DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-20 (filed 02/15/2024) have been considered in this action. Claims 1-20 are newly filed.
Claim Objections
Claim 20 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 20 contains a typographical error in that the word “to” is improperly inserted between “the first amount of electrical energy” and “the second amount of electrical energy” at the end of the claim.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 17-20 are 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.
Claim 17 establishes that a first amount of electrical energy is indicative of a first wattage applied for a first quantity of time to a heater in the first “identifying” limitation. Claim 17 then establishes that “identifying a second amount of electrical energy based on a prediction that the second amount of electrical energy is sized to cause the temperature of the heated process to reach the target temperature, wherein the first amount of electrical energy is indicative of one or more second wattage, the second amount of electrical energy is indicative of a second quantity of time that the one or more second wattage is applied to the heater, and the prediction is based on the energy profile associated with the heater”. The claim is seemingly confusing the first amount of electrical energy with the second amount of electrical energy, as based upon the claim language along, no link between the second wattage and the second amount of electrical energy is established, because the claim references that the first amount of electrical energy is indicative of….second wattage (emphasis added for clarity to point to how first and second are being confused/intermixed). It is unclear how the relationship between the second amount of electrical energy and the second wattage is established, as the second amount of electrical energy is never claimed for having applied a second wattage to achieve it. For the sake of compact prosecution, the examiner shall consider the second amount of electrical energy to relate to a second wattage and a second duration of time, while the first amount of electrical energy relates toa first wattage and a first duration of time.
Claims 18-20 are dependent upon claim 17, and thus inherit the rejection of claim 17 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yraceburu et al. (US 20210114384, hereinafter Yraceburu) in view of Advantage’s “Heat Load Calculation For Mold Temperature Controllers” (hereinafter Advantage).
In regards to Claim 1, Yraceburu teaches “A method for controlling a heated process of a heater, the method comprising: obtaining a target temperature” ([0023] The heat generating device 102 may be a radiant heater, which may include a heating element 218. [0026] the setpoint temperature may be a desired temperature or other pre-established temperature value appropriate for achieving a desired heat transfer behavior in the heated system 100 to condition media 202 that passes through the heated system 100. The controller 110 may directly control the supply of power to the heat generating device 102) “a prediction that the first amount of electrical energy is sized to cause a temperature of the heated process to reach the target temperature wherein the first amount of electrical energy is indicative of one or more wattage, the first amount of electrical energy is indicative of a quantity of time that the one or more wattage is applied to the heater, and the prediction is based on an energy profile associated with the heater” ([0013] Particularly, a controller of a heated system disclosed herein may cause a full or high percentage of available power to be supplied to a heat generating device during the ramp up period and may cause a lower percentage of the available power to be supplied to the heat generating device during the steady-state period. To reduce or minimize thermal overshoot, the controller may stop the supply of power to the heat generating device prior to the temperature in the heated system reaching a setpoint (e.g., target) temperature of the heated system. [0014] The heat generating device may continue to heat the heated system and thus, the temperature in the heated system may continue to rise following deactivation of the heat generating device. The predefined temperature may be based on the amount of temperature increase predicted or calculated to occur following deactivation of the heat generating device, e.g., following the ramp up period. In addition, the predefined temperature may be determined based on a rate of temperature change that occurred in the heated system during at least a portion of the ramp up period. The rate of temperature change may also be affected by the duration of time that has elapsed since a prior print job as discussed herein.) “and providing the one or more wattage to the heater for a portion of the quantity of time” ([0013] a controller of a heated system disclosed herein may cause a full or high percentage of available power to be supplied to a heat generating device during the ramp up period; [0027] According to examples, the first power level may be a full power level (e.g., a 100% power level, a maximum power level, or the like), to cause the heated system 100 to reach the setpoint temperature in a shortest length of time. As a result, a delay in conditioning the media 202 caused by heating up the heated system 100 may be minimized. In any regard, the controller 110 may continuously or at set periods of time receive temperature measurement readings from the temperature sensor 104 as the temperature in the heated system 100 changes; wherein power in wattage is a well-known and obvious form of heater rating; wherein a ramp up period is a quantity of time, and the rated full power level is a wattage of the heater).
Yraceburu fails to teach “identifying a first amount of electrical energy based on a prediction that the first amount of electrical energy is sized to cause a temperature of the heated process to reach the target temperature wherein the first amount of electrical energy is indicative of one or more wattage, the first amount of electrical energy is indicative of a quantity of time that the one or more wattage is applied to the heater, and the prediction is based on an energy profile associated with the heater”.
Advantage teaches “identifying a first amount of electrical energy based on a prediction that the first amount of electrical energy is sized to cause a temperature of the heated process to reach the target temperature wherein the first amount of electrical energy is indicative of one or more wattage, the first amount of electrical energy is indicative of a quantity of time that the one or more wattage is applied to the heater, and the prediction is based on an energy profile associated with the heater” ([page 1] Heaters are selected by Kilowatt rating That is, the amount of heat energy introduced into the system, expressed in thousands of watts per hour.... To determine the process heat requirements the following formula is presented:
Determine the mold's weight. Do this by multiplying the outside dimensions to compute total cubic inches. Multiply this by the particular weight of the mold material.
Determine the mold's temperature rise. This is the difference between the non-operating (ambient) temperature and the setpoint temperature. It can be assumed the average ambient temperature is 70°F.
Determine the mold's specific heat value. The standard value for steel is .12 and for aluminum is .24. Other values are listed on Advantage FYI #108.
#Formula# KW per Hour = Mold Weight x Temperature Rise x Specific Heat/3412
KW Per Hour is the kilowatts required to bring the mold up to temperature within one hour. Select the nearest "standard" KW rating for the heat load. Example: a 7.5KW load would require a 9KW standard heater.
If a faster heat-up time is required, then the heater must be sized accordingly. For example, a 6KW load for one hour becomes a 12KW load for a half hour. Furthermore, a 4KW load for one hour becomes a 16KW load for 15 minutes. 45 minute heat-up : divide KW per hour by .75 30 minute heat-up : divide KW per hour by .50 15 minute heat-up : divide KW per hour by .25; Advantage teaches that the heat load formula for the heat capacity of a heated process is a formula for determining how much energy in Wh to apply based on energy profile characteristics of the heated process associated with the heater being used, such as the material properties of the material being administered with the heated process).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective file date of the claimed invention to have modified the method for applying to a heater a fully rated power for a ramp up period to get a heated process heated by the heater up to a target temperature, with the use of a method for determining via a formula how much energy would be required to be consumed by a heater that operates at full power in the form of a wattage within a desired amount of time to reach a target temperature, because it can be considered the use of a known technique for determining how much energy to apply to a heater for heating a heated process within a particular period of time and applying it to the heater for heating a heated process that operates at a full power that is applied for a portion of the period in a known way that achieves predictable results. The invention is claimed such that the use of a heat load formula could be utilized for determining how much maximum energy to apply such as for the warmup period of Yraceburu.
