DETAILED ACTION
This Office action is in response to the application filed on 18 June 2024.
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.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
In paragraph [0040], “connected to a negative battery voltage, as seen, e.g., in Figures 2 and 8.” provides an informality because there is no figure 8.
In paragraph [0050], “the batteries G1, G2 present before the contactors 14-H, 14-L are closed.” provides the informality because there is no 14-H.
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.
Claims 1-5, and 12-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kirleis mattew et. al (EP3699090A1; hereafter “Kirleis”) in view of Sala Masip (EP3421287A1; hereafter “Sala”).
-Regarding claim 1;
Kirleis discloses;
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A multilane power distribution system (Fig. 5) comprising: a plurality of direct current (DC) power sources (Fig. 5; Batt. Bank 200 and Solar panel 106); a plurality of load devices (Fig. 5; Motors 124b), wherein each DC power source (Fig. 6; Battery bank 224 or solar panel 106) of the plurality of DC power sources is configured to power at least two load devices (Fig. 6; Motors 124b) of the plurality of load devices (Fig. 6; Battery bank 224 connects two motors 124b), and wherein each load device (Fig. 6; Motor 124b) of the plurality of load devices is configured to be powered by at least two DC power sources (Fig. 6; battery bank 224 or solar panel 106) of the plurality of DC power sources (Fig. 6; Motor 124b connects two battery banks 224),; and a DC connection network comprising power buses for connecting the plurality of DC power sources and the plurality of load devices (Fig. 6; inside ACSU 302), wherein the power buses have a high side voltage rail for a positive voltage and a low side voltage rail for a negative voltage (Fig. 2; Connection of external bus), wherein at least two power buses of the power buses are connectable by switchable elements(Fig. 6; There are power buses and switches inside ACSU 302)switchable elements (Fig. 6; 326, 328, and cross-tie 304a), when switched on, electrically connect terminals of two DC power sources of the plurality of DC power sources connected by the respective power buses,
Sala discloses:
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switchable elements (Fig. 3; 13, and 14), wherein the switchable elements comprise a first switchable element for the high side voltage rail and a second switchable element for the low side voltage rail (Fig. 3, and paragraph 0026, 0027), pulse-width modulated switch (Fig. 3; 13 and paragraph 0031, Using a PWM modulation at high frequency,) that electrically connects the respective voltage rails in accordance with a pulse-width modulation (paragraph 0031).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device described in Kirleis such that a commonly used battery connection system with PWM for electric vehicles described in Sala is applied to a programmable battery pack for a multilane power distribution system of aerospace direct current (DC) power systems. Doing so allows for deleting an unwanted inrush current, which causes a damage to a battery pack in the aerospace DC power system.
-Regarding claim 2:
Sala discloses:
The multilane power distribution system of claim 1, whereinthe first switchable element is the pulse-width modulated switch (Fig. 3; 13 and paragraph 0031, Using a PWM modulation at high frequency, ).
-Regarding claim 3:
Sala discloses:
The multilane power distribution system of claim 2, whereinthe second switchable element is a contactor (Fig. 3; 14 and paragraph 0027; relay).
-Regarding claim 4:
Sala discloses:
The multilane power distribution system of claim 1, further comprising: a control unit (Fig. 5; electric control 15) configured to control states of the first switchable element and the second switchable element.
-Regarding claim 5:
Sala discloses:
The multilane power distribution system of claim 4, whereinthe control unit (Fig. 5; electric control 15) is further configured to control the pulse-width modulated switch such that a duty cycle of the pulse-width modulated switch is: 0% before the plurality of DC power sources are connected; between 0% and 100% in a transitional period after the high side voltage rail and the low side voltage rail are being connected, wherein the duty cycle increases over time during the transitional period; and 100% after the transitional period, when the two DC power sources are fully connected (Fig. 6; switch driving in time and paragraphs 0031 to 0036).
-Regarding claim 12:
Sala discloses:
The multilane power distribution system of claim 1, whereinthe pulse-width modulated switch is a solid-state power controller (Fig. 3; 13 and paragraph 0027, a power transistor).
-Regarding claim 13:
Kirleis discloses:
The multilane power distribution system of claim 1, whereineach DC power source of the plurality of DC power sources is configured to power at least two load devices of the plurality of load devices through a respective power converter (Fig. 3; inverter 322), and wherein each power converter is configured to drive one load device (Fig. 3; propulsor 124) of the plurality of load devices.
-Regarding claim 14:
Kirleis discloses:
The multilane power distribution system of claim 1, whereinthe DC connection network is configured such that one considered DC power source of the plurality of DC power sources is connectable to only one other DC power source of the plurality of DC power sources, such that there is at least one pair of associated DC power sources, and wherein the at least one pair of associated DC power sources are connectable through the switchable elements (Fig. 6; inside ACSU, battery bank 224 and switch 328).
-Regarding claim 15:
Sala discloses:
The multilane power distribution system of claim 1, whereina DC power source of the plurality of DC power sources comprises an electric battery (Fig. 3; generator 1), and/or wherein a load device of the plurality of load devices comprises an electric motor (Fig. 3; motor 8).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-11 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
-with respect to claim 6:
the prior arts in Kirleis, and Sala disclose the claimed invention in basic claims but do not further disclose about an initial duty cycle, which depends on an initial voltage difference over the pulse-width modulated switch.
-with respect to claim 9:
the prior arts in Kirleis, and Sala disclose the claimed invention in basic claims but do not further disclose about a linearity of the duty cycle of the pulse-width modulated switch during the transitional period.
-with respect to claim 10:
the prior arts in Kirleis, and Sala disclose the claimed invention in basic claims but do not further disclose about the control unit to control every DC power source of the plurality of DC power sources, every switchable element of the switchable elements, and every load device of the plurality of load devices.
-with respect to claim 11:
the prior arts in Kirleis, and Sala disclose the claimed invention in basic claims but do not further disclose about the control unit to control every DC power source of the plurality of DC power sources, every switchable element of the switchable elements, and every load device of the plurality of load devices.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEUNG HO CHOI whose telephone number is (571)272-8188. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday, 7:30 AM - 5:30 PM ET.
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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.
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/SEUNG HO CHOI/Examiner, Art Unit 2838
/CRYSTAL L HAMMOND/Supervisory Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838