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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been received.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 9/2/2023, 12/17/2024, 2/19/2025 is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the reference(s) given in the IDS is/are being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because elements in Fig. 3 are not legible.
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 terms in claim language listed below must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Claims 3-10 recite the following terms not illustrated in the application figures.
a large through-current varistor MOV1,
first and second ends of the large through-current varistor,
a small through-current varistor MOV2,
first and second ends of the small through-current varistor,
a differential mode inductor L1,
a second common mode choke L2,
first, second, third and fourth ends of the second common mode choke,
a third common mode choke L3,
first, second, third and fourth ends of the third common mode choke
a first X capacitor CX1,
first and second ends of the first X capacitor,
a second X capacitor CX2,
first and second ends of the second X capacitor,
a third X capacitor CX3,
first and second ends of the third X capacitor,
a first Y capacitor CY1,
first and second ends of the first Y capacitor,
a second Y capacitor CY2,
first and second ends of the second Y capacitor,
a third Y capacitor CY3,
first and second ends of the third Y capacitor,
a fourth Y capacitor CY4,
first and second ends of the fourth Y capacitor,
a ceramic gas discharge tube GDT1, and
first and second ends of the ceramic gas discharge tube
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 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 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yu (CN 209250321 U, published 2019-08-13, paragraphs cited from Espacenet translation until a better translation is obtained).
Regarding independent claim 1, Yu teaches a charging device interface circuit (Figs. 1-3), comprising: an AC input interface (¶[41]: input interface receives 220V AC power), a differential mode protection unit, a common mode protection unit (¶[9, 11, 30-31]: input interface surge protection circuit includes a differential mode protection unit and a common mode protection unit), and an AC/DC power conversion unit (¶[8-9]);
wherein the AC input interface is configured to be connected to alternating current (¶[41]);
the differential mode protection unit comprises a first-stage differential mode protection unit and a second-stage differential mode protection unit (¶[9, 11, 19, 30-31]: the differential mode unit comprises a first stage differential mode unit and a second stage differential mode unit);
the first-stage differential mode protection unit is connected to the AC input interface (¶[30]: the first-stage differential mode protection unit is connected to the input interface);
the second-stage differential mode protection unit is connected to the first-stage differential mode protection unit (Fig. 1 and ¶[31]: high-current varistor MOV1 used by the first-stage differential mode protection unit connected with low-current varistor MOV2 used by the second-stage differential mode protection unit);
the common mode protection unit is connected in parallel with the second-stage differential-mode protection unit (Fig. 1 and ¶[31-32]: third varistor MOV3 and fourth varistor MOV4 used by the common-mode protection unit are connected with low-current varistor MOV2 used by the second-stage differential mode protection unit);
an AC end of the AC/DC power conversion unit is connected to the common mode protection unit (Fig. 1 and ¶[8-9, 32-33]: third varistor MOV3 and fourth varistor MOV4 used by the common-mode protection unit are connected with input interface and AD/DC power converter. The input interface receives AC voltage and transmits it to the AC/DC power converter on shared power supply lines with the common mode protection unit); and
a DC end of the AC/DC power conversion unit is connected to an apparatus to be charged (¶[4, 8]: electric vehicles to be charged with DC current with AC/DC power converter).
Regarding claim 11, Yu teaches a charging device (¶[4, 7-11]: charging pile), comprising the charging device interface circuit according to claims 1.
Claim(s) 2-3 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yu as evidenced by LPI (“Lightning Protection Overview,” Lightning Protection Institute, 11 pages, < https://lightning.org/lightning-protection-overview/ > Posted online Sep 19, 2016).
Regarding claim 2, Yu teaches the charging device interface circuit according to claim 1, further comprising a lightning protection unit connected in parallel with the first-stage differential mode protection unit (Fig. 1 and ¶[4, 7-9, 15, 32]: The examiner interprets a third varistor MOV3 and a fourth varistor MOV4 connected to ground through a ceramic gas discharge tube GDT1 as functioning as a lightning protection unit. If a surge in current/voltage occurs, such as by lightning, the above components would draw away the excess current and send it to ground, as evidenced by LPI (See sections on General System Information, Conductors, and Grounding);
One end of the third varistor MOV3 is connected to one end of the high-current varistor MOV1, and one end of the fourth varistor MOV4 is connected to the other end of the high-current varistor MOV1, thereby establishing a parallel connection).
