DETAILED ACTION
This Office action is in response to the application filed on July 11, 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 .
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 the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on July 11, 2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings were filed on July 11, 2024. These drawings are accepted by the Examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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.
Claims 1-3, 5-10 and 12-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by ZHOU et al. (U.S. Pub. 2021/0336529 A1).
In re claim 1, ZHOU discloses (Fig. 2) a flying capacitor converter (200) electrically connected between a first power source and a second power source (Para. 0030), the flying capacitor converter comprising:
a high-voltage side (HV side) electrically connected with the first power source (Para. 0030) , and comprising a high-voltage positive terminal and a high-voltage negative terminal (-);
a low-voltage side (LV side) electrically connected with the second power source (Para. 0030), and comprising a low-voltage positive terminal (+) and a low-voltage negative terminal (-);
a common node (common node d) arranged between the low-voltage negative terminal of the low-voltage side and the high-voltage negative terminal of the high-voltage side;
a power switch unit (comprising S1-S4) electrically connected between the high-voltage side and the low-voltage side, and comprising a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, a first power switch, a second power switch, a third power switch and a fourth power switch, wherein the first power switch, the second power switch, the third power switch and the fourth power switch are serially connected between the first terminal and the third terminal of the power switch unit (See Fig. 2);
at least one current switch unit electrically connected with the high-voltage side, the low-voltage side and/or the common node (current switch S5, S6 is connected to the HV side and current switch S7, S8 is connected to the LV side);
a current detection unit (22) electrically connected between the third terminal of the power switch unit and the common node and configured to detect a current condition of the flying capacitor converter (Para. 0026-0035); and
a controller electrically connected with the current detection unit and the at least one current switch unit and configured to control operations of the at least one current switch unit based on the current condition detected (Para. 0026-0035).
In re claim 2, ZHOU discloses (Fig. 2) wherein when the current condition detected by the current detection unit indicates that a short-circuit condition occurs, the controller controls the at least one current switch unit to disconnect the power switch unit from the high-voltage side and/or the low-voltage side (Para. 0026-0035).
In re claim 3, ZHOU discloses (Fig. 2) wherein the at least one current switch unit comprises a first current switch unit and/or a second current switch unit (S5, S6 and S7, S8), wherein the first current switch unit (S5, S6) is electrically connected between the high-voltage positive terminal of the high-voltage side and the first terminal of the power switch unit or electrically connected between the high-voltage negative terminal of the high-voltage side and the common node, and/or the second current switch unit (S7, S8) is electrically connected between the low-voltage negative terminal of the low-voltage side and the common node or electrically connected between the low-voltage positive terminal of the low-voltage side and the second terminal of the power switch unit.
In re claim 5, ZHOU discloses (Fig. 2) wherein each of the at least one current switch unit comprises two current switches that are connected in reverse series, or each of the at least one current switch unit comprises a single current switch (current switch S5, S6 is connected in reverse series and current switch S7, S8 is also connected in reverse series).
In re claim 6, ZHOU discloses (Fig. 2) wherein the flying capacitor converter further includes at least one mechanical switch, wherein the at least one mechanical switch is electrically connected with the high-voltage positive terminal of the high-voltage side, the high-voltage negative terminal of the high-voltage side, the low-voltage positive terminal of the low-voltage side and/or the low-voltage negative terminal of the low voltage side (switches K1, K2 are connected to the HV side and switches K3 and K4 are connected to the low voltage side).
In re claim 7, ZHOU discloses (Fig. 2) wherein a current flowing through the common node is a difference between a current flowing through the low-voltage side and a current flowing through the high-voltage side (Para. 0026-0035); a current flowing through the common node is lower than a current flowing through the low-voltage side (Para. 0026-0035); and the current detection unit is configured to detect the current flowing through the common node (Para. 0026-0035).
In re claim 8, ZHOU discloses (Fig. 2) a voltage converter (200), comprising:
a high-voltage side (HV side) and a low-voltage side (LV side) electrically connected with a common node (common node d);
a power switch unit (comprising S1-S4) electrically connected among the high-voltage side, the low-voltage side and the common node;
at least one current switch unit (S5, S6 and S7, S8) disposed in at least one power loop of the voltage converter;
a current detection unit (22) electrically connected between the power switch unit and the common node and configured to detect a current condition of the common node (Para. 0026-0035); and
a controller electrically connected with the current detection unit and the at least one current switch unit and configured to control operations of the at least one current switch unit based on the current condition detected (Para. 0026-0035).
In re claim 9, ZHOU discloses (Fig. 2) wherein when the current condition detected by the current detection unit indicates that a short-circuit condition occurs, the controller controls the at least one current switch unit to disconnect the power switch unit from the high-voltage side and/or the low-voltage side (Para. 0026-0035).
