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
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The references listed in the Information Disclosure Statement filed on 09/06/2023 have been considered by the examiner (see attached PTO-1449 forms).
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because figures 4 and 5 illustrate block diagrams with text that are blurred and sections that are faded making some of the content unclear and/or illegible. Clearer print is recommended. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 7 is 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
b) Claim 7 recite the limitation “efficient installation”. The term “efficient” renders the claims indefinite because the claim(s) include(s) elements not actually disclosed or clearly defined in the specification and it is a broad term, thereby rendering the scope of the claim(s) unascertainable. See MPEP § 2173.05.
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 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, 4, 5, 7-10, 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kamiya et al. [US Patent Number 11,521,105 B2; hereinafter “Kamiya”].
Regarding claim 1, Kamiya teaches a method of detecting vibration anomalies in an electronic device (D) for controlling an electric motor (M), by indicating when predetermined thresholds corresponding to mechanical vibrations incompatible with the relevant application are exceeded (fault prediction system – figure 1, C5L10-60), the method comprising:
a) providing a vibration sensor (1) operably associable with an electronic control unit (2) equipped with a memory unit (3) (The vibration measuring unit 121, for example, measures and outputs the vibration of the main shaft bearing 220 (main shaft 212) or the motor bearing 226 (motor 214) using a vibration sensor mounted on the main shaft bearing 220 or the motor bearing 226 – C6L57-62);
b) actuating the electronic device (D) and the electric motor (M) in a learning mode (learning unit, learn fault prediction) , with the motor (M) operating with time-varying currents (iA) and speeds (wA) ( an exemplary learning process by the machine learning device 5 is started, in step S201 the state observation unit 52 obtains state variables including, e.g., a torque command value and a velocity command value output from the motor controller 3, a driving current and a rotational velocity output from the detector 11, the vibration of the main shaft 212 or the motor 214 output from the measuring device – C7L7-67);
c) measuring vibrations by said sensor (1), for each value of current (iA) and speed (wA), to measure instantaneous vibration values(vA) and to determine a first set of reference vibration values (vA(i,w));d) storing said first set of reference values (vA(i,w)) in said memory unit (3) (obtains state variables including, e.g., a torque command value and a velocity command value output from the motor controller 3, a driving current and a rotational velocity output from the detector 11, the vibration of the main shaft 212 or the motor 214 output from the measuring device – C7L60-67);
e) actuating the electronic device (D) in a supervision mode and actuating the electric motor (M) in an operating mode (state observation / determination data obtaining), with the motor (M) operating with time-varying currents (iL) and speeds (wL) (outputs a current and a velocity for driving the motor) (determination data obtaining unit 51 obtains determination data which is obtained by determining whether a fault has occurred in the main shaft 212 or the motor 214, or the degree of fault, and is output from the fault determination unit 31. The state observation unit 52 receives the state variables (a quantity of state) of the machine tool 2, including a torque command value and a velocity command value for driving the motor 214 output from the motor controller 3, the driving current and the rotational velocity of the motor 214 output from the detector 11 (a current detection unit 111 and a velocity detection unit 112), the vibration of the main shaft 212 or the motor 214 output from the measuring device 12 (the vibration measuring unit 121 – C7L10-24),
f) measuring vibrations by said sensor (1), for each value of current (iL) and speed (wL), to measure instantaneous vibration values (vL) and to determine a second set of operating vibration values (vL(i,W)) (vibration measuring unit, measures and outputs the vibration of the main shaft using a vibration sensor mounted – C6L49-61);
g) triggering a pre-alarm and alarm signal by said electronic control unit (2) as a vibration value (vL) of said second set of values (vL(i,W)) exceeds the respective vibration value (vA) of said first set of reference values (va(1,W)) (various modes are possible, such as the mode in which information indicating whether a predicted fault has occurred or the degree of fault is displayed on a display (not illustrated) or a mode in which an alarm sound is produced - C11L29-39) (a threshold may be set for the above-mentioned index value, and the fault information output unit 42 can output as fault information, information indicating whether a fault has occurred by defining a value equal to or larger than the threshold as being abnormal, and a value smaller than the threshold as being normal, as illustrated as FIG. 8B. In, e.g., the third example, a plurality of thresholds (thresholds 1 to 3) may be set for the above-mentioned index value, and the fault information output unit 42 can output, as fault information, a level of the fault obtained by partitioning the faults according to each threshold (fault levels 1 to 4) - C11L50-62).
