DETAILED ACTION
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
2. The specification, the abstract and the drawings are all acceptable.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
3. 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.
4. Claims 1, 3, 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by USPN 11,146,205 to Spampinato.
As to claim 1, Spampinato teaches a method for controlling a motor (col. 2: lines 57 – col. 3: lines 60) comprising: applying a first reference torque generating current parameter during a start-up mode to a motor in a stationary state and generating a demand torque generating voltage parameter based on the first reference torque generating current parameter and determining a feedback torque generating current parameter based on measured motor current in the stationary state(col. 7: lines 27-32 & col. 7: lines 49-59 wherein apparatus and method are taught to generate a demand torque and feedback based on the motor voltage and current); determining a phase resistance measurement of the motor based on the demand torque generating voltage parameter and the feedback torque generating current parameter and controlling the motor in a speed control mode based on the phase resistance measurement(col. 5: lines 53 – col. 6: lines 27 wherein apparatus and method are taught to determine the motor resistance based on the motor voltage and current and control the motor).
As to claim 3, Spampinato teaches the method of claim 1, wherein determining the phase resistance measurement comprises: dividing the demand torque generating voltage parameter by the feedback torque generating current parameter(col. 6: lines 50-54).
As to claim 7, Spampinato teaches the method of claim 1, comprising: iterating the generating of the phase resistance measurement (col. 5: lines 53-67) in the stationary state.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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 of this title, 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.
6. Claims 9, 11, 15, 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over USPN 11,146,205 to Spampinato, and in view of USPN 11,560,172 to Sugiyama.
As to claim 9, Spampinato teaches a motor controller (col. 2: lines 57 – col. 3: lines 60) comprising: a controller configured to apply, in a start-up mode, a first reference torque generating current parameter to a motor in a stationary state and a controller configured to generate a demand torque generating voltage parameter based on the first reference torque generating current parameter during the start-up mode and a feedback unit configured to receive a three-phase motor current measurement responsive to the demand torque generating voltage parameter and transform the three-phase motor current measurement to determine a feedback torque generating current parameter(col. 7: lines 27-32 & col. 7: lines 49-59 wherein apparatus and method are taught to generate a demand torque and feedback based on the motor voltage and current), the controller is configured to determine a phase resistance measurement of the motor based on the demand torque generating voltage parameter and the feedback torque generating current parameter; and second controller is configured to control the motor in a speed control mode based on the phase resistance measurement(col. 5: lines 53 – col. 6: lines 27 wherein apparatus and method are taught to determine the motor resistance based on the motor voltage and current and control the motor).
Spampinato does not teach both a first controller and a second controller in a motor control system.
Sugiyama teaches both a first controller (fig. 3B: “31”) and a second controller (fig. 3B: “32”) in a motor control system.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the teachings of Sugiyama into Spampinato since Spampinato suggests a motor control system and Sugiyama suggests the beneficial use of dual controllers for a motor control system in the analogous art of motor control technology.
The motivation for this comes from the fact that Sugiyama teaches the dual controllers for a motor control system which can be used to improve the motor control system disclosed by Spampinato.
As to claim 11, Spampinato in view of Sugiyama teaches the first controller is configured to determine the phase resistance measurement by dividing the demand torque generating voltage parameter by the feedback torque generating current parameter(Spampinato col. 6: lines 50-54).
As per claim 15, Spampinato in view of Sugiyama teaches the motor controller of claim 9, wherein: the first controller is configured to iterate the generating of the phase resistance measurement (Spampinato col. 5: lines 53-67) in the start-up mode.
As to claim 17, Spampinato teaches a system, comprising: a motor(fig. 1: “11”); a current sense unit connected to the motor and configured to measure a motor current and generate a motor current measurement(col. 5: lines 1-8 wherein the current overload detection is equivalent to current detection); and a motor controller(fig. 2: “20”), comprising: a controller configured to apply, in a start-up mode, a first reference torque generating current parameter to the motor and a controller configured to generate a demand torque generating voltage parameter based on the first reference torque generating current parameter during the start-up mode and a feedback unit configured to receive the motor current measurement responsive to the demand torque generating voltage parameter and transform the motor current measurement to generate a feedback torque generating current parameter(col. 7: lines 27-32 & col. 7: lines 49-59 wherein apparatus and method are taught to generate a demand torque and feedback based on the motor voltage and current), wherein the motor is stationary during the start-up mode and the controller is configured to determine a phase resistance measurement of the motor based on the demand torque generating voltage parameter and the feedback torque generating current parameter; and the controller is configured to control the motor in a speed control mode based on the phase resistance measurement(col. 5: lines 53 – col. 6: lines 27 wherein apparatus and method are taught to determine the motor resistance based on the motor voltage and current and control the motor).
