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 .
Response to Amendment
The Amendment filed 02/11/2026 has been entered. Claims 1-20 are presented for examination.
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 of this title, 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 1-3, 6, 7 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over McCormick (US 2015/0028877) in view of Adams (US 3,657,603) and further in view of Ribeiro (US 2019/0375512).
Regarding claim 1, McCormick teaches a system comprising:
a load control monitoring unit (LCMU), wherein the LCMU includes a controller operatively connected for input and output with an interface and a coil driver operatively connected to be controlled by the controller (Figs. 8, 1, [0035-0036, 0005-0007], McCormick describes a circuit that includes a controller e.g., controller 142, which has a communication interface; the controller obtains data e.g., voltage data from sensors, and transmits relay status information to another controller e.g., a main controller or power distribution unit; the illustrated system also includes circuitry for driving/energizing coil windings e.g., windings 150, 6, 8).
a voltage sensor operatively connected to a connector of a main switching device of a relay and to the controller to provide voltage feedback to the controller indicative of current in the connector of the main switching device (Figs. 8, 1, 2, 4-7, 10, [0036-0046], Table 1, claim 4, a voltage sensing unit is connected to a connector of a relay e.g., voltage sensing circuit 144 and movable contact 4 in Figs. 1 and 8; the voltage sensing unit provides its voltage data to the controller, which can indicate the presence of current; as indicated in Table 1, the system measures voltage at various locations e.g., VA1 and VA2 of Fig. 8, at the input/output connectors of the relay)
wherein the controller is configured to control the main switching device (Fig. 8, [0034-0035, 0026, 0006-0008], the controller can control the relay)
wherein the controller is configured to monitor a voltage drop across the main switching device and use the monitored voltage drop as a leading indicator of a component or assembly problem for prognostic and health monitoring (PHM) (Fig. 8, Table 2, [0051-0052, 0054-0055], as seen in Fig. 8, there is a relay between terminals A1 and A2; the system can detect the voltage drop/difference between A1 and A2 i.e., V A1-A2 in the table, and use the drop/difference for diagnostics and determining the health and functionality of the relay; see Table 2, which notes that the voltage difference between A1 and A2 can be used to determine, for example, sensor and contact failures).
However, McCormick does not expressly disclose the connector is a voltage bus side; the controller is configured to provide overvoltage protection for the relay; the input side is a voltage bus side; the interface is an aircraft interface.
In the same field of endeavor, Adams teaches the controller is configured to provide overvoltage protection for the relay (Figs. 1-3, col. 1, lines 10-27; col. 2, lines 8-15; col. 2, lines 42-51; col. 4, lines 35-48; col. 4, line 65 to col. 5, line 4, Adams describes a system in which the source voltage is measured; if the source voltage is too high or low i.e., undervoltage or overvoltage, then the system deenergizes or opens a relay which provides voltage to a load; the relay may be reconnected when the voltage returns to a normal range; see also Figs. 2 and 3, which are graphs indicating the correlation between source line voltage and relay control i.e., indicating how the system dynamically connects or disconnects a relay based on detected voltage).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have incorporated the connector is an input side on the main switching device; the controller is configured to provide overvoltage protection for the relay. Both McCormick and Adams relate to systems for controlling a relay that provides electrical power to a load. Both systems monitor input voltage for the relay. For example, McCormick [0054] notes that the measurement of voltage and current data can be used for a wide variety of diagnostic purposes, or to address potential electrical or technical problems. McCormick [0061] further teaches measuring electrical properties to protect the load e.g., overcurrent protection. In Adams, the voltage is used to provide overvoltage protection for a relay i.e., if the voltage is too high, the relay may be disconnected to protect the connected load, and then reconnected when the voltage returns to normal levels. It would be desirable to incorporate this feature into McCormick to provide additional capabilities to the system and to protect connected loads e.g., see Adams Figs. 2, 3, col. 1, lines 10-27; col. 2, lines 8-15; col. 2, lines 42-51; col. 4, lines 35-48; col. 4, line 65 to col. 5, line 4.
However, the combination of McCormick and Adams does not expressly disclose the connector is a voltage bus side; the interface is an aircraft interface.