In regards to Claim 2, the combination of Yraceburu and Advantage teaches the method for controlling a heated process as incorporated by claim 1 above. Yraceburu further teaches “The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more wattage and the quantity of time are predicted to cause the temperature of the heated process to remain less than or equal to the target temperature for the quantity of time and the one or more wattage and the quantity of time are predicted to cause the temperature of the heated process to remain less than or equal to the target temperature based on the energy profile for the heater” ([0030] Due, for instance, to the configuration and the components of the heat generating device 102, the heat generating device 102 may continue to transfer heat for a period of time after the heat generating device 102 has been turned off. As a result, should the heat generating device 102 be powered on until the setpoint temperature 306 has been reached, the temperature in the heated system 100 may likely overshoot the setpoint temperature 306. Such overshooting may cause damage to components in the heated system 100. According to examples, the controller 110 may turn off the heat generating device 102 at the predefined temperature value 304 below the setpoint temperature 306, in which the predefined temperature value 304 may be defined based upon the amount of additional heating predicted to occur in the heated system 100 following the heat generating device 102 being turned off. The predefined temperature value 304 may be determined through empirical testing, through modeling, or the like, and may thus vary for different types of heated systems. By way of particular example, however, the predefined temperature may be between about 5° C. and about 15° C. below the setpoint temperature, although other temperatures may be implemented; wherein the use of the predefined temperature which can be considered a part of the energy profile, a target temperature is either reached or remained below because Yraceburu mentions that overshooting the target temperature would damage the process). It can further be considered that Advantage teaches this feature as values for steel, aluminum, or other material types would impact the calculation and thus different energy profiles for the types of materials in the heated process impact the prediction.
In regards to Claim 3, the combination of Yraceburu and Advantage teaches the method for controlling a heated process as incorporated by claim 1 above. Yraceburu further teaches “The method of claim 1, wherein the temperature of the heated process reaches a temperature approach band based on the provision of the one or more wattage to the heater for the portion of the quantity of time, and the method further comprises” ([0030] Due, for instance, to the configuration and the components of the heat generating device 102, the heat generating device 102 may continue to transfer heat for a period of time after the heat generating device 102 has been turned off. As a result, should the heat generating device 102 be powered on until the setpoint temperature 306 has been reached, the temperature in the heated system 100 may likely overshoot the setpoint temperature 306. Such overshooting may cause damage to components in the heated system 100. According to examples, the controller 110 may turn off the heat generating device 102 at the predefined temperature value 304 below the setpoint temperature 306, in which the predefined temperature value 304 may be defined based upon the amount of additional heating predicted to occur in the heated system 100 following the heat generating device 102 being turned off. The predefined temperature value 304 may be determined through empirical testing, through modeling, or the like, and may thus vary for different types of heated systems. By way of particular example, however, the predefined temperature may be between about 5° C. and about 15° C. below the setpoint temperature, although other temperatures may be implemented; wherein the temperature approach band is the band between the predetermined temperature and the setpoint temperature between which the temperature is controlled) “providing a second amount of electrical energy to the heater” ([0013] Disclosed herein are heated systems, methods, and machine readable instructions that may control the temperature of a heated system during both a ramp up period and a steady-state period of the heated system that may prevent or minimize thermal overshoot caused by a heat generating device in the heated system. Particularly, a controller of a heated system disclosed herein may cause a full or high percentage of available power to be supplied to a heat generating device during the ramp up period and may cause a lower percentage of the available power to be supplied to the heat generating device during the steady-state period; [0072] At block 506, based on a determination that a detected temperature in the heated system 100 has reached a predefined temperature value 304 that is below the setpoint temperature 306, the controller 110 may reduce the supply of power to the heat generating device 102. As discussed herein, the predefined temperature value 304 may be below the setpoint temperature 306 by a certain amount, in which the certain amount may be based on a temperature increase that may be predicted to occur in the heated system 100 following deactivation of the heat generating device 102. Thus, for instance, by reducing the power supply to the heat generating device 102 prior to the temperature in the heated system 100 reaching the setpoint temperature, the temperature in the heated system 100 may be prevented from overshooting the setpoint temperature 306; wherein the reduced or zero power supplied after the ramp-up period is a second amount of electrical energy).
In regards to Claim 4, the combination of Yraceburu and Advantage teaches the method for controlling a heated process as incorporated by claim 3 above. Yraceburu further teaches “The method of claim 3, wherein the provision of the second amount of electrical energy to the heater is expected to maintain the heated process within the temperature approach band during the provision of the second amount of electrical energy” ([0015] the controller may control the control mechanism to perform feedback control over the power supplied to the heat generating device to cause the heat generating device to maintain the temperature in the heated system at or near, e.g., within a predefined accuracy level, the setpoint temperature during a steady-state period. [0028] The controller 110 may also stop 116 application of power to the heat generating device 102 upon making a determination that a detected temperature in the heated system 100 has reached the predefined temperature. That is, based on the received temperature measurement readings from the temperature sensor 104, the controller 110 may determine that the detected temperature has reached the predefined temperature and may turn off the heat generating device 102. The predefined temperature may be a set temperature that is below the setpoint temperature of the heated system 100 (or the belt 204). [0061] If execution of the PID control loop were to be started without providing the initial integral error term, a significant amount of undesirable temperature sag or overshoot may occur as the PID control loop constructs its own error term from scratch. If the initial integral error term applied by the PID control loop is too low, the heat generating device 102 temperature may sag and the PID control loop may calculate larger error terms and, thus, a larger resultant heat generating device 102 duty cycle. However, until the PID control can react, the heat generating device 102 temperature may sag. Conversely, if the initial integral error term applied is too high for the amount of heat already stored in the heat generating device 102 components, the heat generating device 102 temperature may overshoot the setpoint temperature 306 until the PID controller can adjust, which may take time since the nature of PID control relies on the error terms that are periodically calculated. [0063] The controller 110 may determine 122 that a predefined condition has occurred at some time following the heat generating device 102 being turned off, e.g., following the stoppage of power flow to the heat generating device when the detected temperature has reached the predefined temperature value 304. The occurrence of the predefined condition may trigger the control mechanism 106 to initiate the supply of power to the heat generating device 102 at the determined seeding value. The predefined condition may be, for instance, an expiration of a maximum wait time. The maximum wait time may be a user-defined period of time following the stoppage of the application of power to the heat generating device 116 based on the temperature reaching the predefined temperature value 304; wherein the steady state power is applied such that a seed value for the PID is selected such that overshoot of the target temperature is avoided and temperature is applied up to the determined temperature below the target temperature, thus the second energy is used to control between the band of the target temperature and the predetermined temperature that is the basis of the energy profile).
