DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed 06/05/2024, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Claim Objections
Claims 5, 6, 9, 11, 14, 16, and 17 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Re claim 5, it appears that “a non-conducting state” (lines 3, 6) should be “the non-conducting state”.
Re claim 6, it appears that “a complementary manner” (line 5) should be “the complementary manner”.
Re claim 9, it appears that “a second switch” (line 3) should be “the second switch”. It appears that “a second buck” (line 9) should be “the second buck”. It appears that “a second buck converter” (lines 9-10) should be “the second buck converter”.
Re claim 11, it appears that “a non-conducting state” (lines 5, 10) should be “the non-conducting state”. It appears that “a second switch” (line 9) should be “the second switch”.
Re claim 14, it appears that “a conducting state” (lines 3, 5-6) should be “the conducting state”.
Re claim 16, it appears that “a complementary manner” (line 5) should be “the complementary manner”.
Re claim 17, it appears that “an open loop” (line 5) should be “the open loop”. It appears that “a current” (line 5) should be “the current”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 17, and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhang et al. (“Zhang”, CN 109951081A).
Re claim 1, Zhang teaches an apparatus comprising: a power converter [Fig 1] comprising: a shared coupled inductor [3] having windings [L1, L2] around a common core; a plurality of buck converters [2] coupled between a first terminal [Uin+] and a second terminal [Uin-], wherein the plurality of buck converters comprises: a plurality of buck switching legs [S1, D1, S2, D2], and the shared coupled inductor [L1, L2]; and a boost converter [4] coupled between a third terminal [Uout+] and a fourth terminal [Uout-], the boost converter comprising: a boost switching leg [S3, D3], and the shared coupled inductor [L1, L2].
Re claim 2, Zhang teaches a controller [6, 7, 8, Fig 2] configured to control the power converter to convert power from the first terminal and the second terminal to the third terminal and the fourth terminal, using one of a first conversion mode, a second conversion mode, or a third conversion mode [description of the controller in paragraph [0038], conversion of input to output described in paragraph [0042]].
Re claim 17, Zhang teaches wherein the controller is further configured to control the power converter in one of: a closed loop control mode [paragraph 56, “When the input DC source voltage Uin changes, the output voltage Uout overshoots, which is mainly caused by the response time of the control system. The overshoot can be further reduced by optimizing the closed-loop parameters and feedforward control.”] or an open loop control mode based on a closed loop control model of a current through the shared coupled inductor; or an open loop control mode based on an open loop computational model of a current through the shared coupled inductor.
Re claim 18, Zhang teaches wherein each winding of the windings of the shared coupled inductor corresponds to a respective buck converter of the plurality of buck converters [Fig 1, L1 corresponds to S1 and D1, L2 corresponds to S2 and D2].
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 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.
Claims 3, 4, 7, 8 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang in view of Singh et al. (“Singh”, US 2022/0085718).
Re claim 3, Zhang teaches wherein the boost switching leg comprises a first switch [D3] and a second switch [S3] coupled at a first connection point, wherein the first switch is coupled between the third terminal and the first connection point [node connecting L1 and L2], and wherein in the first conversion mode, the second conversion mode or the third conversion mode [working mode 2], the controller is configured to control the first switch to be in a non-conducting state [t2-t3 time period Fig 3, paragraph [0044]], but does not teach wherein the boost switching leg further comprises a diode coupled across the first switch, wherein an anode of the diode is coupled to the first connection point, and a cathode of the diode is coupled to the third terminal, wherein the diode restricts a negative current from flowing through the shared coupled inductor.
Singh teaches a device [Fig 1] having a boost switching leg comprising a diode [diode across MN3] coupled across the first switch [MN3], wherein an anode of the diode is coupled to the first connection point [node connecting MN3, MN4, and L], and a cathode of the diode is coupled to the third terminal [at Vout], wherein the diode restricts a negative current from flowing through the shared coupled inductor [obvious functionality of parallel connected diode across switch]. It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the device of Zhang to include the features of Singh because it is used to effectively provide a discharge path for current, thus improving the utility of the device, which increases efficiency.
Re claim 4, Zhang teaches wherein based on the first conversion mode, the controller is configured to generate a first PWM signal [From PW1, Fig 1], and a second PWM signal [from PWM2, Fig 1] for controlling the power converter to reduce a first voltage [60V] between the first terminal and the second terminal to a second voltage [28.5V] between the third terminal and the fourth terminal [Fig 5, paragraph 56].
