DETAILED ACTION
This is a first Non-Final Office Action on the merits in response to the application filed 12/25/23. The request for foreign priority to a corresponding CN application filed 12/28/22 has been received and is proper. Claims 1-4 are currently pending yet all are rejected as detailed below. 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 § 102
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.
Tanaka
Claim(s) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tanaka (JP 2022-169246) (cited by Applicant) (pub: 11/09/22). Tanaka is directed to a vehicle braking control device. See Abstract. Note: Tanaka is a “Y” reference in the cited Japanese Patent Office action.
Claim 1: Tanaka discloses a vehicle braking force control device [Figs. 1-3] for applying a braking force to a vehicle, the vehicle braking force control device comprising: a vehicle speed detector (VW) [see Translation (“wheel speed Vw is based on the detected value of the wheel speed sensor VW”)] configured to detect a vehicle speed of the vehicle; a plurality of friction brakes (CW) disposed on a plurality of wheels (WH) of the vehicle and configured to be driven by hydraulic pressure of a hydraulic fluid; a hydraulic pressure generator (YA, KU) configured to generate hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic fluid through operation of an electric actuator (MA); a behavior stabilizer (YB) configured to adjust the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic fluid supplied from the hydraulic pressure generator and cause the adjusted hydraulic pressure to act on the plurality of friction brakes to stabilize behavior of the vehicle; and a controller (ECU) configured to control operation of the behavior stabilizer to adjust the braking force to be applied to the plurality of wheels, the behavior stabilizer including a plurality of first valves (UIr, UIf) configured to control movement of the hydraulic fluid to the respective friction brakes, a reservoir (RCr, RCf) configured to receive the hydraulic fluid discharged from a branch portion (HGr, HGf) of a path of the hydraulic fluid between the plurality of first valves and the plurality of friction brakes, a plurality of second valves (VOr, VOf) disposed between the plurality of first valves and the reservoir, and configured to control the movement of the hydraulic fluid to the reservoir, the plurality of second valves being arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of first valves, a pump (QBr, QBf) configured to apply pressure to the hydraulic fluid discharged into the reservoir, and thus pump the hydraulic fluid from the reservoir into a path leading to the hydraulic pressure generator, and a drive motor (MB) configured to drive the pump, wherein when the vehicle is in a state of turning at a specific vehicle speed or lower (vehicle speed Vx = set speed Vc or Vx = Vc – deviation hV), the controller executes a turning control (S220, S240) to control the operation of the electric actuator to cause the hydraulic pressure generator to generate the hydraulic pressure, and to control open/closed states of the first valves and the second valves to apply the braking force to the plurality of wheels [see Translation (“turning support control is performed on the premise that crawl control is being performed…in crawl control, the braking hydraulic pressure Pw is individually adjusted for each wheel cylinder CW”); note: while the control provides that a braking torque Tqu is applied only to turning inner wheel WHu, a “braking force” is applied to all wheel cylinders], and the controller keeps the driving of the drive motor in a stopped state during the turning control [see Translation (“Note that, at the start of the turning support control, the turning inner braking torque Tqu is applied only by the first unit YA” and only when “the load condition of YA becomes severe…the load of first unit YA is reduced, and the load is shared by the second unit YB”)]. See Figs. 1-3.
Claim 2: Tanaka discloses that the controller causes the hydraulic pressure generator to generate the hydraulic pressure, and among the plurality of first valves, puts first valves that correspond to the wheels acting as inner wheels (WHu) during the turning into the open state, and puts first valves that correspond to the wheels acting as outer wheels during the turning into the closed state, to generate a braking force difference between the plurality of wheels. See Figs. 1-3.
Claim 3: Tanaka discloses a brake operation detector (SP) configured to detect an operation (Sp) of a brake operating element (BP) of the vehicle by a driver, wherein in the turning control, the controller causes the hydraulic pressure generator to generate the hydraulic pressure and puts the plurality of first valves into the open state in a case where the operation of the brake operating element is detected. See Figs. 1-3.
Claim 4: Tanaka discloses that the controller causes the hydraulic pressure generator to generate the hydraulic pressure and puts the plurality of first valves into the open state in a case where an operating force on the brake operating element is greater than or equal to a specific level in the turning control, and among the plurality of second valves, puts second valves that correspond to the wheels acting as inner wheels during the turning into the closed state, and puts second valves that correspond to the wheels acting as outer wheels during the turning into the open state, in a case where the operating force on the brake operating element has fallen below the specific level in the turning control. See Figs. 1-3 (S210-S240).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VISHAL R SAHNI whose telephone number is (571)270-3838. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7am-3pm PST.
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, Robert Siconolfi can be reached at 571-272-7124. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
VISHAL SAHNI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3657
/VISHAL R SAHNI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616 March 12, 2026
Prosecution Insights