In regards to Claim 5 the combination of Yraceburu and Advantage teaches the method for controlling a heated process as incorporated by claim 3 above. Yraceburu further teaches “The method of claim 3, wherein the provision of the second amount of electrical energy to the heater is based on a temperature control model configured to maintain the temperature of the heater at a setpoint variable” ([0052] According to examples, the controller 110 may use the rate of temperature change to determine the seeding value, e.g., the initial value to be applied to the heat generating device 102 by the control mechanism 106, which may maintain the temperature at or near the setpoint temperature 306 in the heated system 100, e.g., within a predefined accuracy. The control mechanism 106 control phase may begin following occurrence of a predefined condition as discussed herein with the application to the heat generating device 102 of the seeding value. Thus, the control mechanism 106 control phase may not occur immediately following the stoppage of power delivered to the heat generating device 102 at the first power level, e.g., full power level. [0053] The seeding value may be the value applied to the control mechanism 106 to maintain the temperature in the heated system 100 at or near the setpoint temperature 306. By way of particular example, a second seeding value (e.g., an initial integral error term that gets preloaded to the PID control loop) may be calculated based on a first seeding value and the rate of temperature change, according to the formula: IIET=(IHDC−(Kp*Et)−(Kd*Ed))/K ;).
In regards to Claim 6 the combination of Yraceburu and Advantage teaches the method for controlling a heated process as incorporated by claim 1 above. Yraceburu further teaches “The method of claim 1, wherein the energy profile is based on a response time of the heater or the energy profile is based on gain values of a controller” ([0053] The seeding value may be the value applied to the control mechanism 106 to maintain the temperature in the heated system 100 at or near the setpoint temperature 306. By way of particular example, a second seeding value (e.g., an initial integral error term that gets preloaded to the PID control loop) may be calculated based on a first seeding value and the rate of temperature change, according to the formula: IIET=(IHDC−(Kp*Et)−(Kd*Ed))/Ki
Where [0054] IIET=initial integral error term [0055] IHDC=initial heater duty cycle [0056] Kp=proportional term gain constant (based on system characteristics) [0057] Kd=derivative term gain constant (based on system characteristics) [0058] Ki=integral term gain constant (based on system characteristics) [0059] Et=temperature error (=target temperature−dryer temperature) [0060] Ed=temperature derivative error (=rate of temperature change) [0061] If execution of the PID control loop were to be started without providing the initial integral error term, a significant amount of undesirable temperature sag or overshoot may occur as the PID control loop constructs its own error term from scratch. If the initial integral error term applied by the PID control loop is too low, the heat generating device 102 temperature may sag and the PID control loop may calculate larger error terms and, thus, a larger resultant heat generating device 102 duty cycle. However, until the PID control can react, the heat generating device 102 temperature may sag. Conversely, if the initial integral error term applied is too high for the amount of heat already stored in the heat generating device 102 components, the heat generating device 102 temperature may overshoot the setpoint temperature 306 until the PID controller can adjust, which may take time since the nature of PID control relies on the error terms that are periodically calculate; wherein the seeding value for the steady state control as the second energy applied after the ramp up energy is based on gain values of the PID connected to the heated process, which can be considered an additional term of the energy profile).
In regards to Claim 7 the combination of Yraceburu and Advantage teaches the method for controlling a heated process as incorporated by claim 1 above. Yraceburu further teaches “The method of claim 1, wherein the heated process is subjected to thermal load changes other than the provision of the one or more wattage to the heater for the portion of the quantity of time that affect the temperature of the heated process or the heated process is subjected to thermal system changes other than the provision of the one or more wattage to the heater for the portion of the quantity of time that affect the temperature of the heated process” ([0034] The heated system 100 has a thermal mass (the ability of matter to absorb and store heat energy), which may affect the rate of temperature change in the heated system 100 produced by the heat generating device 102. In some examples, the heat generating device 102 may not be a closed system, but instead may include a vent and a fan that expels some air from the interior of the heated system 100 and pulls in some fresh, ambient air. The higher the fan speed, the more air that is expelled, and the more ambient air that comes into the heated system 100. As the air that is expelled is heated air, more heat energy is lost from the heated system 100 at higher fan speeds than at lower fan speeds. This may also affect the rate of temperature change, causing the temperature to rise slower at a higher fan speed; wherein the air being expelled is a thermal load change process).
In regards to Claim 8 the combination of Yraceburu and Advantage teaches the method for controlling a heated process as incorporated by claim 1 above. Advantage further teaches “The method of claim 1, wherein the prediction that the first amount of electrical energy is sized to cause the temperature of the heated process to reach the target temperature is based on a correlation of the first amount of electrical energy and the target temperature, and the correlation is based on the energy profile” ([page 1] KW per hour = (mold weight x temperature rise x specific heat)/3412 is a formula that correlates the amount of electrical heat in kwh with the temperature rise from the current temperature to the target temperature and includes energy profile parameters of the heated process including the specific heat of the material and its weight under the BRI of an energy profile).
