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 .
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 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.
DETAILED ACTION
Claims status
Claims 1-16 are pending as the applicant filed Preliminary Amendment on 06/26/2024.
Citation of Relevant Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure. See MPEP 707.05. Although the prior art discloses several unclaimed, some claimed limitation. The closest Prior Art of record are considered to be defined by:
ZHANG, CN 111800057 B, Date Published: 2022-03-04, CPC H02P 21/141 described a prediction control method for permanent magnet synchronous motor, wherein it comprises: step one, obtaining the electromagnetic torque given by the current period, estimating the electromagnetic torque of the next period, using the sampling period to convert the difference value of the two to the torque change rate given by the next period; step two, according to the torque change rate of the motor in the front two periods, estimating the torque change rate reference of respectively d-axis and q-axis coefficient in the current period; based on this, establishing the torque change rate curve based on the voltage vector angle in the dq coordinate system, establishing the torque change rate curve by using the following expression: wherein HT represents the torque change rate of the torque change rate curve longitudinal coordinate, θ represents the voltage vector angle corresponding to the reference voltage vector of the torque change rate curve abscissa, k represents the sequence number of the current period, HT (k-1) represents the torque change rate of the (k-1) period, θ [k-1] represents the dq coordinate system of the k-1 period of the voltage vector angle, θ [k-2] represents the k-2 period of dq coordinate system voltage vector angle, represents the estimated d-axis torque change rate reference coefficient, ΔTe [k-1] represents the electromagnetic torque variation of the k-1 period, ΔTe [k-2] represents the k-2 period of the electromagnetic torque variation, Ts represents the time corresponding to the sampling period, represents the estimated q-axis torque change rate reference coefficient; step three, the torque change rate curve is intersected with the curve corresponding to the torque change rate given by the next period, obtaining two reference voltage vectors, based on this, combining the change of the current magnetic flux, from the basic voltage vector corresponding to all the sectors, filter three basic voltage vectors, wherein the three basic voltage vectors are filter according to the following way: : determining a first reference sector of the first position angle corresponding to the first reference voltage vector, and a second reference sector of the second position angle corresponding to the second reference voltage vector; comparing the difference between the two position angles with the preset sector angle, based on the comparison result, and referring to the current period flux vector and the increment or decrement change of the previous cycle flux vector, and the position of the first reference sector and the second reference sector, from a plurality of basic voltage vector, selecting the three basic voltage vector, wherein the difference value of the two position angles is greater than or equal to the sector angle, comprising: when the current magnetic flux change condition is increment change, determining the reference sector in the first reference sector and the second reference sector located in the d-axis positive direction, and taking two non-zero basic voltage vector and zero vector involved in the reference sector as the three basic voltage vectors; when the current magnetic flux change condition is decrement change, determining the reference sector in the first reference sector and the second reference sector located in the d-axis negative direction, and taking two non-zero basic voltage vectors and zero vectors involved in the reference sector as the three basic voltage vectors; when the difference between the two position angles is less than the sector angle, comprising: if the first reference sector and the second reference sector are the same target sector, if the current magnetic flux change condition is increment change, determining the current target sector and the sector located in the current target sector d-axis positive direction, and selecting three non-zero basic voltage vectors constituting the two sectors as the three basic voltage vectors; when the current magnetic flux change condition is decrement change, determining the current target sector and the sector located in the current target sector d-axis negative direction, and selecting three non-zero basic voltage vector constituting the two sectors as the three basic voltage vectors; if the first reference sector and the second reference sector are not in the same target sector, then selecting three non-zero basic voltage vectors constituting the two sectors as the three basic voltage vectors; step four, estimating the magnetic flux vector of the current period after the delay compensation, substituting the three basic voltage vectors into the continuous expression corresponding to the torque change rate curve to estimate the torque change rate of the next period, then according to the torque change rate given by the next period, the torque change rate estimated at the next period, the magnetic flux vector given by the current period and the estimated magnetic flux vector of the current period after the delay compensation, using the preset value function, determining the optimal voltage vector, outputting the optimal pulse output signal by the inverter to control the motor.
