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 Objections
Claims 2-8 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 2, lines 1-2, “and first inductance” should be corrected to -- “and the first inductance” --.
In claim 2, line 2, “and a second inductance” should be corrected to -- “and the second inductance” --.
In claim 3, lines 1-2, “and third inductance” should be corrected to -- “and the third inductance” --.
In claim 3, line 2, “and a fourth inductance” should be corrected to -- “and the fourth inductance” --.
In claim 4, lines 1-2, “wherein the first RL network has a first resistance and first inductance in parallel with each other” should be corrected to -- “wherein the first RL network has the first resistance and the first inductance in series with each other” --.
In claim 4, lines 2-3, “wherein the second RL network has a second RL network has a second resistance and a second inductance” should be corrected to -- “wherein the second RL network has the second resistance and the second inductance” --.
In claim 5, line 2, “and second windings” should be corrected to -- “and secondary windings” --.
In claim 6, line 2, “and second windings” should be corrected to -- “and secondary windings” --.
In claim 7, line 2, “with a first resistance” should be corrected to -- “with the first resistance” --.
In claim 7, line 3, “with a second resistance” should be corrected to -- “with the second resistance” --.
In claim 8, lines 2-3, “with a third resistance, whereas the fourth RL network comprises a damping path with a fourth resistance” should be corrected to -- “with the third resistance, whereas the fourth RL network comprises a damping path with the fourth resistance” --.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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, 4-6 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Koyama et al (US Publication No. 20120275201) in view of Tsutsumi et al (US Publication No. 20090224735).
Regarding claim 1, Koyama discloses an electrical damping device (i.e., EDD; see for example fig. 12 as shown below, para. [0080]- [0109]) for reducing resonance (i.e., such as reducing/suppressing resonance; see for example para. [0046]) for devices (i.e., such as inverters; see for example para. [0079]) that are coupled to a direct current (DC) voltage bus (X, Y), the DC voltage bus (X, Y) comprising a first set of DC ports (X) and a second set of DC ports (Y), the first set of DC ports (X) having a first capacitance (9) in parallel with a positive terminal (+) and a negative terminal (-) of the DC ports (X), the second set of DC ports (Y) having a second capacitance (22) in parallel with the DC ports (Y) with a positive terminal (+) and a negative terminal (-) of the DC ports (Y); wherein the electrical damping device (EDD) comprises: a positive path (L1, RL2) comprising a first inductive (L) network (L1) in parallel with a second RL network (RL2), wherein the positive path (L1, RL2) is coupled between the positive terminals (X+, Y+) of the DC ports (X, Y); a negative path (L3, RL4) comprising a third L network (L3) in parallel with a fourth RL network (RL4), wherein the negative path (L3, RL4) is coupled between the negative terminals (X-, Y-) of the DC ports (X, Y); a first transformer (i.e., 2 acts as an extra filter-transformer due to transformer 3) defined by a first inductance (L1) of first L network (L1) and a third inductance (L3) of the third L network (L3), wherein the first transformer (i.e., 2 acts as an extra filter-transformer due to transformer 3) comprises windings (i.e., such as windings; see for example para. [0089]) arranged for mutual coupling (i.e., such as the inductance is exhibited since the magnetic fluxes are coupled to each other; see for example para. [0096]) between the positive path (L1, RL2) and the negative path (L3, RL4); and a second transformer (25) defined by a second inductance (L2) of the second RL network (RL2) and a fourth inductance (L4) of the fourth RL network (RL4), wherein the second transformer (25) comprises windings (i.e., such as windings; see for example para. [0089]) arranged for mutual coupling (i.e., such as the inductance is exhibited since the magnetic fluxes are coupled to each other; see for example para. [0096]) between the positive path (L1, RL2) and the negative path (L3, RL4).
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Koyama does not explicitly disclose; a first resistive R, and a third R.
Tsutsumi discloses a filter circuit (i.e., DD; see for example fig. 3 as shown below, para. [0041]- [0048]); wherein a first resistive R (R1), and a third R (R3).
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It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have optionally included the first and the third resistive devices in Koyama, as taught by Tsutsumi, as it provides the advantage of optimizing the circuit design towards dampening unwanted high-Q resonances.
Regarding claim 4, Koyama in view of Tsutsumi and the teachings of Koyama as modified by Tsutsumi have been discussed above.
