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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 8/16/24 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 13 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 13 contains the phrase “the system of claim 13” which clearly draws its dependence from claim 12. Appropriate correction is required.
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) 1-11, and 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by King et al. (US 9,120,390).
Regarding claim 1,
King discloses (Figs. 3a-3b):
An electromechanical (EM) system (Figs. 3a-3b), comprising: an energy storage device (144, 12, 36) configured to supply power to a device (fig. 3b, 62, Col. 8:21-34); and a power supply (Fig. 3a, 82) configured to be connected to an alternating current (AC) power source (88) and to supply energy to the energy storage device (144, 12, 36 col. 8:35-47), wherein only the energy storage device (144, 12, 36) is configured to supply energy to the device (62, col. 10:35-53), wherein the energy storage device is capable of supplying energy to the device greater than energy supplied from the power supply alone (via Dc converters, 152-156, col. 10:35-53), and wherein the energy storage device is further capable of providing power to the device with less ripple voltage and less ripple current than power provided from the power supply (from DC bus, Dc-DC converter reduces torque ripple on bus, col. 10:11-17).
Regarding claim 2,
King discloses (Figs. 3a-3b):
further comprising the device (Figs. 3a, 3b, 62), and wherein the device is an electromechanical (EM) device (traction motor, col. 10:35-53), and wherein the EM device generates energy when work is applied to the EM device (regenerative braking, Col. 10:54-64).
Regarding claim 3,
King discloses (Figs. 3a-3b):
further comprising a regeneration regulator (fig. 3a, also 152-156) connected to the EM device (62) and configured to capture energy generated by the EM device (regenerative braking, col. 10:54-64) and transfer the generated energy to the energy storage device (144, 12, 36) when the work applied to the EM device exceeds a predetermined threshold (regenerating mode, col. 10:54-64).
Regarding claim 4,
King discloses (Figs. 3a-3b):
further comprising a motor regulator (figs. 3a-3b, also, 152-156) configured to maintain a voltage of a motor controller of the device and a bus voltage of the motor to prevent an over/under voltage of the motor controller and to exceed motor back electromotive force (EMF) (col. 8:21-34), wherein the regeneration regulator is connected between the motor and the motor regulator (same thing as regeneration regulator), and is configured to discharge energy from the motor to the motor regulator (col. 10:54-64).
Regarding claim 5,
King discloses (Figs. 3a-3b):
further comprising a supercapacitor charger (figs. 3a-3b, 152-156) between the power supply (82) and the energy storage device (144, 12, 36, in between 144, and 12 and 36), the supercapacitor charger including: a current sensor (fig. 3b, 126, col. 9:46-60); a voltage sensor (fig. 3a, 118, col. 10:23-34); a microcontroller (78) connected to the current sensor (126) and to the voltage sensor (118); and an OR-ing controller (78) connected to the regeneration regulator (152-156) and to the power supply (via 108, 110, fig. 3a) and configured to enable DC power from the power supply and power from the regeneration regulator to charge the energy storage capacitor simultaneously (uses 152-156 to charge batteries 12, 144, col. 10:8-22).
Regarding claim 6,
King discloses (Figs. 3a-3b):
wherein the regeneration regulator (figs. 3a-3b, 152-156) is a logic-controlled buck converter (Col. 8:21-34) connected to the energy storage device (144, 12, 36) and to a motor of the device (via DC bus 14, and inverter 38), and wherein the logic-controlled buck converter is configured to regulate and transfer regenerative energy from the motor to the energy storage device to recharge the energy storage device and so the regenerative energy does not cause a bus voltage of the device to exceed a maximum voltage acceptable to a motor controller of the device (col. 8:21-34, col. 10:35-34).
Regarding claim 7,
King discloses (Figs. 3a-3b):
further comprising: the device (figs. 3a-3b, 62), wherein the device includes: an actuator (64); a motor (62); and a motor controller (38) configured to control the motor of the device (col. 10:35-54); and a boost converter (152-156) connected between the motor controller (38) and the energy storage device (144, 12, 36, col. 10:35-54), wherein the boost converter is configured to increase an output of the energy storage device to increase power available to the motor (col 10:35-54).
