DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to the application filed on 5/1/24.
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 .
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.
Specification
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 2, 4, 7-10 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Agirman (US20190173410).
Regarding Claim 1, Agirman discloses (fig. 2) an inverter system (10) comprising a multiphase inverter (20) which comprises at least three half-bridge circuits (R, S, T) which are connected in parallel to a positive potential connection (high side) and to a negative potential (low side) connections wherein all half-bridge circuits each comprise a high-side switch (48) arranged between the positive potential connection and an output of the half-bridge circuit and a low-side switch (49) arranged between the negative potential connection and the output of the half-bridge circuit; at least two of the half-bridge circuits comprise a resistive shunt (46) for current measurement which is arranged between the negative potential connection and the output of the half-bridge circuit; and a control device (60) for actuating the half-bridge circuits, which is configured to actuate the half-bridge circuits for generating voltage space vectors in successive switching periods such that the voltage space vectors are generated by a discontinuous pulse width modulation (¶50), in which at least one of the low-side switches of at least of the two half- bridge circuits, which comprise the resistive shunt, is switched to be conductive at least once within a switching period (fig. 3B, ¶41).
Regarding Claim 2, Agirman discloses (fig. 2) all of the half-bridge circuits of the inverter comprise one of the resistive shunts for current measurement which is arranged between the negative potential connection and the output of the half-bridge circuit (46r, 46s, 46t).
Regarding Claim 4, Agirman discloses (fig. 2) the high-side switches and the low-side switches are designed as MOSFETs or IGBTs (fig. 2, 48, 49).
Regarding Claim 7, Agirman discloses (fig. 2) A method for operating an inverter system (10) having a multiphasearranged between the positive potential connection and an output of the half-bridge circuit and a low-side switch (49) arranged between the negative potential connection and the output of the half-bridge circuit, wherein at least two of the half-bridge circuits comprise a resistive shunt (46) for current measurement which is arranged between the negative potential connection and the output of the half-bridge circuit, wherein the method comprising: actuating the half-bridge circuits
Regarding Claim 8, Agirman discloses (fig. 2) currents using the resistive shunts and generating the voltage space vectors based on the measured currents (¶41, 50)
Regarding Claim 9, Agirman discloses (fig. 2) An inverter system, comprising: a three-phase inverter which comprises three half-bridge circuits which are connected in parallel to a positive potential connection and to a negative potential connection; the three half-bridge circuits each comprise a high-side switch arranged between the positive potential connection and an output of the half-bridge circuit and a low-side switch arranged between the negative potential connection and the output of the half-bridge circuit; at least two of the half-bridge circuits comprise a resistive shunt for current measurement which is arranged between the negative potential connection and the output of the half-bridge circuit; and a controller for actuating the three half-bridge circuits, and is configured to actuate the three half-bridge circuits for generating voltage space vectors in successive switching periods such that the voltage space vectors are generated by a discontinuous pulse width modulation, in which at least one of the low-side switches of at least two of the half-bridge circuits, which comprise the resistive shunt, is switched to be conductive at least once within a switching period (fig. 3B, ¶41).
Regarding Claim 10, Agirman discloses (fig. 2) all of the half-bridge circuits of the inverter comprise one of the resistive shunts for current measurement which is arranged between the negative potential connection and the output of the half-bridge circuit
Regarding Claim 12, Agirman discloses (fig. 2) the high-side switches and the low-side switches are designed as MOSFETs or IGBTs (fig. 2, 48, 49).
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.
Claims 3, 5, 11 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Agirman.
Regarding Claims 3 and 11, Agirman discloses the control device for actuating the half-bridge circuits is configured so that the switching periods have a period length (fig. 3, ¶41).
Agirman does not disclose a period length in a range of 50 ps to 100 ps
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Agirman to include the range of 50 ps to 100 ps since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Regarding Claims 5 and 13, Agirman discloses the high-side switches and the low-side switches have a forward resistance (fig. 2, switches 48 and 49 have a forward resistance).
Agirman does not disclose the range of 3 mQ to 30 mQ.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Agirman to include the range of 3 mQ to 30 mQ since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Claims 6 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Agirman in view of Mori et al. (US20230001979, hereinafter Mori).
Regarding Claims 6 and 14, Agirman discloses (fig. 2) the inverter system according to claim 1.
Agirman does not disclose an actuator for a steer-by-wire system or for a roll stabilizer having an electric machine.
Mori discloses an actuator (10) for a steer-by-wire system or for a roll stabilizer having an electric machine (fig. 20).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Agirman to include system as disclosed in Mori to utilize multiphase inversion to meet requirements of an AC rotary machine for operating at a required specification.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US 10381968, Agirman; Ismail discloses converter pulse width modulation strategies for three phase regenerative drives.
US 11482920, Agirman; Ismail discloses a single stage, two level pulse width modulation strategies for active harmonic filters.
US 20090284194, FORTE; Gianlugi discloses phase current measurements in a three phase inverter using a single common dc-link current sensor.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KYLE J MOODY whose telephone number is (571)272-5242. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 10 AM - 4 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Monica Lewis can be reached on 571-272-1838. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KYLE J MOODY/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838