REN, CN 105203098 B, Date Published: 2018-10-02, CPC G01C 21/12 described a kind of MEMS sensor based on nine of the agricultural machinery full attitude corner updating method, wherein the nine MEMS sensor based on agricultural machinery full attitude corner updating method comprises the following steps: establishing a gyro error model. electronic compass calibration ellipse model and the EKF filtering mode, and setting the corresponding vehicle body movement posture of the parameter vector, gyro error model to calculate the gyro corner speed by gyroscope error calculation formula, wherein the gyroscope error calculation formula: ω = ω + b ω + b ω g, wherein ω is a gyroscope output corner speed, ω is a gyroscope real corner speed, b ω is a gyroscope zero drift, b ω is a gyroscope output white noise by the electronic compass calibration elliptical model to eliminate the magnetic field interference, wherein electronic compass calibration elliptical model: mx, my is the magnetic field strength, Xoffset, and Yoffset are hard magnetic interference, Xsf and Ysf are soft magnetic interference, performing update processing to the body posture by EKF filtering model, wherein EKF filter model is an extended state vector of Kalman filter EKF comprises state equation and observation equation: y=h (x) + v1 state matrix x = (q b ω r], q is the quaternion vector [q0q1q2q3] T, wherein ω is a gyroscope output corner speed, w1 is the process noise matrix, v1 is the observation noise matrix, y is the observation y = mag (a ψ] T, wherein a three-axis acceleration value, calculation for the electronic compass ψ mag of course angle; acquiring real-time acceleration of the vehicle movement by nine MEMS sensor, corner velocity and the earth magnetic field intensity data; according to the obtained body motion acceleration, corner speed and the earth magnetic field intensity data through the established gyro error model, electronic compass calibration elliptical model to calculate the angle of the vehicle, speed and position information, course angle, angle of the car body through EKF filter model, speed and position information, course angle data fusion processing, for performing real-time update motion attitude of the vehicle body angle; wherein the nine MEMS sensor is composed of three-axis gyroscope, a three-axis accelerometer and a three-axis geomagnetic sensor.
WU, CN 103675718 B, Date Published: 2017-01-04, CPC G01R 33/02 described electromagnetic tracking system corresponding to the cosine function curve fitting method of magnetic induction intensity is the maximum value is determined based on the rotating magnetic field source, comprising a rotating magnetic field source unit for realizing scanning, fixing the three-axis magnetic sensor unit for collecting position on the tracking target of the magnetic induction intensity, and the magnetic field source rotating/driving control, the three-axis magnetic sensor unit for pre-processing the collected data, a cosine function curve fitting calculation, determining of the control processing unit of corresponding to the magnetic induction intensity data maximum value calculation and the maximum rotation angle of the magnetic field source.
Nitta (US 10338175 B2) described a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising: processing circuitry configured to generate a plurality of cross-sectional images for setting a sectional position to be collected in main imaging based on a characteristic portion of a target detected in three-dimensional data, list the cross-sectional images on a display and superimpose a mark corresponding to the characteristic portion on at least one of the cross-sectional images, receive a setting operation to determine the sectional position, cause, when the mark is selected in the setting operation, a cross-sectional image among the listed cross-sectional images to be emphasized, a sectional position of the cross-sectional image being defined using the characteristic portion corresponding to the mark, and perform main imaging based on the sectional position after the setting operation, wherein when the position of the mark is changed in the setting operation, the processing circuitry calculates an angle using the characteristic portion corresponding to the mark, the angle being an angle between a vector corresponding to a change of the position and a normal vector of the cross-sectional image, and the processing circuitry causes the cross-sectional image to be emphasized in a degree corresponding to the calculated angle.
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 1-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to a judicial exception (i.e., a law of nature, a natural phenomenon, or an abstract idea) without significantly more.
Claim 1, Step 1 the claim is a process (or machine) (Yes),
Step 2A Prong One, does the claim recite an abstract idea? current claim related to method for determining an orientation of a target magnet in a magnetic position sensor with a sensor array having a number of at least three sensor elements, said method comprising the steps: gathering a number of magnetic vector data; calculating vector angle data from the gathered magnetic vector data and calculating progressions of the gathered magnetic vector data appears is an abstract idea of mental process (MPEP 2106.04(a)) or data gathering equivalent to mathematical concept or mathematical manipulation function (MPEP 2106.04 (a) (2) (concept need not be expressed in mathematical symbols, because "[w]ords used in a claim operating on data to solve a problem can serve the same purpose as a formula), (OR Mathematical Concepts and Mental Processes) Step 2A Prong One: Yes.
Step 2A Prong Two, is the claim directed to an abstract idea? In other words, does claim recite additional elements that integrate the Judicial Exception into a practical application? the additional elements of excluding at least one of the at least two predefined specific sets of circumstances on the a basis of the monotonized vector angle data calculating expected progressions for non-excluded specific sets of circumstances are recited at a high level of generality and merely amount to a particular field of use (see MPEP 2106.05(h)) and/or insignificant post-solution activity (MPEP 2106.05(g)), this does not integrate the Judicial Exception into a practical application,
Step 2A Prong Two: NO.
Step 2B, Does the claim recite additional element that amount to significantly more than the Judicial exception? the additional elements of determining an orientation of the target magnet using the calculated progressions of gathered vector data and the calculated, expected progressions appears to be field of use (See MPEP 2106.05(h) and MPEP 2106.05(f)) and/or merely amounts to insignificant extra-solution output of the results (see MPEP 2106.05(g)) and therefore fails to integrate the abstract idea into a practical application or amount to significantly more. Step 2B: No. claim 1 not eligible.
