Prosecution Insights
Last updated: August 17, 2026
Application No. 19/034,895

VEHICLE DRIVE SYSTEM

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Jan 23, 2025
Priority
Mar 01, 2024 — JP 2024-031394
Examiner
GONZALEZ QUINONES, JOSE A
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
MAZDA MOTOR Corporation
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
76%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
11m
Est. Remaining
88%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 76% — above average
76%
Career Allowance Rate
895 granted / 1178 resolved
+16.0% vs TC avg
Moderate +12% lift
Without
With
+12.3%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 5m
Avg Prosecution
40 currently pending
Career history
1196
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.4%
-39.6% vs TC avg
§103
66.5%
+26.5% vs TC avg
§102
27.4%
-12.6% vs TC avg
§112
4.3%
-35.7% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1178 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
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 statements (IDS) submitted on 01/23/2025 and 11/24/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner. 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. Claim(s) 1-6, 8-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakamura(CN211670701) in view of Suzuki (JP6430762). As to independent claim 1, Nakamura teaches a vehicle drive system including a motor (see paragraph [0038]), a temperature sensor (see paragraph [0033]) configured to detect a temperature state of the motor (1), and a resolver (20) configured to detect a rotational state of the motor (1), further comprising: a motor housing (13) accommodating the motor (1), the temperature sensor (see paragraph [0033]), and the resolver (20), and being open at one side in an axial direction of a motor rotation shaft (10); a cover member (15) covering the opening of the motor housing (13) from the one side; a temperature sensor harness (23) connected at a first end part thereof to the temperature sensor (see paragraph [0033]); and a resolver harness (21) connected at a first end part thereof to the resolver (20), wherein the cover member (15) has a window (16) through which the temperature sensor harness (23) passes, and a temperature sensor connector (41, 40) connectable to a first external harness is attached to the cover member (15) to penetrate a part of the cover member (15) separated from the window, wherein the temperature sensor connector (41, 40) is connected to a second end part of the temperature sensor harness (23), wherein a resolver connector (40) connectable to a second external harness is attached to the cover member (15), and wherein the resolver connector (40) is connected to a second end part of the resolver harness (21) as shown in figures 1-2, see paragraph [0014-0039]. However Nakamura teaches the claimed limitation as discussed above except drive system in that a resolver connector connectable to a second external harness is attached to the motor housing to penetrate the motor. Suzuki teaches drive system in that a resolver connector (44) connectable to a second external harness (41, 42) is attached to the motor housing (13) to penetrate the motor as shown in figures 1, 2 and see paragraph [0027], for the advantageous benefit of ensuring that biting of the wire harness in the edge part of a cooling pipe can be prevented since the cooling pipe is elastically supported by rotary electric machine case, thus suppressing vibration and noise generation. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Nakamura by using the drive system in that a resolver connector connectable to a second external harness is attached to the motor housing to penetrate the motor, as taught by Suzuki, to ensure that biting of the wire harness in the edge part of a cooling pipe can be prevented since the cooling pipe is elastically supported by rotary electric machine case, thus suppressing vibration and noise generation. As to claim 2/1, Nakamura teaches wherein the cover member (15) includes a cover-side vertical wall part extending in a radial direction of the motor rotation shaft to cover the opening of the motor housing (13), and a cover-side circumferential wall part (15A) projecting in the axial direction of the motor rotation shaft from a circumferential edge portion of the cover-side vertical wall part to extend annularly, wherein the window is formed in the cover-side vertical wall part (15A), and wherein the temperature sensor (41, 40) connector is attached to the cover-side circumferential wall part to penetrate the cover-side circumferential wall part (15A) as shown in figured 1-2. As to claim 3/2, Nakamura teaches wherein the temperature sensor (see paragraph [0033]) and