DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 6/7/24 has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 15 is objected to because of the following informalities: “the electrical converter” lacks antecedent basis. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. The claim(s) does/do not fall within at least one of the four categories of patent eligible subject matter because Applicant has not claimed that the computer-readable medium is non-transitory. From MPEP 2106.03 I:
Non-limiting examples of claims that are not directed to any of the statutory categories include: Transitory forms of signal transmission (often referred to as "signals per se"), such as a propagating electrical or electromagnetic signal or carrier wave.
Even when a product has a physical or tangible form, it may not fall within a statutory category. For instance, a transitory signal, while physical and real, does not possess concrete structure that would qualify as a device or part under the definition of a machine, is not a tangible article or commodity under the definition of a manufacture (even though it is man-made and physical in that it exists in the real world and has tangible causes and effects), and is not composed of matter such that it would qualify as a composition of matter. Nuijten, 500 F.3d at 1356-1357, 84 USPQ2d at 1501-03. As such, a transitory, propagating signal does not fall within any statutory category. Mentor Graphics Corp. v. EVE-USA, Inc., 851 F.3d 1275, 1294, 112 USPQ2d 1120, 1133 (Fed. Cir. 2017); Nuijten, 500 F.3d at 1356-1357, 84 USPQ2d at 1501-03.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 6-7, 10, 12 and 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Al-Hokayem (US 2018/0054112) in view of Spudic (Neutral Point Potential Balance when using Optimized Pulse Patterns).
With respect to claim 1, Al-Hokayem discloses a method for controlling an electrical converter (Fig. 1 12), wherein the electrical converter comprises a positive terminal (Fig. 1 DC high bus), a negative terminal (Fig. 1 DC return) and a neutral point (Fig. 1 N) and at least one phase output (Fig. 1 Vi) connectable to the positive terminal, the negative terminal and to the neutral point via at least one phase leg (Fig. 1 leg not shown); the method comprising: determining an actual modulation index (Fig. 2 m*) and an actual pulse number (Fig. 2 d); determining an actual reference angle (Fig. 2 output of 26 to 30); determining an optimized pulse pattern (Fig. 2 Ui,n) to be applied to the electrical converter from a table (paragraph 53) of optimized pulse patterns stored in a controller of the electrical converter; applying the determined optimized pulse pattern (Fig. 6 Ui,n) to the electrical converter; wherein the table of optimized pulse patterns is indexed with respect to a set of modulation indices and a set of pulse numbers and the optimized pulse pattern is determined based on the actual modulation index (Fig. 2 m*) and the actual pulse number (Fig. 2 d); wherein for a modulation index and a pulse number an optimized pulse pattern stored in the table comprises switching angles (Fig. 3 t*a1,t*a2) and at least one of a switching state (Fig. 3 1,0,-1) and a switching transition of the at least one phase leg for each switching angle; wherein for at least some modulation indices and some pulse numbers, an optimized pulse pattern (Fig. 2 Ui,n) stored in the table with respect to a modulation index and a pulse number comprises switching angles, which correspond to different reference angles (Fig. 2 output of 26 to 30). Al-Hokayem does not disclose wherein the optimized pulse patter corresponds to different neutral point balancing values. It was known before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to optimize pulse patterns corresponding to different neutral point balancing values.
Spudic discloses a method of neutral point balancing with optimized pulse patterns for controlling an electrical converter (Fig. 2 NPC), wherein the electrical converter comprises a positive terminal (Fig. 2 +), a negative terminal (Fig. 2 -) and a neutral point (Fig. 2 N) and at least one phase output (Fig. 2 A) connectable to the positive terminal, the negative terminal and to the neutral point via at least one phase leg (Fig. 2 leg A); by determining a neutral point voltage (Fig 19 vnp) of the neutral point; determining an actual neutral point balancing value (Fig. 19 Δα) from the neutral point voltage; wherein for at least some indices (Fig. 19 arrows into OPP-based modulation), an optimized pulse pattern (Fig. 4 OPP) stored in the table comprises switching angles (Fig. 4 α1,α2 etc.), which correspond to different neutral point balancing values; wherein the switching angles of the optimized pulse pattern to be applied to the electrical converter are determined from the switching angles, which correspond to different neutral point balancing values, as a function of the actual neutral point balancing value (Fig. 19 Δα). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement determining a neutral point voltage of the neutral point; determining an actual neutral point balancing value from the neutral point voltage; and wherein for at least some modulation indices and some pulse numbers, an optimized pulse pattern stored in the table with respect to a modulation index and a pulse number comprises switching angles, which correspond to different neutral point balancing values; wherein the switching angles of the optimized pulse pattern to be applied to the electrical converter are determined from the switching angles, which correspond to different neutral point balancing values, as a function of the actual neutral point balancing value, in order to improve performance by balancing the neutral point voltage.
