DETAILED ACTION
This is the First Office Action in response to the above identified patent
application filed on December 26, 2023.
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 certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 9-17, 21, 26, and 27 are 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.
Claims 9, 21, 26, and 27, the limitation “the deactivated steering mode” lacks proper antecedent basis making the claims unclear.
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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 9-15, and 18-25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hagin (DE 4225315).
Hagin teaches a power steering system for a vehicle, the power steering system comprising a power steering pump (25), an electrical machine unit (16), a clutch arrangement (KE) and a power steering control system (28,30) configured to control the power steering system, wherein: the electrical machine unit is configured to drive the power steering pump (via 27) and to be operatively connected to and powered by an energy storage (29) of the vehicle; the power steering pump (25) is configured to be connected to a torque output source (12-14) arranged downstream of a transmission system (clutches/shafts 5,6,7) of the vehicle, the power steering pump being configured to be driven by means of torque provided by the torque output source (via 24 and 15); and the clutch arrangement (KE) is configured to selectively connect the power steering pump (25) to the torque output source; wherein the power steering control system is configured to control the clutch arrangement and the electrical machine unit (claim 8 and elsewhere) to cause the power steering system to be operable in an electrical steering mode wherein the electrical machine unit drives the power steering pump and a mechanical steering mode wherein the power steering pump is driven by means of the torque provided by the torque output source.
Claim 2: Hagin teaches the power steering control system is configured to cause enabling of torque transfer from the electrical machine unit to the power steering pump and the clutch arrangement to disconnect the power steering pump from the torque output source in the electrical steering mode.
Claim 3: Hagin teaches the power steering control system is configured to cause disabling of torque transfer from the electrical machine unit to the power steering pump and the clutch arrangement to connect the power steering pump to the torque output source in the mechanical steering mode.
Claim 4: Hagin teaches the clutch arrangement is operable between a closed state wherein the clutch arrangement connects the torque output source to the power steering pump and an opened state wherein the clutch arrangement disconnects the torque output source from the power steering pump.
Claim 5: Hagin teaches the power steering control system is configured to control the torque transfer between the power steering pump and the electrical machine unit by means of control of an electrical machine (15,16) of the electrical machine unit.
Claim 9: Hagin teaches the power steering control system is configured to cause the power steering system to operate in either one of the electrical steering mode or the mechanical steering mode.
Claim 10: Hagin teaches energy management parameter data comprises at least one of: vehicle speed data and energy storage state of charge data. See full paragraph spanning columns 4 to 5.
Claims 11 and 21: Hagin teaches the power steering control system is configured to cause the power steering system to operate in one of the electrical steering mode and the mechanical steering mode based on data relating to the road ahead of the vehicle and/or a planned route of the vehicle.
Claim 12 and 22: Hagin teaches the power steering control system is configured to cause the power steering system to operate in the electrical steering mode in response to the speed of the vehicle falling below an electric steering speed threshold.
Claim 13 and 23: Hagin teaches the power steering control system is configured to cause the power steering system to operate in the mechanical steering mode in response to the speed of the vehicle exceeding a mechanical steering speed threshold.
Claim 14 and 24: Hagin teaches the power steering control system is configured to cause the power steering system to operate in the mechanical steering mode in response to the state of charge of the energy storage falling below a mechanical drive state of charge threshold. See full paragraph spanning columns 4 to 5.
Claim 15 and 25: Hagin teaches the power steering control system is configured to cause the power steering system to operate in the mechanical steering mode in response to the energy recuperation data (when the motor is used as a generator) indicating that regenerative braking of the vehicle is predicted and/or initiated. See full paragraph spanning columns 4 to 5.
Claim 18: Hagin teaches a transmission system, an energy storage, a torque output source and a propulsion source connected to the transmission system.
Claim 19: Hagin teaches the method comprises: obtaining energy management parameter data relating to the operation of the vehicle (such as vehicle speed, engine speed, or battery charge threshold), and causing switching between the electrical steering mode and the mechanical steering mode based on the energy management parameter data.
Claim 20: Hagin teaches the energy management parameter data comprises at least one of: vehicle speed data, energy storage state of charge data, energy recuperation braking data, transmission system operational data, vehicle position data, data relating to the road ahead of the vehicle and data relating to a planned route of the vehicle. See full paragraph spanning columns 4 to 5.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6, 7, and 8 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.
Claims 16, 17, 26 and 27 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art does not teach the power steering system of claim 1, including: the torque output source is a propeller shaft of the vehicle or a transmission output shaft (claim 6); the torque output source is a countershaft of the vehicle (claim 7); the deactivated steering mode (claims 8,16-17, and 26-27).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Note the power steering arrangement of CN-104494693 having a steering pump by an engine and a motor.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM C JOYCE whose telephone number is (571)272-7107. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30-5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Minnah Seoh can be reached at 571-270-7778. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WILLIAM C JOYCE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3618