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 allowance or after an Office action under Ex Parte Quayle, 25 USPQ 74, 453 O.G. 213 (Comm'r Pat. 1935). 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, prosecution in this application has been reopened pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 07/01/26 has been entered.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 07/01/26 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1- 8, 10-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lu et al., Chinese Patent Publication CN110278622A (hereinafter “Lu”).
In Reference to Claim 1:
Lu discloses a method of controlling a switching converter, said switching converter comprising: a controlled rectifier stage (See Figure 1, Bridge Circuit) having input alternating current (AC) terminals (ACl and Can), for receiving an AC voltage to be rectified, and a direct current (DC)-bus (connected to the upper part of the bridge) having a high-side line for making available a DC voltage on said DC-bus between the high-side line and said low-side line, the DC voltage being generated as a rectified replica of the AC voltage received at the input AC terminals; an output stage connected between the high-side line and the low-side line configured to be supplied with the DC voltage on the DC-bus, comprising: a DC bus capacitor (C1) connected between the high-side line and the low-side line;at least one inductor (L or shown but not labeled, illustrated as a cooktop in Figure 1 with a cookware located ontop) connected at an intermediate node of the output stage,wherein the at least one inductor is configured to be magnetically coupled with a load (inherent in operation of inductor when loaded with a voltage it gives off magnet),and at least one controlled output switch (Q1 and Q2 (both meet the claim given the breadth of being located between the intermediate and low or high end) connected between the intermediate node and either the low-side line or the high-side line, wherein the at least one controlled output switch is configured to connect or disconnect the at least one inductor to the DC- bus for charging the inductor by the switching converter or for discharging the inductor (See, Figure 2); and a control unit configured to turn ON/OFF the at least one controlled output switch (as shown in Figure 2) ;the method comprising: when an ON time interval of the switching converter ends, during which the load coupled with the at least one inductor is powered by the switching converter, operating the rectifier stage to disconnect from the input AC terminals the DC-bus between the high-side line and the low-side line to prevent the DC-bus from being charged, so that the DC voltage is null or smaller than a minimum nominal value when a next ON time interval begins (See, Figure 2). See also,, Specification: “narrow pulse of a low voltage to make the IGBT to capacitor discharge in advance, ensure each IGBT when starting capacitor voltage at a low level grid voltage before the IGBT opening. Because of using conduction of the IGBT to pre-discharge,” and See, The last three paragraphs of the specification: “ four period comprises four positive half cycle and four negative half cycle. controller voltage through sampling resistor R1 detects the grid, when the network voltage reaches the peak, the controller sends the conduction control signal to the feedback control circuit, the feedback control circuit and outputs high level, the switch tube Q1 is conducted with Q2. voltage of the power grid voltage, a switch tube with the capacitance C1 closest to Q1 and Q2 turned on loss minimum, the voltage of the capacitor C1 back to the electric network, and synchronizing with the grid voltage is reduced; when the controller detects the electric network voltage passes zero, sending the off control signal to the feedback control circuit. the feedback control circuit outputs low level, the switch tube Q1 and Q2 stop, the voltage of the capacitor C1 drops close to 0V, at the same time, the controller receives the open feedback signal open the PPG, an electromagnetic heating coil work to two half-cycle after closing the PPG, then stopping heating for six half-cycle. such circulation control always keeping electromagnetic heating device continuously stable heating at a relatively small power”
In Reference to Claim 2:
Lu further discloses a rectifying bridge (See, Bridge in Figure 1) containing at least two controlled switches (Q1 and Q2) disposed to rectify respectively, when activated, a positive and a negative half-wave of the AC voltage (See, Figure 2); the method further comprising: sensing zero-crossings of the AC voltage (as discussed in Specification: “voltage of the controller obtaining first input end through said zero-crossing detection circuit, sending the off control signal to the feedback control circuit sends the conduction control signal to the feedback control circuit when reaching the peak, the voltage zero-crossing time. the first feedback branch comprises a switch tube Q1, which is connected between the first input end and the ground end, the second feedback branch comprises a switch tube Q2, which is connected between the first output end and the second input end of the switch tube Q1 and Q2 control of each electrode is connected to the feedback control circuit”) and generating a respective zero-cross signal;during the ON time interval, generating for each controlled switch of the at least two controlled switches a respective trigger pulse in function of the zero-crossings so as to generate the DC voltage as a rectified replica of the AC voltage; andduring the OFF time interval, keeping in an off state the at least two controlled switches. See, Figure 2.
In Reference to Claim 3:
Lu further discloses periodically alternating ON time intervals of the switching converter (via sending a pwm signal to the switches q1 and q2 as shown in Figure 1 and 2, during which the load coupled with the at least one inductor is powered by the switching converter, to OFF time intervals of the switching converter, during which the load is not powered by the switching converter;during said ON time intervals of the switching converter, driving ON/OFF the controlled output switch at a nominal switching frequency of the switching converter and with a duty-cycle corresponding to a minimum power to be delivered to the load by the switching converter to perform a soft-switching of the controlled output switch, wherein a duration of an ON time interval of the ON time intervals and a duration of a subsequent OFF time interval of the OFF time intervals are adjusted so as an average power delivered to the load is a fraction of the minimum power. See, Figure 2: which illustrates a duty cycle of 50% (power level of 50%) wherein the controller sets up 8 cycles featuring half cycles of positive and negative. The purpose being to meet a lower power mode while reducing noise often associated with having the capacitor charged already.
In Reference to Claim 4:
Lu further disclose wherein the method is performed in operation of an induction cooktop. See, Figure 1 which shows cookware sitting on top of the induction coil.
