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 .
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 3, 7 and 9 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 Ln 1, please amend to --checking [[the]] a state--.
Claim 1 Ln 5, please amend to --in [[the]] a pressure curve--.
Claim 3 Ln 3, please amend to --using [[the]] a current operating temperature--.
Claim 7 Ln 1, please amend to --checking [[the]] a state--.
Claim 7 Ln 5, please amend to --in [[the]] a pressure curve--.
Claim 9 Ln 4, please amend to --using [[the]] a current operating temperature--.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1, 5, 7 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1), 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by MORANDI GABRIELE IT 202000021574 A1, hereinafter Morandi.
Regarding claim 1, Morandi discloses (Fig. 1-5) a method for checking the state of a hydraulic accumulator (“accumulator”) having a fluid chamber, which communicates with a hydraulic system (“GS”) supplied with hydraulic fluid from a hydraulic reservoir by a motor-driven hydraulic pump [0042], comprising:
monitoring via a control unit (“computer” [0060]) a pressure drop in the hydraulic system (“step 2” [0043]) in relation to a jump in the pressure curve (“point of discontinuity” [0044]), which is characteristic of reaching a fully relaxed state of the hydraulic accumulator, when the motor drive of the hydraulic pump is switched off [0018];
ascertaining via the control unit a hydraulic pressure corresponding to the jump in the pressure curve [0044];
calculating via the control unit a preload pressure exerted by the hydraulic accumulator by starting with the ascertained hydraulic pressure [0044]; and
concluding via the control unit a malfunction of the hydraulic accumulator when the preload pressure does not reach a specified target value (“predetermined pressure threshold” [0045]).
Regarding claim 5, Morandi discloses (Fig. 1-5) further comprising: inducing via the control unit output of driver information indicating the malfunction of the hydraulic accumulator through a user interface (“step 5” [0045]).
Regarding claim 7, Morandi discloses (Fig. 1-5) a system for checking the state of a hydraulic accumulator (“accumulator”) having a fluid chamber, which communicates with a hydraulic system (“GS”) supplied with hydraulic fluid from a hydraulic reservoir by a motor-driven hydraulic pump [0042], comprising: a control unit (“computer” [0060]) configured to:
monitor a pressure drop in the hydraulic system (“step 2” [0043]) in relation to a jump in the pressure curve (“point of discontinuity” [0044]), which is characteristic of reaching a fully relaxed state of the hydraulic accumulator, when the motor drive of the hydraulic pump is switched off [0018],
ascertain a hydraulic pressure corresponding to the jump in the pressure curve [0044];
calculate a preload pressure exerted by the hydraulic accumulator by starting with the ascertained hydraulic pressure [0044]; and
conclude a malfunction of the hydraulic accumulator when the preload pressure does not reach a specified target value(“predetermined pressure threshold” [0045]).
Regarding claim 11, Morandi discloses (Fig. 1-5) the control unit is further configured to: induce output of driver information indicating the malfunction of the hydraulic accumulator through a user interface (“step 5” [0045]).
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 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.
Claims 2-4 and 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Morandi in view of MOHR KURT DE 10146367 A1, hereinafter Mohr. The references is/are considered analogous art to the claimed invention because the references is/are from the same field of endeavor as the claimed invention (fluid systems with actuators); or the references is/are reasonably pertinent to the problem faced by the inventor (determining pressure/failure of accumulators). MPEP2141.01(a) I.
Regarding claim 2, Morandi discloses the claimed invention substantially as claimed, as set forth above for Claim 1 except fails to explicitly state that the method further comprising converting via the control unit the preload pressure into a temperature- compensated preload pressure of the hydraulic accumulator; and comparing via the control unit the temperature-compensated preload pressure with the specified target value for assessment of the malfunction of the hydraulic accumulator.
Mohr discloses (Fig. 1-3) a method for checking the state of a hydraulic accumulator (14) having a fluid chamber (26), which communicates with a hydraulic system (12) supplied with hydraulic fluid from a hydraulic reservoir by a motor-driven hydraulic pump (28/30), comprising:
monitoring via a control unit (“ECU” [0025]) a pressure drop in the hydraulic system [0025] in relation to a jump in the pressure curve (“kink” [0030]), which is characteristic of reaching a fully relaxed state of the hydraulic accumulator [0030, 0035];
ascertaining via the control unit a hydraulic pressure (“gas pre-pressure”) corresponding to the jump in the pressure curve [0030, 0035];
calculating via the control unit a preload pressure (“gas pre-pressure”) exerted by the hydraulic accumulator by starting with the ascertained hydraulic pressure [0030, 0035];
concluding via the control unit a malfunction of the hydraulic accumulator when the preload pressure does not reach a specified target value (“critical value” [0037]); and
converting via the control unit the preload pressure into a temperature- compensated preload pressure of the hydraulic accumulator; and comparing via the control unit the temperature-compensated preload pressure with the specified target value for assessment of the malfunction of the hydraulic accumulator [0040-0041], for the purpose of ensuring the control unit does not erroneously activate the warning device [0029].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was filed, to modify Morandi, by using the temperature-compensated preload pressure, as taught by Mohr, for the purpose of ensuring the control unit does not erroneously activate the warning device.
