DETAILED ACTION
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
2. The specification, the abstract and the drawings are all acceptable.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
3. 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.
4. Claims 12-15, 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by USPN 10,399,594 to Goto.
As to claim 12, Goto teaches a motor control device(col. 1: lines 43-67), comprising:
an electric-current instruction calculation device for determining target electric- current values of a motor of multiple phases(col. 22: lines 54-67); a detected phase-current calculator for obtaining detected electric-current values by detecting electric currents of phases each flowing through the motor(col. 6: lines 43-48); a control calculation device for calculating electric-current instructions to control motor electric-currents each on a basis of the target electric-current values and on that of the detected electric-current values(col. 22: lines 54-67); an electrical angle calculator for calculating, from a rotational position of a rotor of the motor, an electrical angle being a phase difference between a rotational position of the rotor and a coil of the motor(col. 4: lines 35-40 wherein the rotation angle is equivalent to the electrical angle and the angular difference is equivalent to the phase difference between a rotational position of the rotor and a coil of the motor); an abnormal torque estimation device for estimating abnormality of torque of the motor from the target electric-current values, the detected electric-current values and the electrical angle(col. 13: lines 47-54 & fig. 6: “42 – MPU” receives the target electric-current values, the detected electric-current values and the electrical angle and determine the motor torque abnormality); and a cutoff management device for halting a drive operation of the motor if the torque thereof is abnormal(col. 6: lines 38-42 wherein the failsafe circuit 56 is the cutoff management device for halting a drive operation of the motor if any motor parameters including the torque is abnormal).
As to claim 13, Goto teaches the motor control device as set forth in claim 12, wherein the cutoff management device halts a drive operation of the motor when determination is performed so that a change of torque estimated by the abnormal torque estimation device is abnormal(col. 6: lines 38-42 wherein the failsafe circuit 56 is the cutoff management device for halting a drive operation of the motor if any motor parameters including the torque is abnormal).
As to claim 14, Goto teaches the motor control device as set forth in claim 12, wherein the cutoff management device does not halt a drive operation of the motor, when a motor revolution number calculated from an electrical angle obtained by the electrical angle calculator exceeds a revolution-number threshold value being set in advance (col. 6: lines 38-42, col. 7: lines 12-16, col. 11: lines col. 12: lines 45 – col. 13: lines 54 wherein the MPU 42 and ECU 27 performs various comparisons including but not limiting to the electrical angles for a drive operation of the motor).
As to claim 15, Goto teaches the motor control device as set forth in claim 13, wherein the cutoff management device does not halt a drive operation of the motor, when a motor revolution number calculated from an electrical angle obtained by the electrical angle calculator exceeds a revolution-number threshold value being set in advance(col. 6: lines 38-42, col. 7: lines 12-16, col. 11: lines col. 12: lines 45 – col. 13: lines 54 wherein the MPU 42 and ECU 27 performs various comparisons including but not limiting to the electrical angles for a drive operation of the motor).
As to claim 24, Goto teaches an electric power steering device, comprising: the motor control device as set forth in claim 12, wherein the electric power steering device gives steering assist torque by the motor (col. 19: lines 57-59) with respect to a vehicle wheel of an automotive vehicle.
Allowable Subject Matter
5. Claims 16-23 are objected to as being dependent upon the rejected base claim 1, but could be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claims and any intervening claims for the following reasons: No prior art of record discloses the features as claimed in the noted claims.
6. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter. The non-obvious features are:
In comparison with the closest prior art as cited in this Office action and any previous Office actions, no prior art of record discloses the following features as claimed in the following claim limitations:
As to claim 16: Wherein the revolution- number threshold value is changed in accordance with a voltage inputted into the motor.
As per claim 17: An open failure determination device for determining, by using a detected phase current of the detected phase-current calculator and a voltage instruction of the control calculation device, a phase in which an open failure is caused at a time when torque of the motor is estimated being abnormal by the abnormal torque estimation device, and also at a time when the detected phase-current abnormality detection device determines abnormality in the detected phase-current calculator, wherein the cutoff management device continues or halts a drive operation of the motor in accordance with a determination result of the open failure determination device.
Conclusion
7. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
USPN 10,343,710 to Sakamaki discloses a motor control system for vehicle power steering control.
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID S LUO whose telephone number is (571)270-5251. The examiner can normally be reached 8AM-5PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eduardo Colon-Santana can be reached at 571-272-2060. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DAVID LUO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2846