Spampinato does not teach both a first controller and a second controller in a motor control system.
Sugiyama teaches both a first controller (fig. 3B: “31”) and a second controller (fig. 3B: “32”) in a motor control system.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the teachings of Sugiyama into Spampinato since Spampinato suggests a motor control system and Sugiyama suggests the beneficial use of dual controllers for a motor control system in the analogous art of motor control technology.
The motivation for this comes from the fact that Sugiyama teaches the dual controllers for a motor control system which can be used to improve the motor control system disclosed by Spampinato.
Allowable Subject Matter
7. Claims 2, 4-6, 8, 10, 12-14, 16, 18-20 are objected to as being dependent upon the rejected base claims 1, 9, 17, but could be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claims and any intervening claims for the following reasons: No prior art of record discloses the features as claimed in the noted claims.
8. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter. The non-obvious features are:
In comparison with the closest prior art as cited in this Office action and any previous Office actions, no prior art of record discloses the following features as claimed in the following claim limitations:
As per claim 2: Applying the first reference torque generating current parameter to the motor comprises: setting an electrical angle position setpoint of the motor to 90 degrees; and applying the first reference torque generating current parameter to the motor to move the motor to the electrical angle position setpoint.
As per claim 4: Generating the demand torque generating voltage parameter based on the first reference torque generating current parameter comprises: generating the demand torque generating voltage parameter in a controller; and controlling the motor comprises: configuring a gain parameter of the controller based on the phase resistance measurement.
As per claim 5: Configuring a gain parameter of a controller based on the phase resistance measurement; and generating a drive signal for the motor in the speed control mode using the controller configured with the gain parameter.
As per claim 6: Estimating a motor speed and a motor position based on the phase resistance measurement; and generating a drive signal for the motor in the speed control mode based on the motor position and the motor speed.
As per claim 8: Generating a filtered value of the demand torque generating voltage parameter; converting the filtered value of the demand torque generating voltage parameter to an analog demand torque generating voltage parameter; generating a filtered value of the feedback torque generating current parameter; converting the filtered value of the feedback torque generating current parameter to an analog feedback torque generating current parameter; and determining the phase resistance measurement based on the analog demand torque generating voltage parameter and the analog feedback torque generating current parameter.
As per claim 10: Set an electrical angle position setpoint of the motor to 90 degrees; and apply the first reference torque generating current parameter to the motor to move the motor to the electrical angle position setpoint.
As per claim 12: The second controller is configured to employ a gain parameter configured based on the phase resistance measurement in the speed control mode.
As per claim 13: A third controller configured to generate a demand flux generating voltage parameter for driving the motor based on a reference flux generating current parameter using a gain parameter configured based on the phase resistance measurement.
As per claim 14: An estimator unit configured to estimate a motor speed and a motor position in the speed control mode based on the phase resistance measurement; and a third controller configured to generate a second reference torque generating current parameter for the second controller in the speed control mode based on the motor position and the motor speed.
As per claim 16: A first low pass filter configured to generate a filtered value of the demand torque generating voltage parameter; and a second low pass filter configured to generate a filtered value of the feedback torque generating current parameter, wherein: the first controller is configured to: convert the filtered value of the demand torque generating voltage parameter to an analog demand torque generating voltage parameter; convert the filtered value of the feedback torque generating current parameter to an analog feedback torque generating current parameter; and determine the phase resistance measurement based on the analog demand torque generating voltage parameter and the analog feedback torque generating current parameter.
As per claim 18: The second controller is configured to employ a gain parameter configured based on the phase resistance measurement in the speed control mode.
As per claim 19: A third controller configured to generate a demand flux generating voltage parameter for driving the motor based on a reference flux generating current parameter using a gain parameter configured based on the phase resistance measurement.
As per claim 20: An estimator unit configured to estimate a motor speed and a motor position in the speed control mode based on the phase resistance measurement; and a third controller configured to generate a second reference torque generating current parameter for the second controller in the speed control mode based on the motor position and the motor speed.
Conclusion
9. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
USPN 6,281,659 to Giuseppe discloses a motor control system.
10. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID S LUO whose telephone number is (571)270-5251. The examiner can normally be reached 8AM-5PM.
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/DAVID LUO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2846