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 .
This action is in response to an application filed on 05/14/2024.
Claims 1-11 are pending for examination.
Claim Objections
Claim 5 recites the limitation " an electric motor drive (EMD)" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 6 recites the limitation " a control unit" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (US 2021/0175837 A1) in view of Ji (US 2023/0094560 A1).
As to Claim 1, 2 and 11, Wang in its teachings as shown in Fig.1-4 disclose an electric motor drive (126) system for a vehicle (112)/ a computer-implemented method/ method performed by a control unit (CU) comprised in an electric motor drive (EMD) system for a vehicle for reducing a peak short circuit current generated from an electric motor during a regenerative mode (see [Abstract] and [0007] – [0010]), wherein the EMD system comprises:
a three-leg inverter (240) for driving an electric motor (114) of the vehicle (112), wherein each leg of the three-leg inverter comprises two switch transistors (210/212. 214/216, 218/220) connected in series;
a capacitor (260) connected in parallel with the three-leg inverter (114);
a fourth leg (270, 270a) connected in parallel with the three-leg inverter (114), wherein the fourth leg comprises a resistor (304) connected in series with a switch (302); and
a control unit (200); wherein,
the control unit is configured to switch on the switch (302) in the fourth leg (270,270a) for a period of time during a regenerative mode of the electric motor (114) such that the resistor (304) is switched in a path of short circuit current flowing through any of the switch transistors (210/212. 214/216, 218/220) in the three-leg inverter (240) to reduce the peak short circuit current generated from the electric motor (114) during the regenerative mode (see also Fig.3 and [0033]- [0035]).
However, it doesn’t explicitly disclose:
a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) resistor
Nonethless, Ji in its teachings as shown in Fig.1-9 disclose a depletion mode semiconductor switch, the first voltage clamp device 83 is a high voltage clamp device, for example a metal oxide varistor (PTC resistor), resistor or Zener diode, for voltage clamping, and the second voltage clamp device 84 is a low voltage clamp device, for example a metal oxide varistor, resistor or Zener diode, for voltage clamping (see [0065]).
Therefore, it would have been an obvious modification to use a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) resistor/varistor as thought by Ji within the teachings of Wang in order to suppress over-voltage on DC-link for safety, protecting sensitive electronics, and managing thermal loads.
As to Claim 3, Wang in view of Ji disclose the method of claim 2, wherein determining whether the electric motor is in the regenerative mode is performed by determining whether a traction voltage to the electric motor is zero or under a predetermined voltage level (see Wang [0002]).
As to Claim 4, Wang in view of Ji disclose the method of claim 2, wherein determining whether the electric motor is in the regenerative mode is performed by determining whether a back electromotive force (EMF) voltage is higher than a traction voltage to the electric motor (see Wang [0002] and Ji [0076]).
As to Claim 5, Wang in view of Ji disclose a vehicle comprising an electric motor drive (EMD) system according to claim 1 (see Wang, Fig.1).
As to Claim 6, Wang in view of Ji disclose a vehicle comprising a control unit configured to perform the method of claim 1 (see Wang, Fig,1 and control unit 126).
As to Claim 7, Wang in view of Ji disclose a computer program product comprising program code for performing, when executed by a processor circuitry in a vehicle, the method of claim 2 (see Ji [0046] – [0048]).
As to Claim 8, Wang in view of Ji disclose a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a processor circuitry in a vehicle, cause the processor circuitry to perform the method of claim 2 (see Wang [0028]).
As to Claim 9, Wang in view of Ji disclose a computer system comprising processing circuitry configured to perform the method of claim 2 (see Wang, Fig.1 and [0028]).
As to Claim 10, Wang in view of Ji disclose a vehicle comprising the computer system of claim 9 (see Wang, Fig.1).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure (US 2018/0198396 A1: A power regenerative converter, includes: a power module configured to include rectifiers and regenerative switches; a smoothing capacitor connected to direct-current power supply terminals, and that accumulates direct-current power during an alternating-current to direct-current conversion; a bus current detector that detects a bus current flowing between either of the direct-current power supply terminals and the smoothing capacitor; a power supply phase detector that detects a phase of an input power supply; a base drive signal generator that generates base drive signals that perform ON/OFF control of the regenerative switching elements based on a power supply phase detected by the power supply phase detection unit; a regeneration controller that performs a start and stop process of a power regenerative operation based on a detection result of the bus current detector and the base drive signals; and an overload detector that detects overload of a power regenerative converter based on the detection result of the bus current detector- see [Abstract]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GABRIEL T AGARED whose telephone number is (571)270-1981. The examiner can normally be reached 8-5 (Mon- Thur).
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/GABRIEL AGARED/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2846