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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1 - 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Xie et al. (CN 119058312).
Xie discloses in figures 1 - 5 a method for controlling a vehicle height, the method comprising: determining whether the vehicle is traveling on a rough road (a rough road surface signal); determining that vehicle height adjustment is necessary when, during rough road travel, a state in which a long- period vehicle height deviation at each corner exceeds a predetermined reference range continues for at least a predetermined reference time; and in response to a determination that vehicle height adjustment is necessary, performing vehicle height adjustment at each corner according to a predetermined control sequence (claim 1). a state in which an amount of vehicle height change per unit time is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference amount of change continues for at least a predetermined judgment time, it is determined that the vehicle is traveling on a rough road (claim 2). the long-period vehicle height deviation comprises a multi-moving average deviation of a vehicle height at each corner with respect to a target vehicle height (claim 3). a state in which at least one of the long-period vehicle height deviations at respective corners exceeds the predetermined reference range continues for at least the predetermined reference time, it is determined that the vehicle height adjustment is necessary (claim 4). the vehicle height adjustment is sequentially performed starting from a corner having a long-period vehicle height deviation that is the largest among the long-period vehicle height deviations at the respective corners (claim 5). the vehicle height adjustment is performed while distinguishing between upward adjustment and downward adjustment of the vehicle height (claim 6). in the upward adjustment of the vehicle height, the vehicle height adjustment is performed by setting a longer adjustment time than in the downward adjustment of the vehicle height (claim 7). the vehicle height adjustment time is set in proportion to the long-period vehicle height deviation when adjusting the vehicle height (claim 8). adjusting the vehicle height in a case where the vehicle is equipped with an air suspension system, an air spring of a control target corner is adjusted for the vehicle height adjustment time (claim 9). the vehicle height adjustment is terminated when execution of the vehicle height adjustment is completed or when it is determined that the vehicle is no longer traveling on the rough road (claim 10). [Disclosure translation: a rough road surface signal, when there is at least one abnormal signal in the vehicle signal, if the vehicle satisfies the first condition, determining the first information as the first adjusting information, controlling the air suspension to adjust the vehicle height to the target height, namely controlling the air suspension to adjust the normal height; The preset deviation height threshold and the preset time threshold can be flexibly set according to the experiment or experience. ---, just air springs and time in response to the current vehicle body height at the position corresponding to the air spring deviating from the target vehicle body height exceeding the preset deviation height threshold value, and the duration exceeding the preset deviation height threshold value is greater than the preset time threshold value, determining the height adjusting enabling mark of the air spring as the first mark; In some embodiments, the step of controlling the adjustment of each air spring according to the third information comprises in response to determining that the third information is the fifth adjustment information, a target body height of the body is determined to be equal to a standard height. determining the first work mode of each air spring according to the current vehicle body height corresponding to each air spring and the target vehicle body height. and determining the second working mode of each air spring according to the first working mode of each air spring and the multiple current vehicle body heights of the vehicle body corresponding to the multiple air springs.]
Claim(s) 1 – 4 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Xie et al. (CN 119058312).
Xie discloses in figures 5- 14 a method for controlling a vehicle height, the method comprising: determining whether the vehicle is traveling on a rough road (a rough road surface signal); determining that vehicle height adjustment is necessary when, during rough road travel, a state in which a long- period vehicle height deviation at each corner exceeds a predetermined reference range continues for at least a predetermined reference time; and in response to a determination that vehicle height adjustment is necessary, performing vehicle height adjustment at each corner according to a predetermined control sequence (claim 1). a state in which an amount of vehicle height change per unit time is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference amount of change continues for at least a predetermined judgment time, it is determined that the vehicle is traveling on a rough road (claim 2). the long-period vehicle height deviation comprises a multi-moving average deviation of a vehicle height at each corner with respect to a target vehicle height (claim 3). a state in which at least one of the long-period vehicle height deviations at respective corners exceeds the predetermined reference range continues for at least the predetermined reference time, it is determined that the vehicle height adjustment is necessary (claim 4). the vehicle height adjustment is terminated when execution of the vehicle height adjustment is completed or when it is determined that the vehicle is no longer traveling on the rough road (claim 10). [Disclosure translation: In at least some example approaches, a method includes determining, using a controller, a roughness of a ground surface associated with a vehicle, where the roughness is determined based on ride height. The method may also include determining, using the controller, a ride height adjustment for a suspension system of the vehicle based on the determined roughness. 12 is a schematic illustration of a vehicle having a suspension system that enables vehicle ride height adjustments via adjustable air springs, in at least some example methods, determining the roughness includes determining a change in corner height over a period of time corresponding to the ground surface traversed during the period of time. In at least a subset of these examples, determining the roughness includes determining a change in corner height error over time. In the example illustrations contained herein, which are discussed in greater detail below, the vehicle 100 may change a ride height adjustment parameter (e.g., an automatic leveling system tolerance setting or other suspension parameter, or a change in ride height) in response to a detection, e.g. B. by the vehicle 100 that a relatively rough surface is driven. For example, the vehicle dynamics module 102 or another controller of the vehicle 100 may be configured to increase a height adjustment tolerance in response to an increase in road surface roughness metric. Additionally, the vehicle 100 may reduce a height adjustment tolerance in response to a detected decrease in road surface roughness metric. As described below, in some examples, a surface or roughness metric is based on a change in corner height error. As used herein, a corner height error is defined as a difference between the expected ride height and the actual/measured ride height that can be determined by the sensors 112 . Further, in some examples, the roughness metric uses a moving average of the corner height error over a specified time window or time period.]
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Huang et al (CN 121871318); Wang et al. (CN 121246474); Abdallah et al (DE 102022119010); Suzuki et al (JP 2005271718); Kunishima et al (JP H10151928).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Nicole Verley whose telephone number is (571)270-3542. The examiner can normally be reached 10AM-6PM.
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/NICOLE T VERLEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3614
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