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(s) (IDS) submitted on 10/03/2025 and 01/23/2025 have been considered by the Examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim(s) 11-12 and 14 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 11 recites a term “the distance” in line 1. Examiner suggests amending the term to recite “a distance” to restore clarity.
Claim 11 recites a term “a number of receiving structures” in line 2. Examiner suggests amending the term to recite “a number of the receiving structures” to restore clarity.
Claim 12 recites a term “the distances” in line 1. Examiner suggests amending the term to recite “distances” to restore clarity.
Claim 14 recites term(s) “An inductive sensor”, “a movable body” in line 1. Examiner suggests amending the term(s) to recite “the inductive sensor”, “the movable body”, respectively, to restore antecedent clarity.
Claim 14 recites a term “at least one receiving structure” in line 8. Examiner suggests amending the term to recite “the at least one receiving structure” to restore clarity.
Appropriate correction is required.
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(s) 14-15 are 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention. The rationale for this finding is explained below:
Regarding claim 14, recitation of similar but distinct claim term(s) "at least one exciter structure" and “at least one excitation structure” renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether they refer to same or different element. For examination purposes, Examiner assumes the same element. Appropriate correction is required.
Dependent Claim 15 not specifically addressed share the same 112(b) rejection as the rejected base Claim.
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 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 of this title, 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) 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over AUSSERLECHNER et al. (US 20220057281; hereinafter AUSSERLECHNER) in view of AUSSERLECHNER et al. (US 20210364272; hereinafter AUSSERLECHNER2).
Regarding claim 1, AUSSERLECHNER teaches in figure(s) 1-13 a measured value acquisition device for an inductive sensor arrangement having a circuit carrier (PCB1; figs 10; para. 54) which comprises at least one receiving structure which comprises at least one receiving coil having at least two windings (pickup coil systems 1008, 1010; para. 55-58 “- pickup coil system 1008, 1010 each may include two or more pickup coils that each have any suitable k-fold periodicity and are rotated with respect to one another in accordance with this periodicity… individual coils included in each of the pickup coil systems 1008, 1010 terminating via suitable connections and/or terminals, which are each separately coupled to additional circuitry; figs. 11), wherein
a single winding of the at least one receiving coil each has two loop structures with a plurality of loop sections (para. 66 - PCB1 may be formed of a PCB1a, PCB1b, etc., to facilitate the various coils, connections, terminals, etc., to be disposed thereon.) and is formed in at least two planes of the circuit carrier (para. 58 - individual coils included in each of the pickup coil systems 1008, 1010 may be routed via different layers of the substrate; para. 56 - one or more of the pickup coil systems 1008,1010 may comprise several turns around the rotation axis; fig. 10),
the loop sections of the two loop structures of the individual windings have opposite flow directions (para. 57 - having adjacent windings in the opposite direction),
the loop structures of the at least two electrically series-connected windings of the at least one receiving coil are arranged offset with respect to one another by a predetermined distance (radial clearance, airgap in fig. 10A; para. 56-57 - pickup coil systems 1008, 1010 may comprise several turns around the rotation axis with certain turns rotated against one another … rotational offset among the pickup coils may reduce the systematic angle error.), and
ends of the individual loop structures of the at least two windings of the at least one receiving coil are connected to each other at end regions of the corresponding receiving structure via at least one connecting structure such that an electrical series connection of at least two windings (para. 58 - pickup coil systems 1008, 1010 terminating via suitable connections and/or terminals, which are each separately coupled to additional circuitry so that the torsion angle may be calculated; figs. 11), and/or
a reversal of a flow direction within one of the at least two windings is created (para. 57 - having adjacent windings in the opposite direction; figs. 10).
AUSSERLECHNER does not teach explicitly sections of the individual loop structures arranged in different planes of the circuit carrier are electrically connected to each other via through-hole platings.
However, AUSSERLECHNER2 teaches in figure(s) 1-14 sections of the individual loop structures arranged in different planes of the circuit carrier are electrically connected to each other via through-hole platings (para. 83 - conductor tracks 931, 932 can have contact made with one another through the substrate by means of plated-through holes (vias) 933; para. 152 - The two metallization layers are connected to one another by means of plated-through holes vias; figs. 11;2),
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of AUSSERLECHNER by having sections of the individual loop structures arranged in different planes of the circuit carrier are electrically connected to each other via through-hole platings as taught by AUSSERLECHNER2 in order to utilize a well-known wiring topology as evidenced by "a series connection the single signals of the respective interconnected single pickup coils add up to form a joint signal… conductor tracks 931, 932 can have contact made with one another through the substrate by means of plated-through holes (vias)" (paras. 130,83).
