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 .
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 7/24/24 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-9, and 12-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Li (US 2016/0336733).
Regarding claim 1,
Li discloses (Fig. 2C):
An electric power steering system (intended use recitation, Fig. 2c could be used as a power steering system) comprising: an electric motor (126) comprising a phase winding (inside 126, ¶0021); a battery (128)configured to provide power (¶0020); a motor drive circuit (122) coupled to the battery (128) and to the electric motor (126, through 202 and 124), the motor drive circuit (122) being configured to provide power from the battery (128) to the electric motor (126, ¶0020), the motor drive circuit (122) comprising a branch (output from M1 and M2, u phase) including a transistor (Mu) configured to operate in a conducting state and a non-conducting state (¶0025); the branch being coupled to the phase winding of the electric motor (coupled to top phase winding through Mu); a phase isolation circuit (124, 234) comprising a phase isolation branch (234) coupled to the branch of the motor drive circuit (from 122 and 202, coupled to node before Mu) and to the phase winding (connected through Mu), such that the branch is coupled to the phase winding of the electric motor via the phase isolation branch (coupled via Mu and through DP1, T1), wherein the phase isolation branch (234) includes a bidirectional transient-voltage suppressor (TVS) diode (T1) coupled to the phase winding of the electric motor (coupled at node after Mu, ¶0033);
and a phase isolation transistor (Mu) configured to operate in a conducting state and a non- conducting state (¶0025), the phase isolation transistor (Mu) being coupled to the phase winding of the electric motor (top winding 126); and a fault detector (206) configured to detect a fault condition and switch the phase isolation transistor to the non-conducting state in response to detecting the fault condition (¶0017); wherein the bidirectional TVS diode (T1) is configured for allowing a current to flow bidirectionally therethrough when a voltage across the bidirectional TVS diode (T1) exceeds a blocking voltage of the bidirectional TVS diode (¶0033, clamps voltage).
Regarding claim 2,
Li discloses (Fig. 2C):
wherein the phase winding (Fig. 2c, top winding in 126) is further defined as a first phase winding (U-phase), and wherein the electric motor (126) further comprises a second phase winding (middle winding) and a third phase winding (bottom winding).
Regarding claim 3,
Li discloses (Fig. 2C):
wherein the branch is further defined as a first branch (Fig. 2c, output from M1, M2), and wherein the motor drive circuit further comprises: a second branch (output from M3, M4) including a second transistor (Mv), the second branch being coupled to the second phase winding of the electric motor (middle winding in 126 connected through Mv); and a third branch (output from M5, M6) including a third transistor (Mw), the third branch being coupled to the third phase winding of the electric-motor (bottom winding in 126, connected through Mw)
Regarding claim 4,
Li discloses (Fig. 2C):
wherein the first branch (output of M1 and M2), the second, branch (output of M3 and M4), and the third branch (output of M5 and M6) are coupled to the phase isolation circuit (234) in parallel with one another (¶0033).
Regarding claim 5,
Li discloses (Fig. 2C):
wherein the phase isolation branch (Fig. 2c, branch before Mu) is further defined as a first phase isolation branch (branch before Mu), wherein the bidirectional TVS diode is further defined as a first bidirectional TVS diode (T1), and wherein the phase isolation transistor is further defined as a first phase isolation transistor (Mu), and wherein the phase isolation circuit further comprises: a second phase isolation branch (branch before Mv) coupled to the second branch of the motor drive circuit (output from M3 and M4) and to the second phase winding (middle winding, 126), the second branch-being coupled to the second phase winding of the electric motor via the second phase isolation branch (via node before Mv and through Mv);
the second phase isolation branch including a second bidirectional TVS diode (T2) and a second phase isolation transistor (Mv), the second bidirectional TVS diode (T2) and the second phase isolation transistor (Mv) being coupled to the second phase winding (middle winding) of the electric motor (126); and a third phase isolation branch coupled (node before Mw) to the third branch of the motor drive circuit (output from M5, M6) and to the third phase winding (node before Mw), the third branch being coupled to the third phase winding of the electric motor via the third phase isolation branch (node before Mw), the third phase isolation branch including a third bidirectional TVS diode (T3) and a third phase isolation transistor (Mw), the third bidirectional TVS diode (T3) and the third phase isolation transistor (Mw) being coupled to the third phase winding of the electric motor (bottom winding, 126).
Regarding claim 6,
Li discloses (Fig. 2C):
further comprising a motor controller configured to switch the transistor between a conducting state and a non-conducting state (¶0021)
Regarding claim 7,
Li discloses (Fig. 2C):
wherein a current induced by the electric motor flows through the bidirectional TVS diode after the fault detector switches the phase isolation transistor to the non-conducting state (¶0033-¶0034).
Regarding claim 8,
Li discloses (Fig. 2C):
wherein the bidirectional TVS diode (Fig. 2c, T1) is configured to divert a current induced by the electric motor from the phase isolation transistor after the fault detector switches the phase isolation transistor to the non-conducting state (¶0033-¶0034).
Regarding claim 9,
Li discloses (Fig. 2C):
wherein the fault detector detects a fault condition at a first time, wherein the fault detector is-configured to switch-the phase isolation transistor to the non- conducting state at a second time, and wherein a difference between the second time and the first time is less than a predetermined tine-delay (can be opened instantly or in order, ¶0017).
