kim reference discloses:
an apparatus for controlling a redundant steering system (FIGS) comprising:
a first steering position controller (100) configured to control a first motor driven power steering (MDPS) module [Paragraph 0067—the steering angle correction module (100) outputs to (200) and therefore at least partially controls the operation of (200) which controls the MDPS module] based on a first command steering angle from an autonomous driving system [Paragraph 0067—command steering angle (FIG. 1)] and a current steering angle [Paragraph 0057];
a second steering position controller (200);
an internal communication interface configured to enable a communication between the first steering position controller (100) and the second steering position controller (200); and
a processor [Paragraph 0037] configured to calculate final output information including the current steering angle [Paragraph 0057] based on first information output from the first MDPS module [Paragraph 0066], and to apply the final output information to the first steering position controller and the second steering position controller (FIG. 1),
wherein the first steering position controller (100) and the second steering position controller (200) each: transmit and receive the first command steering angle (FIG. 1—unmodified S10) and the second command steering angle (FIG. 1—modified steering angle S26) to and from each other through the internal communication interface (FIG. 1—connects 100 and 200);
calculate a third command steering angle based on the first command steering angle and the second command steering angle (FIG. 8—further modification of steering angle S28); and
control the corresponding MDPS module based on the third command steering angle (FIG. 8—S50).
The Kim reference discloses the invention is essentially claimed. However, the Kim reference fails to disclose a controller configured to control a second MDPS module based on a second command steering angle from the autonomous driving system and the current steering angle and second information output from the second MDPS module.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art by the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a second MDPS module that functions identically to the
first MDPS module, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. MPEP 2144.04 (VI-B).
6. Regarding claim 11, the Kim reference further discloses:
a method of controlling a redundant steering system including a first position steering controller (100) and a second position steering controller (200), the method comprising:
controlling, by each of the first position steering controller (100) and the second position steering controller (200), a first MDPS module [Paragraph 0067] and based on a command steering angle [Paragraph 0067] and a current steering angle [Paragraph 0057]; and
calculating, by a processor [Paragraph 0037], final output information (FIG. 8) including the current steering angle [Paragraph 0057] based on first information output from the first MDPS module (100) (FIG. 1), and applying the final output information to a first steering position controller (100) and a second steering position controller (200).
The Kim reference discloses the invention is essentially claimed. However, the Kim reference fails to disclose a controller configured to control a second MDPS module second information output from the second MDPS module.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art by the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a second MDPS module that functions identically to the first MDPS module, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. MPEP 2144.04 (VI-B).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-10 and 12-15 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 February 4, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The Applicant disputes the finding of the Office that adding a second MDPS module is mere duplication. However, when mapping the claims to the disclosure of the Kim reference each and every feature of the rejected claims is taught except this duplication. Moreover, adding physical redundancy is a well known concept in the area of motors and a person of ordinary skill in the art would certainly recognize that such a well known concept could easily be utilized in the Kim reference by adding a second MDPS module. Accordingly, claims 1 and 11 are finally rejected.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHARLES J BRAUCH whose telephone number is (313)446-6511. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00 AM to 6 PM.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
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/CHARLES JOSEPH BRAUCH/
Examiner
Art Unit 3747
/LONG T TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747