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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 6058032 (Yamanaka) in view of US 2021/040889 (Zhu) further in view of US 2010/0096926 (King).
Regarding claim 1, Yamanaka teaches a vehicle (Fig. 2 shows power conversion devices for electric vehicles) [Col 1 lines 10-20] comprising: a motor including a plurality of motor windings (Fig. 2 shows a motor 1 with a plurality of motor windings) [Col 2 lines 11-21]; and
a plurality of single-phase battery module systems (Fig. 2 shows a plurality of single-phase battery module systems 1211-1233) connected to each of the plurality of motor windings (Fig. 2 shows plurality of motor windings of motor 1 connected to batteries 1211-1233) [Col 5 lines 40-50] and including a plurality of battery modules (Fig. 2 shows plurality of battery modules 1211-1233), wherein each of the plurality of battery modules includes a battery and a power conversion module (Fig. 2 shows each of the plurality of batteries 1211-1233 and PWM inverters 1311-1333) [Col 5 lines 40-67], and each power conversion module includes an inverter converting a DC voltage stored in the battery into an AC voltage to control the motor (Fig. 2 shows PWM inverters 1311-1333 converting a DC voltage stored in batteries 1211-1233 into an AC voltage to drive the motor 1) [Col 6 lines 1-5], wherein each inverter is configured to receive an AC voltage from an AC power source (Fig. 2 shows charging power supply 2 sends power to batteries through PWM inverters 1311-1333) [Col 7 lines 4-12) through the plurality of motor windings during charging (Fig. 2 shows plurality of motor windings of motor 1), and to charge the battery (charging power supply 2 connects to motor 1 during charging of batteries 1211-1233)[Col 6 lines 9-14].
However, Yamanaka does not teach at least one DC/DC converter configured to convert a DC voltage stored in the battery into a DC module voltage; and wherein the battery, an input end of the inverter and the input end of the at least one DC/DC converter are connected to each other directly in parallel.
However, Zhu teaches at least one DC/DC converter configured to convert a DC voltage stored in the battery into a DC module voltage (Fig. 12 shows DC-DC converter to convert a DC voltage stored in the battery 1280 into a DC module voltage) [0114]; and wherein the battery (Fig. 12 shows battery 1280), an input end of the inverter (Fig. 12 shows input end of inverter 1230) and the input end of the at least one DC/DC converter are connected to each other directly (Fig. 12 shows input end of the DC-DC converter to be directly connected to the battery 1280 and the input end of inverter 1230) [0114].
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have at least one DC/DC converter configured to convert a DC voltage stored in the battery into a DC module voltage; and wherein the battery, an input end of the inverter and the input end of the at least one DC/DC converter are connected to each other directly as taught by Zhu in order to regulate the DC bus voltage to be within a desirable range [0005].
However, King teaches battery (Fig. 1 shows battery 76), input end of inverter (Fig. 1 shows inverter 40) and input end of DC/DC converter (Fig. 1 shows DC-to-DC voltage converter 14) are connected to each other directly in parallel (Fig. 1 shows battery 76, input end of inverter 40 and input end of DC-to-DC converter 14 connected to each other directly in parallel) [0021-22].
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention of the the battery, an input end of the inverter and the input end of the at least one DC/DC converter are connected to each other directly in parallel as taught by King in order to ensure the DC voltage or current is converted as is appropriate according to the demand of the system thereby ensuring efficient power supply.
Regarding claim 2, Yamanaka teaches wherein an output end of the inverter is connected in series to an output end of an inverter included in an adjacent battery module (Fig. 2 shows an output end of the inverter is connected in series to an output end of an inverter included in an adjacent battery module).
Regarding claim 3, Yamanaka teaches wherein one end of each of the plurality of motor windings is interconnected with each other and connected to the AC power source (Fig. 2 shows each of the plurality of motor windings is interconnected with each other and connected to charging power supply 2), and another end of each of the plurality of motor windings is connected to the plurality of single-phase battery module systems (Fig. 2 shows another end of each of the plurality of motor windings connected to the plurality of batteries 1211-1233).
