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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. JP2023089653, filed on 05/31/2023.
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. JP2024010713, filed on 01/29/2024.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) was submitted on 05/28/2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim element (also commonly referred to as a claim limitation) is limited by the description in the specification when 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is invoked.
As explained in MPEP § 2181, subsection I, claim limitations that meet the following three-prong test will be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
(A) the claim limitation uses the term “means” or “step” or a term used as a substitute for “means” that is a generic placeholder (also called a nonce term or a non-structural term having no specific structural meaning) for performing the claimed function;
(B) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is modified by functional language, typically, but not always linked by the transition word “for” (e.g., “means for”) or another linking word or phrase, such as “configured to” or “so that”; and
(C) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is not modified by sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function.
Use of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim with functional language creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites sufficient structure, material, or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Absence of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is not to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is not interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites function without reciting sufficient structure, material or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Claim limitations in this application that use the word “means” (or “step”) are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action. Conversely, claim limitations in this application that do not use the word “means” (or “step”) are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are: detected displacement calculation unit, signal analysis unit, periodic displacement error calculation unit, and displacement correction unit in claims 1-3.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof. [0083] of the specification of the instant application details the device has processing units including detected displacement calculation unit, signal analysis unit, periodic displacement error calculation unit, and displacement correction unit. Thus the units are interpreted as processors.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101. The claimed invention is directed to the abstract concept of performing abstract steps without significantly more. The claim(s) recite(s) the following abstract concepts in BOLD of
1. A displacement calculation device calculating a displacement, the displacement calculation device having a scale and a displacement detection sensor detecting a relative displacement with respect to the scale and the displacement calculation device comprising:
a detected displacement calculation unit configured to calculate a displacement based on two or more displacement detection signals differing in phase output from the displacement detection sensor;
a signal analysis unit configured to calculate an amplitude difference, a center position difference, and a phase difference between the displacement detection signals and a reference signal corresponding to the displacement detection signals;
a periodic displacement error calculation unit configured to calculate, based on the differences calculated by the signal analysis unit, (i) a first displacement difference signal varying with a period equal to or less than a period of the displacement detection signals and (ii) a second displacement difference signal varying with a period greater than the period of the displacement detection signals and independent of at least the period of the displacement detection signals; and
a displacement correction unit configured to correct the displacement calculated by the detected displacement calculation unit, based on the first displacement difference signal and second displacement difference signal calculated by the periodic displacement error calculation unit, and output a corrected calibrated displacement.
2. A displacement calculation device calculating a displacement based on two or more periodic signals differing in phase, the displacement calculation device comprising:
a detected displacement calculation unit configured to calculate a detected displacement based on the periodic signals;
a signal analysis unit configured to calculate an amplitude error, a vibration center error, and a phase error between the periodic signals and a reference signal corresponding to the periodic signals;
a periodic displacement error calculation unit configured to calculate, based on the errors calculated by the signal analysis unit, a displacement error having a period equal to or less than one period of the periodic signals, a displacement error having a period greater than one period of the periodic signals and independent of at least the period of the periodic signals, and the periods of the displacement errors; and
a displacement correction unit configured to correct the detected displacement calculated by the detected displacement calculation unit, based on the displacement error having a period equal to or less than one period of the periodic signals, displacement error having a period greater than one period of the periodic signals and independent of at least the period of the periodic signals, and periods of the displacement errors calculated by the periodic displacement error calculation unit, and output a corrected calibrated displacement.
3. A displacement calculation device for calculating a displacement based on signals corresponding to two or more phases including at least a first phase and a second phase different from the first phase, the displacement calculation device comprising:
a displacement calculation unit configured to calculate a first displacement based on the signals respectively corresponding to the first phase and the second phase;
a signal analysis unit configured to detect a period related to a trajectory of a center of a Lissajous waveform obtained from the signals respectively corresponding to the first phase and the second phase and analyze the signals for the detected period;
a displacement error calculation unit configured to calculate, based on analysis by the signal analysis unit, a displacement error corresponding to a periodicity related to the trajectory of the center of the Lissajous waveform in the signals for the detected period; and
a displacement correction unit configured to correct the first displacement calculated by the displacement calculation unit, based on the displacement error calculated by the displacement error calculation unit, and output a corrected displacement.
