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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement filed on 01/22/2025 has been acknowledged and considered by examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: There is a grammatical omission in the limitation reciting “2N number of coil-poles that are positioned at equal intervals around inside of the stator” (lines 4-5). Appropriate correction is required. A possible correction would read ““2N number of coil-poles that are positioned at equal intervals around the inside of the stator”.
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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim 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.
As to claim 1, the limitation recites "wherein coil-winding polarities of secondary coils at a coil-pole position" (line 23). There is insufficient antecedent basis for the term “secondary coils” in the claim. The coils were previously introduced in the claim as “primary coil and secondary coils that are wound at each of the 2N coil-poles” (lines 6-7). Therefore, it is unclear if this limitation refers back to the previously recited secondary coils or is introducing new secondary coils. A possible correction would read “"wherein coil-winding polarities of the secondary coils at a coil-pole position".
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The actual filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/applying-online/eterminal-disclaimer.
Claim 1 is rejected on the ground of nonstatutory obviousness-type double patenting as being unpatentable over claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 12,228,430 (“the reference patent”) in view of Applicant Admitted Prior Art (AAPA) and well-known principles of electromagnetics. The claims of the instant application and the claims of the reference patent are compared in the table below.
Instant Application (Claim 1)
U.S. Patent No. 12,228,430 (Claim1)
An N-phase variable reluctance (VR) resolver apparatus, N being an integer greater than or equal to three, the N-phase VR resolver apparatus comprising:
An N-phase variable reluctance resolver apparatus, N being an odd integer greater than or equal to three, the N-phase variable reluctance resolver apparatus comprising:
a stator comprising:
2N number of coil-poles that are positioned at equal intervals around inside of the stator; and
a stator comprising:
N number of coil-poles that are positioned at equal intervals around the inside of the stator and are referred to as odd coil-poles;
additional N number of coil-poles that are positioned paired with the N odd coil-poles, wherein each of the additional N coil-poles is located symmetrically at 180 degrees relative to its corresponding each of the N odd coil-poles, wherein the additional N number of coil-poles are referred to as even coil-poles; and
a primary coil and secondary coils that are wound at each of the 2N coil-poles,
wherein the secondary coils include a sine signal sensing coil and a cosine signal sensing coil, and all primary coils are wound with the same number of coil turns, with the winding direction alternating between clock-wise (CW) and counter clock-wise (CCW) across the 2N coil-poles,
three types of coils including a primary coil, a sine signal sensing coil, and a cosine signal sensing coil, which are wound at each of the N odd and N even coil-poles, wherein all primary coils are wired with the same number of coil turns, but with alternating winding polarities between the odd and even coil-poles,
wherein the number of coil turns and winding polarities for the secondary coils are determined by synthesis coefficients of a 2N-phase cosine-zero-force (ZF) transform,
wherein the number of turns and winding polarities for the sine signal and cosine signal sensing coils are determined by sine synthesis and cosine synthesis coefficients of a N-phase zero-force (ZF) transform, respectively,
wherein coil turns ratios of the sine signal sensing and cosine signal sensing coils relative to the primary coil at coil-pole position n (1≤n≤2N) are determined by the absolute values of the corresponding sine synthesis and cosine synthesis coefficients at position n (1≤n≤2N) of the 2N-phase cosine-ZF transform, respectively,
wherein coil turns ratios of the sine signal sensing and cosine signal sensing coils relative to the primary coil on a pair of odd and even coil-poles at position n (1≤n≤N) are determined by absolute values of the corresponding sine synthesis and cosine synthesis coefficients at position n (1≤n≤N) of the N-phase ZF transform, respectively,
wherein coil-winding polarities of the sine signal sensing and cosine signal sensing coils at coil-pole position n (1≤n≤2N) are determined by signs of the corresponding sine synthesis and cosine synthesis coefficients at position n (1≤n≤2N) of the 2N-phase cosine-ZF transform, respectively,
wherein coil-winding polarities of the sine signal and the cosine signal sensing coils on a pair of odd and even coil-poles at position n (1≤n≤N) are determined by signs of the corresponding sine synthesis and cosine synthesis coefficients at position n (1≤n≤N) of the N-phase ZF transform, respectively,
wherein coil-winding polarities of secondary coils at a coil-pole position where the primary coil is wound in the CCW direction are reversed relative to the signs of the corresponding synthesis coefficients; and
a rotor comprising:
a lobe defining one electrical period on the stator over one mechanical turn of the rotor.
a rotor comprising:
a lobe defining at least one electrical period on the stator over one mechanical turn of the rotor.
Claim 1 of the reference patent recites all of the limitations of claim 1 of the instant application except expanding N to any integer (rather than an odd integer), utilizing a 2N-phase cosine-zero-force (ZF) transform on 2N independent poles (rather than an N-phase ZF transform on N pairs of poles), restricting the rotor to exactly one electrical period (rather than at least one), and explicitly reversing the coil-winding polarities of secondary coils where the primary coil is wound in the CCW direction. However, Applicant Admitted Prior Art (AAPA) teaches that a cosine signal is mathematically equivalent to a sine signal delayed by 90 degrees, making the mathematical models interchangeable (Specification, [0024] "Since a cosine signal is simply a sine signal delayed by 90 degrees, the sensed N-phase delayed signals can also be considered cosine waveforms"). Furthermore, restricting a rotor to exactly one electrical period (1X speed) is a known species encompassed by the "at least one" genus of the reference patent, and reversing a sensing coil's polarity in response to a reversed excitation flux (CCW) is a well-known, inherent principle of electromagnetics required to maintain a correct mathematical sign.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize a 2N-phase cosine-ZF transform, as mathematically supported by AAPA, within the apparatus of claim 1 of the reference patent, to accommodate stator designs that utilize an even number of poles. Furthermore, it would have been obvious to apply the corresponding physical polarity reversal logic to the secondary coils wherever the primary coil is wound CCW to ensure the physically induced voltages correctly match the calculated mathematical signs of the synthesis coefficients. This would allow a user to successfully design a highly accurate 1X speed VR resolver for both odd and even pole configurations with a reasonable expectation of success.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Na et al. (US 2015/0338244)
Abramenko et al. (Design Aspects of Winding for Variable Reluctance Resolver)
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OSAMAH MURSHED whose telephone number is (571)272-9534. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 11 a.m. 8 p.m. ET..
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/OSAMAH MURSHED/Examiner, Art Unit 2858
/JUDY NGUYEN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2858
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