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
Claims 1-12 of US Application No. 18/963,561, filed on 01/31/2025, are currently pending and have been examined. Claims 1-12 have been amended.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information Disclosure Statement filed on 04/29/2025 has been considered. An initialed copy of form 1449 is enclosed herewith.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claim(s) 1-4 and 7-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mack et al. (US 2003/0087726 A1, “Mack”) in view of Kim (US 2018/0172090 A1, “Kim”).
Regarding claim 1, Mack discloses clutch calibration and control and teaches:
A method for calibrating a clutch control of a drivetrain of a motor vehicle, (The present invention provides an innovative calibration system/method for an automated master friction clutch – See at least ¶ [0004]) wherein the drivetrain has [and engine], the method comprising:
blocking of an output of the drivetrain; (Referring to step 102, the ECU 34 then turns on inertia brake 66 to lock input shaft 20 and, thus, ground the driven side 14B of clutch 14 in order to load the engine – See at least ¶ [0026])
operating the motor with a value for a first operating variable; (The engine controller 28 will first maintain engine speed at a desired idle RPM (about 600-850 RPM) with clutch 14 fully disengaged – See at least ¶ [0026])
actuating the a clutch with a first value for a clutch actuating variable; (ECU 34 then determines an approximate value of a PWM control signal(s1) that causes clutch 14 to transfer a predetermined amount of torque from engine 12 to transmission – See at least ¶ [0027])
ascertaining a first value of a second operating variable of the motor when the clutch is actuated with the first value; (As clutch 14 is engaged, the gross engaged (loaded) engine torque (Tege) is continuously being monitored and filtered, e.g. averaged, by the engine and calibration processor 62. The gross engine torque (Tege) is preferably characterized as a percentage (%) of the engine reference torque – See at least ¶ [0028])
actuating the clutch with a second value for the clutch actuating variable; (The detailed search is characterized by re-applying clutch 14 in at least one pulse, where the pulse comprises applying clutch 14 to a position corresponding to a PWM control signal, pausing a predetermined amount of time to allow engine 12 and clutch 14 to Stabilize, and then releasing clutch 14. The PWM control signal corresponding to a first pulse is determined by offsetting the recorded first PWM control signal (S1) a predetermined amount, for example 8 mA, to generate a second PWM control signal (S2) – See at least ¶ [0030])
ascertaining a second value of the second operating variable of the motor when the clutch is operated with the second value for the clutch actuating variable; (Referring to Step 112, the clutch 14 is then pulsed corresponding to the second PWM control signal (S2) and the maximum filtered gross engine torque (Tege) Sensed during the pulse is recorded – See at least ¶ [0030])
and determining of clutch characteristics data as a function of the ascertained first value of the second operating variable and the ascertained second value of the second operating variable. (Referring to step 120, the cycle of applying and releasing clutch 14 is continued until the filtered gross engine torque (Tege) minus the gross disengaged engine torque (Tege) is greater than or substantially equal to the urge-to-move reference torque (Tegd) and less than or Substantially equal to two (2) times the urge-to-move reference torque (Tref). The corresponding PWM control signal is then read (Step 122) and stored in computer memory (step 124) – See at least ¶ [0031])
Mack does not explicitly teach the use of an electric motor in the drivetrain. However, Kim discloses method and device for calibrating engine clutch delivery torque of hybrid vehicle and teaches:
A method for calibrating a clutch control of a drivetrain of a motor vehicle, (The present disclosure provides a method and a device for calibrating engine clutch delivery torque of a hybrid vehicle which are capable of eliminating a hydraulic pressure sensor which detects a state of an engine clutch by learning and updating the delivery torque in a transient period (or a transient time interval) of the engine clutch engagement based on a temperature of the engine clutch or a speed difference between a speed of an engine and a speed of a driving motor – See at least ¶ [0015]) wherein the drivetrain has a motor configured as an electric motor, the method comprising: (The hybrid vehicle 300 may include a power train of a transmission mounted electric device (TMED) type in which the motor 330 is connected to the transmission 350. The hybrid vehicle 300 may provide a driving mode, such as the EV mode, which is the electric vehicle mode using only power of the motor, and the HEV mode, which uses rotational force of the engine as main power and uses rotational force of the motor as auxiliary power depending on whether the engine clutch 325 that is disposed between the engine 310 and the motor 330 is engaged (or connected) – See at least ¶ [0032])
