DETAILED ACTION
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, 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) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miura (U.S. Pub. No. 2023/0064439) in view of Li (U.S. Pub. No. 2016/0336733).
Regarding claim 1, Miura discloses a circuit, comprising:
a first circuit (3), wherein a first end of the first circuit is configured to connect to an output end of a power source (1), a second end of the first circuit is configured to connect to a motor (8), and the first circuit is configured to be in a disconnected state under a first condition (3 is a switching transistor which allows for the disconnection); and
Note: applicants drawings label their first circuit 30 which is described as a transistor in their application in ¶103
a second circuit (11 is a snubber circuit) having only two ends and comprising a transient voltage suppression diode (15 ¶31), a resistor (13), and a capacitor (14), wherein the second circuit is configured to absorb an energy shock, a first end of the second circuit is connected to the first end of the first circuit, and a second end of the second circuit is connected to the second end of the first circuit (shown in fig. 1).
Miura does not disclose that these first and second circuit is placed between the inverter and the motor.
Li, which deals in motor circuits, teaches that these first and second circuit is placed between the inverter (122) and the motor (126).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have modified Miura with the order of Li because this is a “conventional” wiring (¶20).
Regarding claim 2 which depends from claim 1, Miura discloses wherein the circuit further comprises: a third circuit (4), wherein a first end of the third circuit is configured to connect to an output end of the power source, a second end of the third circuit is configured to connect to the motor, and the third circuit is configured to be in a disconnected state under a second condition; and a fourth circuit (12), configured to absorb an energy shock, wherein a first end of the fourth circuit is connected to the first end of the third circuit , and a second end of the fourth circuit is connected to the second end of the third circuit.
Miura does no disclose the second inverter.
Li, which deals with the details of the inverter, teaches a second inverter (M3 and M4).
Regarding claim 3 which depends from claim 2, Li discloses wherein the motor comprises a first winding and a second winding (¶21 discloses three phase winding), and wherein the second end of the first circuit is configured to connect to the first winding of the motor and a second end of the third circuit is configured to connect to the second winding of the motor (shown in fig. 2f).
Regarding claim 4 which depends from claim 2, Li discloses further comprising: a fifth circuit (Mw and 312w shown in fig. 3), wherein a first end of the fifth circuit is connected to the first end of the first circuit, a second end of the fifth circuit is connected to the second end of the third circuit (the connections are shown in fig. 3), and the fifth circuit is configured to be connected under a third condition.
Regarding claim 5 which depends from claim 4, Li discloses wherein the third condition comprises at least one of the following: the second inverter is faulty, the third circuit is faulty, or the fourth circuit is faulty (¶17).
Regarding claim 6 which depends from claim 2, Li discloses further comprising: a sixth circuit, wherein a first end of the sixth circuit is connected to the first end of the third circuit, a second end of the sixth circuit is connected to the second end of the first circuit, and the sixth circuit is configured to be connected under a fourth condition (the limitations of this claim have been addressed in claim 4 above).
Regarding claim 7 which depends from claim 6, Li discloses wherein the fourth condition comprises at least one of the following: the first inverter is faulty, the first circuit is faulty, or the second circuit is faulty (the limitations of this claim have been addressed in claim 5 above).
Regarding claim 8 which depends from claim 1, Li discloses wherein(T1).
Regarding claim 9 which depends from claim 8, Li discloses wherein the second circuit further comprises a first resistor (every connected piece has resistance), a first end of the first resistor is connected to the transient voltage suppression diode, and a second end of the first resistor is connected to the second end of the first circuit .
Regarding claim 10 which depends from claim 9, Li discloses wherein the second circuit further comprises a first capacitor (cp1), and the first capacitor is connected in parallel to the first resistor.
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, 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) 11-12, 14-17, 19, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miura (U.S. Pub. No. 2023/0064439) in view of Li (U.S. Pub. No. 2016/0336733) as applied in claim 1 above, and in view of Joyner (U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,491).
Regarding claim 11 and 16, Li discloses a circuit control method for controlling a circuit, wherein [[a]]the circuit comprises a first circuit and a second circuit , a first end of the first circuit is configured to connect to an output end of a first inverter, a second end of the first circuit is configured to connect to a motor, the first circuit is configured to be in a disconnected state under a first condition, the second circuit has two ends and is configured to absorb an energy shock, a first end of the second circuit is connected to the first end of the first circuit , and a second end of the second circuit is connected to the second end of the first circuit (these limitation have been addressed in claim 1 above); and the method comprises:
Li does not disclose obtaining a rotational speed of the motor; [[if]]in response to determining that the rotational speed of the motor is less than a first threshold, determining whether the first condition is satisfied; and in response to determining that the first condition is satisfied, controlling the first circuit to be in the disconnected state.
Joyner, which deals in motors and circuits, teaches obtaining a rotational speed of the motor; [[if]]in response to determining that the rotational speed of the motor is less than a first threshold, determining whether the first condition is satisfied; and in response to determining that the first condition is satisfied, controlling the first circuit to be in the disconnected state (col. 10, lines 34-39).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have modified Li with the triggering of the switches of Joyner because this can reduce the cost of the system (col. 10, lines 40-44).
Regarding claim 12 and 17 which depends from claim 11 and 16 respectively, Li discloses wherein the first condition comprises that the energy shock is detected, wherein the energy shock comprises at least one of the following: a counter electromotive force shock or a current shock (¶29 discusses the shock detection).
Regarding claim 14 and 19 which depends from claim 11 and 16 respectively, Li discloses wherein the circuit further comprises a third circuit , a fourth circuit , and a fifth circuit ; a first end of the third circuit is configured to connect to an output end of a second inverter, a second end of the third circuit is configured to connect to the motor, and the third circuit is configured to be in a disconnected state under a second condition; the fourth circuit is configured to absorb an energy shock, a first end of the fourth circuit is connected to the first end of the third circuit , a second end of the fourth circuit is connected to the second end of the third circuit , a first end of the fifth circuit is connected to the first end of the first circuit , a second end of the fifth circuit is connected to the second end of the third circuit , and the fifth circuit is configured to be connected under a third condition (the limitations of this claim have been addressed above in claims 4 and 6); and the method further comprises: obtaining circuit fault information; and [[if]]in response to determining that the circuit fault information indicates that at least one of the second inverter, the third circuit , or the fourth circuit is faulty, controlling the fifth circuit to be connected (¶17).
Regarding claim 15 and 20 which depends from claim 14 and 19 respectively, Li discloses wherein the circuit further comprises a sixth circuit , a first end of the sixth circuit is connected to the first end of the third circuit , a second end of the sixth circuit is connected to the second end of the first circuit , and the sixth circuit is configured to be connected under a fourth condition; and the method further comprises: [[if]]in response to determining that the circuit fault information indicates that at least one of the first inverter, the first circuit , or the second circuit is faulty, controlling the sixth circuit to be connected (shown in fig. 3).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 13 and 18 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the claims require that two readings be taken, angular velocity and torque, of a motor to calculate a rotational speed from each measurement. If the difference between the two measurements is smaller than a threshold the two numbers are used to calculate a third value of the rotational speed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 08/13/25 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues on pages 9 and 10 for the deficiencies of the Li reference in light of the amendments. The amendment have been addressed above.
Conclusion
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GONZALO LAGUARDA
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3747 email: gonzalo.laguarda@uspto.gov
/GONZALO LAGUARDA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747