DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
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) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu et al, CN 111106613, in view of Li, CN 108173270.
Regarding claims 1 and 13, Wu et al disclose an uninterruptible power supply with energy scheduling function and control method of DC-DC module comprising: {see paragraphs 1-28 of the specification, Figures 1-4) an AC-DC module; a DCDC module; and a DC--AC module, the input of the AC--DC module is configured to be connected to the mains, the output of the DC-AC module is configured to be connected to the load, and the bi-directional DC-DC module is connected to the energy storage battery pack; the DC-DC module having a current source mode and a voltage source mode, when the mains voltage is nominal, the AC-DC module operates in a voltage source mode, in this case, the DCDC module is operated in a current source mode, charge and discharge power of the battery can be scheduled by a hypervisor, when mains outage (equivalent to switching signal), the AC-DC module stops working, seamlessly switching the DC-DC module (equivalent to the power module to be activated) from the current source mode to the voltage source mode can keep the DC bus voltage stable, enabling uninterrupted power supply to the load (control of the power modules to be activated into a current source control mode, control of the control mode of the power modules to be activated to switch to a voltage source control mode, and control of the voltage on the DC bus by the power modules to be activated, based on the operation mode switching signal).
Wu et al fail to disclose starting in current source control mode and adjusting the current given value according to the operating conditions until the carrying system demands power obtaining an operation mode, switching signal of the on-board charger, wherein the operation mode switching signal comprises a switching signal for a different power module of the on--board charger to control a voltage on a DC bus from a primary power module to a power module to control a voltage on a DC bus.
Li discloses an energy saving distribution network low voltage compensating device and method comprising: (see paragraphs l-52 of the specification, figures l-3) a grid connection mode and a photovoltaic mode, when connected to the grid mode, the inverting part current source mode starts, the load current is circulated to the inverting part, the bidirectional thyristor SCR is cut out, the inverting part is switched to voltage source mode start up, and the grid gap voltage is compensated, enabling switching from photovoltaic mode (equivalent to the primary power module) to grid mode (equivalent to the power module to be started).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to employ the technique of switching voltage control mode after start-up in current source control mode of Li to achieve the effect of avoiding interruption of power supply, into the teachings of Wu et al for starting up in current source control mode, applying the operation mode switching control method to the on-board charger, and obtaining the switching signals in the mode of operation of the on-board charger is conventional in the art, based on which to avoid DC voltage shock. An ordinary artisan would readily envision switching signals from the primary power module controlling the voltage on the DC bus to the power module controlling the voltage on the DC bus to be activated according to the needs; to reliably power the system, for adjusting the current given value according to the operating conditions when starting up in the current source control mode until carrying the system demands power. Therefore, it would have been an obvious extension as taught by the prior art.
Regarding claims 2-3, Wu et al also discloses (see paragraphs l-28 of the specification, Figures 1-4): During the current source mode to voltage source mode switching, the current loop PI output value in the voltage source mode of Figure 4 needs to be added to the last current loop PT output value in the current source mode operation of Figure 3 (corresponding to the initial current value) as an initial value at start-up of the voltage source mode to avoid large sudden changes in the control signal to smooth the switching process; controlling the current given value to change to the target current value at start-up with the first initial current value is easily conceivable to the skilled person before switching based thereon; the first initial current value is determined as a function of the operating state of the power module to be activated prior to switching, and the target current value is determined as a function of the total power of the system and the port voltage of the power module to be activated, as is within the ordinary skill of a person skilled in the art; while the system demand power is the full power of the system as is conventional in the mi; accordingly. Therefore, it would have been an obvious extension as taught by the prior art.
Regarding claims 4-5, Wu et al disclose obtaining the operating state of the power module to be activated before switching, based on which in particular by obtaining a port current sample value as an initial current value is within the ordinary skill of a person skilled m the art; it is conventional in the art to sample port current as AC or high side current samples of a car charger as required. Therefore, it would have been an obvious extension as taught by the prior art.
Regarding claims 6-7, Wu et al as modified Li disclose a current source control mode, controlling the operating mode selection switch of the power module to be activated to switch to the current source control mode to activate the current source control mode, and changing the initial current value to the target current value at a preset rate of change are within the ordinary skill of the person skilled in the art. Therefore, it would have been an obvious extension as taught by the prior art.
Regarding claims 8-9, Wu et al also disclose (see paragraphs 1-28 of the specification, figures 1-4 ): when in voltage source mode, the high voltage bus voltage command is V-bus (equivalent to voltage reference), the current bus voltage is V-bus (equivalent to the voltage feedback value), inputting the difference of the two into a voltage loop PI controller, outputting a signal as inductor current command values I*L/\, I*LB, T*LC (equivalent to inductor current reference values) for the 3-pbase 3--bridge arms A, B, C, and separately subtracted from the inductor current of each leg, the inductor current error signal is input into the current loop PI controller, the energy storage battery pack voltage Vbat is subtractively multiplied by l/Vbus with the output of the c1ment loop Pl controller to obtain the duty cycle of the lGBT switch tubes on the leg, and the P\VM module of the DSP outputs a pulsed PWM signal to enable the voltage on the DC bus to be controlled; in the current source mode to voltage source mode switching process, the current loop Pl output value in the voltage source mode of Figure 4 needs to be added to the last current loop PI output value in the current source mode operation of Figure 3 as an initial value at starting-up of the voltage source mode to avoid large sudden changes in the control signal to smooth the switching process; the control of the DC bus voltage by generating a high voltage current reference value from a voltage reference value and a voltage feedback value as required is within the ordinary skill of a person skilled in the art accordingly. Therefore, it would have been an obvious extension as taught by the prior art.
Regarding claim 10, Wu et al disclose that it is within the ordinary skill of a person skilled in the art to generate an inductor current reference value from a voltage reference value and a voltage feedback value, collect a port current sample value by a current controller according to the need for improvement and also combine the port current sample value to obtain an inductor current reference value or a high voltage current reference value. Therefore, it would have been an obvious extension as taught by the prior art. Therefore, it would have been an obvious extension as taught by the prior art.
Regarding claim 11, in order to prevent interference with switched activation, a person skilled in the art would have been motivated to shut down and then control the power module to be activated in the current source control mode if the previous operating state of the power module to be activated is the port voltage source control mock accordingly. Therefore, it would have been an obvious extension as taught by the prior art.
Regarding claim 12, Li disclose (see paragraphs 1 to 52, Figures 1 to 3), in conjunction with Figures 1 to 3, when the photovoltaic mode (corresponding to the primary power module) is switched to grid mode {co1Tesponding to the power module to be activated), when the photovoltaic mode (corresponding to the primary power module) is switched off, corresponding to shut down; while controlling the voltage on the DC bus, it is also contemplated that controlling the primary power modules to start up in the current source control mode with the current given value at the second initial current value is readily contemplated by those skilled in the art, depending on the needs: accordingly. Wu et al in view of Li render the claim obvious.
Regarding claims 14-15, their limitations have been met in the rejection of claim 1 above. Wu et al in view of Li render the claims obvious.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Hjort et al, US Pub. 2006/0043797, disclose a method and apparatus for providing uninterrupted power. Shao, US Pub. 2014/0035530, discloses an electric automobile PWM rectification and converting voltage/current pulse charging system.
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DANIEL ST CYR
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2876
/DANIEL ST CYR/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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