DETAILED CORRESPONDENCE
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 .
Status of Claims
This is the first office action on the merits of Application No. 19/057,686 filed on 02/19/2025. Claims have been 1-20 are pending. Claims 1, 18 and 20 are independent claims.
Priority
Application claims the benefit of German Application No. IN202211048231 filed 08/24/2022. Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Examiner Note
Examiner would welcome an interview to clarify any of the various objections/rejections seen below in order to expediate prosecution of the instant application.
Claim Objections
Claims 1 and 5 are objected to because of the following informalities: The claim 1 and claim 5 recites some limitation in a parenthesis. It is suggested to delete the limitations within the parenthesis or incorporate in the claim limitation. Appropriate correction is required.
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 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.
Claims 1 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by FUKAO et al.(US 20220306075 A1).
Regarding claim 1, FUKAO discloses a vehicle control device (e.g. 30, figs. 1-6) that controls a vehicle (e.g. 1, fig. 1), including:
an internal combustion engine (11, fig. 1) ;
an electric motor (12, fig. 1);
drive wheels (DW), and
a lock-up clutch (134, fig. 2) provided in a power transmission path extending from the internal combustion engine (11) and electric motor (12) to the drive wheels (DW, fig. 2),
wherein the internal combustion engine (11) is configured to switch between all- cylinder operation (see para 17) and idling cylinder operation (e.g. deactivated state, see para 17), and the lock-up clutch (134) can be in a locked state (see para 6 “the lock-up clutch is in an engaged state in which an output from at least one of the internal combustion engine and the electric motor is transmitted to the drive wheel with high efficiency), or in a slip state (see para 6 “and in a slip state in which the output is transmitted to the drive wheel with efficiency lower than in the engaged state”), and the vehicle control device is configured such that when the internal combustion engine is in idling operation (e.g. deactivation stage), the vehicle control device is capable of executing motor vibration control, which outputs vibration control torque from the electric motor, as vibration control to reduce the torque vibration of the internal combustion engine transmitted to the drive wheels, (e.g. see para 06 “when the internal combustion engine is in the cylinder deactivation operation, the vehicle control device is capable of executing vibration damping control for reducing torque vibration of the internal combustion engine transmitted to the drive wheel; the vibration damping control includes motor vibration damping control for causing the electric motor to output a vibration damping torque including a torque having a phase opposite to that of an engine torque output from the internal combustion engine”) and
the vehicle control device (30, fig. 1) is configured such that when switching from a vibration damping control implementation state to a vibration damping control non-implementation state, the following operation will be executed: the vehicle control device issues a command to the lock-up clutch to move from the engaged state to the slip state (see para 06 “the vehicle control device is capable of executing slip vibration damping control for placing the lock-up clutch in the slip state” and paras 57-58, fig. 5), continues to implement the motor damping control until the transition to the slip state is complete (e.g. first vibration damping region as shown in fig. 6 and para 62), and terminates the motor damping control when judging that the transition to the slip state is complete (e.g. second vibration damping region as shown in fig. 6 and para 62).
Regarding claim 5, FUKAO discloses the vehicle control device (30, fig. 1) according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle control device (30) is configured such that when switching from the vibration control implementation state (e.g. first/ second vibration damping region, fig. 8) to the vibration control non-implementation state (non-vibration damping region, fig. 8), the vehicle control device will set the target engagement torque (e.g. TC2, fig. 6) of the lock-up clutch (134) during the period from the issuance of the command to switch from the engagement state to the slip state to the completion of the transition to the slip state to a value (e.g. TC1, fig. 8) which is lower than the target engagement torque of the lock-up clutch (e.g. 134, fig. 1) after the establishment of the vibration control non-implementation state.
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, 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 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over FUKAO et al.(US 20220306075 A1) in view of Masunaga et al. (US 20230234591 A1).
Regarding claim 2, FUKAO discloses all the elements of the invention according to claim 1, but fails to disclose wherein the vehicle control device determines that the transition to the slip state of the lock-up clutch has been completed when the rotational speed difference between the input shaft and output shaft of the lock-up clutch has reached a predetermined value or more.
Masunaga teaches a control apparatus (e.g. 90, fig. 1) for a vehicle (e.g. 10, figs. 1-10) wherein the vehicle control device (90) determines that the transition to the slip state of the lock-up clutch has been completed (e.g. at t2, fig. 8) when the rotational speed difference (e.g. rotational speeds, ΔNlu, fig. 8) between the input shaft and output shaft of the lock-up clutch (e.g. LU clutch 40, fig. 1) has reached a predetermined value (e.g. the value of rotational speed at time t2 as shown in fig. 8) or more. (see fig. 8 and para 63)
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify FUKAO by adding the rotational speed difference between the input shaft and output shaft of the lock-up clutch as a parameter as taught by Masunaga, such as the vibration control can be achieved by determining the differential rotation of the lock-up clutch so that a reliable parameter can be optimized to determine the slipping condition of the clutch.
