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 Objections
Claims 4 and 14 objected to because of the following informalities: claim 4 and 14 are missing the title of them being claims 4 and 14 and instead has an equation inserted. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-7, 11-17 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsuoka et al. US publication no.: US 2023/0133739 A1 in view of Yoshiura et al. US publication no.: US 2016/01499523 A1 and Hayashi US publication no.: US 2009/0200975 A1.
Regarding claims 1 and 11, Matsuoka et al. teach, A method of controlling a motor (see figure 1), comprising: determining a speed difference signal based on a difference between a speed command signal and a motor speed of the brushed DC motor (see the output of ω* and ω, figure 1); determining a torque command signal based on the speed difference signal (see output of Torque control 8, figure 1); determining a voltage command based on the torque command signal (see Vd*, Vq*, figure 1); and applying a DC voltage to the motor based on the voltage command (see voltage applied to the motor, figure 1).
Matsuoka et al. is silent on specifically teaching:
Brushed DC motor to be controlled.
wherein determining the torque command signal based on the speed difference signal further includes at least one of: determining a modified proportional torque component including a feedforward gain term times the speed command signal, and wherein the torque command signal includes the modified proportional torque component; and determining a modified derivative torque component including a time derivative of the motor speed of the brushed DC motor, and wherein the torque command signal includes the modified derivative torque component.
However, Hayashi is in the same field of art and teach: Brushed DC motor to be controlled by an EPS system (see paragraphs 3-9).
In view of Hayash’s teachings, it would’ve been obvious to one with the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, with the apparatus as taught by Matsuoka et al. to include; Brushed DC motor, for the purpose of reducing noise and harshness.
2) However, Yoshiura et al. is in the same field of art and teach: wherein determining the torque command signal based on the speed difference signal further includes at least one of: determining a modified proportional torque component including a feedforward gain term times the speed command signal, and wherein the torque command signal includes the modified proportional torque component; and determining a modified derivative torque component including a time derivative of the motor speed of the brushed DC motor, and wherein the torque command signal includes the modified derivative torque component (see paragraphs 58-64 and figure 1, where the depiction of modified torque command can be seen).
In view of Yoshiura et al.’s teachings, it would’ve been obvious to one with the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, with the apparatus as taught by Matsuoka et al. to include; wherein determining the torque command signal based on the speed difference signal further includes at least one of: determining a modified proportional torque component including a feedforward gain term times the speed command signal, and wherein the torque command signal includes the modified proportional torque component; and determining a modified derivative torque component including a time derivative of the motor speed of the brushed DC motor, and wherein the torque command signal includes the modified derivative torque component, for the purpose of improving the control of the motor drive system.
Regarding claims 2 and 12, Yoshiura et al. teach, the method of claim 1, wherein determining the torque command signal based on the speed difference signal includes determining the modified proportional torque component including the feedforward gain term times the speed command signal, and wherein the torque command signal includes the modified proportional torque component (see paragraph 61).
Regarding claims 3 and 13, Yoshiura et al. teach, the method of claim 2, further including determining the feedforward gain term to cause the brushed DC motor satisfy a given bandwidth (inherent feature as seen in paragraphs 58-64 and figure 1).
Regarding claim 4 and 14, Yoshiura et al. teach, the method of claim 3, wherein the feedforward gain term is determined in accordance with: where is the feedforward gain term, is an integral gain term, is a proportional gain term, and is the given bandwidth (see paragraphs 58-65)
Regarding claims 5 and 15, Yoshiura et al. teach, the method of claim 1, wherein determining the torque command signal based on the speed difference signal includes determining the modified derivative torque component including the time derivative of the motor speed of the brushed DC motor, and wherein the torque command signal includes the modified derivative torque component (see paragraphs 58-65).
Regarding claims 6 and 16, Yoshiura et al. teach, the method of claim 1, further including determining a position-dependent torque component based on a position of the brushed DC motor, and wherein the torque command signal includes the position-dependent torque component (see position command, figure 1).
Regarding claims 7 and 17, Yoshiura et al. teach, the method of claim 6, wherein the position-dependent torque component is further based on an operating direction of the brushed DC motor (see paragraph 31).
Regarding claims 20, A method of operating a brushed direct current (DC) motor for adjusting a column position of a steering system in a vehicle (see figure 1), comprising: determining a speed difference signal based on a difference between a speed command signal and a motor speed of the brushed DC motor((see the output of ω* and ω, figure 1);determining a torque command signal based on the speed difference signal signal (see output of Torque control 8, figure 1); determining a voltage command based on the torque command signal(see Vd*, Vq*, figure 1); and applying a DC voltage to the brushed DC motor based on the voltage command (see voltage applied to the motor, figure 1),
Matsuoka et al. is silent on specifically teaching:
Brushed DC motor to be controlled.
wherein determining the torque command signal based on the speed difference signal further includes at least one of: determining a modified proportional torque component including a feedforward gain term times the speed command signal, and wherein the torque command signal includes the modified proportional torque component; determining a modified derivative torque component including a time derivative of the motor speed of the brushed DC motor, and wherein the torque command signal includes the modified derivative torque component; and determining a position-dependent torque component based on a position of the brushed DC motor, and wherein the torque command signal includes the position-dependent torque component.
