Detailed Action
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claims 1-6 of U.S. Application 18/691,998 filed on March 14, 2024 are presented for examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/14/2024, 08/02/2024,10/03/2024,12/03/2024,02/20/2025,04/04/2025,05/09/2025, and 06/18/2025 has been considered by the examiner.
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 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.
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 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.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schmitt et al (USPGPub 20150323568) in view of Houis et al (USPGPub 20220018880).
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Prior Art: Schmitt
Regarding claim 1, Schmitt discloses a current measurement system (shown in fig 13), comprising: an electrically conductive strip (2) extending along a first direction (from left to right) and configured to pass a signal current to be measured along the first direction (abstract discloses measuring current); a first magnetic sensor (10a) and a second magnetic sensor (10b), wherein each magnetic sensor is configured to output an output signal according to a signal magnetic field that is generated by the signal current; wherein the strip comprises a first notch (16), extending from a first lateral side of the strip (side of 16), along a second direction (from top to bottom) substantially perpendicular to the first direction (top of 13) and forming a first edge (left inside of 16) and a second edge (right inside of 16) on each side of the first notch along the second direction (shown in fig 13); such that, in a first zone (17) of the strip bordering the first edge, the signal current comprises a first current portion flowing substantially in the second direction and generates a first signal magnetic field with a first polarity; and in a second zone (18) of the strip bordering the second edge, the signal current comprises a second current portion flowing substantially in the second direction and generating a second signal magnetic field with a second polarity opposed to the first polarity (shown in figs 1-3 with the direction of current); wherein the first magnetic sensor is arranged in the first zone to outputs a first output signal according to the first signal magnetic field, and the second magnetic sensor is arranged in the second zone to outputs a second output signal according to the second signal magnetic field (par 39 discloses the sensor element to sense magnetic fields). Schmitt does not fully disclose the output signal corresponding to the difference between the first and the second output signals.
However, Houis discloses the output signal corresponding to the difference between the first and the second output signals (abstract discloses determining difference between a gradient or magnetic field and par 252 discloses determining difference between V1 and V2). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Schmitt in view of Houis in order to take the difference between at least two values helps increase accuracy in determining current along the busbar (Houis pars 20-28).
Regarding claim 2, Schmitt discloses wherein the strip further comprises a second notch (14) and a third notch (15), both extending from a second side of the strip, opposed to the first side, such that the first zone comprises a first sub-strip and the second zone comprises a first sub-strip, each of the first and second sub-strips extending along the second direction on each side the first notch along the first direction (shown in fig 13 as the second and third notches are on the other side).
Regarding claim 3, Schmitt discloses wherein each of the first and second magnetic sensors comprises at least one tunnel magnetoresistive (TMR) element (par 9 discloses being a TMR).
Regarding claim 4, Schmitt discloses wherein each of the first and second magnetic sensors comprises four TMR elements arranged in a Wheatstone bridge circuit (par 42 discloses being Wheatstone bridge circuit).
Regarding claim 5, Schmitt does not fully disclose a processing module configured to configured to subtract the first output signal outputted by the first magnetic sensor and the second output signal outputted by the second magnetic sensor.
However, Houis discloses a processing module configured to configured to subtract the first output signal outputted by the first magnetic sensor and the second output signal outputted by the second magnetic sensor (par 252 discloses determining difference between V1 and V2. Therefore, there is a subtraction). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Schmitt in view of Houis in order to take a difference between two values to increase accuracy in determining current along the busbar.
Regarding claim 6, Schmitt does not fully disclose wherein the magnetic sensors are mounted on a PCB (par 46 discloses 10 can be on a PCB).
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ausserlechner et al (USPGPub 20120112365): discloses a busbar with 3 notches.
Conclusion
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/DOMINIC E HAWKINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858