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 § 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 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mehl (US Patent No.: 4,523,267) in view of Koenig (US Patent No.: US 6,737,762 B2).
As to claim 1, An alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) converter adapted to receive an AC input voltage, comprising:
an energy storage element, which is one of a supercapacitor and a lithium-ion capacitor;
a plurality of silicon controlled rectifiers (SCRs) electrically connected to each other to form a full-bridge rectifier that is disposed to receive the AC input voltage, and electrically connected to said energy storage element, said SCRs being configured to receive a control signal, and to be controlled to switch between a conducting state and a non-conducting state based on the control signal so as to convert the AC input voltage into a DC output voltage that is outputted to said energy storage element; and a first control unit configured to detect zero-crossing points of the AC input voltage and a magnitude of the DC output voltage, and to generate the control signal based on the zero-crossing points and the magnitude of the DC output voltage in a manner that causes the DC output voltage to be at a predetermined voltage magnitude.
(As to claim 1, Mehl teaches (figs.1-5, (col.1, lines 5-8), (col.2, lines 29-46)) an alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) converter 10 adapted to receive an AC input voltage [AC voltage] (via ac generator 12, fig.1), comprising:
an energy storage element [capacitor C1] (fig.1);
a plurality of silicon controlled rectifiers (SCRs) [CR1-CR6] (fig.1, (col.2, lines 47-49), (col.4, lines 3-7)) electrically connected to each other to form a full-bridge rectifier 16 (fig.1) that is disposed to receive the AC input voltage [AC voltage], and electrically connected to said energy storage element [capacitor C1], said SCRs [Cr1-CR6] being configured to receive a control signal (via control circuit 18, see fig.1), and to be controlled to switch between a conducting state and a non-conducting state based on the control signal (switching signals [φA, φB, φC] outputted via control section 38 to control switching operation of (SCRs) [CR1-CR6], see figs.2, 4, 5) so as to convert the AC input voltage into a DC output voltage that is outputted to said energy storage element [capacitor C1] (see fig.1, (col.2, lines 29-46), (col.4, lines 3-7)); and
a first control unit [Control circuit 18] (figs.1-2) configured to detect zero-crossing points (via zero-crossing detector 30, see fig.2, (col.2, lines 55-56),(col.3, lines 6-8)) of the AC input voltage [AC VOLTAGE SENSE] (see figs.1-2, AC voltage phase A, see fig.5) and a magnitude of the DC output voltage [DC VOLTAGE SENSE] (VIA CONTROL 18, SEE FIG.1), and to generate the control signal (to SCR’s [CR1-CR6], figs.1-2, 5) based on the zero-crossing points (of AC voltage (fig.5) detected via said zero crossing detector 30, see fig.2) and the magnitude of the DC output voltage [DC VOLTAGE SENSE] in a manner that causes the DC output voltage to be at a predetermined voltage magnitude [DC voltage value 20] (Mehl teaches maintain the output voltage at the commanded dc voltage value 20, see (col.2, lines 29-46)).
Mehl does not mention a supercapacitor.
Koenig teaches an energy storage device 116 as a supercapacitor (see fig.1, (col.3, lines 53-56)).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to have a supercapacitor of Koenig in the system of Mehl because an energy storage device helps maintain the DC voltage (see Koenig, (col.1, lines 55-66)).
Allowable Subject-Matter
Claims 19-20 are allowed.
Claims 2-18 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: As to claim 2, Mehl and Koenig fails to teach when a logic value of the control signal is equal to a first logical value, said SCRs are in the non-conducting state; when the logic value of the control signal is equal to a second logical value, said SCRs are in the conducting state;
said first control unit is configured to make each change of the logic value of the control signal occur at one of the zero-crossing points of the AC input voltage, and the logic value of the control signal persists as one of the first logical value and the second logical value throughout any period of the AC input voltage;
said first control unit is further configured to reduce a number of voltage raising periods of the AC input voltage when said first control unit determines that the magnitude of the DC output voltage is greater than the predetermined voltage magnitude, where the voltage-raising periods are, within a predetermined length of time, those periods of the AC input voltage during which the logic value of the control signal persists as the second logical value; and said first control unit is further configured to increase the number of the voltage-raising periods of the AC input voltage when said first control unit determines that the DC output voltage is smaller than the predetermined voltage magnitude. Claims 9-13 depend on allowable claim 2.
As to claim 3, Mehl and Koenig fails to teach when a logic value of the control signal is equal to a first logical value, said SCRs are in the non-conducting state; when the logic value of the control signal is equal to a second logical value, said SCRs are in the conducting state; said first control unit is configured to make each change of the logic value of the control signal from the first logical value to the second logical value occur at one of the zero-crossing points of the AC input voltage, and the control signal is a periodic signal having a period that corresponds to a period of the AC input voltage; said first control unit is further configured to reduce a duty cycle of the control signal when said first control unit determines that the magnitude of the DC output voltage is greater than the predetermined voltage magnitude, where the duty cycle of the control signal is a ratio of a duration where the logic value of the control signal is equal to the second logical value to the period of the control signal; and said first control unit is further configured to increase the duty cycle of the control signal when said first control unit determines that the magnitude of the DC output voltage is smaller than the predetermined voltage magnitude. Claims 4-8, 16, 17 depend on allowable claim 3.
As to claim 14, Mehl and Koenig fails to teach a variable-frequency drive (VFD) adapted to an AC power source and an inductive load, comprising:
a second control unit electrically connected to said inverter unit, and configured to control said inverter unit to generate the AC output voltage, and to control one of a frequency and an amplitude of the AC output voltage. Claims 15-16 depend on allowable claim 14.
As to claim 19, Mehl and Koenig fails to teach a variable-frequency drive (VFD) adapted to an AC power source and an inductive load, comprising:
an inverter unit electrically connected to said SCRs so as to receive the DC output voltage, configured to be controlled to convert the DC output voltage to an AC output voltage, and to be electrically connected to the inductive load so as to output the AC output voltage to the inductive load; and to adjust the predetermined voltage magnitude based on a power level of said energy storage element; a second control unit electrically connected to said inverter unit, and configured to control said inverter unit to generate the AC output voltage, and to control one of a frequency and an amplitude of the AC output voltage. Claim 20 depend on allowable claim 19.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANTONY M PAUL whose telephone number is (571)270-1608. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 am to 4 pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mr. Eduardo Colon Santana can be reached at 571-272-2060. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ANTONY M PAUL/
Primary Examiner of Art Unit 2846