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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “a further position-measuring device” provided between the torque sensor and the driving actuator must be shown or the feature canceled from the claim. No new matter should be entered.
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 Objections
Claim 5 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 5, line 2 recites the limitation “the position-measuring device and the actuator” which should be changed to “the second position measuring device and the driving actuator”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 8 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 8, lines 1 – 2 recites “the torque sensor is substituted by a force sensor”, therefore, it is unclear and indefinite as to whether the torque sensor of claim 8 which is positively recited and dependent upon previous claims 5 and 6 is required. In other words, claims 5 and 6 requires the torque sensor, while claim 8 states the torque sensor can be substituted for a different sensor.
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 1 – 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (US 2021/0221434 A1) in view of Kim (KR 102173996 B1).and Hara et al. (US 2005/0279562 A1).
For claim 1, Liu et al. discloses a steering system comprising:
[a first steering input device 10-2 having a mechanical steering element] (page 28, paragraph [0355], steering wheel) [that is connected to a shaft of a first actuator 31-2] (page 5, paragraph [0069]) and provided with a first position measuring device 20-2 [measuring the position of the mechanical steering element] (page 28, paragraph [0355]);
a second steering input device (10-1 or 70);
a driving actuator 42 for an element 41, 100 [to be controlled by the steering system] (page 5, paragraph [0071]) [having a second position measuring device 60 measuring a position of the element to be controlled] (page 5, paragraph [0074]);
an electronic control unit 50, 51-1, 51-2, 52 [receiving input signals from the first and second position measuring devices] (page 5, paragraph [0074] and page 28, paragraph [0355]) and [providing control signals for the first actuator] (page 5, paragraph [0069]) and [the driving actuator] (page 5, paragraph [0071]), [these control signals causing a desired torque in the shafts of the actuators or moving the shafts in a desired position] (page 5, paragraphs [0069] and [0071]), [wherein said electronic control unit also receives handover signals from external systems that cause either the input signals from the first or from the second input device to be used to produce the control signal for the driving actuator] (page 6, paragraph [0081]), [wherein the electronic control unit calculates an output signal for the first actuator that causes the steering element to take a position that is determined by the input signal of the second input device] (page 29, paragraph [0366]), but does not explicitly disclose
receiving input signals simultaneously from the first and second steering input devices; and
calculating an output signal within less than 0.1 sec.
Kim discloses a steering control device 200; [wherein a signal output step and a steering rotation control step described above can executed by the steering control device simultaneously with, before, or after a steering wheel display step] (page 58, paragraph [0066]); but does not explicitly disclose calculating an output signal within less than 0.1 sec.
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 simultaneous execution of Kim with the electronic control unit of Liu et al. with a reasonable expectation of success because it would allow for processing of input signals at the same time, thus improving overall evaluation of the system.
Hara et al. discloses [a routine of Fig. 7 repeatedly executed by a first controller 4a at intervals of a predetermined processing time interval such as 10 ms] (page 5, paragraph [0048]).
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 processing time of Hara et al. with the electronic control unit of Liu et al. modified as above with a reasonable expectation of success because it would allow for reducing overall processing time of the control system, thus improving overall operation of the system.
For claim 2, Liu et al. modified as above discloses the system wherein the second input device is a manually operated input device 10-1 [consisting of a second mechanical steering element in the form of a steering wheel, a joystick or a pedal] (page 28, paragraph [0355]), [that is connected to a shaft of a second actuator 31-1] (page 5, paragraph [0069]) and [that is provided with a third position measuring device 20-1] (page 28, paragraph [0355]).
For claim 3, Liu et al. modified as above discloses the system wherein the second input device 70 [is a control unit of an automated driving system] (page 4, paragraph [0061] and page 28, paragraph [0367]).
For claim 4, Liu et al. modified as above discloses the system further comprising at least one additional input device (the other of the 10-2 or 200), and [wherein a position of all input devices are synchronized with each other by the electronic control unit within less than 0.1 sec] (in view of the modification above, page 5, paragraph [0048] of Hara et al.).
Claims 5 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (US 2021/0221434 A1) in view of Kim (KR 102173996 B1) and Hara et al. (US 2005/0279562 A1), and further in view of Egenfeldt (WO 2006/018027 A2).
For claim 5, Liu et al. modified as above does not explicitly disclose the system wherein a torque sensor is provided between the position-measuring device and the actuator connected to the controlled element.
Egenfeldt discloses [wheels are operated via a conventional steering rack 10, by means of a steering 11, such as an electric motor, via e.g. a pinion 12 mounted on a motor shaft 13; in connection with the motor shaft there is also mounted a torque sensor 13 and a position sensor 14] (page 8, lines 27 – 33).
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 torque sensor of Egenfeldt with the electronic control unit of Liu et al. modified as above with a reasonable expectation of success because it would allow for improved overall detection of steering characteristics, thus improving overall responsiveness of the system.
For claim 6, Liu et al. modified as above does not explicitly disclose the system wherein a further position-measuring device is provided between the torque sensor and the actuator. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided a further position-measuring device with a reasonable expectation of success because it would allow for redundant detection of a position, thus improving functionality in the case of failure of one of the position-measuring devices., since it has been held that where routine testing and general experimental conditions are present, discovering the optimum or workable ranges until the desired effect is achieved involves only routine skill in the art. See, In re Harza, 124 USPQ 378. Moreover, Applicant should note that nothing of record, nor known in the art, suggests that using the specific claimed range or value yields any previously unexpected results.
Claims 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (US 2021/0221434 A1) in view of Kim (KR 102173996 B1) and Hara et al. (US 2005/0279562 A1), and further in view of Tamamoto et al. (JP 2005321042 A).
For claim 7, Liu et al. modified as above does not explicitly disclose the system wherein the actuator is a linear actuator.
Tamamoto et al. discloses a steering wheel 101 mechanically separated from a steering device 1; a control unit 104 takes in outputs of a linear actuator device 3 from a rack reaction force sensor 108 and a rack position sensor 109] (fig. 5, pages 14 and 15, paragraph [0026] and [0027]).
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 linear actuator of Tamamoto et al. with the system of Liu et al. modified as above with a reasonable expectation of success because it would allow for improved smooth and precise movement, thus improving overall safety of the system.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (US 2021/0221434 A1) in view of Kim (KR 102173996 B1), Hara et al. (US 2005/0279562 A1), and Egenfeldt (WO 2006/018027 A2), and further in view of Tamamoto et al. (JP 2005321042 A).
For claim 8, Liu et al. modified as above does not explicitly disclose the system wherein the torque sensor is substituted by a force sensor.
Tamamoto et al. discloses a steering wheel 101 mechanically separated from a steering device 1; a control unit 104 takes in outputs of a linear actuator device 3 from a rack reaction force sensor 108 and a rack position sensor 109] (fig. 5, pages 14 and 15, paragraph [0026] and [0027]).
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 force sensor and linear actuator of Tamamoto et al. with the system of Liu et al. modified as above with a reasonable expectation of success because it would allow for improved overall detection of steering characteristics and smoother and precise movement, thus improving overall responsiveness and safety of the system.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
DE-102020208678 – comprising a first operating unit; a second operating unit; a control unit; a steering control element; and wheels.
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/JACOB D KNUTSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3611