Regarding claim 8,
King discloses (Figs. 3a-3b):
further comprising a buck converter (figs. 3a-3b, 152-156, col. 8:21-34) connected to the energy storage device (144) and the motor of the device (62, through 38 and 14), wherein the buck converter is configured to regulate and transfer regenerative energy from the motor to the energy storage device so the regenerative energy does not cause a bus voltage of the device to exceed a maximum voltage acceptable to the motor controller of the device (col. 10:54-64).
Regarding claim 9,
King discloses (Figs. 3a-3b):
further comprising: the device (figs. 3a-3b, 62), wherein the device includes: a motor controller (78, col. 10:35-53) configured to control a motor (62) of the device (62); and a motor regulator (38) connected between a motor (62) of the device and the energy storage device (144, 12, 36),wherein the motor regulator is configured to maintain a voltage of the motor controller of the device and a bus voltage of the motor to prevent an over/under voltage of the motor controller and to exceed motor back electromotive force (EMF) (col. 10:35-64).
Regarding claim 10,
King discloses (Figs. 3a-3b):
further comprising an energy storage regulator (figs. 3a-3b, also 152-156) between the power supply (82) and the energy storage device (144, 12, 36), the energy storage regulator being a DC/DC voltage or current regulator configured to regulate power into the energy storage device (col. 10:8-22).
Regarding claim 11,
King discloses (Figs. 3a-3b):
wherein the energy storage device is a first energy storage device (figs. 3a-3b, 144) among a plurality of energy storage devices (144, 12, 36) of the system, and wherein the plurality of energy storage devices are connected in series (Fig. 1, could be 1 energy storage device in series, 12, shown as a string of batteries in series, col. 2:60-67).
Regarding claim 16,
King discloses (Figs. 3a-3b):
An electromechanical (EM) system (Figs. 3a-3b), comprising: an energy storage device (144, 12, 36) configured to supply power to a device (fig. 3b, 62, Col. 8:21-34); a power supply (Fig. 3a, 82) configured to be connected to an alternating current (AC) power source (88) and to supply energy to the energy storage device (144, 12, 36 col. 8:35-47); an energy storage regulator (152-156) connected between the energy storage device (144, 12, 36) and the power supply (82, col. 10:8-34), the energy storage regulator including a current sensor (126, col. 9:46-60) and a voltage sensor (118, col. 10:23-34); and a logic-controlled regeneration regulator (also 152-156) connected to the energy storage device (144, 12, 36) and to a motor of the device (62), wherein the logic-controlled regulator is configured to control a feed-forward charge of the energy storage device (144, 12, 36) to ensure that the energy storage device retains an optimal charge condition, wherein only the energy storage device is configured to supply energy to the device (62, col. 10:35-53).
Regarding claim 17,
King discloses (Figs. 3a-3b):
further comprising: a motor controller (38) configured to control a motor of the device (col. 10:35-53); and a boost converter (152-156)connected between the motor controller (38) and the energy storage device (144, 12, 36), wherein the boost converter is configured to increase an output of the energy storage device to increase the power available to the motor (col. 10:35-53).
Regarding claim 18,
King discloses (Figs. 3a-3b):
wherein the regeneration regulator is configured to capture and regulate energy produced by the device when work is applied to the device, and wherein the energy storage device is configured to be simultaneously charged from the power supply and from the regenerative energy regulator (down converts power from power supply, 152-156, col. 10:8-23).
Regarding claim 19,
King discloses (Figs. 3a-3b):
further comprising: a motor controller (38) configured to control a motor of the device (col. 10:35-53); and a motor regulator (152-156) connected between a motor of the device (62) and the energy storage device (144, 12, 36, 152-156 is in between 12 and 144), wherein the motor regulator is configured to maintain a voltage of the motor controller of the device and a bus voltage of the motor to prevent an over/under voltage of the motor controller and to exceed motor back electromotive force (EMF) (col. 10:35-64).
Regarding claim 20,
King discloses (Figs. 3a-3b):
wherein the energy storage device is a first energy storage device (144) among a plurality of energy storage devices of the system (12, 144, 36), and wherein the plurality of energy storage devices are connected in series (12, is connected in series in fig. 3b).
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) 12-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over King et al. (US 9,120,390 in view of Yaguchi (US 2007/0058404).
