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 .
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 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Peterchev (US Publication No. 20120108883) in view of Garbi et al (US Patent No. 11239657).
Regarding claim 1, Peterchev discloses (fig. 3A, para. [0064]- [0089]); a DC circuit switching apparatus (fig. 3A) that is connected between an automobile battery (210) and a motor-side circuit (L) and cuts off current that flows in two directions (i.e., such as which determines the degree of bidirectionality, and the frequency of pulse repetition, see for example para. [0065]), comprising: a breaker (fig. 3A) configured to cut off the current, the breaker including a first relay (Q1) connected to a positive electrode (272) of the automobile battery (210) and a second relay (Q2) connected to a negative electrode (271) of the automobile battery (210) and the motor-side circuit (L); a first voltage holding circuit (312, 314) that is constituted by a first diode (314) and a first capacitor (312) that are connected in series, provided in parallel to both the first relay (Q1; has 312, 314) and the second relay (Q2; has 318, 320) of the breaker (fig. 3A), and is configured to allow power supply from the automobile battery (210) to the motor-side circuit (L); provided in parallel to both the first relay (Q1; has 312, 314) and the second relay (Q2; has 318, 320) of the breaker (fig. 3A), and is configured to allow power supply from the motor-side circuit (L) to the automobile battery (210); and a second voltage holding circuit (326, 330) that is constituted by second capacitor (326, 330) provided in parallel to both the first relay (Q1; has 326) and the second relay (Q2; has 30) of the breaker (fig. 3A), and is configured to allow power supply from the motor-side circuit (L) to the automobile battery (210); and wherein the first relay (Q1) and the second relay (Q2) are configured to is connect and disconnect the first voltage holding circuit (312, 314, 318, 320) and the second voltage holding circuit (326, 330) to and from each other.
Peterchev does not explicitly disclose a second diode that is connected in series with the second capacitor.
Garbi discloses an AC switching arrangement (800, fig. 10, Col. 20 lines 65+); wherein a second diode (871/881) and a second capacitor (872/882) that are connected in series.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have optionally included the diode device in Peterchev, as taught by Garbi, as it provides the advantage of optimizing the circuit design towards protecting the switching component from potential reverse-biased voltage spikes generated by inductive loads.
Regarding claim 2, Peterchev in view of Garbi and the teachings of Peterchev as modified by Garbi have been discussed above.
Garbi further discloses (800, fig. 10, Col. 20 lines 65+); wherein the second voltage holding circuit (871, 872) allows power supply from a motor (820) or a generator (820) of the motor-side circuit (820) to the automobile battery (810).
Regarding claim 3, Peterchev in view of Garbi and the teachings of Peterchev as modified by Garbi have been discussed above.
Garbi further discloses (800, fig. 10, Col. 20 lines 65+); further comprising a first resistor (874) that is connected in parallel to the first capacitor (872).
Regarding claim 4, Peterchev in view of Garbi and the teachings of Peterchev as modified by Garbi have been discussed above.
Garbi further discloses (800, fig. 10, Col. 20 lines 65+); further comprising a second resistor (884) that is connected in parallel to the second capacitor (882).
Regarding claim 5, Peterchev in view of Garbi and the teachings of Peterchev as modified by Garbi have been discussed above.
Peterchev further discloses (fig. 3A, para. [0064]- [0089]); further comprising a relay unit (215) configured to connect and disconnect, to and from the breaker (fig. 3A), the first voltage holding circuit (312, 314) and the second voltage holding circuit (326).
Regarding claim 6, Peterchev in view of Garbi and the teachings of Peterchev as modified by Garbi have been discussed above.
Garbi further discloses (800, fig. 10, Col. 20 lines 65+); further comprising a first resistor (874) that is connected in parallel to the first capacitor (872).
Regarding claim 7, Peterchev in view of Garbi and the teachings of Peterchev as modified by Garbi have been discussed above.
Garbi further discloses (800, fig. 10, Col. 20 lines 65+); further comprising a second resistor (884) that is connected in parallel to the second capacitor (882).
Regarding claim 8, Peterchev in view of Garbi and the teachings of Peterchev as modified by Garbi have been discussed above.
Garbi further discloses (800, fig. 10, Col. 20 lines 65+); further comprising a second resistor (892) that is connected in parallel to the second capacitor (882).
Regarding claim 9, Peterchev in view of Garbi and the teachings of Peterchev as modified by Garbi have been discussed above.
Peterchev further discloses (fig. 3A, para. [0064]- [0089]); further comprising a relay unit (216) configured to connect and disconnect, to and from the breaker (fig. 3A), the first voltage holding circuit (318, 320) and the second voltage holding circuit (330).
Regarding claim 10, Peterchev in view of Garbi and the teachings of Peterchev as modified by Garbi have been discussed above.
Peterchev further discloses (fig. 3A, para. [0064]- [0089]); further comprising a relay unit (215) configured to connect and disconnect, to and from the breaker (fig. 3A), the first voltage holding circuit (312, 314) and the second voltage holding circuit (326).
Regarding claim 11, Peterchev in view of Garbi and the teachings of Peterchev as modified by Garbi have been discussed above.
Peterchev further discloses (fig. 3A, para. [0064]- [0089]); further comprising a relay unit (216) configured to connect and disconnect, to and from the breaker (fig. 3A), the first voltage holding circuit (318, 320) and the second voltage holding circuit (330).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MUAAMAR Q AL-TAWEEL whose telephone number is (571)270-0339. The examiner can normally be reached 0730-1700.
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/MUAAMAR QAHTAN AL-TAWEEL/Examiner, Art Unit 2838
/THIENVU V TRAN/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2838
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