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 .
Drawings
Applicant should submit the drawings as plain black and white line drawings. Color photographs and color drawings are not accepted in utility applications unless a petition filed under 37 CFR 1.84(a)(2) is granted. Any such petition must be accompanied by the appropriate fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(h), one set of color drawings or color photographs, as appropriate, if submitted via the USPTO patent electronic filing system or three sets of color drawings or color photographs, as appropriate, if not submitted via the via USPTO patent electronic filing system, and, unless already present, an amendment to include the following language as the first paragraph of the brief description of the drawings section of the specification:
The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawings will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.
Color photographs will be accepted if the conditions for accepting color drawings and black and white photographs have been satisfied. See 37 CFR 1.84(b)(2).
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.
Claim 10 is 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 10 recites the presence of a second operational amplifier however fails to recite a first operational amplifier. It is unclear if claim 10 requires two amplifiers or merely requires a single amplifier. Applicant may wish to amend claim 10 to depend from claim 4 where the first amplifier is presented.
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 1-2, 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guo et al. (US 20240371549) in view of Hong et al. (US 20170166065)
With respect to claim 1 Guo teaches a power distribution module, comprising: a pre-charge circuit (see Fig. 1: 102) configured to increase an output voltage (paragraph 0030) to one or more motor controllers (paragraph 0025) from zero to an operating voltage, wherein the pre-charge circuit is configured to increase the output voltage linearly (see voltage increase controlled via NTC and PPTC, the series connection of a 108 and 110 causes the current through the pre-charge path to regulate near a constant level as the elements 108 and 110 increase in resistance with temperature. The resulting voltage across 132 and the apparent pre-charge voltage rise appears linear); and a contactor drive (not shown), wherein the contactor drive circuit is configured to control activation of a contactor coil circuit (see main contactor 122/124). Guo does not teach the driver detail and coil operating the contactor. Drivers and coils for known elements for the control of contactor as seen in for example Hong. Hong teaches the known use of a driver (364) and a coil (paragraph 020, 26) in a control of a voltage in a circuit with a pre-charge path. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify Guo to include the known use of a driver and coil therewith for the predictable result of reliably operating the contactor.
With respect to claim 2 Guo teaches a thermistor (106) configured to prevent the pre-charge circuit from increasing the output voltage to the one or more motor controllers when the thermistor has a temperature greater than a threshold temperature (see trip temperature paragraph 0034).
With respect to claim 8 Guo teaches the contactor however does not teach the use of a spring. Hong teaches the known use of a spring (paragraph 0020). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify Guo to include the use of a spring for the benefit of the control of the contact to a returning position.
Claims 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guo et al. (US 20240371549) in view of Hong et al. (US 20170166065) in view of Chen et al. (US 20190096621)
With respect to claim 3 Guo teaches the use of a trip temperature however does not teach the values associated with the trip temperature. Chen teaches (paragraph 0024) the known use of a trip temperature of the 90-120 degrees. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to further modify Guo to try the known range as seen in Chen for the predictable result for increased protection during abnormal increases in the temperature during pre-charging operations.
Claims 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guo et al. (US 20240371549) in view of Hong et al. (US 20170166065) in view of Imura (US 20180316279).
With respect to claim 4 Guo teaches the output voltage to a load capacitor however does not teach the use of a op amp. Imura teaches the known use of a op amp (582) configured to amplify a linearly increasing (see linear increase seen in Fig. 2) reference voltage based on a fixed gain to charge a load capacitor. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to further modify Guo to include the use of a op-amp for the benefit of controlling the rise of the voltage during pre-charge (paragraph 0050).
Claims 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guo et al. (US 20240371549) in view of Hong et al. (US 20170166065) in view of Kohler et al. (US 20250304162) in view of Wesenauer et al. (US 20240083253)
With respect to claim 6 Guo teaches the operating voltage however doses not teach the value of voltage supplied to the motor controller. Motor controllers as well known to be supplied between 50V and 60V as seen in Kohler (paragraph 0163). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to further modify Guo to supply between 50 and 60V in order to properly supply the motor controller with the required voltage. Guo further does not teach the timings value of the pre-charge. Wesenauer teaches the known range of less than two seconds in pre-charge circuit (paragraph 0066). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to further modify Guo to include the use rapid switching as seen in Wesenauer for the predictable result of fast operation.
Claims 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guo et al. (US 20240371549) in view of Hong et al. (US 20170166065) in view of Beer et al. (US 20110273812)
With respect to claim 7 Guo teaches the use of a drive circuit however does not teach a drive circuit comprises a freewheeling diode positioned antiparallel to the contactor coil. Beer teaches the known use of a freewheeling diode (D2) positioned antiparallel to the contactor coil. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to further modify Guo to include a diode as seen in Beer for controlling the discharge current in the coil for the contactor.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guo et al. (US 20240371549) in view of Hong et al. (US 20170166065) in view of Hosoda et al. (US 20020101217).
With respect to claim 9 Guo teaches the use of a drive circuit however does not teach the activation threshold. Hosoda teaches a control activation of the pre-charge circuit via an activation voltage that is between 40V and 45V (for example paragraph 0060). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to further modify Guo to try a 42V level for the predictable result of efficiently operating the pre-charge with a 42 volt battery.
Claim 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guo et al. (US 20240371549) in view of Hong et al. (US 20170166065) in view of Hosoda et al. (US 20020101217) in view of Mensch et al. (US 20190296541)
With respect to claim 10 Guo as modified above teaches the drive circuit however does not teach a second operational amplifier configured to amplify a contactor reference voltage to generate the activation voltage. Mensch teaches the known use of a op amp (Fig 86) configured to amplify a contactor reference voltage. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to further modify Guo to use a op amp for the benefit of controlling the supplied voltage level.
With respect to claim 11 Mensch teaches the contactor reference voltage is between 1.5V and 4.5V (see 1.5V paragraph 0504). 2V is known alternative to 1.5V of which the Examiner takes Official Notice. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to further modify Mensch to include the use of 2V for the predictable result of reducing abnormal switching operations.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guo et al. (US 20240371549) in view of Hong et al. (US 20170166065) in view of Hosoda et al. (US 20020101217) in view of Shepard (US 4052751).
With respect to claim 12 Guo teaches the use of a drive circuit however does not teach the frequency of the voltage supplied for the activation voltage. Shepard teaches (col. 7 lines 30-40) a control activation of the is less that 130HZ. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to further modify Guo to reduce voltage conversion.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 is 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 5 Guo as modified above teaches the output voltage however does not teach
the reference voltage is generated via a capacitor configured to be charged by a current mirror. At least this further limitation is not taught or rendered obvious by the prior art of record.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Michael Fin whose telephone number is (571)272-5921. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5:30.
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MICHAEL FIN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2836
/MICHAEL R. FIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836