DETAILED ACTION
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
2. The specification and the drawings are acceptable.
3. The abstract is objected to as it has more than 150 words. See 37 CFR 1.72 (b) and MPEP § 608.01(b). Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
4. 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)(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.
5. Claims 1-3, 5-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by USPN 11,754,084 to Aoki.
As to claim 1, Aoki teaches a motor drive control device(col. 1: lines 45 – col. 2: lines 11), comprising: a control circuit unit (fig. 1: “4”) configured to generate a drive control signal for controlling an actual rotation speed of a motor(fig. 1: “20”) based on a speed command signal indicating a target rotation speed of the motor(col. 1: lines 65 – col. 2: lines 11); and a motor drive unit configured to drive the motor based on the drive control signal, wherein the control circuit unit includes a power control unit configured to enable selection of one of: a speed feedback control mode to generate the drive control signal so that the actual rotation speed of the motor matches the target rotation speed(col. 1: lines 65 – col. 2: lines 11); and a current feedback control mode to generate the drive control signal so that a drive current of the motor matches a target current(col. 3: lines 30-35), and the power control unit is configured to set a current threshold corresponding to a power supply voltage supplied from the outside as the target current(col. 25: lines 10-24 wherein the PWM command signal corresponds to the power supply voltage configured to set a current threshold at a desired value); and when detecting the drive current being not less than the current threshold, switch from the speed feedback control mode to the current feedback control mode(col. 24: lines 11-20 wherein apparatus and method are taught for control mode switching between the speed feedback control mode and the current feedback control mode based on the current threshold comparison results).
As to claim 2, Aoki teaches the motor drive control device according to claim 1, wherein the power control unit switches from the current feedback control mode to the speed feedback control mode when detecting the drive current being less than the current threshold in the current feedback control mode(col. 24: lines 11-20 wherein apparatus and method are taught for control mode switching between the speed feedback control mode and the current feedback control mode based on the current threshold comparison results).
As to claim 3, Aoki teaches the motor drive control device according to claim 1, wherein the power control unit is configured to enable selection of the speed feedback control mode and the current feedback control mode in a whole air flow range from minimum to maximum air flow as determined by air flow-static pressure characteristics of the motor(col. 19: lines 13-19).
As to claim 5, Aoki teaches the motor drive control device according to claim 1, wherein the detected current being an analog signal is converted into a digital signal by ΔΣADC(col. 11: lines 65 – col. 12: lines 5).
As to claim 6, Aoki teaches the motor drive control device according to claim 1, wherein the power control unit switches to the speed feedback control mode when detecting, during execution of the current feedback control mode, the actual rotation speed of the motor being within a predetermined range with respect to the target rotation speed(col. 3: lines 18-26).
As to claim 7, Aoki teaches the motor drive control device according to claim 1, wherein the power control unit includes: an operation command unit configured to switch selectably between the speed feedback control mode and the current feedback control mode and a current feedback control unit configured to control so that the drive current matches the target current in accordance with a command from the operation command unit and a speed feedback control unit configured to control so that the actual rotation speed of the motor matches the target rotation speed in accordance with a command from the operation command unit (col. 3: lines 35 – col. 4: lines 3 wherein apparatus and method are taught for a motor control system to switch selectably between the speed feedback control mode and the current feedback control mode and control so that the actual rotation speed of the motor matches the target rotation speed in accordance with a command from the operation command unit).
As to claim 8, Aoki teaches the motor drive control device according to claim 7, wherein the operation command unit changes the current threshold in accordance with a value of the power supply voltage so that power of the motor is at a desired value(col. 25: lines 10-24 wherein the PWM command signal corresponds to the power supply voltage configured to set a current threshold at a desired value).
As to claim 9, it is rejected as the same reason as claim 1.
As to claim 10, it is rejected as the same reason as claim 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
6. 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.
7. Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over USPN 11,754,084 to Aoki, and in view of USPN 10,644,632 to Lee.
As to claim 4, Aoki teaches the motor drive control device according to claim 1, comprising: a current detector configured to detect the drive current(fig. 1: “6”).
Aoki does not teach a current monitoring unit configured to acquire, as the drive current, a measured current value calculated by smoothing a detected current detected by the current detector.
Lee teaches a current monitoring unit configured to acquire, as the drive current, a measured current value calculated by smoothing a detected current detected by the current detector(col. 7: lines 52-67).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the teachings of Lee into Aoki since Aoki suggests a motor control system and Lee suggests the beneficial use of a smoothing device to reduce the harmonics in the current for a motor control system in the analogous art of motor control technology.
The motivation for this comes from the fact that Lee teaches a smoothing device to reduce the harmonics in the current for a motor control system which can be used to improve the motor control system disclosed by Aoki.
Conclusion
8. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
USPN 6,400,107 to Nakatani discloses a motor control system.
9. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID S LUO whose telephone number is (571)270-5251. The examiner can normally be reached 8AM-5PM.
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/DAVID LUO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2846