Regarding claim 12,
King discloses (Figs. 3a-3b):
An electromechanical (EM) system, comprising: a plurality of energy storage devices (figs. 3a-3b, 144, 12, 36, batteries in series), the plurality of energy storage devices being connected to each other in series (batteries in 12 are in series, col. 2:60-67); a power supply (82) configured to be connected to an alternating current (AC) power source (88) and to supply energy to the plurality of energy storage devices (144, 12, 36, Col. 10:23-34); and a motor regulator (152-156) configured to increase an output of the plurality of energy storage devices (144, 12 Col. 10:35-53)
King does not disclose:
to increase power available to motors of a plurality of electromechanical (EM) devices arranged in parallel such that the boosted output of the plurality of energy storage devices supports desired torque-speed requirements of the plurality of EM devices, wherein a first bus voltage on a first side of the plurality of energy storage devices is different than a second bus voltage on a second side of the plurality of energy storage devices, and wherein only the plurality of energy storage devices is configured to supply energy to the plurality of EM devices.
However, Yaguchi teaches (Fig. 1):
to increase power available to motors of a plurality of electromechanical (EM) devices (Fig.1 , MG1, MG2) arranged in parallel (in parallel on same bus, connected at N1 and N2) such that the boosted output of the plurality of energy storage devices (B) supports desired torque-speed requirements of the plurality of EM devices (¶0037-¶0038), wherein a first bus voltage on a first side of the plurality of energy storage devices (113) is different than a second bus voltage on a second side of the plurality of energy storage devices (112, ¶0028), and wherein only the plurality of energy storage devices is configured to supply energy to the plurality of EM devices (¶0037-¶0038).
Regarding claim 12, 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 EV from King that has multiple DC/DC converters connected to batteries that can up convert the voltage to power an electric motor (Col. 10:35-53) and place another inverter and motor in parallel on the same DC bus as taught by Yaguchi in order to drive multiple wheels with multiple motors using multiple inverters (¶0037-¶0038). This would increase redundancy of the system by increasing the number of motors and inverters.
Regarding claim 13,
King discloses the above elements from claim 12.
King does not disclose:
further comprising a regeneration regulator on an output of the plurality of EM devices to capture regenerative energy and to transfer the regenerative energy into the plurality of energy storage devices so that the second bus voltage does not exceed a predetermined maximum amount.
However, Yaguchi teaches (Fig. 1):
further comprising a regeneration regulator (Fig. 1, 14, 31) on an output of the plurality of EM devices to capture regenerative energy (from motor 62) and to transfer the regenerative energy into the plurality of energy storage devices (144, 12, 36) so that the second bus voltage does not exceed a predetermined maximum amount (fig. 1, 12, ¶0038, ¶0052).
Regarding claim 13, 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 EV from King that has multiple DC/DC converters connected to batteries that can up convert the voltage to power an electric motor (Col. 10:35-53) and place another inverter and motor in parallel on the same DC bus as taught by Yaguchi in order to drive multiple wheels with multiple motors using multiple inverters (¶0037-¶0038). This would increase redundancy of the system by increasing the number of motors and inverters.
Regarding claim 14,
King discloses (Figs. 3a-3b):
further comprising an energy storage regulator (figs. 3a-3b, also 152-156) connected between the power supply (82) and the plurality of energy storage devices (12, 144, 36 col. 10:8-22), the energy storage regulator being a DC/DC voltage or current regulator configured to regulate power into the plurality of energy storage devices (col 10:8-34).
Regarding claim 15,
King discloses the above elements from claim 14.
King does not disclose:
further comprising the plurality of devices, each of the plurality of devices includes: an actuator; a motor; and a motor controller configured to control the motor of the device; and wherein the motor regulator is a boost converter.
However, Yaguchi teaches (Fig. 1):
further comprising the plurality of devices (MG1, MG2), each of the plurality of devices includes: an actuator (a wheel, not shown, ¶0024);a motor (MG1, MG2); and a motor controller (30) configured to control the motor of the device (¶0037-¶0038); and wherein the motor regulator is a boost converter (12, ¶0037-¶0038).
Regarding claim 15, 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 EV from King that has multiple DC/DC converters connected to batteries that can up convert the voltage to power an electric motor (Col. 10:35-53) and place another inverter and motor in parallel on the same DC bus as taught by Yaguchi in order to drive multiple wheels with multiple motors using multiple inverters (¶0037-¶0038). This would increase redundancy of the system by increasing the number of motors and inverters.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lopez-Santillana (US 2003/0166434) – self powered fitness equipment
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/C.S.L./ Examiner, Art Unit 2837 /KAWING CHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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