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
In the communication dated March 8, 2023, claims 1-12 are pending.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 1 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oguma US20190305393A1 in view of Bae et al. US20220376624A1.
Regarding claim 1. Oguma discloses a circuit (61/51) for raising a temperature of a power storage (B1) by generating a current (¶45 – DC charger 61 supplies DC power)) based on electric power stored in the power storage having an inductance component (¶72 – battery is heated by the internal resistance).
Because Oguma teaches that the AC charger 52 may be replaced with the DC charger 61 depending on the power source (Oguma; ¶61), the system may use either the AC or DC charging source depending upon the source (¶41-42) i.e. a AC power supply for home use (¶41) or an external quick charger/commercial facility (¶45).
Oguma does not explicitly teach that the circuit is a first capacitor having a first end connected to a positive electrode side of the power storage; a second capacitor having a first end connected to a second end of the first capacitor and a second end connected to a negative electrode side of the power storage; a third capacitor having a second end connected to the negative electrode side of the power storage; a fourth capacitor having a second end connected to a first end of the third capacitor and a first end connected to the positive electrode side of the power storage; a first switch having a first terminal connected to the first end of the first capacitor; a second switch having a first terminal connected to a second terminal of the first switch and a second terminal connected to the second end of the first capacitor; a third switch having a second terminal connected to the second end of the third capacitor; a fourth switch having a second terminal connected to a first terminal of the third switch and a first terminal connected to the first end of the third capacitor; a first inductor connected between the second terminal of the first switch and the first terminal of the fourth switch; and a second inductor connected between the second terminal of the second switch and the first terminal of the third switch..
Bae discloses a DC/DC circuit comprising:
A first capacitor (22) having a first end connected to a positive electrode side of the power storage as indicated in the reproduced and annotated FIG. 4 below);
a second capacitor (24) having a first end connected to a second end of the first capacitor (22) and a second end connected to a negative electrode side of the power storage (as indicated in the reproduced and annotated FIG. 4 below);
a third capacitor (23) having a second end connected to the negative electrode side of the power storage (as indicated in the reproduced and annotated FIG. 4 below) ;
a fourth capacitor (21) having a second end connected to a first end of the third capacitor (23) and a first end connected to the positive electrode side of the power storage (as indicated in the reproduced and annotated FIG. 4 below) ;
a first switch (15) having a first terminal connected to the first end of the first capacitor (22);
a second switch (16) having a first terminal connected to a second terminal of the first switch (15) and a second terminal connected to the second end of the first capacitor (22);
a third switch (14) having a second terminal connected to the second end of the third capacitor (23);
a fourth switch (13) having a second terminal connected to a first terminal of the third switch (14) and a first terminal connected to the first end of the third capacitor (23);
a first inductor (31) connected between the second terminal of the first switch (15) and the first terminal of the fourth switch (13); and
a second inductor (32) connected between the second terminal of the second switch (16) and the first terminal of the third switch (14).
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Although Bae discloses a DC circuit rather than an AC circuit, because it includes the same circuitry it would be capable of performing the same function as the AC circuit. It would be obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date to provide the DC circuit of Bae to the circuit of Oguma in order to provide for topology that that allows for a short circuit in the case of a fault or accident (Bae ¶6).
Regarding claim 9. Oguma does not explicitly disclose that the inductance component includes an inductance component provided in a wiring portion between the power storage and the AC generation circuit.
Bae discloses that the inductance component includes an inductance component provided in a wiring portion between the power storage and the current generation circuit (FIG. 2 and 4).
Although Bae discloses a DC circuit rather than an AC circuit, because it includes the same circuitry it would be capable of performing the same function as the AC circuit. It would be obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date to provide the DC circuit of Bae to the circuit of Oguma in order to provide for topology that that allows for a short circuit in the case of a fault or accident (Bae ¶6).
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oguma 20190305393A1 in view of Bae et al. US20220376624A1 as evidenced by Electronics Tutorials (https.//www.electronics-tutorials.ws/accircuits/ac-inductance.html).
