DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Claims 1 – 17 remain pending in the application and have been fully considered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 – 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jeong et al. (US 2022/0250675).
Regarding Claim 1:
Jeong et al. teaches an apparatus for controlling the steering of a host vehicle, comprising: a first controller (110) for controlling a sensor (14) for detecting a steering torque according to the rotation of a steering wheel (11), and a motor (13) which is communicatively connected to the sensor, calculates a motor torque based on the steering torque (via 100), and supplies at least a part of the motor torque (via 200); and a second controller (120) for controlling the motor which is communicatively connected to the sensor, receives a torque message corresponding to the remaining part of the motor torque from the first controller through a communication interface (310), and supplies the remaining part of the motor torque based on the torque message (via 200), wherein the second controller determines whether there is an abnormality in the torque message, and the first controller and the second controller exchange roles when there is an abnormality in the torque message (Fig 6, 9 – 14, see also paragraphs 0126 – 0129, 0152 – 0154).
Regarding Claim 2:
Jeong et al. teaches when there is an abnormality in the torque message, the second controller calculates the motor torque based on the steering torque, controls the motor to supply at least a part of the motor torque, and transmits the torque message corresponding to the remaining part of the motor torque to the first controller through the communication interface (Fig 6, 9 – 14, see also paragraphs 0126 – 0129, 0152 – 0154).
Regarding Claim 3:
Jeong et al. teaches the first controller controls the motor to supply the remaining part of the motor torque based on the torque message received from the second controller (Fig 6, 9 – 14, see also paragraphs 0126 – 0129, 0152 – 0154).
Regarding Claim 4:
Jeong et al. teaches the second controller transmits an abnormal occurrence signal to the first controller when there is an abnormality in the torque message (Fig 6, 9 – 14, see also paragraphs 0126 – 0129, 0152 – 0154).
Regarding Claim 5:
Jeong et al. teaches the second controller stops a calculation operation of the motor torque when the abnormal occurrence signal is received from the first controller (Fig 6, 9 – 14, see also paragraphs 0126 – 0129, 0152 – 0154).
Regarding Claim 6:
Jeong et al. teaches the first and second controllers control the motor to supply ½ of the motor torque, respectively, regardless of whether the torque message received by the second controller is abnormal (Fig 11).
Regarding Claim 7:
Jeong et al. teaches the first and second controllers mutually monitor operating states through the communication interface (Fig 6, 9 – 14).
Regarding Claim 8:
Jeong et al. teaches the second controller determines whether the operating state of the second controller is abnormal, and the first and second controllers exchange roles when the operating state of the second controller is normal (Fig 6, 9 – 14, see also paragraphs 0126 – 0129, 0152 – 0154).
Regarding Claim 9:
Jeong et al. teaches the second controller stops the operation of the second controller when there is an abnormality in the operating state of the second controller (Fig 6, 9 – 14, see also paragraphs 0126 – 0129, 0152 – 0154).
Regarding Claim 10:
Jeong et al. teaches when there is an abnormality in the operating state of the second controller, the first controller controls the motor by operating alone (Fig 6, 9 – 14, see also paragraphs 0126 – 0129, 0152 – 0154).
Regarding Claim 11:
Jeong et al. teaches the second controller receives operation state information of the first controller from the first controller through the communication interface (Fig 6, 9 – 14, see also paragraphs 0126 – 0129, 0152 – 0154).
Regarding Claim 12:
Jeong et al. teaches the second controller determines whether the first controller has an abnormality based on the operating state information of the first controller, and if there is an abnormality in the operation of the first controller, the roles of the first and second controllers are exchanged with each other (Fig 6, 9 – 14, see also paragraphs 0126 – 0129, 0152 – 0154).
Regarding Claim 13:
See rejection of Claim 1 above.
Regarding Claim 14:
See rejection of Claim 2 above.
Regarding Claim 15:
See rejection of Claim 3 above.
Regarding Claim 16:
See rejection of Claim 4 above.
Regarding Claim 17:
See rejection of Claim 5 above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LONG T TRAN whose telephone number is (571)270-1899. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 9:00 - 5:00.
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/LONG T TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747
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