ヨーロッパ特許制度の研究(4/25)

ヨーロッパ特許制度の研究
EP0964166のクレーム
【考察】
(1)　欧州特許実務において、独立クレームは「原則として」２部形式で記載する（欧州特許条約施行規則43(1)（改正条約（ＥＰＣ２０００）で条文の位置が変わっているので注意））。特徴部分は、「characterized in that …」（または、「characterized by …」など）として記載。
(2)　プレアンブル部分では、あまり多くのことを記載しない方がよい。侵害訴訟などにおいてプレアンブル部分は公知として扱われることが多いため。
(3)　クレーム中に、丸カッコで図面の参照符号が必要。（日本出願時にこれを意識していないと、図面におけるクレームの対応要素がなくて苦労するので注意）［以上は、中国の特許実務にも関連する］
(4)　米国特許実務ほどに、「means」の使用に関しては気を使わなくてもよい。むしろ、「means」を使うことにより広い権利を取得できる可能性がある。但し、meansクレームの権利範囲の解釈はヨーロッパの各国において異なる。
【クレーム(EP0964166より)】
1. A control system for a hydraulic valve block (16) including an electrically operated valve (22, 24, 26),
the system including control means (30), arranged to supply an electric control current to the valve,
characterized in that
the control means (30) is further arranged to monitor a temperature dependent parameter of the control current thereby to measure the temperature of the valve.
2. A system according to claim 1 wherein
the control current is a pulse width modulated current and
said parameter is the duty ratio of the control current.
3. A hydraulic control system comprising a hydraulic circuit (10) including a source (12) of fluid pressure,
an electrically operated valve (22) for controlling the pressure in a part of the hydraulic circuit,
a pressure transducer (28) for producing a pressure signal indicative of the pressure in said part of the hydraulic circuit, and
control means (30) arranged to supply an electric control current to the valve (22) to control the valve in response to signals from the pressure transducer (28),
characterized in that
the control means (30) is further arranged to monitor a temperature dependent parameter of the control current thereby to monitor the temperature of the valve (22), and to compensate accordingly for the effect of temperature changes on the pressure signal.
4. A system according to claim 3 wherein
the output voltage of the pressure transducer (28) is temperature dependent and
the control means (30) is arranged to calibrate its temperature dependence by monitoring its output voltage when the measured pressure is at a known level and the temperature is at each of at least two levels.
【参考：Abstract of EP0964166】
A hydraulic actuator for a vehicle roll control system includes a fluid pressure transducer 28, housed in a valve block 16, the output characteristic of which is temperature dependent. In order to correct for this the temperature of the fluid is monitored. This is done by monitoring the duty ratio of the pulse width modulated driving signal to a control valve 22 in the block, which varies with temperature to produce a constant total current.
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[TY（弁理士）]