Regarding claim 3, Yu teaches the charging device interface circuit according to claim 2, wherein the first-stage differential mode protection unit comprises a large through-current varistor MOV1 (Fig. 1: high-current varistor MOV1); and the second-stage differential mode protection unit comprises a small through-current varistor MOV2 (Fig. 1: high-current varistor MOV1) and a differential mode inductor L1 (Fig. 1 and ¶[31]: differential mode inductor L1);
wherein a first end of the large through-current varistor MOV1 is connected to a live wire end of the AC input interface, and a second end of the large through-current varistor MOV1 is connected to a null wire end of the AC input interface (Fig. 1 and ¶[30-31]: one end of high-current varistor MOV1 in the first-stage differential mode protection unit is connected to the input interface, and the other end is connected to AC/DC power converter);
a first end of the differential mode inductor L1 is connected to the first end of the large through-current varistor MOV1, and a second end of the differential mode inductor L1 is connected to a first end of the small through-current varistor MOV2; and a second end of the small through-current varistor MOV2 is connected to the second end of the large through-current varistor MOV1 (Fig. 1 and ¶[30-31]: one end differential mode inductor L1 is connected to high-current varistor MOV1, and the other end is connected to one end of the low-current varistor MOV2. The other end of the low-current varistor MOV2 connected to the other end of the high-current varistor MOV1).
Regarding claim 8, Yu teaches the charging device interface circuit according to claim 3, wherein the lightning protection unit comprises a third varistor MOV3, a fourth varistor MOV4 and a ceramic gas discharge tube GDT1;
wherein a first end of the fourth varistor MOV4 is connected to the first end of the large through-current varistor MOV 1; a first end of the third varistor MOV3 is connected to the second end of the large through-current varistor MOV1; a second end of the third varistor MOV3 and a second end of the fourth varistor MOV4 are connected to a first end of the ceramic gas discharge tube GDT 1; and a second end of the ceramic gas discharge tube GDT 1 is grounded
(Fig. 1 and ¶[4, 7-9, 15, 32]: The examiner interprets a third varistor MOV3 and a fourth varistor MOV4 connected to ground through a ceramic gas discharge tube GDT1 as functioning as a lightning protection unit. If a surge in current/voltage occurs, such as by lightning, the above components would draw away the excess current and send it to ground;
One end of the third varistor MOV3 is connected to one end of the high-current varistor MOV1, and one end of the fourth varistor MOV4 is connected to the other end of the high-current varistor MOV1, thereby establishing a parallel connection).
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yu as evidenced by LPI, and further evidenced by
Utmel (“Varistor: Definition, Function, Working and Testing,” Utmel Electronics, 7 pages, < https://www.utmel.com/blog/categories/resistor/varistor-definition-function-working-and-testing > Posted online Aug 21, 2020).
Regarding claim 9, Yu teaches the charging device interface circuit according to claim 8, wherein the third varistor MOV3 and the fourth varistor MOV4 are voltage limiting type devices (¶[11-12]: varistors are voltage-dependent resistors typically used as surge protecting electronic component that vary with applied voltage as evidenced by Utmel).
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yu as evidenced by LPI, and further evidenced by
Yageo (“Application of Gas Discharge Tubes in Power Circuits,” Yageo Group, Mouser Electronics, 7 pages, < https://www.mouser.com/pdfDocs/ApplicationofGasDischargeTubesinPowerCircuits_en.pdf?srsltid=AfmBOorcd2MbrG-8dhxnRcDpbvDZD0mdYLynF3lCs5hvsRrwECoDOf1n > Posted online Apr 15, 2010).
Regarding claim 10, Yu teaches the charging device interface circuit according to claim 8, wherein the ceramic gas discharge tube GDT1 is a switching type device (¶[32]: ceramic gas discharge tubes behave as switches enabled or disabled voltage levels as evidenced by Yageo).
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) 4-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu in view of Dong (CN 206023572 U, published 2017-03-15, paragraphs cited from Espacenet translation until a better translation is obtained).
Regarding claim 4, Yu teaches the charging device interface circuit according to claim 3.
Yu does not teach a charging device interface circuit wherein the common mode protection unit comprises a second common mode choke L2, a third common mode choke L3, a first X capacitor CX1 and a second X capacitor CX2;
wherein a first end of the second common mode choke L2 and a first end of the first X capacitor CX1 are connected to the first end of the small through-current varistor MOV2, respectively; a fourth end of the second common mode choke L2 and a second end of the first X capacitor CX1 are connected to the second end of the small through-current varistor MOV2, respectively;
a second end of the second common mode choke L2 is connected to a first end of the second X capacitor CX2 and a first end of the third common mode choke L3, respectively; and a third end of the second common mode choke L2 is connected to a second end of the second X capacitor CX2 and a fourth end of the third common mode choke L3, respectively.