In the same field of endeavor, Ribeiro teaches
the connector is a voltage bus side;
the interface is an aircraft interface (Fig. 1, [0035, 0038-0039], electrical power is provided to loads in an aircraft via an electric bus; a controller can control components, inherently via an aircraft interface).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have incorporated the connector is a voltage bus side; the interface is an aircraft interface as suggested in Ribeiro into McCormick and Adams because McCormick and Ribeiro pertain to analogous fields of technology. McCormick pertains to a system for providing electrical power via a relay to a load. Ribeiro also pertains to a system for providing electrical power to a load. In Ribeiro, the system is situated in an aircraft, where electrical power is provided to multiple loads/devices via an electric bus. It would be obvious to modify McCormick to implement the system of McCormick in an aircraft, such that electrical power provided to a load via a relay is sourced from an electric bus, as described in Ribeiro. It would be desirable to incorporate this feature into McCormick, to allow the techniques of McCormick to be implemented using a variety of known contexts and electrical power distribution systems e.g., see Ribeiro Fig. 1, [0035, 0038-0039].
Regarding claim 2, the combination of McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro teaches the invention as claimed in claim 1. The combination of McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro also teaches
wherein the relay operatively connected to the LCMU for controlling connection and disconnection of an aircraft voltage bus to and from an aircraft load (McCormick Fig. 8, [0034-0035, 0026, 0006-0008], the controller can control the relay; Ribeiro Fig. 1, [0035, 0038-0039], electrical power is provided to loads in an aircraft via an electric bus; a controller can control components, inherently via an aircraft interface),
wherein the relay includes a coil operatively connected to be powered by the coil driver, wherein the controller is configured to control the coil driver to control the main switching device (McCormick Figs. 8, 1, [0035-0036, 0005-0007], McCormick describes a circuit that includes a controller e.g., controller 142, which has a communication interface; the controller obtains data e.g., voltage data from sensors, and transmits relay status information to another controller e.g., a main controller or power distribution unit; the illustrated system also includes circuitry for driving/energizing coil windings e.g., windings 150, 6, 8),
wherein an auxiliary switching device is operatively coupled to be actuated by a magnetic field from the coil, and wherein the main switching device is operatively connected to be actuated by the magnetic field from the coil, wherein the auxiliary switching device is operatively connected to the controller to provide feedback indicative of position of the main switching device (McCormick [0006-0007), to close the relay, its solenoid coil windings are energized; there is an economizer circuit including an auxiliary relay that is driven by the same solenoid mechanism, which provides a signal confirming the closure of the main relay contacts; McCormick [0035, 0054], the controller can implement an economizer circuit, obtain relay status information and transmit it to an external controller)
and further comprising:
a current sensor operatively connected to a load side of the main switching device and to the controller to provide current feedback to the controller indicative of current in the load side of the main switching device (McCormick [0051, 0052], Table 2, a current sensor can sense current flowing through the load terminals/relay; such information can be used for diagnostic purposes; McCormick [0037-0048], a controller can process relay-related data from sensors)
wherein the controller is configured to open the main switching device of the relay for overvoltage (OV) protection in the presence of unacceptable voltages sensed by the voltage sensor (Adams Figs. 1-3, col. 1, lines 10-27; col. 2, lines 8-15; col. 2, lines 42-51; col. 4, lines 35-48; col. 4, line 65 to col. 5, line 4, Adams describes a system in which the source voltage is measured; if the source voltage is too high or low i.e., undervoltage or overvoltage, then the system deenergizes or opens a relay which provides voltage to a load; the relay may be reconnected when the voltage returns to a normal range; see also Figs. 2 and 3, which are graphs indicating the correlation between source line voltage and relay control i.e., indicating how the system dynamically connects or disconnects a relay based on detected voltage.)
Regarding claim 3, the combination of McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro teaches the invention as claimed in claim 1. The combination of McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro also teaches wherein the controller is configured to use the voltage feedback to monitor for PHM (Adams Figs. 1-3, col. 1, lines 10-27; col. 2, lines 8-15; col. 2, lines 42-51; col. 4, lines 35-48; col. 4, line 65 to col. 5, line 4, Adams describes a system in which the source voltage is measured; if the source voltage is too high or low i.e., undervoltage or overvoltage, then the system deenergizes or opens a relay which provides voltage to a load; the relay may be reconnected when the voltage returns to a normal range; see also Figs. 2 and 3, which are graphs indicating the correlation between source line voltage and relay control i.e., indicating how the system dynamically connects or disconnects a relay based on detected voltage; see also McCormick [0054], the monitoring of voltage can be used to determine contactor health and to alerts users of reliability concerns).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro teaches the invention as claimed in claim 1. The combination of McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro also teaches the aircraft voltage bus, wherein the aircraft voltage bus is operatively connected to the voltage bus side of the main switching device (Ribeiro Fig. 1, [0035, 0038-0039], electrical power is provided to loads in an aircraft via an electric bus; a controller can control components, inherently via an aircraft interface; Adams Figs. 1-3, col. 1, lines 10-27; col. 2, lines 8-15; col. 2, lines 42-51; col. 4, lines 35-48; col. 4, line 65 to col. 5, line 4, Adams describes a system in which the source voltage is measured; if the source voltage is too high or low i.e., undervoltage or overvoltage, then the system deenergizes or opens a relay which provides voltage to a load; McCormick Figs. 8, 1, 2, 4-7, 10, [0036-0046], Table 1, claim 4, a voltage sensing unit is connected to a connector of a relay e.g., voltage sensing circuit 144 and movable contact 4 in Figs. 1 and 8; the voltage sensing unit provides its voltage data to the controller, which can indicate the presence of current; as indicated in Table 1, the system measures voltage at various locations e.g., VA1 and VA2 of Fig. 8, at the input/output connectors of the relay).
