Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 12/30/2025 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Baur et al (U.S. Pub. No. 2012/0303220) in view of Omura et al (U.S. Pat. No. 5253526, hereinafter “Omura”) and Elford (WO-9606328-A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Baur teaches an inertial measurement device (Figs. 1 or 2) comprising: a first inertial sensor having at least a first detection axis (rotation rate sensor 1 or acceleration sensor 11); a second inertial sensor having at least a second detection axis and paired with the first inertial sensor (rotation rate sensor 2 or acceleration sensor 12); a circuit board on which the first inertial sensor and the second inertial sensor are mounted (printed circuit board 5) in a state where a direction of the first detection axis of the first inertial sensor is rotated by 180° with respect to a direction of the second detection axis of the second inertial sensor (paragraphs [0021]-[0022] and [0024]-[0025]). Baur further teaches wherein the circuit board has a first surface, and a second surface opposite from the first surface (Fig. 2, printed circuit board 5), the first inertial sensor and the second inertial sensor are mounted on the first surface (acceleration sensors 11 and 12, paragraph [0024], sensors having opposite orientations can be side-by-side on one side of the printed circuit board 5), and wherein the first inertial sensor and the second inertial sensor are the same inertial sensor (Fig. 2).
Baur does not specifically disclose a case accommodating the circuit board; and resin with which spaces between the first inertial sensor and the case and between the second inertial sensor and the case are filled. However, Omura teaches in Fig. 1 a case (casing 11 and cover 12; see column 6, lines 27-42) accommodating a circuit board (printed circuit board 5), and resin with which spaces between the first inertial sensor and the case and between the second inertial sensor and the case are filled (column 14, lines 42-45, interior of the casing is filled with resin). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include the case filled with resin such as is described in Omura in the inertial sensor device system of Baur, in order to provide moisture-resistant and corrosion resistant construction (Omura, column 14, lines 32-35) and to seal the sensor device (Omura, column 14, lines 44-45).
Baur does not specifically teach d1 ≥ h/1.66 in which h is a height of the first inertial sensor, and d1 is a distance between the first inertial sensor and the second inertial sensor where a temperature hysteresis characteristic of each of the first inertial sensor and the second inertial sensor is offset. However, Elford teaches, on page 11, lines 18-23, that increasing the spacing between accelerometers reduces the effect of hysteresis on measurement drift. It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to increase the spacing between the inertial sensors such that d1 ≥ h/1.66 in which h is a height of the first inertial sensor, and d1 is a distance between the first inertial sensor and the second inertial sensor, based on the teachings of Elford, in the inertial sensor system of Baur, in order to reduce the effect of hysteresis on measurement drift, and also because it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges (i.e., the claimed distance to height ratio) involves only routine skill in the art (In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233).
Regarding Claim 3, Baur in view of Omura and Elford teaches everything that is claimed above with respect to Claim 1. Baur does not teach the case is made of metal and includes a first case that covers a first surface side and a second case that covers a second surface side, and spaces between the first inertial sensor and the first case and between the second inertial sensor and the first case are filled with the resin. However, Omura teaches the case is made of metal (column 4, lines 30-33, metal such as aluminium) and includes a first case that covers a first surface side and a second case that covers a second surface side (top portion of casing 11/cover 12; and bottom portion of casing 11/cover 12); and spaces between the first inertial sensor and the first case and between the second inertial sensor and the first case are filled with the resin (column 14, lines 42-45, interior of the casing is filled with resin). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include the case filled with resin such as is described in Omura in the inertial sensor device system of Baur, in order to provide moisture-resistant and corrosion resistant construction (Omura, column 14, lines 32-35) and to seal the sensor device (Omura, column 14, lines 44-45).
Claim(s) 5-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Baur in view of Omura, Elford, and Matsuzawa (U.S. Pub. No. 2019/0049483).
Regarding Claim 5, Baur in view of Omura and Elford teaches everything that is claimed above with respect to Claim 3. Baur does not specifically teach a third inertial sensor having at least a third detection axis; and a fourth inertial sensor having at least a fourth detection axis and paired with the third inertial sensor, wherein the third inertial sensor and the fourth inertial sensor are mounted on the second surface of the circuit board in a state where a direction of the third detection axis of the third inertial sensor and a direction of the fourth detection axis of the fourth inertial sensor are rotated by 180°. However, Baur does illustrate in Fig. 2 that acceleration sensors may be located side by side or on the top and bottom of the printed circuit board 5. Further, Matsuzawa teaches in paragraph [0254] that a number of acceleration sensor elements may be four or more, depending on the application. It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to place two oppositely oriented side-by-side acceleration sensors, as shown in Fig. 2 of Baur, on each side of the printed circuit board 5 of Baur, which is also shown in Fig. 2 of Baur, because, as evidenced by Matsuzawa, the number of acceleration sensor elements may vary based on the application (see Matsuzawa, paragraph [0254]); because it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art (In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70 C (CCPA 1950)); and because it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art (St. Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8).