In summary, Mack discloses a calibration method for calibrating a clutch control based on an engine or flywheel torque. Mack does not explicitly teach that the drivetrain contains an electric motor. However, Kim discloses method and device for calibrating engine clutch delivery torque of hybrid vehicle and discloses a method for calibrating a clutch in a drivetrain with both an engine and electric motor.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to have modified the clutch calibration and control of Mack to provide for the hybrid drivetrain, as taught in Kim, to provide an environmentally-friend vehicle that combines and uses the power of the internal combustion engine and power of the motor. (At Kim ¶ [0004])
Regarding claim 2, Mack further teaches:
wherein the first operating variable is a rotational speed of the [engine] (The engine controller 28 will first maintain engine speed at a desired idle RPM (about 600-850 RPM) with clutch 14 fully disengaged – See at least ¶ [0026]) and the second operating variable is a torque of the [engine]. (As clutch 14 is engaged, the gross engaged (loaded) engine torque (Tege) is continuously being monitored and filtered, e.g. averaged, by the engine and calibration processor 62. The gross engine torque (Tege) is preferably characterized as a percentage (%) of the engine reference torque – See at least ¶ [0028])
Mack does not explicitly teach, but Kim further teaches the use of an electric motor (The hybrid vehicle 300 may include a power train of a transmission mounted electric device (TMED) type in which the motor 330 is connected to the transmission 350. The hybrid vehicle 300 may provide a driving mode, such as the EV mode, which is the electric vehicle mode using only power of the motor, and the HEV mode, which uses rotational force of the engine as main power and uses rotational force of the motor as auxiliary power depending on whether the engine clutch 325 that is disposed between the engine 310 and the motor 330 is engaged (or connected) – See at least ¶ [0032])
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to have modified the clutch calibration and control of Mack to provide for the hybrid drivetrain, as taught in Kim, to provide an environmentally-friend vehicle that combines and uses the power of the internal combustion engine and power of the motor. (At Kim ¶ [0004])
Regarding claim 3, Mack further teaches:
wherein the first operating variable is a torque of the [engine] (As clutch 14 is engaged, the gross engaged (loaded) engine torque (Tege) is continuously being monitored and filtered, e.g. averaged, by the engine and calibration processor 62. The gross engine torque (Tege) is preferably characterized as a percentage (%) of the engine reference torque – See at least ¶ [0028]) and the second operating variable is a rotational speed of the [engine]. (The engine controller 28 will first maintain engine speed at a desired idle RPM (about 600-850 RPM) with clutch 14 fully disengaged – See at least ¶ [0026])
Mack does not explicitly teach, but Kim further teaches the use of an electric motor (The hybrid vehicle 300 may include a power train of a transmission mounted electric device (TMED) type in which the motor 330 is connected to the transmission 350. The hybrid vehicle 300 may provide a driving mode, such as the EV mode, which is the electric vehicle mode using only power of the motor, and the HEV mode, which uses rotational force of the engine as main power and uses rotational force of the motor as auxiliary power depending on whether the engine clutch 325 that is disposed between the engine 310 and the motor 330 is engaged (or connected) – See at least ¶ [0032])
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to have modified the clutch calibration and control of Mack to provide for the hybrid drivetrain, as taught in Kim, to provide an environmentally-friend vehicle that combines and uses the power of the internal combustion engine and power of the motor. (At Kim ¶ [0004])
Regarding claim 4, Mack further teaches
further comprising controlling, when the clutch is actuated, respective values for the clutch actuating variable to achieve respective predetermined target values for the second operating variable. (The detailed search is characterized by re-applying clutch 14 in at least one pulse, where the pulse comprises applying clutch 14 to a position corresponding to a PWM control signal, pausing a predetermined amount of time to allow engine 12 and clutch 14 to Stabilize, and then releasing clutch 14. The PWM control signal corresponding to a first pulse is determined by offsetting the recorded first PWM control signal (S1) a predetermined amount, for example 8 mA, to generate a second PWM control signal (S2) – See at least ¶ [0030])
