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 .
DETAILED ACTION
1. This non-final Office action is responsive to Applicants’ application filed on 11/22/2023. Claims 1-10 are presented for examination and are rejected for the reasons indicated herein below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
2. 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.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tanaka (U.S. Pub. No. 2018/0041108 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Tanaka (e.g. see Figs. 1-24) discloses “A power conversion device comprising: a voltage regulator circuit configured to regulate power from a power source to a desired voltage (e.g. see at least Fig. 1, see 15. Implicit); an inverter configured to convert the power output from the voltage regulator circuit into an alternate current power (e.g. see at least Fig. 1, see the inverter at the primary side of 11. Implicit); a resonant circuit having inductance and capacitance (e.g. see at least Fig. 1, see 9 and 10. Implicit); a high frequency transformer configured to convert the alternate current power of the inverter (e.g. see at least Fig. 1, see 11. Implicit); a rectifier configured to convert the alternate current power output from the high frequency transformer into a direct current power (e.g. see at least Fig. 1, see the rectifier at the secondary side of 11. Implicit); a temperature detector configured to detect a temperature of the resonant circuit (e.g. see at least Figs. 1, 9-10, 16-17 and 20-22, see inside 15-17, also the abstract, para. 0086, para. 0096-0097, para. 0181 and para. 0194-0200. Implicit); and a controller (17) configured to detect an anomalous resonant frequency when the temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature threshold to control an anomalous state (e.g. see at least Figs. 1, 9-10, 16-17 and 20-22, see inside 15-17, also the abstract, para. 0086, para. 0096-0097, para. 0181 and para. 0194-0200. Implicit)”.
Regarding claim 2, Tanaka (e.g. see Figs. 1-24) discloses “wherein the controller (17) is configured to control the anomalous state by stopping the power conversion device (e.g. see at least Figs. 1, 9-10, 16-17 and 20-22, see inside 15-17, also the abstract, para. 0083-0086, para. 0096-0097, para. 0181 and para. 0194-0200. Implicit)”.
Regarding claim 3, Tanaka (e.g. see Figs. 1-24) discloses “wherein the controller (17) is configured to control the anomalous state by reducing output to a level lower than output in a normal state (e.g. see at least Figs. 1, 9-10, 16-17 and 20-22, see inside 15-17, also the abstract, para. 0083-0086, para. 0096-0097, para. 0181 and para. 0194-0200. Implicit)”.
Regarding claim 4, Tanaka (e.g. see Figs. 1-24) discloses “wherein the power conversion device further comprises a cooler configured to cool the resonant circuit, and the controller (17) is configured to control the anomalous state by cooling with the cooler (e.g. see at least Figs. 1, 9-10, 16-17 and 20-22, see inside 15-17, also the abstract, para. 0181, para. 0194-0200 and para. 0210. Implicit)”.
Regarding claim 5, Tanaka (e.g. see Figs. 1-24) discloses “wherein the resonant circuit includes, as the capacitance, a resonant capacitor connected to a direct-current input of the inverter (e.g. see at least Fig. 1, see 9 and its connections. Implicit)”.
Regarding claim 6, Tanaka (e.g. see Figs. 1-24) discloses “wherein the resonant circuit includes, as the capacitance, a resonant capacitor connected between an alternate-current output of the inverter and a primary winding of the high frequency transformer (e.g. see at least Fig. 1, see 9 and its connections. Implicit)”.
Regarding claim 7, Tanaka (e.g. see Figs. 1-24) discloses “wherein the resonant circuit includes, as the inductance, an inductance element connected between an alternate-current output of the inverter and a primary winding of the high frequency transformer (e.g. see at least Fig. 1, see 10 and its connections. Implicit)”.
Regarding claim 8, Tanaka (e.g. see Figs. 1-24) discloses “wherein the voltage regulator circuit includes a chopper circuit or a converter circuit (e.g. see at least Fig. 1, see 15. Implicit)”.
Regarding claim 9, Tanaka (e.g. see Figs. 1-24) discloses “wherein the inverter includes a half-bridge inverter or a full-bridge inverter (e.g. see at least Fig. 1, see at least 7-8. Implicit)”.
Regarding method claim 10; It comprise substantially same subject matter as in the recited apparatus claims 1-9, therefore method claim 10 also rejected under the same ground of rejection as clearly discussed in the rejection to the apparatus claims 1-9. Also the method steps will be met during the normal operation of the apparatus described above. (Examiner notes: For method claims, note that under MPEP 2112.02, the principles of inherency, if a prior art device, in its normal and usual operation, would necessarily perform the method claimed, then the method claimed will be considered to be anticipated by the prior art device. When the prior art device is the same as a device described in the specification for carrying out the claimed method, it can be assumed the device will inherently perform the claimed process. In re King, 801 F.2d 1324, 231 USPQ 136 (Fed. Cir. 1986). Therefore the previous rejections based on the apparatus will not be repeated).
3. Independent claims 1 and 10 are also rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shiji (U.S. Pub. No. 2013/0336016 A1).
Regarding independent claims 1 and 10, Shiji discloses all the limitations of claims 1 and 10 (e.g. see Figs. 1-3, also see the abstract, background of the invention, and the summary of the invention. Examiner’s note: see Figs. 1-3 for the details of the power conversion device which includes a voltage regulator 10, an inverter 21-22, a resonant circuit c21 and np, a high frequency transformer T, a rectifier D21-D22 and a controller with a temperature detector 30 and 40, also see para. 0015-0016 and para. 0052. Implicit).
Conclusion
4. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. A list of pertinent prior art is attached in form PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YUSEF A AHMED whose telephone number is (571)272-6057. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 11AM-7PM.
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/YUSEF A AHMED/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838