DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Amendments
Claims 1, 2, 5-16, and 18-20 of U.S. Application 18/576,774 filed on December 17,2025 are presented for examination.
Response to Arguments
Entry of Amendments
Amendments to claims 1, 5, and 13 have been entered.
Claims 3, 4, and 17 have been cancelled.
Rejections under USC 102 and 103
Applicant's arguments filed on 12/17/2025 have been fully considered but they are moot in view of a new rejection.
Claim Objections
Claims 5 and 11 are objected to because of the following informalities: Please amend the dependencies from claim 4 to another claim since claim 4 has been cancelled. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 12 is also objected to as it depends on claim 11.
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.
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 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.
Claims 1, 2, 5, 7, and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being unpatentable over Shimizu et al (USPGPub 20190178917).
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Prior Art: Shimizu
Regarding claim 1, Shimizu discloses a current sensor (600) comprising: an electrically conductive busbar (110) having an upper side (top side of 110) and a lower side (underside of 110), wherein a tapering (protruding of 110) is formed in the busbar and a cutout (110s) is formed in the busbar adjacent to the tapering; and a magnetic detection element (120a) is assigned to the busbar adjacent to the tapering; and a carrier (140) supporting the magnetic detection element is positioned relative to the cutout in such a way that the magnetic detection element is positioned relative to the busbar one of above the upper side or below the lower side of the busbar (shown in figs 18A and 18B where 120a is above and 120b is below);wherein the carrier is positioned along a Z coordinate direction (shown in figs 18A and 18B) in the cutout and is oriented perpendicular to the busbar (shown in figs 18A and 18B); and wherein the magnetic detection element is aligned with at least a portion of the cutout in a Z coordinate direction (shown in figs 18A and 18B as aligned with the cutout portion).
Regarding claim 2, Shimizu discloses wherein the carrier has a shape of a rectangular cuboid (shown in figs 18A and 18B as rectangular shape).
Regarding claim 5, Shimizu discloses wherein the magnetic detection element and a further magnetic detection element are electronically combined (figs 18A and 18B and pars 60 and 186 suggest are electronically combined because there is amplification attached).
Regarding claim 7, Shimizu discloses wherein the cutout is an elongated hole aligned in a X coordinate direction adjacent to the tapering of the busbar (shown in fig 18A as the cutout is elongated).
Regarding claim 8, Shimizu discloses wherein the magnetic detection element is assigned electronics for evaluating measured values of the magnetic detection element (par 186 discloses having amplifying portions attached to the sensors to help evaluate measured values).
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 of this title, 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.
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 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.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shimizu et al (USPGPub 20190178917) in view of Augendre et al (US Pat No. 11226382).
Regarding claim 6, Shimizu does not fully disclose wherein the cutout is offset in a Y coordinate direction relative to an axis of symmetry of the busbar such that the busbar, adjacent to the cutout, has a first web with a first thickness and a second web with a second thickness that differs from the first thickness.
However, Augendre discloses the cutout is offset in a Y coordinate direction relative to an axis of symmetry of the busbar such that the busbar, adjacent to the cutout, has a first web with a first thickness and a second web with a second thickness that differs from the first thickness (shown in fig 2 as busbars 210 has a first thickness and second thickness that are different). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Shimizu in further view of Augendre in order to determine current in the conductor based on thickness.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shimizu et al (USPGPub 20190178917) in view of Akimoto et al (USPGPub 20150204919).
Regarding claim 9, Shimizu does not fully disclose wherein the magnetic detection element is assigned to an output-side busbar of a three-phase motor.
However, Akimoto discloses wherein the magnetic detection element is assigned to an output-side busbar of a three-phase motor (par 7 discloses detecting using 3-phase motor). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Shimizu figs 10-19 and fig 24 in further view of Akimoto known as a way to accurately determining current on multiple conductors.
Claims 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shimizu et al (USPGPub 20190178917) in view of Hebiguchi et al (US Pat No.9063185).
Regarding claim 10, Shimizu does not fully disclose wherein the current sensor includes a further magnetic detection element supported on the carrier, the magnetic detection element being positioned above the upper side of the busbar and the further magnetic detection element being positioned below the lower side of the busbar.
However, Hebiguchi discloses wherein the current sensor includes a further magnetic detection element (12a) supported on the carrier, the magnetic detection element (12b) being positioned above the upper side (left side of 11) of the busbar and the further magnetic detection element being positioned below (right side of 11) the lower side of the busbar (shown in figs 1-3 as upper and lower depending on orientation). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Shimizu in further view of Hebiguchi in order to accurately provide data for a conductor.
Regarding claim 11, Shimizu does not fully disclose wherein the current sensor includes a further magnetic detection element supported on the carrier, the magnetic detection element being positioned above the upper side of the busbar and the further magnetic detection element being positioned below the lower side of the busbar.
However, Hebiguchi discloses wherein the current sensor includes a further magnetic detection element (12a) supported on the carrier, the magnetic detection element (12b) being positioned above the upper side (left side of 11) of the busbar and the further magnetic detection element being positioned below (right side of 11) the lower side of the busbar (shown in figs 1-3 as upper and lower depending on orientation). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Shimizu in further view of Hebiguchi in order to accurately provide data for a conductor.
