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 .
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.
Response to Amendment
The amendments filed on 06/09/2026 have been fully considered and are made of record.
Claims 1-3 and 6-7 have been amended.
Claim 9 has been newly added.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 06/09/2026 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection has been applied to amended limitations.
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) 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Goto et al. (Patent NO. US 6,034,624; hereinafter Goto) in view of IRLE et al. (Pub NO. US 2023/0356776 A1; hereinafter Irle).
Regarding Claim 1, Goto teaches a position detecting device configured to detect a position of a moving member, (position detecting device in Fig. 1-Fig. 15) comprising:
a round bar (round bar 10 in Fig. 11; See col. 15, Lines 1-50) that forms a conductive portion (conductive portion 22 in Fig. 11) and a recessed portion (recessed portion 21b in Fig. 11; See col. 15, Lines 1-50) formed by notching the round bar (21b is notched in fig. 11; See col. 15, Lines 1-50),
the conductive portion and non-conductive portion being provided side by side in an axial direction of the round bar (21b and 22 are formed in axial direction of 10 in Fig. 11; See col. 15, Lines 1-50),
the round bar being configured to move in an axial direction (10 is moving in axial direction in Fig. 11),
an exciting coil and a detection coil that are arranged extending in the moving direction of the round bar (11, 12, 13, 14 in Fig. 11 have exciting coil and detecting coil in Fig. 15),
wherein a voltage is induced in the detection coil by a current flowing in the conductive portion due to a magnetic field generated by the exciting coil (voltage induced in detecting coil is secondary winding by current in exciting coil is primary winding in Fig. 15 and Fig. below; See Col. 8, Lines 30-60), and
wherein a magnitude of the voltage induced in the detection coil varies with a position in the moving direction of the round bar relative to the detection coil (See Col. 9, Lines 1-30; Col. 12, Lines 10-30).
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Goto is silent about recessed portion forms a non-conductive portion having greater electrical resistance than the conductive portion.
Irle teaches regarding detecting position (See abstract) recessed portion forms a non-conductive portion having greater electrical resistance than the conductive portion (non-conductive recessed portions 5.1, 5.2, 5.3 have greater resistance than conductive portions 6.1, 6.2 in Fig. 4; See [0057]-[0058]).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to modify the system of Goto by using recessed portion forms a non-conductive portion having greater electrical resistance than the conductive portion, as taught by Irle in order for a precise measurement of a position (Irle; [0009]).
Regarding Claim 2, Goto in view of Irle teaches the position detection device, according to claim 1. Goto further teaches wherein the detection coil comprises a plurality of detection coils, and wherein a phase of the voltage induced in each of the plurality of detection coils during movement of the round bar is different from each other (See plurality of detection coils has phase induced due to movement in Fig. 15; See Col. 21 through Col. 22).
Regarding Claim 3, Goto in view of Irle teaches the position detection device, according to claim 2. Goto further teaches wherein a magnitude of the voltage induced in each of the plurality of detection coils varies within a range of one cycle or less while the round bar moving moves from one moving end to an other moving end in an axial direction (See Col. 21 through Col. 22).
Regarding Claim 4, Goto in view of Irle teaches the position detection device, according to claim 2. Goto further teaches wherein each of the plurality of detection coils comprises a combination of two sinusoidal-shaped conductor wires, whose shape as viewed from a direction perpendicular to the moving direction is symmetrical across a symmetry axis line parallel to the moving direction (See Col. 21 through Col. 22).
Regarding Claim 5, Goto in view of Irle teaches the position detection device, according to claim 1. Goto further teaches the exciting coil and the plurality of detection coils are formed on a single substrate (all coils are on same substrate 20 in Fig. 11), and the exciting coil is formed on the substrate to surround the plurality of detection coils (See exciting coils surrounds detecting coils in Fig. 15).
Regarding Claim 6, Goto in view of Irle teaches the position detection device, according to claim 5. Goto further teaches wherein the conductive portion of the bar has a circular cross-sectional shape (see conductive portion 22 in Fig. 11), the recessed portion of the bar formed is a recessed portion formed in a portion in a circumferential direction of an outer circumference surface of the bar and the substrate faces the recessed portion (See recessed potion 21b is in outer circumferential direction of 10 and substrate 20 faces recessed portion 21b in Fig. 11).
he non-conductive portion.
