Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 17/948,493

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING AIR COMPRESSOR OF FUEL CELL SYSTEM

Non-Final OA §102§103
Filed
Sep 20, 2022
Examiner
GLASS, ERICK DAVID
Art Unit
2846
Tech Center
2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
Assignee
Kia Corporation
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
89%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 5m
To Grant
96%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 89% — above average
89%
Career Allow Rate
626 granted / 700 resolved
+21.4% vs TC avg
Moderate +7% lift
Without
With
+7.0%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 5m
Avg Prosecution
23 currently pending
Career history
723
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
1.2%
-38.8% vs TC avg
§103
39.0%
-1.0% vs TC avg
§102
46.1%
+6.1% vs TC avg
§112
12.1%
-27.9% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 700 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §103
CTNF 17/948,493 CTNF 80859 Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Election/Restrictions Applicant's election with traverse of Election/Restriction in the reply filed on 8/20/25 is acknowledged. This is found to be persuasive to examiner, and the restriction is withdrawn. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15 AIA Claim (s) 1-5, and 9-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102( a1 ) as being taught by Takami et al (PGPUB 2015/0207438) . With respect to claim 1, Takami teaches a method for controlling an air compressor of a fuel cell system comprising the steps of: deriving, by a control unit (fig. 1, 40), a target speed command value (fig. 1, input to 43) of an air compressor motor (fig. 1, 5) and a phase current command value (fig. 1, output of 44) required for driving the air compressor motor based on a rotation speed (fig. 1, output of 42) of the air compressor motor; deriving, by the control unit, a speed limit value (fig. 1, output of 57) for limiting the target speed command value and a phase current limit value (paragraph 0038; 45/46 limit) for limiting the phase current command value based on a sensing voltage of the air compressor motor; deriving, by the control unit, a final phase current command value (fig. 1, output of 48) based on the target speed command value, the speed limit value, the phase current command value, and the phase current limit value; and controlling, by the control unit, the air compressor motor according to the final phase current command value (paragraph 0039/40). With respect to claim 2, Takami teaches wherein in the step of deriving the target speed command value, the rotation speed of the air compressor motor is a target speed (paragraph 0027; command speed) of the air compressor motor. With respect to claim 3, Takami teaches wherein in the step of deriving the phase current command value, the rotation speed of the air compressor motor is a current speed (paragraph 0032; estimate speed) of the air compressor motor. With respect to claim 4, Takami teaches wherein in the step of deriving the speed limit value and the phase current limit value, if the sensing voltage of the air compressor motor is less than a reference voltage, the speed limit value is determined according to a preset speed limit value (paragraph 0035; return back to former current/speed). With respect to claim 5, Takami teaches wherein in the step of deriving the speed limit value and the phase current limit value, if the sensing voltage of the air compressor motor is less than a reference voltage, the phase current limit value is determined according to a preset limit current value (paragraph 0035; return back to former current). With respect to claim 9, Takami teaches wherein the step of deriving the final phase current command value includes the steps of: deriving, by the control unit, a final speed command value (fig. 1, output of 43) from the target speed command value and the speed limit value; deriving, by the control unit, a final phase current limit value (fig. 1, output of 44) from the final speed command value and the phase current limit value; and deriving, by the control unit, the final phase current command value (output of 48) from the final phase current limit value and a phase current specified value. With respect to claim 10, Takami teaches wherein in the step of controlling the air compressor motor, a voltage command of the motor is generated according to the final phase current command value, and the air compressor motor is controlled according to a duty ratio (paragraph 0040; pwm signal) corresponding to the generated voltage command. With respect to claim 11, Takami teaches a control unit (fig. 1, 40) configured to derive a target speed command value (fig. 1, input to 43) of an air compressor motor (fig. 1, 5) and a phase current command value (fig. 1, output to 44) required for driving the air compressor motor based on a rotation speed (fig. 1, output to 42) of the air compressor motor; the control unit being further configured to derive a speed limit value (fig. 1, output to 57) limiting the target speed command value and a phase current limit value limiting (paragraph 0038; 45/46 limit) the phase current command value based on a sensing voltage of the air compressor motor; the control unit being further configured to derive a final phase current command value (fig. 1, output to 48) based on the target speed command value, the speed limit value, the phase current command value and the phase current limit value; and the control unit being further configured to control the air compressor motor according to the final phase current command value (paragraph 0039/40). With respect to claim 12, Takami teaches further comprising a high-level control unit (fig. 1, 10) for deriving the target speed command value of (paragraph 0027; command speed) the air compressor motor based on the rotation speed of the air compressor motor and transmitting the derived target speed command value to the control unit, wherein the control unit derives the phase current command value required for driving the air compressor motor based on the target speed command value (paragraph 0032; estimate speed) received from the high-level control unit and the rotation speed of the air compressor motor . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takami et al (PGPUB 2015/0207438) . With respect to claim 6, Takami teaches wherein in the step of deriving the speed limit value and the phase current limit value, the phase current limit value is divided into a first phase current limit (fig. 1, output of 45) value and a second phase current limit (fig. 1, output of 46) value according to a difference (from 43 output) between a target speed and current speed of the air compressor motor, and the control unit derives the first phase current limit value if the difference between the target speed and current speed of the air compressor motor is large, and derives the second phase current limit value if the difference between the target speed and the current speed is small (paragraph 0051; high versus low possibility). Takami does teach first difference being large and second difference being small. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to different actions according to a large or small difference, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416 . 12-151-08 AIA 07-43 12-51-08 Claim s 7 and 8 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 ERICK DAVID GLASS whose telephone number is (571)272-8395. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri_8-5pm. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eduardo Colon-Santana can be reached at 571-272-2060. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /ERICK D GLASS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2846 Application/Control Number: 17/948,493 Page 2 Art Unit: 2846 Application/Control Number: 17/948,493 Page 3 Art Unit: 2846 Application/Control Number: 17/948,493 Page 4 Art Unit: 2846 Application/Control Number: 17/948,493 Page 5 Art Unit: 2846 Application/Control Number: 17/948,493 Page 6 Art Unit: 2846 Application/Control Number: 17/948,493 Page 7 Art Unit: 2846
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Prosecution Timeline

Sep 20, 2022
Application Filed
Feb 21, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §102, §103 (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
89%
Grant Probability
96%
With Interview (+7.0%)
2y 5m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 700 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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