Regarding claim 7, the combination of McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro teaches the invention as claimed in claim 6. The combination of McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro also teaches
the aircraft load operatively connected to the load side of the main switching device (Ribeiro Fig. 1, [0035, 0038-0039], electrical power is provided to loads in an aircraft via an electric bus; Adams Figs. 1-3, col. 1, lines 10-27; col. 2, lines 8-15; col. 2, lines 42-51; col. 4, lines 35-48; col. 4, line 65 to col. 5, line 4, Adams describes a system in which the source voltage is measured; if the source voltage is too high or low i.e., undervoltage or overvoltage, then the system deenergizes or opens a relay which provides voltage to a load), wherein the controller is configured to:
control the coil driver to close the main switching device to connect the aircraft load to be supplied by the aircraft voltage bus in a first position of the main switching device, and
control the coil driver to open the main switching device to disconnect the aircraft load from being supplied by the aircraft voltage bus in a second position of the main switching device (Adams Figs. 1-3, col. 1, lines 10-27; col. 2, lines 8-15; col. 2, lines 42-51; col. 4, lines 35-48; col. 4, line 65 to col. 5, line 4, Adams describes a system in which the source voltage is measured; if the source voltage is too high or low i.e., undervoltage or overvoltage, then the system deenergizes or opens a relay which provides voltage to a load; the relay may be reconnected when the voltage returns to a normal range; see also Figs. 2 and 3, which are graphs indicating the correlation between source line voltage and relay control i.e., indicating how the system dynamically connects or disconnects a relay based on detected voltage).
Regarding claim 10, the combination of McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro teaches the invention as claimed in claim 1. The combination of McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro also teaches
wherein the coil is a pull-in coil and wherein the relay includes a holding coil operatively connected to the coil driver and to the main switching device, wherein the coil driver is configured to:
receive a command from the controller to close the main switching device, and in response to drive current to the pull-in coil and to the holding coil for a first period of time for closing the main switching device, followed by depowering the pull-in coil and driving current only to the holding coil for holding the main switching device closed (McCormick Figs. 1, 8-10, [0006, 0007], the system energizes two coils to close the relay; afterward, less coil current is needed to keep the relay closed; then, one of the two coils can be de-energized to maintain the closure of the relay).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103, as being unpatentable over McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro, as applied in claim 1, and further in view of Telefus (US 2023/0162937).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro teaches the invention as claimed in claim 1. However, the combination of McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro does not expressly disclose wherein the controller is configured to use the current feedback to open the main switching device of the relay for overcurrent (OC) protection in the presence of unacceptable current sensed by the current sensor.
In the same field of endeavor, Telefus teaches wherein the controller is configured to use the current feedback to open the main switching device of the relay for overcurrent (OC) protection in the presence of unacceptable current sensed by the current sensor (Telefus [0293, 0163], the system involves opening a switch to provide overcurrent protection i.e., when a overcurrent fault is detected).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have incorporated wherein the controller is configured to use the current feedback to open the main switching device of the relay for overcurrent (OC) protection in the presence of unacceptable current sensed by the current sensor as suggested in Telefus into McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro, because McCormick/Adams/Ribeiro and Telefus pertain to analogous fields of technology. Both McCormick/Adams/Ribeiro and Telefus relate to systems that open/close relays to protect loads, in response to data from a sensor detecting a fault. McCormick [0061] further notes that current can be measured for overcurrent protection. In Telefus, a relay/switch may be opened to provide overcurrent protection. It would be desirable to incorporate this feature into McCormick/Adams/Ribeiro, so that the system can open/close a relay to provide both overvoltage and overcurrent protection e.g., see Telefus [0293, 0163].