Under step 1 of the eligibility analysis, we determine whether the claims are to a statutory category by considering whether the claimed subject matter falls within the four statutory categories of patentable subject matter identified by 35 U.S.C. 101: process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter. The above claims are considered to be in a statutory category.
Under Step 2A, Prong One, we consider whether the claim recites a judicial exception (abstract idea). In the above claim, the highlighted portion constitutes an abstract idea because, under a broadest reasonable interpretation, it recites limitation the fall into/recite abstract idea exceptions. Specifically, under the 2019 Revised Patent Subject Matter Eligibility Guidance, it falls into the grouping of subject matter that, when recited as such in a claim limitation, covers performing mathematics.
Next, under Step 2A, Prong Two, we consider whether the claim that recites a judicial exception is integrated into a practical application. In this step, we evaluate whether the claim recites additional elements that integrate the exception into a practical application of that exception.
This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application because there is no improvement to another technology or technical field; improvements to the functioning of the computer itself; a particular machine; effecting a transformation or reduction of a particular article to a different state or thing. Examiner notes that since the claimed methods and system are not tied to a particular machine or apparatus, they do not represent an improvement to another technology or technical field. Similarly there are no other meaningful limitations linking the use to a particular technological environment. Finally, there is nothing in the claims that indicates an improvement to the functioning of the computer itself or transform a particular article to a new state.
Finally, under Step 2B, we consider whether the additional elements are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the abstract idea. Claims 1-3 do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because under the 35 U.S.C. 112(f) interpretation, the detected displacement calculation unit, signal analysis unit, periodic displacement error calculation unit, and displacement correction unit are interpreted as processing units, and under broadest reasonable interpretation the processing units are generic computer processors (i.e. generic computer elements). Generic computer elements are not considered significantly more than the abstract idea and do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application. As recited in the MPEP, 2106.05(b), merely adding a generic computer, generic computer components, or a programmed computer to perform generic computer functions does not automatically overcome an eligibility rejection. Alice Corp. Pty. Ltd. v. CLS Bank Int'l, 134 S. Ct. 2347, 2359-60, 110 USPQ2d 1976, 1984 (2014). See also OIP Techs. v. Amazon.com, 788 F.3d 1359, 1364, 115 USPQ2d 1090, 1093-94. The additional element of “two or more displacement detection signals differing in phase output from the displacement detection sensor” is considered necessary data gathering. As recited in MPEP section 2106.05(g), necessary data gathering (i.e. sensor detection results) is considered extra solution activity in light of Mayo, 566 U.S. at 79, 101 USPQ2d at 1968; OIP Techs., Inc. v. Amazon.com, Inc., 788 F.3d 1359, 1363, 115 USPQ2d 1090, 1092-93 (Fed. Cir. 2015).
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Herb (DE10034733A1).
In regards to Claim 3, Herb teaches “a displacement calculation unit configured to calculate a first displacement based on the signals respectively corresponding to the first phase and the second phase (the measurement signals are essentially periodic, essentially sinusoidal, essentially phase-shifted by 90° relative to each other during uniform relative motion of the measuring instrument - [0001]; To increase accuracy, change values Ax1, Ay1, Ox1, Oy1 for amplitudes Ax, Ay [i.e. displacement detection signals] and offsets Ox, Oy of the measurement signals x, y are also retrieved – [0028]);
a signal analysis unit configured to detect a period related to a trajectory of a center of a Lissajous waveform obtained from the signals respectively corresponding to the first phase and the second phase and analyze the signals for the detected period (wherein the measurement signals are essentially periodic, essentially sinusoidal, essentially phase-shifted by 90° relative to each other during uniform relative motion of the measuring instrument, and the measuring instrument performs a relative motion by one scale division during one period of the measurement signals – [0001]; At a minimum, basic values Ax0, Ay0, Ox0, Oy0 for amplitudes Ax, Ay and offsets Ox, Oy of the measurement signals x, y as well as the phase shift φ are retrieved - [0027]; The amplitudes Ax, Ay, the offsets Ox, Oy and the phase shift φ define a transformation rule by which the measurement signals x, y are transformed into intermediate signals x', y'. This transformation follows in a coordinate transformer 12. The intermediate signals are fed to an angle detector 13, which determines a raw angle α' based on the intermediate signals x', y'. – [0029]; The raw angle α' is fed to a second correction value memory 14. There, a position angle α" within the scale division 4 is determined from the raw angle α' using a look-up table, i.e., using predetermined raw angle-specific raw angle correction values α"(α'), to which the measurement signals x, y are assigned. The raw angle correction values α"(α') are independent of the scale division – [0030]; The compensation of signal errors with known correction values Ax0, Ay0, Ox0, Oy0, Ax1, Ay1, Ox1, Oy1, φ has been described above - [0032]; Figures 4-6 detail Lissajous waveforms with the measurement signals x, y of a period);
