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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1-8, 10-16 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mirzaei (US 2022/0393503 A1), and in view of Nagabhushanrao et al. (US 2024/0006912 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Mirzaei teaches a power distribution unit (PDU) having a first input configured to receive power from a main power source (see Mirzaei fig 3 element 122, para 0039, and claim 1) and a second input configured to receive power from an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) (see Mirzaei fig 3 element 124, 364, para 0039, and claim 1), wherein the UPS is configured to directly power an output alternating current (AC) load after the main power source in unavailable (see Mirzaei abstract, para 64-65 and claim 1), and the UPS is further configured to power an output high voltage direct current (HVDC) load via passing current through a transformer to boost the voltage and an AC/DC converter (see Mirzaei fig 3 elements 124, 310, 316, 330, and para 58-61, 65).
Mirzaei is silent on teaching the use of an autotransformer to boost the voltage.
However, Nagabhushanrao teaches the use of an autotransformer to increase the voltage in an uninterruptable power supply (see Nagabhushanrao paragraph 43, 73-77).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Mirzaei to include the teachings of Nagabhushanrao to use an autotransformer instead of a traditional transformer to increase efficiency while reducing cost and size.
Regarding Claim 2, the combination of Mirzaei and Nagabhushanrao teaches the system of claim 1, further comprising a first contact switch to detect main power availability (see Mirzaei fig 3 element 304 and para 58-59, 65), wherein when main power is available, the first contact switch is in a first position to enable a signal to enable normal operating conditions, and wherein when main power is not available, the first contact switch is in a second position to enable power loss mode operating conditions (see Mirzaei para 58-59, 65, 67, The contactor 304 is energized by the main power input and thus is controlled based on the main power being available).
Regarding Claim 3, the combination of Mirzaei and Nagabhushanrao teaches the system of claim 2, further comprising a delay circuit (see Mirzaei abstract, fig 2 element 209, para 74 and Claim 1), wherein the delay circuit is enabled to determine whether the power loss detected by the first contact switch is a momentary power loss or a significant power loss (see Mirzaei para 39, 74-75, Claim 1).
Regarding Claim 4, the combination of Mirzaei and Nagabhushanrao teaches the system of claim 3, wherein the delay circuit includes a timer which closes a delay contact after a threshold period of time (see Mirzaei para 74-75).
Regarding Claim 5, the combination of Mirzaei and Nagabhushanrao teaches the system of claim 4, further comprising a second contact (see Mirzaei fig 3 element 358, para 74), wherein the second contact closes after the delay contact closes if the power loss exceeds a threshold period of time, and wherein closing the second contact enables the UPS to provide power to the transformer (see Mirzaei para 74).
Regarding Claim 6, the combination of Mirzaei and Nagabhushanrao teaches the system of claim 1, wherein the output AC load supplies AC power to a plurality of systems of a computed tomography (CT) imaging system (see Mirzaei fig 1 element 100, para 32, 64, and Claim 5).
Regarding Claim 7, the combination of Mirzaei and Nagabhushanrao teaches the system of claim 1, wherein the output HVDC load supplies HVDC power to a plurality of systems within a gantry of a computed tomography (CT) imaging system (see Mirzaei para 60, 64, and claim 6).
Regarding Claim 8, the combination of Mirzaei and Nagabhushanrao teaches the system of claim 1, wherein the UPS is configured to power the output AC load and the output HVDC load in response to power from the main power source being unavailable (see Mirzaei para 65 and claim 7).
Regarding Claim 10, Mirzaei teaches a computed tomography (CT) imaging system, comprising:
a gantry coupled to an output HVDC load (see Mirzaei fig 1 element 100, para 7, 60, and claim 8);
a power cabinet coupled to an output AC load (see Mirzaei fig 1 element 120, para 7 and claim 8);
a power distribution unit (PDU) (see Mirzaei fig 1, 3 element 120, para 39-40, and claim 8);
wherein the PDU includes a first input configured to receive power from a main power source and a second input configured to receive power from an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) (see Mirzaei fig 3 element 122 and 364, para 39 and claim 8), wherein the UPS provides power to the HVDC load via a transformer when the main power source is unavailable (see Mirzaei fig 3 elements 124, 310, 320, 330, para 65 and claim 8);
a plurality of contactors and a timer coupled to the PDU and UPS (see Mirzaei para 7 and claim 8); and
a controller with computer readable instructions stored on memory thereof for controlling the plurality of contactors based on availability of the main power source and an input from the timer (see Mirzaei para 7 and claim 8).
Mirzaei is silent on teaching the use of an autotransformer.
However, Nagabhushanrao teaches the use of an autotransformer to increase the voltage in an uninterruptable power supply (see Nagabhushanrao paragraph 43, 73-77).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Mirzaei to include the teachings of Nagabhushanrao to use an autotransformer instead of a traditional transformer to increase efficiency while reducing cost and size.
