DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 10-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by SHIMOMURA (US 20180131178 A1).
Re Claim 10: SHIMOMURA discloses a method for controlling a device for enabling and interrupting a flow of electric current between a battery and a load or a charging device (p21: controls a system that supplies power of a battery mounted in the vehicle to a motor through an inverter.), the device including at least one transistor (fig. 1: 3, p26: switching device 3 is a P-channel MOSFET), the method comprising:
setting a gate voltage of the at least one transistor based on: i) a current flowing
through the at least one transistor (p49: the driving control device 5 may adjust the gate voltage such that the current flowing through the current path does not exceed an allowed current value of each device connected to the current path.), and/or a temperature of the at least one transistor.
Re Claim 11: SHIMOMURA discloses the method according to claim 10, further comprising: increasing the gate voltage when the current flowing through the at least one transistor exceeds a first predetermined value (p49: the driving control device 5 may adjust the gate voltage such that the current flowing through the current path does not exceed an allowed current value of each device connected to the current path.).
Re Claim 12: SHIMOMURA discloses the method according to claim 10, further comprising: reducing the gate voltage when the current flowing through the at least one
transistor falls below a second predetermined value (p49: the driving control device 5 may adjust the gate voltage such that the current flowing through the current path does not exceed an allowed current value of each device connected to the current path.).
Re Claim 13: SHIMOMURA discloses the method according to claim 10, further comprising: setting the gate voltage to a negative value for a predetermined period of time as soon as the device has been switched on (p47: the driving voltage of the switching device 3 is gradually raised from a low state from time t3) and the current flowing through the at least one transistor is not constant (p44: the driving control device 5 raises the driving voltage... from VOFF... at time t3... to time t4).
Re Claim 14: SHIMOMURA discloses the method according to claim 10, further comprising: setting the gate voltage is set to a negative value for a further predetermined period of time as soon as the device has been switched off (p66: lowers the driving voltage of the switching device 3 from VON to VOFF... switching the switching device 3 from the On state to the Off state) and the current flowing through the at least one transistor is greater than 0 amperes (p64: in a state in which the current flows through the current path... the driving control device 5 sets the switching device 3 and the relay 4 to the Off states).
Re Claim 15: SHIMOMURA discloses the method according to claim 10, further comprising: setting the gate voltage 0 volts or to a negative value when the device has been switched off and the current flowing through the at least one transistor is equal to 0 A (p66: the driving control device 5... lowers the driving voltage of the relay 4 from VON to VOFF... switching the relay 4 from the On state to the Off state).
Re Claim 16: SHIMOMURA discloses the method according to claim 15, wherein the at least one transistor is a metaloxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) or a traction inverter (p26: switching device 3 is a P-channel MOSFET).
Re Claim 17: SHIMOMURA discloses the method according to claim 10, wherein the device is controlled in an electric vehicle, or in a hybrid vehicle, or in a plug-in hybrid vehicle (p21: The power supply control apparatus according to this embodiment is disposed in a vehicle).
Re Claim 18: SHIMOMURA discloses a circuit device, comprising:
an arrangement configured to control a device (p34: The driving control device 5 is a controller that controls On/Off of the switching device 3 and the relay 4) for enabling and interrupting a flow of electric current between a battery and a load or a charging device (p21: controls a system that supplies power of a battery mounted in the vehicle to a motor through an inverter.), the device including at least one transistor (fig. 1: 3, p26: switching device 3 is a P-channel MOSFET), the arrangement configured to:
set a gate voltage of the at least one transistor based on: i) a current flowing
through the at least one transistor (p49: the driving control device 5 may adjust the gate voltage such that the current flowing through the current path does not exceed an allowed current value of each device connected to the current path.), and/or a temperature of the at least one transistor.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TAE W KIM whose telephone number is (571)272-5971. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30AM-5:30PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven S Paik can be reached at 5712722404. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TAE W KIM/Examiner, Art Unit 2876
/THIEN M LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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