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 .
Receipt is acknowledged of IDS filed on 12/30/23 & 06/17/26.
Claims 1-20 are presented for examination.
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)(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 and 7-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Elshaer et al. (US 2019/0184833 A).
Re Claim 1: Elshaer et al. {hereinafter referred as “Elshaer”} teaches electrified vehicle ground fault monitoring system, which includes a DC-DC (direct current-direct current) converter {herein DC-DC converter 10} configured to convert a direct current, received from the vehicle battery, into another direct current (see ¶ 17-23+, 29-36+); a DC-AC (direct current-alternating current) inverter {herein DC-AC inverter 8} configured to convert the another direct current of the vehicle battery, converted by the DC-DC converter, into an alternating current (¶ 17-19+, 29+, 36+); a controller {herein a variable-voltage controller 152, wherein the control signal may be implemented as a pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal in which a duty cycle of the PWM signal is varied} configured to calculate a switching frequency modulation index based on an input current to the DC-DC converter and an output voltage of the DC-DC converter to generate a control signal for controlling the DC-DC converter (¶ 22-27+); and a DC (direct current) link {herein The Direct Current (DC) link capacitor between the inverter 308 and DC-DC converter is used as an energy storage capacitor} connected between the DC-DC converter and the DC-AC inverter, and including a capacitor (see figs.# 1 & 3; ¶ 29+).
Re Claim 7: Elshaer teaches a system, wherein the DC-DC converter comprises: a switch unit configured to convert a DC voltage into an AC (alternating current) voltage (¶ 29+); a transformer configured to transform the AC voltage output from the switch unit (¶ 32-33+); and a rectifier {herein bridge rectifier 304/404} configured to rectify the transformed AC voltage into a DC voltage (¶ 36-45, 53-65++).
Re Claim 8: Elshaer teaches a system, wherein the switch unit has a full bridge {herein a full-bridge diode rectifier 404} configuration of switches (¶ 38-44+).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Elshaer et al. (US 2019/0184833 A) in view of Abe et al. (US 2013/0293192).
The teachings of Elshaer have been discussed above. Elshaer teaches the diode bridge may be configured to rectify an alternating current (see the abstract) and a full bridge rectifier (¶ 38+).
Elshaer fails to specifically teach that the switch unit has a half bridge configuration of switches.
Abe et al. teaches contactless power transfer system, wherein the switch unit has a half bridge 120 configuration of switches (¶ 62+)
In view of Abe et al.’s teachings, it would have been obvious to an artisan of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to employ into the teachings of Elshaer the switch unit has a half bridge configuration of switches so as to supply an output voltage either higher or lower than the input voltage, provide electrical isolation and a return path for current.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-6 and 10-12 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.
Claims 13-20 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art of record fails to specifically teach calculate a difference between the output voltage of the DC-DC converter and a reference voltage; calculate a voltage frequency modulation index using the difference between the output voltage of the DC-DC converter and the reference voltage; calculate a current frequency modulation index using the input current to the DC-DC converter; and calculate the switching frequency modulation index based on a difference between the current frequency modulation index and the voltage frequency modulation index. These limitations in conjunction with other limitations in the claimed invention were not shown by the prior art of record.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Schneider et al. (US 2012/0280655 A) teaches charging system for electric vehicles.
King et al. (US 2016/0082844) teaches method and system for multiple source energy storage, management and control.
Namuduri et al. (US 2024/0339990) teaches smart electronically resettable fuse with load pre-charging.
Cao et al. (US 2019/0312521) teaches dual voltage and current loop linearization control and voltage balancing control for solid state transformer.
Naderi (WO 2025096812 A1) teaches parallel direct current architectures for power generation.
Yang (CN 107627881 B) teaches charging and discharging and motor driving integrated device of electric automobile.
(KR 101619572) teaches method of generating injected current for fuel cell stack and apparatus performing the same.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EDWYN LABAZE whose telephone number is (571)272-2395. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30AM-5:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mr. STEVE PAIK can be reached at 571-272-2404. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EDWYN LABAZE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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