Regarding claim 4, Yamanaka teaches wherein the other end of each of the plurality of motor windings is connected to one output end of output ends of an inverter included in one of the plurality of battery modules included in each of the plurality of single-phase battery module systems (Fig. 2 shows other end of each of the plurality of motor windings is connected to one output end of an inverter included in one of the plurality of batteries included in the battery system).
Regarding claim 5, Yamanaka teaches wherein the other output end of the output ends of the inverter included in one of the plurality of battery modules included in one single-phase battery module system, among the plurality of single-phase battery module systems, is interconnected with the other end of output ends of an inverter included in one of a plurality of battery modules included in another single-phase battery module system, among the plurality of single-phase battery module systems, and is connected to the AC power source (Fig. 2 shows the other output end of the output ends of the inverter included in one of the plurality of battery modules included in one single-phase battery module system, among the plurality of single-phase battery module systems, is interconnected with the other end of the output ends of an inverter included in one of a plurality of battery modules included in another single-phase battery module system and is connected to the charging power supply 2).
Regarding claim 6, Yamanaka teaches wherein each inverter includes: a first upper switch and a first lower switch provided in a first leg and connected in series (Fig. 2 shows each inverter having a first upper switch and a first lower switch provided in a first leg and connected in series); and a second upper switch and a second lower switch provided in a second leg and connected in series (Fig. 2 shows inverter having a second upper switch and a second lower switch provided in a second leg connected in series); wherein one output end of the output ends of the inverter is positioned between the first upper switch and the first lower switch (Fig. 2 shows one output end of the output ends of the inverter is positioned between the first upper switch and a first lower switch); and the other output end of the output ends of the inverter is positioned between the second upper switch and the second lower switch (Fig. 2 shows the other output end of the output ends of the inverter is positioned between the second upper switch and the second lower switch).
Regarding claim 7, Yamanaka teaches wherein a number of the plurality of battery modules included in a first of the plurality of single-phase battery module systems is the same as a number of the plurality of battery modules included in a second single-phase battery module system, among the plurality of single-phase battery module systems (Fig. 2 shows a number of the plurality of battery modules included in a first of the plurality of single-phase battery module systems is the same as a number of the plurality of battery modules included in a second single-phase module system) [Col 5 lines 40-45].
Regarding claim 8, Yamanaka teaches wherein each inverter includes an H-bridge single-phase inverter provided with a plurality of power semiconductor elements (Fig. 2 shows each inverter includes an H-bridge single-phase inverter provided with a plurality of power semiconductor elements).
Regarding claim 9, Yamanaka teaches wherein when a polarity of the AC power source is positive (+), the first upper switch and the second lower switch are turned on, and when the polarity of the AC power source is negative (-), the first lower switch and the second upper switch are turned on to charge the battery (switching elements of PWM inverters are polarity matched to the charging power supply 2 to charge batteries as shown in Fig. 2) [Col 7 lines 15-25].
Regarding claim 10, Yamanaka teaches wherein an amount of charge charged to the battery is controlled based on an amount of a current flowing through the plurality of motor windings according to a duty ratio of a turned-on switch (amount of charge to the battery is controlled based on an amount of current flowing through the plurality of motor windings of motor 1 according to duty ratio of transformer 25 i.e. turned-on switch) [Col 10 lines 5-20].
Regarding claim 11, Yamanaka teaches wherein a plurality of switches included in the inverter are switched according to a frequency and a phase of the AC power source (Fig. 3 shows plurality of switches 211-214 are included in the inverters are switched according to a frequency and phase of charging power supply 2 as shown in Fig. 2) [Col 7 lines 5-15].
