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 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 1-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 20050066761 A1 ("Arihara").
Claim 1: Arihara teaches a vehicle steer-by-wire steering system comprising: a column jacket (5, 2; Fig. 3); and a hand wheel actuator (13) operatively coupled to an end of the column jacket (para. 39, lines 3-6), the hand wheel actuator disposed between an end of the column jacket and a steering input device (Fig. 3; para. 39, lines 3-6 although steering wheel not shown but would be connected to the end of 11; para. 39, lines 3-6), wherein at least a portion of the column jacket extends about a longitudinal axis which is oriented at a non-parallel angle relative to a central axis of the hand wheel actuator (para. 41, lines 5-9; the difference axis isn't shown but 13 is tilted on the shaft of 17 in Fig. 1).
Claim 2: Arihara teaches the limitations of claim 1 as noted above. Arihara further teaches the vehicle steer-by-wire steering system, wherein the longitudinal axis of the column jacket (5, 2) is oriented closer to a horizontal angle relative to an angle defined by the central axis of the hand wheel actuator (13) and the horizontal axis (para. 41, lines 5-9; because tilt housing 13 swings up and down relative to the column jacket to adjust the steering wheel, the column jacket axis remains fixed at an angle closer to horizontal than the tilted axis of 13).
Claim 3: Arihara teaches the limitations of claim 2 as noted above. Arihara further teaches the vehicle steer-by-wire steering system, further comprising an adaptor (19) disposed between the end of the column jacket (5, 2) and the hand wheel actuator (13; 19s connection 17), wherein the adaptor is shaped to provide the non-parallel angle (para. 41, lines 5-9 and para. 60, lines 1-13; it allows the pivoting of 17 to tilt 13).
Claim 4: Arihara teaches the limitations of claim 3 as noted above. Arihara further teaches the vehicle steer-by-wire steering system, wherein the adaptor is a motor controller housing (motor 26 is the power source of 19; para. 60, lines 1-13).
Claim 5: Arihara teaches the limitations of claim 4 as noted above. Arihara further teaches the vehicle steer-by-wire steering system, wherein the motor controller housing defines an opening (16 fitting on the outside of jacket 5, 2) with an inner wall which receives the column jacket (5, 2) (Fig. 2).
Claim 6: Arihara teaches the limitations of claim 3 as noted above. Arihara further teaches the vehicle steer-by-wire steering system, wherein the adaptor (19) includes a first portion (17) and a second portion (16a), wherein the first portion is operatively coupled to the hand wheel actuator (13; 17 connects to connects to 13; Fig. 1), wherein the second portion is operatively coupled to the column jacket (5, 2; 16a is connected to the end of the 5; Fig. 2).
Claim 7: Arihara teaches the limitations of claim 6 as noted above. Arihara further teaches the vehicle steer-by-wire steering system, wherein the first portion (17) is an extension of the second portion (16a) toward the hand wheel actuator (13) (Fig. 1; para. 40, lines 3-7; shaft 17 extends into 13).
Claim 8: Arihara teaches the limitations of claim 2 as noted above. Arihara further teaches the vehicle steer-by-wire steering system, further comprising an angle skewing feature (17) integrally formed on the end of the column jacket (5, 2) (connected to 16a at the end of the jacket; Fig. 2; para. 40, lines 3-7) to define the non-parallel angle.
Claim 9: Arihara teaches the limitations of claim 3 as noted above. Arihara further teaches the vehicle steer-by-wire steering system, wherein the adaptor (19) is an angle skewing feature (17 of 19) integrally formed on a spindle (11) disposed within the hand wheel actuator (13) (17 connects to 13 which is directly connected to 11; Fig. 1; para. 60, lines 1-13).
Claim 10: Arihara teaches the limitations of claim 3 as noted above. Arihara further teaches the vehicle steer-by-wire steering system, wherein the adaptor (19) is an angle skewing feature (17 of 19) integrally formed on a motor output shaft (motor 26 connection to 17) disposed within the hand wheel actuator (13) (Fig. 1; para. 60, lines 1-13).
Claim 11: Arihara teaches a vehicle steer-by-wire steering system comprising: a column jacket (5, 2; Fig. 3); and a hand wheel actuator (13) operatively coupled to an end of the column jacket (para. 39, lines 3-6), the hand wheel actuator disposed between an end of the column jacket and a steering input device (Fig. 3; para. 39, lines 3-6 although steering wheel not shown but would be connected to the end of 11; para. 39, lines 3-6), wherein at least a portion of the column jacket extends about a longitudinal axis which is not co-axial with a central axis of the hand wheel actuator (para. 41, lines 5-9; the difference axis isn't shown but 13 is tilted on the shaft of 17 in Fig. 1).
Claim 12: Arihara teaches the limitations of claim 11 as noted above. Arihara further teaches the vehicle steer-by-wire steering system, further comprising an adaptor (19) disposed between the end of the column jacket (5, 2) and the hand wheel actuator (13; 19s connection to 17), wherein the adaptor is shaped to provide the non-co-axial orientation of the column jacket and the hand wheel actuator (para. 41, lines 5-9 and para. 60, lines 1-13; it allows the pivoting of 17 to tilt 13).
Claim 13: Arihara teaches the limitations of claim 12 as noted above. Arihara further teaches the vehicle steer-by-wire steering system, wherein the adaptor is a motor controller housing (motor 26 is the power source of 19; para. 60, lines 1-13).
Claim 14: Arihara teaches the limitations of claim 13 as noted above. Arihara further teaches the vehicle steer-by-wire steering system, wherein the motor controller housing defines an opening (16 fitting on the outside of jacket 5, 2) with an inner wall which receives the column jacket (5, 2) (Fig. 2).
Claim 15: Arihara teaches the limitations of claim 12 as noted above. Arihara further teaches the vehicle steer-by-wire steering system, wherein the adaptor (19) includes a first portion (17) and a second portion (16a), wherein the first portion is operatively coupled to the hand wheel actuator (13; 17 connects to connects to 13; Fig. 1), wherein the second portion is operatively coupled to the column jacket (5, 2; 16a is connected to the end of the 5; Fig. 2).
Claim 16: Arihara teaches the limitations of claim 15 as noted above. Arihara further teaches the vehicle steer-by-wire steering system, wherein the first portion (17) is an extension of the second portion (16a) toward the hand wheel actuator (13) (Fig. 1; para. 40, lines 3-7; shaft 17 extends into 13).
Claim 17: Arihara teaches the limitations of claim 11 as noted above. Arihara further teaches the vehicle steer-by-wire steering system, further comprising an angle skewing feature (17) integrally formed on the end of the column jacket (5, 2) (connected to 16a at the end of the jacket; Fig. 2; para. 40, lines 3-7) to define the non-co-axial angle.
Claim 18: Arihara teaches the limitations of claim 11 as noted above. Arihara further teaches the vehicle steer-by-wire steering system, wherein the longitudinal axis of the column jacket (5, 2) and the central axis of the hand wheel actuator (13) are non-parallel with each other (para. 41, lines 5-9; the difference axis isn't shown but 13 is tilts on the shaft of 17 in Fig. 1 which makes it non-parallel), wherein the longitudinal axis of the column jacket is oriented closer to a horizontal angle relative to an angle defined by the central axis of the hand wheel actuator and the horizontal axis (para. 41, lines 5-9; because tilt housing 13 swings up and down relative to the column jacket to adjust the steering wheel, the column jacket axis remains fixed at an angle closer to horizontal than the tilted axis of 13).
Conclusion
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/A.R.C./Examiner, Art Unit 3618
/Jake Cook/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3618