In regards to Claim 9, Yraceburu teaches “A system for controlling a heater, the system comprising: a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and a processor configured to execute instructions stored on the non- transitory computer-readable medium, wherein an execution of the instructions cause the processor to” ([0020] The controller 110 may be a semiconductor-based microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and/or other suitable hardware device.[0085] Examples of non-transitory, machine readable media include computer system RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, and magnetic or optical disks or tapes. It is therefore to be understood that any electronic device capable of executing the above-described functions may perform those functions enumerated above) “obtain a target temperature” ([0023] The heat generating device 102 may be a radiant heater, which may include a heating element 218. [0026] the setpoint temperature may be a desired temperature or other pre-established temperature value appropriate for achieving a desired heat transfer behavior in the heated system 100 to condition media 202 that passes through the heated system 100. The controller 110 may directly control the supply of power to the heat generating device 102) “a prediction that the first amount of electrical energy is sized to cause a temperature of the heated process to reach the target temperature wherein the first amount of electrical energy is indicative of one or more wattage, the first amount of electrical energy is indicative of a quantity of time that the one or more wattage is applied to the heater, and the prediction is based on an energy profile associated with the heater” ([0013] Particularly, a controller of a heated system disclosed herein may cause a full or high percentage of available power to be supplied to a heat generating device during the ramp up period and may cause a lower percentage of the available power to be supplied to the heat generating device during the steady-state period. To reduce or minimize thermal overshoot, the controller may stop the supply of power to the heat generating device prior to the temperature in the heated system reaching a setpoint (e.g., target) temperature of the heated system. [0014] The heat generating device may continue to heat the heated system and thus, the temperature in the heated system may continue to rise following deactivation of the heat generating device. The predefined temperature may be based on the amount of temperature increase predicted or calculated to occur following deactivation of the heat generating device, e.g., following the ramp up period. In addition, the predefined temperature may be determined based on a rate of temperature change that occurred in the heated system during at least a portion of the ramp up period. The rate of temperature change may also be affected by the duration of time that has elapsed since a prior print job as discussed herein.) “and provide the one or more wattage to the heater for a portion of the quantity of time” ([0013] a controller of a heated system disclosed herein may cause a full or high percentage of available power to be supplied to a heat generating device during the ramp up period; [0027] According to examples, the first power level may be a full power level (e.g., a 100% power level, a maximum power level, or the like), to cause the heated system 100 to reach the setpoint temperature in a shortest length of time. As a result, a delay in conditioning the media 202 caused by heating up the heated system 100 may be minimized. In any regard, the controller 110 may continuously or at set periods of time receive temperature measurement readings from the temperature sensor 104 as the temperature in the heated system 100 changes; wherein power in wattage is a well-known and obvious form of heater rating; wherein a ramp up period is a quantity of time, and the rated full power level is a wattage of the heater).
Yraceburu fails to teach “identify a first amount of electrical energy based on a prediction that the first amount of electrical energy is sized to cause a temperature of the heated process to reach the target temperature wherein the first amount of electrical energy is indicative of one or more wattage, the first amount of electrical energy is indicative of a quantity of time that the one or more wattage is applied to the heater, and the prediction is based on an energy profile associated with the heater”.
Advantage teaches “identifying a first amount of electrical energy based on a prediction that the first amount of electrical energy is sized to cause a temperature of the heated process to reach the target temperature wherein the first amount of electrical energy is indicative of one or more wattage, the first amount of electrical energy is indicative of a quantity of time that the one or more wattage is applied to the heater, and the prediction is based on an energy profile associated with the heater” ([page 1] Heaters are selected by Kilowatt rating That is, the amount of heat energy introduced into the system, expressed in thousands of watts per hour.... To determine the process heat requirements the following formula is presented:
Determine the mold's weight. Do this by multiplying the outside dimensions to compute total cubic inches. Multiply this by the particular weight of the mold material.
Determine the mold's temperature rise. This is the difference between the non-operating (ambient) temperature and the setpoint temperature. It can be assumed the average ambient temperature is 70°F.
Determine the mold's specific heat value. The standard value for steel is .12 and for aluminum is .24. Other values are listed on Advantage FYI #108.
#Formula# KW per Hour = Mold Weight x Temperature Rise x Specific Heat/3412
KW Per Hour is the kilowatts required to bring the mold up to temperature within one hour. Select the nearest "standard" KW rating for the heat load. Example: a 7.5KW load would require a 9KW standard heater.
If a faster heat-up time is required, then the heater must be sized accordingly. For example, a 6KW load for one hour becomes a 12KW load for a half hour. Furthermore, a 4KW load for one hour becomes a 16KW load for 15 minutes. 45 minute heat-up : divide KW per hour by .75 30 minute heat-up : divide KW per hour by .50 15 minute heat-up : divide KW per hour by .25; Advantage teaches that the heat load formula for the heat capacity of a heated process is a formula for determining how much energy in Wh to apply based on energy profile characteristics of the heated process associated with the heater being used, such as the material properties of the material being administered with the heated process).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective file date of the claimed invention to have modified the method for applying to a heater a fully rated power for a ramp up period to get a heated process heated by the heater up to a target temperature, with the use of a method for determining via a formula how much energy would be required to be consumed by a heater that operates at full power in the form of a wattage within a desired amount of time to reach a target temperature, because it can be considered the use of a known technique for determining how much energy to apply to a heater for heating a heated process within a particular period of time and applying it to the heater for heating a heated process that operates at a full power that is applied for a portion of the period in a known way that achieves predictable results. The invention is claimed such that the use of a heat load formula could be utilized for determining how much maximum energy to apply such as for the warmup period of Yraceburu.
In regards to Claim 10, the combination of Yraceburu and Advantage teaches the system for controlling a heated process as incorporated by claim 9 above. Yraceburu further teaches “The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more wattage and the quantity of time are predicted to cause the temperature of the heated process to remain less than or equal to the target temperature for the quantity of time and the one or more wattage and the quantity of time are predicted to cause the temperature of the heated process to remain less than or equal to the target temperature based on the energy profile for the heater” ([0030] Due, for instance, to the configuration and the components of the heat generating device 102, the heat generating device 102 may continue to transfer heat for a period of time after the heat generating device 102 has been turned off. As a result, should the heat generating device 102 be powered on until the setpoint temperature 306 has been reached, the temperature in the heated system 100 may likely overshoot the setpoint temperature 306. Such overshooting may cause damage to components in the heated system 100. According to examples, the controller 110 may turn off the heat generating device 102 at the predefined temperature value 304 below the setpoint temperature 306, in which the predefined temperature value 304 may be defined based upon the amount of additional heating predicted to occur in the heated system 100 following the heat generating device 102 being turned off. The predefined temperature value 304 may be determined through empirical testing, through modeling, or the like, and may thus vary for different types of heated systems. By way of particular example, however, the predefined temperature may be between about 5° C. and about 15° C. below the setpoint temperature, although other temperatures may be implemented; wherein the use of the predefined temperature which can be considered a part of the energy profile, a target temperature is either reached or remained below because Yraceburu mentions that overshooting the target temperature would damage the process). It can further be considered that Advantage teaches this feature as values for steel, aluminum, or other material types would impact the calculation and thus different energy profiles for the types of materials in the heated process impact the prediction.
