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 .
This action is in response to an application filed on 01/29/2024.
Claims 1-19 are pending for examination.
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 1-4, 6-7, 9-12 and 16-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Jing et al. (US 2021/0273505 A1 and Jing hereinafter).
As to Claim 1, Jing in its teachings as shown in Fig.1-6 as best illustrated by Fig.2 disclose a method for operating a variable speed drive for driving an electric motor (14), in particular a synchronous motor (see [Abstract]), the method comprising the steps of:
- calculating a look-up table (36) for a given motor (14), said look-up table (36) comprising torque in-put values (T*) and flux input values (34, 39) referenced to current magnitude values and current angle values at the max torque per amp (MTPA) points and at increasing angular deviations (β) from the MTPA points, wherein the current magnitude values and current angle values are output signals for controlling the motor (steady-state current (ISSNew) is then used by an MTPA current command angle lookup table 36 (“MTPA β Angle Look Up”) to provide the corresponding current command angle (β) to decouple the ISS command into d-axis and q-axis current commands. A transformation block 37 of the controller 50 receives the β angle and error-corrected steady-state current (ISSNew), and using the same, outputs adjusted d-axis and q-axis current commands/torque errors, i.e., Id_adj* and Iq_adj*, which in turn are used modify the actual d-axis and q-axis current commands, i.e., Id_adj* and Iq_adj*, respectively-see [0044]); and
- outputting current magnitude values and current angle values as a function of torque input values and/or flux input values at the max torque per amp point to the motor as control variables, if the associated flux values are smaller than or equal to a flux limit; or
- outputting current magnitude values and current angle values as control variables, such that the associated flux values do not exceed a flux limit (the final/actual d-axis and q-axis current commands Id* and Iq* that are ultimately used by the controller 50 to regulate operation of the electric machine 14 in the MTPA control region- see also [0044]).
As to Claim 2, Jing disclose the method according to claim 1, wherein the output current magnitude is smaller than or equal to a current limit and/or that the flux limit is calculated from the motor speed at the available DC link voltage (see [0044]).
As to Claim 3, Jing disclose the method according to claim 1, wherein, if the associated flux values are greater than the flux limit, current magnitude values and current angle values are output, which correspond to current magnitude values and current angle values at an angular deviation from the MTPA points, at which a torque limit and the flux limit are maintained (see [0040] – [0045]).
As to Claim 4, Jing disclose the method according to claim 1, wherein the look-up table is an interpolating look-up table referencing torque inputs and flux inputs, in particular from a speed controller of the drive, to reference cur- rent vector outputs, comprising the current magnitude values and current angle values (see [0011], [0015], [0036] and [0044]).
As to Claim 6, Jing disclose the method according to in that claim 1, wherein the output current magnitude values and output current angle values are converted into d- and q-axis reference values (see [0011], [0015], [0036] and [0044]).
As to Claim 7, Jing disclose the method according to claim 1, wherein the look-up table is created during initialization (see: 34, 39 and [0042] – [0043]).
As to Claim 9, Jing disclose a variable speed drive for driving an electric motor, the variable speed drive comprising a computation unit and a program for executing the method according to claim 1 (see [0034]).
As to Claim 10, Jing disclose the method according to claim 2, wherein, if the associated flux values are greater than the flux limit, current magnitude values and current angle values are output, which correspond to current magnitude values and current angle values at an angular deviation from the MTPA points, at which a torque limit and the flux limit are maintained (see [0040] – [0045]).
As to Claim 11, Jing disclose the method according to claim 2, wherein the look-up table is an interpolating look-up table referencing torque inputs and flux inputs, in particular from a speed controller of the drive, to reference current vector outputs, comprising the current magnitude values and current angle values (see [0011], [0015], [0036] and [0044]).
As to Claim 12, Jing disclose the method according to claim 3, wherein the look-up table is an interpolating look-up table referencing torque inputs and flux inputs, in particular from a speed controller of the drive, to reference current vector outputs, comprising the current magnitude values and current angle values (see [0011], [0015], [0036] and [0044]).
As to Claim 16, Jing disclose the method according to claim 2, wherein the output current magnitude values and output current angle values are converted into d- and q-axis reference values (see [0040] – [0045]).
As to Claim 17, Jing disclose the method according to claim 3, wherein the output current magnitude values and output current angle values are converted into d- and q-axis reference values (see [0040] – [0045]).
As to Claim 18, Jing disclose the method according to claim 4, wherein the output current magnitude values and output current angle values are converted into d- and q-axis reference values (see [0040] – [0045]).
As to Claim 19, Jing disclose the method according to claim 5, wherein the output current magnitude values and output current angle values are converted into d- and q-axis reference values (see [0040] – [0045]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 8 and 13-15 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.
As to Claim 5 and 13-15, in view of the limitations the closest prior art including the prior works of the assignee/inventor does not explicitly describe or reasonably suggest or render obvious in combination with all the given limitations wherein the current magnitude values and current angle values at increasing angular deviations from the MTPA points are increased such that for each increment of current magnitude, in particular in increments of 2%, the current angle is varied from 80° to 180°, in particular in steps of 1°.
As to Claim 8, in view of the limitations the closest prior art including the prior works of the assignee/inventor does not explicitly describe or reasonably suggest or render obvious in combination with all the given limitations wherein only a part of the look-up table is searched for generating consecutive current magnitude values and current angle values, wherein a current index and angle index of the last used current magnitude value and current angle value is stored and the search for the next current magnitude value and current angle value is limited around these indices, in particular to three current in-dices below and above and to five angle indices below and above the respective indices of the last used current magnitude value and current angle value.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure (US 2021/0155285 A1: Technical solutions are described for controlling operation of an electric machine such as a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drive or motor control system to protect against excessive machine current or voltage in a PMSM drive. Systems and methods employ a torque control algorithm for PMSMs that uses the constraints of both machine current and voltage capability in PMSM drives, and online torque command modification according to the maximum allowed torque under these machine current and voltage constraints- see [Abstract]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GABRIEL T AGARED whose telephone number is (571)270-1981. The examiner can normally be reached 8-5 (Mon- Thur).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eduardo Colon-Santana can be reached at 5712722060. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GABRIEL AGARED/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2846