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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-3, and 54-55 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kaidu et al. (US 2018/0248499).
Regarding claim 1,
Kaidu discloses (fig. 2):
An overcurrent protection circuit for a motor (Fig. 2, all elements), wherein the overcurrent protection circuit (37, 38) comprises: a first input (SET DUTY input to 37) configured to receive a first drive signal (SET DUTY) for the motor (20, ¶0043); a second input (positive input to 38) configured to receive an adjustable overcurrent protection threshold (creates current limit in 37 to output to 38, ¶0043); a third input (negative input to 38) configured to receive a current detection value indicative of an amount of current flowing through the motor (from 41, ¶0043); an overcurrent detection module (38) connected to the second input (positive input to 38) and the third input (negative input to 38), and the overcurrent detection module is configured to obtain a first comparison value related to the adjustable overcurrent protection threshold (from 37, overcurrent limit value, ¶0043); and a second comparison value related to the current detection value (from 41, ¶0043); and compare the first comparison value (from 37) to the second comparison value (from 41) and generate a comparison output (output to gate) indicating a presence or an absence of an overcurrent state (¶0055);
an output (35), which is configured to output a second drive signal (PWM signal) that drives the motor (20, ¶0054-¶0055), wherein the second drive signal (PWM signal) is adjusted relative to the first drive signal (SET DUTY) when the overcurrent state is present (triggers gate which limits PWM signal for periof of time, ¶0054-¶0055); and a locking module (gate connected to output of 38), which is configured to lock the comparison output of the overcurrent detection module for a predetermined period of time (gate is triggered to be on and current limit value is limited, ¶0112) when the overcurrent state is present (triggers gate to turn on which limits PWM signal), thereby locking a level state of the second drive signal (PWM signal, ¶0054-¶0055).
Regarding claim 2,
Kaidu discloses (fig. 2):
wherein the overcurrent detection module comprises a comparator (Fig. 2, 38), where a first comparison input (from 37) is connected to the second input (+ input of 38)of the overcurrent protection circuit and is configured to obtain the first comparison value (current limit), a second comparison input (from 41) is connected to the third input (- input of 38) of the overcurrent protection circuit and is configured to obtain the second comparison value (current value), and the output of the comparator is configured as the comparison output (¶0043-¶0044).
Regarding claim 3,
Kaidu discloses (fig. 2):
wherein the first comparison input of the comparator is a positive comparison input (+ input to 38), and the second comparison input of the comparator is a negative comparison input (- input to 38, ¶0043-¶0044).
Regarding claim 54,
Kaidu discloses (fig. 2):
An overcurrent protection circuit for a motor (Fig.2, all elements), comprising: a first input (SET DUTY input to 37) configured to receive a first drive signal (SET DUTY) for the motor (20, ¶0043); a second input (positive input to 38) configured to receive an adjustable overcurrent protection threshold (creates current limit in 37 to output to 38, ¶0043), the adjustable overcurrent protection threshold related to at least one working condition of the motor (current, ¶0043); a third input (negative input to 38) configured to receive a current detection value indicative of an amount of current flowing through the motor (from 41, ¶0043); and an output that provides a drive signal for the motor (Sd, ¶0055).
Regarding claim 55,
Kaidu discloses (fig. 2):
An overcurrent protection circuit for a motor (Fig. 2, all elements), comprising a first input (SET DUTY input to 37) configured to receive a first drive signal (SET DUTY) for the motor (20, ¶0043); a second input (positive input to 38) configured to receive an adjustable overcurrent protection threshold (creates current limit in 37 to output to 38, ¶0043); a third input (negative input to 38) configured to receive a current detection value indicative of an amount of current flowing through the motor (from 41, ¶0043); an overcurrent detection module (38) that is connected to the second input (positive input to 38) and to the third input (negative input to 38), the overcurrent detection module configured to obtain a first comparison value related to the adjustable overcurrent protection threshold (from 37, overcurrent limit value, ¶0043) and a second comparison value related to the current detection value (from 41, ¶0043), and to compare the first comparison value (from 37) to the second comparison value (from 41) and generate a comparison output (output to gate) indicating a presence or an absence of an overcurrent state (¶0055); and an output (35), that is configured to output a second drive signal (PWM signal) that drives the motor (20, ¶0054-¶0055), where the second drive signal (PWM signal) is adjusted relative to the first drive signal (SET DUTY) when the overcurrent state is present (triggers gate which limits PWM signal for period of time, ¶0054-¶0055)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-9, 11-12, and 35-37 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11/25/25 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding applicant’s arguments pertaining to claims 1-3, and 54-55, applicant argues that Kaidu does not disclose the first input “that is configured to receive a first drive signal for the motor” because Sc is not an input to the overcurrent protection circuit, however, it is because the overcurrent protection circuit shown by Kaidu is elements 37 and 38, which Sc is input into 32, and then changed to an instructed duty cycle which is the ratio of on time to off time of the speed command which is the input, which would read upon “the first input that is configured to receive a first drive signal for the motor” which is taught in, ¶0056.
Applicant argues that Kaidu does not disclose “the second input is configured to receive an adjustable overcurrent protection threshold” however, the current limit threshold is set by the voltage threshold and then compared in 38 at the + terminal which would be the second input.
Then, the comparison is locked in ¶0056 where the limit value is set to the first or second limit value. This would lock the comparison output which is tied to the gate attached to 35 and interrupts the signal in ¶0052.
As such, examiner is maintaining the rejections of claims 1-3, and 54-55.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/C.S.L./ Examiner, Art Unit 2846 /KAWING CHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2846
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