Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/852,786

TORQUE CONTROL METHOD AND TORQUE CONTROL DEVICE

Non-Final OA §101§102§112
Filed
Sep 30, 2024
Priority
Aug 10, 2022 — CN 202210955324.5 +1 more
Examiner
COOK, CORTEZ M
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
Jiangsu Dongcheng Tools Technology Co. Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
84%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
3m
Est. Remaining
92%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 84% — above average
84%
Career Allowance Rate
420 granted / 498 resolved
+24.3% vs TC avg
Moderate +8% lift
Without
With
+8.2%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Fast prosecutor
2y 1m
Avg Prosecution
18 currently pending
Career history
509
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
1.7%
-38.3% vs TC avg
§103
74.1%
+34.1% vs TC avg
§102
14.5%
-25.5% vs TC avg
§112
8.5%
-31.5% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 498 resolved cases

Office Action

§101 §102 §112
DETAILED ACTION This office action is in response to preliminary amendments 09/30/2024. Claims 1-5, 17, 19, and 21-33. Claims 6-16, 18, and 20 have been canceled. 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 . Priority Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/30/2024 was filed on the filing date of the application. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner. 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, 17, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to abstract idea without significantly more. The claims recite receiving data, obtaining data, and verifying data. This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application because receiving data is human activity of gathering of data, obtaining data can be achieved through math concepts by human or a generic computer, and verifying can be done be human by observation or a generic computer. The claims do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because controlling the motor itself is not doing anything significant other than controlling, which is considered an insignificant extra post solution 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 30 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. It is unclear how the processor can receive Tset and obtain Tset at the same time, seems like a redundancy issue. 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. Claims 1-3, 17, 19, 21, 23-25, 28, and 30-32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jeon et al. KR20170129396A (Hereinafter “Jeon”). Regarding Claim 1, Jeon teaches a torque control method comprising: receiving a first torque value Tset of a torque of a motor of presetting ([0084], REF); obtaining a second torque value Ti of the torque of the motor according to gathering parameters ([0065], T_1), wherein the gathering parameters are operating parameters of the motor ([0065], I_DRV); obtaining a third torque value Ts of the torque of the motor uploaded by one or more torque sensors ([0080]); verifying an effectiveness of the torque according to the first torque value Tset, the second torque value Ti, and the third torque value Ts ([0089]); and controlling operating states of the motor according to the effectiveness of the torque ([0092-0093]). Regarding Claim 2, Jeon teaches the torque control method of claim 1, wherein verifying the effectiveness of the torque according to the first torque value Tset, the second torque value Ti, and the third torque value Ts comprises: calculating a first difference value T1 between the first torque value Tset and the second torque value Ti ([0087]); calculating a second difference value T2 between the second torque value Ti and the third torque value Ts ([0089]); calculating a third difference value T3 between the first torque value Tset and the third torque value Ts ([0087]); and verifying the effectiveness of the torque according to the first difference value T1, the second difference value T2, and the third difference value T3 ([0092-0093]); wherein verifying the effectiveness of the torque according to the first difference value T1, the second difference value T2, and the third difference value T3 comprises: outputting an effective result of the torque, when at least one of the first difference value T1, the second difference value T2, and the third difference value T3 meets a validity condition ([0092-0093]). Regarding Claim 3, Jeon teaches the torque control method of claim 1, wherein verifying the effectiveness of the torque according to the first torque value Tset, the second torque value Ti, and the third torque value Ts comprises: obtaining corresponding relationships among the second torque value Ti, the third torque value Ts, and torque difference value T ([0087]); determining the effectiveness of the torque according to the first torque value Tset, the second torque value Ti, the third torque value Ts, and the corresponding relationships ([0092-0094]). Regarding Claim 17, Jeon teaches a torque control device comprising: a sampling circuit ([0076], CT), a processing circuit ([0084-0094], 190), one or more torque sensors ([0098], 140 & 143) and a control unit ([0094], 300), wherein the sampling circuit gathers gathering parameters, the processing circuit obtains a second torque value Ti of torque of a motor according to the gathering parameters, the gathering parameters are operating parameters of the motor, the one or more torque sensors obtain a third torque value Ts of the torque of the motor, the control unit obtains, the second torque value Ti, and the third torque value Ts, the control unit verifies an effectiveness of the torque according to the second torque value Ti, and the third torque value Ts, and outputs control information of the motor according to the effectiveness of the torque ([0050-0051]). Regarding Claim 19, Jeon teaches a torque control device comprising: at least one processor ([0084-0094], 190); and a data storage ([0049], 300) storing one or more programs which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: obtain a second torque value Ti of a torque of a motor according to gathering parameters ([0065], T_1), wherein the gathering parameters are operating parameters of the motor ([0065], I_DRV); obtain a third torque value Ts of the torque of the motor uploaded by one or more torque sensors ([0080]); verify an effectiveness of the torque according to the second torque value Ti, and the third torque value Ts ([0089]); and control operating states of the motor according to the effectiveness of the torque ([0092-0093]). Regarding Claim 21, Jeon teaches the torque control device of claim 17, wherein the control unit verifies the effectiveness of the torque according to the second torque value Ti and the third torque value Ts comprises: obtaining corresponding relationships among the second torque value Ti, the third torque value Ts, and a torque difference value T ([0087]); determining the effectiveness of the torque according to the second torque value Ti, the third torque value Ts, and the corresponding relationships ([0092-0094]). Regarding Claim 23, Jeon teaches the torque control device of claim 17, wherein the torque control device further comprises a human-computer interaction module ([0048-0049], 300), the human-computer interaction module receives a first torque value Tset of the torque of the motor of presetting ([0084], REF); the control unit obtains the first torque value Tset, verifies the effectiveness of the torque according to the first torque value Tset, the second torque value Ti, and the third torque value Ts, and outputs control information of the motor according to the effectiveness of the torque ([0094], 300). Regarding Claim 24, Jeon teaches the torque control device of claim 23, wherein the control unit verifies the effectiveness of the torque according to the first torque value Tset, the second torque value Ti, and the third torque value Ts comprises: calculating a first difference value T1 between the first torque value Tset and the second torque value Ti ([0087]); calculating a second difference value T2 between the second torque value Ti and the third torque value Ts ([0089]); calculating a third difference value T3 between the first torque value Tset and the third torque value Ts ([0087]); and verifying the effectiveness of the torque according to the first difference value T1, the second difference value T2, and the third difference value T3 ([0092-0093]); wherein verifying the effectiveness of the torque according to the first difference value T1, the second difference value T2, and the third difference value T3 comprises: outputting an effective result of the torque, when at least one of the first difference value T1, the second difference value T2, and the third difference value T3 meets a validity condition ([0092-0093]). Regarding Claim 25, Jeon teaches the torque control device of claim 23, wherein the control unit verifying the effectiveness of the torque according to the first torque value Tset, the second torque value Ti, and the third torque value Ts comprises: obtaining corresponding relationships among the second torque value Ti, the third torque value Ts, and a torque difference value T ([0087]); determining the effectiveness of the torque according to the second torque value Ti, the third torque value Ts, and the corresponding relationships ([0092-0094]). Regarding Claim 28, Jeon teaches the torque control device of claim 19, wherein the at least one processor verifying the effectiveness of the torque according to the second torque value Ti and the third torque value Ts comprises: obtaining corresponding relationships among the second torque value Ti, the third torque value Ts, and a torque difference value T ([0087]); determining the effectiveness of the torque according to the second torque value Ti, the third torque value Ts, and the corresponding relationships ([0092-0094]). Regarding Claim 30, Jeon teaches the torque control device of claim 19, wherein the at least one processor further causes to receive a first torque value Tset of the torque of the motor of presetting ([0084], REF), obtain the first torque value Tset, verify the effectiveness of the torque according to the first torque value Tset, the second torque value Ti, and the third torque value Ts, and outputs control information of the motor according to the effectiveness of the torque ([0050-0051]). Regarding Claim 31, Jeon teaches the torque control device of claim 30, wherein the at least one processor verifying the effectiveness of the torque according to the first torque value Tset, the second torque value Ti, and the third torque value Ts comprises: calculating a first difference value T1 between the first torque value Tset and the second torque value Ti ([0087]); calculating a second difference value T2 between the second torque value Ti and the third torque value Ts ([0089]); calculating a third difference value T3 between the first torque value Tset and the third torque value Ts ([0087]); and verifying the effectiveness of the torque according to the first difference value T1, the second difference value T2, and the third difference value T3 ([0092-0093]); wherein verifying the effectiveness of the torque according to the first difference value T1, the second difference value T2, and the third difference value T3 comprises: outputting an effective result of the torque, when at least one of the first difference value T1, the second difference value T2, and the third difference value T3 meets a validity condition ([0092-0093]). Regarding Claim 32, Jeon teaches the torque control device of claim 30, wherein the at least one processor verifying the effectiveness of the torque according to the first torque value Tset, the second torque value Ti, and the third torque value Ts comprises: obtaining corresponding relationships among the second torque value Ti, the third torque value Ts, and a torque difference value T ([0087]); determining the effectiveness of the torque according to the second torque value Ti, the third torque value Ts, and the corresponding relationships ([0092-0094]). Allowable Subject Matter Claims 4-5, 22, 26-27, 29, and 33 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejections under 35 USC § 101 set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CORTEZ M COOK whose telephone number is (571)270-7954. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 7:30-5pm. 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, Eduardo Colon-Santana can be reached at 571-272-2060. 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. /CORTEZ M COOK/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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Prosecution Timeline

Sep 30, 2024
Application Filed
Jun 09, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §101, §102, §112 (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
84%
Grant Probability
92%
With Interview (+8.2%)
2y 1m (~3m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 498 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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