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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 06/30/2026 has been entered.
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 1, 2 and 7, 8, 10 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (CN219535919U) in view of Zhu (US 2021/0408889).
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).
Yet, Wang does not disclose at least one DC/DC converter converting a DC voltage stored in the battery into a DC module voltage.
However, Zhu in the same filed teaches at least one DC/DC converter converting a DC voltage stored in the battery into a DC module voltage (see 1280 connected to 1210; Fig. 12 para 0114).
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 Zhu by having at least one DC/DC converter converting a DC voltage stored in the battery into a DC module voltage in order to operate independent, decentralized power management that can protects sensitive electronics, improves system fault tolerance, isolates faults so they don't cascade, and prevents premature battery degradation through precise load balancing.
Regarding claim 2, The combination 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: Wang), 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: Wang).
Regarding claim 7, The combination 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: Wang).
Regarding claim 8, The combination 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: Wang).
Regarding claim 9, The combination 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: Wang).
Regarding claim 10, The combination 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: Wang).
Regarding claim 11, The combination 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: Wang).
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 and Zhu in view of Liang (CN114498876A).
Regarding claim 3, The combination 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 and Zhu 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 and 9 is dependent of claim 5.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 06/30/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant states; Wang fails to disclose or suggest the structural features of amended Claim 1…each of the plurality of battery modules includes a power conversion module, and each power conversion module includes both: 1. An inverter configured to convert direct current (DC) voltage stored in the battery into alternating current (AC) voltage and to control a motor; and 2. At least one DC/DC converter converting a DC voltage stored in the battery into a DC module voltage. The examiner respectfully disagrees with applicant.
With respect to applicant first point as disclosed in prior action when operating the system as shown in the figure bellow DC power form Un {Icell} is used to power an AC motor. The DC power is inherently transformed to be used and well within the skill of an ordinary artesian.
Further with respect to applicants second point Zhu teaches that within these system such as the one of Wang multiple types of converters/inverts are used and clearly shoes within a system such as the one of Wang to be modified and include mid stage power transformation that can improve system fault tolerance, protects sensitive electronics, isolates faults, and prevents premature battery degradation.
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In summary, one of ordinary skill in the art would look at the combination of prior art and would arrive at applicants invention without an inventive step nor novelty. In fact any minor differences between the combination of the prior art and applicants currently claimed apparatus would flow naturally and be considered inventive.
To conclude, 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
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/ELIM ORTIZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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