Regarding claim 3, Mohr discloses (Fig. 1-3) further comprising: calculating via the control unit the temperature-compensated preload pressure by using the current operating temperature of the hydraulic fluid located in the fluid chamber of the hydraulic accumulator [0029].
Regarding claim 4, Mohr discloses (Fig. 1-3) further comprising: ascertaining via the control unit the hydraulic pressure and detecting via the control unit the operating temperature of the hydraulic fluid by selecting one or more sensor devices (34, 44) from a plurality of sensor devices (34, 44) distributed in the hydraulic system, the one or more sensor devices spatially nearest to the hydraulic accumulator [0029, 0040-0041].
Regarding claim 6, Morandi discloses the claimed invention substantially as claimed, as set forth above for Claim 1 except fails to explicitly state the method that further comprising: generating via the control unit an input indicating the malfunction of the hydraulic accumulator into a diagnostic system.
Mohr discloses (Fig. 1-3) the method/device, as stated above for claim 2, further comprising generating via the control unit (ECU) an input indicating the malfunction of the hydraulic accumulator into a diagnostic system (42) [0028] for the purpose of indicating that the accumulator may need replacement.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was filed, to modify Morandi, by signaling a diagnostic system, as taught by Mohr, for the purpose of indicating that the accumulator may need replacement.
Regarding claim 8, Morandi discloses the claimed invention substantially as claimed, as set forth above for Claim 7 except fails to explicitly state that the control unit is further configured to:
convert the preload pressure into a temperature-compensated preload pressure of the hydraulic accumulator; and
compare the temperature-compensated preload pressure with the specified target value for assessment of the malfunction of the hydraulic accumulator.
Mohr discloses (Fig. 1-3) a method for checking the state of a hydraulic accumulator (14) having a fluid chamber (26), which communicates with a hydraulic system (12) supplied with hydraulic fluid from a hydraulic reservoir by a motor-driven hydraulic pump (28/30), comprising:
monitoring via a control unit (“ECU” [0025]) a pressure drop in the hydraulic system [0025] in relation to a jump in the pressure curve (“kink” [0030]), which is characteristic of reaching a fully relaxed state of the hydraulic accumulator [0030, 0035];
ascertaining via the control unit a hydraulic pressure (“gas pre-pressure”) corresponding to the jump in the pressure curve [0030, 0035];
calculating via the control unit a preload pressure (“gas pre-pressure”) exerted by the hydraulic accumulator by starting with the ascertained hydraulic pressure [0030, 0035];
concluding via the control unit a malfunction of the hydraulic accumulator when the preload pressure does not reach a specified target value (“critical value” [0037]); and
converting via the control unit the preload pressure into a temperature- compensated preload pressure of the hydraulic accumulator; and comparing via the control unit the temperature-compensated preload pressure with the specified target value for assessment of the malfunction of the hydraulic accumulator [0040-0041], for the purpose of ensuring the control unit does not erroneously activate the warning device [0029].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was filed, to modify Morandi, by using the temperature-compensated preload pressure, as taught by Mohr, for the purpose of ensuring the control unit does not erroneously activate the warning device.
Regarding claim 9, Mohr discloses (Fig. 1-3) the control unit is further configured to: calculate the temperature-compensated preload pressure by using the current operating temperature of the hydraulic fluid located in the fluid chamber of the hydraulic accumulator [0029].
Regarding claim 10, Mohr discloses (Fig. 1-3) the control unit is further configured to: ascertain the hydraulic pressure and detect the operating temperature of the hydraulic fluid by selecting one or more sensor devices from a plurality of sensor devices distributed in the hydraulic system, the one or more sensor devices spatially nearest to the hydraulic accumulator [0029, 0040-0041].
Regarding claim 12, Morandi discloses (Fig. 1-5) the control unit is further configured to: generate an input indicating the malfunction of the hydraulic accumulator into a diagnostic system.
Morandi discloses the claimed invention substantially as claimed, as set forth above for Claim 7 except fails to explicitly state that the control unit is further configured to generate an input indicating the malfunction of the hydraulic accumulator into a diagnostic system.
Mohr discloses (Fig. 1-3) the method/device, as stated above for claim 8, further comprising generating via the control unit (ECU) an input indicating the malfunction of the hydraulic accumulator into a diagnostic system (42) [0028] for the purpose of indicating that the accumulator may need replacement.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was filed, to modify Morandi, by signaling a diagnostic system, as taught by Mohr, for the purpose of indicating that the accumulator may need replacement.
Relevant Art
The following is a listing of relevant art:
US 20180120185 A1, US 20020162381 A1, US 9091039 B2, US 11118605 B1 discloses hydraulic systems with accumulators and determining error/failure thereof.
US 20130247999 A1, US 20220213907 A1 discloses hydraulic systems with accumulators and determining error/failure thereof by monitoring via a control unit a pressure drop in the hydraulic system in relation to a jump in the pressure curve.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW WIBLIN whose telephone number is (571)272-9836. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, NATHANIEL WIEHE can be reached on 571-272-8648. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MATTHEW WIBLIN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3745
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