DETAILED ACTION
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
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 1-5, 9-13, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Magnete DE 10 2017 011453 A1 (“Magnete”).
Magnete discloses:
An arrangement for valve control comprising:
a control unit (e.g., Fig. 1 #2); and
at least one valve device (e.g., Fig. 1 #4, Fig. 6 #51, Fig. 7 #52) which can be activated via the control unit (e.g., Fig. 1 #2), the at least one valve device including an electric coil (e.g. Fig. 1 #4) electrically connected to the control unit via at least one supply line for valve actuation, a coil current (e.g., [0049]-[0050]) being generated in the at least one supply line (e.g. Fig. 1 #6) of the coil depending on a PWM signal of the control unit (e.g., Fig. 1 #2), and the at least one valve device including an electronic communication unit (e.g., Fig. 1 #5) electrically connected to the at least one supply line (e.g., Fig. 1 #6) via at least one connecting line (e.g., Fig. 1 #8,9) for a power supply (e.g., [0052]-[0053]).
2. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the at least one connecting line is effective as at least one data line (e.g., Fig. 1: two-wire cables 6, port 27).
3. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein for the power supply of the electronic communication unit, a duty cycle of the PWM signal is smaller than a limit duty cycle which corresponds to an at least required coil current for the valve actuation (e.g., Fig. 5, [0060]).
4. The arrangement of claim 3, wherein the PWM signals have different duty cycles (e.g., Fig. 5 #60).
5. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the electronic communication unit contains a data memory (e.g., Figs. 1-2 #26, [0061]).
9. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the valve device includes a sensor having sensor signals which represent a physical state variable of the valve device (e.g., Fig. 1 #25: current).
10. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the electronic communication unit includes a sensor having sensor signals which represent a physical state variable of the valve device (e.g., Fig. 1 #25: current).
11. The arrangement of claim 10, wherein the sensor signals are stored at least to some extent in the data memory of the electronic communication unit (e.g., Fig. 1 #5).
12. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the valve device is designed as a hydraulic valve (e.g., Figs. 6-7, [0063], [0065]).
13. The arrangement of claim 12, wherein the valve device is designed as a proportional valve (e.g., Figs. 6-7, [0063], [0065]).
18. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the arrangement is used for controlling a gear mechanism in an agricultural utility vehicle (e.g., [0004]-[0005]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-8 and 14-17 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Fack et al. US 2008/0257422 discloses an electro-hydraulic control device is equipped with a valve and with activating electronics for the electrical activation of the valve as a function of a control signal. A sensor component or actuator component which is held on the valve, is connected to the activating electronics by means of an electrical connecting line. A non-volatile data memory is arranged on or in the sensor component or the actuator component, and the data of the data memory can be read out via the electrical connecting line.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RYAN A JARRETT whose telephone number is (571)272-3742. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00-5:30.
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/RYAN A JARRETT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2116
09/02/26
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