Regarding claim 4, Kamiya teaches said step c) of measuring in the learning mode is followed by a step of ci) predetermining a maximum persistence time (tA) of each instantaneous vibration (vA) of said first set of reference vibration values (vA(i,W)) (figure 5, elapse of time – C9L46-62).
Regarding claim 5, Kamiya teaches said step f) of measuring in the operating mode is followed by a step of f2) measuring the persistence time (tL(i,w)) for each vibration value of said second set of values (vL(i,W)) by said vibration sensor (1) (figure 5, elapse of time – C9L46-62).
Regarding claim 7, Kamiya teaches a computer program is installed in said control unit (2), for visually representing (degree of fault is displayed on a display – C11L35-37) said first (vA(i,W)) and said second sets of values (vL(i,W)) in a three-dimensional graph to display the values as measured in said measuring steps c) and f), and check the efficient installation of said electronic device (D) and said electric motor (M) (FIG. 8A, FIG. 8B, FIG. 8C and FIG. 9 are graphs for explaining exemplary index values representing the degrees of fault (first to fourth examples) in the fault prediction system – C11L40-63).
Regarding claim 8, Kamiya teaches said step c) of measuring is carried out for a predetermined and adjustable time (figure 3A, 3B shows region power is on and/or is cut off to the motor – C8L36-61).
Regarding claim 9, Kamiya teaches said steps e) - g2) are carried out each time the electronic device (D) is powered on (figure 3A, 3B shows region power is on and/or is cut off to the motor – C8L36-61)
Regarding claim 10, Kamiya teaches a system for detecting vibration anomalies of an electronic device (D) for controlling an electric motor (M) or machine or apparatus exposed to vibrations, wherein the system comprises a vibration sensor (1) operably connected to an electronic memory unit (3) and to an electronic control unit (2), configured to operate according to the method as claimed claim 1 (motor controller – C6L4-15, detector, measuring device - C6L39-56).
Regarding claim 15, Kamiya teaches said steps e) - g2) are carried out each time the electronic device (D) is powered on (figure 3A, 3B shows region power is on and/or is cut off to the motor – C8L36-61).
Regarding claim 16, Kamiya teaches said steps e) - g2) are carried out each time the electronic device (D) is powered on (figure 3A, 3B shows region power is on and/or is cut off to the motor – C8L36-61).
Regarding claim 17, Kamiya teaches said steps e) - g2) are carried out each time the electronic device (D) is powered on (figure 3A, 3B shows region power is on and/or is cut off to the motor – C8L36-61).
Regarding claim 18, Kamiya teaches said steps e) - g2) are carried out each time the electronic device (D) is powered on (figure 3A, 3B shows region power is on and/or is cut off to the motor – C8L36-61).
Regarding claim 19, Kamiya teaches said steps e) - g2) are carried out each time the electronic device (D) is powered on (figure 3A, 3B shows region power is on and/or is cut off to the motor – C8L36-61).
Regarding claim 20, Kamiya teaches said steps e) - g2) are carried out each time the electronic device (D) is powered on (figure 3A, 3B shows region power is on and/or is cut off to the motor – C8L36-61).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 3, 6 and 11-14 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.
Relevant Prior Art / Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Maalouf (US Patent Application Publication 2016/0054171 A1) discloses detecting anomalies in a rotor during transient speed operations.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICKY GO whose telephone number is (571)270-3340. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Arleen M. Vazquez can be reached on (571) 272-2619. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RICKY GO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2857