Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/883,924

STATE DETERMINATION DEVICE, MOTOR DRIVE SYSTEM, FREEZING SYSTEM, FAN SYSTEM, AND STATE DETERMINATION METHOD

Non-Final OA §101§112
Filed
Sep 12, 2024
Priority
Mar 15, 2022 — JP 2022-040385 +1 more
Examiner
COOK, CORTEZ M
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
Daikin Industries 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 §112
DETAILED ACTION This office action is in response to claims filed on 09/12/2024. Claims 1-18 are pending. 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 statements (IDS) submitted on 11/17/2024, 06/09/2025, and 03/26/2026 were filed after the filing date of the application. The submissions are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are 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 & 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101, therefore Claims 2-17 are rejected by being dependent on claim 1, because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. For claim 1 the controller is a generic computer that does not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application. For claim 18 “acquiring and determining”, which is data gathering and observation. This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application because claim 1 can be done by a generic computer and claim 18 can be performed in the human mind by routine activity. The claims do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because although in claim 1 the motor drive device, motor, and the controller are not abstract, but are mentioned at a high level of generality and are well known and common knowledge in the art. In claim 18 the acquiring and determining are just instructions that is considered human activity and nothing more. 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. Claims 1 & 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, therefore Claims 2-17 are rejected by being dependent on claim 1, 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 to interpret “when the signal is a DC signal, a frequency of the first frequency component is a frequency of a specific frequency component.” It could be interpreted as the two frequencies can have the same value or that first frequency component frequency and the specific frequency component are literally the same frequency, as in one frequency. Clarification is needed to properly examine the claims. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Kang et al. teaches US 20160053754 A1 teaches the apparatus for controlling the linear compressor 1 may include a detection unit or detector 50 that detects an operating state of the linear compressor 1, a control unit or controller 60 that determines an operating state of an operating frequency (fc) of a linear motor based on the operating state of the linear compressor 1 detected by the detector 50 and generates a correction signal, and a drive signal generation unit or generator 70 that generates a drive signal of the linear compressor 1 in accordance with the correction signal generated by the controller 60 and transmits the generated drive signal to the linear compressor 1. Park et al. US 20190383284 A1 teaches the control unit may determine whether or not the operation state of the linear compressor is normal using the control parameter, and control the motor using the output of the deep learning operation unit when the operation state of the compressor is normal. 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
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Sep 12, 2024
Application Filed
Jun 26, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §101, §112 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12683483
GATE DRIVING DEVICE AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING ELECTRIFIED VEHICLE INCLUDING SAME
2y 9m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026
Patent 12683530
POSITION DETECTION AND MONITORING
2y 7m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026
Patent 12678925
Power Tool Dynamic Motor Field Weakening System and Method
2y 4m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026
Patent 12665535
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MODIFIED ACTIVE ZERO SPACE VECTOR PULSE WIDTH MODULATION
2y 2m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026
Patent 12658837
CONTROL APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE APPARATUS
2y 8m to grant Granted Jun 16, 2026
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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