DETAILED ACTION
1. This office action is a response to communication submitted on 04/15/2024.
Information Disclosure Statement
2. The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
3. Claims 1-20 are presented for examination.
Claim Rejections – 35 USC § 102
4. 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:
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.
(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.
5. Claims 1-3, 5-12 and 14-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) or 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by DING et al. (CN 114014122 A).
In regards to claims 1, 10 and 18 DING shows (Figs. 1-6) and discloses a control system and method for controlling safe torque off (STO) operation of an elevator system and for safe torque off (STO) operation (see Description, i.e. the machine room safety comprises one of the following ways: cutting the current of the traction driving and controlling the three-phase inverter to cut off the current of the motor traction the safety off the torque, wherein the mode of safety off the torque comprises turning off the driving circuit of the three-phase inverter), comprising:
a motor (elevator traction motor, claim 1);
a digital signal processor (see DSP module, Figs. 3-7, 6) which outputs three-phase low side pulse width modulation (PWM) signals and three-phase high side PWM signals (see description, i.e. the input end of the amplifying circuit one is connected with the DSP controller; receiving the PWM signal output by the DSP controller, the enabling end of the amplifying circuit one is connected with the controller module, Further, the lower bridge driving module is composed of a digital isolator, amplifying circuit two and driving optical coupler; the input end of the digital isolator is connected with the DSP controller; receiving the PWM signal output by the DSP controller);
an inverter receptive of the three-phase low side PWM signals and the three-phase high side PWM signals, the inverter being configured to combine the three-phase low side PWM signals and the three-phase high side PWM signals into a three-phase high-voltage output to control the motor (see claim 1, Fig. 3, three-phase inverter); and
a digital isolator (see claim 12, Fig. 3, the isolator between the DSP and module 74AHC08) electrically interposed between the DSP and the inverter and configured to selectively block at least a portion of the three-phase high side PWM signals from being received by the inverter (see Description, i.e. the upper bridge driving module is composed of an amplifying circuit one and a driving optical coupler; the input end of the amplifying circuit one is connected with the DSP controller; receiving the PWM signal output by the DSP controller… under the condition that the UP1 and the UP2 judges out the elevator safety the three-phase inverter module safety the safety signal, allowing the PWM signal of the control power device is applied to the three-phase inverter).
In regards to claims 2 and 11, DING shows (Figs. 1-6) and discloses wherein the motor is rotatable in accordance with the three-phase PWM command signals to raise or lower an elevator car (implicit as he three-phase inverter is a power device for driving the motor to operate, by the PWM signal of the control end, controlling the on or off of the power device, so as to control the operation of the motor, see Description, claim 1).
In regards to claims 3 and 12, DING shows (Figs. 1-6) and discloses wherein, when the digital isolator selectively blocks at least the portion of the three-phase high side PWM signals, the inverter is prevented from combining the three-phase low side PWM signals and the three-phase high side PWM signals into the three-phase high-voltage output and the motor is prevented from rotating (implicit as SN74LV244 chip and 74AHC08 chip “UP1/UP2” connected to the DSP module selectively cut/stops upper/lower branch of inverter, see Description, claim 6, Fig. 3).
In regards to claims 5 and 14, DING shows (Figs. 1-6) and discloses wherein the DSP outputs the three-phase low side PWM signals and the three-phase high side PWM signals as a gate signal (the input end of the amplifying circuit one is connected with the DSP controller; receiving the PWM signal output by the DSP controller, the enabling end of the amplifying circuit one is connected with the controller module, receiving the function safety information output by the controller module, the output end of the amplifying circuit one is connected with the driving optical coupler; the signal of the output driving power device, also switches on inverter are connected by the base/gate node, see Description, Fig. 3).
In regards to claims 6 and 15, DING shows (Figs. 1-6) and discloses, wherein the inverter comprises: multiple switches such as a first, second and third switches for each component of the three-phase low side PWM signals; and first, second and third switches for each component of the three-phase high side PWM signals (see Fig. 3).
In regards to claim 7, DING shows (Figs. 1-6) and discloses, wherein the digital isolator blocks two components of the three-phase high side PWM signals from being received by the inverter (see Fig. 3).
In regards to claim 8, DING shows (Figs. 1-6) and discloses, wherein the digital isolator blocks three components of the three-phase high side PWM signals from being received by the inverter (implicit as SN74LV244 chip and 74AHC08 chip “UP1/UP2” connected to the DSP module selectively cut/stops upper/lower branch of inverter, see Description, claim 6, Fig. 3)..
In regards to claims 9, 17 and 20, DING shows (Figs. 1-6) and discloses, wherein the digital isolator is further configured to selectively block at least a portion of the three-phase low side PWM signals from being received by the inverter (see Description, i.e. implicit as SN74LV244 chip and 74AHC08 chip “UP1/UP2” connected to the DSP module selectively cut/stops upper/lower branch of inverter, see Description, claim 6, Fig. 3).
In regards to claims 16, 19, DING shows (Figs. 1-6) and discloses wherein the digital isolator blocks all components of the multi-phase high side PWM signal from being received by the inverter (see Description, i.e. implicit as SN74LV244 chip and 74AHC08 chip “UP1/UP2” connected to the DSP module selectively cut/stops upper/lower branch of inverter, see Description, claim 6, Fig. 3).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
6. 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.
7. Claims 4 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by DING et al. (CN 114014122 A).
In regards to claims 4 and 13, DING shows and discloses, wherein the DSP, the digital isolator and the inverter are disposed with monitoring circuitry on a printed circuit board (PCB), (i.e. sfaty boards ½ and chips SN74LV244 and 74AHC08).
But does not explicitly disclose wherein the DSP, the digital isolator and the inverter are disposed with monitoring circuitry on a same printed circuit board (PCB).
However, Ding discloses the claimed invention except for being disposed with monitoring circuitry on a same printed circuit board It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to optimize space, since it has been held that forming in one piece an article, which has formerly been formed in two pieces and put together, involves only routine skill in the art. Howard v. Detroit Stove Works, 150 U.S. 164 (1893). The term “integral” is sufficiently broad to embrace constructions united by such means as fastening and welding. In re Hotte, 177 USPQ 326, 328 (CCPA 1973).
Hence, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the circuit/system of Ding in order to employ a single chip or circuit board for said the DSP, the digital isolator and the inverter, consequently improving the system space optimization and cost efficiency.
Related Prior Arts
8. The following related prior arts made of record are considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure to further show the general state of the art and may be applied alone or in combination for rejection of the claims.
Knudsen et al. (US 11749982 B2) discloses a motor controller providing a dual-channel func-tional-safety (FS) safe-torque-off (STO) function when controlling a motor. The motor controller includes an inverter with low-side switches and high-side switches, a low-side gate drive connected to the low-side switches, a high-side gate drive connected to the high-side switches, a first functional-safety safe-torque-off circuit connected to the high-side gate drive and a second functional-safety safe-torque-off circuit connected to the low-side gate drive, and a non-reinforced high-voltage isolation barrier.
Conclusion
9. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JORGE L CARRASQUILLO whose telephone number is (571)270-7879. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday (9am to 5pm).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eduardo Colon-Santana can be reached on (571) 272-2060. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JORGE L CARRASQUILLO/Primary Examiner Engineer, Art Unit 2837
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