In regards to Claim 11, the combination of Yraceburu and Advantage teaches the system for controlling a heated process as incorporated by claim 9 above. Yraceburu further teaches “The system of claim 9, wherein the temperature of the heated process reaches a temperature approach band based on the provision of the one or more wattage to the heater for the portion of the quantity of time” ([0030] Due, for instance, to the configuration and the components of the heat generating device 102, the heat generating device 102 may continue to transfer heat for a period of time after the heat generating device 102 has been turned off. As a result, should the heat generating device 102 be powered on until the setpoint temperature 306 has been reached, the temperature in the heated system 100 may likely overshoot the setpoint temperature 306. Such overshooting may cause damage to components in the heated system 100. According to examples, the controller 110 may turn off the heat generating device 102 at the predefined temperature value 304 below the setpoint temperature 306, in which the predefined temperature value 304 may be defined based upon the amount of additional heating predicted to occur in the heated system 100 following the heat generating device 102 being turned off. The predefined temperature value 304 may be determined through empirical testing, through modeling, or the like, and may thus vary for different types of heated systems. By way of particular example, however, the predefined temperature may be between about 5° C. and about 15° C. below the setpoint temperature, although other temperatures may be implemented; wherein the temperature approach band is the band between the predetermined temperature and the setpoint temperature between which the temperature is controlled) “and the execution of the instruction further cause the processor to: provide a second amount of electrical energy to the heater” ([0013] Disclosed herein are heated systems, methods, and machine readable instructions that may control the temperature of a heated system during both a ramp up period and a steady-state period of the heated system that may prevent or minimize thermal overshoot caused by a heat generating device in the heated system. Particularly, a controller of a heated system disclosed herein may cause a full or high percentage of available power to be supplied to a heat generating device during the ramp up period and may cause a lower percentage of the available power to be supplied to the heat generating device during the steady-state period; [0072] At block 506, based on a determination that a detected temperature in the heated system 100 has reached a predefined temperature value 304 that is below the setpoint temperature 306, the controller 110 may reduce the supply of power to the heat generating device 102. As discussed herein, the predefined temperature value 304 may be below the setpoint temperature 306 by a certain amount, in which the certain amount may be based on a temperature increase that may be predicted to occur in the heated system 100 following deactivation of the heat generating device 102. Thus, for instance, by reducing the power supply to the heat generating device 102 prior to the temperature in the heated system 100 reaching the setpoint temperature, the temperature in the heated system 100 may be prevented from overshooting the setpoint temperature 306; wherein the reduced or zero power supplied after the ramp-up period is a second amount of electrical energy).
In regards to Claim 12, the combination of Yraceburu and Advantage teaches the system for controlling a heated process as incorporated by claim 11 above. Yraceburu further teaches “The system of claim 11, wherein the provision of the second amount of electrical energy to the heater is expected to maintain the heated process within the temperature approach band during the provision of the second amount of electrical energy” ([0015] the controller may control the control mechanism to perform feedback control over the power supplied to the heat generating device to cause the heat generating device to maintain the temperature in the heated system at or near, e.g., within a predefined accuracy level, the setpoint temperature during a steady-state period. [0028] The controller 110 may also stop 116 application of power to the heat generating device 102 upon making a determination that a detected temperature in the heated system 100 has reached the predefined temperature. That is, based on the received temperature measurement readings from the temperature sensor 104, the controller 110 may determine that the detected temperature has reached the predefined temperature and may turn off the heat generating device 102. The predefined temperature may be a set temperature that is below the setpoint temperature of the heated system 100 (or the belt 204). [0061] If execution of the PID control loop were to be started without providing the initial integral error term, a significant amount of undesirable temperature sag or overshoot may occur as the PID control loop constructs its own error term from scratch. If the initial integral error term applied by the PID control loop is too low, the heat generating device 102 temperature may sag and the PID control loop may calculate larger error terms and, thus, a larger resultant heat generating device 102 duty cycle. However, until the PID control can react, the heat generating device 102 temperature may sag. Conversely, if the initial integral error term applied is too high for the amount of heat already stored in the heat generating device 102 components, the heat generating device 102 temperature may overshoot the setpoint temperature 306 until the PID controller can adjust, which may take time since the nature of PID control relies on the error terms that are periodically calculated. [0063] The controller 110 may determine 122 that a predefined condition has occurred at some time following the heat generating device 102 being turned off, e.g., following the stoppage of power flow to the heat generating device when the detected temperature has reached the predefined temperature value 304. The occurrence of the predefined condition may trigger the control mechanism 106 to initiate the supply of power to the heat generating device 102 at the determined seeding value. The predefined condition may be, for instance, an expiration of a maximum wait time. The maximum wait time may be a user-defined period of time following the stoppage of the application of power to the heat generating device 116 based on the temperature reaching the predefined temperature value 304; wherein the steady state power is applied such that a seed value for the PID is selected such that overshoot of the target temperature is avoided and temperature is applied up to the determined temperature below the target temperature, thus the second energy is used to control between the band of the target temperature and the predetermined temperature that is the basis of the energy profile).
In regards to Claim 13 the combination of Yraceburu and Advantage teaches the system for controlling a heated process as incorporated by claim 11 above. Yraceburu further teaches “The system of claim 11, wherein the provision of the second amount of electrical energy to the heater is based on a temperature control model configured to maintain the temperature of the heater at a setpoint variable” ([0052] According to examples, the controller 110 may use the rate of temperature change to determine the seeding value, e.g., the initial value to be applied to the heat generating device 102 by the control mechanism 106, which may maintain the temperature at or near the setpoint temperature 306 in the heated system 100, e.g., within a predefined accuracy. The control mechanism 106 control phase may begin following occurrence of a predefined condition as discussed herein with the application to the heat generating device 102 of the seeding value. Thus, the control mechanism 106 control phase may not occur immediately following the stoppage of power delivered to the heat generating device 102 at the first power level, e.g., full power level. [0053] The seeding value may be the value applied to the control mechanism 106 to maintain the temperature in the heated system 100 at or near the setpoint temperature 306. By way of particular example, a second seeding value (e.g., an initial integral error term that gets preloaded to the PID control loop) may be calculated based on a first seeding value and the rate of temperature change, according to the formula: IIET=(IHDC−(Kp*Et)−(Kd*Ed))/K ; wherein the formula for determining the seeding values for the steady-state control are considered a model because a model is under the BRI just a mathematical formula/representation).
