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 .
This non-final office action is responsive to Applicants' application filed on 01/12/24. Claims 1-17 are presented for examination and are pending for the reasons indicated herein below.
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 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.
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 4, 15 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention. The claims use the term “near” and thus, renders the limitation indefinite since the claim does not positively recite the limitation. For the sake of examining each limitation has been interpreted as a substantial value. Examiner notes the specifications defines this term as adjacent.
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, 4-7, 9, 15-17 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Asako et al. (US 20190123732 A1)
Regarding claim 1. Asako teaches a method for momentary value-dependent actuation of a topological semiconductor switch for a power electronics system in real time [abstract], wherein the topological semiconductor switch is divided into at least to groups of power semiconductors [SW1 group switches and SW2 group switches], which are formed from different semiconductor materials and/or different types of semiconductors [i.e. MOSFETS or IGBT, ¶ 51], the method comprising: obtaining a momentary value [IN2, fig 10, S30] for at least one variable physical value [i.e. ON/OFF value, ¶95] describing an operating state [i.e. power being use] of the power electronics system, at predetermined times;
comparing the momentary value [s30] for the at least one variable physical value with a negative switching threshold [OFF command, negative value relative to ON command] and a positive switching threshold [ON command]; and determining, based on a result of the comparison, which of the at least two groups of power semiconductors are to be actuated in order to conduct output electricity [fig 10 s30 follows to s31].
Regarding claim 4. Asako teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the negative or positive switching thresholds includes a hysteresis [due to all switches having an internal resonance a hysteresis is inherently included when switching to on or off] near the at least one of the negative or positive switching thresholds .
Regarding claim 5. Asako teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor materials comprise at least Si, SiC, or GaN, and/or wherein the types of semiconductors comprise at least MOSFET, IGBT, or JFET [¶ 51].
Regarding claim 6. Asako teaches the method according to claim 1, comprising: defining the negative and positive switching thresholds on a basis of an observed physical value [switching thresholds are determined based on physical parameters captured from converter, see paragraphs 61 to 62].
Regarding claim 7. Asako teaches the method according to claim 1, comprising; determining switching signals for actuating the topological semiconductor switch [figure 10 S31]; and linking the momentary value [method of figure 10 shows linking cited momentary value to controlling the state of the switches] for the at least one variable physical value to the switching signals to obtain an actuation signal with which at least one selected group of the at least two groups of power semiconductors is actuated.
Regarding claim 9. Asako teaches an analog circuit [Dr, figure 3 since SW2 is controlled by an analog signal, thus, Dr can be considered analog circuit] for momentary value-dependent actuation of a topological semiconductor switch for a power electronics system in real time [abstract], wherein the topological semiconductor switch is divided into at least to groups of power semiconductors [SW1 group switches and SW2 group switches], which are formed from different semiconductor materials and/or different types of semiconductors [i.e. MOSFETS or IGBT, ¶ 51], the analog circuit comprising: circuitry configured to: obtain a momentary value [IN2, fig 10, S30] for at least one variable physical value [i.e. ON/OFF value, ¶95] describing an operating state [i.e. power being use] of the power electronics system, at predetermined times; compare the momentary value [s30] for the at least one variable physical value with a negative switching threshold [OFF command, negative value relative to ON command] and a positive switching threshold [ON command]; and determine, based on a result of the comparison, which of the at least two groups of power semiconductors are to be actuated in order to conduct output electricity [fig 10 s30 follows to s31].
Regarding claim 15. Asako teaches the analog circuit according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the negative or positive switching thresholds includes a hysteresis near the at least one of the negative or positive switching thresholds [due to all switches having an internal resonance a hysteresis is inherently included when switching to on or off].
Regarding claim 16. Asako teaches the analog circuit according to claim 9, wherein the semiconductor materials comprise at least Si, SiC, or GaN, and/or wherein the types of semiconductors comprise at least MOSFET, IGBT, or JFET [paragraph 51].
Regarding claim 17. Asako teaches the analog circuit according to claim 9, wherein the negative and positive switching thresholds are defined on a basis of an observed physical value [switching thresholds are determined based on physical parameters captured from converter, see paragraphs 61 to 62].
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 of this title, 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.
Claims 10-12 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Asako et al. (US 20190123732 A1) in view of Chen et al. (US 20150098187 A1)
Regarding claim 10. Asako teaches an electronic module for actuating an electric drive [31]in a device, comprising: an inverter [inverter shown in figure 1] comprising the analog circuit according to claim 9. However, Asako does not explicitly mention the electric drive is in a vehicle. Whereas Chen teaches having an electric drive for a vehicle [figure 1, see 36 with 38]. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the features of Chen in order to provide power to the vehicle thus driving the vehicle forward.
Regarding claim 11. Asako as modified teaches an electric drive for a vehicle, comprising: the electronic module according to claim 10 for actuating the electric drive [see rejection applied to claim 10].
Regarding claim 12. Asako as modified teaches a vehicle [vehicle of Chen] comprising: the electric drive according to claim 10.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-3,8 and 13-14 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, and if the claim objections stated above were overcome.
Examiner Note
The examiner cites particular columns and lines numbers in the references as applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that, in preparing responses, the applicant fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Bryan Perez whose telephone number is (571)272-8837. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon.-Fri. (7:30 – 5:00).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Crystal Hammond, can be reached on (571) 270-1682. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRYAN R PEREZ/Examiner, Art Unit 2838