Regarding claim 7, Mack further teaches:
wherein the clutch is actuated a first time with the first value for the clutch actuating variable starting from a less strongly actuated clutch and a second time with the first value for the clutch actuating variable starting from a more strongly actuated clutch relative to the less strongly actuated clutch. (Referring to step 104, ECU 34 provides a command output signal to pressure controller 54 instructing pressure controller 54 to provide a ramping PWM control signal to the solenoid-actuated hydraulic system 52 causing clutch 14 to engage in a stepwise manner. The initial value of the ramping PWM control signal preferably corresponds to a touch point pre-charge position of the clutch, i.e. the point where the clutch first starts transmitting torque the point where the hydraulic system just begins to develop pressure. In a preferred embodiment, the PWM control Signal is preferably ramped at a rate of approximately 4 mA per 350 mS and the predetermined amount of torque transferred from engine 12 to transmission 16 is about 35 lb-ft (47.5 Nm). – See at least ¶ [0027])
Regarding claim 8, Mack further teaches:
further comprising ascertaining a further value of the second operating variable of the motor when the clutch is not actuated; and (The first PWM control signal (S1) is then recorded, step 108, clutch 14 is returned to the fully disengaged position, Step 110. While clutch 14 is disengaged, and preferably during future periods of disengagement, the ECU 34 monitors and filters the engine torque data for a predetermined amount of time to account for any engine accessories, such as an air conditioning compressor, that may have been activated and would affect the gross disengaged engine torque (Tege) – See at least ¶ [0029])
determining clutch characteristics data as a function of the ascertained further value of the second operating variable. (Once the gross disengaged engine torque (Tegd) is re-determined, a more detailed search is commenced to find a more accurate PWM control signal that generates the urge-to-move reference torque (Tref) – See at least ¶ [0029])
Regarding claim 9, Mack further teaches:
further comprising changing the clutch control as a function of the determined clutch characteristics data. (Referring to FIG. 5B, once a more accurate PWM control signal is identified, the calibration process enters a confirmation state to verify that when the identified PWM control signal is applied to solenoid valve 52, the urge-to move reference torque (Tref) is achieved. Referring to Step 126, clutch 14 is applied to a position corresponding to the identified PWM control signal and the maximum filtered gross engine torque (Tege) is recorded. Referring to Step 128, if it is determined that the maximum filtered gross engine torque (Tege) minus the gross disengaged torque (Tegd) is not greater less than or substantially equal to the urge-to-move reference torque (Tref) or less greater than or substantially equal to two (2) times the urge-to-move reference torque (Tref), the confirmation is deemed to have failed and clutch 14 is disengaged and then re-engaged in at least one pulse, as described above, to determine a more accurate PWM control signal. Otherwise, the confirmation process proceeds until the PWM control signal is verified a predetermined number of times, for example twice, and the verified PWM signal is stored in computer memory, as shown in steps 130 and 132 – See at least ¶ [0032])
Regarding claim 10, Mack further teaches:
wherein the clutch is monitored using a calibration method. (The calibration method of the present invention is described with reference to the flow charts of FIGS.5A, 5B and 5C – See at least ¶ [0024])
Regarding claim 11, Mack further teaches:
wherein the clutch characteristics data comprises at least one of the following data: (According to the present invention, a calibration method is provided for identifying a clutch control parameter value (such as the value of a pulse width modulated control signal) indicative of the urge-to-move position of the clutch, where the urge-to-move position is the partially engaged position of the clutch that allows creeping of the vehicle if the brakes are not applied – See at least ¶ [0023])
a correlation between the clutch actuating variable and a torque that can be transmitted by the clutch; (In a preferred embodiment, the PWM control Signal is preferably ramped at a rate of approximately 4 mA per 350 mS and the predetermined amount of torque transferred from engine 12 to transmission 16 is about 35 lb-ft (47.5 Nm). Although it has been determined that about 35 lb-ft (47.5 Nm) is the preferred amount of torque transfer to allow urge-to-move operation of the vehicle, it is recognized that an urge-to-move torque in the range of approximately 20-60 lb-ft (27.1-54.3 Nm) may be used – See at least ¶ [0027])
a coefficient of friction;
a clutch hysteresis; and
a clutch wear indicator value.
