DETAILED ACTION
This action is responsive to the following communications: the Application filed on April 23,2024.
Claims 1-13 are presented for Examination. Claim 1 is independent.
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 Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
In claim 1 recites the limitations of “a first direct current” in line 9 which renders the claim vague and indefinite. Because this is second time mentions . So, there is a lack of antecedent basis. It should be the first direct current power.
In claim 3 recites the limitations of “the torque” renders the claim vague and indefinite. This is an antecedent issue , so it should be a torque as it introduced first time.
In claim 5,6 recite the limitations of “ at least one switching element” renders the claim vague and indefinite. This is an antecedent issue , so it should be “the at least one switching element”.
Since the independent claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) and hence the dependent claims of 1 are also rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Haga (US 2009/0102285).
Regarding independent claim 1, Haga discloses that a power converter (Fig.1) comprising:
a rectifier (Fig.1:) configured to rectify a first alternating-current power supplied from an alternating-current power supply;
a smoother (Fig.1:Cd) connected to output ends of the rectifier, and configured to:
smooth electric power obtained as a result the rectifier rectified the first alternating-current power (Fig.1:Vdc); and
generate a first direct-current power (Vdc);
an inverter (Fig.1:4) configured to:
convert a first direct-current power (VdC) supplied from the smoother into a second alternating-current power(Fig.1: Iu2); and
output the second alternating-current power to a motor (Fig.1:5);
a first controller (Fig.3) configured to control an operation of the inverter such that the second alternating-current power contain pulsation according to pulsation of power flowing into the smoother from the rectifier ([0085]);
a DC-DC converter (Fig.1:61) comprising at least one switching element(S1), the DC-DC converter is configured to convert the first direct-current power(Vdc), supplied from the smoother, into a second direct-current power (Fig.1:v0) by causing the switching element to perform switching; and
a second controller configured to cause the switching element to perform switching while changing, according to pulsation of power flowing into the smoother from the rectifier, a duty ratio when the switching element performs switching ([0069]; chopper).
Regarding claim 2, Haga discloses that wherein
the first controller is configured to control the operation of the inverter such that the second alternating-current power contains pulsation having the same frequency and phase as the first alternating-current power [0020].
Regarding claim 3, Haga discloses that wherein
when torque of the motor pulsates,
the first controller is configured to control the operation of the inverter such that the second alternating-current power further contains pulsation having the same frequency and phase as the pulsation of the torque of the motor (Fig.4 and Fig.6; torques depends on current).
Regarding claim 4, Haga discloses that wherein
the second controller is configured to cause the switching element to perform switching such that the duty ratio is a local minimum at a local maximum point of a voltage of the smoother and that the duty ratio is a local maximum at a local minimum point of the voltage of the smoother ([0118]).
Regarding claim 5, Haga discloses that wherein
the DC-DC converter is an isolated DC-DC converter,
the DC-DC converter comprises at least one switching element on a primary side and at least one rectifier element on a secondary side, and
the second controller is configured to control the switching element such that a voltage to be applied to the rectifier element is less than a withstand voltage of the rectifier element at a point when a voltage of the second direct-current power is a local maximum (Fig.1 and Fig.5).
Regarding claim 6, Haga discloses that wherein
the DC-DC converter is an isolated DC-DC converter,
the DC-DC converter comprises at least one switching element on a primary side and at least one rectifier element on a secondary side, and
the second controller is configured to control the switching element such that a voltage to be applied to the rectifier element exceeds a lower limit value of a voltage at which a current flows through the rectifier element at a point when a voltage of the second direct-current power is a local minimum ( Fig.7 and Fig.6).
Regarding claim 7, Haga discloses that wherein
the smoother is constituted by a plurality of smoothing capacitors connected in parallel,
the DC-DC converter is connected in parallel to one of the smoothing capacitors, and
the rectifier element is connected in series to the smoothing capacitor connected to the DC-DC converter (Fig.1, Cdc and Cd).
Regarding claim 8, Haga discloses that wherein
the DC-DC converter is configured to:
generate two or more types of direct-current power as the second direct-current power (Fig.1:vdc, v0); and
supply the two or more types of direct-current power to each of a plurality of loads having different operating voltages (Fig.1, Load, 5).
Regarding claim 9, Haga discloses that wherein
the rectifier is configured to boost and output a power obtained by rectifying the first alternating-current power (Fig.1: 1, 21).
Regarding claim 10, Haga discloses that wherein
the first controller and the second controller are implemented by different circuits([0085], [0069]).
Regarding claim 11, Haga discloses that comprising
a single controller operating as the first controller and also operating as the second controller([0085], [0069]).
Regarding claim 12, Haga discloses that a motor driver comprising the power converter according to claim 1 (Fig.1: 4).
Regarding claim 13, Haga discloses that a refrigeration-cycle applied equipment comprising the power converter according to claim 1([0002]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MUHAMMAD S ISLAM whose telephone number is (571)272-8439. The examiner can normally be reached on 9:30am to 6:00pm.
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/MUHAMMAD S ISLAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2846