Regarding claim 3, FUKAO discloses all the elements of the invention according to claim 1, but fails to disclose wherein the vehicle control device determines that the shift to the slip state of the lock-up clutch has been completed when the rotational speed difference between the input shaft and output shaft of the lock-up clutch has fallen below a predetermined value.
Masunaga teaches a control apparatus (e.g. 90, fig. 1) for a vehicle (e.g. 10, figs. 1-10) wherein the vehicle control device (90) determines that the shift to the slip state of the lock-up clutch has been completed (e.g. at t5, fig. 8) when the rotational speed difference (e.g. rotational speeds, ΔNlu, fig. 8) between the input shaft and output shaft of the lock-up clutch (e.g. LU clutch 40, fig. 1) fallen below a predetermined value (e.g. threshold value α as shown in fig. 8). (see fig. 8 and para 63)
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify FUKAO by adding the rotational speed difference between the input shaft and output shaft of the lock-up clutch as a parameter as taught by Masunaga, such as the vibration control can be achieved by determining the differential rotation of the lock-up clutch so that a reliable parameter can be optimized to determine the slipping condition of the clutch.
Regarding claim 4, FUKAO discloses all the elements of the invention according to claim 1, but fails to disclose wherein the vehicle control device determines that the shift to the slip state of the lock-up clutch has been completed when a predetermined time has elapsed from the timing of the instruction to shift to the slip state.
Masunaga teaches a control apparatus (e.g. 90, fig. 1) for a vehicle (e.g. 10, figs. 1-10) wherein the vehicle control device (90) determines that the transition to the slip state of the lock-up clutch has been completed (e.g. at t2, fig. 8) when the rotational speed difference (e.g. rotational speeds, ΔNlu, fig. 8) between the input shaft and output shaft of the lock-up clutch (e.g. LU clutch 40, fig. 1) has been completed when a predetermined time has elapsed from the timing of the instruction to shift to the slip state. (e.g. at time t2 as shown in fig. 8) or more. (see fig. 8 and para 63)
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify FUKAO by adding the rotational speed difference between the input shaft and output shaft of the lock-up clutch as a parameter as taught by Masunaga, such as the vibration control can be achieved by determining the differential rotation of the lock-up clutch so that a reliable parameter can be optimized to determine the slipping condition of the clutch.
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Tabata et al. (US 20050245349 A1) discloses a control apparatus for controlling a stepped automatic transmission of a vehicle having an output shaft and an input shaft which is to be connected to an engine of the vehicle through a clutch while a shifting action is being effected in the transmission. The control apparatus includes a torque vibration restrainer operable, upon completion of the shifting action in the transmission, to restrain a torque vibration which is generated in a power transmitting path of the vehicle. The torque vibration restrainer applies an inverted-phase torque vibration which is inverted in phase with respect to the generated torque vibration, to the power transmitting path, and/or place the clutch in its slipping state or released state, for restraining the generated torque vibration.
Tokai (US 9254836 B2) discloses a control device of a vehicle provided with an engine, and a fluid-operated power transmitting device provided with a lock-up clutch and configured to transmit a drive force of said engine to drive wheels, and an engine connecting/disconnecting clutch configured to selectively place a power transmitting path between said engine and said fluid-operated power transmitting device in a power transmitting state and a power cutoff state, said vehicle being able to run in an engine drive mode in which said engine is operated as a vehicle drive power source while said engine connecting/disconnecting clutch is placed in a fully engaged state, comprising: a lock-up clutch control portion configured to bring said engine connecting/disconnecting clutch from the fully engaged state into a slipping state and temporarily place the engine connecting/disconnecting clutch in the slipping state while said lock-up clutch is placed in a slipping state, when a lock-up slip control is implemented to place said lock-up clutch from a fully released state into the slipping slip and gradually bring the lock-up clutch into a fully engaged state, in response to an increase of a required amount of acceleration of said vehicle, during running of the vehicle in said engine drive mode with said engine connecting/disconnecting clutch being placed in the fully engaged state.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FARHANA PERVIN whose telephone number is (571)272-4644. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 7:30-5:00.
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/FARHANA PERVIN/Examiner, Art Unit 3655
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