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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 (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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4, 5 and 12 - 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao et al. (Pub. No.: US 2018/0257656 A1) in view of Lee (Pub. No.: US 2014/0121870 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Zhao teaches a control method for a regenerative braking (¶ 2) of a road vehicle driven by a driver (100, FIG. 1A and driver input ¶ 32); the road vehicle comprising four wheels (130F, 131R; FIG. 1A), of which two or four wheels are driving, arranged in pairs on a front axle and/or a rear axle (rear axle 122, FIG. 1A), each of which is rotatably driven by a respective electric motor connected to it (electric machines 135a and 135b may propel the vehicle or provide regenerative braking via front wheels ¶ 34); the method comprises the steps of:
estimating, for each driving wheel, independently of the other driving wheels, a respective grip factor on the ground travelled by the road vehicle (Similarly; “…determines a coefficient of friction (mu) between a tire and a road surface. In addition, method 400 determines normal forces for each wheel that may participate in regenerative braking.” ¶ 84),
defining or detecting, for each driving wheel, independently of the other driving wheels, a respective load acting on it (Normal forces for each wheel ¶ 84 and more specifically, “The normal forces for wheels 131 are the forces each wheel imparts to the road surface in a direction perpendicular to the road surface. In one example, the normal forces are determined via strain gauges located at each driven wheel.” ¶ 85);
computing, for each driving wheel, a value of a maximum braking capacity depending at least on the respective grip factor and the respective load (Determine maximum braking force and torque available for each tire of the driven wheels 406, FIG. 4 and is calculated based on the coefficient of friction and the normal forces for each wheel ¶ 86);
detecting a plurality of data on vehicular dynamics (vehicle wheel speed ¶ 29, tire pressure, etc., see ¶ 38);
controlling a braking system (adjust brake regenerative brake torque 412, 414, 420, 430; FIG. 4), following a braking demand from the driver (Brake Pedal applied? 402, FIG. 4), to actuate in regenerative electric braking, by delivering a respective first braking torque (Adjust regenerative brake torque of first wheel 420, FIG. 4), each driving wheel and then the respective electric motor, according to the plurality of data on vehicular dynamics and the respective maximum braking capacity values, as to generate regenerative electrical energy (Adjust regenerative brake torque of second wheel to maximum 414 and Adjust braking torque to lower of first and second maximum wheel braking torques 430, FIG. 4);
storing the regenerative electrical energy generated by the regenerative braking of each driving wheel in a vehicular electrical energy storage system (“Electric machine 120 may be operated to provide torque to powertrain 200 or to convert powertrain torque into electrical energy to be stored in electrical energy storage device 132 in a regeneration mode.” ¶ 58).
Zhao is silent to defining or detecting, for each driving wheel, independently of the other driving wheels, a respective vertical load acting on it. However, in the same field of endeavor, Lee teaches a hybrid electric vehicle that determines a driving demand from a controller and further detects a vertical load of each wheel and the slip thereof to determine a torque ratio. As a result, the torque ratio is provided for maximum efficient torque distribution to the system as well as the manipulating the regenerative braking torque as required by the driving demand (See claim 1).
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the respective load as taught by Zhao to define or detect, for each driving wheel, independently of the other driving wheels, a respective vertical load acting on it as taught by Lee in order maximize efficient torque distribution (See Lee claim 1).
Regarding claim 2, Zhao discloses the method, wherein during the phase of
controlling the braking system, at least one right and one left driving wheel of the same front and/or rear axle are controlled independently of each other (electric machines 135a and 135b may propel the vehicle or provide regenerative braking via front wheels ¶ 34), distributing the braking between them differentially (414, 420; FIG. 4).
Regarding claim 4, Zhao discloses the method, wherein the driving wheels
are four (130, 131; FIG. 1A), and wherein during the phase of controlling the braking system, the wheels of the front axle and the wheels of the rear axle are controlled independently of each other, distributing the regenerative braking differentially between the front axle and the rear axle (Max brake torque of first wheel and max torque of second wheel 412; Adjust regenerative brake torque of second wheel to maximum 414 and Adjust braking torque to lower of first and second maximum wheel braking torques 430, FIG. 4).
Regarding claim 5, Zhao and Lee is silent to explicitly teaching the method according to wherein the respective braking torque delivered by a wheel is dynamically time-varying, particularly with update frequencies greater than 5 Hz; more particularly with update frequencies of 10 Hz or more. However, Zhao depicts in FIG. 6 the max braking torques for each first and second wheels as well as first and second wheel regenerative braking torques varying over time. Time periods T1 to T2 depicts a variation in braking torques which can be interpreted to include a frequency range of 0 to 10 hz or more.
It would have been obvious to modify the time-varying braking torques taught by Zhao and Lee to include frequencies greater than 5 Hz; more particularly with update frequencies of 10 Hz or more to maximize efficient torque distribution (See Lee claim 1).