In regards to Claim 14 the combination of Yraceburu and Advantage teaches the system for controlling a heated process as incorporated by claim 9 above. Yraceburu further teaches “The system of claim 9, wherein the energy profile is based on a response time of the heater or the energy profile is based on gain values of a controller” ([0053] The seeding value may be the value applied to the control mechanism 106 to maintain the temperature in the heated system 100 at or near the setpoint temperature 306. By way of particular example, a second seeding value (e.g., an initial integral error term that gets preloaded to the PID control loop) may be calculated based on a first seeding value and the rate of temperature change, according to the formula: IIET=(IHDC−(Kp*Et)−(Kd*Ed))/Ki
Where [0054] IIET=initial integral error term [0055] IHDC=initial heater duty cycle [0056] Kp=proportional term gain constant (based on system characteristics) [0057] Kd=derivative term gain constant (based on system characteristics) [0058] Ki=integral term gain constant (based on system characteristics) [0059] Et=temperature error (=target temperature−dryer temperature) [0060] Ed=temperature derivative error (=rate of temperature change) [0061] If execution of the PID control loop were to be started without providing the initial integral error term, a significant amount of undesirable temperature sag or overshoot may occur as the PID control loop constructs its own error term from scratch. If the initial integral error term applied by the PID control loop is too low, the heat generating device 102 temperature may sag and the PID control loop may calculate larger error terms and, thus, a larger resultant heat generating device 102 duty cycle. However, until the PID control can react, the heat generating device 102 temperature may sag. Conversely, if the initial integral error term applied is too high for the amount of heat already stored in the heat generating device 102 components, the heat generating device 102 temperature may overshoot the setpoint temperature 306 until the PID controller can adjust, which may take time since the nature of PID control relies on the error terms that are periodically calculate; wherein the seeding value for the steady state control as the second energy applied after the ramp up energy is based on gain values of the PID connected to the heated process, which can be considered an additional term of the energy profile).
In regards to Claim 15 the combination of Yraceburu and Advantage teaches the system for controlling a heated process as incorporated by claim 9 above. Yraceburu further teaches “The system of claim 9, wherein the heated process is subjected to thermal load changes other than the provision of the one or more wattage to the heater for the portion of the quantity of time that affect the temperature of the heated process or the heated process is subjected to thermal system changes other than the provision of the one or more wattage to the heater for the portion of the quantity of time that affect the temperature of the heated process” ([0034] The heated system 100 has a thermal mass (the ability of matter to absorb and store heat energy), which may affect the rate of temperature change in the heated system 100 produced by the heat generating device 102. In some examples, the heat generating device 102 may not be a closed system, but instead may include a vent and a fan that expels some air from the interior of the heated system 100 and pulls in some fresh, ambient air. The higher the fan speed, the more air that is expelled, and the more ambient air that comes into the heated system 100. As the air that is expelled is heated air, more heat energy is lost from the heated system 100 at higher fan speeds than at lower fan speeds. This may also affect the rate of temperature change, causing the temperature to rise slower at a higher fan speed; wherein the air being expelled is a thermal load change process).
In regards to Claim 16 the combination of Yraceburu and Advantage teaches the system for controlling a heated process as incorporated by claim 9 above. Advantage further teaches “The system of claim 9, wherein the prediction that the first amount of electrical energy is sized to cause the temperature of the heated process to reach the target temperature is based on a correlation of the first amount of electrical energy and the target temperature, and the correlation is based on the energy profile” ([page 1] KW per hour = (mold weight x temperature rise x specific heat)/3412 is a formula that correlates the amount of electrical heat in kwh with the temperature rise from the current temperature to the target temperature and includes energy profile parameters of the heated process including the specific heat of the material and its weight under the BRI of an energy profile).
In regards to Claim 17, Yraceburu teaches “A method for controlling a first process of a heater and a second process of the heater” ([0013] Disclosed herein are heated systems, methods, and machine readable instructions that may control the temperature of a heated system during both a ramp up period and a steady-state period of the heated system that may prevent or minimize thermal overshoot caused by a heat generating device in the heated system. [0023] The heat generating device 102 may be a radiant heater, which may include a heating element 218.) “the method comprising: obtaining a target temperature” ([0026] the setpoint temperature may be a desired temperature or other pre-established temperature value appropriate for achieving a desired heat transfer behavior in the heated system 100 to condition media 202 that passes through the heated system 100. The controller 110 may directly control the supply of power to the heat generating device 102) “…a prediction that the first amount of electrical energy is sized to cause a temperature of a heated process to reach the target temperature wherein the first amount of electrical energy is indicative of one or more first wattage, the first amount of electrical energy is indicative of a first quantity of time that the one or more first wattage is applied to the heater, and the prediction is based on an energy profile associated with the heater” ([0013] Particularly, a controller of a heated system disclosed herein may cause a full or high percentage of available power to be supplied to a heat generating device during the ramp up period and may cause a lower percentage of the available power to be supplied to the heat generating device during the steady-state period. To reduce or minimize thermal overshoot, the controller may stop the supply of power to the heat generating device prior to the temperature in the heated system reaching a setpoint (e.g., target) temperature of the heated system. [0014] The heat generating device may continue to heat the heated system and thus, the temperature in the heated system may continue to rise following deactivation of the heat generating device. The predefined temperature may be based on the amount of temperature increase predicted or calculated to occur following deactivation of the heat generating device, e.g., following the ramp up period. In addition, the predefined temperature may be determined based on a rate of temperature change that occurred in the heated system during at least a portion of the ramp up period. The rate of temperature change may also be affected by the duration of time that has elapsed since a prior print job as discussed herein.) “and providing the one or more first wattage to the heater for a portion of the quantity of time” ([0013] a controller of a heated system disclosed herein may cause a full or high percentage of available power to be supplied to a heat generating device during the ramp up period; [0027] According to examples, the first power level may be a full power level (e.g., a 100% power level, a maximum power level, or the like), to cause the heated system 100 to reach the setpoint temperature in a shortest length of time. As a result, a delay in conditioning the media 202 caused by heating up the heated system 100 may be minimized. In any regard, the controller 110 may continuously or at set periods of time receive temperature measurement readings from the temperature sensor 104 as the temperature in the heated system 100 changes; wherein power in wattage is a well-known and obvious form of heater rating; wherein a ramp up period is a quantity of time, and the rated full power level is a wattage of the heater) “…a prediction that the second amount of electrical energy is sized to cause a temperature of a heated process to reach the target temperature wherein the first amount of electrical energy is indicative of one or more second wattage, the second amount of electrical energy is indicative of a second quantity of time that the one or more second wattage is applied to the heater, and the prediction is based on the energy profile associated with the heater” ([0030] should the heat generating device 102 be