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 .
Response to Amendment
The preliminary amendment to the claims and specification dated 4/1/2024 is acknowledged. Claims 6-9 were amended.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign mentioned in the description:
Mr0 referring to a magnetoresistance effect element as seen in paragraph [0165].
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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 1-6 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0047942 to Chang et al. (hereinafter Chang) in view of Japanese Patent No. 2013-063203 to Ohashi (provided by Applicant on 4/1/2024).
Regarding claim 1, Chang teaches a position detection system (Paragraph [0002]) for use in a motor (FIG. 4, 22),
the motor including:
a coil (FIG. 6; 32, 33) to be supplied with electric power (Paragraph [0034]-[0035]); and
a drive magnet (FIG. 6; 51, 52) configured to apply a drive magnetic field to the coil (Paragraph [0034]-[0035]),
the drive magnet having a magnetized surface, the magnetized surface being aligned with a magnetization direction and facing a coil surface of the coil (Paragraph [0035]),
the motor having a driving direction aligned with the magnetization direction, the driving direction being a direction in which one member selected from the group consisting of the coil and the drive magnet is displaced with respect to the other member selected from the group consisting of the coil and the drive magnet (Paragraph [0035])(,
the position detection system being design to detect a position of the one member selected from the group consisting of the coil and the drive magnet with respect to the other member selected from the group consisting of the coil and the drive magnet (Paragraph [0031]),
the position detection system comprising:
a magnetic sensor (FIG. 6, 25) at a fixed position with respect to the coil and in the vicinity of the coil surface and the magnetized surface (Paragraph [0029]), the magnetic sensor being configured to deliver at least an output signal produced by the drive magnetic field generated from the drive magnet (FIG. 3, 26; Paragraph [0029]); and a processing signal configured to process the output signal of the magnetic sensor (Paragraph [0029]).
Chang does not teach the magnetic sensor including:
a base member having a base member surface on which an X-axis and a Y-axis perpendicular to the X-axis are defined;
a wiring layer disposed along the base member surface and including a first half-bridge circuit and a second half-bridge circuit; and
a bias magnet configured to apply a bias magnetic field to the wiring layer,
the first half-bridge circuit including:
a pair of first magnetoresistance effect elements half-bridge connected to detect a magnetic field aligned with the X-axis; and
a first output terminal through which a first output signal is delivered from a connection node between the pair of first magnetoresistance effect elements,
the second half-bridge circuit including:
a pair of second magnetoresistance effect elements half-bridge connected to detect a magnetic field aligned with the Y-axis; and
a second output terminal through which a second output signal is delivered from a connection node between the pair of second magnetoresistance effect elements,
the bias magnet being configured to
apply a bias magnetic field aligned with a positive direction of the X-axis to one of the pair of first magnetoresistance effect elements and apply a bias magnetic field aligned with a negative direction of the X-axis to the other of the pair of first magnetoresistance effect elements; and
apply a bias magnetic field aligned with a positive direction of the Y-axis to one of the pair of second magnetoresistance effect elements and apply a bias magnetic field aligned with a negative direction of the Y-axis to the other of the pair of second magnetoresistance effect elements,
the magnetic sensor being arranged such that the base member surface is parallel to the magnetization direction and perpendicular to the magnetized surface, and
the processing circuit being configured to determine, based on at least one of the first output signal or the second output signal, an orientation of a magnetic field in which the drive magnetic field applied to the magnetic sensor and the bias magnetic field applied to the wiring layer forming part of the magnetic sensor are superposed one on top of the other and thereby detect the position of the one member selected from the group consisting of the coil and the drive magnet with respect to the other member selected from the group consisting of the coil and the drive magnet.
