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.
Claims 1 and 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Honda Motor Co JP 2015129464.
Regarding claim 1, Honda Motor Co discloses an ignition coil for use in an internal combustion engine, comprising: a first primary coil 11a including a first primary winding, in which a direct-current voltage is applied to a first end and a second end is connected to a ground point (see FIG. 2 and 3); a first secondary coil including a first secondary winding; a first iron core 10a that passes through an inside of the first primary coil and an inside of the first secondary coil and is configured to electromagnetically couple the first primary coil and the first secondary coil; a second primary coil 12a including a second primary winding, in which the direct-current voltage is applied to a first end and a second end is connected to the ground point (see FIG. 2 and 3); a second secondary coil including a second secondary winding; and a second iron core 10b that passes through an inside of the second primary coil and an inside of the second secondary coil and is configured to electromagnetically couple the second primary coil and the second secondary coil, wherein one end of the first iron core and one end of the second iron core are connected to each other, and the other end of the first iron core and the other end of the second iron core are connected to each other, to form a closed magnetic circuit, a magnetic flux directed from the other end to the one end is generated in the first iron core when the direct-current voltage is applied to the first primary coil, and a magnetic flux directed from the other end to the one end is generated in the second iron core when the direct-current voltage is applied to the second primary coil. See Abstract, FIG. 1-5, and paragraphs [0018] and [0019].
Regarding claim 2, Honda Motor Co discloses an ignition device comprising: the ignition coil according to claim 1; a power supply device 4 configured to apply the direct-current voltage to each of the first end of the first primary coil and the first end of the second primary coil (see paragraph [0019]); a first switching element Q1 that is interposed between the second end of the first primary coil and the ground point and is configured to perform switching between passage and interruption of a first primary current flowing from the power supply device to the first primary coil; a second switching element Q2 that is interposed between the second end of the second primary coil and the ground point and is configured to perform switching between passage and interruption of a second primary current flowing from the power supply device to the second primary coil; a first control unit ECU 3 configured to control the switching of the first switching element; a second control unit ECU 3 configured to control the switching of the second switching element; and a spark plug 1 configured to ignite a fuel by occurrence of discharge at a gap, in accordance with a high voltage induced at a second end of the first secondary coil and/or a high voltage induced at a second end of the second secondary coil. See Abstract, FIG. 1-5, and paragraphs [0018] and [0019].
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, 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 3 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Honda Motor Co, as applied above, in view of Kataoka et al US 2012/0017881.
Regarding claim 3, Honda Motor Co fails to explicitly disclose, but Kataoka et al discloses wherein the first control unit performs primary energization control in which the first switching element is placed in a closed state and the first primary current is caused to flow through the first primary coil, to generate magnetomotive force, and after the primary energization control, performs discharge control in which the first switching element is placed in an open state and a high voltage is induced at the second end of the first secondary coil, to cause discharge to occur at the gap of the spark plug (see FIG. 18), the second control unit performs boost control in which the second switching element is placed in a closed state and the second primary current is caused to flow through the second primary coil, to amplify the magnetic flux generated in the closed magnetic circuit, when the first control unit performs the discharge control (see FIG. 18), and after the boost control, performs discharge control in which the second switching element is placed in an open state and a high voltage is induced at the second end of the second secondary coil, to cause discharge to continuously occur at the gap of the spark plug (see FIG. 18), and the first control unit further performs boost control in which the first switching element is placed in a closed state and the first primary current is caused to flow through the first primary coil, to amplify the magnetic flux generated in the closed magnetic circuit, when the second control unit performs the discharge control. See Abstract and at least FIG. 18 and paragraphs [0061]-[0081].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the teachings of Kataoka et al in the system of Honda Motor Co to more quickly and accurately control the ignition device and to reduce the size of the drive circuit.
Regarding claim 4, Honda Motor Co fails to explicitly disclose, but Kataoka et al discloses wherein the first control unit alternately repeats the discharge control and the boost control a plurality of times after performing the primary energization control, and the second control unit performs the boost control each time the first control unit performs the discharge control, and performs the discharge control each time the first control unit performs the boost control. See Abstract and at least FIG. 18 and paragraphs [0061]-[0081].
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSEPH J DALLO whose telephone number is (313)446-4844. The examiner can normally be reached 7am-7pm ET M-Th.
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/JOSEPH J DALLO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747
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