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 § 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 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO2020141569, where in Ota et al. US publication no.: US 2021/0218358 A1 is used in this office action in view of Matsumoto et al. US publication no.: US 2020/0076339 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Ota et al. teach, A thyristor starter (see thyristor starter 100, figure 1) that starts a synchronous machine (machine 20, figure 1), the thyristor starter comprising: a converter (converter 1, figure 1) that converts AC power into DC power; a DC reactor (DC reactor 3, figure 1) that smooths the DC power; an inverter (inverter 2, figure 1) that converts the DC power supplied from the converter through the DC reactor into AC power of a variable frequency and supplies the AC power to the synchronous machine (see paragraph 25, where the variable frequency is provided to the machine); and a controller (converter controller 13, figure 1) that controls a firing phase of a thyristor in the converter such that a direct current flowing through the DC reactor coincides with a current command value (see paragraphs 36-37, where the converter controller allows the DC current id to matche the current command value), wherein the thyristor starter accelerates the synchronous machine in a stopped state to a prescribed rotation speed by sequentially adopting a first mode and a second mode (see figure 3, where the first mode corresponds to the control between t1-t2 and second mode corresponds to the control during the between t2-t3), in the first mode, the thyristor starter performs commutation of the inverter by intermittently setting the direct current to zero (see figure 3, where the field current is set to zero), and in the second mode, the thyristor starter performs commutation of the inverter by an induced voltage of the synchronous machine, the controller includes a current controller that generates a voltage command value for an output voltage of the converter by performing a control operation using an integral element of a deviation of the direct current with respect to the current command value (see paragraph 38, where the voltage command is generated based on the integral value and the result is added to the adder), a corrector (see adder, paragraph 38) that adds a correction value to the voltage command value, and a control angle calculator (control angle calculator 16, figure 1) that calculates a phase control angle of the thyristor in the converter based on the voltage command value to which the correction value is added (see paragraph 40, where the phase angle calculated the phase control angle based on the voltage command), and in the first mode, the correction value is set to increase as a rotation speed of the synchronous machine increases (see paragraphs 57-58, where the speed is proportional to the lead angle change).
Ota et al. is silent on specifically teaching: a control operation using an integral element of a deviation of the direct current flowing through the DC reactor
However, Matsumoto et al. is in the same field of art and teach: a control operation using an integral element of a deviation of the direct current flowing through the DC reactor (see paragraphs 33-42).
In view of Ota et al.’ teachings, it would’ve been obvious to one with the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, with the apparatus as taught by Ota et al. to include; a control operation using an integral element of a deviation of the direct current flowing through the DC reactor, for the purpose of improving the control of the drive system.
Regarding claim 2, Ota et al. teach, The thyristor starter according to claim 1, further comprising a position detector that detects a rotor position of the synchronous machine, wherein the corrector sets the correction value to increase as the rotation speed of the synchronous machine increases (see paragraphs 31-33, where the correction value is dependent on the signal from the detector), the rotation speed of the synchronous machine being calculated from a detection signal of the position detector (see position detector 7, figure 1).
Regarding claim 3, Ota et al. teach, The thyristor starter according to claim 1, further comprising a voltage detector (see voltage detector 6, figure 1) that detects a DC voltage to be input to the inverter, wherein the corrector sets the correction value to increase as the DC voltage increases (see paragraphs 30 and 34).
Regarding claim 4, Ota et al. teach, The thyristor starter according to claim 1, further comprising a voltage detector (see voltage detector 6, figure 1) that detects an AC voltage to be input to the synchronous machine, wherein the corrector sets the correction value to increase as an effective value of the AC voltage increases (see paragraphs 30 and 34 ).
Regarding claim 5, Ota et al. teach, The thyristor starter according to claim 1, wherein the corrector sets the correction value using a linear function, the linear function being set based on the rotation speed of the synchronous machine (see figure 3 and paragraphs 57 and 90, where a linear function relationship for speed is disclosed) or a value of a parameter varying according to the rotation speed as an explanatory variable, and the correction value as an objective variable.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-5 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action
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/ZOHEB S IMTIAZ/Primary Examiner , Art Unit 2837
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