In Reference to Claim 5:
Lu discloses a switching converter comprising: a controlled rectifier stage (See, Figure 1 which shows a bridge rectifier having AC come in) comprising input AC terminals (ACl and Can) for receiving an AC voltage to be rectified, and a DC-bus having a high-side line for making available a DC voltage on the DC-bus between the high-side line and the low-side line, wherein the DC voltage is generated as a rectified replica of the AC voltage received at the input AC terminals; an output stage connected between the high-side line and the low-side line configured to be supplied with the DC voltage on the DC-bus (See, Figure 1 which shows a analogous electrical circuit to Applicants) the output stage comprising: at least one inductor (L or illustrated but not shown inductors associated with the cooktop) connected at an intermediate node, wherein the at least one inductor is configured to be magnetically coupled with a load, a DC bus capacitor(C1) connected between the high-side line and the low-side line; and at least one controlled output switch (q1) connected between the intermediate node and either the low-side line or the high-side line, wherein the at least one controlled output switch is configured to connect or disconnect the at least one inductor to the DC- bus for charging the inductor (L) by the switching converter or for discharging the inductor; and a control unit (12) configured to turn ON/OFF the controlled output switch, wherein the control unit is further configured, when an ON time interval of the switching converter ends during which a load coupled with the at least one inductor is powered by the switching converter, to operate the rectifier stage to disconnect from the input AC terminals the DC-bus between the high-side line and the low-side line to prevent the DC-bus from being charged, so that the DC voltage is null or smaller than a minimum nominal value when a next ON time interval begins. See, Figure 2 and See also,, Specification: “narrow pulse of a low voltage to make the IGBT to capacitor discharge in advance, ensure each IGBT when starting capacitor voltage at a low level grid voltage before the IGBT opening. Because of using conduction of the IGBT to pre-discharge,” and See, The last three paragraphs of the specification: “ four period comprises four positive half cycle and four negative half cycle. controller voltage through sampling resistor R1 detects the grid, when the network voltage reaches the peak, the controller sends the conduction control signal to the feedback control circuit, the feedback control circuit and outputs high level, the switch tube Q1 is conducted with Q2. voltage of the power grid voltage, a switch tube with the capacitance C1 closest to Q1 and Q2 turned on loss minimum, the voltage of the capacitor C1 back to the electric network, and synchronizing with the grid voltage is reduced; when the controller detects the electric network voltage passes zero, sending the off control signal to the feedback control circuit. the feedback control circuit outputs low level, the switch tube Q1 and Q2 stop, the voltage of the capacitor C1 drops close to 0V, at the same time, the controller receives the open feedback signal open the PPG, an electromagnetic heating coil work to two half-cycle after closing the PPG, then stopping heating for six half-cycle. such circulation control always keeping electromagnetic heating device continuously stable heating at a relatively small power”
In Reference to Claim 6:
Lu further discloses wherein the controlled rectifier stage comprises a rectifying bridge (See, Figure 1) comprising at least two controlled switches (Q1 and Q2) disposed to rectify respectively, when activated, a positive and a negative half-wave of the AC voltage (See, Figure 2) ; the switching converter further comprises a zero-cross circuit block configured to sense zero-crossing of the AC voltage and to generate a respective zero-cross signal (sense via resistors) ;the control unit is further configured, during the ON time interval, to generate for each controlled switch of the two controlled switches a respective trigger pulse in function of the zero- cross signal in order to generate the DC voltage as a rectified replica of the AC voltage, and is configured, during said OFF time interval, to keep in an OFF state the at least two controlled switches. See, Figure 3 and also See, Specification: “voltage of the controller obtaining first input end through said zero-crossing detection circuit, sending the off control signal to the feedback control circuit sends the conduction control signal to the feedback control circuit when reaching the peak, the voltage zero-crossing time. the first feedback branch comprises a switch tube Q1, which is connected between the first input end and the ground end, the second feedback branch comprises a switch tube Q2, which is connected between the first output end and the second input end of the switch tube Q1 and Q2 control of each electrode is connected to the feedback control circuit”.
In Reference to Claim 7:
Lu further discloses wherein the switching converter is a quasi-resonant converter and the output stage further comprises a tank capacitor coupled with said at least one inductor to constitute a L-C resonant pair, and the L-C resonant pair is connected between the high-side line and the intermediate node, and the controlled output switch is connected in series with said L-C resonant pair between the intermediate node and the low-side line. See, Figure 1 which illustrates this.
In Reference to claim 8:
Lu further discloses wherein the output stage comprises:a high-side controlled output switch (Q1) connected between the high-side line and the intermediate node, anda low-side controlled output switch (Q2) connected between the intermediate node and the low-side line, and the at least one inductor is connected between the low-side line and the intermediate node.
In Reference to claim 10-13:
Lu further discloses wherein the switching converter is a component of an induction cooktop. See, Figure 1 and
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 9 is 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. The prior art fails to disclose “wherein the output stage further comprises a tank capacitor connected in series with the at least one inductor to constitute a L-C resonant pair, and the L-C resonant pair is connected between the low-side line and the intermediate node.” Examiner does not believe it would be obvious to modify the prior art, Lu, as such modification would destroy the fundamental functionality of Lu.
Claims 14-20 are allowed. Claim 14 is allowed for the reasons recited already previously on record in the Notice of Allowability dated 4/15/26.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL S. COLLINS whose telephone number is (313)446-6535. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH 8:00-5:30.
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/DANIEL S COLLINS/Examiner, Art Unit 3745
/NATHANIEL E WIEHE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3745
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