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 § 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 15, 16, 18, 19, 21, 26, 27, 29, and 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Oniwa et al US 2014/0195122.
Regarding claim 15, Oniwa et al discloses a steering control device 100 configured to operate a motor mechanically connected to an operation member 2 to be operated by a driver to steer a vehicle (see FIG. 1), and including winding groups of a plurality of systems 33a-34b, wherein the motor 11 is a drive source for a plant mounted on the vehicle (see FIG. 1), the steering control device is configured to perform a torque feedback process, an operation process, and a characteristic change process, the torque feedback process includes a process of calculating a manipulated variable for controlling steering torque to target steering torque by feedback control (see FIG. 2 and paragraph [0041]), the steering torque is torque input to the operation member, the operation process is a process of operating a drive circuit for the motor to supply electric power to the winding groups of the plurality of systems based on the manipulated variable, and the characteristic change process includes a process of changing a response characteristic of the feedback control according to a power supply mode for the winding groups of the plurality of systems that is a plant state of the plant. See FIG. 2, 5, and 6 and paragraphs [0043]-[0058].
Regarding claim 16, Oniwa et al discloses a steering control device 100 configured to operate a motor mechanically connected to an operation member 2 to be operated by a driver to steer a vehicle (see FIG. 1), wherein the motor is a drive source 11 for a plant mounted on the vehicle (see FIG. 1), the steering control device is configured to perform a torque feedback process, an operation process, and a characteristic change process, the torque feedback process includes a process of calculating a manipulated variable for controlling steering torque to target steering torque by feedback control (see FIG. 2 and paragraph [0041]), the steering torque is torque input to the operation member, the operation process is a process of operating a drive circuit for the motor based on the manipulated variable, the process of calculating the manipulated variable includes: a process of calculating a torque proportional output value of a proportional element (see paragraphs [0050] and [0051]); and a process of calculating the manipulated variable based on output values including the torque proportional output value, the torque proportional output value is a value obtained by multiplying a difference between the steering torque and the target steering torque by a torque proportional gain (see paragraphs [0045] and [0052]-[0057]), and the characteristic change process includes a process of changing a response characteristic of the feedback control in the torque feedback process by changing the torque proportional gain according to a plant state of the plant. See FIG. 2, 5, and 6 and paragraphs [0043]-[0058].
Regarding claims 18 and 19, Oniwa et al discloses wherein the operation process includes: a current feedback process for calculating a current manipulated variable by feedback control so that an actual current flowing through the motor reaches a target current obtained based on the manipulated variable (see FIG. 2 and FIG. 5 and paragraphs [0041]-[0057]); and a process of operating the drive circuit based on the current manipulated variable, the current feedback process includes a process of calculating the current manipulated variable based on an output value obtained by multiplying a difference between the target current and the actual current by a current control gain (see paragraphs [0045] and [0052]-[0057]), and the characteristic change process includes a process of changing the response characteristic by referring to the current control gain as the plant state and using the current control gain as an input. See FIG. 2, 5, and 6 and paragraphs [0043]-[0058].
Regarding claim 21, Oniwa et al discloses wherein the output value includes a current proportional output value of a proportional element, the current proportional output value is a value obtained by multiplying the difference between the target current and the actual current by a current proportional gain, and the current control gain includes the current proportional gain. See paragraphs [0050] and [0051].
Regarding claims 26 and 27, Oniwa et al discloses wherein the motor is a reaction force motor configured to apply a steering reaction force to the operation member, the plant includes a reaction force actuator including the reaction force motor, and a steering actuator, the steering actuator includes a steering motor that is mechanically connected to a steered wheel of the vehicle and is configured to apply a steering force for steering the steered wheel (see FIG, 1 and paragraphs [0041]-[0048]), the torque feedback process, the operation process, and the characteristic change process are a reaction force process related to operation of a drive circuit for the reaction force motor, the steering control device is configured to perform a steering process including a steering feedback process and a steering operation process, the steering feedback process includes a process of calculating a steering manipulated variable for controlling a converted steered angle to a target steered angle by feedback control (see paragraphs [0041] and [0053]), the converted steered angle is information acquirable in the steering actuator, the steering operation process is a process of operating a drive circuit for the steering motor based on the steering manipulated variable, the steering feedback process includes a process of calculating an output value obtained by multiplying a difference between the target steered angle and the converted steered angle by a steering control gain (see paragraphs [0059] – [0064]), and the characteristic change process includes a process of changing the response characteristic by referring to the steering control gain as the plant state and using the steering control gain as an input. See FIG. 2, 5, and 6 and paragraphs [0043]-[0058].
