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 .
Priority
Current application, US Application No. 18/680,494, is filed on 05/31/2024.
DETAILED ACTION
This office action is responsive to the application filed on 05/31/2024. Claims 1-20 are currently pending.
Claim Objections
Claim 19 is objected to under 37 CFR 1.75 as being a substantial duplicate of claims 15 because claim 19 does not further limit claim 15. When two claims in an application are duplicates or else are so close in content that they both cover the same thing, despite a slight difference in wording, it is proper after allowing one claim to object to the other as being a substantial duplicate of the allowed claim. See MPEP § 706.03(k).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
Claims 5, 12 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claims contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. As per claims 5 and 12, the limitations/terms “a single cycle” in “measure the isolation resistance data at each high voltage link during a single cycle of the isolation resistance monitoring system” lacks the description support from the specification because the specification simply states “single cycle” (see specification – [0006, 0008, 0038]), but fails to describe further and it is not clear how the high voltage direct current ‘DC’ system can have cycles (see specification – high voltage DC system [0002, 0007, 0032, Figs, 1-5]). For the sake of examination, the limitation is ignored until applicant clarifies the meaning of limitations/terms.
As per claim 20, the limitation “scaling the isolation monitoring algorithm in response to one or more additional high voltage links” lacks description support because the specification recites the same phrase in two places [0010, 0033]), but fails to provide further explanation.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
As per claim 1, claim recites the limitation “the isolation resistance” in “configured to execute an isolation function based on the isolation resistance”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The claim also recites “isolation resistance data” in earlier limitation and “isolation resistance level” in later limitation. It is not clear whether they are related and whether “the isolation resistance” may try to mean one of them, i.e. “isolation resistance data” and “isolation resistance level”.
As per claim 8, claim recites the limitation “the isolation resistance” in “configured to execute an isolation function based on the isolation resistance”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The claim also recites “isolation resistance data” in earlier limitation and “isolation resistance level” in later limitation. It is not clear whether they are related and whether “the isolation resistance” may try to mean one of them, i.e. “isolation resistance data” and “isolation resistance level”.
As per claim 15, the limitation “a low isolation” in “detecting, at one or more of the first high voltage link and the second high voltage link, a low isolation via the plurality of isolation monitors” is ambiguous because “a low resolution” is a relative term which renders the claims indefinite. The claim and specification implies the determination of the a low resolution is based on the checking the resistance level of each of a first and second high voltage link of a high voltage direct electric power system (see earlier limitation “determining, based on the monitored resistance level, an isolation resistance level of each of the first high voltage link and the second high voltage link via an isolation monitoring algorithm” in the claim and see specification – low isolation 210 … correspond to a predetermined resistance level 208 being below an isolation resistance threshold [0035]).
For the sake of examination, the limitations “detecting, at one or more of the first high voltage link and the second high voltage link, a low isolation via the plurality of isolation monitors; generating, via the isolation monitoring algorithm, a low isolation indication based on the detected low isolation” are interpreted as “determining, at one or more of the first high voltage link and the second high voltage link, a low isolation by checking the isolation resistance level against an isolation resistance threshold; generating, via the isolation monitoring algorithm, a low isolation indication based on the determined low isolation”.
As per claim 20, the limitation “scaling the isolation monitoring algorithm in response to one or more additional high voltage links” is ambiguous because scaling is normally applied to the variable or data and it is difficult to understand the scaling of the algorithm without seeing a proper description.
As per claims 2-7, 9-14 and 16-20, claims are also rejected because base claims 1, 8 and 15 are rejected.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claims 1-4, 8-11 and 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chang (KR 20160111734 A), hereinafter ‘Chang’ best understood by the examiner.
As per claim 1, Chang discloses
An isolation resistance monitoring system for a high voltage direct current (DC) system, (control unit determines … DC voltage link, an insulation resistance measuring, voltage unit that monitors a voltage [abs], vehicle system in which a high voltage battery is mounted, a fuel cell vehicle [pg. 2 line 30-34]) the isolation resistance monitoring system comprising:
a plurality of high voltage systems including a first high voltage link and a second high voltage link; (a high voltage battery or fuel cell [pg. 2 line 35], high voltage, insulation resistance Ri1 and Ri2, implying a plurality of high voltage links, DC link voltage [pg. 4 line 30-37])
a plurality of isolation monitors operably coupled with each of the first high voltage link and the second high voltage link to detect isolation resistance data; (battery management systems ‘BMS 140’ monitors ‘measures and senses’ … voltages … current [pg. 5 line 32-36], voltage monitor unit ‘SVM 120’ monitors the voltage … outputs the DC link voltage … insulation resistance measurement [pg. 6 line 27-40])
and a controller including data processing hardware configured to execute an isolation monitoring algorithm, the isolation monitoring algorithm configured to determine an isolation resistance level of each of the first high voltage link and the second high voltage link based on the isolation resistance data. (The insulation resistance values calculated through the measured voltage values [pg. 10 line 14], Ri [pg. 10 line 16-17], showing equation which is equivalent to an algorithm, control unit, controller monitors … insulation resistance, BMS, insulation resistance measurement [pg. 11 line 17 – pg. 12 line 2], the mode of the fuel cell vehicle when the DC link voltage is less than the threshold voltage includes an idle stop mode, an electric vehicle mode, or an downhill running mode [pg. 12 line 6-8]), and configured to execute an isolation function based on isolation resistance level. (breakdown of the insulation resistance is dangerous to the occupant, it is necessary to measure the insulation resistance and remove the risk in advance or warn the occupant [pg. 2 line 35-37]).