the resolver (20) are disposed away from each other in the axial direction of the motor rotation shaft (10) as shown in figure 1. As to claim 4/3, Nakamura teaches wherein the temperature sensor (see paragraph [0033]) is accommodated inside the motor housing (13) on a side closer to the cover-side vertical wall part (15A) as shown in figures 1-2. As to claim 5/4, Nakamura teaches wherein the resolver (20) is accommodated inside the motor housing (13) on an opposite side from the cover-side vertical wall part (15A) as shown in figures 1-2. As to claim 6/5, Nakamura teaches wherein the motor housing (13) has a housing-side vertical wall part (13B) extending in the radial direction of the motor rotation shaft (10), and a housing-side circumferential wall part (13C) projecting in the axial direction of the motor rotation shaft (10) from a circumferential edge portion of the housing-side vertical wall part (13B) to extend annularly, and coupled to the cover member (15) as shown in figure 1-2 However Nakamura in view of Suzuki teaches the claimed limitation as dissed above except wherein the resolver connector is attached to the housing-side circumferential wall part to penetrate the housing-side circumferential wall part. Suzuki teaches the resolver connector (44) is attached to the housing-side circumferential wall part (13) to penetrate the housing-side circumferential wall part (13) as shown in figures 1-2, for the advantageous benefit of ensuring that biting of the wire harness in the edge part of a cooling pipe can be prevented since the cooling pipe is elastically supported by rotary electric machine case, thus suppressing vibration and noise generation. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Nakamura in view of Suzuki by using the resolver connector is attached to the housing-side circumferential wall part to penetrate the housing-side circumferential wall part, as taught by Suzuki, to ensure that biting of the wire harness in the edge part of a cooling pipe can be prevented since the cooling pipe is elastically supported by rotary electric machine case, thus suppressing vibration and noise generation. As to claim 8/1, Nakamura teaches wherein the temperature sensor (see paragraph [0033]) and the resolver (20) are disposed away from each other in the axial direction of the motor rotation shaft (10) as shown in figures 1-2. As to claim 9/8, Nakamura teaches wherein the temperature sensor (see paragraph [0033]) is accommodated inside the motor housing (10) on a side closer to the cover-side vertical wall part (15A) as shown in figures 1-2. As to claim 10/9, Nakamura teaches wherein the resolver (20) is accommodated inside the motor housing (10) on an opposite side from the cover-side vertical wall part (15A) as shown in figures 1-2. As to claim 11/10, Nakamura teaches wherein the motor housing (13) has a housing-side vertical wall part (13B) extending in the radial direction of the motor rotation shaft (10), and a housing-side circumferential wall part (13B) projecting in the axial direction of the motor rotation shaft (10) from a circumferential edge portion of the housing-side vertical wall part (1B) to extend annularly, and coupled to the cover member (15), and wherein the resolver connector (40) is attached to the housing-side circumferential wall part (13C) to penetrate the housing-side circumferential wall part (13B) as shown in figures 1-2. Allowable Subject Matter Claims 7-12 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 JOSE A GONZALEZ QUINONES whose telephone number is (571)270-7850. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 6:30-2:30 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, OLUSEYE IWARERE can be reached at (571)270-5112. 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. /JOSE A GONZALEZ QUINONES/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834 July 24, 2026
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Jan 23, 2025
Application Filed
Jul 28, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12703498
DRIVE DEVICE AND DRIVE DEVICE UNIT
2y 5m to grant Granted Aug 11, 2026
Patent 12706498
ROTARY ELECTRIC MACHINE
2y 5m to grant Granted Aug 11, 2026
Patent 12700767
ELECTRIC MACHINE
2y 4m to grant Granted Aug 04, 2026
Patent 12695347
DYNAMOELECTRIC MACHINE AS A DRIVE OF AN ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN VEHICLE
2y 5m to grant Granted Jul 28, 2026
Patent 12689251
MOTOR COOLING STRUCTURE
2y 5m to grant Granted Jul 21, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
76%
Grant Probability
88%
With Interview (+12.3%)
2y 5m (~11m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1178 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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