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 Objections
The claims are objected to because they include reference characters which are not enclosed within parentheses.
Reference characters corresponding to elements recited in the detailed description of the drawings and used in conjunction with the recitation of the same element or group of elements in the claims should be enclosed within parentheses so as to avoid confusion with other numbers or characters which may appear in the claims. See MPEP § 608.01(m).
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 1-8 and 17-20 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 limitation "the rechargeable battery" in line 7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 2 recites the limitation "the DC bus" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 17 recites the limitation "the PEMFC module" in line 6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 17 recites the limitation "the battery module" in line 9. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 17 recites the limitation "the UC module" in line 12. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 9-10, and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fathabadi (Novel fuel cell/battery/supercapacitor hybrid power source for fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles; Energy 143; 2018).
In regard to Claim 1:
Fathabadi discloses, in Figure 5, a passivity-based power distribution control system for a hybrid electric vehicle, comprising:
a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell module (PEMFC stack and PEMFC boost converter) including a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) (PEMFC stack) and a PEMFC boost converter (PEMFC boost converter) coupled to the PEMFC (PEMFC stack), wherein the PEMFC module (PEMFC stack and PEMFC boost converter) is configured to generate a PEMFC current IFC (Ifc);
a battery module (Li-ion battery and Li-ion battery boost-buck converter) including a battery ((Li-ion battery) and a battery buck/boost converter (Li-ion battery boost-buck converter) coupled to the rechargeable battery (Li-ion battery), wherein battery module is configured to generate a battery current Ib (Ibat);
an ultra-capacitor module (SC bank and SC bank boost-buck converter) including an ultra-capacitor (UC) (SC bank) and a UC buck/boost converter (SC bank boost-buck converter) coupled to the UC (SC bank), wherein the UC module is configured to generate a UC current IUC (Isc); and
a duty cycle controller (power control unit) coupled to the battery module (Li-ion battery and Li-ion battery boost-buck converter), the proton-exchange membrane fuel cell module (PEMFC stack and PEMFC boost converter) and the ultra-capacitor module (SC bank and SC bank boost-buck converter), wherein the duty cycle controller (power control unit) is configured to control a PEMFC duty cycle D1 (Dfc) of the PEMFC boost converter (PEMFC boost converter), a battery duty cycle D23 (Dbat-char, Dbat-disc) of the battery buck/boost converter (Li-ion battery boost-buck converter), and a UC duty cycle D45 (Dsc-char, Dsc-disc) of the UC buck/boost converter (SC bank boost-buck converter).
In regard to Claim 2:
Fathabadi discloses, in Figure 5, the passivity-based power distribution control system of claim 1, further comprising:
a bus capacitor C0 (Vdc capacitor) connected in parallel with the DC bus (Pload bus);
a DC bus (Pload bus) connected to the PEMFC boost converter (PEMFC boost converter), the battery buck/boost converter (Li-ion battery boost-buck converter) and the UC buck/boost converter (SC bank boost-buck converter), wherein the PEMFC boost converter (PEMFC boost converter), the battery buck/boost converter (Li-ion battery boost-buck converter) and the UC buck/boost converter (SC bank boost-buck converter) are configured to receive the PEMFC duty cycle D1 (Dfc), the battery duty cycle D23 (Dbat-char, Dbat-disc), and the UC duty cycle D45 (Dsc-char, Dsc-disc) respectively and transmit the PEMFC current IFC (Ifc), the battery current Ib (Ibat) and the UC current IUC (Isc) respectively to the DC bus (Pload bus), wherein the DC bus (Pload bus) has a bus voltage V0 (Vdc) formed across the bus capacitor C0 (Vdc capacitor) by the PEMFC current IFC (Ifc), the battery current Ib (Ibat) and the UC current IUC (Isc) and wherein the DC bus (Pload bus) is configured to transmit a DC bus load current IL (Iload) to the drive train of the hybrid electric vehicle (traction motor).
In regard to Claim 9:
Fathabadi discloses, in Figure 5, a method for passivity-based power distribution control of a drive train of a hybrid electric vehicle, comprising:
building a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell module (PEMFC stack and PEMFC boost converter) by connecting a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) (PEMFC stack) to a PEMFC boost converter (PEMFC boost converter);
building a battery module (Li-ion battery and Li-ion battery boost-buck converter) by connecting a rechargeable battery (Li-ion battery) to a battery buck/boost converter (Li-ion battery boost-buck converter);
building an ultra-capacitor module (SC bank and SC bank boost-buck converter) by connecting an ultra-capacitor (UC) (SC bank) to a UC buck/boost converter (SC bank boost-buck converter);
connecting a DC bus (Pload bus) in parallel with a capacitor C0 (Vdc capacitor), wherein the DC bus (Pload bus) has a bus voltage V0 (Vdc);
connecting the PEMFC module (PEMFC stack and PEMFC boost converter), the battery module (Li-ion battery and Li-ion battery boost-buck converter) and the ultra-capacitor module (SC bank and SC bank boost-buck converter) to the DC bus (Pload bus);
connecting a duty cycle controller (power control unit) to the PEMFC boost converter (PEMFC boost converter), the battery buck/boost converter (Li-ion battery boost-buck converter) and the ultra-capacitor buck/boost converter (SC bank boost-buck converter);
transmitting, by the duty cycle controller (power control unit), a PEMFC duty cycle D1 (Dfc) to the PEMFC boost converter (PEMFC boost converter), a battery duty cycle D23 (Dbat-char, Dbat-disc) to the battery buck/boost converter (Li-ion battery boost-buck converter), and a UC duty cycle D45 (Dsc-char, Dsc-disc) to the UC buck/boost converter (SC bank boost-buck converter);
generating a PEMFC current IFC (Ifc) by the PEMFC module (PEMFC stack and PEMFC boost converter);
transmitting, by the PEMFC boost converter (PEMFC boost converter), the PEMFC current IFC (Ifc) to the DC bus (Pload bus) at a timing defined by the duty cycle D1 (Dfc);
generating a battery current Ib (Ibat) by the battery module (Li-ion battery and Li-ion battery boost-buck converter);
transmitting, by the battery buck/boost converter (Li-ion battery boost-buck converter), the battery current Ib (Ibat) to the DC bus (Pload bus) at a timing defined by the duty cycle D23 (Dbat-char, Dbat-disc);
generating a UC current IUC (Isc) by the UC module (SC bank and SC bank boost-buck converter);
transmitting, by the UC buck/boost converter (SC bank boost-buck converter), the UC current IUC (Isc) to the DC bus (Pload bus) at a timing defined by the duty cycle D45 (Dsc-char, Dsc-disc); and
transmitting a DC bus load current IL (Iload) to the drive train of the hybrid electric vehicle (traction motor).