Regarding claim 2, AUSSERLECHNER teaches in figure(s) 1-13 the measured value acquisition device according to claim 1, wherein a number of the connecting structures is based on a number of the one receiving coil (para. 40 – each corresponding pickup coil to receive and output a voltage signal that varies with respect to the angle between each target coil and respective pickup coil pairing).
Regarding claim 3, AUSSERLECHNER2 teaches in figure(s) 1-14 the measured value acquisition device according to claim 1, wherein: at least one connecting structure comprises a through-hole plating which connects two individual loop structures of two windings or a common one of the at least two windings arranged in different planes (para. 152 - The two metallization layers are connected to one another by means of plated-through holes vias), and the two individual loop structures are configured to end at the through-hole plating before the corresponding end of the receiving structure (para. 83 - conductor tracks 931, 932 can have contact made with one another through the substrate by means of plated-through holes (vias) 933; fig. 11).
Regarding claim 4, AUSSERLECHNER in view of AUSSERLECHNER2 teaches the measured value acquisition device according to claim 3,
AUSSERLECHNER2 additionally teaches in figure(s) 1-14 wherein the through-hole plating (933; fig. 11) is arranged in the region of an intersection point of the two individual loop structures arranged in different planes.
Regarding claim 5, AUSSERLECHNER teaches in figure(s) 1-13 the measured value acquisition device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one connecting structure comprises a conductor path piece which is connected at contact points in each case to one end of two individual loop structures of two windings arranged in the same plane or of a common one of the at least two windings and connects them to one each other (para. 55-58 - individual coils included in each of the pickup coil systems 1008, 1010 terminating via suitable connections and/or terminals, which are each separately coupled to additional circuitry; figs. 11).
Regarding claim 6, AUSSERLECHNER in view of AUSSERLECHNER2 teaches the measured value acquisition device according to claim 1,
AUSSERLECHNER2 additionally teaches in figure(s) 1-14, wherein the at least one connecting structure comprises a through-hole plating (933; fig. 11) and at least one conductor path piece in one of the two planes or in both planes and connects two individual loop structures of two windings or a common one of the at least two windings arranged in different planes.
Regarding claim 7, AUSSERLECHNER in view of AUSSERLECHNER2 teaches the measured value acquisition device according to claim 6,
AUSSERLECHNER2 additionally teaches in figure(s) 1-14 wherein the through-hole plating (933; fig. 11) is connected in one plane to one end of one of the two loop structures and in the other plane to the at least one conductor path piece, which is connected at a contact point to one end of the other of the two loop structures.
Regarding claim 8, AUSSERLECHNER in view of AUSSERLECHNER2 teaches the measured value acquisition device according to claim 6,
AUSSERLECHNER2 additionally teaches in figure(s) 1-14 wherein a first conductor path piece is connected in one plane to the through-hole plating (933; fig. 11) and at a contact point to one end of one of the loop structures, and a second conductor path piece is connected in another plane to the through-hole plating and at a contact point to one end of the other of the two loop structures.
Regarding claim 9, AUSSERLECHNER teaches in figure(s) 1-13 the measured value acquisition device according to claim 1, wherein: the loop sections of the two loop structures each repeat periodically (para. 57 - the coils may include a sine and a cosine coil), and a complete period of the loop sections corresponds to a sinusoidal curve or a rectangular curve or a triangular curve and a number of the periodically repeating loop sections defines a periodicity of the receiving structure (para. 86 - k-fold periodicities k1, k2 of the pickup coil systems 1008, 1010).
Regarding claim 10, AUSSERLECHNER in view of AUSSERLECHNER2 teaches the measured value acquisition device according to claim 9,
AUSSERLECHNER2 additionally teaches in figure(s) 1-14 wherein the sections of the individual loop structures arranged in different planes of the circuit carrier correspond to a half or a quarter or an eighth period of the repeating loop sections (para. 39 - first half of an astatic single pickup coil delivering a first signal and the second half of this astatic single pickup coil delivering a second signal, wherein the second signal is inverted in relation to the first signal on account of the counterclockwise winding direction).