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro, as applied in claim 1, and further in view of Compton (US 2021/0098215).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro teaches the invention as claimed in claim 1. However, the combination of McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro does not expressly disclose a temperature sensor operatively connected to the relay and to the controller to communicate temperature feedback to the controller indicative of temperature of the relay, wherein the controller is configured to use temperature feedback for PHM.
In the same field of endeavor, Compton teaches a temperature sensor operatively connected to the relay and to the controller to communicate temperature feedback to the controller indicative of temperature of the relay, wherein the controller is configured to use temperature feedback for PHM ([0044, 0046], the system includes a sensor to sense a condition of a relay i.e., a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the relay; this can be used to predict the expected life of the relay).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have incorporated a temperature sensor operatively connected to the relay and to the controller to communicate temperature feedback to the controller indicative of temperature of the relay, wherein the controller is configured to use temperature feedback for PHM as suggested in Compton into McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro because McCormick and Compton pertain to analogous fields of technology. McCormick describes a system for monitoring the status of a relay, to provide protection for a connected load and to monitor the relay for diagnostic/reliability issues e.g., see McCormick [0054]. McCormick [0054] further suggests monitoring a contactor for higher than normal temperatures. Compton also pertains to a system for monitoring a relay. In Compton, a temperature sensor is used to sense temperatures of a relay to predict its health and longevity. It would be desirable to incorporate this feature into McCormick to improve monitoring of the status and reliability of a relay e.g., see Compton [0044, 0046].
Claims 8, 9 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro, as applied in claim 1, and further in view of Kinoshita (US 2015/0200068).
Regarding claim 8, the combination of McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro teaches the invention as claimed in claim 1. However, the combination of McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro does not expressly disclose wherein the coil driver is configured to: receive a command from the controller to close the main switching device, and in response to issue a first pulse width modulation (PWM) current to the coil for a first period of time for closing the main switching device followed by a second period with a second PWM current for holding the main switching device closed, wherein the second PWM current has a lower duty cycle than the first PWM current.
In the same field of endeavor, Kinoshita teaches wherein the coil driver is configured to: receive a command from the controller to close the main switching device, and in response to issue a first pulse width modulation (PWM) current to the coil for a first period of time for closing the main switching device followed by a second period with a second PWM current for holding the main switching device closed, wherein the second PWM current has a lower duty cycle than the first PWM current (Fig. 5, [0046], the system uses PWM to excite a coil and control a relay; at a first time period, the system provides rated power to the coil i.e., the equivalent of a 100% duty cycle, to initiate activation of the relay; in a second time period, the system provides half the rated power (50% duty cycle) to the coil, to maintain the activation of the relay).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have incorporated wherein the coil driver is configured to: receive a command from the controller to close the main switching device, and in response to issue a first pulse width modulation (PWM) current to the coil for a first period of time for closing the main switching device followed by a second period with a second PWM current for holding the main switching device closed, wherein the second PWM current has a lower duty cycle than the first PWM current as suggested in Kinoshita into McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro because McCormick/Adams and Kinoshita pertain to analogous fields of technology. Both McCormick/Adams and Kinoshita pertain to energizing coils to open or close a relay. In Kinoshita, the system varies a duty cycle of a PWM signal to initiate and maintain activation of a relay. It would be desirable to incorporate this feature into McCormick/Adams to provide a known means of controlling a relay e.g., see Kinoshita (Fig. 5, [0046], the system uses PWM to excite a coil and control a relay; at a first time period, the system provides rated power to the coil i.e., the equivalent of a 100% duty cycle, to initiate activation of the relay; in a second time period, the system provides half the rated power (50% duty cycle) to the coil, to maintain the activation of the relay).
Regarding claim 9, the combination of McCormick, Adams, Ribeiro and Kinoshita teaches the invention as claimed in claim 8. The combination of McCormick, Adams, Ribeiro and Kinoshita also teaches wherein the controller is configured to adjust current levels during the first period based on temperature feedback (Kinoshita Fig. 21, [0074, 0089-0090, Kinoshita teaches adjusting the PWM based on detected temperature of the coil associated with the relay; changes e.g., duty cycle adjustments, to the PWM naturally involve adjusting current levels i.e., there are more or fewer times when no current is flowing).
Regarding claim 11, the combination of McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro teaches the invention as claimed in claim 10. However, the combination of McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro does not expressly disclose wherein the controller is configured to adjust current levels during the first period based on temperature feedback.
