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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1, the phrase “in a case where the lower braking unit pressurizes the wheel pressure, the upper braking unit reduces a rotation number of the electric motor as compared with a case where the lower braking unit does not pressurize the wheel pressure” is unclear what is meant by “the upper braking unit reduces a rotation number of the electric motor when the lower braking unit pressurizes the wheel pressure, as compared with the lower braking unit does not pressurize the wheel pressure”.
Regarding the phrase “rotation number” is indefinite because it is unclear what is meant by “rotation number”. For example, it refers to RPM or reduction of the pump/motor speed.
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.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamamoto et al. (US – 2020/0339082 A1).
As per claim 1, Yamamoto discloses Vehicle Brake device comprising:
an upper braking unit (4, Fig: 1) configured to pressurize a supply pressure by throttling, with a pressure adjustment valve (41, 42, The servo pressure generation device 4 includes a pressure reducing valve 41 (corresponding “pressure adjusting electromagnetic valve”), a pressure increasing valve 42 (corresponding to “pressure adjusting electromagnetic valve”, [0039], Fig: 1), a circulation flow discharged by a fluid pump driven (432, Fig: 1) by an electric motor (433, Fig: 1); and
a lower braking unit (5, Fig: 1 and 3) disposed between the upper braking unit and a wheel cylinder (W, Fig: 1) and configured to pressurize the supply pressure to output a wheel pressure to the wheel cylinder (The actuator 5 is disposed between the first master chamber 1D and second master chamber 1E in which the master pressure is generated and the wheel cylinders 541 to 544, [0059], Fig: 1 and 3), wherein
in a case where the lower braking unit pressurizes the wheel pressure, the upper braking unit reduces a rotation number of the electric motor as compared with a case where the lower braking unit does not pressurize the wheel pressure, (the actuator 5 includes a hydraulic circuit 5A, and an electric motor 90. The hydraulic circuit 5A includes a first pipe system 50a, and a second pipe system 50b. The first pipe system 50a is a system configured to control fluid pressures (wheel pressures) that are applied to rear wheels Wrl and Wrr. The second pipe system 50bis a system configured to control fluid pressures (wheel pressures) that are applied to front wheels Wfl and Wfr. Also, each of the wheels W is provided with a wheel speed sensor 76. In the first embodiment, a front and rear pipe is adopted, [0059] – [0060], Fig: 1 and 3).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2 is allowed.
Prior art fails to disclose when the lower braking unit does not pressurize the wheel pressure, control a rotation number of the electric motor based on an instruction flow rate calculated from the target pressure and a compensation flow rate calculated from the supply pressure, and
when the lower braking unit pressurizes the wheel pressure, control the rotation number of the electric motor based only on the compensation flow rate.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
A: MARUYAMA et al. (US – 2021/0221231 A1),
B: ASANO et al. (US – 2020/0198603 A1), and
C: Maruyama et al. (US – 2013/0255249 A1).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAN M AUNG whose telephone number is (571)270-5792. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM.
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, Robert Siconolfi can be reached at 571-272-7124. 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.
/SAN M AUNG/Examiner, Art Unit 3616
/DAVID R MORRIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616
Prosecution Insights