Regarding claims 29 and 30, Oniwa et al discloses wherein the motor is a reaction force motor configured to apply a steering reaction force to the operation member, the plant includes a reaction force actuator including the reaction force motor, and a steering actuator, the steering actuator includes a steering motor that is mechanically connected to a steered wheel of the vehicle and is configured to apply a steering force for steering the steered wheel (see FIG, 1 and paragraphs [0041]-[0048]), the torque feedback process, the operation process, and the characteristic change process are a reaction force process related to operation of a drive circuit for the reaction force motor, the steering control device is configured to perform a steering process including a steering feedback process and a steering operation process, the steering feedback process includes a process of calculating a steering manipulated variable for controlling a converted steered angle to a target steered angle by feedback control (see paragraphs [0041] and [0053]), the converted steered angle is information acquirable in the steering actuator, the steering operation process is a process of operating a drive circuit for the steering motor based on the steering manipulated variable, the steering operation process includes: a steering current feedback process for calculating a steering current manipulated variable by feedback control so that an actual steering current flowing through the steering motor reaches a target steering current obtained based on the steering manipulated variable (see paragraphs [0012]-[0018]); and a process of operating the drive circuit for the steering motor based on the steering current manipulated variable, the steering current feedback process includes a process of calculating the steering current manipulated variable based on an output value obtained by multiplying a difference between the target steering current and the actual steering current by a steering current control gain, and the characteristic change process includes a process of changing the response characteristic by referring to the steering current control gain as the plant state and using the steering current control gain as an input. See FIG. 2, 5, and 6 and paragraphs [0043]-[0058].
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 17, 20, 22, 28, and 31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oniwa et al, as applied above, in view of Kodera US 2020/0324808.
Regarding claim 17, Oniwa et al discloses a steering control device 100 configured to operate a motor mechanically connected to an operation member 2 to be operated by a driver to steer a vehicle (see FIG. 1), wherein the motor 11 is a drive source for a plant mounted on the vehicle (see FIG. 1), the steering control device is configured to perform a torque feedback process, an operation process, and a characteristic change process, the torque feedback process includes a process of calculating a manipulated variable for controlling steering torque to target steering torque by feedback control (see FIG. 2 and paragraph [0041]), the steering torque is torque input to the operation member, the operation process is a process of operating a drive circuit for the motor based on the manipulated variable.
Oniwa et al fails to explicitly disclose, but Kodera discloses the process of calculating the manipulated variable includes: a process of calculating a torque derivative output value of a derivative element (see paragraphs [0159]-[0161]); and a process of calculating the manipulated variable based on output values including the torque derivative output value, the torque derivative output value is a value obtained by multiplying a first- order time derivative of a difference between the steering torque and the target steering torque by a torque derivative gain, and the characteristic change process includes a process of changing a response characteristic of the feedback control in the torque feedback process by changing the torque derivative gain according to a plant state of the plant. See FIG. 2 and 5 and paragraphs [0159]-[0161].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the derivative calculation as disclosed by Kodera in the system of Oniwa et al for a more precise calculation for smoother steering operation for the driver.
Regarding claim 20, Oniwa et al discloses wherein the operation process includes: a current feedback process for calculating a current manipulated variable by feedback control so that an actual current flowing through the motor reaches a target current obtained based on the manipulated variable; and a process of operating the drive circuit based on the current manipulated variable, the current feedback process includes a process of calculating the current manipulated variable based on an output value obtained by multiplying a difference between the target current and the actual current by a current control gain (see paragraphs [0045] and [0052]-[0057]), and the characteristic change process includes a process of changing the response characteristic by referring to the current control gain as the plant state and using the current control gain as an input. See FIG. 2, 5, and 6 and paragraphs [0043]-[0058].
Regarding claim 22, Oniwa et al fails to explicitly disclose, but Kodera discloses wherein the output value includes a current integral output value of an integral element, the current integral output value is a value obtained by multiplying the difference between the target current and the actual current by a current integral gain and integrating a resultant, and the current control gain includes the current integral gain. See FIG. 2 and 5 and paragraphs [0159]-[0161].