Regarding claim 12, Zhao teaches a electric road vehicle (100, FIG. 1A) comprising:
a front axle and a rear axle (front axle (not shown) and a rear axle 122 ¶ 17);
four wheels (130LR and 131LR, FIG. 1A), of which two or four driving wheels
arranged in pairs on a front axle (2) and/or a rear axle (130, 131; FIG. 1A);
a powertrain system comprising two or four electric motors, or alternatively one or two electric motors connected to active differentials which in turn are each connected to two driving wheels, each of the electric motors being connected to a respective wheel or two
wheels in the case of active differentials being present; where each wheel is rotatably driven by the respective electric motor connected to it (electric machines 135a and 135b may propel the vehicle or provide regenerative braking via front wheels ¶ 34);
an electronic control circuitry (controller 139 and module, FIG. 1A), which is configured for:
estimating, for each driving wheel, independently of the other driving wheel, a respective grip factor on the ground travelled by the road vehicle (Similarly; “…determines a coefficient of friction (mu) between a tire and a road surface. In addition, method 400 determines normal forces for each wheel that may participate in regenerative braking.” ¶ 84);
defining or detecting, for each driving wheel, independently of the other driving wheels, a respective load acting on it (Normal forces for each wheel ¶ 84 and more specifically, “The normal forces for wheels 131 are the forces each wheel imparts to the road surface in a direction perpendicular to the road surface. In one example, the normal forces are determined via strain gauges located at each driven wheel.” ¶ 85);
computing, for each driving wheel, a value of a maximum braking capacity depending at least on the respective grip factor and the respective load (Determine maximum braking force and torque available for each tire of the driven wheels 406, FIG. 4 and is calculated based on the coefficient of friction and the normal forces for each wheel ¶ 86;
a data collection system (TCM 254 collects input signals from various sensors ¶ 73), connected to the control circuitry and configured to collect a plurality of data on vehicular dynamics (vehicle wheel speed ¶ 29, tire pressure, etc., see ¶ 38);
a braking system, itself comprising at least one braking element that can be actuated by the driver to request braking, in particular a pedal (brake pedal 156, FIG. 1A); the braking system being connected to the control circuitry and configured to be controlled by it (brake pedal 156 is connected to control system 14, FIG. 1A);
wherein the control circuitry is also configured for controlling the braking system, following a braking request from the driver via the braking element (brake pedal applied ¶ 83), to actuate in regenerative electric braking, by delivering a respective first braking torque (Adjust regenerative brake torque of first wheel 420, FIG. 4), each driving wheel and then the respective electric motor, according to the plurality of data on vehicular dynamics (driving surface and normal load of each driven wheel of vehicle 404, FIG. 4) and respective maximum braking capacity (MRT) values, so as to generate regenerative electrical energy (414, 420; FIG. 4); and
storing the regenerative electrical energy generated by the regenerative braking of each wheel in a vehicular electrical energy storage system (“Electric machine 120 may be operated to provide torque to powertrain 200 or to convert powertrain torque into electrical energy to be stored in electrical energy storage device 132 in a regeneration mode.” ¶ 58).
Zhao is silent to defining or detecting, for each driving wheel, independently of the other driving wheels, a respective vertical load acting on it. However, in the same field of endeavor, Lee teaches a hybrid electric vehicle that determines a driving demand from a controller and further detects a vertical load of each wheel and the slip thereof to determine a torque ratio. As a result, the torque ratio is provided for maximum efficient torque distribution to the system as well as the manipulating the regenerative braking torque as required by the driving demand (See claim 1).
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the respective load as taught by Zhao to define or detect, for each driving wheel, independently of the other driving wheels, a respective vertical load acting on it as taught by Lee in order maximize efficient torque distribution (See Lee claim 1).
Regarding claim 13, Zhao discloses the road vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the
control circuitry is configured to carry out the method according to claim 1 (Control System 14, FIG. 1A).
Regarding claim 14, Lee teaches the road vehicle, wherein the braking system also comprises a hydraulic unit (safety control unit to control hydraulic pressure braking ¶ 17), and mechanical brakes, controlled by the hydraulic unit; wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the braking system to actuate, to aid in regenerative braking, in addition to the respective first braking torque, the hydraulic unit to exert a second braking torque on each wheel (“…hybrid control unit (HCU; 201) determines a regenerative braking control value and a hydraulic pressure braking control value S114, when the regenerative braking satisfies the target deceleration, performs the regenerative braking control of the motor 301 to maximize the regenerative braking amount so that the battery 203 is efficiently charged.” ¶ 54).
It would have been obvious to modify Zhao to comprises a hydraulic unit, and mechanical brakes, controlled by the hydraulic unit; wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the braking system to actuate, to aid in regenerative braking, in addition to the respective first braking torque, the hydraulic unit to exert a second braking torque on each wheel as taught by Lee to improve efficient charging (¶ 54).
Regarding claim 15, Zhao discloses the road vehicle, wherein the control circuitry is configured to perform the method according to claim 8 (FIG. 4).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3 and 6 – 11 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TYLER J LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-9727. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abby Flynn can be reached at 571-272-9855. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TYLER J LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3663
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