Regarding claim 12,
Li discloses (Fig. 2C):
wherein the fault detector is configured to detect an open circuit fault and/or a short circuit fault across the transistor (¶0045).
Regarding claim 13,
Li discloses (Fig. 2C):
,wherein the fault detector is configured to switch the phase isolation transistor to the non-conducting state in response to detecting an open circuit fault and/or a short circuit fault across the transistor (¶0045).
Regarding claim 14,
Li discloses (Fig. 2C):
wherein the transistor is further defined as a first transistor, wherein the branch includes a second transistor, and wherein the fault detector is configured to detect an open circuit fault and/or a short circuit fault across at least one of the first transistor and the second transistor (¶0045)
Regarding claim 15,
Li discloses (Fig. 2C):
wherein the fault detector is configured to switch one of the first transistor and the second transistor to the non-conducting state in response to detecting an open circuit fault and/or a short circuit fault across at least one of the, first transistor and the second transistor (¶0045).
Regarding claim 16,
Li discloses (Fig. 2C):
wherein the fault detector is configured to detect an open circuit fault and/or a short circuit fault across at least one of the first phase isolation transistor, the second phase isolation. transistor, and the third phase isolation transistor (¶0045).
Regarding claim 17,
Li discloses (Fig. 2C):
wherein the fault detector is configured to switch the transistor to the non-conducting state in response to detecting an open circuit fault across at least one of the first phase isolation transistor, the second phase isolation transistor, and the third phase isolation transistor (¶0045).
Regarding claim 18,
Li discloses (Fig. 2C):
wherein the fault detector is configured to switch one of the first phase isolation transistor, the second phase isolation transistor, and the third phase isolation transistor to the non-conducting state in response to detecting an open circuit fault across either of the other phase isolation transistors (¶0045).
Regarding claim 19,
Li discloses (Fig. 2C):
A method of isolating power from an electric motor (Fig. 2c) of an electric power steering system (intended use recitation, Fig. 2c could be used as a power steering system), the electric power steering system including a battery (128), a phase isolation circuit (124, 234) including a phase isolation transistor (Mu) and a bidirectional transient voltage suppressor diode (T1), a motor drive circuit (122) coupled to the battery (128) and coupled to the electric motor (126) via the phase isolation circuit (124, 224) and including a transistor (Mu), the method comprising steps of: controlling the transistors of the motor drive circuit (122) to provide power from a battery (128) to the electric motor via a phase isolation circuit (124, 224, ¶0020);
detecting a fault condition of the electric power steering system (¶0017); controlling the, phase isolation transistors of the phase isolation circuit to prevent the motor drive circuit from providing power to the electric motor (opens switches Mu, Mv, Mw, ¶0017); and diverting a current induced by the electric motor, with the bidirectional TVS diode (T1, ¶0033), from the phase isolation-transistor (Mu) after controlling the transistor of the phase isolation circuit to prevent the motor drive circuit from providing power to the electric motor (¶0017), the bidirectional TVS diode (T1), allowing the current induced by the electric motor to flow bidirectionally there through, when a voltage across the bidirectional TVS diode exceeds a blocking voltage of the bidirectional TVS diode (¶0033, clamps voltage).
Regarding claim 20,
Li discloses (Fig. 2C):
wherein the step of detecting" a fault condition of the electric power steering system comprises detecting an open circuit fault and/or a short-circuit fault across the transistor of the motor drive circuit (¶0017, ¶0045).
Regarding claim 21,
Li discloses (Fig. 2C):
wherein the step of controlling the transistor phase isolation circuit comprises a step of switching the phase isolation transistor from a conducting state to a non-conducting state (¶0017, ¶0045).
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) 10-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li (US 2016/0336733).
Regarding claim 10,
Li discloses (Fig. 2c):
wherein the predetermined time delay is defined fora fault condition of the transistor (¶0017)
Li does not explicitly disclose:
and is at least one of 10μs, 50μs, 100μs, or 500μs.
However, Regarding claim 10, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to take the phase opening switches from Lee that open the phase switches instantly or with a delay in order to stop current from entering into the motor during a fault (¶0017) and change the time delay of the switch openings or make the switching adjustable because as per case law In re Stevens, 212 F.2d 197, 101 USPQ 284 (CCPA 1954) that adjustability, where needed, is not a patentable advance.
Regarding claim 11,
Li discloses (Fig. 2c):
wherein the predetermined time delay is defined fora fault condition of the transistor (¶0017)
Li does not explicitly disclose:
and is at least one of 10ms, 50ms, 100ms, or 500ms.
However, Regarding claim 11, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to take the phase opening switches from Lee that open the phase switches instantly or with a delay in order to stop current from entering into the motor during a fault (¶0017) and change the time delay of the switch openings or make the switching adjustable because as per case law In re Stevens, 212 F.2d 197, 101 USPQ 284 (CCPA 1954) that adjustability, where needed, is not a patentable advance.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Nagy (US 11,381,194) – motor controller with phase opening switches
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/C.S.L./Examiner, Art Unit 2837 /DAVID LUO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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