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
Claims 1-5,7 are 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.
As claim 1, the claim calls for “a calculation formula” (italics added) to calculate thickness, but the specification suggests a plurality of formulas. The claim is not consistent with the specification.
As to claim 2, “the calculation formula” is a bit uncertain, as there appears to be 5 different formulas listed in claim 2. The claim is not consistent with the specification.
As to claim 7, the preamble calls for a program, but the body of the claim calls for steps of an apparatus. There is no connection between the preamble and body, but one of ordinary skill would be unsure as to the meaning of such in light of the striking difference between a computer program and steps.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. The claim(s) does/do not fall within at least one of the four categories of patent eligible subject matter because the preamble is directed to program by itself, which necessarily includes a signal per se, not satisfying 35 U.S.C. 101.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claim(s) 1, 5/1, 3, 5/3, 4, 5/4,6,7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Taisuke et al JP 2020193968, in view of Taisuki JP 2020159754.
Taisuke et al ‘968 teaches a detection method for detecting a state of a bearing device including a roller bearing configured to include an outer member 1, an inner member 2, and a plurality of rollers 5, comprising (Figure 1):
applying an AC voltage to an electric circuit including the outer member, the inner member, and the plurality of rollers in a state in which a predetermined load is applied to the bearing device
“Further, when the bearing device 10 is provided with n rolling elements 5, n electric circuits E2 are connected in parallel. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the bearing device 10 including all n rolling elements 5 forms an electric circuit (equivalent circuit) E3. In diagnosing the bearing device 10 of the present embodiment, an AC voltage is applied from the power source between the outer ring 1 and the inner ring 3 of the bearing device 10 with the inductance L and the resistor R of the coil connected in series to the bearing device 10. Therefore, the entire electric circuit (equivalent circuit) E4 shown in FIG. 3 is formed. However, the connection of the inductance L and the resistor R of the coil is only one embodiment, and the adoption of the electric circuit (equivalent circuit) E4 is not essential.
The frequency of the AC voltage is preferably 1 Hz or higher and less than 1 GHz. If the frequency is less than 1 Hz or 1 GHz or more, the measured impedance and phase angle (described later) include a large amount of information (noise) outside the contact range, so that information within the contact range may not be obtained accurately. Further, it is desirable that the AC voltage is 1 μV or more and 5 V or less. If the voltage is less than 1 μV, no current flows through the bearing device 10 and monitoring is not possible (meaning that it is below the measurement limit of the LCR meter described later), and if it exceeds 5 V, the effect of the present invention can be sufficiently obtained. It may not be.
Hereinafter, a specific method will be described. In the diagnostic method of the bearing device 10 in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, an AC voltage is applied to the bearing device 10 and the lubrication film thickness h and the contact ratio α are obtained to obtain the state of the bearing device 10. Make a diagnosis. When the electric circuit E4 of FIG. 3 is used, the lubrication film thickness h and the contact ratio α are derived by the following equations (1) and (2).” (page 3 of Reference)
“The state diagnosis of the bearing device 10 is performed using the lubrication film thickness h and the contact ratio α obtained from the equations (1) and (2). FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a process of a state diagnosis method of the bearing device 10 using the test device of FIG. First, in a state where the motor 14 is driven and the drive shaft is rotated, the operator inputs the frequency ω of the AC voltage and the voltage V of the AC voltage to the LCR meter 20 (step S1). Upon receiving the input, the LCR meter 20 outputs the impedance Z and the phase angle θ (step S2). In response to this output, a computer or the like (not shown) calculates the lubrication film thickness h and the contact ratio α from the equations (1) and (2) (step S3). The output of step S2 and the calculation of step S3 are performed a plurality of times in time series, for example, at predetermined time intervals (1 second interval, etc.). Further, the computer or the operator diagnoses the bearing device 10 from the lubrication film thickness h and the contact ratio α (step S4).” (page 4 Reference);
measuring an impedance Z and a phase angle Theta of the electric circuit when the AC voltage 10 is applied (fourth paragraph of p. 3; and
based on the impedance and the phase angle, deriving an oil film thickness and a metal contact ratio between the inner member and the plurality of rollers or between the inner member and at least one of the plurality of rollers by using a calculation formula corresponding to the electric circuit (fifth paragraph of p. 3).
The ball is a rolling element.
The bearing is not considered to be a “tapered roller.
As to claims 1,3,4,6,7, it would have been obvious to employ (try) Tais ‘968’s method with a tapered bearing because Tais ‘754 teaches that rollers operate similarly to balls in bearings, suggestive of employing (even trying) such on Tai’s method.
As to claim 5/1, 5/3, 5/4, Taisuke teaches that determining impedance and the angle is diagnosis.
“Hereinafter, a specific method will be described. In the diagnostic method of the bearing device 10 in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, an AC voltage is applied to the bearing device 10 and the lubrication film thickness h and the contact ratio α are obtained to obtain the state of the bearing device 10. Make a diagnosis. When the electric circuit E4 of FIG. 3 is used, the lubrication film thickness h and the contact ratio α are derived by the following equations (1) and (2).” (Reference)
As to claim 6, Tai ‘968 teaches that an LCR 20 receive the output (i.e. impedance Z and the phase angle theta), that that a computer to calculate the thickness and contact ratio
“First, in a state where the motor 14 is driven and the drive shaft is rotated, the operator inputs the frequency ω of the AC voltage and the voltage V of the AC voltage to the LCR meter 20 (step S1). Upon receiving the input, the LCR meter 20 outputs the impedance Z and the phase angle θ (step S2). In response to this output, a computer or the like (not shown) calculates the lubrication film thickness h and the contact ratio α from the equations (1) and (2) (step S3).” Reference Tai ‘968)
As to claim 7, Tai ‘968 teach the LCR meter (i.e. acquiring unit) and computer (i.e. deriving unit). No weight was attributed to the preamble, a such serves only as intended use.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to method/device/program to perform a mathematical process without significantly more. The claim(s) recite(s); process/device/program to:
applying an AC voltage to an electric circuit including the outer member, the inner member, and the plurality of rollers in a state in which a predetermined load is applied to the bearing device;
measuring an impedance and a phase angle of the electric circuit when the AC voltage 10 is applied; and
based on the impedance and the phase angle, deriving an oil film thickness and a metal contact ratio between the inner member and the plurality of rollers or between the inner member and at least one of the plurality of rollers by using a calculation formula corresponding to the electric circuit.
This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application because it merely collects numerical data, carries out a mathematical process by way of mathematical formula on that data to provide 2 final values related to a bearing, and nothing more. The claim(s) does/do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because they have insignificant extra-solution activity. The claims do not link use of the judicial exception in any meaningful way to a roller bearing.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT R RAEVIS whose telephone number is (571)272-2204. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kristina DeHerrera, can be reached at telephone number 303-297-4237. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ROBERT R RAEVIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855
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