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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on November 24, 2023 and October 07, 2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-7 and 10 in the reply filed on December 02, 2025 is acknowledged. Claims 8 and 9 of non-elected Group II have been withdrawn from consideration.
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) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticiapted by Matsushita JP2000287470A (applicant disclosed art and the examiner has provided an English machine translation).
Regarding independent claim 6, Matsushita teaches a power generation element (Figs. 1, 2 and 7) comprising:
a magnetic member (Figs. 1, 2 and 7; composite magnetic body 4 or 15) that produces a large Barkhausen effect (para [0015]; generating a electromotive force phenomenon) by a change in an external magnetic field (para [0015]); and
a coil wound around the magnetic member (Fig. 7; coil 14 wrapped around composite magnetic body 15),
wherein the magnetic member includes
a first magnetic sensing part having a wire shape (Figs. 1-3; hard component 2 in wire shape) or a film shape,
a non-magnetic part (para [0048]; non-magnetic layer) that covers the first magnetic sensing part from a direction intersecting a winding axis direction of the coil (Fig. 3; para [0048]; non-magnetic layer has a in-out direction or a up-down direction that intersects the winding axis direction of coil 14) and is not magnetized by the external magnetic field (para [0048]), and
a second magnetic sensing part (Figs. 1-3; soft component 1) that covers the non-magnetic part (para [0048]) from a side opposite to a side of the first magnetic sensing part in the non-magnetic part (para [0048]; the non-magnetic layer is disposed between the hard and soft components) and has magnetic characteristics different from those of the first magnetic sensing part (para [0021-0022]; soft component has a small coercive force compared to the hard component).
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, 2 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsushita in view of Abe et al. JP2006114857A (called Abe hereinafter and the examiner has provided an English machine translation).
Regarding independent claim 1, Matsushita teaches a power generation element (Figs. 1, 2 and 7) comprising: a magnetic member (Figs. 1, 2 and 7; composite magnetic body 4 or 15) that produces a large Barkhausen effect (para [0015]; generating a electromotive force phenomenon) by a change in an external magnetic field (para [0015]); and
a coil wound around the magnetic member (Fig. 7; coil 14 wrapped around composite magnetic body 15),
wherein
the magnetic member includes a first magnetic sensing part (Fig. 1; hard component 2) and a second magnetic sensing part (Fig. 1; soft component 1) having softer magnetism than magnetism of the first magnetic sensing part (para [0021-0022]; soft component has a small coercive force compared to the hard component), and
the first magnetic sensing part is magnetized in a winding axis direction of the coil (Figs. 1, 2 and 7; para [0021-0023]; hard component 2 is magnetized in the winding axis direction which is positive external magnetic field 6).
Matsushita is silent to the first magnetic sensing part has a magnetization direction that does not change due to a change in a direction of the external magnetic field.
Abe teaches the first magnetic sensing part has a magnetization direction that does not change due to a change in a direction of the external magnetic field (Fig. 7; para [0002-0005]; hard layer 2 magnetization direction does not change in a changing magnetic field direction of A and B).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the structure as described by Matsushita with the magnetization direction of the hard layer as described by Abe for the purpose of stably manufacturing a magnetosensitive wire having predetermined output characteristics by eliminating product defects due to errors (para [0001]).
Regarding claim 2, Matsushita and Abe teach the power generation element according to claim 1, further comprising a bias magnet (Figs. 1, 2 and 7; external magnetic field 6 or magnet 17) that applies a magnetic field in a direction same as the magnetization direction of the first magnetic sensing part to the magnetic member (para [0021-0027 and 0038]).
Regarding claim 7, Matsushita and Abe further teaches an encoder (Matsushita; Fig. 9) comprising: a magnet (Fig. 9; magnet 17) that rotates together with a rotating shaft (Fig. 9; rotating shaft 21); and the power generation element according to Claim 1 (see claim 1 above) that generates an electric signal by a change in a magnetic field formed by the magnet due to rotation of the magnet (Fig. 9; para [0041-0042]).
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsushita in view of Nishimoto et al. JP2006073974A (called Nishimoto hereinafter and the examiner has provided an English machine translation).