Regarding claim 12, Yamanaka teaches a charging control method of a vehicle (Fig. 2 shows a charging control method of a vehicle) [Col 1 lines 10-20] comprising a motor including a plurality of motor windings (Fig. 2 shows motor 1 including a plurality of motor windings) and a plurality of single-phase battery module systems (Fig. 2 shows a plurality of single-phase battery module systems 1211-1233) connected to each of the plurality of motor windings (Fig. 2 shows plurality of motor windings of motor 1 connected to batteries 1211-1233) [Col 5 lines 40-50], and including a plurality of battery modules (Fig. 2 shows plurality of battery modules 1211-1233), wherein each of the plurality of battery modules includes a battery and a power conversion module (Fig. 2 shows each of the plurality of batteries 1211-1233 and PWM inverters 1311-1333) [Col 5 lines 40-67], and each power conversion module includes an inverter converting a DC voltage stored in the battery into an AC voltage to control the motor (Fig. 2 shows PWM inverters 1311-1333 converting a DC voltage stored in batteries 1211-1233 into an AC voltage to drive the motor 1) [Col 6 lines 1-5], the method comprising: a receiving operation of receiving a charging signal for AC charging from a charger (Fig. 2 shows control circuits 1411-1433 sending charging signal for AC charging from a charger); and when the charging signal is received, a control operation of receiving an AC voltage from an AC power source (Fig. 2 shows charging power supply 2 sends power to batteries through PWM inverters 1311-1333) [Col 7 lines 4-12) through the plurality of motor windings (Fig. 2 shows plurality of motor windings of motor 1) and controlling the inverter to charge the battery (charging power supply 2 connects to motor 1 during charging of batteries 1211-1233)[Col 6 lines 9-14].
However, Yamanaka does not teach at least one DC/DC converter configured to convert a DC voltage stored in the battery into a DC module voltage; and wherein the battery, an input end of the inverter and the input end of the at least one DC/DC converter are connected to each other directly in parallel.
However, Zhu teaches at least one DC/DC converter configured to convert a DC voltage stored in the battery into a DC module voltage (Fig. 12 shows DC-DC converter to convert a DC voltage stored in the battery 1280 into a DC module voltage) [0114]; and wherein the battery (Fig. 12 shows battery 1280), an input end of the inverter (Fig. 12 shows input end of inverter 1230) and the input end of the at least one DC/DC converter are connected to each other directly (Fig. 12 shows input end of the DC-DC converter to be directly connected to the battery 1280 and the input end of inverter 1230) [0114].
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have at least one DC/DC converter configured to convert a DC voltage stored in the battery into a DC module voltage; and wherein the battery, an input end of the inverter and the input end of the at least one DC/DC converter are connected to each other directly as taught by Zhu in order to regulate the DC bus voltage to be within a desirable range [0005].
However, King teaches battery (Fig. 1 shows battery 76), input end of inverter (Fig. 1 shows inverter 40) and input end of DC/DC converter (Fig. 1 shows DC-to-DC voltage converter 14) are connected to each other directly in parallel (Fig. 1 shows battery 76, input end of inverter 40 and input end of DC-to-DC converter 14 connected to each other directly in parallel) [0021-22].
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention of the the battery, an input end of the inverter and the input end of the at least one DC/DC converter are connected to each other directly in parallel as taught by King in order to ensure the DC voltage or current is converted as is appropriate according to the demand of the system thereby ensuring efficient power supply.
Regarding claim 13, Yamanaka teaches wherein each inverter includes a first upper switch and a first lower switch provided in a first leg and connected in series (Fig. 2 shows each inverter having a first upper switch and a first lower switch provided in a first leg and connected in series); and a second upper switch and a second lower switch provided in a second leg and connected in series (Fig. 2 shows inverter having a second upper switch and a second lower switch provided in a second leg connected in series), and in the control operation, when a polarity of the AC power source is positive (+), the first upper switch and the second lower switch are turned on, and when the polarity of the AC power source is negative (-), the first lower switch and the second upper switch are turned on (switching elements of PWM inverters are polarity matched to the charging power supply 2 to charge batteries as shown in Fig. 2) [Col 7 lines 15-25].
Regarding claim 14, Yamanaka teaches wherein in the control operation, an amount of charge charged to the battery is controlled based on an amount of a current flowing through the plurality of motor windings according to a duty ratio of a turned-on switch (amount of charge to the battery is controlled based on an amount of current flowing through the plurality of motor windings of motor 1 according to duty ratio of transformer 25 i.e. turned-on switch) [Col 10 lines 5-20].
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-14 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SWARNA N CHOWDHURI whose telephone number is (571)431-0696. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8am-5pm.
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SWARNA N. CHOWDHURI
Examiner
Art Unit 2836
/S.N.C/Examiner, Art Unit 2836
/REXFORD N BARNIE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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