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 .
Status of Claims
This is the First Office Action on the merits.
Claims 1-2, 4-8, and 10-13 are currently pending and addressed below.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) filed on 12/11/2024 has been considered. An initialed copy of the IDS is enclosed herewith.
Claim Objections
Claim 4 is objected to because of the following informalities: claim 4 recites “wherein each of the motion support devices comprises” should read as “wherein each of the motion support devices comprise”.
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities: claim 8 recites “wherein at least one of the motion support devices comprises” should read as “wherein at least one of the motion support devices comprise”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: Page 14 line 29 recites “the lump efficiency module 310 can determine the lump efficiency
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according to eq. (7)”, however, applicant’s specification equations (7)-(9), and (12)-(13) use the variable
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and not
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.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 13 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.
As to claim 13, the claim recites “the program product”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. The claim does not fall within at least one of the four categories of patent eligible subject matter because claim is directed to a computer program comprising program code which is software. The Examiner considers the claimed “a computer program comprising program code” to be “software per se” which is not directed to one of the four statutory categories. See MPEP 2106.03, I.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-2, 5-7, and 10-11 are allowed.
Claims 4 and 8 are objected to due to the informalities indicated above, but would be allowable if the informalities were corrected.
Claim 13 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Vallbracht et al. (US 20190023153 A1) teaches a method of operating an electric vehicle having multiple electric traction motors include receiving a signal indicative of a driver requested torque, and determining portions of the torque request to produce from each traction motor based on efficiency maps of the motors. The method may also include producing the determined portions of torque from each motor.
Bramson (US 20150298574 A1) teaches an electric vehicle drive has a first motor/generator, a second motor/generator, and a set of wheels. A gear set couples the first and second motor/generators to the set of wheels such that a total wheel torque is selectably divided between the first and second motor/generators. A torque calculator responds to an operator speed input to select a total torque target. A torque allocator substantially maximizes a combined efficiency of the first and second motor/generators by dividing the total torque target into first and second torque targets for the first and second motor/generators according to a ratio selected in response to an instantaneous motor/generator speed and the total torque target.
Ronning et al. (US 20200262299 A1) teaches a drive system with one or more electrically driven axles, a transmission subsystem, which is drivingly coupled to the drive gearbox of each of the electrically driven axles, synchronous and asynchronous motors, which are each drivingly coupled to the transmission subsystem, and a controller.
Yang et al. (CN 104859486 A) teaches a torque distribution method for electric vehicle automobile with double motors by calculating the first driving motor and the second driving motor efficiencies and distributing power using a torque demand ration.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MISA HUYNH NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-5604. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anne Antonucci can be reached at (313) 446-6519. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MISA H NGUYEN/Examiner, Art Unit 3666
/ANNE MARIE ANTONUCCI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3666
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