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 .
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) 2 and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2013/0211644 A1 to Yokoyama et al.
Re-claim 2, Yokoyama et al. disclose a braking control device for a vehicle applied to a vehicle including front and rear wheel regenerative braking devices that generate front and rear wheel regenerative braking forces on a front wheel and a rear wheel (see elements 13 and 19, and at least paragraph 43 and 143), the braking control device for a vehicle comprising:
an actuator 12 (and master cylinder 3) supplies a front wheel brake fluid pressure to a front wheel cylinder (6FL and 6FR) and supplies a rear wheel brake fluid pressure equal to or larger than the front wheel brake fluid pressure (see at least paragraphs 77 and 78) to a rear wheel cylinder (6RL and 6RR), and generates front and rear wheel frictional braking forces on the front wheel and the rear wheel;
a controller that controls the front and rear wheel regenerative braking devices and the actuator, wherein the controller prohibits the generation of the rear wheel regenerative braking force when the front wheel regenerative braking device fails to generate the front wheel regenerative braking force.
Re-claim 4, Yokoyama et al. disclose a braking control device for a vehicle applied to a vehicle including front and rear wheel regenerative braking devices that generate front and rear wheel regenerative braking forces on a front wheel and a rear wheel (see elements 13 and 19), the braking control device for a vehicle comprising:
an actuator 12 (including master cylinder 3) supplies a rear wheel brake fluid pressure to a rear wheel cylinder and supplies a front wheel brake fluid pressure equal to or larger than the rear wheel brake fluid to a front wheel cylinder (see at least paragraphs 138-139 and figure 14), and generates front and rear wheel frictional braking forces on the front wheel and the rear wheel;
a controller that controls the front wheel regenerative braking device, the rear wheel regenerative braking devices, and the actuator, wherein the controller prohibits the generation of the front wheel regenerative braking force when the rear wheel regenerative braking device fails to generate the rear wheel regenerative braking force. Time period A14d shows no regenerative braking and an increased front wheel braking force relative to the rear wheel braking force.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1 and 3 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: with regards to claim 1, the prior art of record fails to show or render obvious calculating a rear wheel restricted regenerative braking force by multiplying the maximum front wheel regenerative braking force by the constant value, then determining a smaller one of the maximum rear wheel regenerative braking force and the rear wheel restricted regenerative braking force as a rear wheel reference regenerative braking force, to achieve the rear wheel required braking force by only the rear wheel regenerative braking force when the rear wheel required braking force is equal to or less than the rear wheel reference regenerative braking force, and by the rear wheel regenerative braking force and the rear wheel friction braking force when the rear wheel required braking force is larger than the rear wheel reference regenerative braking force; or with regards to claim 3, calculating a front wheel restricted regenerative braking force by dividing maximum rear wheel regenerative braking force by the constant value, determining a smaller one of the maximum front wheel regenerative braking force and the front wheel restricted regenerative braking force as a front wheel reference regenerative braking force, to achieve the front wheel required braking force by only the front wheel regenerative braking force when the front wheel required braking force is equal to or less than the front wheel reference regenerative braking force, and by the front wheel regenerative braking force and the front wheel friction braking force when the front wheel required braking force is larger than the front wheel reference regenerative braking force.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Shimada, Hara and Soga each teach a blended regenerative/friction braking.
Any inquiries concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Thomas Williams whose telephone number is 571-272-7128. The examiner can normally be reached on Tuesday-Friday from 6:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
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.
Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application or proceeding should be directed to the receptionist whose telephone number is 571-272-6584.
TJW
January 14, 2026
/THOMAS J WILLIAMS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616