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 .
2. This action is in response to application filed on July 2, 2024.
Information Disclosure Statement
3. The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 7/2/2024 and 11/20/2025 have been considered by the examiner.
Drawings
4. The drawings were received on July 2, 2024. These drawings are accepted.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
5. 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.
6. Claims 1, 6, 13, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kazmirski et al (US 2021/0063467).
Regarding claim 1, Kazmirski et al discloses an inverter controller (Fig. 3, measurement circuit device 300) configured to control an inverter (Figs. 2 and 4, inverter 235), comprising:
a microprocessor (Fig. 3, microcontroller 350) that is configured to measure or estimate a temperature (i.e. measurement circuit device 300 measures temperature. See ¶[0021]) of a first phase and to measure or estimate a temperature of a second phase (i.e. each phase temperature can be measured via current sensors. See ¶[0039]); determine whether the temperature of the first phase is greater than the second phase; and select a switch in the inverter to clamp based on the determination (See Abstract and ¶[0034] and [0038]).
Regarding claim 6, Kazmirski et al further discloses wherein the switch in the inverter to clamp is selected to reduce thermal stress on the inverter (Figs. 2 and 4, inverter 235) (See Abstract and ¶[0034] and [0038]).
Regarding claim 13, Kazmirski et al discloses a method of controlling an inverter (Figs. 2 and 4, inverter 235), comprising the steps of:
(a) measuring or estimating a temperature (i.e. measurement circuit device 300 measures temperature. See ¶[0021]) of a first phase (i.e. each phase temperature can be measured via current sensors. See ¶[0039]);
(b) measuring or estimating a temperature of a second phase (See ¶[0039]);
(c) determining whether the temperature of the first phase is greater than the second phase (See Abstract and ¶[0034] and [0038]); and
(d) selecting a switch in the inverter to clamp based on the determination in step (c) (See Abstract and ¶[0034] and [0038]).
Regarding claim 18, Kazmirski et al further discloses the step of clamping the switch in the inverter to reduce thermal stress on the inverter (Figs. 2 and 4, inverter 235) (See Abstract and ¶[0034] and [0038]).
Allowable Subject Matter
7. Claims 9-12 are allowed.
8. Claims 2-5 and 14-17 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.
9. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 2, the prior art fails to disclose or suggest the emboldened and italicized features below:
An inverter controller,
further comprising an inverter electrically coupled to the inverter controller and an energy source.
Regarding claim 3, the prior art fails to disclose or suggest the emboldened and italicized features below:
An inverter controller,
wherein the microprocessor is configured to calculate a duty cycle.
Regarding claim 4, the prior art fails to disclose or suggest the emboldened and italicized features below:
An inverter controller,
wherein the microprocessor is configured to determine a pulse width modulation alignment mode.
Regarding claim 5, the prior art fails to disclose or suggest the emboldened and italicized features below:
An inverter controller,
wherein the microprocessor is configured to determine whether the temperature of the first phase is equal to the second phase and maintain an existing clamp based on the determination.
Regarding claims 7-12, the prior art fails to disclose or suggest the emboldened and italicized features below:
An inverter controller configured to control an inverter, comprising:
a microprocessor that is configured to select one of six hexagon sectors for discontinuous pulse width modulation; measure or estimate a temperature of a first phase and to measure or estimate a temperature of a second phase; determine whether the temperature of the first phase is greater than the second phase; and select a switch in the inverter to clamp based on whether the temperature of the first phase is greater than the second phase, and the selected sector.
Regarding claim 14, the prior art fails to disclose or suggest the emboldened and italicized features below:
A method,
further comprising the step of coupling an inverter to the inverter controller and an energy source.
Regarding claim 15, the prior art fails to disclose or suggest the emboldened and italicized features below:
A method,
further comprising the step of calculating a duty cycle.
Regarding claim 16, the prior art fails to disclose or suggest the emboldened and italicized features below:
A method,
further comprising the step of determining a pulse width modulation alignment mode.
Regarding claim 17, the prior art fails to disclose or suggest the emboldened and italicized features below:
A method,
further comprising the step of determining whether the temperature of the first phase is equal to the second phase and maintaining an existing clamp based on the determination.
Conclusion
10. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Mir et al (US 2017/0077856) deals with three-phase variable reference pulse width modulation, Zhang et al (US 9,584,043) deals with an inverter phase current reconstruction apparatus and methods, Loken et al (US 2016/0373047) deals with a method and inverter with thermal management for controlling an electric machine, Wu et al (US 2014/0306638) deals with methods of determining machine terminal voltage and systems thereof, Luedtke (US 2014/0070739) deals with an electric motor temperature compensation, Yeh et al (US 8,487,575) deals with an electric motor stator winding temperature estimation, Keronen et al (US 2010/0188135) deals with a load balancing of parallel connected inverter modules, Franch et al (US 7,255,476) deals with an on chip temperature measuring and monitoring circuit and method, Fletcher (US 5,757,636) deals with a multi-phase inverters utilizing discontinuous PWM with dead bands, and Smith (US 5,610,453) deals with a pulsewidth modulation (PWM) frequency slider.
11. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GARY NASH whose telephone number is (571) 270-3349. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8am-4pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner‘s supervisor, Thienvu Tran can be reached on (571) 270-1276. The fax number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GARY A NASH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838