Claim 14, Step 1 the claim is a process (or machine) (Yes),
Step 2A Prong One, does the claim recite an abstract idea? current claim related to computer program product, comprising a computer-readable
storage medium with a computer-readable program code incorporated therein, the computer-readable program code being configured such that it implements a method for determining an orientation of a target magnet in a magnetic position sensor with a sensor array having a number of at least three sensor elements comprising the steps: gathering a number of magnetic vector data;
calculating vector angle data from the gathered vector data and calculating
progressions of the gathered vector data; monotonizing the calculated vector angle data for at least two predefined specific sets of circumstances, that is to say by increasing or reducing individual angle values of the calculated vector angle data appears is an abstract idea of mental process (MPEP 2106.04(a)) or data gathering equivalent to mathematical concept or mathematical manipulation function (MPEP 2106.04 (a) (2) (concept need not be expressed in mathematical symbols, because "[w]ords used in a claim operating on data to solve a problem can serve the same purpose as a formula), (OR Mathematical Concepts and Mental Processes) Step 2A Prong One: Yes.
Step 2A Prong Two, is the claim directed to an abstract idea? In other words, does claim recite additional elements that integrate the Judicial Exception into a practical application? the additional elements of excluding at least one of the at least two predefined specific sets of circumstances on the basis of the monotonized vector angle data; calculating expected progressions for non-excluded specific sets of circumstances are recited at a high level of generality and merely amount to a particular field of use (see MPEP 2106.05(h)) and/or insignificant post-solution activity (MPEP 2106.05(g)), this does not integrate the Judicial Exception into a practical application,
Step 2A Prong Two: NO.
Step 2B, Does the claim recite additional element that amount to significantly more than the Judicial exception? the additional elements of determining the orientation of the target magnet using the calculated progressions of gathered vector data and the calculated, expected progressions appears to be field of use (See MPEP 2106.05(h) and MPEP 2106.05(f)) and/or merely amounts to insignificant extra-solution output of the results (see MPEP 2106.05(g)) and therefore fails to integrate the abstract idea into a practical application or amount to significantly more. Step 2B: No. claim 14 not eligible.
Claim 15, Step 1 the claim is a process (or machine) (Yes),
Step 2A Prong One, does the claim recite an abstract idea? current claim related to device for operating a magnetic position sensor according to a method for determining the orientation of a target magnet, the method comprising the steps: gathering a number of magnetic vector data: calculating vector angle data from the gathered vector data and calculating progressions of the gathered vector data; monotonizing the calculated vector angle data for at least two predefined specific sets of circumstances, that is to say by increasing or reducing individual angle values of the calculated vector angle data appears is an abstract idea of mental process (MPEP 2106.04(a)) or data gathering equivalent to mathematical concept or mathematical manipulation function (MPEP 2106.04 (a) (2) (concept need not be expressed in mathematical symbols, because "[w]ords used in a claim operating on data to solve a problem can serve the same purpose as a formula), (OR Mathematical Concepts and Mental Processes) Step 2A Prong One: Yes.
Step 2A Prong Two, is the claim directed to an abstract idea? In other words, does claim recite additional elements that integrate the Judicial Exception into a practical application? the additional elements of excluding at least one of the at least two predefined specific sets of circumstances on the basis of the monotonized vector angle data; calculating expected progressions for non-excluded specific sets of circumstances are recited at a high level of generality and merely amount to a particular field of use (see MPEP 2106.05(h)) and/or insignificant post-solution activity (MPEP 2106.05(g)), this does not integrate the Judicial Exception into a practical application,
Step 2A Prong Two: NO.
Step 2B, Does the claim recite additional element that amount to significantly more than the Judicial exception? the additional elements of determining the orientation of the target magnet using the calculated progressions of gathered vector data and the calculated, expected progressions appears to be field of use (See MPEP 2106.05(h) and MPEP 2106.05(f)) and/or merely amounts to insignificant extra-solution output of the results (see MPEP 2106.05(g)) and therefore fails to integrate the abstract idea into a practical application or amount to significantly more. Step 2B: No. claim 15 not eligible.
Claim 16, Step 1 the claim is a process (or machine) (Yes),
Step 2A Prong One, does the claim recite an abstract idea? current claim related to magnetic position sensor, characterized by a device for
operating a position sensor according to a method comprising the steps:
gathering a number of magnetic vector data: calculating vector angle data from the gathered vector data and calculating progressions of the gathered vector data; monotonizing the calculated vector angle data for at least two predefined
specific sets of circumstances, that is to say by increasing or reducing individual
angle values of the calculated vector angle data appears is an abstract idea of mental process (MPEP 2106.04(a)) or data gathering equivalent to mathematical concept or mathematical manipulation function (MPEP 2106.04 (a) (2) (concept need not be expressed in mathematical symbols, because "[w]ords used in a claim operating on data to solve a problem can serve the same purpose as a formula), (OR Mathematical Concepts and Mental Processes) Step 2A Prong One: Yes.
