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 § 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 1-2 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kenta JP-2023-047854 in view of Yasuhi et al. WO2008/154733 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Kenta teaches, A control apparatus for an electric motor (motor 3, figure 1), comprising: a rotor (rotor 31 ,figure 2) provided with one of a permanent magnet and a winding (see paragraph 33, where a rotor includes a permanent magnet); and a stator (stator 32, figure 2) provided with the other of the permanent magnet and the winding, wherein the control apparatus includes a control part (controller 20, figure 1), wherein when a temperature of the winding (temperature sensor 11, figure 1) is lower than a predetermined temperature at activation of the electric motor (see paragraphs 32-33 and 56, where the temperature of the stator includes coils compared to the predetermined threshold), the control part controls a d-axis current to increase the temperature of the winding, and wherein when a rotation torque due to the d-axis current is generated at the rotor (see paragraphs 50-54, where the d-axis current is controlled until the temperature of the winding is warmed up).
Kenta is silent on specifically teaching: the control part controls a q-axis current such that a rotation torque with the same magnitude as that of the rotation torque due to the d-axis current in a direction opposite to a direction of the rotation torque due to the d-axis current is generated at the rotor.
However, Yasushi et al. is in the same field of art and teach: the control part controls a q-axis current such that a rotation torque with the same magnitude as that of the rotation torque due to the d-axis current in a direction opposite to a direction of the rotation torque due to the d-axis current is generated at the rotor (see page 4 and specifically equations 2-3, where it is explained that the torque pulsation generated is corrected by producing a rotational torque with the same magnitude).
In view of Yasushi 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 Kenta to include; the control part controls a q-axis current such that a rotation torque with the same magnitude as that of the rotation torque due to the d-axis current in a direction opposite to a direction of the rotation torque due to the d-axis current is generated at the rotor, for the purpose of improving the control of the motor.
Regarding claim 2, Kenta as modified teach d-axis current is controlled as seen in paragraph 50-54 of Kenta and q-axis correction values are generated based on the equations 2-3 of Yasushi et al. but Is silent on specifically teaching: further comprising a calculation part configured to calculate a current value of the q-axis current based on an equation representing a mutual relationship of the d-axis current, the q-axis current and the rotation torque.
However, one with ordinary skills in the art could’ve easily configured such relationship into an equation, before the effective filing date of the invention, with the apparatus as taught by Kenta as modified to include; further comprising a calculation part configured to calculate a current value of the q-axis current based on an equation representing a mutual relationship of the d-axis current, the q-axis current and the rotation torquer, for the purpose of improving the control of the motor.
Regarding claim 4, Kenta as modified teach d-axis current is controlled as seen in paragraph 50-54 of Kenta and q-axis correction values are generated based on the equations 2-3 of Yasushi et al. but Is silent on specifically teaching: The control apparatus for the electric motor according to claim 2, wherein the calculation part calculates the current value of the q-axis current based on a predetermined current value of the d-axis current.
However, one with ordinary skills in the art could’ve easily configured such relationship into an equation, before the effective filing date of the invention, with the apparatus as taught by Kenta as modified to include; wherein the calculation part calculates the current value of the q-axis current based on a predetermined current value of the d-axis current, for the purpose of improving the control of the motor.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 4/14/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive:
Applicants argue that the limitation “the control part controls a q-axis current such that a rotation torque with the same magnitude as that of the rotation torque due to the d-axis current in a direction opposite to a direction of the rotation torque due to the d-axis current is generated at the rotor” isn’t taught by Kenta as modified.
However, examiner contends that the Yasushi teaches controlling a q-axis current such that a rotation torque having the same magnitude and an opposite direction relative to an undesired torque is generated as specifically disclosed in equations 2 and 3.
Equations 2 and 3 display that the amplitude of the q-axis current is derived from the amplitude of the undesired torque pulsation. The reference clearly teaches correction of the current signal thereby compensating torque in the opposite direction.
This teaching is to be applied to the system of Kenta that teaches a warm-up of the motor drive system by increasing the D-axis current.
Therefore, Kenta as modified with Yasushi et al. that a Q-axis current is generated to compensate for undesired torque direction due to increasing d-axis current.
Applicants are urged to narrow the limitations as the current claim is very broad.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to 35 U.S.C 112 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection has been withdrawn.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 ZOHEB S IMTIAZ whose telephone number is (571)272-4308. The examiner can normally be reached 11am-730pm.
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/ZOHEB S IMTIAZ/Primary Examiner , Art Unit 2846
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