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, 2, 6, 9 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP6783214, hereafter ‘214.
Claim 1: ‘214 teaches a noise filter (Figure 7) that reduces voltage or current of electromagnetic noise generated by a power converter performing power conversion through switching operation of a semiconductor element (Figure 1), the noise filter comprising:
a noise detector (1) which detects voltage based on the electromagnetic noise generated by the power converter (V1, V4 via 11) and outputs adjusted voltage (to G1, G2) obtained by adjusting the voltage based on the electromagnetic noise (via transformer 11);
a compensation signal applicator (21) which superimposes compensation voltage having a polarity opposite to the voltage based on the electromagnetic noise, on an output or an input of the power converter via a transformer (transformer 30 and Abstract); and
an injection voltage generator (G1, G2) which generates, on the basis of the adjusted voltage (via 1), first output voltage (output of G1) and second output voltage (output of G2) having a polarity opposite to the first output voltage (to the opposite winding of 31), for generating injection voltage between one end and another end of a primary-side winding of the transformer (to 31), and which outputs the first output voltage to the one end of the primary-side winding of the transformer and outputs the second output voltage to the other end of the primary-side winding of the transformer (via 7B and 22b).
‘214 does not specifically teach that the injection voltage generator generates the first output voltage and the second output voltage for generating the injection voltage so that a difference between the compensation voltage superimposed by the compensation signal applicator and the voltage based on the electromagnetic noise becomes an allowable value or less. However, the selection of an allowable value of electromagnetic noise or less would have been chosen to ensure an optimal performance of the circuit. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to select first output voltage and the second output voltage for generating the injection voltage so that a difference between the compensation voltage superimposed by the compensation signal applicator and the voltage based on the electromagnetic noise becomes an allowable value or less when employing the circuit of ‘214 to maximize the overall performance of the circuit. Furthermore, such a provision of selecting a specific allowable value involves only routine design expedient.
Claim 2: ‘214 further teaches that the transformer of the compensation signal applicator has a secondary-side winding (32) interposed on a power line (92a-92c) on an output side or an input side of the power converter (Figure 1).
Claim 6: ‘214 further teaches that the noise detector includes a detection transformer (11) having a primary-side winding interposed on a power line (91a-91c) on an output side or an input side of the power converter (Figure 1),and
a secondary-side winding of the detection transformer (12A, 12B) has one end connected to a reference line having a reference potential (ground), and another end connected to an output terminal for outputting the adjusted voltage (to G1, G2).
Claim 9: ‘214 further teaches that the noise detector includes a detection transformer (11) having a primary-side winding (11) interposed on a power line (91a-91c) on an output side or an input side of the power converter (Figure 1), the detection transformer having two secondary-side windings (12A, 12B),
a first secondary-side winding which is one of the secondary-side windings (12A) has one end connected to a reference line (ground) having a reference potential, and another end connected to a first output terminal for outputting first adjusted voltage which is the adjusted voltage for first (to G1),
a second secondary-side winding which is the other of the secondary-side windings (12B) has one end connected to the reference line (ground), and another end connected to a second output terminal for outputting second adjusted voltage which is the adjusted voltage for second (to G2), and
the injection voltage generator includes a first injection waveform generator which generates the first output voltage on the basis of the first adjusted voltage (G1 to 22 and 30), and a second injection waveform generator which generates the second output voltage on the basis of the second adjusted voltage (G2 to 30).
Claim 15: ‘214 further teaches the noise detector, the compensation signal applicator, and the injection voltage generator are provided correspondingly to each line of DC buses of the power converter (Figures 1 and 7).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5, 7, 8 , 10-14 and 16-20 are 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 3, the prior art does not fairly teach or suggest the compensation signal applicator includes a signal adjustment transformer which is the transformer, and a signal applicator including a capacitor, and a secondary-side winding of the signal adjustment transformer has one end connected to a ground line, and another end connected to a power line on an output side or an input side of the power converter via the capacitor of the signal applicator.
Regarding claim 4, the prior art does not fairly teach or suggest the noise detector includes a capacitor and a signal adjustment circuit connected in series between a ground line and a power line on an output side or an input side of the power converter, and the signal adjustment circuit outputs the adjusted voltage on the basis of input voltage inputted via the capacitor.
Regarding claim 5, the prior art does not fairly teach or suggest the noise detector includes a capacitor and a voltage division transformer connected in series between a ground line and a power line on an output side or an input side of the power converter, a primary-side winding of the voltage division transformer has one end connected to one end of the capacitor on a side opposite to the power line, and another end connected to the ground line, and a secondary-side winding of the voltage division transformer has one end connected to a reference line having a reference potential different from a ground potential of the ground line, and another end connected to an output terminal for outputting the adjusted voltage.
Regarding claim 7, the prior art does not fairly teach or suggest the injection voltage generator includes a first injection waveform generator which generates the first output voltage on the basis of the adjusted voltage, and a second injection waveform generator which generates the second output voltage on the basis of the adjusted voltage, or includes a first injection waveform generator which generates the first output voltage on the basis of the adjusted voltage, and a second injection waveform generator which generates the second output voltage on the basis of the first output voltage.
Regarding claim 8, the prior art does not fairly teach or suggest the injection voltage generator includes a first injection waveform generator which generates the first output voltage on the basis of the adjusted voltage, and a second injection waveform generator which generates the second output voltage on the basis of the adjusted voltage, or includes a first injection waveform generator which generates the first output voltage on the basis of the adjusted voltage, and a second injection waveform generator which generates the second output voltage on the basis of the first output voltage.
Regarding claim 10, the prior art does not fairly teach or suggest the noise detector includes a capacitor and a voltage division transformer connected in series between a ground line and a power line on an output side or an input side of the power converter in combination with the limitations of claim 10.
Regarding claim 11, the prior art does not fairly teach or suggest the noise detector includes a capacitor and a signal adjustment circuit connected in series between a ground line and a power line on an output side or an input side of the power converter, the signal adjustment circuit outputs first adjusted voltage and second adjusted voltage which are two said adjusted voltages, on the basis of input voltage inputted via the capacitor, and the injection voltage generator includes a first injection waveform generator which generates the first output voltage on the basis of the first adjusted voltage, and a second injection waveform generator which generates the second output voltage on the basis of the second adjusted voltage.
Regarding claim 12, the prior art does not fairly teach or suggest the noise detector detects common mode voltage in the voltage of the electromagnetic noise.
Regarding claim 13, the prior art does not fairly teach or suggest the noise detector detects voltage proportional to common mode current in the current of the electromagnetic noise.
Regarding claim 14, the prior art does not fairly teach or suggest the noise detector, the compensation signal applicator, and the injection voltage generator are provided correspondingly to each phase of power lines on an output side or an input side of the power converter.
Claims 16-20 are indicated as allowable merely for being dependent from claim 14.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
U.S. Patent 6,667,685
U.S. Patent 8,755,205
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/C.J.O/Examiner, Art Unit 2849
/Menatoallah Youssef/SPE, Art Unit 2849