Detailed Action
Summary
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 .
1.This office action is in response to the application filed on June 14, 2024.
2. Claims 14-28 are pending and has been examined.
Priority
3. Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d), which the certified copy has been placed in the record of the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
4. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 06/14/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
5. 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 19-23, 25 and 28 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 19 recites “second AC voltage” and “third AC voltage” in lines 2 and 6 respectively should be “the second AC voltage” and “ the third AC voltage” .
Claims 20-23 are dependent on claim 19, thus are also rejected because of their dependency.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
6. 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 14,16,18-19, 24-25 and 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) (a)(2) as being anticipated by Chang “20200321796”.
In re to claim 14, Chang discloses an inverter device for a vehicle (Figs. 3-4 shows on-board charger having inverter, see para.0004 ), comprising: a three-phase inverter (see parag.0033) with: a first supply voltage terminal (high side bus coupled to Q1, Q3 and Q5) configured to feed DC voltage from a vehicle battery (it is understood that on-board charger terminal 111 is coupled to the battery) , a second supply voltage terminal configured to connect to the vehicle battery (low side bus coupled to Q2, Q4 and Q6), a first supply terminal configured to supply first AC voltage (M1), a second supply terminal configured to supply second AC voltage (M2), and a third supply terminal configured to supply third AC voltage (M3); and
a filter device (La, Lb LC, C1,C2 and C3) with: at least one first coupling terminal (A) configured to electrically couple with the first supply terminal (M1), a second coupling terminal (B) configured to electrically couple with the second supply terminal (M2), at least one filter output configured to supply filtered AC voltage (Fig. 3: La, Lb, Lc supply AC voltage M1,M2 and M3) ,
a neutral conductor output (Fig.3: N) ,
a first phase inductance which is connected between the at least one first coupling terminal and the at least one filter output (Fig.3: La) ,
a second phase inductance which is connected between the second coupling terminal and the neutral conductor output (Fig. 3: Lc and Fig.4: L3), and
a filter capacitance which is connected between the at least one filter output and the neutral conductor output (Figs.3-4: C1, C2).
In re to claim 16, Chang discloses (Figs.3-4) wherein the neutral conductor output (N) is coupled with the first supply voltage terminal by a first neutral conductor high-voltage capacitance ( Cbus 1, Cbus2. Neutral N is coupled to high side bus thru Q1, Q3 and Q5) , and/or wherein the neutral conductor output is coupled with the second supply voltage terminal by a second neutral conductor high-voltage capacitance ( Cbus 1, Cbus2. Neutral N is coupled to low side bus thru Q2, Q4 and Q6) , and/or wherein the second neutral conductor high-voltage capacitance forms a part of the filter capacitance.
In re to claim 18, Chang discloses (Figs.3-4) wherein the at least one filter output is configured to provide an AC voltage of 230 V/50 Hz (it is understood that normal three-phase output voltage and frequency varies by region and application, with common North American industrial standards 208Y/120V, 480Y/277V, and 240V, with 60Hz and International standards, particularly in Europe 230 V/50Hz. Therefore, the AC output voltage of 230 V/50 Hz is for intended purpose to specific region and application, thus it is not novel.)
In re to claim 19, Chang discloses (Figs.3-4) to wherein the filter device has at least one second filter output for supplying second AC voltage (M2), wherein the filter device has a further phase inductance (Lb) which is connected between the second coupling terminal (B) and the at least one second filter output (output at Lb) , and/or wherein the filter device has at least a third coupling terminal (C) for electrically coupling with the third supply terminal (terminal contact at S2 and S3), a third filter output for supplying third AC voltage (M3) , and a third phase inductance (l3) which is connected between the third coupling terminal (C) and the third filter output (Lc output).
In re to claim 24, Chang discloses a method for operating an inverter device for a vehicle (Figs. 3-4 shows on-board charger having inverter, see para.0004 ), having: a three-phase inverter (Figs. 3-4) with: a first supply voltage terminal (high side bus coupled to Q1, Q3 and Q5) configured to feed DC voltage from a vehicle battery (it is understood that on-board charger terminal 111 is coupled to the battery) , a second supply voltage terminal configured to connect to the vehicle battery (low side bus coupled to Q2, Q4 and Q6), a first supply terminal configured to supply first AC voltage (M1), a second supply terminal configured to supply second AC voltage (M2), and a third supply terminal configured to supply third AC voltage (M3); and
a filter device (La, Lb LC, C1,C2 and C3) with: at least one first coupling terminal (A) configured to electrically couple with the first supply terminal (M1) , a second coupling terminal (B) configured to electrically couple with the second supply terminal (M2), at least one filter output configured to supply filtered AC voltage (Fig. 3: La, Lb, Lc supply AC voltage M1,M2 and M3) ,
a neutral conductor output (Fig.3: N) ,
a first phase inductance which is connected between the at least one first coupling terminal and the at least one filter output (Fig.3: La) ,
a second phase inductance which is connected between the second coupling terminal and the neutral conductor output (Fig. 3: Lc and Fig.4: L3), and
a filter capacitance which is connected between the at least one filter output and the neutral conductor output (Figs.3-4: C1, C2).
