DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after May 19, 2022, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as failing to set forth 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.
Claim 5 recites the limitation "a target " in line 6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
5. 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.
6. 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kitazume (US Pub. 20210061344 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Kitazume teaches: a steering control device (“electric power steering apparatus,” ‘Abstract’; figs. 1-17B) that controls a steering device (“a steering control mode,” ‘Abstract’)
the steering device (“steering apparatus”) comprising:
a steering shaft (2, fig. 1; [0003]);
a turning wheel of a vehicle, the turning wheel (1, [0003]) turning with rotation of the steering shaft (2, fig. 1);
a motor (20) configured to rotate the steering shaft [para. 0003 teaches: “a motor 20 for assisting a steering force of the handle 1 is connected to the column shaft 2 through the reduction gears 3]; and
a processor (“MPU-Microprocessor unit,” [0005] and CPU) configured to execute a dead band amount calculation process (232; figs. 6, 7A, 7B and 7C; [0031 and 0047]) and a superposition process (“phase compensating section” 231, fig. 6 and [0047]), wherein:
the dead band amount calculation process (232, fig. 6, 7A, 7B and 7C; [0047]) is a process of calculating a dead band amount (“dead band DB”; [0047]) using a steering angle (via steering angle θt correcting section 230, fig. 6) as an input [ para. 0054 teaches: “the process that is performed at every calculation period T calculates the difference between the input (the target steering angle) θt0 and the target steering angle θt3 at the previous calculation period; thus as an input], the dead band amount (DB) being an amount by which the steering angle changes while the turning wheel does not turn in a steering direction [para. 0017 teaches: “ the motor current command value having a component in the inverse direction to the steering torque so that the actual steering angle is coincident with the target steering angle and the automatic steering control acts against the applied steering torque, is outputted; note that: “in the inverse direction to the steering torque” is equivalent to changes to the steering angle while the turning wheel does not turn as recited in the claimed limitation];
the steering angle (θt0; [0046]) is a rotation angle (θr) of the steering shaft (2);
the superposition process (“phase compensating section 231, fig. 6 and [0047]) is a process of superposing a dead band compensation torque (“via a phase compensating section” 231 that performs a phase lead compensation”; [0047]) on a torque (“steering torque Th; [0047]) of the motor (“motor angular velocity” ω; [0047-0051]), when a magnitude of the dead band amount is larger than zero [ para. 0047 teaches: “the phase compensating section 231, has a dead band DB in a range that the compensation steering torque Th1 is small shown in figs. 7A, 7B and 7C and outputs a compensation steering torque Th2 which increases (equivalent to “larger than zero”) in the same direction as an increasing direction of the compensation steering torque Thl”]; and
the dead band compensation torque (Th1; [0047]) is a torque that increases (“a compensation steering torque Th2 which increases”; [0047]) the torque of the motor (via motor velocity command value ωe; [0053]) in a direction in which the turning wheel turns [ para. 0047 teaches: “Th2 which increases in the same direction (equivalent to “in a direction in which the turning wheel turns”) as an increasing direction of the compensation steering torque Thl”] depending on the rotation (via Th1) of the steering shaft (2).
Regarding claim 2, Kitazume further teaches that the superposition process (“phase compensating section” 231, fig. 6 and [0047]) includes a dead band compensation torque calculation process; and
the dead band compensation torque (“a phase lead compensation”; [0047]) calculation process (via a phase compensation section 231; [0047]) is a process of altering a magnitude of the dead band compensation torque (“a phase lead compensation torque”; [0047]) depending on the dead band amount (“dead band DB”; [0047]), on condition that the magnitude of the dead band compensation torque (“a phase lead compensation torque”; [0047]) when the magnitude of the dead band amount (“DB”) is large is equal to or more than the magnitude of the dead band compensation torque when the magnitude of the dead band amount (“DB”) is small [ para. 0047 teaches: “the phase compensating section 231, has a dead band DB in a range that the compensation steering torque Th1 is small shown in figs. 7A, 7B and 7C and outputs a compensation steering torque Th2 which increases (equivalent to “dead band amount is large is equal to or more than the magnitude of the dead band compensation torque when the magnitude of the dead band amount is small”) in the same direction as an increasing direction of the compensation steering torque Thl”; thus, anticipated the limitation as required by the limitation of claim 2].
Regarding claim 3, Kitazume further teaches that a storage device (MPU; [0005]) in which a dead band width (equivalent to “a dead band DB in a range,” fig. 6 and [0047]) is stored for each of different vehicle velocities from each other, the dead band width (“a dead band DB in a range”) being an amount (“DB”) by which the steering angle (θt) changes after a rotation direction (“in the same direction as an increasing direction of the compensation steering torque Thl,” [0047]) of the steering shaft (2) switches from one of a right-turn direction and a left-turn direction to the other of the right-turn direction and the left-turn direction and before the turning wheel (1) turns, wherein:
the dead band compensation torque calculation process (232, fig. 6, 7A, 7B and 7C; [0047]) includes a dead band width selection process (see fig. 7C);
the dead band width selection process (fig. 7C) is a process of selecting the dead band width (DB0-DB6, fig. 7C) that is of a plurality of the dead band widths (DB0, DB4, DB5, DB6, fig. 7C) stored in the storage device (MPU; [0005]) depending on the vehicle velocities [para. 0011 teaches: “a motor angular velocity calculating section 144 that obtains the motor velocity based on the motor rotational angle θs from the rotational sensor 151 and calculates the actual angular velocity ωr by using the motor velocity and the gear ratio”; thus, the dead band widths stored in the storage device depending on the vehicle velocities] and that corresponds to the vehicle velocity (see fig. 7C graphical representation where dead band DB4, DB5, DB6 selection depending on vehicle speed); and
the dead band compensation torque calculation process (fig. 9) is a process of altering the magnitude of the dead band compensation torque (Th) depending on a ratio of the dead band amount to the dead band width selected by the dead band width selection process (see fig. 7A, 7B and 7C), on condition that the magnitude of the dead band compensation torque (graphical representation of fig. 7C) when a magnitude of the ratio is large is equal to or more than the magnitude of the dead band compensation torque (Th2) when the magnitude of the ratio is small (nearly zero DB1 as depicted in fig. 7B).