However, Ohashi teaches a magnetic sensor (FIG. 1, 10) including:
a base member (FIG. 1, 12a) having a base member surface on which an X-axis and a Y-axis perpendicular to the X-axis are defined;
a wiring layer (FIG. 1, 21) disposed along the base member surface and including a first half-bridge circuit (FIG. 4(a)) and a second half-bridge circuit (FIG. 4(b)); and
a bias magnet (FIG. 2, 24) configured to apply a bias magnetic field to the wiring layer (Paragraph [0007])
the first half-bridge circuit including:
a pair of first magnetoresistance effect elements (FIG. 3; 22a, 22b) half-bridge connected to detect a field aligned with the X-axis (Paragraph [0026]-[0027]); and
a first output terminal (FIG. 4(a); 13c, 13f) through which a first output signal (FIG. 4(a), Vx) is delivered from a connection node between the pair of first magnetoresistance effect elements,
the second half-bridge circuit including:
a pair of second magnetoresistance effect elements (FIG. 3; 22c, 22d) half-bridge connected to detect a magnetic field aligned with the Y-axis (Paragraph [0027]); and
a second output terminal (FIG. 4(b); 13d, 13h) through which a second output signal (FIG. 4(b), Vy) is delivered from a connection node between the pair of second magnetoresistance effect elements,
the bias magnet being configured to
apply a bias magnetic field aligned with a positive direction of the X-axis to one of the pair of first magnetoresistance effect elements (FIG. 3, 22b; Paragraph [0031]) and apply a bias magnetic field aligned with a negative direction of the X-axis to the other of the pair of first magnetoresistance effect elements (FIG. 3, 22a; Paragraph [0031]); and
apply a bias magnetic field aligned with a positive direction of the Y-axis to one of the pair of second magnetoresistance effect elements (FIG. 3, 22d; Paragraph [0031]) and apply a bias magnetic field aligned with a negative direction of the Y-axis to the other pair of second magnetoresistance effect elements (FIG. 3, 22c; Paragraph [0031]),
the processing circuit being configured to determine, based on at least one of the first output signal or the second output signal, an orientation of a magnetic field in which the drive magnetic field applied to the magnetic sensor and the bias magnetic field applied to the wiring layer forming part of the magnetic sensor are superposed one on top of the other and thereby detect the position of the one member selected from the group consisting of the coil and the drive magnet with respect to the other member selected from the group consisting of the coil and the drive magnet (Paragraph [0054]-[0055]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the position detection system of Chang with the sensor of Ohashi to increase the sensitivity of the position sensor.
Chang in view of Ohashi does not teach the magnetic sensor being arranged such that the base member surface is parallel to the magnetization direction and perpendicular to the magnetized surface.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the position detection system of Chang in view of Ohashi by positioning the magnetic sensor parallel to the magnetization direction and perpendicular to the magnetized surface as a matter of design choice in an attempt to maximize the sensitivity of the sensor or position it with space constraints (see In re Kuhle, 526 F.2d 553, 188 USPQ 7 (CCPA 1975)).
Regarding claim 2, Chang in view of Ohashi teaches the position detection system of claim 1, wherein Chang further teaches only one magnetic sensor being provided as the magnetic sensor for the coil (FIG. 6, 25).
Chang in view of Ohashi does not teach the only one magnetic sensor being disposed at a center of the coil in a direction parallel to the magnetization direction in front view of the magnetized surface.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the position detection system of Chang in view of Ohashi by positioning the magnetic sensor at a center of the coil in a direction parallel to the magnetization direction in front view of the magnetized surface as a matter of design choice in an attempt to maximize the sensitivity of the sensor or position it with space constraints (see In re Kuhle, 526 F.2d 553, 188 USPQ 7 (CCPA 1975)).
Regarding claim 3, Chang in view of Ohashi teaches the position detection system of claim 2.
Chang in view of Ohashi does not teach the only one magnetic sensor being disposed at the center of the coil surface in a direction perpendicular to the magnetization direction in the front view of the magnetized surface.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the position detection system of Chang in view of Ohashi by positioning the magnetic sensor at a center of the coil in a direction perpendicular to the magnetization direction in front view of the magnetized surface as a matter of design choice in an attempt to maximize the sensitivity of the sensor or position it with space constraints (see In re Kuhle, 526 F.2d 553, 188 USPQ 7 (CCPA 1975)).
