DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to amendments filed on 06/08/2026. Claims 1-20 are pending.
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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 3, 12, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yeh et al. US 20110279074 A1 (Hereinafter “Yeh”).
Regarding Claim 1, Yeh teaches a propulsion unit (Fig. 1, 100) for an electric or hybrid vehicle ([0017], HEV), comprising:
a rotary electric machine (Fig. 1, 110) comprising a stator (Fig. 1, 115, 116, 117) and a permanent-magnet rotor ([0018]),
an inverter/rectifier (Fig. 1, 120) electrically connected to an electrical stator winding and capable of being connected to an on-board electrical system of the vehicle, and
a control device (Fig. 1, 170 & 150) of the inverter/rectifier, the control device comprising:
a temperature sensor ([0038], thermistor or thermocouple), capable of providing a measurement representative of the temperature of the permanent magnets of the rotor, and
a temperature estimator module (Fig. 1, 174 & 176), capable of providing an estimate representative of a temperature of the permanent magnets of the rotor,
the control device generating, in a main mode of operation, setpoints ([0025]) for the inverter/rectifier by using, as a signal representative of the temperature:
the measurement provided by the temperature sensor, and the estimate provided by the temperature estimator module, for all or some of the rotation speeds of the rotor ([0026]).
Regarding Claim 2, Yeh teaches the unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is an NTC or PTC temperature probe or a thermocouple ([0038], thermistor or thermocouple).
Regarding Claim 3, Yeh teaches the unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the temperature estimator module implements a thermal model of the rotary electric machine, including a map linking temperature and phase currents in the electrical stator winding ([0043] Lookup tables).
Regarding Claim 12, Yeh teaches a method for controlling an inverter/rectifier (Fig. 1, 120) electrically connected to electrical stator winding (Fig. 1, 115, 116, 117) of a rotary electric machine (Fig. 1, 110) having a permanent-magnet rotor ([0018]),
the method, according to a main mode of operation, comprising:
generating setpoints for the inverter/rectifier by using, as a signal representative of a temperature of permanent magnets of the rotor ([0025]):
a measurement representative of the temperature provided by a temperature sensor and an estimate representative of the temperature provided by a temperature estimator module, for all or some rotation speeds of the rotor ([0026]).
Regarding Claim 13, Yeh teaches the unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the temperature estimator module implements a thermal model of the rotary electric machine, including a map linking temperature and phase currents in the electrical stator winding ([0043] Lookup tables).
Claims 9 & 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yeh in view of Hao et al. US 20170334297 A1 (Hereinafter “Hao”).
Regarding Claim 9, Yeh teaches the unit as claimed in claim 1,
Yeh does not expressly disclose the rotary electric machine has a rated voltage of 48 V.
However, Hao teaches the rotary electric machine has a rated voltage of 48 V (Hao [0014], the traction battery 22 is a lithium ion high-voltage battery with a nominal voltage of 48 volts).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the rotary electric machine has a rated voltage of 48 V as taught by Hao in the system of Yeh, for the purpose to enhance efficiency.
Regarding Claim 18, Yeh teaches the unit as claimed in claim 2,
Yeh does not expressly disclose the rotary electric machine has a rated voltage of 48 V.
However, Hao teaches the rotary electric machine has a rated voltage of 48 V (Hao [0014], the traction battery 22 is a lithium ion high-voltage battery with a nominal voltage of 48 volts).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the rotary electric machine has a rated voltage of 48 V as taught by Hao in the system of Yeh, for the purpose to enhance efficiency.
Claims 10 & 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yeh, in view of Leonardi et al. US 20040046519 A1 (Hereinafter “Leonardi”).
Regarding Claim 10, Yeh teaches a hybrid or electric vehicle powertrain, comprising:
the propulsion unit as claimed in claim 1,
Yeh does not expressly disclose a gearbox, comprising pinions, defining gearbox ratios, and a front axle and a rear axle, a shaft of the rotary electric machine being rigidly connected, for conjoint rotation: to an input shaft of the gearbox, or to an output shaft of the gearbox, or to idler pinions of the gearbox, or to the front axle or the rear axle.
However, Leonardi teaches a gearbox (Leonardi Fig. 1, 20), comprising pinions, defining gearbox ratios, and
a front axle and a rear axle (Leonardi Fig. 1, 66), the shaft of the rotary electric machine being rigidly connected, for conjoint rotation:
to an input shaft of the gearbox, or
to an output shaft (Leonardi Fig. 1, 44) of the gearbox, or
to idler pinions of the gearbox, or
to the front axle or the rear axle.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement a gearbox, comprising pinions, defining gearbox ratios, and a front axle and a rear axle, a shaft of the rotary electric machine being rigidly connected, for conjoint rotation: to an input shaft of the gearbox, or to an output shaft of the gearbox, or to idler pinions of the gearbox, or to the front axle or the rear axle as taught by Leonardi in the system of Yeh, to change the speed, direction of rotation, or torque multiplication or reduction, in a vehicle.
Regarding Claim 19, Yeh teaches a hybrid or electric vehicle powertrain, comprising: the propulsion unit as claimed in claim 2,
Yeh does not expressly disclose a gearbox, comprising pinions, defining gearbox ratios, and a front axle and a rear axle, a shaft of the rotary electric machine being rigidly connected, for conjoint rotation: to an input shaft of the gearbox, or to an output shaft of the gearbox, or to idler pinions of the gearbox, or to the front axle or the rear axle.
However, Leonardi teaches a gearbox (Leonardi Fig. 1, 20), comprising pinions, defining gearbox ratios, and
a front axle and a rear axle (Leonardi Fig. 1, 66), the shaft of the rotary electric machine being rigidly connected, for conjoint rotation:
to an input shaft of the gearbox, or
to an output shaft (Leonardi Fig. 1, 44) of the gearbox, or
to idler pinions of the gearbox, or
to the front axle or the rear axle.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement a gearbox, comprising pinions, defining gearbox ratios, and a front axle and a rear axle, a shaft of the rotary electric machine being rigidly connected, for conjoint rotation: to an input shaft of the gearbox, or to an output shaft of the gearbox, or to idler pinions of the gearbox, or to the front axle or the rear axle as taught by Leonardi in the system of Yeh, to change the speed, direction of rotation, or torque multiplication or reduction, in a vehicle.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-8, 11, 14-17, and 20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CORTEZ M COOK whose telephone number is (571)270-7954. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 7:30-5pm.
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/CORTEZ M COOK/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2846
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