In the same field of endeavor, Kinoshita teaches wherein the controller is configured to adjust current levels during the first period based on temperature feedback (Kinoshita Fig. 21, [0074, 0089-0090, Kinoshita teaches adjusting the PWM based on detected temperature of the coil associated with the relay; changes e.g., duty cycle adjustments, to the PWM naturally involve adjusting current levels i.e., there are more or fewer times when no current is flowing).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have incorporated wherein the controller is configured to adjust current levels during the first period based on temperature feedback as suggested in Kinoshita into McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro because McCormick/Adams and Kinoshita pertain to analogous fields of technology. Both McCormick/Adams and Kinoshita pertain to energizing coils to open or close a relay. In Kinoshita, the system varies a duty cycle of a PWM signal to initiate and maintain activation of a relay, and also to take into account temperature feedback from a coil associated with the relay. It would be desirable to incorporate this feature into McCormick/Adams to provide a known means of controlling a relay e.g., see Kinoshita (Fig. 5, [0046], the system uses PWM to excite a coil and control a relay; at a first time period, the system provides rated power to the coil i.e., the equivalent of a 100% duty cycle, to initiate activation of the relay; in a second time period, the system provides half the rated power (50% duty cycle) to the coil, to maintain the activation of the relay).
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro, as applied in claim 1, and further in view of Hamed (US 2017/0264718).
Regarding claim 12, the combination of McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro teaches the invention as claimed in claim 1. However, the combination of McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro does not expressly disclose a communication bus operatively connecting the controller to an external aircraft controller for control and status of the relay.
In the same field of endeavor, Hamed teaches a communication bus operatively connecting the controller to an external aircraft controller for control and status of the relay (Fig. 1, [0004], it is known for controllers to communicate via a communication bus).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have incorporated Hamed into McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro because McCormick and Hamed pertain to analogous fields of technology. Both McCormick and Hamed pertain to controllers communicating with one another e.g., see McCormick Fig. 8, [0034-0035], which describes a controller communicating with an external controller or power distribution unit. In Hamed, controllers can communicate via a communication bus. It would be desirable to incorporate this feature into McCormick to allow for inter-controller communication via a variety of known mechanisms e.g., see Hamed Fig. 1, [0004, 0016].
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro, as applied in claim 1, and further in view of Robertson (EP 3588114).
Robertson was cited in an IDS dated 03/03/2025.
Regarding claim 13, the combination of McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro teaches the invention as claimed in claim 1. However, the combination of McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro does not expressly disclose wherein the controller is configured to count operating power cycles of the relay for PHM.
In the same field of endeavor, Robertson teaches wherein the controller is configured to count operating power cycles of the relay for PHM ([0006, 0024, 0025, 0031, 0036], it is known to count the open/close cycles of a relay to help determine its remaining life/health).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have incorporated wherein the controller is configured to count operating power cycles of the relay for PHM as suggested in Robertson into McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro because McCormick and Robertson pertain to analogous fields of technology. Both McCormick and Robertson pertain to systems that monitoring relay health/life and the number of electrical cycles e.g., see McCormick [0054]. In Robertson, the number of cycles of a relay is counted to help determine the health/longevity of a relay. It would be desirable to incorporate this feature into McCormick to facilitate monitoring and prediction of the remaining life of a relay e.g., see Robertson [0006, 0024, 0025, 0031, 0036].
Claims 14 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over McCormick in view of Brookfield (US 2011/0140513) and further in view of Ribeiro.
Regarding claim 14, McCormick teaches a method of power switching comprising
controlling a relay to connect or disconnect a power source from the load (Figs. 1, 8, [0005-0008, 0034-0035, 0026, 0051, 0055], claim 7, the system energizes windings to close/connect contacts of a relay; as noted in claim 7, power flows through the contacts of the relay to a load; inherently, such power must come from a power source)
wherein controlling the relay includes current monitoring the relay and voltage monitoring the relay (Figs. 8, 1, 2, 4-7, 10, [0036-0046], Tables 1 and 2, a voltage sensing unit is connected to a connector of a relay e.g., voltage sensing circuit 144, and movable contact 4 in Figs. 1 and 8; the voltage sensing unit provides its voltage data to the controller, which can indicate the presence of current; as indicated in Table 1, the system measures voltage at various locations e.g., VA1 and VA2 of Fig. 8, at the input/output connectors of the relay; [0051, 0052], Table 2, a current sensor can be used to monitor current flowing through the load terminals),
wherein the controller is configured to monitor a voltage drop across a main switching device and use the monitored voltage drop as a leading indicator of a component or assembly problem for prognostic and health monitoring (PHM) (Fig. 8, Table 2, [0051-0052, 0054-0055], as seen in Fig. 8, there is a relay between terminals A1 and A2; the system can detect the voltage drop/difference between A1 and A2 i.e., V A1-A2 in the table, and use the drop/difference for diagnostics and determining the health and functionality of the relay; see Table 2, which notes that the voltage difference between A1 and A2 can be used to determine, for example, sensor and contact failures).
