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 .
Accordingly claim 1 have been amended. Claims 8-9 have been cancelled. New claim 17 was added. Therefore, claims 1-7 and 10-17 remains pending in this application.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the wherein the downstream converter device comprises both a reversible and isolated voltage-increasing DC/DC converter connected to the supercapacitor and also a reversible voltage-decreasing inverter connected in series with the voltage-increasing DC/DC converter and with the motor as recited in claim 17 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the voltage of the on-board single-phase electricity network" in line 4 of the respective claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the on-board electricity network" in line 12 of the respective claim should be rewritten as the single-phase on-board electricity network or the on-board single-phase electricity network. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 17 recites the limitation "the voltage of the single-phase on-board electricity network" in line 4 of the respective claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-7 and 10-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1, recites “the power supply circuit comprising in succession an upstream converter device for converting the voltage of the on-board single phase electricity network into a voltage adapted to the power supply circuit downstream therefrom, a power supply architecture for powering aircraft actuators, the architecture comprising a single-phase on-board electricity network connected by a power supply to an electric motor of at least one actuator, where the on-board electricity network delivers a DC voltage” however it is indefinite and unclear how the single-phase on-board electricity network delivers a DC voltage when it is understood that a single-phase on-board electricity network provides electrical power using one alternating current (AC) not direct-current (DC). In other words, how does the single phase on-board electricity network deliver direct current (DC) voltage to the power supply circuit that includes several (DC) components without any type of converting device for converting the (AC) power from the single-phase on-board electricity network to (DC) power to deliver it to the DC components within the power supply circuit? Also the claim recites an upstream converter device for converting the voltage of the on-board single-phase electricity into a voltage adapted to the power supply circuit downstream however it is understood that the upstream converter includes a DC/DC converter therefore it is unclear as to what the voltage recited in the claim is referring too? Is it the same DC voltage recited in the claim or is it a different voltage? Therefore for purpose of examination the examiner will interpret the claim limitation as best understood.
Claims 3-7 and 10-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph because the claims are dependent upon base claim 1.
Claim 17, recites “a power supply architecture for powering aircraft actuators, the architecture comprising a single-phase on-board electricity network connected by a power supply circuit to an electric motor of at least one actuator, the power supply circuit comprising in succession an upstream converter device for converting the voltage of the single-phase on-board electricity network into a voltage adapted to the power supply circuit downstream therefrom, at least one supercapacitor associated with an electronic circuit for managing the operation of the supercapacitor, and a downstream converter device for connecting to the motor; the downstream converter device being reversible, so as to convert voltage both when the motor is operating in motor mode and also when the motor is operating in generator mode, the downstream converter device being arranged selectively to have a voltage-decreasing function and to have a voltage- increasing function regardless of the mode of operation of the motor, in such a manner as to enable the supercapacitor to power the motor when operating in motor mode and to be recharged by the motor when operating in generator mode, wherein the downstream converter device comprises both a reversible and isolated voltage-increasing DC/DC converter connected to the supercapacitor and also a reversible voltage-decreasing inverter connected in series with the voltage-increasing DC/DC converter and with the motor however it is not clear as to what the voltage of the single-phase on-board electricity network is referring too? Is this voltage a DC or a AC? Furthermore, if the voltage is a DC voltage of the single-phase on-board electricity network it is not understood how the single phase on-board electricity network deliver direct current (DC) voltage to the power supply circuit that includes several (DC) components without any type of converting device for converting the (AC) power from the single-phase on-board electricity network to (DC) power to deliver it to the DC components within the power supply circuit? Therefore for purpose of examination the examiner will interpret the claim limitation as best understood.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-7 and 10-17 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see page 2, filed 9/19/25, with respect to claims 1 and 7 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of claims 1-7 and 10-16 has been withdrawn.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TERRENCE RONIQUE WILLOUGHBY whose telephone number is (571)272-2725. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30-5:30pm.
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/TERRENCE R WILLOUGHBY/Examiner, Art Unit 2836 12/27/25
/DANIEL CAVALLARI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836