powered on until the setpoint temperature 306 has been reached, the temperature in the heated system 100 may likely overshoot the setpoint temperature 306. Such overshooting may cause damage to components in the heated system 100. According to examples, the controller 110 may turn off the heat generating device 102 at the predefined temperature value 304 below the setpoint temperature 306, in which the predefined temperature value 304 may be defined based upon the amount of additional heating predicted to occur in the heated system 100 following the heat generating device 102 being turned off. The predefined temperature value 304 may be determined through empirical testing, through modeling, or the like, and may thus vary for different types of heated systems; [0031] The controller 110 may calculate 118 a rate of change of the stored temperatures corresponding to a predefined period of time 308 prior to the application of power to the heat generating device 102 being stopped. That is, the controller 110 may store the detected temperatures (T) received from the temperature sensor 104 along with the times (t) at which the temperatures were detected or received and may calculate the rate of temperature change (dT/dt) from the stored temperatures and times. Particularly, the controller 110 may calculate the rate of temperature change for the predefined period of time 308, e.g., about 2 seconds, about 3 seconds, or the like, prior to the point in time at which the temperature in the heated system 100 was detected to have reached the predefined temperature value 304…[0038] The controller 110 may determine 120, based on the calculated rate of change, a seeding value for the control mechanism 106 of the heat generating device 102. The seeding value may be an initial value that may be applied to the control mechanism 106 to maintain the temperature in the heated system 100 and/or the belt 204 at or near the setpoint temperature 306.) “and
providing the one or more second wattage to the heater for a portion of the second quantity of time, wherein the first amount of electrical energy is different from the second amount of electrical energy” ([0048] The control mechanism 106 may control the operation of the heat generating device 102 over a length of time 310, e.g., may control the amount of power delivered to the heat generating device 102 after the temperature in the heated system 100 has reached or nearly reached the setpoint temperature 306. That is, the control mechanism 106 may vary the heat output from the heat generating device 102 as temperature in the heated system 100 fluctuates over the period of time 310. The temperature in the heated system 100 may fluctuate over time based on, for instance, retention and/or dissipation of heat by components in the heated system 100, which may vary depending upon the length of time between heating jobs performed in the heated system 100 or sheets of media passing through the heated system 100. [0049] According to examples, the control mechanism 106 may be a PID controller (proportional-integral-derivative control loop feedback mechanism) or other feedback controller that may receive detected temperatures from the temperature sensor 104 and may continuously vary the power output to the heat generating device 102 based upon the received temperatures to maintain the temperature in the heated system 100 around the setpoint temperature. That is, the control mechanism 106 may control the power delivery to the heat generating device 102 to maintain the temperature in the heated system 100 within a predefined accuracy based on detected temperatures in the heated system 100; wherein a varied power is not the same as full power during the ramp up period).
Yraceburu fails to teach “identifying a first amount of electrical energy based on a prediction that the first amount of electrical energy is sized to cause a temperature of a heated process to reach the target temperature wherein the first amount of electrical energy is indicative of one or more first wattage, the first amount of electrical energy is indicative of a first quantity of time that the one or more first wattage is applied to the heater, and the prediction is based on an energy profile associated with the heater; identifying a second amount of electrical energy based on a prediction that the second amount of electrical energy is sized to cause the temperature of the heated process to reach the target temperature wherein the first amount of electrical energy is indicative of one or more second wattage, the second amount of electrical energy is indicative of a second quantity of time that the one or more second wattage is applied to the heater, and the prediction is based on the energy profile associated with the heater”.
Advantage teaches “identifying a first amount of electrical energy based on a prediction that the first amount of electrical energy is sized to cause a temperature of a heated process to reach the target temperature wherein the first amount of electrical energy is indicative of one or more first wattage, the first amount of electrical energy is indicative of a first quantity of time that the one or more first wattage is applied to the heater, and the prediction is based on an energy profile associated with the heater; identifying a second amount of electrical energy based on a prediction that the second amount of electrical energy is sized to cause the temperature of the heated process to reach the target temperature wherein the first amount of electrical energy is indicative of one or more second wattage, the second amount of electrical energy is indicative of a second quantity of time that the one or more second wattage is applied to the heater, and the prediction is based on the energy profile associated with the heater” ([page 1] Heaters are selected by Kilowatt rating That is, the amount of heat energy introduced into the system, expressed in thousands of watts per hour.... To determine the process heat requirements the following formula is presented:
Determine the mold's weight. Do this by multiplying the outside dimensions to compute total cubic inches. Multiply this by the particular weight of the mold material.
Determine the mold's temperature rise. This is the difference between the non-operating (ambient) temperature and the setpoint temperature. It can be assumed the average ambient temperature is 70°F.
Determine the mold's specific heat value. The standard value for steel is .12 and for aluminum is .24. Other values are listed on Advantage FYI #108.
#Formula# KW per Hour = Mold Weight x Temperature Rise x Specific Heat/3412
KW Per Hour is the kilowatts required to bring the mold up to temperature within one hour. Select the nearest "standard" KW rating for the heat load. Example: a 7.5KW load would require a 9KW standard heater.
If a faster heat-up time is required, then the heater must be sized accordingly. For example, a 6KW load for one hour becomes a 12KW load for a half hour. Furthermore, a 4KW load for one hour becomes a 16KW load for 15 minutes. 45 minute heat-up : divide KW per hour by .75 30 minute heat-up : divide KW per hour by .50 15 minute heat-up : divide KW per hour by .25; Advantage teaches that the heat load formula for the heat capacity of a heated process is a formula for determining how much energy in Wh to apply based on energy profile characteristics of the heated process associated with the heater being used, such as the material properties of the material being administered with the heated process; Advantage further teaches that the relationship between the wattage of the heater and the time that wattage is applied are formulaic and can be determined from the formulas of Advantage).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective file date of the claimed invention to have modified the method for applying to a heater a fully rated power for a ramp up period and a variable amount of power in a steady-state control process to get a heated process heated by the heater up to a target temperature, with the use of a method for determining via a formula how much energy would be required to be consumed by a heater that operates at full power and variable power for first and second energy amounts in the form of a wattage within a desired amount of time to reach a target temperature on the basis of energy profile material properties, because it can be considered the use of a known technique for determining how much energy to apply to a heater for heating a heated process within a particular period of time and applying it to the heater for heating a heated process that operates at a full power that is applied for a portion of the first period and a variable power based on a PID that is applied in a second period in a known way that achieves predictable results. The invention is claimed such that the use of a heat load formula could be utilized for determining how much maximum energy to apply such as for the ramp up period of Yraceburu and the steady-state period of Yraceburu.
