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 .
Status of the Claims
Applicant’s clarification of the pending claims in the response dated 10/27/2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 1-20 are pending.
Claim Interpretation
Regarding claim 1, the recitation “when the oil temperature is lower than a first target temperature, triggering one or more of bypassing an oil-water heat exchanger, reducing a water flow rate, or increasing a power of an oil pump; and when the oil temperature is higher than a second target temperature, triggering one or more of disabling a bypass path of the oil-water heat exchanger, increasing the water flow rate, or reducing the power” is a contingent limitation. The claim does not require the following conditions if the conditions are not satisfied. Therefore, because the triggering is contingent on an event that may not occur, the claimed method can be carried out without performing the triggering. Claims 2-11, which depend from claim 1, are interpreted in the same manner. (see MPEP 2111.04 II). Should Applicant wish to preclude this interpretation, it is suggested “when the…temperature is…” be replaced with “in response to the…temperature being…” or the like.
It is noted that the apparatus claims 12-20 are interpreted as requiring the structure that performs the function of the contingent step along with the other recited claim limitations pursuant to MPEP 2111.04 II.
Election/Restrictions
After further consideration, the restriction requirement dated 4/22/2025 is hereby withdrawn, and thus applicant’s arguments directed thereto are moot.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 12-13, 16-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Akimoto (US20170045133A1) in view of Tokozakura (US20170175612A1).
Regarding claim 1, Akimoto teaches an oil temperature control method (see Fig. 2-3/9), applied to a controller (ECU 50) of an electric vehicle that comprises an oil cooling circuit (oil passage 10), wherein the oil cooling circuit flows through a motor (MG), and wherein the oil temperature control method comprises: determining an oil temperature at a detection point (oil temperature sensor 17), wherein the detection point is a specified location in the oil cooling circuit (see location thereof); when the oil temperature is lower than a first target temperature, triggering (via valve 5/19) one or more of bypassing an oil-water heat exchanger; and when the oil temperature is higher than a second target temperature, triggering (via valve 5/19) one or more of disabling a bypass path (bypass oil passage 4) of the oil-water heat exchanger (high than…predetermined value…fully-opened & lower than…valve-closing temperature is a temperature lower than the predetermined value ¶[0039]).
Akimoto does not teach the oil cooling circuit flows through a motor and an inverter.
Tokozakura teaches the oil cooling circuit flows through a motor and an inverter (see inverter 21 & motor 2/3 in oil cooling system 100).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Akimoto to include wherein the motor and inverter are cooled in the oil cooling circuit as taught by Tokozakura, in order to improve cooling of the inverter via direct heat exchange (¶[0077-0078]).
Regarding claim 2, Akimoto teaches the limitations of claim 1, and Akimoto further teaches determining the oil temperature comprises directly obtaining the oil temperature at the detection point by using a sensor (temperature sensor 17).
Regarding claim 12, Akimoto teaches a controller (see Fig. 2-3/9), applied to an electric vehicle that comprises an oil cooling circuit (oil passage 10), wherein the oil cooling circuit flows through a motor (MG), and wherein the controller comprises: a memory configured to store instructions; and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute the instructions (computer - ¶[0033], the term computer is considered to meet the limitations of a memory and processor) to: determine an oil temperature at a detection point (17), wherein the detection point is a specified location in the oil cooling circuit; when the oil temperature is lower than a first target temperature, trigger (via valve 5/19) one or more of bypassing an oil-water heat exchanger; and when the oil temperature is higher than a second target temperature, trigger (via valve 5/19) one or more of disabling a bypass path (4) of the oil-water heat exchanger (high than…predetermined value…fully-opened & lower than…valve-closing temperature is a temperature lower than the predetermined value ¶[0039]).
Regarding claim 13, Akimoto teaches the limitations of claim 12, and Akimoto further teaches the processor is configured to execute the instructions to determine the oil temperature by: directly obtaining the oil temperature by using a sensor (17).
Regarding claim 16, Akimoto teaches a powertrain (see Fig. 2-3/9), comprising: an inverter (16) configured to: convert a direct current into an alternating current; and transmit the alternating current; a motor (MG) configured to: receive the alternating current from the inverter; and convert the alternating current into mechanical energy configured to drive an electric vehicle; an oil cooling circuit (10); a water cooling circuit (15); an oil-water heat exchanger (32) flowing through the motor and configured to transfer heat of the oil cooling circuit to the water cooling circuit; an oil pump (2) configured to pump oil through the oil cooling circuit; a water pump (13) configured to pump water through the water cooling circuit; and a controller (ECU 50) configured to: control a power of the oil pump; control a rotation speed of the water pump; determine an oil temperature at a detection point, wherein the detection point (17) is a specified location in the oil cooling circuit; when the oil temperature is lower than a first target temperature, trigger one or more of bypassing the oil-water heat exchanger; and when the oil temperature is higher than a second target temperature, trigger one or more of disabling a bypass path of the oil-water heat exchanger (high than…predetermined value…fully-opened & lower than…valve-closing temperature is a temperature lower than the predetermined value ¶[0039]).
Akimoto does not teach the oil cooling circuit flows through a motor and an inverter.
Tokozakura teaches the oil cooling circuit flows through a motor and an inverter (see inverter 21 & motor 2/3 in oil cooling system 100).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Akimoto to include wherein the motor and inverter are cooled in the oil cooling circuit as taught by Tokozakura, in order to improve cooling of the inverter via direct heat exchange (¶[0077-0078]).
Regarding claim 17, Akimoto teaches the limitations of claim 12, and Akimoto further teaches the controller is configured to determine the oil temperature by: directly obtaining the oil temperature by using a sensor (17).
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Akimoto (US20170045133A1) in view of Tokozakura (US20170175612A1) and Iiyama (JP2006288143A).
Regarding claim 3, Akimoto teaches the limitations of claim 1, and Akimoto does not teach determining the oil temperature comprises: obtaining a specified parameter; and determining, based on the specified parameter, the oil temperature.
Iiyama teaches wherein determining the oil temperature comprises: obtaining a specified parameter; and determining, based on the specified parameter, the oil temperature (Page 4 of translation, the oil temperature is indirectly estimated by estimating the temperature of the stator winding 3 using the energization resistance of the stator winding 3 and the output torque of the output shaft 9 as parameters).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Akimoto to include the indirect estimation of the oil temperature of Iiyama, as it has been held obvious to provide a simple substitution of functional equivalents (see MPEP 2143).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-11, 14-15, 18-20 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Hug (US20100252643A1)
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIC S RUPPERT whose telephone number is (571)272-9911. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8 am - 4 pm.
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/ERIC S RUPPERT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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