at least one step for connecting the first supply voltage terminal (high side bus coupled to Q1, Q3 and Q5) and the second supply voltage terminal (low side bus coupled to Q2, Q4 and Q6) to the vehicle battery (it is understood that on-board charger terminal 111 is coupled to the battery) and providing the filtered AC voltage to at least the at least one filter output (output at the La-Lc).
In re to claim 25, Chang discloses A vehicle comprising: a vehicle battery (electric vehicles battery, see parg. 0004); and an inverter device (Figs. 3-4 shows on-board charger having inverter, see para.0004 ), comprising: a three-phase inverter (Figs. 3-4) with: a first supply voltage terminal (high side bus coupled to Q1, Q3 and Q5) configured to feed DC voltage from a vehicle battery (it is understood that on-board charger terminal 111 is coupled to the battery) , a second supply voltage terminal configured to connect to the vehicle battery (low side bus coupled to Q2, Q4 and Q6), a first supply terminal configured to supply first AC voltage (M1), a second supply terminal configured to supply second AC voltage (M2), and a third supply terminal configured to supply third AC voltage (M3); and
a filter device (La, Lb LC, C1,C2 and C3) with: at least one first coupling terminal (A) configured to electrically couple with the first supply terminal (M1) , a second coupling terminal (B) configured to electrically couple with the second supply terminal (M2), at least one filter output configured to supply filtered AC voltage (Fig. 3: La, Lb, Lc supply AC voltage M1,M2 and M3) ,
a neutral conductor output (Fig.3: N) ,
a first phase inductance which is connected between the at least one first coupling terminal and the at least one filter output (Fig.3: La) ,
a second phase inductance which is connected between the second coupling terminal and the neutral conductor output (Fig. 3: Lc and Fig.4: L3), and
a filter capacitance which is connected between the at least one filter output and the neutral conductor output (Figs.3-4: C1, C2).
In re to claim 25, Chang discloses (Figs.3-4) wherein it has, at least at times, an auxiliary power take-off, and the auxiliary power take-off is connected to the at least one filter output (using available converter to operate a secondary drive (cooling unit, fan, cigarette lighter plug etc) appears to be not novel .
Allowable Subject Matter
7. Claims 15,17 and 20-23 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.
Claim 15 is objected because the prior art in the record fails to discloses or suggested the inverter including the limitation of “wherein the filter device has a cross-phase inductance which is connected between the at least one first coupling terminal and the neutral conductor output. ”
Claim 17 is objected because the prior art in the record fails to discloses or suggested the inverter including the limitation of “a first auxiliary phase inductance connected between the at least one filter output and a first tap point that is between the first phase inductance and the first auxiliary phase inductance, wherein a positive phase capacitance is connected between the first tap point and the first supply voltage terminal, and/or wherein a negative phase capacitance is connected between the first tap point and the second supply voltage terminal, wherein the negative phase capacitance forms a part of the filter capacitance. ”
Claim 20 is objected because the prior art in the record fails to discloses or suggested the inverter including the limitation of “a second auxiliary phase inductance which is connected between a second tap point that is between the further phase inductance and the second auxiliary phase inductance and the at least one second filter output, wherein a second positive phase capacitance is connected between the second tap point and the first supply voltage terminal, and/or wherein a second negative phase capacitance is connected between the second tap point and the second supply voltage terminal.”
Claims 21-23 are dependent on claim 20, thus are also objected because of their dependency.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Sun “20210296922” the present disclosure relates to the field of on-board charging technology, and more particularly to an on-board charger.
Sun “20200083727” the present disclosure relates to the technical field of power supply, and in particular, to an apparatus and a method for charging and discharging.
Naut “10110140” the present invention relates generally to power electronic circuits.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SISAY G TIKU whose telephone number is (571)272-6898. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30AM-6:00PM. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Crystal L Hammond can be reached at (571) 270-1682. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/SISAY G TIKU/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838