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 § 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.
Claims 1, 2 and 7-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang (CN219535919U).
Regarding claim 1, Wang teaches a vehicle (see Fig. 1-3), comprising:
a motor comprising a plurality of motor windings (see 0007, Fig. 1-3); and
a plurality of single-phase battery module systems connected to the plurality of motor windings (see Fig. 1-3), respectively, and including plurality of battery modules (see U1, U2, U3 para 0028, Fig. 1-3), wherein each of the plurality of battery modules includes a battery and a power conversion module (see Fig. 1-3), and each power conversion module includes an inverter configured to convert direct current voltage stored in the battery into alternating current (AC) voltage (see I1-1, I1-2, I2-1, I2-2, I3-1, I3-2, Fig. 1-3) and to control a motor;
wherein each inverter operates to transfer direct current (DC) power provided from a charger to the battery through the plurality of motor windings during DC charging (see para 0029).
Regarding claim 2, Wang teaches wherein an input end of the battery and the inverter are connected to each other in parallel (see U1, U2, U3 connected to I1-1, I1-2, I2-1, I2-2, I3-1, I3-2, Fig. 1-3), and
wherein an output end of the inverter is connected to an output end of a second inverter included in an adjacent battery module in series (Fig. 1-3).
Regarding claim 7, Wang teaches a number of the plurality of battery modules included in a first single-phase battery module system among 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 (see U1, U2, U3 para 0028, Fig. 1-3).
Regarding claim 8, Wang teaches wherein each inverter includes an H-bridge single-phase inverter including a plurality of power semiconductor devices (see switches inside, I1-1, I1-2, I2-1, I2-2, I3-1, I3-2, Fig. 1-3).
Regarding claim 9, Wang teaches wherein, during DC charging, the first upper switch and the second lower switch are turned on, or the first lower switch and the second upper switch are turned on (see para 0029).
Regarding claim 10, Wang teaches a charging control method of a vehicle including a motor including a plurality of motor windings and a plurality of single-phase battery module systems connected to the plurality of motor windings, respectively, and including a plurality of battery modules, wherein each of the plurality of battery modules includes a battery and a power conversion module, and each power conversion module includes an inverter configured to convert direct current voltage stored in the battery into alternating current (AC) voltage and to control a motor, the charging control method comprising:
a receiving operation of receiving a charging signal for DC charging from a charger; and
a control operation of controlling each inverter to transfer DC power provided from the charger to a battery through the plurality of motor windings when the charging signal is received (please see the rejection of claim 1).
Regarding claim 11, Wang teaches
wherein each inverter includes:
a first upper switch and a first lower switch provided in a first leg and connected to each other in series; and
a second upper switch and a second lower switch provided in a second leg and connected to each other in series; and
wherein the control operation is configured to turn on the first upper switch and the second lower switch, or to turn on the first lower switch and the second upper switch (see I1-1, I1-2, I2-1, I2-2, I3-1, I3-2, Fig. 1-3).
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 3 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang in view of Liang (CN114498876A).
Regarding claim 3, Wang teaches the vehicle of claim 1.
However does not disclose wherein one ends of the plurality of motor windings are connected to each other and are connected to a (+) terminal of the charger, and
wherein the other ends of the plurality of motor windings are connected to the plurality of single-phase battery module systems, respectively.
Yet, Liang in the same field teaches wherein one ends of the plurality of motor windings are connected to each other and are connected to a (+) terminal of the charger, and wherein the other ends of the plurality of motor windings are connected to the plurality of single-phase battery module systems, respectively (see Fig. 13).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Wang with the teachings of Liang by having one ends of the plurality of motor windings are connected to each other and are connected to a (+) terminal of the charger, and wherein the other ends of the plurality of motor windings are connected to the plurality of single-phase battery module systems, respectively in order to allow central charring for the battery system and balancing the current draw from the battery modules during operation and simplify battery charging and improve motor performance.
Regarding claim 4, the combination teaches wherein the other ends of each of the plurality of motor windings is connected to one end among 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 (see Fig. 1-4; Wang and Fig. 13; Liang).
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.
Claim 6 is dependent of claim 5.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11/11/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant states that Applicants submit that Wang fails to disclose inverter operation that transfers DC power through the motor windings during charging, the examiner respectfully disagrees with applicant.
Wang states Since the load power of each low-voltage inverter and its motor is basically the same, and the power supply voltage in series is the same, that is, U1=U2=U3, so the values of each current in Figure 1: I1-1, I1-2, I2-1 . Consistency of work, long-term working life; at the same time, because the current on L1 and L2 is very small, these wires can use small-diameter wires to reduce costs and the motor unit 3 is a single motor, and multiple windings of the motor correspond to inverters one by one, and the output terminals of each inverter are connected to corresponding windings of the motor and further goes on to state; When charging, since the specifications of each battery pack are consistent, if a low-voltage charger is used, the charging mode shown in Figure 3 can be used, K5, K6, and Kn are disconnected, and each charger 1-n can independently charge each battery. Pack charging, improve charging efficiency. If you use a high-voltage charger, you can use the charging mode shown in Figure 4 to combine K5, K6, and Kn to charge with a high-voltage charger. The utility model is suitable for matching a DC power supply whose DC voltage is connected in series by grouping power supplies, such as a power supply formed by series connection of power battery packs and output sides of other power supplies.
From the sited portions in addition to the prior art in general it would be cleat to one of ordinary art that the in fact the prior art teaches all of the limitation disclosed by applicant.
In order to expedite the current application the Examiner suggests that applicant amend the claimed to include structural difference between the prior art and the current application.
All other remarks are considered yet not found persuasive.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/ELIM ORTIZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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