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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) or (a)(2) as being anticipated by Takahashi (US 20220200408).
1. Takahashi teaches:
A motor module 500, comprising:
a stator 520, with a first mounting hole (annotated fig 51 below) extending along a preset direction (annotated fig 51 below);
a rotor 510, comprising a rotating shaft 501 and a flange portion 502, wherein the rotating shaft extends into the first mounting hole (annotated fig 51 below), and the rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the stator via a bearing 560, wherein the rotating shaft comprises a third end (annotated fig 51 below) and a fourth end (annotated fig 51 below) opposite to each other along the preset direction, wherein the third end extends out of the first mounting hole (annotated fig 49), and wherein the flange portion is formed by extending outward from an outer wall of the third end along a plane perpendicular to the preset direction (annotated fig 51 below);
a rotor bracket/rotor carrier 511, mounted on the flange portion and is arranged around the rotating shaft; and
an electromagnetic assembly (fig 49), comprising a winding 521 and a magnet 512, wherein one of the winding and the magnet is mounted on the stator (fig 49), and the other is mounted on the rotor bracket (fig 49).
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2. Takahashi teaches:
The motor module according to claim 1, wherein the stator comprises a cylinder/boss portion 548 and a mounting plate/end plate 547; wherein the cylinder extends along the preset direction and includes a first end (annotated fig 51 below) and a second end (annotated fig 51 below) extending along the preset direction, and the cylinder is provided with the first mounting hole penetrating along the preset direction (annotated fig 51 above); wherein the mounting plate is formed by extending outward from an outer wall of the first end (annotated fig 51 above); wherein the third end extends out of the first mounting hole from the second end (fig 49).
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3. Takahashi teaches:
The motor module according to claim 2, wherein the mounting plate is provided with a second mounting hole (annotated fig 37 below), and the second mounting hole is used to fix the stator 50; wherein a first distance (annotated fig 37 below) is between an axis of the second mounting hole (annotated fig 37 below) and an axis of the first mounting hole (annotated fig 37 below); but does not explicitly teach that the ratio of the first distance to the radius of the first mounting hole is greater than.
However, whenever the difference between the prior art and the claimed invention is relative dimensions (the limitations “the ratio of the first distance to the radius of the first mounting hole is greater than”) and the device would not perform differently (which would be the instant case), the claims are not held to be patentably distinct over the prior art (In Gardner v. TEC Syst., Inc., 725 F.2d 1338, 220 USPQ 777 (Fed. Cir. 1984), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 830, 225 USPQ 232 (1984)).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takahashi et al. in view of Wu (CN 218733579).
4. Takahashi et al. has been discussed above, re claim 1; but does not teach that the motor module comprises two bearings, and the two bearings are spaced apart in the first mounting hole; wherein the motor module includes a sleeve, which is arranged between the two bearings and abuts against one end surface of each bearing respectively.
Wu teaches that the motor module (Wu figs 1 and 2) comprises two bearings 52 & 53, and the two bearings are spaced apart in the first mounting hole (see figs 1-3); wherein the motor module includes a sleeve/inner stop 60, which is arranged between the two bearings and abuts against one end surface of each bearing respectively (see figs 1-3). This spreads the bearing support further across the shaft as opposed to having just one bearing which improves the reliability of the motor.
As a result, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art prior to the invention being effectively filed to modify it such that the motor module comprises two bearings, and the two bearings are spaced apart in the first mounting hole; wherein the motor module includes a sleeve, which is arranged between the two bearings and abuts against one end surface of each bearing respectively, as taught by Wu so as to improve the reliability of the motor.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takahashi et al. in view of Chen et al. (US 20210382147).
10. Takahashi et al. has been discussed above and does not disclose a LiDAR, comprising: a housing, with an accommodation cavity; the motor housed in the accommodation cavity; and a transceiver module, mounted on the motor module and used to emit a detection light and receive an echo light, wherein the detection light is used to detect a target object, and the echo light is formed by the target object reflecting the detection light.
Chen et al. teach that a LiDAR (Chen et al. fig 1), comprising: a housing 16, with an accommodation cavity (Chen et al. fig 1); the motor housed in the accommodation cavity (Chen et al. fig 1); and a transceiver module (the transceiver module is made up of the rotor radar 17, Chen et al. fig 1 para 0095 whole para and MPEP 2112), mounted on the motor module (via upper cartridge plate 7) and used to emit a detection light and receive an echo light (The emitting of detection and echo light is inherent since the device is a LiDar and there is a radar rotor, MPEP 2112), wherein the detection light is used to detect a target object (The target object is also inherent since the device is a LIDAR, MPEP 2112), and the echo light is formed by the target object reflecting the detection light (This is also inherent since the device is a LIDAR, MPEP 2112). This would improve the stability of the LIDAR by using the motor configuration of Takahashi et al. making the LIDAR more reliable.
Thus, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art prior to the invention of Takahashi et al. being effectively filed to modify it with a LiDAR, comprising: a housing, with an accommodation cavity; housed in the accommodation cavity; and a transceiver module, mounted on the motor module and used to emit a detection light and receive an echo light, wherein the detection light is used to detect a target object, and the echo light is formed by the target object reflecting the detection light, as taught by Chen et al., so as to improve the reliability of the LIDAR.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-9, 11 & 12 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TERRANCE L KENERLY whose telephone number is (571)270-7851. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5pm.
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/TERRANCE L KENERLY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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