Regarding claim 12, Shimizu discloses wherein the magnetic detection element and a further magnetic detection element are electronically combined (figs 18A and 18B and pars 60 and 186 suggest are electronically combined because there is amplification attached).
Claims 13-16 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shimizu et al (USPGPub 20190178917) in view of Shimizu et al (USPGPub 20200011902).
Regarding claim 13, Shimizu(figs10-19) discloses a current sensor (figs 10-19) comprising: an electrically conductive busbar (10) including: a first lateral edge (16) and a second lateral edge (17) spaced from each other, the first lateral edge including a first tapering (16’) extending towards the second lateral edge, and the second lateral edge including a second tapering extending towards the first lateral edge (shown in fig 10); an upper side (11) and a lower side (12) spaced from each other, the upper side and the lower side each extending from the first lateral edge to the second lateral edge (shown in fig 10); and a cutout (15) extending through the upper side and the lower side, the cutout disposed between the first and second taperings (shown in fig 10); a carrier (not shown but disclosed in par 38 as not shown); and a magnetic detection element (21) supported by the carrier (at least the carrier of 2), wherein the carrier is positioned relative to the cutout such that the magnetic detection element is spaced from the upper side and the lower side of the busbar. Shown in fig 10 as being spaced from the upper and lower side of the busbar). Shimizu(figs10-19) does not fully disclose wherein the carrier is positioned along a Z coordinate direction in the cutout and is oriented perpendicular to the busbar; and wherein the magnetic detection element is aligned with at least a portion of the cutout in a Z coordinate direction.
However, Shimizu (917) discloses wherein the carrier (140) is positioned along a Z coordinate direction (shown in fig 18A and 18B) in the cutout (110s) and is oriented perpendicular to the busbar (110); and wherein the magnetic detection element (120a) is aligned with at least a portion of the cutout in a Z coordinate direction (shown in figs 18A and 18B as aligned with the cutout portion). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Shimizu in further view of Shimizu(917) in order to effectively detect the values of the conductor based on the orientation of the sensor chip.
Regarding claim 14, Shimizu(figs10-19) does not fully disclose wherein the magnetic detection element is arranged one of above the upper side of the busbar or below the lower side of the busbar.
However, Shimizu(917) discloses wherein the magnetic detection element is arranged one of above the upper side of the busbar or below the lower side of the busbar (shown in figs 18A and 18B as being above and below the conductor). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Shimizu figs 10-19 and Shimizu(917) in order to determine current of the conductor based on placement.
Regarding claim 15, Shimizu(figs10-19) does not fully disclose a further magnetic detection element supported by the carrier, wherein the magnetic detection element is arranged above the upper side of the busbar and the further magnetic detection element is arranged below the lower side of the busbar.
However, Shimizu(917) discloses a further magnetic detection element supported by the carrier, wherein the magnetic detection element is arranged above the upper side of the busbar and the further magnetic detection element is arranged below the lower side of the busbar (shown in figs 18A and 18B as being above and below). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Shimizu figs 10-19 and Shimizu(917) in order to determine current of the conductor based on placement.
Regarding claim 16, Shimizu(figs10-19) discloses wherein carrier has a rectangular cuboid shape and extends through the cutout (par 70 discloses being a package shape. Therefore, is rectangular and fig 18 extends through the cutout).
Regarding claim 19, Shimizu(figs10-19) discloses wherein the magnetic detection element is assigned electronics for evaluating measured values of the magnetic detection element (shown in fig 5 as circuitry attached to detector 2).
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shimizu et al (USPGPub 20200011902) in view of Shimizu et al (USPGPub 20190178917) in further view of Augendre et al (US Pat No. 11226382).
Regarding claim 18, Shimizu(figs10-19) discloses wherein the cutout is offset relative to the first and second lateral edges such that the busbar includes: a first web (using 11 as a web) arranged between the cutout and the first lateral edge; and a second web (using 12 as a web) arranged between the cutout and the second lateral edge (shown in figs 10-19). Shimizu(figs10-19) in view of Shimizu (917) does not fully discloses wherein a thickness of the first web differs from a thickness of the second web.
However, Augendre discloses wherein a thickness of the first web differs from a thickness of the second web. (shown in fig 2 as busbars 210 has a first thickness and second thickness that are different). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Shimizu(figs 10-19) in view of Shimizu(917) in further view of Augendre in order to determine current in the conductor based on thickness.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shimizu et al (USPGPub 20200011902) in view of Shimizu et al (USPGPub 20190178917) in further view of in view of Akimoto et al (USPGPub 20150204919).
Regarding claim 20, Shimizu(figs10-19) in view of Shimizu (917) does not fully discloses wherein the magnetic detection element is assigned to an output-side busbar of a three-phase motor.
However, Akimoto discloses wherein the magnetic detection element is assigned to an output-side busbar of a three-phase motor (par 7 discloses detecting using 3-phase motor). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Shimizu figs 10-19 in view of Shimizu(917) in further view of Akimoto known as a way to accurately determining current on multiple conductors.
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 DOMINIC E HAWKINS whose telephone number is (571)272-2647. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30am-5:00pm EST.
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/DOMINIC E HAWKINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858