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.
Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Saha et al. US publication no.: US 2018/0287510 A1. In view of in view of Rozman et al. US publication no.: US 2019/0031125 A1
Regarding claim 1, Saha et al. teach, A motor driving device for driving a motor (motor 80, figure 1) , comprising: a battery module (power supply 11, figures 1-2) configured to store battery power; and a conversion circuit (inverter 10, figure 1) coupled to the motor and the battery module and configured to drive the motor by using the battery power in a driving mode and charge the battery module by using motor power generated by the motor in a charging mode (see paragraph 18, where the charging of the DC power supply via inverter is disclosed) , wherein the conversion circuit comprises: a determination circuit (see paragraphs 48-50 and figure 6); a controller (controller 20, figures 1-2) coupled to the determination circuit; and a first phase upper arm switch circuit, comprising: a first power switch (see upper switching element 5(3), figure 2) , wherein a first terminal of the first power switch is coupled to a positive power supply terminal of the battery module (see figure 1, where the top terminal is connected to positive supply of power supple 11), a second terminal of the first power switch is coupled to a first phase node, and a control terminal (S1, figure 2) of the first power switch is coupled to the controller; and a first transistor (upper switching element 7(3), figure 2) , wherein a first terminal of the first transistor is coupled to the positive power supply terminal, a second terminal of the first transistor is coupled to the first phase node, and a control terminal of the first transistor is coupled to the controller (see figures 1-2 for the connection of switching element to the control, node, positive supply terminal and the phase node),
Saha et al. teach controlling of the switches as seen in figures 3 and 6 and paragraphs 41-50, where the switching control is described based on the voltage condition. Furthermore, Saha et al. teach that the inverter is utilized in charging the battery as seen in paragraph 18. However, Saha et al. is silent on specifically teaching:
wherein in the charging mode, the controller turns off the first power switch and the first transistor, the determination circuit determines a first phase voltage value located at the first phase node, and when the first phase voltage value is greater than a battery voltage value located at the positive power supply terminal, the determination circuit notifies the controller to turn on the first transistor.
However, Rozman et al. is in the same field of art and teach: wherein in the charging mode, the controller turns off the first power switch and the first transistor, the determination circuit determines a first phase voltage value located at the first phase node (see paragraph 28, where the phase voltage is detected above threshold), and when the first phase voltage value is greater than a battery voltage value located at the positive power supply terminal, the determination circuit notifies the controller to turn on the first transistor (see paragraphs 21-30, where the buck/boost operation is disclosed in which switches are controlled based on the voltage determined in order to charge the battery).
Examiner notes* - Rozman et al. is brought in to teach that a voltage is compared to a threshold in order to initiate the charging of the battery and would be applied to the structure of Saha et al.
In view of Rozman et al.’s teachings, it would’ve been obvious to one with the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, with the apparatus as taught by Saha et al. to include; wherein in the charging mode, the controller turns off the first power switch and the first transistor, the determination circuit determines a first phase voltage value located at the first phase node, and when the first phase voltage value is greater than a battery voltage value located at the positive power supply terminal, the determination circuit notifies the controller to turn on the first transistor, for the purpose of improving the control of the drive system.
Regarding claim 2, Saha et al. teach, the motor driving device according to claim 1, wherein the conversion circuit further comprises: a first phase lower arm switch circuit, comprising: a second power switch (see lower switching element 5(3), figure 2) , wherein a first terminal of the second power switch is coupled to the first phase node, a second terminal of the second power switch is coupled to a negative power supply terminal of the battery module, and a control terminal of the second power switch is coupled to the controller (see figures 1-2 for the connection of switching element to the control, node, positive supply terminal and the phase node) ; and a second transistor (see lower switching element 7(3), figure 2) , wherein a first terminal of the second transistor is coupled to the first phase node, a second terminal of the second transistor is coupled to the negative power supply terminal, and a control terminal of the second transistor is coupled to the controller(see figures 1-2 for the connection of switching element to the control, node, positive supply terminal and the phase node).
Regarding claim 3, Rozman et al. teach, the motor driving device according to claim 2, wherein in the charging mode, the controller turns off the second power switch and the second transistor, and when the first phase voltage value is less than a reference low voltage value, the determination circuit notifies the controller to turn on the second transistor (see paragraphs 21-30).
Regarding claim 4, Saha et al. teach, the motor driving device according to claim 3, wherein in the charging mode, the determination circuit determines a first phase current flowing through the first phase node, and when the first phase current flows to the positive power supply terminal through a diode of the first power switch, the determination circuit notifies the controller to turn on the first transistor (see paragraphs 43-45 and paragraph 56 and figure 4 and 8).
Regarding claim 5, Saha et al. teach, the motor driving device according to claim 4, wherein in the charging mode, when the first phase current flows to the first phase node through a diode of the second power switch, the determination circuit notifies the controller to turn on the second transistor (see paragraphs 43-45 and paragraph 56 and figure 4 and 8).
Regarding claim 6, Saha et al. teach, the motor driving device according to claim 3, wherein in the charging mode, when the first transistor is turned on, the determination circuit determines a first phase current flowing through the first phase node, and when the first phase current flows from the positive power supply terminal to the first phase node, the determination circuit notifies the controller to turn off the first transistor (see figures 6 and 8 and paragraphs 48-56).
Regarding claim 7, Saha et al. teach, the motor driving device according to claim 6, wherein in the charging mode, when the second transistor is turned on, the determination circuit determines the first phase current, and when the first phase current flows from the first phase node to the negative power supply terminal, the determination circuit notifies the controller to turn off the second transistor(see figures 6 and 8 and paragraphs 48-56).
Regarding claim 8, Saha et al. teach, the motor driving device according to claim 3, wherein in the charging mode, when the first transistor is turned on, the determination circuit determines the first phase voltage value, and when the first phase voltage value is greater than the battery voltage value, the determination circuit notifies the controller to turn off the first transistor based on a first turning-on time length and determines the first phase voltage value when the first transistor is turned off (see figures 6 and 8, where the control of how long the switching elements are turned off/on are based on the time lengths).
Regarding claim 9, Saha et al. teach, the motor driving device according to claim 3, wherein in the charging mode, when the second transistor is turned on, the determination circuit determines the first phase voltage value, and when the first phase voltage value is equal to the reference low voltage value, the determination circuit notifies the controller to turn off the second transistor based on a second turning-on time length and determines the first phase voltage value when the second transistor is turned off (see figures 6 and 8, where the control of how long the switching elements are turned off/on are based on the time lengths).
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Saha et al. US publication no.: US 2018/0287510 A1. In view of Rozman et al. US publication no.: US 2019/0031125 A1 and further in view of Jones et al. US publication no.: US 2025/0135959 A1.
Regarding claim 16, Saha et al. as modified is silent on specifically teaching: The motor driving device according to claim 1, wherein the battery module is implemented by an aluminum-ion battery.
However, Jones et al. is in the same field of art and teach: wherein the battery module is implemented by an aluminum-ion battery (see paragraph 62).
In view of Jones et al. ’s teachings, it would’ve been obvious to one with the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, with the apparatus as taught by Saha et al. to include; wherein the battery module is implemented by an aluminum-ion battery, for the purpose of providing a variant battery source.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-15 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.
Conclusion
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/ZOHEB S IMTIAZ/Primary Examiner , Art Unit 2837
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