DETAILED ACTION
Notice to Applicant
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
2. Claims 1-8 are pending.
Priority
3. Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
4. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
5. Claims 5-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Per claim 5, the detection electrode is stated as being provided “near” a connection region between the rim portion and the spoke portion. However, in light of the specification, it is unclear the extent to which a distance between the detection electrode and the connection region qualifies the detection electrode as being “near” the connection region. Appropriate correction is required. Claims 6-7 are consequently rejected due to their dependence on claim 5.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
6. 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.
7. Claims 1-2, 5-6, and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious in view of Yamazaki et al. (US 2024/0182104 – hereinafter “Yamazaki”) and Saburi et al. (US 2020/0377138 – hereinafter “Saburi”).
Per claim 1, Yamazaki teaches a gripping detection device (Fig. 1; gripping determination system 1; ¶30), comprising:
a capacitive sensor part (Fig. 3; operational panel 20; ¶36, 44, and 47) that is provided at a spoke portion (Fig. 2; spoke part 3; ¶44) of a steering wheel (Fig. 2; steering device 2; ¶43) and includes a detection electrode (Fig. 3; plating layer 211; ¶47) facing a rim portion (Fig. 2; rim part 10; ¶33) of the steering wheel (An operation panel 20, which may be disposed on a spoke part 3 of a steering device 2, includes a plating layer 211 that serves as a detection electrode. A side of the plating layer 211 faces the rim part 10 (Figs. 2-3; ¶47));
a control part (Fig. 1; electrostatic capacitance detecting part 50; ¶46) configured to control the capacitive sensor part; and
a determination part (Fig. 1; determining part 60; ¶50) configured to determine presence or absence of a finger gripping the rim portion based on a hover detection result obtained by the capacitive sensor part (The electrostatic capacitance detecting part 50 periodically detects an electrostatic capacitance from the plating layer 211 and outputs detecting results to a determining part 60. Based on the detecting results, the determining part 60 determines whether or not a driver is gripping the steering device 2 (¶46 and 50)).
However, Yamazaki does not explicitly teach the device wherein the control part includes a processor, and a memory storing one or more programs, which when executed, cause the processor to: use a core metal of the steering wheel as a shield electrode of the capacitive sensor part.
In contrast, Saburi teaches a device for measuring a change in electric potential caused by capacitive coupling occurring between a palm of a user and a sensing electrode 21 of a steering wheel 1 wherein a core 10 of the steering wheel 1 serves as a shield electrode 103. The core 10 and the sensing electrode 21 are controlled to be at the same potential via a voltage follower circuit (Figs. 2 and 5; ¶18-19 and 32).
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 device of Yamazaki such that the electrostatic capacitance detecting part 50 includes a processor, and a memory storing one or more programs, which when executed, cause the processor to: use a metal core 33 of the steering device 2 as a shield electrode of the operational panel 20. One of ordinary skill would make such a modification for the purpose of preventing a noise from entering into a sensing electrode from an outside noise source (Saburi; ¶31).
Per claim 2, Yamazaki in view of Saburi teaches the gripping detection device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more programs, when executed, cause the processor to: drive the core metal of the steering wheel as an active shield electrode (In the device of Yamazaki in view of Saburi, the metal core 33 of the steering device 2 would be driven to have the same potential as the plating layer 211 (Saburi; ¶18)).
Per claim 5, Yamazaki in view of Saburi teaches the gripping detection device according to claim 1, wherein the detection electrode is provided near a connection region between the rim portion and the spoke portion (The plating layer 211 is provided near a connection region between the rim part 10 and the spoke part 3 (Fig. 2; ¶36)).
Per claim 6, Yamazaki in view of Saburi teaches the gripping detection device according to claim 5, wherein the detection electrode is provided integrally with a switch unit that is provided in the spoke portion of the steering wheel (The plating layer 211 is provided integrally with a switch of the operation panel 20 which is provided in the spoke part 3 of the steering device 2 (¶36)).
Per claim 8, Yamazaki in view of Saburi teaches a steering device (Fig. 1; ¶30), comprising: the gripping detection device of claim 1; and the steering wheel.
8. Claims 3-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious in view of Yamazaki and Saburi, in further view of Schneider et al. (US 2024/0034387 – hereinafter “Schneider”).
Per claim 3, Yamazaki in view of Saburi teaches the gripping detection device according to claim 2, wherein the core metal of the steering wheel is an integrally provided core metal of: a rim core metal portion provided at a center of the rim portion; and a spoke core metal portion forming the spoke portion (A metal core 33 of the steering device 2 is a skeletal structure portion constituting the rim part 10 and spoke parts 3 (Fig. 2; ¶39)).
Yamazaki in view of Saburi does not explicitly teach the gripping detection device wherein the control part is connected to the spoke core metal portion, and the one or more programs, when executed, cause the processor to: drive the rim core metal portion as the active shield electrode through the spoke core metal portion.
In contrast, Schneider teaches a steering wheel assembly for detecting touch on a steering wheel rim 5 wherein a desired potential is applied to a steering wheel core 4 via a steering wheel spoke 7 (Fig. 1; ¶26).
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 device of Yamazaki in view of Saburi such that the electrostatic capacitance detecting part 50 is configured to drive the metal core 33 of the rim part 10 by applying a potential through the metal core 33 of the spoke part 3. One of ordinary skill would make such a modification for the purpose of applying a potential to a steering wheel core of a steering wheel (Schneider; ¶26).
Per claim 4, Yamazaki in view of Saburi does not explicitly teach the gripping detection device according to claim 2, wherein the one or more programs, when executed, cause the processor to: drive the active shield electrode by a drive signal having a waveform synchronized with a drive signal of the detection electrode
In contrast, Schneider teaches a steering wheel assembly for detecting touch on a steering wheel rim 5 wherein a measuring potential is applied to an electrode 6 extending along a circumference of the steering wheel rim 5 (¶24-25).
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 device of Yamazaki in view of Saburi such that the plating layer 211 is driven with a drive signal and the metal core 33 is driven with a drive signal having a waveform synchronized with the drive signal of the plating layer 211. One of ordinary skill would make such a modification for the purpose of applying a measuring potential to an electrode for touch detection (Schneider; ¶25) and controlling the metal core 33 and the plating layer 211 to have the same potential (Saburi; ¶18).
Claim Remarks
9. Although claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b), the prior art of record does not explicitly teach or suggest the subject matter of this claim. Per claim 7, the prior art of record is silent on the gripping detection device according to claim 6, wherein the switch unit includes a pair of corners at positions facing the rim portion, and the capacitive sensor part includes a first detection electrode that is the detection electrode bent and disposed along one of the pair of corners, and a second detection electrode that is the detection electrode bent and disposed along another corner of the pair of corners.
Conclusion
10. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAS A. SANGHERA whose telephone number is (571)272-4787. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th, alt. Fri, 8-5 EST.
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/JAS A SANGHERA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852