Re claim 7, Zhang teaches wherein the second PWM signal is phase shifted by 180 degrees with respect to the first PWM signal [as shown in Fig 3, paragraph [0039], “the second control signal uc2 is sent to the PWM generator 82 in the PWM generator 8, and together with the carrier signal Tr2 (180 degrees out of phase with Tr1), it generates a second power switch S2 drive signal Ugs2.”].
Re claim 8, Zhang teaches wherein based on the second conversion mode, the controller is configured generate a first PWM signal for controlling the power converter to increase a first voltage [20V] between the first terminal and the second terminal to a second voltage [28.5V] between the third terminal and the fourth terminal [Fig 5, paragraph 56].
Re claim 20, Zhang teaches a method [Figs 1-3] comprising: determining, by a controller [6, 7, 8, Fig 2] of a power converter [Fig 1], if the power converter is in a first operational mode or a second operation mode; based on the power converter operating in the first operational mode, measuring a first electrical parameter [Uout] of the power converter; based on the power converter operating in the second operational mode, measuring a second electrical parameter [iL1, iL2] of the power converter; based on a level of the first electrical parameter being different from a first predetermined value [Uoutref], transitioning the power converter, by the controller, to the second operational mode; and based on a level of the second electrical parameter being different from a second predetermined value [uc1], transitioning the power converter, by the controller, to the first operational mode, wherein, the second operational mode comprises turning a switch [S3] in the power converter to a non-conducting state [as shown in Figure 6, when iL1 and iL2 reach uc1, paragraph [0057]], but does not teach wherein the switch is coupled across a diode, and wherein the diode restricts a reverse current from flowing through the power converter.
Singh teaches a device [Fig 1] having a boost switching leg comprising a diode [diode across MN3] coupled across the first switch [MN3], wherein an anode of the diode is coupled to the first connection point [node connecting MN3, MN4, and L], and a cathode of the diode is coupled to the third terminal [at Vout], wherein the diode restricts a negative current from flowing through the shared coupled inductor [obvious functionality of parallel connected diode across switch]. It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the device of Zhang to include the features of Singh because it is used to effectively provide a discharge path for current, thus improving the utility of the device, which increases efficiency.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 6, 9-16, and 19 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: the prior art fails to teach or disclose:
Re claim 5 and its dependents thereof, the closet prior art (which has been made of record) fail to disclose (by themselves or in combination): “the controller is further configured to: control the second switch of the boost switching leg to be in a non-conducting state; control, using the first PWM signal, a third switch and a fourth switch of a first buck switching leg of a first buck converter of the plurality of buck converters to alternate between a conducting state and a non-conducting state; and control, using the second PWM signal, a fifth switch and a sixth switch of a second buck switching leg of a second buck converter of the plurality of buck converters to alternate between the conducting state and the non-conducting state” in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by Applicant.
Re claim 9 and its dependents thereof, the closet prior art (which has been made of record) fail to disclose (by themselves or in combination): “control, using the first PWM signal, a second switch of the boost switching leg to alternate between a conducting state and the non-conducting state; control a third switch of a first buck switching leg of a first buck converter of the plurality of buck converters and a fifth switch of a second buck switching leg of a second buck converter of the plurality of buck converters to be in the conducting state; and control a fourth switch of the first buck switching leg of the first buck converter of the plurality of buck converters and a sixth switch of a second buck switching leg of a second buck converter of the plurality of buck converters to be in the non-conducting state” in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by Applicant.
Re claim 10 and its dependents thereof, the closet prior art (which has been made of record) fail to disclose (by themselves or in combination): “based on the third conversion mode, the controller is configured to generate a first PWM signal, a second PWM signal, and a third PWM signal for controlling the power converter to change a first voltage between the first terminal and the second terminal to a second voltage between the third terminal and the fourth terminal” in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by Applicant.
Re claim 19 and its dependents thereof, the closet prior art (which has been made of record) fail to disclose (by themselves or in combination): “the controller is further configured to generate a plurality of PWM signals for controlling the plurality of buck converters, wherein a PWM signal of the plurality of PWM signals is determined as a reference PWM signal,” in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by Applicant.
Conclusion
Examiner's Note:
Examiner has cited particular columns and line numbers in the references applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
In the case of amending the claimed invention, Applicant is respectfully requested to indicate the portion(s) of the specification which dictate(s) the structure relied on for proper interpretation and also to verify and ascertain the metes and bounds of the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LAKAISHA JACKSON whose telephone number is (571)270-3111. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:00-5:00.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, MONICA LEWIS can be reached on 571-272-1838. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LaKaisha Jackson/
Examiner, Art Unit 2838