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 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.
Claim 6 is 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.
With respect to claim 6, the claims states “set the inertial driving mode to a first control mode when a preset number of rotations is lower than the number of rotations of the motor in a failure state of the controller; and set the inertial driving mode to a second control mode when the preset number of rotations is lower than the number of rotations of the motor in a failure state of the controller.” The conditions are the same, for a first and a second modes, making them indefinite. The examiner believes the second control mode is when the number of rotations is higher. (similar to claim 16)
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) 1, 6, 8-11, 16, and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fukuta et al (PGPUB 2016/0233800), and further in view of Musaliyarakam et al (PGPUB 2022/0115975).
With respect to claim 1, Fukuta teaches a motor driving apparatus comprising:
a motor (fig. 1, 40);
an inverter (fig. 1, 30) including a switching element (paragraph 0029) for driving the motor;
a controller (fig. 1, 60) configured to switch the switching element;
a resolver (fig. 1, 44) including an excitation winding and a detection winding (paragraph 0031; primary side/exc and secondary/detect); and
a resolver chip (paragraph 0031; 83) configured to apply an excitation signal to the excitation winding by inputting a periodic signal from the controller, and configured to receive a feedback signal from the detection winding (paragraph 0031-32; primary side excited and secondary detect sin/cos),
according to the number of rotations of the motor in a failure state of the controller (paragraph 0012-13; the drive apparatus continues to operate with feedback/motor angle signal after abnormality is determined in microcomputer).
Fukuta does not explicitly teach wherein the resolver chip is configured to determine a number of rotations of the motor based on a change in a pulse width of a detection signal resulting from a comparison between a voltage of the feedback signal and a preset voltage, and is configured to output a signal to the inverter for setting an inertial driving control mode.
Musaliyarakam teaches wherein the resolver chip is configured to determine a number of rotations of the motor (paragraph 0031; monitor speed from resolver) based on a change in a pulse width of a detection signal resulting from a comparison between a voltage of the feedback signal and a preset voltage (paragraph 0015; compares detection voltage to preset), and is configured to output a signal to the inverter for setting an inertial driving control mode (paragraph 0031; ASC or SPO state).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to provide speed signals and set modes as taught by Musaliyarakam to provide an improved function to the resolver of Fukuta, applying a known technique for improvement to yield predictable results.
With respect to claim 6, Fukuta does not explicitly teach set the inertial driving mode to a first control mode when a preset number of rotations is lower than the number of rotations of the motor in a failure state of the controller; and set the inertial driving mode to a second control mode when the preset number of rotations is lower than the number of rotations of the motor in a failure state of the controller.
Musaliyarakam teaches set the inertial driving mode to a first control mode (paragraph 0040; SPO state) when a preset number of rotations is lower than the number of rotations of the motor in a failure state of the controller; and set the inertial driving mode to a second control mode (paragraph 0040; ASC state) when the preset number of rotations is lower than the number of rotations of the motor in a failure state of the controller. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to for Fukata to operate in lower/higher modes as taught by Musaliyarakam, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
With respect to claim 8, Fukuta does not explicitly teach wherein the switching element is configured to electrically isolate one end of a plurality of windings included in the motor from a battery when the inertial driving control mode is set to the first control mode.
Musaliyarakam teaches wherein the switching element is configured to electrically isolate one (paragraph 0031; SPO state; all off / isolate) end of a plurality of windings included in the motor from a battery (fig. 1, battery left side) when the inertial driving control mode is set to the first control mode.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to for Fukata to operate in modes as taught by Musaliyarakam, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
With respect to claim 9, Fukuta does not explicitly teach wherein the switching element is configured to electrically connect one end of a plurality of windings included in the motor to one end of a battery when the inertial driving control mode is set to the first control mode.
Musaliyarakam teaches wherein the switching element is configured to electrically connect one (paragraph 0031; ASC state; all upper arms on) end of a plurality of windings included in the motor to one end of a battery (fig. 1, battery left side) when the inertial driving control mode is set to the first control mode. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to for Fukata to operate in modes as taught by Musaliyarakam, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
With respect to claim 10, Fukuta teaches wherein the resolver chip is configured to internally generate a periodic signal (paragraph 0032; modulated wave sin/cos) in a failure state of the controller.
With respect to claim 11, Fukuta teaches method for controlling a motor driving apparatus, comprising:
applying an excitation signal (paragraph 0031; excite primary side) to an excitation winding of a resolver;
receiving a feedback signal (paragraph 0031-32; secondary side detect sin/cos) from a detection winding of the resolver.
Fukuta does not explicitly teach determining a number of rotations of a motor based on a change in a pulse width of a detection signal resulting from a comparison between a voltage of the feedback signal and a preset voltage; and
setting an inertial driving control mode according to the number of rotations of the motor in a failure state of a controller.
Musaliyarakam teaches determining a number of rotations (paragraph 0031; monitor speed from resolver) of a motor based on a change in a pulse width of a detection signal resulting from a comparison between a voltage of the feedback signal and a preset voltage (paragraph 0015; compares detection voltage to preset); and
setting an inertial driving control mode (paragraph 0031; ASC or SPO state) according to the number of rotations of the motor in a failure state of a controller.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to provide speed signals and set modes as taught by Musaliyarakam to provide an improved function to the resolver of Fukuta, applying a known technique for improvement to yield predictable results.
With respect to claim 16, Fukuta teaches wherein a setting of the inertial control mode comprises: determining whether the controller is in a failure state; comparing the number of rotations of the motor to a preset number of rotations when the controller is determined as in a failure state (paragraph 0012-13; the drive apparatus continues to operate with feedback/motor angle signal after abnormality is determined in microcomputer).
Fukuta does not explicitly teach setting the inertial driving control mode to a first control mode when the number of rotations of the motor is lower than the preset number of rotations; and setting the inertial driving control mode to a second control mode when the number of rotations of the motor is higher than the preset number of rotations.
Musaliyarakam teaches setting the inertial driving control mode to a first control mode (paragraph 0040; SPO state) when the number of rotations of the motor is lower than the preset number of rotations; and setting the inertial driving control mode to a second control mode (paragraph 0040; ASC state) when the number of rotations of the motor is higher than the preset number of rotations. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to for Fukata to operate in lower/higher modes as taught by Musaliyarakam, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
With respect to claim 18, Fukuta does not explicitly teach further comprising electrically isolating one end of a plurality of windings included in the motor from a battery when the inertial driving control mode is set to the first control mode.
Musaliyarakam teach further comprising electrically isolating one (paragraph 0031; SPO state; all off / isolate) end of a plurality of windings included in the motor from a battery (fig. 1, battery left side) when the inertial driving control mode is set to the first control mode. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to for Fukata to operate in modes as taught by Musaliyarakam, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
With respect to claim 19, Fukuta does not explicitly teach further comprising electrically connecting one end of a plurality of windings included in the motor to one end of a battery when the inertial driving control mode is set to the first control mode.
Musaliyarakam teach further comprising electrically connecting one end (paragraph 0031; ASC state; all upper arms on) of a plurality of windings included in the motor to one end of a battery (fig. 1, battery left side) when the inertial driving control mode is set to the first control mode. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to for Fukata to operate in modes as taught by Musaliyarakam, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
With respect to claim 20, Fukuta teaches further comprising generating, when the controller is determined as in a failure state, a periodic signal (paragraph 0032; modulated wave sin/cos) in a resolver chip.
Claims 2-5, 7, 12-15, and 17 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERICK DAVID GLASS whose telephone number is (571)272-8395. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri_8-5pm.
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/ERICK D GLASS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2846