Tsutsumi further discloses the filter circuit (i.e., DD; see for example fig. 3 as shown above, para. [0041]- [0048]); wherein the first RL network (RL1) has a [the] first resistance (R1) and [the] first inductance in parallel [series] with each other (i.e., R1/7a is in series with L1/1a); wherein the second RL network (RL2) has a [the] second RL network has a [the] second resistance (7b) and a [the] second inductance (1b).
Regarding claim 5, Koyama in view of Tsutsumi and the teachings of Koyama as modified by Tsutsumi have been discussed above.
Koyama discloses the electrical damping device (i.e., EDD; see for example fig. 12 as shown above, para. [0080]- [0109]); wherein the windings (i.e., such as the inductance is exhibited since the magnetic fluxes are coupled to each other; see for example para. [0096]) of the first transformer (i.e., 2 acts as an extra filter-transformer due to transformer 3) comprises a primary winding (i.e., such as a primary winding; see for example para. [0089]) of the first inductance (L1) and second [a secondary] windings (i.e., such as windings; see for example para. [0089]) of the third inductance (L3) that are arranged (e.g., wound oppositely) (i.e., such as a winding direction of a secondary winding thereof can be opposite to each other; see for example para. [0089]) for mutual coupling (i.e., such as the inductance is exhibited since the magnetic fluxes are coupled to each other; see for example para. [0096]) between the positive path (L1, RL2) and the negative path (L3, RL4) to enhance respective currents (i.e., such as at a main frequency of the high frequency leakage current (equal to the switching frequency of the inverter 1), impedance of the bypass channel of the high frequency common mode current is sufficiently smaller than that of the leakage current channel. Impedance of the common mode choke coil 3 is larger than impedance of each of the leakage current channel and the bypass channel; see for example para. [0090]) between the windings (i.e., such as windings; see for example para. [0089]) (e.g., such that differential current in the positive and negative path mutually enhances the coupled magnetic flux) (i.e., such as hereafter, most of the high frequency common mode current flows through the bypass channel with such lower impedance, and a magnitude thereof is suppressed by the common, mode choke coil 3. As a result, the high frequency common mode current that flows outside of the grid-tie inverter is suppressed; see for example para. [0091]).
Regarding claim 6, Koyama in view of Tsutsumi and the teachings of Koyama as modified by Tsutsumi have been discussed above.
Koyama discloses the electrical damping device (i.e., EDD; see for example fig. 12 as shown above, para. [0080]- [0109]); wherein the windings (i.e., such as windings; see for example para. [0089]) of second transformer (25) comprise [a] primary windings (i.e., such as a primary winding; see for example para. [0089]) of the second inductance (L2) and [a] secondary windings (i.e., such as a secondary winding; see for example para. [0089]) of the fourth inductance (L4) arranged for mutual coupling (i.e., such as the inductance is exhibited since the magnetic fluxes are coupled to each other; see for example para. [0096]) between the positive path (L1, RL2) and the negative path (L3, RL4) to cancel (i.e., such as a result that magnetic fluxes are cancelled with each other; see for example para. [0089]) or oppose respective currents (i.e., such as a winding direction of a secondary winding thereof can be opposite to each other; see for example para. [0089]) between the windings (i.e., such as windings; see for example para. [0089]).
Regarding claim 13, Koyama in view of Tsutsumi and the teachings of Koyama as modified by Tsutsumi have been discussed above.
Koyama discloses the electrical damping device (i.e., EDD; see for example fig. 12 as shown above, para. [0080]- [0109]); wherein the magnitude component (i.e., such as a magnitude thereof is suppressed; see for example para. [0045]) of the magnitude versus frequency response (i.e., such as the magnitude versus frequency response, as a result, the leakage current that flows outside of the grid-tie inverter is suppressed. The matter that the leakage current is suppressed stands for that a common mode noise within a frequency band of the leakage current is suppressed; see for example para. [0045]) of the DC bus (X, Y) is smoothed or attenuated (i.e., such as attenuated by each of the damping resistors 23; see for example para. [0092]) via one or more damping resistors (i.e., such as damping resistors 23; see for example para. [0092]) to suppress magnitude spikes (i.e., such as the resonance is suppressed; see for example para. [0092]) associated with parasitic oscillation or resonance (i.e., such as a value of the capacitor 24 is set so as to cut off a current component with a resonance frequency or less, whereby a wasteful loss that occurs in the damping resistor 23 can be suppressed. A cutoff frequency is calculated by a resonance frequency by the first reactor 21 and the capacitor 24; see for example para. [0092]) of the first capacitance (9), the second capacitance (22) and one more of the inductances (i.e., such as L1, L2, L3, L4, transformer 3, etc., furthermore, in the case where winding resistance of the transformer 25 sufficiently functions as a decay component that suppresses the resonance, the damping resistances 23 can be removed; see for example para. [0095]) associated with the DC bus (X, Y).
