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 .
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 final rejection. 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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 1/26/2026 has been entered.
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) 1-5, 7-9, 11-17, 19-21, 23, 24, 26, 27, 29, and 30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Askan (Pub 2020/0185904) in view of Chen et al (Pub 2020/0389045, further referred to as Chen).
As to claim 1, Askan teaches a power system with a bypass line (fig 1, (1)) for a power system coupled between an input of the power system (3) and an output of the power system (4), and configured to provide input AC power to an output of the power system, the bypass line comprising:
a hybrid circuit breaker (1), the hybrid circuit breaker including:
an electromechanical switch (8) configured to open at a first switching rate (paragraph 40), a solid-state switch (14) rated to open at a second switching rate that is slower than the first switching rate (paragraphs 41, (14) will open later than (8)), and
a voltage suppression device (18); and a
controller (9) coupled to the hybrid circuit breaker;
wherein the controller is configured to:
monitor the AC power input (paragraphs 38-40);and responsive to determination that the input AC power is unacceptable, operate the electromechanical switch to open (paragraphs 17 and 18) and operate the solid-state switch to close (controller will keep (14) closed as the controller will open it after (11) opens, paragraphs 21, 23, and 43)
Askan does not teach using the AC/DC systems nor the bypass line bypassing the AC/DC converter.
Chen teaches a power system (fig 1) having AC input power (10) input to a controllable bypass switch (80) (paragraphs 48 and 64) coupled between the input (from 10) and output (55) to bypass an AC/DC converter (20) As such it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to combine the switch taught in Askan with the bypass line taught in Chen in order to improve power supply safety.
As to claim 2, Askan teaches wherein the solid-state switch comprises at least one transistor (paragraph 27).
As to claim 3, Askan teaches wherein the at least one transistor incudes an insulated- gate bipolar transistor (paragraph 27).
As to claim 4, Askan teaches wherein the voltage suppression device includes at least one varistor (paragraph 28).
As to claim 5, Askan teaches wherein the voltage suppression device includes at least one varistor (paragraph 28).
As to claim 7, Askan teaches wherein the controller is further configured to: operate the solid-state switch to open after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since opening the electromechanical switch (paragraphs 23, 40, and 41).
As to claim 8, Askan teaches wherein the predetermined period of time is a time sufficient to avoid arcing in the hybrid circuit breaker (paragraphs 21 and 44).
As to claim 9, Askan teaches wherein upon the electromechanical switch and solid-state switch opening, the voltage suppression device (18) is configured to absorb current in the bypass line (when open the current will pass to the varistor).
As to claim 11, Askan teaches wherein the electromechanical switch, solid-state switch and voltage suppression device are coupled in parallel (paragraphs 17).
As to claim 12, Askan wherein the controller is configured to operate the hybrid circuit breaker to limit current inrush from the input to the load (paragraphs 40-43, the controller controls the current inflow based on detected limiting current inrush).
As to claim 13, Askan teaches a bypass line (fig 1, (1)) for a power system coupled between an input of the power system (3) and an output of the power system (4), and configured to provide input AC power to an output of the power system, the bypass line comprising:
a hybrid circuit breaker (1), the hybrid circuit breaker including:
an electromechanical switch (8) configured to open at a first switching rate (paragraph 40), a solid-state switch (14) rated to open at a second switching rate that is slower than the first switching rate (paragraphs 41, (14) will open later than (8)), and
a voltage suppression device (18); and a
controller (9) coupled to the hybrid circuit breaker;
wherein the controller is configured to:
monitor the AC power input (paragraphs 38-40);and responsive to determination that the input AC power is unacceptable, operate the electromechanical switch to open (paragraphs 17 and 18) and operate the solid-state switch to close (controller will keep (14) closed as the controller will open it after (11) opens, paragraphs 21, 23, and 43)
Askan does not teach using the AC/DC systems nor the bypass line bypassing the AC/DC converter.
Chen teaches a power system (fig 1) having AC input power (10) input to a controllable bypass switch (80) (paragraphs 48 and 64) coupled between the input (from 10) and output (55) to bypass an AC/DC converter (20) As such it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to combine the switch taught in Askan with the bypass line taught in Chen in order to improve power supply safety.
As to claim 14, Askan teaches wherein the solid-state switch comprises at least one transistor (paragraph 27).
As to claim 15, Askan teaches wherein the at least one transistor incudes an insulated- gate bipolar transistor (paragraph 27).
As to claim 16, Askan teaches wherein the voltage suppression device includes at least one varistor (paragraph 28).
As to claim 17, Askan teaches wherein the voltage suppression device includes at least one varistor (paragraph 28).
As to claim 19, Askan teaches wherein the controller is further configured to: operate the solid-state switch to open after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since opening the electromechanical switch (paragraphs 23, 40, and 41).
As to claim 20, Askan teaches wherein the predetermined period of time is a time sufficient to avoid arcing in the hybrid circuit breaker (paragraphs 21 and 44).
As to claim 21, Askan teaches wherein upon the electromechanical switch and solid-state switch opening, the voltage suppression device (18) is configured to absorb current in the bypass line (when open the current will pass to the varistor).
As to claim 23, Askan teaches wherein the electromechanical switch, solid-state switch and voltage suppression device are coupled in parallel (paragraphs 17).
As to claim 24, Askan teaches a method of operating a power system with bypass line (fig 1, (1)) coupled between an input of the power system (3) and an output of the power system (4), and configured to provide input AC power to an output of the power system, the bypass line comprising:
a hybrid circuit breaker (1), the hybrid circuit breaker including:
an electromechanical switch (8) configured to open at a first switching rate (paragraph 40), a solid-state switch (14) rated to open at a second switching rate that is slower than the first switching rate (paragraphs 41, (14) will open later than (8)), and
a voltage suppression device (18); and a
controller (9) coupled to the hybrid circuit breaker;
wherein the controller is configured to:
monitor the AC power input (paragraphs 38-40); and responsive to determination that the input AC power is unacceptable, operate the electromechanical switch to open (paragraphs 17 and 18) and operate the solid-state switch to close (controller will keep (14) closed as the controller will open it after (11) opens, paragraphs 21, 23, and 43); and operating the solid-state switch to open after a predetermined time period as has elapsed since opening the electromechanical switch (paragraphs 23, 40, and 41)
Askan does not teach using the AC/DC systems nor the bypass line bypassing the AC/DC converter.
Chen teaches a power system (fig 1) having AC input power (10) input to a controllable bypass switch (80) (paragraphs 48 and 64) coupled between the input (from 10) and output (55) to bypass an AC/DC converter (20) As such it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to combine the switch taught in Askan with the bypass line taught in Chen in order to improve power supply safety.
As to claim 26, Askan teaches wherein the predetermined period of time is a time sufficient to avoid arcing in the hybrid circuit breaker (paragraphs 21 and 44).
As to claim 27, Askan teaches wherein upon the electromechanical switch and solid-state switch opening, the voltage suppression device (18) is configured to absorb current in the bypass line (when open the current will pass to the varistor).
As to claim 29, Askan teaches wherein the electromechanical switch, solid-state switch and voltage suppression device are coupled in parallel (paragraphs 17).
As to claim 30, Askan wherein the controller is configured to operate the hybrid circuit breaker to limit current inrush from the input to the load (paragraphs 40-43, the controller controls the current inflow based on detected limiting current inrush).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10, 22, and 28 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.
None of the cited prior art teach or suggest utilize the Thomson effect to achieve the first switching rate as is recited in claims 10, 22, and 28.
Conclusion
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/JEFFREY M SHIN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2849