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 Objections
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities: There is a period in the middle of the claim limitations and at the end of the claim. It appears that this is a mistake and that a different form of punctuation, such as a semi-colon, should be used instead. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 8-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 8 recites the limitation "the identified second force" in line 6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 8 recites the limitation "the identified first torque" in line 6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 9-13 ultimately depend from claim 8 and are rejected for depending from an indefinite claim.
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 1-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sun et al US 2022/0258793.
Regarding claim 1, Sun et al discloses a steering apparatus comprising: a first motor (reaction force motor) coupled to a steering wheel (see paragraph [0033]); a first sensor configured to output a first signal corresponding to a movement of the steering wheel (see paragraph [0033]); a second motor (driving motor) coupled to a rack bar (see paragraph [0034]); a second sensor configured to output a second signal corresponding to a movement of the rack bar (see paragraph [0034]); and at least one processor 230 configured to: identify a first torque applied to the steering wheel based on the first signal of the first sensor (see paragraphs [0040]-[0046]), identify a second force applied to the rack bar based on the second signal of the second sensor (see paragraphs [0034] and [0040]), provide an output device of the vehicle with a signal indicating a failure of at least one of the rack bar or the steering wheel based on at least one of a temperature, the identified second force or the identified first torque. See FIG. 2-4 and 8 and paragraphs [0038]-[0062].
Regarding claim 2, Sun et al discloses wherein the at least one processor is configured to: identify the failure of the rack bar based on the identified second force being greater than a predetermined reference second force; and identify the failure of the steering wheel based on the identified first torque being greater than a predetermined reference first torque. See paragraphs [0044], [0046], [0048], [0052], and [0068].
Regarding claim 3, Sun et al discloses wherein the at least one processor is configured to provide the signal to the output device to output a message warning of a low temperature causing an increases in the frictional forces of the rack bar and the steering wheel based on the identified second force being greater than a predetermined reference second force and the identified first torque being greater than a predetermined reference first torque. See paragraphs [0050]-[0057].
Regarding claim 4, Sun et al discloses wherein the at least one processor is configured to provide the signal to the output device to output a message warning of the failure of the rack bar based on the identified second force being greater than a predetermined reference second force and the identified first torque being not greater than a predetermined reference first torque. See paragraphs [0050]-[0057].
Regarding claim 5, Sun et al discloses wherein the at least one processor is configured to provide the signal to the output device to output a message warning of the failure of the steering wheel based on the identified second force being not greater than a predetermined reference second force and the identified first torque being greater than a predetermined reference first torque. See paragraphs [0050]-[0057].
Regarding claim 6, Sun et al discloses wherein the at least one processor is configured to identify a normal operation of the steering apparatus based on the identified second force being not greater than a predetermined reference second force and the identified first torque being not greater than a predetermined reference first torque. See paragraphs [0003]-[0009] and [0055]-[0060].
Regarding claim 7, Sun et al discloses wherein the at least one processor comprises: a first processor electrically connected to the first motor (reaction force motor) and the first sensor; and a second processor electrically connected to the second motor (driving motor) and the second sensor, and the first processor 230 is configured to communicate with the second processor 910. See FIG. 2 and 9.
Regarding claim 8, Sun et al discloses a method of controlling a steering apparatus including a steering wheel provided in a vehicle and a rack bar connected to a rotation shaft of the wheel provided in the vehicle (see paragraphs [0033] and [0034]), the method comprising: providing an output device of the vehicle with a signal indicating a failure of at least one of the rack bar or the steering wheel based on at least one of a temperature (see FIG. 2 and corresponding text), the identified second force and the identified first torque. identifying a first torque applied to the steering wheel based on a first signal of a first sensor (see paragraphs [0040]-[0046]), the first sensor configured to output the first signal corresponding to a movement of the steering wheel; and identifying a second force applied to the rack bar based on a second signal of a second sensor, the second sensor configured to output the second signal corresponding to a movement of the rack bar. See FIG. 2-4 and 8 and paragraphs [0038]-[0062].