With respect to claim 2, Al-Hakayam in view of Spuric make obvious the method of claim 1 as set forth above, wherein the actual neutral point balancing value is at least indicative of reducing and increasing the neutral point voltage (v_np); wherein an optimized pulse pattern stored in the table with respect to a modulation index (m) and a pulse number (d) comprises a first vector [vector of angles when the neutral point voltage is high] of switching angles corresponding to reducing the neutral point voltage and a second vector [vector of angles when the neutral point voltage is low] of switching angles corresponding to increasing the neutral point voltage.
With respect to claim 3, Al-Hakayam in view of Spuric make obvious the method of claim 1 as set forth above, wherein the actual neutral point balancing value is indicative of maintaining the neutral point voltage; wherein an optimized pulse pattern stored in the table with respect to a modulation index (m) and a pulse number (d) comprises a vector of switching angles corresponding to maintaining [when Δα= 0] the neutral point voltage (v_np).
With respect to claim 6, Al-Hakayam in view of Spuric make obvious the method of claim 1 as set forth above, wherein the actual neutral point balancing value is a function of an offset of the neutral point voltage (Fig. 19 Vnp) with respect to a reference value (Fig. 19 0).
With respect to claim 7, Al-Hakayam in view of Spuric make obvious the method of claim 1, wherein the actual neutral point balancing value is determined with a PI controller (Fig. 19 P(I)) from the neutral point voltage (Fig. 19 Vnp).
With respect to claim 10, Al-Hakayam in view of Spuric make obvious the method of claim 1, further comprising: modifying the switching angles of the optimized pulse pattern to be applied to the electrical converter with model predictive control (paragraph 12); wherein the switching angles are modified to track a reference flux trajectory (paragraph 52).
With respect to claim 12, Al-Hokayem in view of Spudic make obvious a controller as set forth above. See claim 1 for additional details.
With respect to claim 15, Al-Hokayem discloses a computer-readable medium storing a table (Fig. 2 30) of optimized pulse patterns for an electrical converter, wherein the table (paragraph 53) of optimized pulse patterns is indexed with respect to a set of modulation indices (Fig. 2 m*) and a set of pulse numbers (Fig. 2 d); wherein for a modulation index and a pulse number, an optimized pulse pattern (Fig. 2 Ui,n) comprises switching angles (Fig. 3 t*a1,t*a2) and at least one of a switching state (Fig. 3 1,0,-1) and a switching transition of at least one phase leg of the electrical converter for each switching angle; wherein for at least some modulation indices and pulse numbers, an optimized pulse pattern for a modulation index and a pulse number comprises switching angles, which correspond to different reference angles of the inverter flux (Fig. 2 output from 26 to 30). Al-Hokayem does not disclose wherein the optimized pulse pattern for a modulation index and a pulse number comprises switching angles, which correspond to different neutral point balancing values. It was known before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to optimize pulse patterns corresponding to different neutral point balancing values.
Spudic discloses neutral point balancing with optimized pulse patterns
wherein optimized pulse patterns (Fig. 19 output of OPP-based modulation) corresponding to different neutral point balancing values (Fig. 19 Δα) are optimized to increase and/or decrease a neutral point voltage (Fig. 19 Vnp) at a neutral point (Fig. 2 N) of the electrical converter (Fig. 2 NPC converter). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement wherein for at least some modulation indices and pulse numbers, an optimized pulse pattern for a modulation index and a pulse number comprises switching angles, which correspond to different neutral point balancing values; wherein optimized pulse patterns corresponding to different neutral point balancing values are optimized to increase and/or decrease a neutral point voltage at a neutral point of the electrical converter, in order to improve performance by balancing the neutral point voltage.
