VEHICLE TESTING APPARATUS AND
METHOD OF CONTROLLING OPERATION
OF VEHICLE TESTING APPARATUS
FIRST OFFICE ACTION
This action takes into account the Applicant’s preliminary amendment of Aug. 08, 2024.
DRAWINGS
The drawings have been considered and approved.
TITLE
The title is objected to because the title is vague, generic, and not clearly descriptive of the claimed invention. The claimed invention is directed to an apparatus for detecting an angular displacement of a tire during a turning angle.
ABSTRACT
The abstract has been considered and approved.
SPECIFICATION
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. The Applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which the Applicant may become aware of in the specification.
CLAIMS
In the event that the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the rationale supporting the rejection would be the same.
35 U.S.C. § 102
In accordance with 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1), a person shall be entitled to a patent unless 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.
Claims 1, 4, and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wakamori et al. (5,313,710).
With respect to independent claim 1, Wakamori et al. set forth a vehicle testing apparatus, comprising:
a roller (76) on which a tire (64) of a vehicle is placed;
a roller rotation mechanism (14) executing a roller rotation operation of rotating a rotation object set including the roller; and
a displacement sensor (82) detecting an angular displacement (ie. toe) on a tire turning angle, using a measurement target region on the outer surface (sidewall) of the tire as a detection target to obtain angle measurement information (toe), the tire turning angle being an angle with respect to a reference direction of the tire (ie. direction of travel),
wherein the displacement sensor includes a fixed displacement sensor (82) fixedly disposed in a non-moving position when the roller rotation mechanism executes the roller rotation operation (Fig. 1).
With respect to claim 4, Wakamori et al. set forth a roller rotation controller executing a rotation control process based on the angle measurement information,
wherein the rotation control process causes the roller rotation mechanism to execute the roller rotation operation so that a geometry between the roller and the tire is maintained constant without being angularly deviated (col. 2, lines 40+; see “the wheel holding mechanisms each include position adjusting mechanisms for adjusting the vertical position of the pair of holding rollers with respect to the direction of the height of the wheel”).
With respect to claim 8, Wakamori et al. set forth a method of controlling an operation of the vehicle testing apparatus, comprising the steps of:
(a) receiving the angle measurement information from the fixed displacement sensor
(col. 1, lines 50+; see toe angle detecting apparatus capable of detecting a toe angle);
(b) obtaining the tire turning angle as the angular displacement from the angle measurement information (col. 1, lines 45+; see detecting a toe angle with high accuracy); and
(c) causing the roller rotation mechanism to execute the roller rotation operation so that
the roller rotates at a rotation angle matching the tire turning angle (col. 2, lines 40+; see “the wheel holding mechanisms each include position adjusting mechanisms for adjusting the vertical position of the pair of holding rollers with respect to the direction of the height of the wheel”).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 is objected to as being dependent upon rejected claim 1, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of claim 1 because the prior art fails to teach or suggest the process of computing the angular displacement comprising the steps of:
(a) determining, based on the plurality of measurement distances, a plurality of measurement coordinates indicating coordinate positions of the plurality of measurement points on a plane;
(b) determining, from the plurality of measurement coordinates, a tire approximate linear line for approximating an orientation of the tire; and
(c) determining, as the angular displacement, an angle between the tire approximate linear line and the reference direction.
After a search of the prior art, independent claim 6 (and dependent claim 7) have been found to be allowable over the prior art because the prior art fails to teach or suggest a vehicle testing apparatus comprising:
a left displacement sensor detecting a left-tire distance to the first-type left tire, using a left measurement target region in the first-type left tire as a detection target to obtain left distance measurement information; and
a right displacement sensor detecting a right-tire distance to the first-type right tire, using a right measurement target region in the first-type right tire as a detection target to obtain right distance measurement information,
in combination with the remaining limitations of the claim.
CITED DOCUMENTS
The Applicant’s attention is directed to the “PTO-892” form for the relevant art made of record at the time of this Office Action.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Any inquiry concerning this communication from the Examiner should be directed to Eric S. McCall whose telephone number is 571-272-2183.
The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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https://www.uspto.gov/patents/uspto-automated- interview-request-air-form.
/Eric S. McCall/Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2855
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