In regard to Claim 10:
Fathabadi discloses, in Figure 5, the method of claim 9, wherein the DC bus has a bus voltage V0 (Vdc) formed across the bus capacitor C0 (Vdc capacitor) by the PEMFC current IFC (Ifc), the battery current Ib (Ibat) and the UC current IUC (Isc).
In regard to Claim 17:
Fathabadi discloses, in Figure 5, a method for passivity-based power distribution control, comprising:
transmitting, by a duty cycle controller (power control unit), a PEMFC duty cycle D1 (Dfc) to a PEMFC boost converter (PEMFC boost converter), a battery duty cycle D23 (Dbat-char, Dbat-disc) to a battery buck/boost converter (Li-ion battery boost-buck converter), and a UC duty cycle D45 (Dsc-char, Dsc-disc) to a UC buck/boost converter (SC bank boost-buck converter), wherein the PEMFC boost converter (PEMFC boost converter), the battery buck/boost converter (Li-ion battery boost-buck converter), and the UC buck/boost converter (SC bank boost-buck converter) are each connected in parallel with a DC bus (Pload bus);
generating a PEMFC current IFC (Ifc) by the PEMFC module (PEMFC stack and PEMFC boost converter);
transmitting, by the PEMFC boost converter (PEMFC boost converter), the PEMFC current IFC (Ifc) to the DC bus (Pload bus) at a timing defined by the duty cycle D1 (Dfc);
generating a battery current Ib (Ibat) by the battery module (Li-ion battery and Li-ion battery boost-buck converter);
transmitting, by the battery buck/boost converter (Li-ion battery boost-buck converter), the battery current Ib to the DC bus at a timing defined by the duty cycle D23 (Dbat-char, Dbat-disc);
generating a UC current IUC (Isc) by the UC module (SC bank and SC bank boost-buck converter);
transmitting, by the UC buck/boost converter (SC bank boost-buck converter), the UC current IUC (Isc) to the DC bus (Pload bus) at a timing defined by the duty cycle D45 (Dsc-char, Dsc-disc); and
transmitting a DC bus load (Pload bus) current IL ((Iload) to a load (traction motor).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-8, 11-16, and 18-20 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Raiser (US 2006/0127704) discloses a fuel cell system that employs a super capacitor and battery electrically coupled in series with each other and in parallel with a fuel cell stack on a power bus line. As the voltage on the power bus line changes over the operating requirements of the system, the super capacitor is charged and discharged over a relatively large voltage swing, such as an 85% SOC swing. The super capacitor equalizes or voltage matches the voltage variation on the power bus line as set by the stack voltage to the voltage of the battery. Therefore, the battery, while providing the majority of the energy and power during charge and discharge, has a relatively small defined SOC swing, which acts to maintain the battery life. The system can also include a diode electrically coupled in parallel with the super capacitor that provides reverse voltage protection and electrical power by-pass.
Hsaio et al. (US 2003/0105562) discloses a power output control system for electric vehicle with hybrid fuel cell, which is an optimal design of DC/DC converter and applies the controller area network (CAN) as a connected instrument for communication to make a power source tend to be more flexible. When the invention is designed in the states of medium and low loads (for example, cruise in constant speed), the main electric energy supplied by the fuel cell boosts the fuel cell to an appropriate voltage through the control of DC/DC converter. While in the state of high load (for example, transient acceleration or uphill creep), the fuel cell may be served as an on-board charger. Not only the fuel cell may provide a maximum base load of electric power, but also the remaining requirement of electric energy is matched with the additional output of electric energy supplied by a high-power secondary battery. So, the fuel cell of the invention is made to have the control function of compound power output and be able to effectively improve the shortcomings of the small electric vehicle of prior arts, such as: insufficient distance for sustaining cruise and inferior conversion of energy. In addition, compared with the power source of a full fuel cell, the power source used in both hybrid fuel cell and high-power secondary battery not only has lower cost but also further has the advantage of making the system easy to match during choosing a fuel cell. When the invention is applied in various types of electric vehicles, it may make the system have an excellent ability of sustaining cruise.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to John W Poos whose telephone number is (571)270-5077. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 8-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jessica Han can be reached at 571-272-2078. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOHN W POOS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896