Regarding Claim 11, the combination of Mirzaei and Nagabhushanrao teaches the CT imaging system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of contactors includes a first contact switch to detect main power availability (see Mirzaei fig 3 element 304 and para 58-59, 65), wherein when main power is available, the first contact switch is in a first position to enable a signal to enable normal operating conditions, and wherein when main power is not available, the first contact switch is in a second position to enable power loss mode operating conditions (see Mirzaei para 58-59, 65, 67, The contactor 304 is energized by the main power input and thus is controlled based on the main power being available).
Regarding Claim 12, the combination of Mirzaei and Nagabhushanrao teaches the CT imaging system of claim 11, further comprising a delay circuit (see Mirzaei abstract, fig 2 element 209, para 74 and Claim 1), wherein the delay circuit is enabled to determine whether the power loss detected by the first contact switch is a momentary power loss or a significant power loss (see Mirzaei para 39, 74-75, Claim 1).
Regarding Claim 13, the combination of Mirzaei and Nagabhushanrao teaches the CT imaging system of claim 12, wherein the delay circuit includes a timer which closes a delay contact after a threshold period of time (see Mirzaei para 74-75).
Regarding Claim 14, the combination of Mirzaei and Nagabhushanrao teaches the CT imaging system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of contactors further includes a second contact (see Mirzaei fig 3 element 358, para 74), wherein the second contact closes after the delay contact closes if the power loss exceeds a threshold period of time, and wherein closing the second contact enables the UPS to provide power to the transformer (see Mirzaei para 74).
Regarding Claim 15, the combination of Mirzaei and Nagabhushanrao teaches the CT imaging system of claim 10, wherein the output AC load supplies AC power to a plurality of systems of a computed tomography (CT) imaging system (see Mirzaei fig 1 element 100, para 32, 64, and Claim 5).
Regarding Claim 16, the combination of Mirzaei and Nagabhushanrao teaches the CT imaging system of claim 10, wherein output HVDC load supplies HVDC power to a plurality of systems within a gantry of a computed tomography (CT) imaging system (see Mirzaei para 60, 64, and claim 6).
Regarding Claim 18, Mirzaei teaches a method for a computed tomography (CT) imaging system, the method executed via instructions stored on memory of a controller (see Mirzaei claim 15), the method, comprising:
in response to a main power source being unavailable (see Mirzaei para 8 and claim 15);
powering an output AC load directly via an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) (see Mirzaei para 8 and claim 15);
waiting for a time delay (see Mirzaei para 6 and claim 15);
powering an output HVDC load via power coupled from the UPS via a transformer to boost a voltage output from the UPS (see Mirzaei para 8, 64-65 and claim 15); and
in response to the main power source becoming available (see Mirzaei para 8, 39 claim 15):
waiting for a tube of the CT imaging system to cool (see Mirzaei para 4, 75-76, 80, and claim 15, 19); and
powering the output HVDC load via the main power source (see Mirzaei para 8, 64-65 and claim 15).
Mirzaei is silent on teaching the use of an autotransformer.
However, Nagabhushanrao teaches the use of an autotransformer to increase the voltage in an uninterruptable power supply (see Nagabhushanrao paragraph 43, 73-77).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Mirzaei to include the teachings of Nagabhushanrao to use an autotransformer instead of a traditional transformer to increase efficiency while reducing cost and size.
Claim(s) 9 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mirzaei (US 2022/0393503 A1), and in view of Nagabhushanrao et al. (US 2024/0006912 A1) and in further view of Chaudhury (US 2023/0225694 A1).
Regarding Claim 9, the combination of Mirzaei and Nagabhushanrao teaches the system of claim 1, but is silent on teaching a capacitor to hold sufficient charge to overcome power disruptions and prevent the need to reboot the system.
Chaudhury teaches a UPS system with a capacitor to hold sufficient charge to overcome power disruptions as a bias voltage in (see Chaudhury fig 1 element 6 and para 56-57).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Chaudhury into that of the combination of Mirzaei and Nagabhushanrao, thus reducing the power loss between the main power loss and the UPS battery system becoming stable.
Regarding Claim 17, the combination of Mirzaei and Nagabhushanrao teaches the CT imaging system of claim 10, but is silent on teaching a capacitor to hold sufficient charge to overcome power disruptions and prevent the need to reboot the system.
Chaudhury teaches a UPS system with a capacitor to hold sufficient charge to overcome power disruptions as a bias voltage in (see Chaudhury fig 1 element 6 and para 56-57).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Chaudhury into that of the combination of Mirzaei and Nagabhushanrao, thus reducing the power loss between the main power loss and the UPS battery system becoming stable.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSHUA J SWEET whose telephone number is (571)272-6776. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30 - 4:30.
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/JOSHUA JAMES SWEET/Examiner, Art Unit 2836
/REXFORD N BARNIE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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