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
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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)(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) 1-5, 7-10, 15-22, 24, and 25 are is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 2022/0252642 A1 (Kulkarni).
Kulkarni discloses, referring primarily to figure 3, a current sensor integrated into a printed circuit board (PCB) (110) for sensing a current flow through a first conductive path, comprising: a first conductive winding (106, 107) forming an open shape in a plane of the PCB, wherein: the open shape has a first end and a second end (125) and delimits a sensitive region in the plane of the PCB for sensing the current flow through the first conductive path arranged within the sensitive region; the first conductive winding is formed of a conductor having a plurality of turns extending across a thickness of the PCB (figure 3); and the first conductive winding is spaced from an obstacle (120) in the PCB by at least a distance from the first end to the obstacle [claim 1], wherein:the open shape is an elliptical arc, a circular arc, an arc having a U-shape, or an open polygon [claim 2], wherein: the distance from the first end to the obstacle is equal to the distance from the second end to the obstacle [claim 3], wherein: insulation along the distance from the first end to the obstacle is provided by at least one of PCB material (112), air (115) or insulation material, arranged between the first counductive wiring and the obstacle [claim 4], wherein the plurality of turns is comprised within a range of 4 to 100 turns (figure 5) [claim 5], wherein: the first conductive winding is electrically connected to an integrator ([0090]) for generating an output voltage signal indicative of the current flow in the first conductive path [claim 7], wherein: the obstacle is a second conductive path having an electrical potential different from the electrical potential of the first conductive path; and the distance from the first end to the obstacle corresponds to a distance from the second conductive path for preventing electrical interference between the second conductive path and the first conductive winding ([0110]) [claim 8], wherein: the first end and the second end define an opening axis passing through the first end and the second end, and a midpoint on the opening axis between the first end and the second end; and the first end and the second end are arranged relative to the second conductive path such that an axis perpendicular to the opening axis and passing through the midpoint coincides with a location of the second conductive path (figure 3) [claim 9], wherein: the conductor comprises a first electrical terminal and a second electrical terminal (125); and the first electrical terminal and the second electrical terminal are arranged together at the first end or the second end (figure 3) [claim 10].
Similarly, Kulkarni discloses, a method for integrating a current sensor into a printed circuit board (PCB) (110) for sensing a current flow through a first conductive path (120), the method comprising: arranging a first conductive winding (106, 107) into an open shape in a plane of the PCB, wherein: the open shape has a first end and a second end and defines a sensitive region in the plane of the PCB for sensing the current flow through the first conductive path arranged within the sensitive region the first conductive winding is formed of a conductor having a plurality of turns extending across a thickness of the PCB (figure 3); and the first conductive winding is spaced from an obstacle (120) in the PCB by at least a distance from the first end to the obstacle [claim 15], further comprising: determining, prior to the arranging, the insulation distance, based at least in part on: a magnitude of the current flow through the first conductive path; a size of the obstacle; a potential difference between the first conductive winding and the obstacle; a potential difference between the first conductive winding and the first conductive path; a potential difference between the first conductive path and the obstacle; and/or a material of which an insulation material consists ([0070]-[0078]) [claim 16], further comprising: receiving, from the current sensor, a sensor signal; and determining, by a signal processing module and based at least in part on the sensor signal, a current measurement for the current flow ([0079]-[0091]) [claim 17].
Moreover, Kulkarni discloses, a system, comprising: a first current sensor integrated into a first printed circuit board (PCB) (111) for sensing a first current flow through a first conductive path, the first current sensor comprising: a first conductive winding (106, 107) forming a first open shape in a plane of the first PCB, wherein: the first open shape has a first end and a second end and delimits a first sensitive region in the plane of the first PCB for sensing the first current flow through the first conductive path arranged within the first sensitive region; the first conductive winding is formed of a first conductor having a plurality of turns extending across a thickness of the first PCB (figure 3); and first conductive winding is spaced from a first obstacle (120) in the first PCB by at least a distance from the first end of the first open shape to the first obstacle; a second current sensor integrated into a second PCB (112) for sensing a second current flow through a second conductive path, the second current sensor comprising: a second conductive winding (106, 107) forming a second open shape in a plane of the second PCB, wherein: the second open shape has a first end and a second end and delimits a second sensitive region in the plane of the second PCB for sensing the second current flow through the second conductive path arranged within the second sensitive region; the second conductive winding is formed of a second conductor having a plurality of turns extending across a thickness of the second PCB (figure 3); and the second conductive winding is spaced from a second obstacle in the second PCB by at least a distance from the first end of the second open shape to the second obstacle; and a signal processing module ([0028]-[0030]) for processing sensor signals from the first current sensor and the second current sensor, wherein the signal processing module is configured to generate a current measurement for the first current flow based at least in part on a sensor signal from the second current sensor ([0028]-[0030]) [claim 18], wherein the first sensitive region of the first current sensor is arranged to collect a first magnetic flux induced by the first current flow and a second magnetic flux induced by the second current flow ([0070]-[0078]) [claim 19], wherein: the second current flow through the second conductive path is controlled according to a control signal; and the signal processing module is further configured to generate a current measurement for the first current flow based at least in part on the control signal ([0070]-[0078]) [claim 20], wherein: the first obstacle and the second obstacle are a same obstacle (120) [claim 21], wherein: the first PCB and the second PCB are portions of a same PCB (110) [claim 22], wherein: the first current sensor and the second current sensor are arranged symmetrically (figure 3) [claim 24], wherein: the first PCB and the second PCB are arranged in parallel planes, and the first current sensor and the second current sensor are arranged symmetrically about a plane parallel to the first PCB and the second PCB; or the first PCB (111) and the second PCB (112) are portions of a same PCB (110), and the first current sensor and the second current sensor are arranged symmetrically about a plane perpendicular to the PCB [claim 25]
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11-14, 23, and 26 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Claims 11 and 12 state the limitation “further comprising: a shielding material arranged at least partially shielding the first conductive winding from an electromagnetic source other than the current flow in the first conductive path.” This limitation, in conjunction with the other claimed features, was neither found to be disclosed in, nor suggested by the prior art. Claim 13 states the limitation “wherein: the first conductive path consists of a pin of an electronic device.” This limitation, in conjunction with the other claimed features, was neither found to be disclosed in, nor suggested by the prior art. Claim 14 states the limitation “wherein: the electronic device is a semiconductor transistor; and the semiconductor transistor is one of a silicon transistor, a silicon carbide transistor or a high-power semiconductor transistor.” This limitation, in conjunction with the other claimed features, was neither found to be disclosed in, nor suggested by the prior art. Claim 23 states the limitation “wherein: the first conductive path is a pin of a first electronic device; the second conductive path is a pin of a second electronic device; and the first electronic device and the second electronic device are parts of a same electrical circuit on the PCB.” This limitation, in conjunction with the other claimed features, was neither found to be disclosed in, nor suggested by the prior art. Claim 26 states the limitation “the motor converter comprising: one or more transistors, each having at least one pin; and at least one current sensor according to claim 1 arranged for sensing a current flow through the at least one pin of said one or more transistors.” This limitation, in conjunction with the other claimed features, was neither found to be disclosed in, nor suggested by the prior art.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JEREMY C NORRIS whose telephone number is (571)272-1932. The examiner can normally be reached 7:15-15:15 M-F.
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JEREMY C. NORRIS
Examiner
Art Unit 2847
/JEREMY C NORRIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847