Regarding claim 9, Sun et al discloses wherein the providing of the signal corresponding to the failure of the at least one of the rack bar or the steering wheel comprises: identifying the failure of the rack bar based on the identified second force being greater than a predetermined reference second force; and identifying the failure of the steering wheel based on the identified first torque being greater than a predetermined reference first torque. See paragraphs [0050]-[0057].
Regarding claim 10, Sun et al discloses providing the signal to the output device to output a message warning of a low temperature causing an increases in the frictional forces of the rack bar and the steering wheel based on the identified second force being greater than a predetermined reference second force and the identified first torque being greater than a predetermined reference first torque. See paragraphs [0050]-[0057].
Regarding claim 11, Sun et al discloses providing the signal to the output device to output a message warning of the failure of the rack bar based on the identified second force being greater than a predetermined reference second force and the identified first torque being not greater than a predetermined reference first torque. See paragraphs [0050]-[0057].
Regarding claim 12, Sun et al discloses providing the signal to the output device to output a message warning of the failure of the steering wheel based on the identified second force being not greater than a predetermined reference second force and the identified first torque being greater than a predetermined reference first torque. See paragraphs [0050]-[0057].
Regarding claim 13, Sun et al discloses identifying that a normal operation of the steering apparatus based on the identified second force being not greater than a predetermined reference second force and the identified first torque being not greater than a predetermined reference first torque. See paragraphs [0050]-[0057].
Regarding claim 14, Sun et al discloses a steering apparatus comprising: a steering wheel actuator; and a steering rack actuator, wherein the steering wheel actuator includes: a first motor (reaction force motor) coupled to a steering wheel; a first sensor configured to output a first signal corresponding to a movement of the steering wheel (see paragraphs [0033] and [0034]); and a first processor 230 configured to identify a first torque applied to the steering wheel based on the first signal of the first sensor, wherein the steering rack actuator includes: a second motor (driving motor) coupled to a rack bar; a second sensor configured to output a second signal corresponding to a movement of the rack bar (see paragraphs [0033] and [0034]); and a second processor 910 configured to identify a second force applied to the rack bar based on the second signal of the second sensor (see paragraphs [0033] and [0034]), wherein at least one processor of the first processor or the second processor is configured to provide an output device of the vehicle with a signal indicating a failure of at least one of the rack bar or the steering wheel based on at least one of a temperature, the identified second force or the identified first torque. See FIG. 2-4 and 8 and paragraphs [0038]-[0062].
Regarding claim 15, Sun et al discloses wherein the at least one processor is configured to: identify the failure of the rack bar based on the identified second force being greater than a predetermined reference second force; and identify the failure of the steering wheel based on the identified first torque being greater than a predetermined reference first torque. See paragraphs [0050]-[0057].
Regarding claim 16, Sun et al discloses wherein at least one processor is configured to provide the signal to the output device to output a message warning of a low temperature causing an increases in the frictional forces of the rack bar and the steering wheel based on the identified second force being greater than a predetermined reference second force and the identified first torque being greater than a predetermined reference first torque. See paragraphs [0050]-[0057].
Regarding claim 17, Sun et al discloses wherein at least one processor is configured to provide the signal to the output device to output a message warning of the failure of the rack bar based on the identified second force being greater than a predetermined reference second force and the identified first torque being not greater than a predetermined reference first torque. See paragraphs [0050]-[0057].
Regarding claim 18, Sun et al discloses wherein at least one processor is configured to provide the electrical signal to the output device to output a message warning of the failure of the steering wheel based on the identified second force being not greater than a predetermined reference second force and the identified first torque being greater than a predetermined reference first torque. See paragraphs [0050]-[0057].
Regarding claim 19, Sun et al discloses wherein at least one processor is configured to identify a normal operation of the steering apparatus based on the identified second force being not greater than a predetermined reference second force and the identified first torque being not greater than a predetermined reference first torque. See paragraphs [0050]-[0057].
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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