Baur does not teach the case is made of metal and includes a first case that covers a first surface side and a second case that covers a second surface side, and spaces between the first inertial sensor and the first case and between the second inertial sensor and the first case, and between the third inertial sensor and the second case and between the fourth inertial sensor and the second case are filled with the resin. However, Omura teaches the case is made of metal (column 4, lines 30-33, metal such as aluminium) and includes a first case that covers a first surface side and a second case that covers a second surface side (top portion of casing 11/cover 12; and bottom portion of casing 11/cover 12); and spaces between the first inertial sensor and the first case and between the second inertial sensor and the first case, and between the third inertial sensor and the second case and between the fourth inertial sensor and the second case are filled with the resin (column 14, lines 42-45, interior of the casing is filled with resin). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include the case filled with resin such as is described in Omura in the inertial sensor device system of Baur, in order to provide moisture-resistant and corrosion resistant construction (Omura, column 14, lines 32-35) and to seal the sensor device (Omura, column 14, lines 44-45).
Regarding Claim 6, Baur in view of Omura, Elford, and Matsuzawa teaches everything that is claimed above with respect to Claim 5. Baur further teaches wherein the third inertial sensor and the fourth inertial sensor are the same inertial sensor (Fig. 2). Baur does not specifically teach wherein d3 ≥ h/1.66 in which h is a height of the third inertial sensor, and d3 is a distance between the third inertial sensor and the fourth inertial sensor. However, Elford teaches, on page 11, lines 18-23, that increasing the spacing between accelerometers reduces the effect of hysteresis on measurement drift. It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to increase the spacing between the inertial sensors such that d3 ≥ h/1.66 in which h is a height of the third inertial sensor, and d3 is a distance between the third inertial sensor and the fourth inertial sensor, based on the teachings of Elford, in the inertial sensor system of Baur, in order to reduce the effect of hysteresis on measurement drift, and also because it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges (i.e., the claimed distance to height ratio) involves only routine skill in the art (In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233).
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Baur in view of Omura, Elford, and Chino et al (U.S. Pub. No. 2019/0285663, hereinafter “Chino”).
Regarding Claim 7, Baur in view of Omura teaches everything that is claimed above with respect to Claim 3. Baur does not specifically teach wherein the first case is an inner case, and the second case is an outer case accommodating the first case in a state where the circuit board is set. However, Chino teaches in Fig. 22 and paragraphs [0164]-[0167] a sensor module 10 including an inner case 120 and an outer case 140 that accommodates a circuit substrate 100 (equated to a circuit board) and a filling member. It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include an inner and outer case such as is taught in Chino in the inertial sensor system of Baur, in order to exclude noise from the outside (see Chino, paragraph [0167]).
Prior Art of Record
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant’s disclosure.
Ikedo et al (U.S. Pub. No. 2004/0001280) teaches that increasing the distance between accelerometers improves sensitivity in detecting vibrations (see paragraph [0044]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-9 are allowed.
Regarding independent Claim 8, the Examiner agrees with Applicant’s arguments filed on 12/30/2025 that the features of amended Claim 8 regarding the configuration of the first cover and the second cover are not taught by the cited references. Further, the features were not found in the prior art. It is noted that “spaces between the first inertial sensor and the first cover and between the second inertial sensor and the second cover are filled with resin”, as is recited in Claim 8, is interpreted to mean that the space between the first inertial sensor and the first cover is filled with resin, and the space between the second inertial sensor and the second cover is also filled with resin (as illustrated by resin 30a and inner case 20, and resin 30b and outer case 1, shown in Fig. 15 of Applicant’s Specification as filed). Dependent Claim 9 is allowed due to its dependence on Claim 8.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 12/30/2025, with respect to the 103 rejection of claim 1 been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, new ground(s) of rejection is made above in view of Elford. It is further noted that Ikedo et al (cited in the Prior Art of Record section above) also teaches increasing the distance between accelerometers.
Conclusion
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/CYNTHIA L DAVIS/Examiner, Art Unit 2863
/SHELBY A TURNER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2857