a displacement error calculation unit configured to calculate, based on analysis by the signal analysis unit, a displacement error corresponding to a periodicity related to the trajectory of the center of the Lissajous waveform in the signals for the detected period (The scale determiner 9 thus determines an index n that is characteristic of the scale 4, to which the currently determined measurement signals x, y are to be assigned. According to the index n, a large number of values are retrieved from a first correction value memory 10. At a minimum, basic values Ax0, Ay0, Ox0, Oy0 for amplitudes Ax, Ay and offsets Ox, Oy of the measurement signals x, y as well as the phase shift φ are retrieved. As long as only the basic values Ax0, Ay0, Ox0, Oy0, φ are taken into account, the amplitudes Ax, Ay, the offsets Ox, Oy and the phase shift φ within the scale division 4, to which the determined measurement signals x, y are currently assigned, are independent of the measurement signals x, y. - [0027]; This ensures that for each scale division 4 a large number of measurement signals x, y are determined and that the measurement signals x, y recorded for a scale division 4 are essentially uniformly distributed in the period (same index n) assigned to this scale division 4. The measurement signals x, y are written into an intermediate memory 16 together with the index n - [0034]; Figure 4 shows example of the measurement signals x, y of a period where Figure 4 is a Lissajous waveform – [0035]-[0036]); and
a displacement correction unit configured to correct the first displacement calculated by the displacement calculation unit, based on the displacement error calculated by the displacement error calculation unit, and output a corrected displacement (The measurement signal correction values Ax0, Ax1, Ay0, Ay1, Ox0, Ox1, Oy0, Oy1, φ can then be determined as before by a nonlinear regression. If necessary, a further correction is made such that the basic and the change values Ax0, Ax1, Ay0, Ay1, Ox0, Ox1, Oy0, Oy1, φ as a function of the pre-angle α define piecewise linear functions that transition continuously into each other between adjacent scale divisions 4. The change values Ax1, Ay1, Ox1, Oy1 are also stored in the first correction value memory 10, as indicated by the dashed lines in Fig. 2. – [0043]).”
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 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Herb (DE10034733A1) in view of Okumura (JP2016109436 ).
In regards to Claim 1, Herb teaches “a detected displacement calculation unit configured to calculate a displacement based on two or more displacement detection signals differing in phase output from the displacement detection sensor (the measurement signals are essentially periodic, essentially sinusoidal, essentially phase-shifted by 90° [i.e. phase output differs] relative to each other during uniform relative motion of the measuring instrument - [0001]; To increase accuracy, change values Ax1, Ay1, Ox1, Oy1 for amplitudes Ax, Ay [i.e. displacement detection signals] and offsets Ox, Oy of the measurement signals x, y are also retrieved – [0028]); a signal analysis unit configured to calculate an amplitude difference, a center position difference, and a phase difference between the displacement detection signals and a reference signal corresponding to the displacement detection signals (At a minimum, basic values Ax0, Ay0, Ox0, Oy0 [i.e. reference signals] for amplitudes Ax, Ay and offsets Ox, Oy of the measurement signals x, y as well as the phase shift φ are retrieved - [0027]; The amplitudes Ax, Ay, the offsets Ox, Oy and the phase shift φ define a transformation rule by which the measurement signals x, y are transformed into intermediate signals x', y'. This transformation follows in a coordinate transformer 12. The intermediate signals are fed to an angle detector 13, which determines a raw angle α' based on the intermediate signals x', y'. – [0029]; The raw angle α' is fed to a second correction value memory 14. There, a position angle α" within the scale division 4 is determined from the raw angle α' using a look-up table, i.e., using predetermined raw angle-specific raw angle correction values α"(α'), to which the measurement signals x, y are assigned. The raw angle correction values α"(α') are independent of the scale division – [0030]; The compensation of signal errors with known correction values Ax0, Ay0, Ox0, Oy0, Ax1, Ay1, Ox1, Oy1, φ has been described above - [0032]); a periodic displacement error calculation unit configured to calculate, based on the differences calculated by the signal analysis unit, (i) a first displacement difference signal varying with a period equal to or less than a period of the displacement detection signals and (The scale determiner 9 thus determines an index n that is characteristic of the scale 4, to which the currently determined measurement signals x, y are to be assigned. According to the index