Step 2A Prong Two, is the claim directed to an abstract idea? In other words, does claim recite additional elements that integrate the Judicial Exception into a practical application? the additional elements of excluding at least one of the at least two predefined specific sets of circumstances on the basis of the monotonized vector angle data; calculating expected progressions for non-excluded specific sets of circumstances are recited at a high level of generality and merely amount to a particular field of use (see MPEP 2106.05(h)) and/or insignificant post-solution activity (MPEP 2106.05(g)), this does not integrate the Judicial Exception into a practical application,
Step 2A Prong Two: NO.
Step 2B, Does the claim recite additional element that amount to significantly more than the Judicial exception? the additional elements of determining the orientation of the target magnet using the calculated progressions of gathered vector data and the calculated, expected progressions appears to be field of use (See MPEP 2106.05(h) and MPEP 2106.05(f)) and/or merely amounts to insignificant extra-solution output of the results (see MPEP 2106.05(g)) and therefore fails to integrate the abstract idea into a practical application or amount to significantly more. Step 2B: No. claim 16 not eligible.
Claim 2 related to the orientation of the target magnet is determined by comparing the similarity or correspondence between the measured progressions of gathered vector data and the calculated, expected progressions, its recites further data characterization and mathematical concepts that are part of the abstract idea, claim 2 not eligible.
Claim 3 related to wherein in addition such specific sets of circumstances in which the monotonized vector angle data do not correspond to the vector angle data calculated from the gathered vector data are excluded, its recites further data characterization and mathematical concepts that are part of the abstract idea, claim 3 not eligible.
Claim 4 related to in that the gathered magnetic vector data are transferred to an X-Z plane through a rotating transformation and corresponding vector angles and vector lengths are calculated from the data transformed in this way, its recites further data characterization and mathematical concepts that are part of the abstract idea, claim 4 not eligible.
Claim 5 related to possible specific sets of circumstances are determined from the corresponding vector angle data and vector length data, its recites further data characterization and mathematical concepts that are part of the abstract idea, claim 5 not eligible.
Claim 6 related to wherein the calculated vector angle data are monotonized by adding values +/- 2 Pi(), its recites further data characterization and mathematical concepts that are part of the abstract idea, claim 6 not eligible.
Claim 7 related to wherein the calculated vector angle data are shifted into ranges of currently determined specific sets of circumstances, that is to say by simultaneously adding and/or subtracting 2 Pi() to/from each angle value, its recites further data characterization and mathematical concepts that are part of the abstract idea, claim 7 not eligible.
Claim 8 related to wherein, when determining the orientation of the target magnet, similarity data between measured progressions and expected progressions are calculated by comparing the similarity or correspondence between the calculated progressions of gathered vector data and the calculated, expected progressions, its recites further data characterization and mathematical concepts that are part of the abstract idea, claim 8 not eligible.
Claim 9 related to the target magnet is arranged in relation to a sensor element either according to a first set of circumstances below a line of arrangement of the sensor elements or according to a second set of circumstances above the line of arrangement, its recites further data characterization and mathematical concepts that are part of the abstract idea, claim 9 not eligible.
Claim 10 related to wherein by eight possible specific sets of circumstances of the target magnet which result from the first and second sets of circumstances and from the four possible main alignments of the a magnetic moment of the target magnet, its recites further data characterization and mathematical concepts that are part of the abstract idea, claim 10 not eligible.
Claim 11 related to the first and second sets of circumstances of the target magnet are achieved by rotating a coordinate system of the a position sensor about its X-axis, its recites further data characterization and mathematical concepts that are part of the abstract idea, claim 11 not eligible.
Claim 12 related to wherein the rotating transformation is carried out by a rotation operation according to the method of principal component analysis "PCA" of the y and Z components of the gathered magnetic field vectors, the z-axis being rotated in the a direction of maximum variability of the an output signal of the target magnet and/or in the direction of the a greatest distribution of data points, its recites further data characterization and mathematical concepts that are part of the abstract idea, claim 12 not eligible.
Claim 13 related to wherein an ambiguity +/-2*Pi() is resolved through a collective shifting of the measured vector angle values by a suitable integer multiple of a full angle, its recites further data characterization and mathematical concepts that are part of the abstract idea, claim 13 not eligible.
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4. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Tung Lau whose telephone number is (571)272-2274, email is Tungs.lau@uspto.gov. The examiner can normally be reached on Tuesday-Friday 7:00 AM-5:00 PM EST.
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/TUNG S LAU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2857
Technology Center 2800
September 7, 2026
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