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).
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 3/20/2024, 12/23/2024, 1/3/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Preliminary Amendment
The preliminary amendment to the claims received 7/18/2023 is acceptable and made of record in accordance with MPEP 714.01(e).
Status of Claims
Claims 1-20 are pending and presented for prosecution on the merits below.
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)(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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Namuduri et al. US 20240128782.
Regarding claims 1, 11 and 16 [claim 16 is considered as representative for purposes of itemization in this action. The device claims encompass the method claims]. Namuduri discloses an electric vehicle [Fig. 1, vehicle 10. Par. 0003], comprising:
a power battery [Fig. 1, propulsion battery pack 12, pars. 0004, 0025] and a powertrain [electrified powertrain system 11], wherein the powertrain is disposed between a direct current power supply [Fig. 1, the source is direct current (DC) energy source 20 in charging station 21; or battery pack (B.sub.LV) 12A of another motor vehicle 10A] and the power battery [par. 0009], the powertrain comprises a motor control unit (MCU) [Fig. 3, power switches 55] and a motor [Fig. 3, motor 16, pars. 0022, 0024], the MCU comprises three bridge arms [Fig. 3, power switches 55 comprises the three switching arms as shown] and a controller [Fig. 1, controller 40, par. 0028], and the motor comprises three motor windings corresponding to the three bridge arms;
a first end of the direct current power supply [Fig. 1, + side of energy source 20 in charging station 21; or + side of battery pack (B.sub.LV) 12A of another motor vehicle 10A] is coupled [note: all instance of coupled are interpreted as possibly including intervening components] to one end of each of the three bridge arms [Fig. 3 (see reproduced below), power switches 55] and a first end of the power battery [+ side of propulsion battery pack 12], a second end of the power battery [- side of propulsion battery pack 12] is coupled to the other end of each bridge arm, a midpoint of each bridge arm is coupled to one end of a motor winding corresponding to each bridge arm [Fig. 3, one motor phase at 160 indicated for each midpoint connection to power switches 55], and another end of each of the three motor windings is coupled to a second end of the direct current power supply [Fig. 3, phases 160 of motor 16 coupled to + and – terminals of battery pack source 12A. Pars. 0015, 0036, 0040]; and
the three bridge arms comprise a first bridge arm and a second bridge arm [Fig. 3, the left-side arm and middle arm of 55], the first bridge arm is turned on or off based on a first pulse width modulation (PWM) signal sent by the controller, and the second bridge arm is turned on or off based on a second PWM signal sent by the controller;
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and a rising edge of the second PWM signal lags behind a first preset time period relative to a rising edge of the first PWM signal, or a falling edge of the second PWM signal lags behind a second preset time period relative to a falling edge of the first PWM signal [pars. 0036, 0051, 0052 preset time period(s) are implicit due to the periods of T1, T2, T3 being phase shifted relative to each other].
Regarding claims 2, 12, 17, Namuduri discloses: wherein the three bridge arms further comprise a third bridge arm [Fig. 3, the right-side arm of 55], and the third bridge arm is turned on or off based on a third PWM signal; and a rising edge of the third PWM signal lags behind a third preset time period relative to the rising edge of the second PWM signal, or a falling edge of the third PWM signal lags behind a fourth preset time period relative to the falling edge of the second PWM signal [pars. 0051, 0052 preset time period(s) are implicit due to the periods of T1, T2, T3 being phase shifted relative to each other].
Regarding claims 3, 13, 18, Namuduri discloses: wherein a time period of the first PWM signal is T, and the first preset time period and the third preset time period are T/3, or the second preset time period and the fourth preset time period are T/3 [par. 0052 preset time period(s) are implicit due to the periods of T1, T2, T3 being phase shifted relative to each other].