Regarding claim 2. Although Oguma does not explicitly teach that an inductance of the first inductor, an inductance of the second inductor, a capacitance of the first capacitor, a capacitance of the second capacitor, a capacitance of the third capacitor, and a capacitance of the fourth capacitor are adjusted so that an electric current waveform of the AC current is close to a waveform of a sinusoidal wave on the basis of a relational expression including the inductance component, a person of ordinary skill in the art would understand that an AC current reacts to the components and adjusts the already sinusoidal wave as evidenced by Electronics Tutorials and illustrated below:
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Claims 3-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oguma 20190305393A1 in view of Bae et al. US20220376624A1 as evidenced by Electronics Tutorials (https.//www.electronics-tutorials.ws/accircuits/ac-inductance.html) in further view of Hung et al. US20120274414A1
Regarding claim 3. Oguma does not explicitly teach that the inductance of the first inductor is the same as the inductance of the second inductor.
Hung discloses the inductance of the first inductor (48) is the same as the inductance of the second inductor (50) (¶20).
It would be obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to provide the inductors arranged in series with the same inductance, as taught by Hung, in order to provide matching in the case of a component being inoperable (Hung; ¶15).
Regarding claim 4. Oguma does not explicitly teach the capacitance of the first capacitor and the capacitance of the third capacitor are the same as first capacitance.
Hung discloses that the capacitance of the first capacitor (42) and the capacitance of the third capacitor (44) are the same as first capacitance (¶20).
It would be obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to provide the capacitors arranged in series with the same capacitance, as taught by Hung, in order to provide matching in the case of a component being inoperable (Hung; ¶15).
Regarding claim 5. Oguma does not explicitly teach the capacitance of the second capacitor and the capacitance of the fourth capacitor are the same as a second capacitance.
Because Bae teaches using the circuit configuration that uses a symmetrical configuration in order to prevent damage as a result of an accident it follows that the capacitance teachings of Hung apply to the second and fourth capacitor of Bae.
It would be obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to provide the capacitors arranged in series with the same capacitance, as taught by Hung, in order to provide matching in the case of a component being inoperable (Hung; ¶15).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-8 and 10-12 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 6, although the intervening claims are taught by the prior art, the prior art does not explicitly teach “the second capacitance is less than capacitance that is twice the first capacitance”.
Regarding claim 7, although the intervening claims are taught by the prior art, the prior art does not explicitly teach “the second capacitance is greater than capacitance that is three times the first capacitance”.
Regarding claim 8, although the intervening claims are taught by the prior art, the prior art does not explicitly teach “the second capacitance is the same as the first capacitance”.
Regarding claim 10, although the prior art teaches the intervening claims and wherein the first switch and the third switch are controlled to be in a conductive state or a non-conductive state in accordance with a first control signal; wherein the second switch and the fourth switch are controlled to be in the conductive state or the non-conductive state in accordance with a second control signal (see Bae FIG. 4), the prior art does not explicitly teach that “a period of a first state in which the first control signal causes the first switch and the third switch to be in the conductive state does not overlap a period of a second state in which the second control signal causes the second switch and the fourth switch to be in the conductive state”.
Claims 11-12 are allowable at least by virtue of their dependency from an allowable claim.
Related Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Lefevre et al. EP2782235A1 (cited in the IDS dated 12/15/2025) discloses an AC circuit having the connections of claim 1 as they are claimed..
Zhou US20110248684A1 discloses a circuit for raising a temperature of a power storage (210) by generating a current (¶14 – controller signals a DC/DC converter 240 to provide power to a battery pack heater) based on electric power stored in the power storage having an inductance component (¶14 – battery pack should be warmer than 0 degrees C to accept a charge further because its internal resistance drops with increasing temperature).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAMELA JEPPSON whose telephone number is (571)272-4094. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Drew Dunn can be reached at 571-272-2312. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PAMELA J JEPPSON/Examiner, Art Unit 2859
/DREW A DUNN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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