DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to the application filed on 7/1/24.
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 .
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.
Inventorship
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims under 35 U.S.C. 103(a), the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned at the time any inventions covered therein were made absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and invention dates of each claim that was not commonly owned at the time a later invention was made in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 103(c) and potential 35 U.S.C. 102(e), (f) or (g) prior art under 35 U.S.C. 103(a).
Specification
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Objections
Claim 18 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In regards to claim 18, it appears that “a braking resistance assembly in series with the pre-charge circuit” should be “the braking resistance assembly in series with the pre-charge circuit”.
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.
(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 1-3, 6-8 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Geis et al. (US20040080165, hereinafter Geis).
Regarding Claim 1, Geis discloses (interpreted as fig. 3 and fig. 4 in view of common elements of fig. 3) system comprising: a direct current (DC) bus ((for fig. 3, at output of rectifier 47; for fig. 4 bus across 104 and 106); a converter (fig. 3: 47), fig. 4: 6 switches of 101/106) connected to the DC bus; a capacitive network (84) electrically connected to the DC bus; and an energy management apparatus (73, 77, 87, 84, 85, 70) configured to pre-charge the capacitive network in a pre-charge mode and to dissipate energy from the DC bus in a braking mode (¶38), the energy management apparatus comprising: a pre-charge circuit (87, 85) configured to pre-charge the capacitive network, the pre-charge circuit comprising: one or more pre-charge switches (85), each pre-charge switch being a controllable semiconductor switch; and a pre-charge impedance (89) in parallel with the one or more pre-charge switches (85); and a braking resistance assembly (73) electrically connected to the pre-charge circuit, wherein the braking resistance assembly is configured to be electrically connected to the DC bus during the braking mode (see fig. 3 and 4).
Regarding Claim 2, Geis discloses the converter is an active front end (fig. 4).
Regarding Claim 3, Geis discloses the converter is a diode front end (47, (fig. 3)).
Regarding Claim 6, Geis discloses (fig. 3) the braking resistance assembly comprises at least one braking switch (75) controllable to electrically connect a braking resistance (74) to the DC bus during the braking mode (¶38).
Regarding Claim 7, Geis discloses (fig. 3) the at least one braking switch is configured to be turned on and off during the braking mode (¶38 and 49).
Regarding Claim 8, Geis discloses (fig. 4 in view of same elements of 3) a system comprising: a direct current (DC) bus (at output of rectifier 47) comprising a first side (+) and a second side (-); an active front end (104/106) electrically connected to the DC bus, the active front end comprising a plurality of controllable semiconductor switches (104/106); a capacitive network (84) electrically connected to the DC bus; and a pre-charge circuit (77, 87, 85) configured to pre-charge the capacitive network, the pre-charge circuit comprising: one or more pre-charge switches (78, 79), each pre-charge switch being a controllable semiconductor switch; and a pre-charge impedance (89) .
Regarding Claim 18, Geis discloses (fig. 3) the braking resistance assembly (73) in series with the pre-charge circuit (87, 85).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 19 and 20 are allowed.
Claims 4, 5 and 9-17 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:
Regarding claim 4, the prior art fails to disclose: “...the converter comprises a plurality of semiconductor switches each comprising a body diode; each of the one or more pre-charge switches comprises a body diode; and the pre-charge circuit is electrically connected to the capacitive network such that a polarity of the body diode of each of the one or more pre-charge switches is opposite a polarity of the body diode of at least some of the semiconductor switches of the converter.” in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by the Applicant.
Regarding claim 9, the prior art fails to disclose: “...the one or more pre-charge switches are inversely connected to at least some of the plurality of controllable semiconductor switches” in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by the Applicant.
Regarding claim 19, the prior art fails to disclose: “...an impedance in parallel with the controllable semiconductor switch, wherein the controllable semiconductor switch is associated with a parasitic diode having a first polarity, and the circuit is configured for electrical connection to a direct current (DC) bus of a converter, wherein the circuit is configured for electrical connection to the DC bus with the first polarity being opposite a polarity of a parasitic diode of semiconductor switches of the converter.” in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by the Applicant.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KYLE J MOODY whose telephone number is (571)272-5242. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 10 AM - 4 PM.
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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/KYLE J MOODY/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
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