n, a large number of values are retrieved from a first correction value memory 10. At a minimum, basic values Ax0, Ay0, Ox0, Oy0 for amplitudes Ax, Ay and offsets Ox, Oy of the measurement signals x, y as well as the phase shift φ are retrieved. As long as only the basic values Ax0, Ay0, Ox0, Oy0, φ are taken into account, the amplitudes Ax, Ay, the offsets Ox, Oy and the phase shift φ within the scale division 4, to which the determined measurement signals x, y are currently assigned, are independent of the measurement signals x, y. - [0027]; This ensures that for each scale division 4 a large number of measurement signals x, y are determined and that the measurement signals x, y recorded for a scale division 4 are essentially uniformly distributed in the period (same index n) assigned to this scale division 4. The measurement signals x, y are written into an intermediate memory 16 together with the index n - [0034]); and
a displacement correction unit configured to correct the displacement calculated by the detected displacement calculation unit, based on the first displacement difference signal and second displacement difference signal calculated by the periodic displacement error calculation unit, and output a corrected calibrated displacement (The measurement signal correction values Ax0, Ax1, Ay0, Ay1, Ox0, Ox1, Oy0, Oy1, φ can then be determined as before by a nonlinear regression. If necessary, a further correction is made such that the basic and the change values Ax0, Ax1, Ay0, Ay1, Ox0, Ox1, Oy0, Oy1, φ as a function of the pre-angle α define piecewise linear functions that transition continuously into each other between adjacent scale divisions 4. The change values Ax1, Ay1, Ox1, Oy1 are also stored in the first correction value memory 10, as indicated by the dashed lines in Fig. 2. – [0043]).”
Herb is silent with regards to the language of “a periodic displacement error calculation unit configured to calculate, based on the differences calculated by the signal analysis unit, (i) a first displacement difference signal varying with a period equal to or less than a period of the displacement detection signals and (ii) a second displacement difference signal varying with a period greater than the period of the displacement detection signals and independent of at least the period of the displacement detection signals”
Okumura teaches “a periodic displacement error calculation unit configured to calculate, based on the differences calculated by the signal analysis unit, (i) a first displacement difference signal varying with a period equal to or less than a period of the displacement detection signals and (ii) a second displacement difference signal varying with a period greater than the period of the displacement detection signals and independent of at least the period of the displacement detection signals (The eigenerror component calculation unit 120 calculates the eigenerror component by performing a Fourier transform on the error for one rotation calculated by the one-rotation error calculation unit 110. Specifically, the intrinsic error component calculation unit 120 calculates the frequency components for the error of one rotation using a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) method such as FFT (Fast Fourier Transform). The intrinsic error component calculation unit 120 extracts specific periodic components from the calculated frequency components as intrinsic error components. In this embodiment, the intrinsic error component calculation unit 120 extracts the main error period component by obtaining period components of powers of 2 that include 2<sup> 0 </sup> from these frequency components. Furthermore, this major error period component includes at least one period component, two period components, four period components, and eight period components. In other words, the intrinsic error component calculation unit 120 obtains periodic components that are powers of 2, namely 2<sup> 0 </sup>, 2<sup> 1 </sup>, 2<sup> 2 </sup>, and 2<sup> 3 </sup>. Specifically, the intrinsic error component calculation unit 120 obtains the first-period component, which corresponds to the fundamental period of one rotation in the Fourier series expansion; the second-order term, which is a period component that fluctuates by two periods per rotation of the axis; the fourth-order term, which is a period component that fluctuates by four periods per rotation of the axis; and the eighth-order term, which is a period component that fluctuates by eight periods per rotation of the axis. By obtaining these intrinsic error components, it is possible to extract the main error components of the encoder. Details of the errors originating from the intrinsic error components of each period will be discussed later. Furthermore, when the intrinsic error component calculation unit 120 extracts the main error period component, it may acquire the 16 period component, which is a component of 2<sup> 4 </sup>, as the main error component. Furthermore, the intrinsic error component calculation unit 120 may also acquire the 18-period component. - [0022])”
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Herb to incorporate the teaching of Okumura to utilize period components of power 2^n, where n is represents the number of periods. By utilizing the eigenerror component, this is an improvement to correcting the measurement results from an encoder such that the accuracy of the encoder is improved.