However, McCormick does not expressly disclose the load is an aircraft load; receiving a command from an external aircraft controller to power an aircraft load; the controlling the relay in response to the command from the external aircraft controller; the load is an aircraft load; the power source is an aircraft voltage bus; the powering the aircraft load from an aircraft voltage bus.
In the same field of endeavor, Brookfield teaches
the load is an aircraft load;
receiving a command from an external aircraft controller to power an aircraft load; the controlling the relay in response to the command from the external aircraft controller [0066], a user may provide a command via input to a user interface; in response, the aircraft distribution controller may send a signal to a sub-system controller, which in turn can control a relay that controls provision of electrical energy to an aircraft device/load).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have incorporated the load is an aircraft load; receiving a command from an external aircraft controller to power an aircraft load; the controlling the relay in response to the command from the external aircraft controller as suggested in Brookfield into McCormick because McCormick and Brookfield pertain to analogous fields of technology. McCormick pertains to a system that provides electrical power through a relay to a load, where the relay is controlled by a relay controller. McCormick further teaches that the relay controller may communicate with a main controller e.g., see McCormick [0036-0046]. Brookfield similarly pertains to an aircraft system, where electrical power is provided to a device/load via a relay. In Brookfield, there may be a main controller e.g., aircraft distribution controller, which sends a command to sub-system controller, which in turn controls an associated relay for a device. It would be desirable to incorporate this feature into McCormick, so that a variety of known arrangements of controllers may be used in connection with the control of the relays e.g., see Brookfield [0066].
However, the combination of McCormick and Brookfield does not expressly disclose the power source is an aircraft voltage bus; the powering the aircraft load from an aircraft voltage bus.
In the same field of endeavor, Ribeiro teaches
the power source is an aircraft voltage bus
the powering the aircraft load from an aircraft voltage bus (Fig. 1, [0035, 0038-0039], electrical power is provided to loads in an aircraft via an electric bus; a controller can control components, inherently via an aircraft interface).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have incorporated the power source is an aircraft voltage bus; the powering the aircraft load from an aircraft voltage bus as suggested in Ribeiro into McCormick and Brookfield because McCormick and Ribeiro pertain to analogous fields of technology. McCormick pertains to a system for providing electrical power via a relay to a load. Ribeiro also pertains to a system for providing electrical power to a load. In Ribeiro, the system is situated in an aircraft, where electrical power is provided to multiple loads/devices via an electric bus. It would be obvious to modify McCormick to implement the system of McCormick in an aircraft, such that electrical power provided to a load via a relay is sourced from an electric bus, as described in Ribeiro. It would be desirable to incorporate this feature into McCormick, to allow the techniques of McCormick to be implemented using a variety of known contexts and electrical power distribution systems e.g., see Ribeiro Fig. 1, [0035, 0038-0039].
Regarding claim 20, the combination of McCormick, Brookfield and Ribeiro teaches the invention as claimed in claim 14. The combination of McCormick, Brookfield and Ribeiro Also teaches outputting feedback to the external aircraft controller relating to status, operation, and health of the relay (McCormick Figs. 8, 1, [0035-0036, 0005-0007], McCormick describes a circuit that includes a controller e.g., controller 142, which has a communication interface; the controller obtains data e.g., voltage data from sensors, and transmits any relay status information to another controller e.g., a main controller or power distribution unit; see also McCormick Table 2, [0054], which notes that relay status information can be used to determine the life or condition of the relay).
Claims 15 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over McCormick, Brookfield and Ribeiro, as applied in claim 14, and further in view of Adams.
