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 .
Applicant's submission filed on 11/25/2025 has been entered. Claims 1-18 are still pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed11/25/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive with regards to prior art rejections. The examiner withdraws objection to drawings and 112 rejections based on applicant’s amendments and arguments. Applicant argues that the Ogino reference fails to disclose or even suggest the above-emphasized feature of claim 1 - a dynamically-determined AEMD voltage boost margin based on vehicle operating parameters. The Ogino reference merely discloses an active motor damping (AMD) technique where a "controller is configured to set the boost command value to a constant AMD boost command value regardless of the target torque when the active motor damping control is executed" (emphasis added)
The examiner respectfully disagrees because Ogino clearly discloses setting boost command value according to speed and torque values. The meaning of “dynamically” has been interpreted as “active”, which Ogino clearly mentions. Therefore, the rejection is maintained.
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 1-7,9-16 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by OGINO JP 2009196533 A.
Regarding claim 1, OGINO discloses
An active electric motor damping (AEMD) control system for an electrified powertrain of a vehicle (Figs 1-3), the AEMD control system comprising: a set of sensors (Items 10-12) configured to measure a set of operating parameters (Speed and torque) of the vehicle; and a control system configured to: receive the set of operating parameters of the vehicle; dynamically determine, based on the set of operating parameters of the vehicle, an AEMD torque boost voltage margin (Fig. 4 shows an increase in torque from 0 to +T1) for a direct current to direct current (DC-DC) boost converter (Item 4) of the electrified powertrain, wherein the AEMD torque boost voltage margin is an additional voltage for increasing a torque capability of an electric motor of the electrified powertrain; output, to the DC-DC boost converter, the AEMD torque boost voltage margin, wherein receipt of the AEMD torque boost voltage margin causes the DC-DC boost converter to boost a first voltage from a battery system (Item B) of the electrified powertrain to a higher second voltage; and control the electric motor using the higher second voltage to dampen vibrations at a driveline of the vehicle.
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Regarding claim 2, OGINO discloses
, wherein the set of operating parameters of the vehicle includes (i) a current torque of the electric motor and (ii) a current speed of the vehicle. (See claim 1 rejection for detail)
Regarding claim 3, OGINO discloses
, wherein the control system is configured to dynamically determine the AEMD torque boost voltage margin using a calibrated two-dimensional look-up table (Table) based on the current torque of the electric motor and the current speed of the vehicle.
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Regarding claim 4, OGINO discloses
, wherein the electric motor is a first electric motor (Fig. 2, item MG1) and the electrified powertrain further comprises a second electric motor (Item MG2).
Regarding claim 5, OGINO discloses
, wherein the set of operating parameters further includes a current speed of the first electric motor, a current torque of the second electric motor, a current speed of the second electric motor (See claim 1 rejection), and the first voltage of the battery system.
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Regarding claim 6, OGINO discloses
, wherein the DC-DC boost converter is configured to boost the first voltage to the higher second voltage based on the set of operating parameters and the AEMD torque boost voltage margin.
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Regarding claim 7, OGINO discloses
, wherein the control system is further configured to predict the AMED torque boost voltage margin based further on (i) a maximum torque of the electric motor at its current speed and a current boost voltage from the DC-DC converter, (ii) a current torque request for the electric motor, and (iii) a safety margin.
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Regarding claim 9, OGINO discloses
, wherein the dynamic determination of the AEMD torque boost voltage margin increases an efficiency of the DC-DC boost converter and the electric motor in dampening the vibrations at the driveline of the vehicle.
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Regarding claim 10, OGINO discloses
An active electric motor damping (AEMD) control method for an electrified powertrain of a vehicle, the AEMD control method comprising: receiving, by a control system and from a set of sensors, a set of operating parameters of the vehicle; dynamically determining, by the control system and based on the set of operating parameters of the vehicle, an AEMD torque boost voltage margin for a direct current to direct current (DC-DC) boost converter of the electrified powertrain, wherein the AEMD torque boost voltage margin is an additional voltage for increasing a torque capability of an electric motor of the electrified powertrain; outputting, by the control system and to the DC-DC boost converter, the AEMD torque boost voltage margin, wherein receipt of the AEMD torque boost voltage margin causes the DC-DC boost converter to boost a first voltage from a battery system of the electrified powertrain to a higher second voltage; and controlling, by the control system, the electric motor using the higher second voltage to dampen vibrations at a driveline of the vehicle (See claim 1 rejection for detail).
Regarding claim 11, OGINO discloses
, wherein the set of operating parameters of the vehicle includes (i) a current torque of the electric motor and (ii) a current speed of the vehicle (See claim 2 rejection for detail).
Regarding claim 12, OGINO discloses
, wherein the dynamically determining of the AEMD torque boost voltage margin is performed using a calibrated two-dimensional surface based on the current torque of the electric motor and the current speed of the vehicle. (See claim 3 rejection for detail)
Regarding claim 13, OGINO discloses
, wherein the electric motor is a first electric motor and the electrified powertrain further comprises a second electric motor. (See claim 4 rejection for detail)
Regarding claim 14, OGINO discloses
, wherein the set of operating parameters further includes a current speed of the first electric motor, a current torque of the second electric motor, a current speed of the second electric motor, and the first voltage of the battery system. (See claim 5 rejection for detail)
Regarding claim 15, OGINO discloses
, wherein the DC-DC boost converter is configured to boost the first voltage to the higher second voltage based on the set of operating parameters and the AEMD torque boost voltage margin. (See claim 6 rejection for detail)
Regarding claim 16, OGINO discloses
predicting, by the control system, the AMED torque boost voltage margin based further on (i) a maximum torque of the electric motor at its current speed and a current boost voltage from the DC-DC converter, (ii) a current torque request for the electric motor, and (iii) a safety margin. (See claim 7 rejection for detail)
Regarding claim 18, OGINO discloses
, wherein the dynamic determination of the AEMD torque boost voltage margin increases an efficiency of the DC-DC boost converter and the electric motor in dampening the vibrations at the driveline of the vehicle. (See claim 9 rejection for detail)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8 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
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BICKEY DHAKAL whose telephone number is (571)272-3577. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30-4:30 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jessica Han can be reached at 5712722078. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BICKEY DHAKAL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896