In regards to Claim 2, Herb teaches “a detected displacement calculation unit configured to calculate a detected displacement based on the periodic signals (the measurement signals are essentially periodic, essentially sinusoidal, essentially phase-shifted by 90° relative to each other during uniform relative motion of the measuring instrument - [0001]; To increase accuracy, change values Ax1, Ay1, Ox1, Oy1 for amplitudes Ax, Ay [i.e. displacement detection signals] and offsets Ox, Oy of the measurement signals x, y are also retrieved – [0028]);
a signal analysis unit configured to calculate an amplitude error, a vibration center error, and a phase error between the periodic signals and a reference signal corresponding to the periodic signals (At a minimum, basic values Ax0, Ay0, Ox0, Oy0 [i.e. reference signals] for amplitudes Ax, Ay and offsets Ox, Oy of the measurement signals x, y as well as the phase shift φ are retrieved - [0027]; The amplitudes Ax, Ay, the offsets Ox, Oy and the phase shift φ define a transformation rule by which the measurement signals x, y are transformed into intermediate signals x', y'. This transformation follows in a coordinate transformer 12. The intermediate signals are fed to an angle detector 13, which determines a raw angle α' based on the intermediate signals x', y'. – [0029]; The raw angle α' is fed to a second correction value memory 14. There, a position angle α" within the scale division 4 is determined from the raw angle α' using a look-up table, i.e., using predetermined raw angle-specific raw angle correction values α"(α'), to which the measurement signals x, y are assigned. The raw angle correction values α"(α') are independent of the scale division – [0030]; The compensation of signal errors with known correction values Ax0, Ay0, Ox0, Oy0, Ax1, Ay1, Ox1, Oy1, φ has been described above - [0032]);
a periodic displacement error calculation unit configured to calculate, based on the errors calculated by the signal analysis unit, a displacement error having a period equal to or less than one period of the periodic signals (The scale determiner 9 thus determines an index n that is characteristic of the scale 4, to which the currently determined measurement signals x, y are to be assigned. According to the index n, a large number of values are retrieved from a first correction value memory 10. At a minimum, basic values Ax0, Ay0, Ox0, Oy0 for amplitudes Ax, Ay and offsets Ox, Oy of the measurement signals x, y as well as the phase shift φ are retrieved. As long as only the basic values Ax0, Ay0, Ox0, Oy0, φ are taken into account, the amplitudes Ax, Ay, the offsets Ox, Oy and the phase shift φ within the scale division 4, to which the determined measurement signals x, y are currently assigned, are independent of the measurement signals x, y. - [0027]; This ensures that for each scale division 4 a large number of measurement signals x, y are determined and that the measurement signals x, y recorded for a scale division 4 are essentially uniformly distributed in the period (same index n) assigned to this scale division 4. The measurement signals x, y are written into an intermediate memory 16 together with the index n - [0034]); and
a displacement correction unit configured to correct the detected displacement calculated by the detected displacement calculation unit, based on the displacement error having a period equal to or less than one period of the periodic signals and periods of the displacement errors calculated by the periodic displacement error calculation unit, and output a corrected calibrated displacement (The measurement signal correction values Ax0, Ax1, Ay0, Ay1, Ox0, Ox1, Oy0, Oy1, φ can then be determined as before by a nonlinear regression. If necessary, a further correction is made such that the basic and the change values Ax0, Ax1, Ay0, Ay1, Ox0, Ox1, Oy0, Oy1, φ as a function of the pre-angle α define piecewise linear functions that transition continuously into each other between adjacent scale divisions 4. The change values Ax1, Ay1, Ox1, Oy1 are also stored in the first correction value memory 10, as indicated by the dashed lines in Fig. 2. – [0043]).”