Regarding claim 15, the combination of McCormick, Brookfield and Ribeiro teaches the invention as claimed in claim 14. The combination of McCormick, Brookfield and Ribeiro also teaches wherein controlling the relay includes receiving voltage feedback indicative of voltage across the relay (McCormick Figs. 8, 1, 2, 4-7, 10, [0036-0046], Table 1, claim 4, a voltage sensing unit is connected to a connector of a relay e.g., voltage sensing circuit 144 and movable contact 4 in Figs. 1 and 8; the voltage sensing unit provides its voltage data to the controller, which can indicate the presence of current; as indicated in Table 1, the system measures voltage at various locations e.g., VA1 and VA2 of Fig. 8, at the input/output connectors of the relay). However, the combination of McCormick, Brookfield and Ribeiro does not expressly disclose the controlling the relay includes controlling the relay to open and disconnect the aircraft load from the aircraft voltage bus as needed for overvoltage (OV) protection.
In the same field of endeavor, Adams teaches the controlling the relay includes controlling the relay to open and disconnect the aircraft load from the aircraft voltage bus as needed for overvoltage (OV) protection (Adams Figs. 1-3, col. 1, lines 10-27; col. 2, lines 8-15; col. 2, lines 42-51; col. 4, lines 35-48; col. 4, line 65 to col. 5, line 4, Adams describes a system in which the source voltage is measured; if the source voltage is too high or low i.e., undervoltage or overvoltage, then the system deenergizes or opens a relay which provides voltage to a load; the relay may be reconnected when the voltage returns to a normal range; see also Figs. 2 and 3, which are graphs indicating the correlation between source line voltage and relay control i.e., indicating how the system dynamically connects or disconnects a relay based on detected voltage).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have incorporated the controlling the relay includes controlling the relay to open and disconnect the aircraft load from the aircraft voltage bus as needed for overvoltage (OV) protection as suggested in Brookfield into McCormick, Brookfield and Ribeiro because McCormick and Brookfield pertain to analogous fields of technology. Both McCormick and Adams relate to systems for controlling a relay that provides electrical power to a load. Both systems monitor input voltage for the relay. For example, McCormick [0054] notes that the measurement of voltage and current data can be used for a wide variety of diagnostic purposes, or to address potential electrical or technical problems. McCormick [0061] further teaches measuring electrical properties to protect the load e.g., overcurrent protection. In Adams, the voltage is used to provide overvoltage protection for a relay i.e., if the voltage is too high, the relay may be disconnected to protect the connected load, and then reconnected when the voltage returns to normal levels. It would be desirable to incorporate this feature into McCormick to provide additional capabilities to the system and to protect connected loads e.g., see Adams Figs. 2, 3, col. 1, lines 10-27; col. 2, lines 8-15; col. 2, lines 42-51; col. 4, lines 35-48; col. 4, line 65 to col. 5, line 4.
Regarding claim 16, the combination of McCormick, Brookfield, Ribeiro and Adams teaches the invention as claimed in claim 15. The combination of McCormick, Brookfield, Ribeiro and Adams also teaches communicating voltage data to the external aircraft controller for PHM (McCormick [0034-0035], the system collects voltage data relating to the state of the relay; a controller obtains the voltage data and can send relay status data to an external controller, such as a power distribution unit).
Claims 17 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over McCormick, Brookfield and Ribeiro, as applied in claim 14, and further in view of Telefus (US 2023/0162947).
Regarding claim 17, the combination of McCormick, Brookfield and Ribeiro teaches the invention as claimed in claim 14. The combination of McCormick, Brookfield and Ribeiro also teaches controlling the relay includes receiving current feedback indicative of current passing through the relay from the aircraft voltage bus to the aircraft load (McCormick [0051, 0052], Table 2, a current sensor can sense current flowing through the load terminals/relay; such information can be used for diagnostic purposes; McCormick [0037-0048], a controller can process relay-related data from sensors).
However, combination of McCormick, Brookfield and Ribeiro does not expressly disclose the controlling the relay includes controlling the relay to open and disconnect the aircraft load from the aircraft voltage bus as needed for overcurrent (QC) protection.
In the same field of endeavor, Telefus teaches the controlling the relay includes controlling the relay to open and disconnect the aircraft load from the aircraft voltage bus as needed for overcurrent (QC) protection (Telefus [0293, 0163], the system involves opening a switch to provide overcurrent protection i.e., when a overcurrent fault is detected).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have incorporated the controlling the relay includes controlling the relay to open and disconnect the aircraft load from the aircraft voltage bus as needed for overcurrent (QC) protection as suggested in Telefus into McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro, because McCormick/Adams/Ribeiro and Telefus pertain to analogous fields of technology. Both McCormick/Adams/Ribeiro and Telefus relate to systems that open/close relays to protect loads, in response to data from a sensor detecting a fault. McCormick [0061] further notes that current can be measured for overcurrent protection. In Telefus, a relay/switch may be opened to provide overcurrent protection. It would be desirable to incorporate this feature into McCormick/Adams/Ribeiro, so that the system can open/close a relay to provide both overvoltage and overcurrent protection e.g., see Telefus [0293, 0163].