Regarding claim 4, Kitazume further teaches that the dead band amount calculation process (232; figs. 6, 7A, 7B and 7C; [0031 and 0047]) includes a steering direction determination process (“steering state” ST; fig. 6);
the steering direction determination process (ST) is a process of determining whether the steering direction is a right-turn direction (“RIGHT steering- forward”; fig. 10) or a left-turn direction (“LEFT steering- forward”; fig. 10), based on a change direction of a target value (θ; see fig. 13) of a turning angle θha; see figs. 5 and 13); and
the dead band amount calculation process (232, fig. 6, 7A, 7B and 7C; [0047]) is a process of calculating the dead band amount (“dead band DB”; [0047]) in accordance with the steering direction (fig. 10) determined by the steering direction determination process (steering state ST; fig. 16).
Regarding claim 5, Kitazume further teaches that the dead band amount calculation process (232, fig. 6, 7A, 7B and 7C; [0047]) includes a steering direction determination process (“LEFT steering -backward,” “RIGHT steering forward,” “LEFT steering-forward,” and “RIGHT steering-backward”; figs. 10-11);
the steering direction determination process is a process of determining whether the steering direction is a right-turn direction or a left-turn direction (see fig. 10), based on a sign of a difference between a target value of a turning angle (θ, fig. 13) and the turning angle (θha; figs. 5 and 13); and
the dead band amount calculation process (232, fig. 6, 7A, 7B and 7C; [0047]) is a process of calculating the dead band amount (“dead band DB”; [0047]) in accordance with the steering direction (“left” and “right”; fig. 10) determined by the steering direction determination process (“LEFT steering -backward,” “RIGHT steering forward,” “LEFT steering-forward,” and “RIGHT steering-backward”; figs. 10-11).
Regarding claim 5, Kitazume further teaches that the processor (200, figs. 1 and 3 is configured to execute a turning process (via actual steering angle θr and steering angle control command value (Imref; fig. 3);
the turning process (θr) is a process of manipulating the torque of the motor (150 via rotational sensor; fig. 3) depending on a manipulated variable for a feedback control (“assist control section”, fig. 3 and [0047]) in which a turning angle (θr) of the turning wheel (“steering wheel”) is a controlled variable and a target value (fig. 3) of the turning angle (θt and θha) is a target value of the controlled variable (“steering angle control section”; figs. 3 and 5; and
the superposition process (“phase compensating section 231, fig. 6 and [0047]) is a process of superposing the dead band compensation torque (“via a phase compensating section” 231 that performs a phase lead compensation”; [0047]) on a torque depending on the manipulated variable (Th and θ; fig. 9).
Regarding claim 7, Kitazume further teaches that a storage device (“steering control angle section”; 200) in which a stiffness coefficient (θha/θt0; fig. 5) is stored for each of different vehicle velocities from each other, the stiffness coefficient being a ratio of the turning angle (θha) to the steering angle (θt0), wherein:
the processor (“steering angle control section”; fig. 5) is configured to execute a stiffness coefficient selection process (160 – “steering forward/ steering backward judging section”; fig. 5) and a turning angle acquisition process (ST);
the stiffness coefficient selection process (160) is a process of selecting the stiffness coefficient (θha/θt0; fig. 5) that is of a plurality of the stiffness coefficients stored in the storage device depending on the vehicle velocities (vehicle speed Vs; fig. 5) and that corresponds to the vehicle velocity (Vs); and
the turning angle acquisition process (ST) is a process of calculating an estimated value of the turning angle as the controlled variable (θha), using a detected value of the steering angle (θt0) and the stiffness coefficient selected by the stiffness coefficient selection process (160; [ para. 0046 expressly teaches: “Th from the torque sensor 154 depending on a steering state ST from a steering-forward/steering backward judging (equivalent to turning angle acquisition process) section 160 and the vehicle speed Vs and outputs a calculated target steering angle correction value 8ha, is included. The target steering angle et is added to the target steering angle correction value 8ha from the target steering angle correcting section 230 at an adding section 145 and is corrected. A corrected target steering angle θt0 that is corrected at the adding section 145 is inputted into a steering angle control section 200”; thus, the turning angle acquisition process is a process of calculating an estimated value of the turning angle as the controlled variable, using a detected value of the steering angle and the stiffness coefficient selected by the stiffness coefficient selection process]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US20080066994 A1 to Suji discloses: the width of the dead band of the steering torque in the assist map used to calculate the target assist torque is increased. Thus, only in a case where the vehicle is moving at a low speed and the driver's steering wheel is operated with a great force, the steering assist torque is produced to alleviate the burden on the driver.
US 20170247048 A1 to Isao discloses: the properties of variation in proportion of use (distribution gain Gδsp) of the second spring reaction force torque Tsp2* with respect to an increase in difference value Tδsp* may be changed as appropriate in accordance with the required specifications or the like, irrespective of whether or not the threshold value Tth (dead band) is set as discussed earlier.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NABIN KUMAR SHARMA whose telephone number is (703)756-4619. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Friday: 8:00am - 5 PM EST.
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, Koppikar, Vivek can be reached on (571) 272-5109. 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.
/NABIN KUMAR SHARMA/Examiner, Art Unit 3612
/VIVEK D KOPPIKAR/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3612
September 2, 2026
Prosecution Insights