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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Elshaer (US 2025/0015714).
The applied reference has a common assignee and applicant with the instant application. Based upon the earlier effectively filed date of the reference, it constitutes prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2). This rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) might be overcome by: (1) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(a) that the subject matter disclosed in the reference was obtained directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor of this application and is thus not prior art in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(A); (2) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(b) of a prior public disclosure under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(B) if the same invention is not being claimed; or (3) a statement pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) establishing that, not later than the effective filing date of the claimed invention, the subject matter disclosed in the reference and the claimed invention were either owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person or subject to a joint research agreement.
Re claim 1: Elshaer teaches a vehicle (55) comprising a traction battery (76); an electric machine (72); an inverter system controller (50) connected between the traction battery and electric machine; and a circuit arrangement including an AC/DC power factor correction circuit (22), a transformer (66), a switch bridge (74) connected between the AC/DC power factor correction circuit (22) and transformer (66), and a switch (70) configured to connect the transformer (66) to a phase leg of the electric machine (72) between the electric machine (72) and inverter system controller (50) such that when the switch is closed, the circuit arrangement, electric machine, and inverter system controller form a bi-directional AC/DC – DC/AC power converter (paragraph 0055)(see figs. 1-5; paragraphs 0031-0055).
Re claim 2: Wherein the inverter system controller includes capacitors (64, 68) connected in series and wherein the transformer (68) is connected between the capacitors (fig. 3).
Re claim 3: Wherein the capacitors are connected in parallel with the traction battery (fig. 3).
Re claim 4: Wherein the inverter system controller further includes a plurality of switches (58) and wherein the capacitors (68) are connected between the switches (58) and traction battery (76)(fig. 3).
Re claim 5: Wherein the AC/DC power factor correction circuit includes an AC/DC power converter circuitry (34) and a switch bank (32) together serving as a bidirectional totem pole power factor correction circuit (fig. 1).
Re claim 6: Wherein the AC/DC power factor correction circuit further includes an electromagnetic interference filter (30) and wherein the bidirectional totem pole power factor correction circuit is connected between the electromagnetic interference filter (30) and switch bridge. (74).
Re claim 7: Wherein the switch is configured to be open during a drive mode and close during a charge mode (paragraph 0042).
Re claim 8: Elshaer teaches a method comprising closing a switch of a circuit arrangement to connect an AC/DC power factor correction circuit (22), a switch bridge (74), and a transformer (66) of the circuit arrangement across an inverter system controller connected between an electric machine (72) and a traction battery (76) such that the circuit arrangement, electric machine, and inverter system controller form a bi-directional AC/DC – DC/AC power converter configured to transfer power from an AC source to the traction battery (paragraph 0055)(see figs. 1-5; paragraphs 0031-0055).
Re claim 9: The method further comprising opening the switch after charge of the traction battery (paragraph 0042)..
Re claim 10: Elshaer teaches an automotive power system comprising a circuit arrangement including an AC/DC power factor correction circuit (22), a transformer (66), and a switch (70) configured to connect the transformer to a phase leg of an electric machine between the electric machine and an inverter system controller; and a controller programmed to close the switch such that the circuit arrangement, electric machine, and inverter system controller form a bi-directional AC/DC – DC/AC power converter configured to transfer power from an AC source to a traction battery (paragraph 0055)(see figs. 1-5; paragraphs 0031-0055).
Re claim 11: Wherein the circuit arrangement further includes a switch bridge (74) connected between the AC/DC power factor correction circuit and transformer.
Re claim 12: Wherein the AC/DC power factor correction circuit includes an AC/DC power converter circuitry (34) and a switch bank (32) together serving as a bidirectional totem pole power factor correction circuit (fig. 1).
Re claim 13: Wherein the AC/DC power factor correction circuit further includes an electromagnetic interference filter (30).
Re claim 14: Wherein the bidirectional totem pole power factor correction circuit is connected between the electromagnetic interference filter (30 and switch bridge (74).
Re claim 15: Wherein the circuit arrangement further includes capacitors (64, 68) and wherein the transformer (68) is connected between the capacitors (fig. 3).
Re claim 16: Wherein the controller is further programmed to open the switch after charge of the traction battery (paragraph 0042).
Re claim 17: Wherein the switch is a relay (paragraph 0054).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Wang (US 2017/0282747), Kusch et al. (EP 3238978), and Pastor et al. (US 10351004) teach charging systems.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEUNG H LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-2401. The examiner can normally be reached 7-4:00PM.
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/SEUNG H LEE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