Regarding claim 18, the combination of McCormick, Brookfield, Ribeiro and Telefus teaches the invention as claimed in claim 17. The combination of McCormick, Brookfield, Ribeiro and Telefus also teaches communicating current data to the external aircraft controller for prognostic and health monitoring (PHM) (McCormick [0034-0035, 0051-0052, 0037-0048, 0061], Table 2, the system collects voltage and current data relating to the state of the relay; a controller obtains such data and can send data relating to relay state to an external controller, such as a power distribution unit; McCormick [0054], collected data can be used to perform diagnostics or collect information related to reliability or replacement).
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over McCormick, Brookfield and Ribeiro, as applied in claim 14, and further in view of Compton (US 2021/0098215).
Regarding claim 19, the combination of McCormick, Brookfield and Ribeiro teaches the invention as claimed in claim 14. However, the combination of McCormick, Brookfield and Ribeiro does not expressly disclose receiving temperature feedback indicative of temperature of the relay, and using the temperature feedback for at least one of controlling the relay and/or prognostic health monitoring.
In the same field of endeavor, Compton teaches receiving temperature feedback indicative of temperature of the relay, and using the temperature feedback for at least one of controlling the relay and/or prognostic health monitoring ([0044, 0046], the system includes a sensor to sense a condition of a relay i.e., a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the relay; this can be used to predict the expected life of the relay).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have incorporated receiving temperature feedback indicative of temperature of the relay, and using the temperature feedback for at least one of controlling the relay and/or prognostic health monitoring as suggested in Compton into McCormick, Adams and Ribeiro because McCormick and Compton pertain to analogous fields of technology. McCormick describes a system for monitoring the status of a relay, to provide protection for a connected load and to monitor the relay for diagnostic/reliability issues e.g., see McCormick [0054]. McCormick [0054] further suggests monitoring a contactor for higher than normal temperatures. Compton also pertains to a system for monitoring a relay. In Compton, a temperature sensor is used to sense temperatures of a relay to predict its health and longevity. It would be desirable to incorporate this feature into McCormick to improve monitoring of the status and reliability of a relay e.g., see Compton [0044, 0046].
Response to Arguments
The Examiner acknowledges the Applicant's amendments to claims 1 and 14.
Regarding claims 1 and 14, Applicant alleges that the cited prior art does not teach the amended limitation, "wherein the controller is configured to monitor a voltage drop across the main switching device and use the monitored voltage drop as a leading indicator of a component or assembly problem for prognostic and health monitoring (PHM)." In particular, on page 10 of the reply, Applicant alleges that McCormick "uses voltage sensing to determine contact state ( open/closed) by detecting whether voltage is present but does not teach monitoring the magnitude of voltage drop across closed contacts as a PHM indicator."
Examiner respectfully disagrees. McCormick describes a relay between terminals A1 and A2 e.g., see relay/movable contact 4 and terminals A1 and A2 in Fig. 8. In Fig. 8, Table 2, [0051-0052, 0054-0055], McCormick further describes how the voltage drop/difference between A1 and A2 (denoted V A1-A2) can be used for diagnostics and determining the health and functionality of the relay. For example, as indicated in Table 2 and [0051-0052], if a command has been issued to open the relay, but the voltage drop A1-A2 is low, this may be taken to indicate that the relay has failed. Another example is described in connection with [0054-0055], where it is noted that the A2-A2 voltage can be monitored, which helps to determine relay timing. As noted in [0054], the corresponding monitoring of relay timing can be helpful in determining contactor health. The above approaches appear to be useful for determining prognoses and the health of the relay/contacts i.e., for prognostic and health monitoring (PHM).
Applicant further alleges that claims 2-13 and 15-20 are allowable in view of their dependency on claims 1 and 14. Claims 2-13 and 15-20 are rejected as being taught by McCormick, Adams, Ribeiro, Telefus, Kinoshita, Robertson, Hamed Brookfield and/or Compton.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Buescher (US 2023/0213582) teaches a system that monitors voltage across relays to determine whether a relay is faulty; if a relay is determined to be faulty, a alert may be sent e.g., see Buescher [0012, 0016, 0018].
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIC YOON whose telephone number is (408)918-7581. The examiner can normally be reached on 9 am to 5 pm ET Monday through Friday.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
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/ERIC J YOON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2118
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