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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 1/15/26 has been entered.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
(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) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ichikawa et al. (US 2018/0079311).
Regarding claim 1,
Ichikawa discloses (Fig. 2):
A motor control system (Fig. 2, 3) that controls a motor (32) including a three-phase motor winding including a U-phase coil (32U), a V-phase coil (32V), and a W-phase coil (32W, ¶0044), and a thermistor (34, ¶0004, ¶0045) that measures a temperature of any one or two of the coils of the three-phase motor winding (¶0045, measures V-phase coil), the motor control system comprising: a coil temperature estimation unit (Fig. 3, 157, Fig. 6, step S31, ¶0064) that calculates an estimated temperature of each of the U-phase coil, the V-phase coil, and the W-phase coil based on a value of a current flowing through the three-phase motor winding (¶0064), wherein a torque of the motor is controlled using the estimated temperature of the three- phase motor winding (Fig. 6, S33, S35, S40, S41, S42, ¶0070-¶0072) or a measured value of the thermistor(S34) based on whether a difference in the estimated temperature between the U-phase coil, the V-phase coil, and the W-phase coil is larger than a predetermined value (¶0065), such that: the torque of the motor is controlled using the estimated temperature of the three-phase motor winding when the difference in the estimated temperature between the U-phase-coil, the V-phase coil, and the W-phase coil (Step S12, obtains difference between individual coil temperatures, ¶0059) is larger than the predetermined value (Step S30, proceeds to S31, ¶0075), and the torque of the motor is controlled based on a measured value of the thermistor when the difference in the estimated temperature between the U-phase-coil, the V-phase coil, and the W-phase coil is equal to or less than the predetermined value (Step S31, no, proceeds to S34 as uses thermistor value, ¶0077, ¶0064 discloses how the temperatures are calculated for each winding differently), wherein the estimated temperature is set to the measured value of the thermistor at a predetermined cycle (¶0053).
Regarding claim 2,
Ichikawa discloses (Fig. 2):
wherein the motor is controlled based on the measured value of the thermistor (Fig. 6, S30, proceeds to no, S34) when the difference in the estimated temperature between the U-phase-coil, the V-phase coil, and the W-phase coil (Step S12, obtains difference between individual coil temperatures, ¶0059) is equal to or less than the predetermined value (S30, ¶0077) and a rotation speed of the motor is equal to or greater than a predetermined rotation speed (S20, S22, counts motor rotations and makes sure rotations are greater than threshold which would be motor speed, ¶0062).
Regarding claim 3,
Ichikawa discloses (Fig. 2):
wherein when the rotation speed of the motor is less than the predetermined rotation speed (S20, ¶0062), the motor is controlled based on the estimated temperatures of the three-phase motor winding even if the difference in the estimated temperature between the U-phase-coil, the V-phase coil, and the W-phase coil (Step S12, obtains difference between individual coil temperatures, ¶0059) is equal to or less than the predetermined value (proceeds to S21, then S31 to use estimated values, ¶0062-¶0064).
Regarding claim 4,
Ichikawa discloses (Fig. 2):
A method of controlling a motor (fig. 2, 32) including a three-phase motor winding including a U-phase coil (32U), a V-phase coil (32V), and a W-phase coil (32W, ¶0044), and a thermistor (34, ¶0004, ¶0045) that measures a temperature of any one or two of the coils of the three-phase motor winding (¶0045, measures V-phase coil), the motor control method (Fig. 6) comprising: calculating an estimated temperature of each of the U-phase coil, the V-phase coil, and the W-phase coil based on a value of a current flowing through the three-phase motor winding (Fig. 3, 157, Fig. 6, step S31, ¶0064); controlling a torque of the motor using the estimated temperature of the three-phase motor winding (Fig. 6, S33, S35, S40, S41, S42, ¶0070-¶0072) or a measured value of the thermistor (S34) based on whether a difference in the estimated temperature between the U-phase coil, the V-phase coil, and the W-phase coil is larger than a predetermined value (¶0065), including:
controlling the torque motor based on the estimated temperature of the three-phase motor winding when a difference in the estimated temperature between the U-phase-coil, the V-phase coil, and the W-phase coil (Step S12, obtains difference between individual coil temperatures, ¶0059) is larger than a predetermined value (Step S30, Yes, proceeds to S31, ¶0075); and controlling the torque of the motor based on a measured value of the thermistor when the difference in the estimated temperature between the U-phase-coil, the V-phase coil, and the W-phase coil is equal to or less than the predetermined value (Step S31, no, proceeds to S34 as uses thermistor value, ¶0077, ¶0064 discloses how the temperatures are calculated for each winding differently), wherein the estimated temperature is set to the measured value of the thermistor at a predetermined cycle (¶0053).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 1/15/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding applicant’s arguments pertaining to claims 1-4, applicant argues that Ichikawa fails to disclose a motor control system that controls a motor including a three-phase motor winding including a u-phase coil, a v-phase coil, and a w-phase coil, and a thermistor that measures a temperature of any one or two of the coils of the three-phase motor winding” and “wherein the estimated temperature is set to the measured value of a thermistor at a predetermined cycle”
However, the U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase coil measuring any one or two of the coils is taught in ¶0045. Furthermore, the estimated temperature is set to the measured value of a thermistor at a predetermined cycle is taught in ¶0053 where “For example, the motor torque control portion 157 updates each of the other phase estimated temperatures with the use of the coil sensor temperature and an added-up value of a temperature rise per unit time of each of the other phase coils at each point of time from the previous obtainment of the other phase estimated temperature to the present time. “
As such, examiner is maintaining the rejections of claims 1-4.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Patel (us 2018/0079311) – motor temperature winding estimation
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHARLES S LAUGHLIN whose telephone number is (571)270-7244. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday.
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/C.S.L./Examiner, Art Unit 2846 /KAWING CHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2846
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