Regarding claim 12, Mack does not explicitly teach, but Kim further teaches:
further comprising ascertaining a clutch temperature, (According to a determination step 120 , the con troller 305 may determine a current delivery torque corresponding to an engagement control amount of the engine clutch that controls the engine clutch 325 to be in the lock - up state and a current temperature of the engine clutch – See at least ¶ [0088]) wherein the determining of the clutch characteristics data takes place as a function of the ascertained clutch temperature. (According to an extraction step 125, the controller 305 may extract a previous delivery torque that corresponds to the engagement control amount that controls the engine clutch to be in the lock-up state and the current temperature and is included in the map table. A method by which the controller 305 learns the previous delivery torque may be similar to a method of determining the current delivery torque. According to an update step 130, the controller 305 may apply a weighted value to each of the extracted previous delivery torque and the determined current delivery torque to update (or calibrate) a delivery torque (or the previous delivery torque) included in the map table. A weighted value applied to the extracted previous delivery torque may be greater than a weighted value applied to the determined delivery torque – See at least ¶ [0089]-[0090])
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to have modified the clutch calibration and control of Mack to provide for the hybrid drivetrain, as taught in Kim, to provide an environmentally-friend vehicle that combines and uses the power of the internal combustion engine and power of the motor. (At Kim ¶ [0004])
Claim(s) 5 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mack in view of Kim, as applied to claim 1, and in further view of Jung et al. (Hydraulic Clutch Fill Control using Control-oriented Model in Wet Dual Clutch Transmission, “Jung”).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Mack and Kim does not explicitly teach further comprising carrying out a quick filling of the clutch before the clutch is actuated with one of the respective values for the clutch actuating variable. However, Jung discloses hydraulic clutch fill control using control-oriented model in wet dual clutch transmission and teaches:
further comprising carrying out a quick filling of the clutch before the clutch is actuated with one of the respective values for the clutch actuating variable. (For convenience and simplicity, the clutch-fill process is divided into three phases based on the position of the piston and the clutch chamber pressure. Phase 1 represents a pre-filling state, in which the piston remains stationary until the pressure overcomes the spring pre-load force. Phase 2 represents the filling phase, which is the main interest of this paper. In the filling phase, the piston moves to the contact point of the friction plate. Phase 3 starts after the piston contacts the plate. Intuitively, each phase can be easily distinguished by a piston pressure since the pressure can be directly measured by pressure sensor. – See at least pg.2)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to have modified the clutch calibration and control of Mack and Kim to provide for the hydraulic clutch fill control using control-oriented model in wet dual clutch transmission, as taught in Jung, to guarantees good pressure tracking performance in filling phase for various situations. (At Jung Abstract)
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Mack and Kim does not explicitly teach, but Jung further teaches:
further comprising carrying out a filling compensation of the clutch takes place before the clutch is actuated with one of the respective values for the clutch actuating variable. (In this paper, a control logic to compensate the filling phase in wet DCT is proposed. To simplify the logic, the control-oriented model is proposed. The proposed controller is constructed using the control-oriented model and obtain good pressure tracking performance in the filling phase – See at least pg. 1; In phase 1 and 3, input and output relationships are expressed as a 1st order lag model. In phase 2, the clutch actuation system is modeled using the reduced form based on physical phenomena. Each phase is determined by the calculated clutch pressure Pc. The command pressure input and model pressure are used to update the clutch pressure and phase transition. The overall structure of model is depicted in Fig.3 – See at least pg. 3)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to have modified the clutch calibration and control of Mack and Kim to provide for the hydraulic clutch fill control using control-oriented model in wet dual clutch transmission, as taught in Jung, to guarantees good pressure tracking performance in filling phase for various situations. (At Jung Abstract)
Conclusion
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/C.L.C./Examiner, Art Unit 3662
/ANISS CHAD/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3662