In regards to Claim 18, the combination of Yraceburu and Advantage teaches the method for controlling a heated process as incorporated by claim 17 above. Yraceburu further teaches “The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more first wattage and the first quantity of time are predicted to cause the temperature of the heated process to remain less than or equal to the target temperature for the quantity of time and the one or more first wattage and the first quantity of time are predicted to cause the temperature of the heated process to remain less than or equal to the target temperature based on the energy profile for the heater” ([0030] Due, for instance, to the configuration and the components of the heat generating device 102, the heat generating device 102 may continue to transfer heat for a period of time after the heat generating device 102 has been turned off. As a result, should the heat generating device 102 be powered on until the setpoint temperature 306 has been reached, the temperature in the heated system 100 may likely overshoot the setpoint temperature 306. Such overshooting may cause damage to components in the heated system 100. According to examples, the controller 110 may turn off the heat generating device 102 at the predefined temperature value 304 below the setpoint temperature 306, in which the predefined temperature value 304 may be defined based upon the amount of additional heating predicted to occur in the heated system 100 following the heat generating device 102 being turned off. The predefined temperature value 304 may be determined through empirical testing, through modeling, or the like, and may thus vary for different types of heated systems. By way of particular example, however, the predefined temperature may be between about 5° C. and about 15° C. below the setpoint temperature, although other temperatures may be implemented; wherein the use of the predefined temperature which can be considered a part of the energy profile, a target temperature is either reached or remained below because Yraceburu mentions that overshooting the target temperature would damage the process). It can further be considered that Advantage teaches this feature as values for steel, aluminum, or other material types would impact the calculation and thus different energy profiles for the types of materials in the heated process impact the prediction. “wherein the one or more second wattage and the second quantity of time are predicted to cause the temperature of the heated process to remain less than or equal to the target temperature for the second quantity of time and the one or more second wattage and the second quantity of time are predicted to cause the temperature of the heated process to remain less than or equal to the target temperature based on the energy profile for the heater” ([0048] The control mechanism 106 may control the operation of the heat generating device 102 over a length of time 310, e.g., may control the amount of power delivered to the heat generating device 102 after the temperature in the heated system 100 has reached or nearly reached the setpoint temperature 306. That is, the control mechanism 106 may vary the heat output from the heat generating device 102 as temperature in the heated system 100 fluctuates over the period of time 310. The temperature in the heated system 100 may fluctuate over time based on, for instance, retention and/or dissipation of heat by components in the heated system 100, which may vary depending upon the length of time between heating jobs performed in the heated system 100 or sheets of media passing through the heated system 100. [0049] According to examples, the control mechanism 106 may be a PID controller (proportional-integral-derivative control loop feedback mechanism) or other feedback controller that may receive detected temperatures from the temperature sensor 104 and may continuously vary the power output to the heat generating device 102 based upon the received temperatures to maintain the temperature in the heated system 100 around the setpoint temperature. That is, the control mechanism 106 may control the power delivery to the heat generating device 102 to maintain the temperature in the heated system 100 within a predefined accuracy based on detected temperatures in the heated system 100).
In regards to Claim 19, the combination of Yraceburu and Advantage teaches the method for controlling a heated process as incorporated by claim 17 above. Yraceburu further teaches “The method of claim 17, wherein the energy profile is based on a response time of the heater or the energy profile is based on gain values of a controller” ([0053] The seeding value may be the value applied to the control mechanism 106 to maintain the temperature in the heated system 100 at or near the setpoint temperature 306. By way of particular example, a second seeding value (e.g., an initial integral error term that gets preloaded to the PID control loop) may be calculated based on a first seeding value and the rate of temperature change, according to the formula: IIET=(IHDC−(Kp*Et)−(Kd*Ed))/Ki
Where [0054] IIET=initial integral error term [0055] IHDC=initial heater duty cycle [0056] Kp=proportional term gain constant (based on system characteristics) [0057] Kd=derivative term gain constant (based on system characteristics) [0058] Ki=integral term gain constant (based on system characteristics) [0059] Et=temperature error (=target temperature−dryer temperature) [0060] Ed=temperature derivative error (=rate of temperature change) [0061] If execution of the PID control loop were to be started without providing the initial integral error term, a significant amount of undesirable temperature sag or overshoot may occur as the PID control loop constructs its own error term from scratch. If the initial integral error term applied by the PID control loop is too low, the heat generating device 102 temperature may sag and the PID control loop may calculate larger error terms and, thus, a larger resultant heat generating device 102 duty cycle. However, until the PID control can react, the heat generating device 102 temperature may sag. Conversely, if the initial integral error term applied is too high for the amount of heat already stored in the heat generating device 102 components, the heat generating device 102 temperature may overshoot the setpoint temperature 306 until the PID controller can adjust, which may take time since the nature of PID control relies on the error terms that are periodically calculate; wherein the seeding value for the steady state control as the second energy applied after the ramp up energy is based on gain values of the PID connected to the heated process, which can be considered an additional term of the energy profile).
In regards to Claim 20 the combination of Yraceburu and Advantage teaches the method for controlling a heated process as incorporated by claim 17 above. Yraceburu further teaches “The method of claim 17, wherein the heated process is subjected to thermal load changes other than the provision of the one or more first wattage or the provision of the second wattage that affect the temperature of the heated process and causes the difference between the first amount of energy to and the second amount of energy” ([0034] The heated system 100 has a thermal mass (the ability of matter to absorb and store heat energy), which may affect the rate of temperature change in the heated system 100 produced by the heat generating device 102. In some examples, the heat generating device 102 may not be a closed system, but instead may include a vent and a fan that expels some air from the interior of the heated system 100 and pulls in some fresh, ambient air. The higher the fan speed, the more air that is expelled, and the more ambient air that comes into the heated system 100. As the air that is expelled is heated air, more heat energy is lost from the heated system 100 at higher fan speeds than at lower fan speeds. This may also affect the rate of temperature change, causing the temperature to rise slower at a higher fan speed; wherein the air being expelled is a thermal load change process and whose influence would be understood to be different during a ramp up vs. steady state operation for maintaining at or below the setpoint temperature).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Minkovich et al. (US 20070251939) teaches a wafer processing that determines a total energy required to heat a wafer in order to determine a scaling factor for reaching a process temperature
Hoffman et al. (US 5703342) teaches the use of energy conversion laws to determine the heating power as energy over time to reach a desired temperature
Watlow Application Guide – teaches various formulas that are used for determining the energy and power utilized by heaters to reach a target temperature
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JONATHAN M SKRZYCKI whose telephone number is (571)272-0933. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 7:30-3:30.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ken Lo can be reached at 571-272-9774. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JONATHAN MICHAEL SKRZYCKI/Examiner, Art Unit 2116
Prosecution Insights