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 .
Claims 1 – 11 remain pending in the application and have been fully considered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 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.
Claim(s) 1 – 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Muramatsu et al. (US 2022/0169251).
Regarding Claim 1:
Muramatsu et al. teaches a vehicle control apparatus (40) mounted on a vehicle (10), the vehicle including a frictional braking apparatus (20) configured to generate a frictional braking force on the vehicle and a driving apparatus (30) configured to generate a driving force on the vehicle, the vehicle
control apparatus comprising: a control portion (40) configured to output a result calculated based on input information (via 101, 102), the control portion being configured to acquire a physical quantity relating to a speed of the vehicle (via 101), acquire a physical quantity relating to a total braking force for decelerating the vehicle (via 21, BP, paragraph 0026), acquire a physical quantity relating to a vehicle stop target of the vehicle based on the physical quantity relating to the speed of the vehicle and the physical quantity relating to the total braking force (paragraph 0030), and output a control instruction for increasing the driving force by the driving apparatus and reducing the driving force increased by the driving apparatus when the physical quantity relating to the vehicle stop target reaches a reference value (via 42 and 42, paragraphs 0038 – 0040), or output a control instruction for reducing the frictional braking force from a reference frictional braking force by the frictional braking apparatus and increasing the frictional braking force reduced by the frictional braking apparatus when the physical quantity relating to the vehicle stop target reaches the reference value (this limitation is not considered due to “or” clause), at the time of deceleration of the vehicle based on the physical quantity relating to the total braking force (Figs 12A – 12F, paragraphs 0038 – 0040).
Regarding Claim 2:
Muramatsu et al. teaches wherein the control portion outputs the control instruction for increasing the driving force by the driving apparatus and reducing the driving force increased by the driving apparatus when the physical quantity relating to the vehicle stop target reaches the reference value, at the time of the deceleration of the vehicle based on the physical quantity relating to the total braking force (paragraphs 0038 – 0040).
Regarding Claim 3:
Muramatsu et al. teaches wherein the physical quantity relating to the vehicle stop target is a vehicle stop target time taken until the vehicle stops (Figs 12A – 12F, paragraph 0030).
Regarding Claim 4:
Muramatsu et al. teaches wherein the reference value is set to a time at which the vehicle stop target time becomes zero (paragraph 0030).
Regarding Claim 5:
Muramatsu et al. teaches wherein the vehicle stop target time is acquired based on a vehicle stop target time acquisition map prepared in advance, into which the physical quantity relating to the speed of the vehicle and the physical quantity relating to the total braking force are input (Figs 12A – 12F).
Regarding Claim 6:
Muramatsu et al. teaches wherein a plurality of the vehicle stop target time acquisition maps is prepared in advance according to a weight of the vehicle (paragraph 0169).
Regarding Claim 7:
Muramatsu et al. teaches wherein the control portion outputs the control instruction so as to gradually increase a reduction gradient of the driving force when reducing the driving force increased by the driving apparatus, or outputs the control instruction so as to gradually increase an increase gradient of the frictional braking force when increasing the frictional braking force reduced by the frictional braking apparatus (via 41, paragraph 0037).
Regarding Claim 8:
Muramatsu et al. teaches wherein the control portion outputs the control instruction so as to reduce the driving force at a first reduction gradient for a predetermined time and reduce the driving force at a second reduction gradient greater than the first reduction gradient after the predetermined time has elapsed when reducing the driving force increased by the driving apparatus, or outputs the control instruction SO as to increase the frictional braking force at a first increase gradient for the predetermined time and increase the frictional braking force at a second increase gradient greater than the first increase gradient after the predetermined time has elapsed when increasing the frictional braking force reduced by the frictional braking apparatus 9via 41, paragraph 0037).
Regarding Claim 9:
Muramatsu et al. teaches wherein the control portion outputs the control instruction for reducing the frictional braking force from the reference frictional braking force by the frictional braking apparatus and increasing the frictional braking force reduced by the frictional braking apparatus when the physical quantity relating to the vehicle stop target reaches the reference value, at the time of the deceleration of the vehicle based on the physical quantity relating to the total braking force (paragraphs 0038 – 0040).
Regarding Claim 10:
See rejection of Claim 1 above.
Regarding Claim 11:
See rejection of Claim 1 above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LONG T TRAN whose telephone number is (571)270-1899. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 9:00 - 5:00.
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/LONG T TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747
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