In re claim 10, ZHOU discloses (Fig. 2) wherein the at least one current switch unit comprises a first current switch unit and/or a second current switch unit (S5, S6 and S7, S8), wherein the first current switch unit (S5, S6) is disposed in the power loop between the high-voltage side and the power switch unit, and/or the second current switch unit (S7, S8) is disposed in the power loop between the low-voltage side and the power switch unit.
In re claim 12, ZHOU discloses (Fig. 2) wherein a current flowing through the common node is a difference between a current flowing through the low-voltage side and a current flowing through the high-voltage side (Para. 0026-0035); a current flowing through the common node is lower than a current flowing through the low-voltage side (Para. 0026-0035); and the current detection unit is configured to detect the current flowing through the common node (Para. 0026-0035).
In re claim 13, ZHOU discloses (Fig. 2) a voltage converter (200), comprising:
a high-voltage side (HV side) and a low-voltage side (LV side) electrically connected with a common node (common node d);
a power switch unit (comprising S1-S4) electrically connected among the high-voltage side, the low-voltage side and the common node;
a current switch unit (S5, S6 and S7, S8) electrically connected between the power switch unit and the common node;
at least one current detection unit (22) disposed in at least one power loop of the voltage converter and configured to detect at least one current condition of the voltage converter (Para. 0026-0035); and
a controller electrically connected with the at least one current detection unit and the current switch unit and configured to control an operation of the current switch unit based on the at least one current condition detected (Para. 0026-0035).
In re claim 14, ZHOU discloses (Fig. 2) wherein when the at least one current condition detected by the at least one current detection unit indicates that a short-circuit condition occurs, the controller controls the current switch unit to disconnect the power switch unit from the high-voltage side and the low-voltage side (Para. 0026-0035).
In re claim 15, ZHOU discloses (Fig. 2) wherein the at least one current detection unit comprises a current detection unit, serially connected with the current switch unit between the power switch unit and the common node (one current sensor 22 is in series with S5 and S6 and another current sensor 2 is in series with (S7 and S8).
In re claim 16, ZHOU discloses (Fig. 2) wherein the at least one current detection unit comprises: a high-voltage side current detection unit (22) electrically connected with the high-voltage side and configured to detect a current condition of the high-voltage side, and/or a low-voltage side current detection unit (22) electrically connected with the low-voltage side and configured to detect a current condition of the low-voltage side (Para. 0026-0035); and the controller electrically connected with the high-voltage side current detection unit and/or the low-voltage side current detection unit, wherein when one of the current conditions detected indicates that the short-circuit condition occurs, the controller controls the current switch unit to disconnect the power switch unit from the high-voltage side and/or the low-voltage side (Para. 0026-0035).
In re claim 17, ZHOU discloses (Fig. 2) wherein a current flowing through the common node is a difference between a current flowing through the low-voltage side and a current flowing through the high-voltage side (Para. 0026-0035); a current flowing through the common node is lower than a current flowing through the low-voltage side (Para. 0026-0035); and the current detection unit is configured to detect the current flowing through the common node (Para. 0026-0035).
In re claim 18, ZHOU discloses an energy storage system (Fig. 2), comprising:
at least one voltage converter (200), wherein each of the at least one voltage converter comprising:
a high-voltage side (HV side) and a low-voltage side (LV side) electrically connected with a common node (common node d);
a power switch unit (comprising S1-S4) electrically connected among the high-voltage side, the low-voltage side and the common node;
a current switch unit electrically connected between the power switch unit and the common node (S5, S6 and S7,S8); and
at least one current detection unit (22) disposed in at least one power loop of the voltage converter and configured to detect at least one current condition of the voltage converter (Para. 0026-0035);
a DC power source electrically connected with the high-voltage side of the at least one voltage converter (the high voltage side connected to a first power source, Para. 0030); and
an energy storage element (C3) electrically connected with the low-voltage side of the voltage converter.
In re claim 19, ZHOU discloses (Fig. 2) wherein each of the at least one voltage converter further comprises: a controller electrically connected with the current switch unit and the at least one current detection unit and configured to control an operation of the current switch unit based on the at least one current condition detected (Para. 0026-0035).
In re claim 20, ZHOU discloses (Fig. 2) wherein when the at least one current condition detected indicates that a short-circuit condition occurs, the controller controls the current switch unit to disconnect the power switch unit from the high-voltage side and the low-voltage side (Para. 0026-0035).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 and 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 and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding to claim 4, the prior art of record fails to disclose or suggest “wherein the at least one current switch unit comprises a third current switch unit, wherein the third current switch unit and the current detection unit are serially connected between the third terminal of the power switch unit and the common node” in combination with other limitations of the claim.
Regarding to claim 11, the prior art of record fails to disclose or suggest “wherein the at least one current switch unit comprises a third current switch unit, wherein the third current switch unit and the current detection unit are serially connected between the power switch unit and the common node” in combination with other limitations of the claim.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RAFAEL O. DE LEÓN DOMENECH whose telephone number is (571)270-0517. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Hammond Crystal 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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/RAFAEL O DE LEON DOMENECH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838