Dong teaches a charging device interface circuit wherein the common mode protection unit comprises a second common mode choke L2 (Fig. 4 and ¶[11, 29]: common-mode inductors L1A and L1B), a third common mode choke L3 (common-mode inductors L2A and L2B), a first X capacitor CX1 (differential-mode capacitor C1) and a second X capacitor CX2 (differential-mode capacitor C2);
wherein a first end of the second common mode choke L2 and a first end of the first X capacitor CX1 are connected to the first end of the small through-current varistor MOV2, respectively (Fig. 4 and ¶[11-12, 29]: common-mode inductor L1A connected to common-mode inductor C2 and varistor in lightning protection module); a fourth end of the second common mode choke L2 and a second end of the first X capacitor CX1 are connected to the second end of the small through-current varistor MOV2, respectively (common-mode inductor L1B connected to common-mode inductor C2 and varistor in lightning protection module);
a second end of the second common mode choke L2 is connected to a first end of the second X capacitor CX2 and a first end of the third common mode choke L3, respectively (Fig. 4 and ¶[11, 29]: common-mode inductor L1A connected to differential-mode capacitor C2 and common-mode inductor L2A); and a third end of the second common mode choke L2 is connected to a second end of the second X capacitor CX2 and a fourth end of the third common mode choke L3, respectively (Fig. 4 and ¶[11, 29]: common-mode inductor L1B connected to differential-mode capacitor C2 and common-mode inductor L2B).
Yu and Dong both teach surge protection circuits. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to incorporate the additional inductor and capacitor arrangements of Dong into the power system of Yu to increase stability and control for the electrical output of the power system. It has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to employ/use a known technique to improve similar devices (methods, products) in the same way is obvious. KSR International Co. v Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 127 S. Ct. 1727, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1395-97 (2007).
Regarding claim 5, Dong teaches the charging device interface circuit according to claim 4, wherein the common mode protection unit further comprises a third X capacitor CX3 (Fig. 4 and ¶[11, 29]: differential-mode capacitor C7);
wherein a first end of the third X capacitor CX3 is connected to a second end of the third common mode choke L3; and a second end of the third X capacitor CX3 is connected to a third end of the third common mode choke L3 (Fig. 4 and ¶[11, 29]: one end of the differential-mode capacitor C7 connected to L2A, and the other end of the differential-mode capacitor C7 connected to L2B).
Regarding claim 6, Dong teaches the charging device interface circuit according to claim 5, wherein the second-stage differential mode protection unit further comprises a first Y capacitor CY1 and a second Y capacitor CY2 (Fig. 4 and ¶[11, 29]: common-mode capacitors C3 and C4);
a first end of the first Y capacitor CY1 is connected to the second end of the second common mode choke L2 (Fig. 4 and ¶[11, 29]: common-mode capacitor C3 connected to common-mode inductor L1A); a second end of the second Y capacitor CY2 is connected to a third end of the second common mode choke L2 (common-mode capacitor C4 connected to common-mode inductor L1B); and a second end of the first Y capacitor CY1 and a first end of the second Y capacitor CY2 are grounded, respectively (other ends of the common-mode capacitors C3 and C4 connected to ground).
Regarding claim 7, Dong teaches the charging device interface circuit according to claim 6, wherein the second-stage differential mode protection unit further comprises a third Y capacitor CY3 and a fourth Y capacitor CY4 (Fig. 4 and ¶[11, 29]: common-mode capacitors C5 and C6);
wherein a first end of the third Y capacitor CY3 is connected to the second end of the third common mode choke L3 (Fig. 4 and ¶[11, 29]: common-mode capacitor C5 connected to common-mode inductor L2A); a second end of the fourth Y capacitor CY4 is connected to the third end of the third common mode choke L3 (common-mode capacitor C6 connected to common-mode inductor L2B); and a second end of the third Y capacitor CY3 and a first end of the fourth Y capacitor CY4 are grounded, respectively (other ends of the common-mode capacitors C5 and C6 connected to ground).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Elektronik (“EMC Basics: Common Mode vs. Differential Noise”, Industry White Paper, 7 pages, < https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/industry-white-papers/emc-basics-common-mode-vs-differential-noise/ > Posted online April 5, 2022 by Wurth Elektronic)
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Ryu-Sung P. Weinmann whose telephone number is (703)756-5964. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5pm ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Julian Huffman, can be reached at (571) 272-2147. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Ryu-Sung P. Weinmann/Examiner, Art Unit 2859 June 14, 2026
/JULIAN D HUFFMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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