With respect to claim 16, Al-Hakayam in view of Spuric make obvious the method of claim 2 as set forth above, wherein the actual neutral point balancing value is indicative of maintaining the neutral point voltage; wherein an optimized pulse pattern stored in the table with respect to a modulation index (m) and a pulse number (d) comprises a vector of switching angles corresponding to maintaining [when Δα = 0] the neutral point voltage (v_np).
Claim(s) 4 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Al-Hokayem (US 2018/0054112) in view of Spudic (Neutral Point Potential Balance when using Optimized Pulse Patterns) and further in view of Rohr (US 2018/0131266).
With respect to claim 4, Al-Hokayem in view of Spudic make obvious
the method of claim 1 as set forth above, and remains silent as to interpolating between the table values. It was known before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to interpolate between data values. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement wherein an optimized pulse pattern stored in the table with respect to a modulation index and a pulse number comprises data values to determine a switching angle for at least two different neutral point balancing values; wherein switching angles are determined by interpolation and/or extrapolation with respect to the data values, in order to improve the resolution and accuracy of the neutral point values.
With respect to claim 11, Al-Hokayem in view of Spudic make obvious the method of claim 1 as set forth above, and remains silent as to interpolating between the table values. It was known before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to interpolate between data values.
Geyer discloses wherein interpolated values are used to derive the optimized pulse pattern. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement wherein an optimized pulse pattern stored in the table with respect to a modulation index and a pulse number comprises corner points for a reference flux trajectory corresponding to the switching angles of the optimized pulse pattern; wherein the optimized pulse pattern comprises parameter for curves for the corner points for interpolating and/or extrapolating the corner points between different neutral point balancing values; wherein interpolated and/or extrapolated corner points for an interpolated and/or extrapolated reference flux trajectory are determined from the actual neutral point balancing value, in order to improve the resolution and accuracy of the values.
Claim(s) 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Al-Hokayem (US 2018/0054112) in view of Spudic (Neutral Point Potential Balance when using Optimized Pulse Patterns) and further in view of Geyer (US 2020/0350847).
With respect to claim 5, Al-Hokayem in view of Spudic make obvious the method of claim 1 as set forth above, wherein the actual neutral point balancing value is determined from the neutral point voltage with a PI controller (Spudic Fig. 19 PI), and Al-Hokayem does not disclose wherein the actual neutral point balancing value is determined from the neutral point voltage with a hysteresis controller. It was known before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement hysteresis controllers when using optimized pulse pattern control.
Geyer discloses wherein the actual value is selected from a set of discrete values [Equation 18]; wherein the actual value is determined with a hysteresis controller (paragraphs 139-140). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement wherein the actual neutral point balancing value is selected from a set of discrete values; wherein the actual neutral point balancing value is determined from the neutral point voltage with a hysteresis controller, in order to produce the discrete set of values for the lookup table.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-9 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
With respect to claim 8, the prior art does not disclose or suggest, in combination with the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims, primarily, wherein an actual active power reference to be provided for the at least one phase output is determined; wherein the table of optimized pulse patterns is additionally indexed with respect to a set of active power references; wherein the optimized pulse pattern to be applied to the electrical converter is selected from the table with respect to the actual active power reference.
With respect to claim 9, the prior art does not disclose or suggest, in combination with the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims, primarily, wherein the optimized pulse patterns are stored in the table for a complete fundamental cycle; wherein the optimized pulse patterns stored in the table are asymmetric with respect to a quarter of the complete fundamental cycle; wherein the optimized pulse patterns stored in the table have been optimized to generate a non-zero DC-component of the neutral point current.
The aforementioned limitations in combination with all remaining limitations of the respective claims are believed to render the aforementioned indicated claim and any dependent claims thereof patentable over the art of record.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Geyer (20120161685) discloses controlling a converter using optimized pulse patterns.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HARRY RAYMOND BEHM whose telephone number is (571)272-8929. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 8-5 EST.
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/HARRY R BEHM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838