Regarding Claim 7, Goto teaches vehicle steering device (See Col. 31, Lines 25-35), comprising:
a round bar (round bar 10 in Fig. 11; See col. 15, Lines 1-50) comprising a conductive metal (conductive portion 22 in Fig. 11) that moves axially forward and backward along a vehicle width direction (21b and 22 are formed in axial direction of 10 in Fig. 11; See col. 15, Lines 1-50), the round bar including a conductive portion (conductive portion 22 in Fig. 11) and a recessed portion (recessed portion 21b in Fig. 11; See col. 15, Lines 1-50) formed by notching the round bar (21b is notched in fig. 11; See col. 15, Lines 1-50), the conductive portion and recessed portion being provided side by side (22 and 21b are formed side by side in Fig. 11);
a housing comprising a conductive metal that houses the bar (See the housing 79 have conductive metal 75 that houses bar 10 in Fig. 30); and
a position detecting device that detects a position of the bar relative to the housing (See Col. 21 through Col. 23),
wherein the bar is provided with a recessed portion formed by notching in a radial direction (bar 10 is provided in radial direction of recess portion 21b in Fig. 11),
wherein the position detection device comprises an exciting coil and a detection coil that are arranged extending in the vehicle width direction on the bar (11, 12, 13, 14 in Fig. 11 have exciting coil and detecting coil in Fig. 15),
wherein a voltage is induced in the detection coil by a current flowing in the shaft due to a magnetic field generated by the exciting coil (voltage induced in detecting coil is secondary winding by current in exciting coil is primary winding in Fig. 15 and Fig. below; See Col. 8, Lines 30-60), and
wherein a magnitude of the voltage induced in the detection coil varies in accordance with a position of the bar relative to the housing (See Col. 9, Lines 1-30; Col. 12, Lines 10-30).
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Goto is silent about recessed portion forms a non-conductive portion having greater electrical resistance than the conductive portion; wherein a wheel is steered by axial movement of the bar.
Irle teaches regarding detecting position (See abstract) recessed portion forms a non-conductive portion having greater electrical resistance than the conductive portion (non-conductive recessed portions 5.1, 5.2, 5.3 have greater resistance than conductive portions 6.1, 6.2 in Fig. 4; See [0057]-[0058]); wherein a wheel is steered by axial movement of the bar (See [0070]-[0073]).
Therefore t would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to modify the system of Goto by using recessed portion forms a non-conductive portion having greater electrical resistance than the conductive portion; wherein a wheel is steered by axial movement of the bar, as taught by Irle in order for a precise measurement of a position (Irle; [0009]).
Regarding Claim 8, Goto in view of Irle teaches the vehicle steering device, according to claim 7. Goto further teaches the exciting coil and a plurality of detection coils are formed on a single substrate (all coils are on same substrate 20 in Fig. 11).
Goto is silent about wherein the housing comprises an opening extending in the vehicle width direction, and the vehicle steering device further comprises a lid member comprising a non-conductive material which closes the opening of the housing, and the substrate is attached to the lid member.
Irle further teaches wherein the housing comprises an opening extending in the vehicle width direction (See [0072]-[0075]), and the vehicle steering device further comprises a lid member comprising a non-conductive material which closes the opening of the housing (lid member 12 is non-conductive and closes the opening of housing 14; See [0072]-[0074]), and the substrate is attached to the lid member (substrate 5 is attached to lid member 12; See [0070]-[0075]).
Therefore t would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to modify the system of Goto by using the housing comprises an opening extending in the vehicle width direction, and the vehicle steering device further comprises a lid member comprising a non-conductive material which closes the opening of the housing, and the substrate is attached to the lid member, as taught by Irle in order for a precise measurement of a position (Irle; [0009]).
Regarding Claim 9, Goto in view of Irle teaches the position detection device, according to claim 1. Irle further teaches wherein the recessed portion is filled with non-conductive (See [0057]).
Irle is silent about non-conductive is resin.
However Goto teaches non-conductive is resin (See Col. 12, Lines 30-40).
Therefore t would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to modify the system of Irle by using resin as non-conductive, as taught by Goto in order for surface protection (Goto; Col. 12, Lines 30-40).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZANNATUL FERDOUS whose telephone number is (571)270-0399. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday 8ma to 5pm (PST).
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/ZANNATUL FERDOUS/Examiner, Art Unit 2858
/LEE E RODAK/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2858
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