Regarding claim 28, Oniwa et al discloses wherein the motor is a reaction force motor configured to apply a steering reaction force to the operation member, the plant includes a reaction force actuator including the reaction force motor, and a steering actuator, the steering actuator includes a steering motor that is mechanically connected to a steered wheel of the vehicle and is configured to apply a steering force for steering the steered wheel (see FIG, 1 and paragraphs [0041]-[0048]), the torque feedback process, the operation process, and the characteristic change process are a reaction force process related to operation of a drive circuit for the reaction force motor, the steering control device is configured to perform a steering process including a steering feedback process and a steering operation process, the steering feedback process includes a process of calculating a steering manipulated variable for controlling a converted steered angle to a target steered angle by feedback control (see paragraphs [0041] and [0053]), the converted steered angle is information acquirable in the steering actuator, the steering operation process is a process of operating a drive circuit for the steering motor based on the steering manipulated variable, the steering feedback process includes a process of calculating an output value obtained by multiplying a difference between the target steered angle and the converted steered angle by a steering control gain (see paragraphs [0059] – [0064]), and the characteristic change process includes a process of changing the response characteristic by referring to the steering control gain as the plant state and using the steering control gain as an input. See FIG. 2, 5, and 6 and paragraphs [0043]-[0058].
Regarding claim 31, Oniwa et al discloses wherein the motor is a reaction force motor configured to apply a steering reaction force to the operation member, the plant includes a reaction force actuator including the reaction force motor, and a steering actuator, the steering actuator includes a steering motor that is mechanically connected to a steered wheel of the vehicle and is configured to apply a steering force for steering the steered wheel (see FIG, 1 and paragraphs [0041]-[0048]), the torque feedback process, the operation process, and the characteristic change process are a reaction force process related to operation of a drive circuit for the reaction force motor, the steering control device is configured to perform a steering process including a steering feedback process and a steering operation process, the steering feedback process includes a process of calculating a steering manipulated variable for controlling a converted steered angle to a target steered angle by feedback control (see paragraphs [0041] and [0053]), the converted steered angle is information acquirable in the steering actuator, the steering operation process is a process of operating a drive circuit for the steering motor based on the steering manipulated variable, the steering operation process includes: a steering current feedback process for calculating a steering current manipulated variable by feedback control so that an actual steering current flowing through the steering motor reaches a target steering current obtained based on the steering manipulated variable (see paragraphs [0012]-[0018]); and a process of operating the drive circuit for the steering motor based on the steering current manipulated variable, the steering current feedback process includes a process of calculating the steering current manipulated variable based on an output value obtained by multiplying a difference between the target steering current and the actual steering current by a steering current control gain, and the characteristic change process includes a process of changing the response characteristic by referring to the steering current control gain as the plant state and using the steering current control gain as an input. See FIG. 2, 5, and 6 and paragraphs [0043]-[0058].
Claims 24 and 25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oniwa et al and Kodera, as applied above, in view of Suzuki.
Regarding claims 24 and 25, Oniwa et al fails to explicitly disclose, but Suzuki discloses wherein the operation process includes: a current open loop process for calculating a current manipulated variable by feedforward control so that an actual current flowing through the motor reaches a target current obtained based on the manipulated variable (see FIG. 14 and 15 and paragraphs [0102]-[0104]); and a process of operating the drive circuit based on the current manipulated variable, the current open loop process includes: a process of calculating a current open loop output value; and a process of calculating the current manipulated variable based on output values including the current open loop output value, the current open loop output value is a value obtained by multiplying the target current by a current open loop gain (see FIG. 16 and 17 and paragraphs [0105]-[0108]), and the characteristic change process includes a process of changing the response characteristic by referring to the current open loop gain as the plant state and using the current open loop gain as an input. See FIG. 14-17 and paragraphs [0102]-[0108].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the open loop process as disclosed by Suzuki in the system of Kodera to make the system faster in response time and shorten the control cycle for smoother operation.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSEPH J DALLO whose telephone number is (313)446-4844. The examiner can normally be reached 7am-7pm ET M-Th.
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/JOSEPH J DALLO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747