Regarding claim 4, Chang in view of Ohashi teaches the position detection system of claim 2.
Chang in view of Ohashi does not teach the only one magnetic sensor being disposed outside of the coil surface in a direction perpendicular to the magnetization direction in the front view of the magnetized surface.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the position detection system of Chang in view of Ohashi by positioning the magnetic sensor outside of the coil surface in the direction perpendicular to the magnetization direction in front view of the magnetized surface as a matter of design choice in an attempt to maximize the sensitivity of the sensor or position it with space constraints (see In re Kuhle, 526 F.2d 553, 188 USPQ 7 (CCPA 1975)).
Regarding claim 5, Chang in view of Ohashi teaches the position detection system of claim 4.
Chang in view of Ohashi does not teach the only one magnetic sensor being disposed inside of the magnetized surface in the direction perpendicular to the magnetization direction in the front view of the magnetized surface.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the position detection system of Chang in view of Ohashi by positioning the magnetic sensor inside of the magnetized surface in the direction perpendicular to the magnetization direction in front view of the magnetized surface as a matter of design choice in an attempt to maximize the sensitivity of the sensor or position it with space constraints (see In re Kuhle, 526 F.2d 553, 188 USPQ 7 (CCPA 1975)).
Regarding claim 6, Chang in view of Ohashi teaches the position detection system of claim 1, wherein Ohashi further teaches the processing circuit being configured to perform an arctangent operation on the first output signal and the second output signal and determine an orientation of the magnetic field based on a result of the arctangent operation (Paragraph [0056]).
Regarding claim 8, Chang in view of Ohashi teaches the position detection system of claim 1, wherein Ohashi further teaches the magnetoresistance effect being a giant magnetoresistance effect (Paragraph [0003]).
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chang in view of Ohashi and in further view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0263260 to Jang et al. (hereinafter Jang).
Regarding claim 7, Chang in view of Ohashi teaches the position detection system of claim 1.
Chang in view of Ohashi does not teach the motor further including a mount board, the mount board being a board on which the coil is mounted and having a mount surface facing the coil surface of the coil, and the magnetic sensor being provided on the mount board such that the base member surface is perpendicular to the mount surface.
However, Jang teaches a motor including a mount board (FIG. 4, 130), the mount board being a board on which a coil (FIG. 4, 330a) is mounted (Paragraph [0084]) and having a mount surface facing the coil surface of the coil.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the position detection system of Chang in view of Ohashi with the mount board of Jang to reduce the size and mass of the motor which could be useful depending on the use case of the motor.
Chang in view of Ohashi and Jang does not teach the magnetic sensor being provided on the mount board such that the base member surface is perpendicular to the mount surface.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the position detection system of Chang in view of Ohashi and Jang by positioning the magnetic sensor on the mount board such that the base member surface is perpendicular to the mount surface as a matter of design choice in an attempt to maximize the sensitivity of the sensor or position it with space constraints (see In re Kuhle, 526 F.2d 553, 188 USPQ 7 (CCPA 1975)).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chang in view of Ohashi and in further view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020/0106962 to Smyth et al. (hereinafter Smyth).
Regarding claim 9, Chang in view of Ohashi teaches the position detection system of claim 1.
Chang in view of Ohashi does not teach the magnetoresistance effect being a tunnel magnetoresistance effect.
However, Smyth teaches a position detection system having a magnetic sensor (FIG. 1B, 144) having a tunnel magnetoresistance effect (Paragraph [0033]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the position detection system of Chang in view of Ohashi with the position sensor of Smyth as a tunnel magnetoresistance element may have a better performance than the giant magnetoresistance element of Chang in view of Ohashi.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSHUA KIEL MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-9881. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9:30am - 7:00pm ET.
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, Tulsidas Patel can be reached at (571) 272-2098. 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.
/JOSHUA KIEL M RODRIGUEZ/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/TULSIDAS C PATEL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834