DETAILED ACTION
Specification
This objection is withdrawn due to the amendments made to the specification.
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(s) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Hwang (U.S. Pat. No. 7,908,056).
Regarding claim 1 and 15, Hwang discloses a steering control device configured to operate a motor mechanically coupled to an operation member (100) that is operated by a driver to steer a vehicle, wherein:
the steering control device is configured to execute a torque control process (Abstract), a feedback amount calculation process (col. 5, lines 41-50), and an automatic control calculation process (fig. 3);
the torque control process is a process of controlling torque of the motor according to a value of a required torque variable (col. 4, lines 6-7 “torque signal”);
the required torque variable is a variable that indicates a target value for the torque of the motor;
the feedback amount calculation process (col. 5, lines 41-50 discusses forces which is torque) is a process of calculating a value of the required torque variable in order to control steering torque to target steering torque through feedback control;
the steering torque is torque to be input to the operation member (col. 6, lines 16-22 discusses the reaction force placed on the steering wheel); and
the automatic control calculation process (the restoring force can be independent of wheel operation) is a process of calculating a value of the required torque variable for displacing the operation member separately from an operation of the operation member by the driver.
Regarding claim 2 which depends from claim 1, Hwang discloses wherein: the automatic control calculation process includes a damping process of calculating a value of the required torque variable according to a value of a turning speed variable (col. 5, lines 44-50 discloses considering the turning speed); and the turning speed variable is a variable that indicates a rotational speed of the motor or a yaw rate of the vehicle (the turning speed is an indication of yaw rate of the vehicle).
Regarding claim 3 which depends from claim 2, Hwang discloses wherein the value of the required torque variable to be input to the torque control process is a value synthesized from the value of the required torque variable calculated through the feedback amount calculation process and the value of the required torque variable calculated through the automatic control calculation process (the values depend on sensed values of themselves).
Regarding claim 4 which depends from claim 3, Hwang discloses wherein: the steering control device is configured to execute a target steering torque (313 determines torque target) calculation process; the target steering torque calculation process is a process of calculating the target steering torque according to a value of a vehicle speed variable; the vehicle speed variable is a variable that indicates a travel speed of the vehicle; and the damping process is a process of calculating a value of the required torque variable according to the value of the turning speed variable and the value of the vehicle speed variable(col. 7, lines 39-44 discloses a consideration of vehicle speed and steering velocity).
Regarding claim 5 which depends from claim 2, Hwang discloses wherein: the automatic control calculation process includes, in addition to the damping process, a turning speed feedback process of calculating a value of the required torque variable as an amount of operation for controlling the value of the turning speed variable to a value of a target turning speed variable through feedback control (col. 5, lines 45-54 discloses the feedback and how it effects the forces and speed); and the turning speed variable is a variable that indicates a rotational speed of the motor or a yaw rate of the vehicle.
Regarding claim 6 which depends from claim 1, Hwang discloses wherein: the automatic control calculation process includes a turning speed feedback process of calculating a value of the required torque variable as an amount of operation for controlling a value of a turning speed variable to a value of a target turning speed variable through feedback control (the force applied to the motor is directly correlated to its movement); and the turning speed variable is a variable that indicates a rotational speed of the motor or a yaw rate of the vehicle.
Regarding claim 7 which depends from claim 5, Hwang discloses wherein: the steering control device is configured to execute a target turning speed calculation process; the target turning speed calculation process is a process of calculating a value of the target turning speed variable according to a value of a steering variable; and the steering variable is a variable that indicates an amount of displacement of the operation member (shown in fig. 1-2).
Regarding claim 8 which depends from claim 5, Hwang discloses wherein the value of the required torque variable to be input to the torque control process is a value synthesized from the value of the required torque variable calculated through the feedback amount calculation process and the value of the required torque variable calculated through the automatic control calculation process (these values are dependent on each other).
Regarding claim 9 which depends from claim 8, Hwang discloses wherein: the steering control device is configured to execute a target turning speed calculation process; the target turning speed calculation process is a process of calculating a value of the target turning speed variable according to a value of a vehicle speed variable (shown in fig. 6 is how the variables combine in order to make the resulting forces and speeds); the vehicle speed variable is a variable that indicates a travel speed of the vehicle (col. 7, lines 39-44 discloses how the vehicle speed helps to calculate the damping on the turning of the wheels).
Regarding claim 10 which depends from claim 1, Hwang discloses wherein: the automatic control calculation process includes a steering feedback process of calculating a value of the required torque variable as an amount of operation for controlling a value of a steering variable to a value of a target steering variable through feedback control; and the steering variable is a variable that indicates an amount of displacement of the operation member (the target value are the angles the speed and the torque which all effect the displacement of the vehicle).
Regarding claim 11 which depends from claim 1, Hwang discloses wherein: the steering control device is configured to execute a switching process; and the switching process is a process of switching, according to an operation state of the operation member, the value of the required torque variable to be input to the torque control process to one of two values including the value of the required torque variable calculated through the feedback amount calculation process and the value of the required torque variable calculated through the automatic control calculation process (a switch to other values occurs with any new input).
Regarding claim 12 which depends from claim 11, Hwang discloses wherein: the steering control device is configured to execute a gradually changing process; and the gradually changing process is a process of causing the value of the required torque variable to be input to the torque control process to gradually transition from a first value to a second value of two values including the value of the required torque variable calculated through the feedback amount calculation process and the value of the required torque variable calculated through the automatic control calculation process when the value of the required torque variable to be input to the torque control process is switched from the first value to the second value through the switching process (shown in fig. 6 is a gradual change).
Regarding claim 13 which depends from claim 1, Hwang discloses wherein: the steering control device is configured to execute a contribution rate varying process; the contribution rate varying process is a process of receiving a value of a steering torque variable as an input and changing respective rates of contribution of the value of the required torque variable calculated through the feedback amount calculation process and the value of the required torque variable calculated through the automatic control calculation process to the value of the required torque variable to be input to the torque control process; the steering torque variable is a variable that indicates steering torque; and the steering torque is torque to be applied to the operation member (shown in fig. 8 is a gradual change).
Regarding claim 14 which depends from claim 1, Hwang discloses wherein the steering control device is configured to execute the torque control process with the operation member and steered wheels of the vehicle mechanically disconnected from each other (Abstract).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/22/25 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues on pages 3-5 that the cited reference does not do feedback torque control. To address this limitation col. 5, lines 41-50 were cited which use the word feedback in describing the process that controls the steering. This value is then disclosed as being input into the steering feel generation motor which is the torque applied to the steering wheel. In calculating torque that is applied to the wheels of the vehicle that is disclosed in col. 5, lines 30-40 where gains are assigned based on error values, those error values being the steering angle signals. Feedback is simply signals from the system in order to inform the controlling signals. The error signals that are the steering angle would provide feedback about needed torque to either reach the needed angle, lack of torque needed because the angle has been reached and negative torque because the angle has been overshot.
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.
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GONZALO LAGUARDA
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3747 email: gonzalo.laguarda@uspto.gov
/GONZALO LAGUARDA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747