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 07/16/24 has been considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings received on 07/16/24 are acceptable.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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 21 and 22 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite in that it fails to point out what is included or excluded by the claim language. This claim is an omnibus type claim.
Claim 21 depends upon claim 20 and claim 14 which depend upon two separate independent claims. Claim 22 inherit the same deficiency of the claim 21.
Claim 22 ends with a coma.
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.
Claims 9-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by General Electric Technology GmbH (EP 3826165 A1).
General electric technology discloses an improvements in or relating to power dissipating converters in Figures 1-2.
With regard to claim 9. A brake adjuster (Figure 1, (10)) for a modular multilevel converter, comprising: a plurality of submodules (48); a first switching group (44 positive side) comprising at least one of the plurality of submodules (48); a second switching group (44 negative side) comprising at least another one of the plurality of submodules (48); and a resistor (46), wherein the first switching group (44) is arranged between the resistor (46) and a first connection point (16) and the second switching group (44) is arranged between the resistor (46) and a second connection point (18) such that the resistor (46) and the first and second switching groups (44) form an electrical series circuit between the first connection point and the second connection point, and wherein any further one of the plurality of submodules (48) Is arranged in the first switching group (44) or in the second switching group (44) (page 7, lines 18-20: “each chain-link module 48 includes only a first pair of switching elements 50 that are connected in parallel with the capacitor 54 in a known half bridge arrangement to define a 2-quadrant unipolar module”).
With regard to claim 10. The brake adjuster of claim 9, wherein the first and second switching groups (44) each have at least two of the plurality of submodules arranged electrically in series (page 7, lines 7-9; “In turn, each chain-link converter 44 includes a plurality of series-connected chain-link modules 48, only on shown in Figure 1”).
With regard to claim 11. The brake adjuster of claim 9, wherein the first and second switching groups (44) are each designed to be resistance-free
With regard to claim 12. The brake adjuster of claim 9, wherein the first and second connection points (16, 18) are the only connection points of the brake adjuster.
With regard to claim 13. The brake adjuster of claim 9, wherein the resistor (46) comprises a plurality of partial resistors (46).
With regard to claim 14. A modular multilevel converter (Figure 1), comprising: a brake adjuster (10) comprising a plurality of first submodules (48), a first switching group (44 positive side) comprising at least one of the plurality of firstbetween the resistor (46) and a first connection point (16) and the second switching group (44) is arranged between the resistor (46) and a second connection point (18) such that the resistor (46) and the first and second switching groups (44) form an electrical series circuit between the first connection point (16) and the second connection point (18), and wherein any further one of the plurality of first submodules (48) is arranged in the first switching group (44) or in the second switching group (44); a phase module comprising two DC voltage connection points (16, 18); and a plurality of further submodules (48) arranged in series between the two DC voltage connection points of the phase module, wherein a connection point between two of the plurality of further submodules forms a phase connection point of the modular multilevel converter, and wherein the first connection point of the brake adjuster is electrically connected to a first one of the two DC voltage connection points of the phase module and the second connection point of the brake adjuster is electrically connected to a second one of the two DC voltage connection points of the phase module ( page 7, lines 18-20: “each chain-link module 48 includes only a first pair of switching elements 50 that are connected in parallel with the capacitor 54 in a known half bridge arrangement to define a 2-quadrant unipolar module”).
With regard to claim 15. The modular multilevel converter of claim 14, where in the second switching groups (44) of the brake adjuster (10) each have at least two of the plurality of first submodules (48) arranged electrically in series.
With regard to claim 16. The modular multilevel converter of claim 14, wherein the first and second switching groups (44) of the brake adjuster (10) are each designed to be resistance-free.
With regard to claim 17. The modular multilevel converter of claim 14, wherein the first and second connection points (16, 18) of the brake adjuster (10) are the only connection points of the brake adjuster.
With regard to claim 18. The modular multilevel converter of claim 14, wherein the resistor (46) of the brake adjuster (10) comprises a plurality of partial resistors (46).
With regard to claim 19. A converter assembly, comprising: the modular multilevel converter (10) as set forth in claim 14; and a feed device designed to supply the modular multilevel converter (10) with electrical energy from a power supply network, said feed device comprising a diode rectifier (48) connected to the power supply network.
With regard to claim 20. A method for operating the brake adjuster (10) as set forth in claim 9, said method comprising simultaneously switching on the plurality of submodules (48) for rapid reduction of a braking current.
With regard to claim 21. The method of claim 20 for operating the modular multilevel converter (10) as set forth in claim 14.
With regard to claim 22. The method of claim 21 for operating a converter assembly which comprises the modular multilevel converter (10) and a feed device designed to supply the modular multilevel converter with electrical energy from a power supply network and comprising a diode rectifier (48) connected to the power supply network,
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Hofmann et al. (US 12,438,481 B2) disclose a modular braking adjuster with hybrid design.
Venkataramanan et al. (WO 2025/193431 A1) disclose a modular multilevel converter submodules.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ADOLF D BERHANE whose telephone number is (571)272-2077. The examiner can normally be reached 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
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 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.
/ADOLF D BERHANE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
Prosecution Insights