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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 1-4 and 7-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Gronau et al. (US-6499812).
Regarding claim 1, Gronau et al. discloses a method for controlling a hydraulic brake system (col. 2, line 20-55) comprising: determining a required brake fluid volume (col. 5, lines 10-40, col. 6, lines 25-53, Fig 1, controller 170 and at least claims 1, 7, and 13 wherein Gronau calculates pressure requirements and accounts for the hydraulic volumes) for setting a target pressure in the at least one wheel brake (111,121,131,141); actuating a pressure supply device (col. 3, lines 1-40, col. 4, lines 15-55 , Fig 1, motor 150 pumps 151/152, controller 170, and fig 2 at least pulses 22-26) to convey the required brake fluid volume by determining a threshold rotating speed (col. 6, lines 54- col. 7, line 39, wherein as seen in fig 5, speed characteristic 200, Gronau discloses a predetermined rotational speed limit), wherein a ramp-down behavior of the pressure supply device is observed (col. 6, lines 54- col. 7, line 39, wherein as seen in fig 5, speed characteristic 200, showing declining speed after motor deenergization); conveying a follow-up volume corresponding to the required brake fluid volume when a motor of the pressure supply device is switched off ((col. 6, lines 54- col. 7, line 39, wherein as seen in fig 5, motor 150, speed characteristic 200, and at least claims 1 and 7 wherein Gronau discloses pump rundown delivery contributes to reaching nominal pressure), and one of limiting the rotating speed of the pressure supply device to the threshold rotating speed, and requesting the threshold rotating speed by the pressure supply device (col. 3, line 1-40 , col. 6, lines 54-col. 7, line 39, fig 1, controller 170, outputs 172, fig 5 curve 200 and at least claims 5 and 6).
Regarding claim 2, Gronau et al. discloses wherein the pressure supply device is a piston pump (col. 3, line 41, wherein an eccentric pump is consistent with a reciprocating piston pump construction).
Regarding claim 3, Gronau et al. discloses wherein the brake system is a redundant brake system (fig 1) with an additional second pressure supply device (151/152/104/103).
Regarding claim 4, Gronau et al. discloses wherein the piston pump (fig 1, 151, including non-return 153, wherein normally closed valve 161 supplies fluid to the pump suction side) has no suction throttling (col. 2-3, at least wherein Gronau et al. discloses that suction side restriction can be avoided by controlling the pump motor instead), and is directly connected to a non-pressurized brake fluid reservoir (104).
Regarding claim 7, Gronau et al. discloses wherein the required brake fluid volume is determined from a pressure/volume characteristic curve (col. 2, lines 20-42).
Regarding claim 8, Gronau et al. discloses setting the target rotating speed of the pressure supply device to zero as soon as the actual rotating speed of the pressure supply device is greater than or equal to the threshold rotating speed (fig 5, pump motor run on, 22, and 200).
Regarding claim 9, Gronau et al. discloses a hydraulic motor vehicle brake system (fig 1) comprising: at least one pressure supply device (151/152); and a control unit (170) for feedback-controlling the pressure supply device, wherein the control unit has instructions for determining a required brake fluid volume (col. 5, lines 10-40, col. 6, lines 25-53, Fig 1, controller 170 and at least claims 1, 7, and 13 wherein Gronau calculates pressure requirements and accounts for the hydraulic volumes) for setting a target pressure in the at least one wheel brake (111,121,131,141); actuating a pressure supply device (col. 3, lines 1-40, col. 4, lines 15-55 , Fig 1, motor 150 pumps 151/152, controller 170, and fig 2 at least pulses 22-26) to convey the required brake fluid volume by determining a threshold rotating speed (col. 6, lines 54- col. 7, line 39, wherein as seen in fig 5, speed characteristic 200, Gronau discloses a predetermined rotational speed limit), wherein a ramp-down behavior of the pressure supply device is observed (col. 6, lines 54- col. 7, line 39, wherein as seen in fig 5, speed characteristic 200, showing declining speed after motor deenergization); conveying a follow-up volume corresponding to the required brake fluid volume when a motor of the pressure supply device is switched off ((col. 6, lines 54- col. 7, line 39, wherein as seen in fig 5, motor 150, speed characteristic 200, and at least claims 1 and 7 wherein Gronau discloses pump rundown delivery contributes to reaching nominal pressure), and one of limiting the rotating speed of the pressure supply device to the threshold rotating speed, and requesting the threshold rotating speed by the pressure supply device (col. 3, line 1-40 , col. 6, lines 54-col. 7, line 39, fig 1, controller 170, outputs 172, fig 5 curve 200 and at least claims 5 and 6).
Regarding claim 10, Gronau et al. discloses a computer program product which is designed in such that when executed in a control device (at least figs 1 and 4, wherein 170 implements programmed control logic), carries out instructions for determining a required brake fluid volume (col. 5, lines 10-40, col. 6, lines 25-53, Fig 1, controller 170 and at least claims 1, 7, and 13 wherein Gronau calculates pressure requirements and accounts for the hydraulic volumes) for setting a target pressure in the at least one wheel brake (111,121,131,141); actuating a pressure supply device (col. 3, lines 1-40, col. 4, lines 15-55 , Fig 1, motor 150 pumps 151/152, controller 170, and fig 2 at least pulses 22-26) to convey the required brake fluid volume by determining a threshold rotating speed (col. 6, lines 54- col. 7, line 39, wherein as seen in fig 5, speed characteristic 200, Gronau discloses a predetermined rotational speed limit), wherein a ramp-down behavior of the pressure supply device is observed (col. 6, lines 54- col. 7, line 39, wherein as seen in fig 5, speed characteristic 200, showing declining speed after motor deenergization); conveying a follow-up volume corresponding to the required brake fluid volume when a motor of the pressure supply device is switched off ((col. 6, lines 54- col. 7, line 39, wherein as seen in fig 5, motor 150, speed characteristic 200, and at least claims 1 and 7 wherein Gronau discloses pump rundown delivery contributes to reaching nominal pressure), and one of limiting the rotating speed of the pressure supply device to the threshold rotating speed, and requesting the threshold rotating speed by the pressure supply device (col. 3, line 1-40 , col. 6, lines 54-col. 7, line 39, fig 1, controller 170, outputs 172, fig 5 curve 200 and at least claims 5 and 6).
Regarding claim 11, Gronau et al. discloses wherein the instructions are transmitted via a data carrier signal (fig 4 at least input and output signals 171 and 172).
Regarding claim 12, Gronau et al. discloses wherein the additional second pressure supply device is a linear actuator (103).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 6, and 13 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.
As to claim 5, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to disclose or render obvious observing a pressure difference prevailing at the pressure supply device in the determination of the threshold rotating speed. While Gronau et al. discloses considering a pressure difference, it is across an inlet valve and not across the pressure supply device. Device 177 supplies a pressure difference threshold, but not the claimed pump rotational speed threshold.
As to claim 6, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to disclose or render obvious wherein voltage supply inputs of the motor of the pressure supply device are short-circuited when the motor is switched off.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES K HSIAO whose telephone number is (571)272-6259. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5, Monday-Friday.
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/JAMES K HSIAO/ Examiner, Art Unit 3616
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