Herb is silent with regards to the language of “a periodic displacement error calculation unit configured to calculate, based on the errors calculated by the signal analysis unit, a displacement error having a period equal to or less than one period of the periodic signals, a displacement error having a period greater than one period of the periodic signals and independent of at least the period of the periodic signals, and the periods of the displacement errors; a displacement correction unit configured to correct the detected displacement calculated by the detected displacement calculation unit, based on the displacement error having a period equal to or less than one period of the periodic signals, displacement error having a period greater than one period of the periodic signals and independent of at least the period of the periodic signals, and periods of the displacement errors calculated by the periodic displacement error calculation unit”
Okumura teaches “a periodic displacement error calculation unit configured to calculate, based on the errors calculated by the signal analysis unit, a displacement error having a period equal to or less than one period of the periodic signals, a displacement error having a period greater than one period of the periodic signals and independent of at least the period of the periodic signals, and the periods of the displacement errors (The eigenerror component calculation unit 120 calculates the eigenerror component by performing a Fourier transform on the error for one rotation calculated by the one-rotation error calculation unit 110. Specifically, the intrinsic error component calculation unit 120 calculates the frequency components for the error of one rotation using a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) method such as FFT (Fast Fourier Transform). The intrinsic error component calculation unit 120 extracts specific periodic components from the calculated frequency components as intrinsic error components. In this embodiment, the intrinsic error component calculation unit 120 extracts the main error period component by obtaining period components of powers of 2 that include 2<sup> 0 </sup> from these frequency components. Furthermore, this major error period component includes at least one period component, two period components, four period components, and eight period components. In other words, the intrinsic error component calculation unit 120 obtains periodic components that are powers of 2, namely 2<sup> 0 </sup>, 2<sup> 1 </sup>, 2<sup> 2 </sup>, and 2<sup> 3 </sup>. Specifically, the intrinsic error component calculation unit 120 obtains the first-period component, which corresponds to the fundamental period of one rotation in the Fourier series expansion; the second-order term, which is a period component that fluctuates by two periods per rotation of the axis; the fourth-order term, which is a period component that fluctuates by four periods per rotation of the axis; and the eighth-order term, which is a period component that fluctuates by eight periods per rotation of the axis. By obtaining these intrinsic error components, it is possible to extract the main error components of the encoder. Details of the errors originating from the intrinsic error components of each period will be discussed later. Furthermore, when the intrinsic error component calculation unit 120 extracts the main error period component, it may acquire the 16 period component, which is a component of 2<sup> 4 </sup>, as the main error component. Furthermore, the intrinsic error component calculation unit 120 may also acquire the 18-period component. - [0022]); a displacement correction unit configured to correct the detected displacement calculated by the detected displacement calculation unit, based on the displacement error having a period equal to or less than one period of the periodic signals, displacement error having a period greater than one period of the periodic signals and independent of at least the period of the periodic signals, and periods of the displacement errors calculated by the periodic displacement error calculation unit (The correction table creation unit 130 performs an inverse Fourier transform on only the values of the main error period component of the intrinsic error component calculated by the intrinsic error component calculation unit 120, and creates a correction table 400 (Figure 1C) in which the error amount at each rotational angle position is used as the correction value.
The correction table creation unit 130, for example, acquires only the periodic components of powers of 2 as the main error components. Specifically, the correction table creation unit 130 performs an Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IDFT) on only the acquired periodic components of powers of 2 using an IFFT (Inverse Discrete Fourier Transform) or the like to create a correction table 400 for one rotation. In this case, if the periodic components 2<sup> 0 </sup>, 2<sup> 1 </sup>, 2<sup> 2 </sup>, and 2<sup> 3 </sup> are extracted, the sequence of data obtained by IFFT calculation for one rotation becomes the correction table 400.
In this way, by creating a correction table 400 using only the main error period component, the influence of angular errors in a specific range of the high-precision error detection device 3 can be reduced, and the intrinsic error of the encoder 2 can be reliably reflected. - [0023])”
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Herb to incorporate the teaching of Okumura to utilize period components of power 2^n, where n is represents the number of periods. By utilizing the eigenerror component, this is an improvement to correcting the measurement results from an encoder such that the accuracy of the encoder is improved.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YOSSEF KORANG-BEHESHTI whose telephone number is (571)272-3291. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 10:00 am - 6:30 pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Catherine Rastovski can be reached at (571) 270-0349. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/YOSSEF KORANG-BEHESHTI/Examiner, Art Unit 2857
Prosecution Insights