As per claim 8, Chang discloses
An isolation resistance monitoring system for a high voltage direct current (DC) system, (control unit determines … DC voltage link, an insulation resistance measuring, voltage unit that monitors a voltage [abs], vehicle system in which a high voltage battery is mounted, a fuel cell vehicle [pg. 2 line 30-34])
the isolation resistance monitoring system comprising:
a converter; (DCDC converter [pg. 4 line 15-29, Fig. 1], DC/DC converter 135 [pg. 5 line 10-14, Fig. 2])
a plurality of high voltage links, each of the plurality of high voltage links being connected via the converter; (DCDC converter, high voltage, insulation resistance Ri1 and Ri2, implying a plurality of high voltage links, DC link voltage [pg. 4 line 30-37, Fig. 1], DC/DC converter 135 [pg. 5 line 10-14, Fig. 2])
Chang further discloses remaining limitations as shown in claim 1 above.
As per claim 2, Chang discloses claim 1 set forth above.
Chang further discloses a first switched resistor and a second switched resistor each coupled to the plurality of isolation monitors and the controller (the insulation resistance value can be obtained using the resistors R1 and R2, 20 the switches SW1 and SW2, and the voltage sensor included in the SVM internal circuit [pg. 8 line 15-22, Fig. 1]).
As per claims 3 and 10, Chang discloses claims 1 and 8 set forth above.
Chang discloses multiple high voltage systems includes a first high voltage system and a second high voltage system, the first high voltage system being a fuel cell system and the second high voltage system being a rechargeable energy storage system (fuel cell vehicle, fuel cell, rechargeable energy storage systems … corresponds to the battery [abs, pg. 10 line 15-19, Figs. 1 & 2]).
As per claims 4 and 11, Chang discloses claims 1 and 8 set forth above.
Chang further discloses the isolation function includes at least one of a low isolation alert and a termination function (breakdown of the insulation resistance … remove the risk in advance or warn the occupant [pg. 2 line 35-37]).
As per claim 9, Chang discloses claim 8 set forth above.
Chang discloses the plurality of high voltage links includes a first high voltage link, a second high voltage link, and a third high voltage link (The SVM ‘Stack Voltage Monitor’ internal circuit measures the insulation resistance ‘Ri1, Ri2’ [pg. 4 line 7-9, Figs, 1 & 2], side note: index i means integer 1, 2, 3, … N).
As per claim 13, Chang discloses claim 8 set forth above.
Chang further discloses the converter is a non- isolated DC-DC converter (bidirectional DC / DC converter ‘BHDC’ [pg. 2 line 26, pg. 4 line 25, Fig, 1], a DC / DC converter 135 [pg. 5 line 17, Fig. 2]).
As per claim 14, Chang discloses claim 8 set forth above.
Chang further discloses a vehicle including the isolation resistance monitoring system of Claim 8 (a method of measuring insulation resistance of a fuel cell vehicle [pg. 4 line 3-4, pg. 5 line 9-10], the fuel cell vehicle may include a control unit 105 and a stack voltage monitor unit ‘SVM’ 120 [pg. 6 line 31-32]).
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 5-7and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chang.
As per claims 5 and 12, Chng is silent regarding separately measure the isolation resistance data at each of the first high voltage link and the second high voltage link.
However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the
time the invention was made to separately measure the isolation resistance data at each of the first high voltage link and the second high voltage link, since it has been held that constructing a formerly integral limitation in various elements/steps and separating the limitation in sperate steps involves only routine skill in the art. Nerwin v. Erlichman, 168 USPQ 177, 179.
As claim 6, Chang discloses claim 1 set forth above.
Chang is silent regrading simultaneously monitoring each of the first high voltage link and the second high voltage link for a low isolation indication.
However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the
time the invention was made to simultaneously measure the isolation resistance data at each of the first high voltage link and the second high voltage link, since it has been held that constructing a formerly integral limitation in various elements/steps from sperate elements/steps involves only routine skill in the art. Nerwin v. Erlichman, 168 USPQ 177, 179.
As per claim 7, Chang discloses claim 6 set forth above.
Chang further discloses the isolation resistance data includes the low isolation indication (have low insulation resistance [pg. 3 line 31 – pg. 4 line 9]).
Claims 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chang in view of Fan (US 20210041505 A1) best understood by the examiner.
