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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This action is responsive to the following communications: the application filed on Nov. 03, 2023.
Claims 1-10 are presented for Examination. Claim 1 is independent.
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.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by HORIKOSH et al. (US20130221888A1).
Regarding independent claim 1, HORIKOSH et al disclose that a circuit arrangement (1) (Fig.1), comprising:
a DC voltage supply (2) (Fig.1:Vdc), with a DC voltage intermediate circuit (3) (Fig.1:14);
a power converter (4) (Fig.1:11), with a control device (Fig.1:13; a transistor) of the power converter (4);
at least one braking resistor (50, 52) (Fig.1:Ru);
wherein the power converter (4) is formed as a multi-phase bridge circuit (Fig.1:11,A,B) having at least one first half bridge circuit (40, 42) (Fig.1:A-B, first branch of 11) and having at least one second half bridge circuit (44, 46) (Fig.1:A-B, second branch of 11), which are each connected to the DC voltage intermediate circuit (3) (Fig.1:A-B, U mid node);
wherein at least one first resistor terminal (500, 520) of the at least one braking resistor (50, 52) is respectively connected to the middle tap (404, 424) (Fig.1: U) of the at least one first bridge circuit (40, 42); and
wherein at least one second resistor terminal (502, 522) of the at least one braking resistor (50, 52) is respectively connected to the middle tap (444, 464) (Fig.1: V) of the at least one second bridge circuit (44, 46).
Regarding claim 2, HORIKOSH et al disclose that wherein:
a first coil (300) (Fig.7:U) is arranged in a positive branch (30) of the DC voltage intermediate circuit (3);
a second coil (320) (Fig.7:V) is arranged in a negative branch (32) of the DC voltage intermediate circuit (3); and
each said first coil and said second coil (300, 320) is inductively coupled (Fig.7, U,V[0060]; “motor phase windings”).
Regarding claim 3, HORIKOSH et al disclose that wherein:
a capacitor (340) (Fig.1:13 and Fig.10:delay timer) is arranged between the positive and the negative branch (30, 32) of the DC voltage intermediate circuit (3).
Regarding claim 4, HORIKOSH et al disclose that further comprising:
a plurality of said braking resistors (50, 52) (FI.1:Ru,Rv);
wherein every said at least one first resistor terminal (500,520) is connected to the middle tap (404, 424) of an associated said first half bridge circuit (40, 42) (Fig.1:U,V).
Regarding claim 5, HORIKOSH et al disclose that wherein:
in the case of a plurality of braking resistors (50, 52), at least two said second resistor terminals (520, 522) are connected to a common middle tap (444) (Fig.7) of an associated said second half bridge circuit (44).
Regarding claim 6, HORIKOSH et al disclose that wherein:
every respective said first or said second bridge circuit (40, 42, 44, 46) is formed as at least a two-level circuit (Fig.1: upper and lower transistors).
Regarding claim 7, HORIKOSH et al disclose that wherein:
the control device is designed and provided to switch a partial branch (400, 402, 420, 422) having at least two said first half bridge circuits (40, 42) in a temporally staggered manner and with a different duty cycle (Fig.7: Switches).
Regarding claim 8, Mizuguchi discloses that a method for controlling a power converter circuit (1) (Fig.1:11), comprising the steps of:
providing a power converter circuit (1), according to claim 1, comprising:
a DC voltage supply (2), (Fig.1:Vdc ) with a DC voltage intermediate circuit (3) (Fig.1:14);
a power converter (4), with a control device (Fig.1:13; a transistor) of the power converter (4);
at least one braking resistor (50, 52) (Fig.1:Ru);
wherein the power converter (4) is formed as a multi-phase bridge circuit (Fig.1:11,A,B) having at least one first half bridge circuit (40, 42) and having at least one second half bridge circuit (44, 46), which are each connected to the DC voltage intermediate circuit (3);
wherein at least one first resistor terminal (500, 520) of the at least one braking resistor (50, 52) is respectively connected to the middle tap (404, 424) of the at least one first bridge circuit (40, 42) (Fig.1: U); and
wherein at least one second resistor terminal (502, 522) of the at least one braking resistor (50, 52) is respectively connected to the middle tap (444, 464) of the at least one second bridge circuit (44, 46) (Fig.1: V);
wherein the at least one second resistor terminal (502, 522) of said at least one braking resistor (50, 52) is connected to the middle tap (444) of a second half bridge circuit (44, 46) or in each case to the middle tap (444, 464) of a second half bridge circuit (44, 46);
wherein the partial branches (400, 402, 420, 422) of the first half bridge circuits (40, 42) are switched in a temporally staggered manner and with a different duty cycle; and
closing the complementary partial branch of an associated second half bridge circuit (44, 46) in order to close a current path from the positive terminal to the negative terminal of the DC voltage supply (2) (Fig.1-3; [0053]).
Regarding claim 9, HORIKOSH et al disclose that wherein: a first partial current path to an associated braking resistor (50, 52) arises by closing a first partial branch (400, 420); and the associated second partial current path from the braking resistor (50, 52) arises by closing a second partial branch (442, 464), or a first partial current path to an associated braking resistor (50, 52) arises by closing a second partial branch (402, 422), the associated second partial current path from the braking resistor (50, 52) arises by closing a first partial branch (440, 460) (Fig.1 and Fig.7).
Regarding claim 10, HORIKOSH et al disclose that wherein: the partial branch of the second partial current path is permanently closed and is opened only in the event of a fault ([0048]; “short-circuiting”).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MUHAMMAD S ISLAM whose telephone number is (571)272-8439. The examiner can normally be reached on 9:30am to 6:00pm.
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/MUHAMMAD S ISLAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2846