However, Hayashi is in the same field of art and teach: Brushed DC motor to be controlled by an EPS system (see paragraphs 3-9).
In view of Hayash’s teachings, it would’ve been obvious to one with the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, with the apparatus as taught by Matsuoka et al. to include; Brushed DC motor, for the purpose of reducing noise and harshness.
2) However, Yoshiura et al. is in the same field of art and teach: wherein determining the torque command signal based on the speed difference signal further includes at least one of: determining a modified proportional torque component including a feedforward gain term times the speed command signal, and wherein the torque command signal includes the modified proportional torque component; determining a modified derivative torque component including a time derivative of the motor speed of the brushed DC motor, and wherein the torque command signal includes the modified derivative torque component (see paragraphs 58-64 and figure 1, where the depiction of modified torque command can be seen); and determining a position-dependent torque component based on a position of the brushed DC motor, and wherein the torque command signal includes the position-dependent torque component (see position command, figure 1 and torque is dependent on the position command).
In view of Yoshiura et al.’s teachings, it would’ve been obvious to one with the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, with the apparatus as taught by Matsuoka et al. to include; wherein determining the torque command signal based on the speed difference signal further includes at least one of: determining a modified proportional torque component including a feedforward gain term times the speed command signal, and wherein the torque command signal includes the modified proportional torque component; determining a modified derivative torque component including a time derivative of the motor speed of the brushed DC motor, and wherein the torque command signal includes the modified derivative torque component; and determining a position-dependent torque component based on a position of the brushed DC motor, and wherein the torque command signal includes the position-dependent torque component, for the purpose of improving the control of the motor drive system.
Claims 8-10 and 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsuoka et al. US publication no.: US 2023/0133739 A1 in view of Yoshiura et al. US publication no.: US 2016/01499523 A, Hayashi US publication no.: US 2009/0200975 A1, and further in view Shah et al. US publication no.: US 2022/0109386 A1.
Regarding claims 8 and 18, Matsuoka et al. as modified is silent on specifically teaching, the method of claim 6, wherein determining the position-dependent torque component includes using a lookup table to determine position-dependent torque component based on the position of the brushed DC motor.
However, Shah et al. is in the same field of art and teach: the method of claim 1, further including: wherein determining the position-dependent torque component includes using a lookup table to determine position-dependent torque component based on the position of the brushed DC motor (see the utilization of a look-up table in paragraphs 68-69 for estimation which would be applied to the control system of Matsuoka et al. as modified).
In view of Shah et al.’s teachings, it would’ve been obvious to one with the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, with the apparatus as taught by Matsuoka et al. to include; the method of claim 1, further including: wherein determining the position-dependent torque component includes using a lookup table to determine position-dependent torque component based on the position of the brushed DC motor, for the purpose of improving the control of the motor drive system.
Regarding claims 9 and 19, Matsuoka et al. as modified is silent on specifically teaching, the method of claim 1, further including: determining a limited torque command signal based on the torque command signal and to satisfy at least one of: a supply current limit value, a motor current limit value, and a maximum available voltage value, and wherein determining the voltage command further includes determining the voltage command based on the limited torque command signal.
However, Shah et al. is in the same field of art and teach: the method of claim 1, further including: determining a limited torque command signal based on the torque command signal and to satisfy at least one of: a supply current limit value, a motor current limit value, and a maximum available voltage value, and wherein determining the voltage command further includes determining the voltage command based on the limited torque command signal (see torque limiting block 320, figure 4 and paragraph 50 and 79).
In view of Shah et al.s teachings, it would’ve been obvious to one with the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, with the apparatus as taught by Matsuoka et al. to include; determining a limited torque command signal based on the torque command signal and to satisfy at least one of: a supply current limit value, a motor current limit value, and a maximum available voltage value, and wherein determining the voltage command further includes determining the voltage command based on the limited torque command signal, for the purpose of improving the control of the motor drive system.
Regarding claim 10, Shah et al. teach, the method of claim 9, wherein determining the limited torque command signal based on the torque command signal further includes at least one of:determining a capability limit value distinct from the supply current limit value and based on a non-linear function of the supply current limit value, and determining the limited torque command signal based on the capability limit value; and computing the limited torque command signal based on a non-linear function of the supply current limit value (see paragraphs 48-55- where the torque limiting command is based on the current/voltage maximum limits).
Conclusion
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/ZOHEB S IMTIAZ/Primary Examiner , Art Unit 2837
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