As per claim 15, Chang discloses
An isolation resistance monitoring system for a high voltage direct current (DC) system, (control unit determines … DC voltage link, an insulation resistance measuring, voltage unit that monitors a voltage [abs], vehicle system in which a high voltage battery is mounted, a fuel cell vehicle [pg. 2 line 30-34]) the isolation resistance monitoring system comprising:
a plurality of high voltage systems including a first high voltage link and a second high voltage link; (a high voltage battery or fuel cell [pg. 2 line 35], high voltage, insulation resistance Ri1 and Ri2, implying a plurality of high voltage links, DC link voltage [pg. 4 line 30-37])
a plurality of isolation monitors operably coupled with each of the first high voltage link and the second high voltage link to detect isolation resistance data; (battery management systems ‘BMS 140’ monitors ‘measures and senses’ … voltages … current [pg. 5 line 32-36], voltage monitor unit ‘SVM 120’ monitors the voltage … outputs the DC link voltage … insulation resistance measurement [pg. 6 line 27-40])
and a controller including data processing hardware configured to execute an isolation monitoring algorithm, the isolation monitoring algorithm configured to determine an isolation resistance level of each of the first high voltage link and the second high voltage link based on the isolation resistance data. (The insulation resistance values calculated through the measured voltage values [pg. 10 line 14], Ri [pg. 10 line 16-17], showing equation which is equivalent to an algorithm, control unit, controller monitors … insulation resistance, BMS, insulation resistance measurement [pg. 11 line 17 – pg. 12 line 2], the mode of the fuel cell vehicle when the DC link voltage is less than the threshold voltage includes an idle stop mode, an electric vehicle mode, or an downhill running mode [pg. 12 line 6-8]), and configured to execute an isolation function based on isolation resistance level. (breakdown of the insulation resistance is dangerous to the occupant, it is necessary to measure the insulation resistance and remove the risk in advance or warn the occupant [pg. 2 line 35-37]).
However, Chang is silent regarding executing an isolation function based on the isolation resistance.
Fan discloses executing a remedial function for a low isolation resistance based on the isolation resistance level (execute a suitable control action responsive to a threshold low isolation resistance, such as by disconnecting the RESS 14, activating an audio and/or visual alert [0071]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time when invention was filed before the effective filing date of the current application to modify the teachings of Chang in view of Fan to execute an isolation function based on the isolation resistance value with a rational to provide a safe protection from a dangerous faulty isolation of the high voltage DC system. (see Chang - breakdown of the insulation resistance is dangerous to the occupant, it is necessary to measure the insulation resistance and remove the risk in advance or warn the occupant [pg. 2 line 35-37]).
As per claim 16, Chang and Fan discloses claim 15 set forth above.
Chang further discloses executing the low isolation function includes executing a termination function of the high voltage direct current electric power system (breakdown of the insulation resistance … remove the risk in advance or warn the occupant [pg. 2 line 35-37]).
As per claim 17, Chang and Fan discloses claim 15 set forth above.
Chang further discloses executing the low isolation function includes executing a termination function of the high voltage direct current electric power system (breakdown of the insulation resistance … remove the risk in advance or warn the occupant [pg. 2 line 35-37]).
As per claim 18, Chang and Fan discloses claim 15 set forth above.
Chang further discloses determining the isolation resistance levels includes calculating, via the isolation monitoring algorithm, the isolation resistance levels using the resistance level at each of the first high voltage link and the second high voltage link (The insulation resistance values calculated through the measured voltage values “Vb, V1, V2, V1 'or V2'” are as follows [pg. 10 line 31 – pg. 11 line 2]).
As per claim 19, Chang and Fan discloses claim 15 set forth above.
Chang already discloses gathering, via the isolation monitoring algorithm, isolation resistance data from each of the first high voltage link and the second high voltage link (see claims [pg. 12 line 3 – pg. 13 line 26]).
As per claim 20, Chang and Fan discloses claim 15 set forth above.
Due to lack of description support and high level of ambiguities, the rejection is postponed until further clarification.
Notes with regard to Prior Art
The prior arts made of record below are considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Anuchin (Anuchin, Alecksey, and et al. "Insulation fault detection and localization in electric and hybrid electric vehicles." In 2016 51st International Universities Power Engineering Conference (UPEC), pp. 1-3. IEEE, 2016), hereinafter ‘Anu’ discloses insultation resistance estimation for DC circuits in the electric and hybrid electric vehicles (for insulation resistance estimation, dc bus, leakage current to be measured, current clamp, detect an insulation fault, The insulation fault brings a reduction in active resistance between affected electrical circuit and the chassis ground, isolation problems …. higher leakage current … localize insulation faults [pg. 2 left col par, 5 – right col 5, Fig. 2, showing two or more dc links]).
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DOUGLAS KAY whose telephone number is (408) 918-7569. The examiner can normally be reached on M, Th & F 8-5, T 2-7, and W 8-1.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Arleen M Vazquez can be reached on 571-272-2619. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DOUGLAS KAY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2857
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