Claims 2 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Koyama et al (US Publication No. 20120275201) in view of Tsutsumi et al (US Publication No. 20090224735) and further in view of Bauer et al (US Patent No. 3602329).
Regarding claim 2, Koyama in view of Tsutsumi and the teachings of Koyama as modified by Tsutsumi have been discussed above.
Koyama further discloses the electrical damping device (i.e., EDD; see for example fig. 12 as shown above, para. [0080]- [0109]).
Tsutsumi furthermore discloses the filter circuit (i.e., DD; see for example fig. 3 as shown above, para. [0041]- [0048]).
Neither Koyama nor Tsutsumi explicitly discloses wherein the first RL network has a first resistance and first inductance, wherein the second RL network has a second resistance and a second inductance; wherein the first inductance is greater than the second inductance; and wherein the first resistance is lower than the second resistance, where the second resistance is configured to attenuate a resonant magnitude of a combination of the first capacitance, the first inductance, and the second capacitance.
Bauer discloses a circumoral ear enclosure (i.e., see for example fig. 4 as shown below, Col. 4 lines 49+); wherein the first RL network (B) has a first resistance (66) and [the] first inductance (64), wherein the second RL network (A) has a second resistance (60) and a [the] second inductance (62); wherein the first inductance (64) is greater than (i.e., 0.15 > 0.006) the second inductance (62); and wherein the first resistance (66) is lower than (i.e., 40 < 150) the second resistance (60), where the second resistance (60) is configured to attenuate (i.e., such as to provide enhanced noise attenuation at this frequency; see for example Col. 2 lines 15+) a resonant magnitude (i.e., such as eliminates large fluctuations in performance by damping resonances; see for example Col. 4 lines 43+) of a combination (i.e., such as a combination to provide a high acoustical impedance for effective attenuation of external noise; see for example Col. 4 lines 32+) of the first capacitance (57), the first inductance (64), and the second capacitance (58).
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It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have optionally included the values of the inductive-resistive elements in Koyama, as taught by Bauer, as it provides the advantage of optimizing the circuit design towards reducing the peak impedance and smoothing out the frequency response.
Regarding claim 7, Koyama in view of Tsutsumi and further in view of Bauer and the teachings of Koyama as modified by Tsutsumi have been discussed above. Also, the teachings of Koyama as modified by Bauer have been discussed above as well.
Bauer further discloses the circumoral ear enclosure (i.e., see for example fig. 4 as shown above, Col. 4 lines 49+); wherein first resistive-inductive (RL) network (B) comprises a power path (i.e., such as a power path output via line B; see for example Col. 5 lines 11+) with a [the] first resistance (66), whereas the second RL network (A) comprises a damping path (i.e., such as a damping path to eliminate large fluctuations in performance by damping resonances via line A; see for example Col. 4 lines 43+) to dampen (i.e., such as eliminates large fluctuations in performance by damping resonances; see for example Col. 4 lines 43+) potential parasitic resonance (i.e., such as to provide a high acoustical impedance for effective attenuation of external noise; see for example Col. 4 lines 32+) of alternating current signal components (i.e., such as the AC noise signals in terms of high-frequency signals and low-frequency signals; see for example fig. 5, Col. 5 lines 1+) on the direct current bus (i.e., the +/- DC bus; see fig. 4 above) with a [the] second resistance (60), wherein the first resistance (66) is less than (i.e., 40 < 150) the second resistance (60).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3 and 8-12 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim 1, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MUAAMAR Q AL-TAWEEL whose telephone number is (571)270-0339. The examiner can normally be reached 0730-1700.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thienvu V Tran can be reached at (571) 270- 1276. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MUAAMAR QAHTAN AL-TAWEEL/Examiner, Art Unit 2838
/THIENVU V TRAN/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2838