Regarding independent claim 5, Matsushita teaches a power generation element (Figs. 1, 2 and 7) comprising:
a magnetic member (Figs. 1, 2 and 7; composite magnetic body 4 or 15) that produces a large Barkhausen effect (para [0015]; generating a electromotive force phenomenon) by a change in an external magnetic field (para [0015]); and
a coil wound around the magnetic member (Fig. 7; coil 14 wrapped around composite magnetic body 15),
wherein
the magnetic member includes a first magnetic sensing part extending in a winding axis direction of the coil (Figs. 1, 2 and 7; para [0038]; hard component 2 of composite magnetic body 15), and a second magnetic sensing part having softer magnetism than the first magnetic sensing part (Figs. 1, 2 and 7; para [0038]; soft component 1 of composite magnetic body 15) and aligned with the first magnetic sensing part in a direction intersecting the winding axis direction of the coil (Figs. 1, 2 and 7; soft component 1 is aligned with the hard component 2 in a up-down direction or in-out direction intersecting the winding axis of the coil 14).
Matsushita fails to teach the first magnetic sensing part has a larger cross-sectional area when cut in a direction orthogonal to the winding axis direction of the coil from both ends toward a center in the winding axis direction of the coil.
Nishimoto teaches the first magnetic sensing part (Figs. 1 and 2; para [0023-0027]; fixed magnetic layer 14 of magnetic wire 12) has a larger cross-sectional area when cut in a direction orthogonal to the winding axis direction of the coil from both ends toward a center in the winding axis direction of the coil (Figs. 1 and 2; para [0027]; magnetic wire 12 has a diameter thinner at the ends compared to the center).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the structure as described by Matsushita with the magnetic wire structure as described by Nishimoto for the purpose of providing a magnetic sensor that exhibit stable output characteristics that are independent of the strength and polarity of an external magnet (para [0002]).
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsushita in view of Oki JP2004206378A (the examiner has provided an English machine translation).
Regarding independent claim 10, Matsushita teaches a signal acquisition method (para [0006]) of acquiring an electric signal (para [0006]) generated by a power generation element (Figs. 1, 2 and 7) including a magnetic member (Figs. 1, 2 and 7; composite magnetic body 4 or 15) that produces a large Barkhausen effect (para [0015]; generating a electromotive force phenomenon) by a change in an external magnetic field (para [0015]) and a coil wound around the magnetic member (Fig. 7; coil 14 wrapped around composite magnetic body 15).
Matsushita fails to teach the signal acquisition method comprising: acquiring the electric signal generated by the power generation element by repeatedly changing the external magnetic field applied to the power generation element; and demagnetizing the magnetic member during or before acquisition of the electric signal.
Oki teaches acquiring the electric signal generated by the power generation element (Figs. 1 and 2; para [0009-0010 and 0023]; magnetic element 15) by repeatedly changing the external magnetic field applied to the power generation element (para [0009-0010, 0023 and 0027]); and demagnetizing the magnetic member during or before acquisition of the electric signal (Fig. 9; para [0042]; demagnetizing the canceling element 70 of magnetic element 15 before the detection of a pulse signal from the magnetic element 15).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the structure as described by Matsushita with the magnetic element structure as described by Oki for the purpose of maintaining a desired pulse signal by maintaining a substantially linear shape and preventing magnetic characteristics from degrading due to the reverse effect of magnetostriction (para [0006]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-4 are indicated as allowable subject matter.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding independent claim 3, the prior arts of record taken alone or in combination fail to teach or suggest:
“wherein the magnetic member has a structure in which three or more magnetic sensitive layers are stacked, and each of the three or more magnetic sensitive layers has a coercive force that increases in order of alignment in a stacking direction,” when used in combination with all other limitations of claim 3.
Claim 4 is indicated as allowable subject matter for depending on claim 3.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Wang discloses “Rotation detecting device and encoder and motor using same” (see US2020/0141764)
Perry discloses “Method and apparatus for mapping stress within ferromagnetic materials by analyzing Barkhausen noise formed by the introduction of magnetic fields” (see US5166613)
Tategami discloses “Pulse signal generating apparatus, rotating machine, control apparatus, and power window control apparatus” (see US2011/0192087)
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID B FREDERIKSEN whose telephone number is (571)272-8152. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am - 5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Huy Phan can be reached at (571)272-7924. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DAVID B FREDERIKSEN/Examiner, Art Unit 2858
/HUY Q PHAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2858