Regarding claim 11, AUSSERLECHNER in view of AUSSERLECHNER2 teaches the measured value acquisition device according to claim 1,
AUSSERLECHNER2 additionally teaches in figure(s) 1-14 wherein the distance of adjacent loop structures of the at least one receiving structure is based on a number of the at least one receiving structure and on a number of the at least one receiving coil and on a number of the at least two windings of the at least one receiving coil and on a periodicity of the at least one receiving structure (clm. 15 - the substrate has at least two metallization layers that are at a distance from one another, wherein the single pickup coils of the first pickup coil arrangement are alternately produced in the metallization layers of the substrate, and wherein the single pickup coils of the second pickup coil arrangement are alternately produced in the metallization layers of the substrate, and are offset by the geometric offset angle ρ in relation to the single pickup coils of the first pickup coil arrangement).
Regarding claim 12, AUSSERLECHNER teaches in figure(s) 1-13 the measured value acquisition device according to claim 1, wherein the distances between the loop structures and the windings of the at least one receiving coil of the same receiving structure are the same (para. 58 - individual coils included in each of the pickup coil systems 1008, 1010 terminating via suitable connections and/or terminals, which are each separately coupled to additional circuitry).
Regarding claim 13, AUSSERLECHNER in view of AUSSERLECHNER2 teaches the measured value acquisition device according to claim 1,
AUSSERLECHNER2 additionally teaches in figure(s) 1-14 wherein loop structures of the windings of a plurality of receiving coils are arranged alternately (para. 153 - turns of the respective single pickup coils 111, 112 alternate, as explained previously with reference to FIG. 2A, between two metallization layers.) or grouped after the receiving coils along the receiving structure.
Regarding claim 14, AUSSERLECHNER teaches in figure(s) 1-13 An inductive sensor arrangement for detecting a movement of a movable body (angle/torque sensor for rotating shaft in fig. 10B), having at least one coupling device (target coils 1016, pickup coils 1008,1010) and a measured value acquisition device which is designed according to claim 1, wherein: the at least one coupling device or the measured value acquisition device is coupled to the movable body (1002,1004), whose movement is to be detected,
at least one exciter structure (primary power coils 1006) is arranged on the circuit carrier (PCB1; figs 10; para. 54) of the measured value acquisition device, wherein the at least one exciter structure (1006) is coupled to at least one evaluation and control circuit (1106A; fig. 11A) which, during operation, couples a periodic change signal into the at least one excitation structure (para. 78 - oscillator circuitry to provide an AC signal that is coupled to the primary coil 1006 via one or more wires, traces, etc., to provide the primary power coil 1006 with an AC current at any suitable frequency or range of frequencies), the at least one coupling device is designed to influence an inductive coupling between the at least one excitation structure and at least one receiving structure of the measured value acquisition device (para. 78 - primary power coil 1006 is inductively coupled to the secondary power coil 1012 …provides power to the target coils 1014, 1016 via the various coupling arrangements …pickup coils included in each of the pickup coil systems 1008, 1010 are also inductively coupled to the target coils 1014, 1016, respectively, and thus voltages are induced in each of the pickup coils included in the pickup coil systems 1008, 1010, which varies as the target coils 1014, 1016 rotate with respect to one another), and the at least one evaluation and control unit (1106*; figs. 11) is designed to receive and evaluate signals induced in the at least one receiving structure and to determine a current position of the movable coupling device relative to the at least one receiving structure and/or a current position of the movable body (para. 91 - calculated values for the torsion angle delta′ …. calculation of the angle of the rotatable input shaft 1002 (phimech′)).
Regarding claim 15, AUSSERLECHNER teaches in figure(s) 1-13 the inductive sensor arrangement according to claim 14, wherein the movable body performs a rotational movement about a rotational axis (rotation axis; fig. 10B) or performs a linear movement.
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
CHEN et al. (US 20230089358) discloses “A position-torque sensor system includes two angle sensors configured to detect a rotational movement”.
UTERMOEHLEN et al. (US 20200200569) discloses “A rotational angle sensor includes a stator element and a rotor element”.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AKM ZAKARIA whose telephone number is (571)270-0664. The examiner can normally be reached on 8-5 PM (PST).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Judy Nguyen can be reached on (571) 272-2258. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AKM ZAKARIA/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
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