Regarding claims 4, 14, 19, Namuduri discloses: wherein the three bridge arms further comprise a third bridge arm [Fig. 3, the right-side arm of 55], and the third bridge arm is turned on or off based on a third PWM signal; and a rising edge of the third PWM signal and the rising edge of the first PWM signal appear simultaneously, and a falling edge of the third PWM signal and the falling edge of the first PWM signal appear simultaneously [par. 0052 preset time period(s) are implicit due to the periods of T1, T2, T3 being phase shifted relative to each other].
Regarding claims 5, 15, 20, Namuduri discloses: wherein a time period of the first PWM signal is T, and the first preset time period is T/2, or the second preset time period is T/2 [par. 0053 preset time period(s) are implicit due to the periods of T1, T2, T3 being phase shifted relative to each other].
Regarding claim 6, Namuduri discloses the powertrain according to claim 2, wherein the first PWM signal, the second PWM signal, and the third PWM signal have a same time period and duty ratio [pars. 0043, 0045].
Regarding claim 7, Namuduri discloses the powertrain according to claim 1, further comprising a first switching switch and a second switching switch [Fig. 2, Sc1, Sc2, Sc3, main contactors 170], wherein one end of the first switching switch is coupled to a midpoint of any of the three bridge arms; and the other end of each of the three motor windings [Fig. 3, indicated at 160] being coupled to a second end of the direct current power supply comprises: the other end of each of the three motor windings is coupled to one end of the second switching switch, and the other end of the second switching switch and the other end of the first switching switch are coupled to the second end of the direct current power supply [as seen in Figs. 2 and 3, all components are at least electrically coupled together].
Regarding claim 8, Namuduri discloses the powertrain according to claim 7, wherein when a difference between a voltage of the power battery and a voltage of the direct current power supply is less than a first preset threshold, the first switching switch is turned off, and the second switching switch is turned on [pars. 0008, 0062-0064].
Regarding claim 9, Namuduri discloses the powertrain according to claim 7, wherein when a difference between a voltage of the power battery and a voltage of the direct current power supply is greater than or equal to a first preset threshold, the first switching switch is turned on, and the second switching switch is turned off; and that the first bridge arm is turned on or off based on a first PWM signal, and the second bridge arm is turned on or off based on a second PWM signal comprises: other two bridge arms in the three bridge arms other than the any one of the three bridge arms are respectively turned on or off based on a fourth PWM signal and a fifth PWM signal [pars. 0062-0064].
Regarding claim 10, Namuduri discloses the powertrain according to claim 7, further comprising an inductor [Fig. 3; L1, L2], wherein the other end of the second switching switch and the other end of the first switching switch being coupled to the second end of the direct current power supply comprises: the other end of the second switching switch and the other end of the first switching switch are coupled to one end of the inductor, and the other end of the inductor is coupled to the second end of the direct current power supply [as seen in Figs. 2 and 3, all components are at least electrically coupled together].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20240383348, US 20240283385 belong to the instant assignee and are cited for background relevance.
KR 102542948 discloses a vehicle rapid charging system according to the present invention includes a power transmission unit for providing power for charging a vehicle battery; a charging unit including a three-phase motor and an inverter connected to the three-phase motor and charging the vehicle battery by receiving power supplied from the transmission unit; an input voltage calculation unit that selects one of a plurality of preset duty ratios and calculates an input voltage value provided to the charging unit based on the selected duty ratio and a voltage value of a vehicle battery; an input current calculation unit calculating an input current value input to the charging unit based on the calculated input voltage value and the power value provided from the transmission unit; a power transmission control unit commanding the calculated input current to be input from the power transmission unit to the charging unit; and a charging controller for instructing the vehicle battery to be charged based on the calculated input voltage value and the voltage value of the vehicle battery.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICHARD V MURALIDAR whose telephone number is (571)272- 8933. The examiner can normally be reached M - W 9:30 am to 6:30 PM.
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unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Drew Dunn can be contacted at 571-272-2312. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273- 8300.
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RICHARD V. MURALIDAR
Primary Examiner Art Unit 2859
/RICHARD V MURALIDAR/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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