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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This action is responsive to the following communications: Application filed on 10/18/2024.
Claims 1-15 are presented for Examination. Claim 1 is independent.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites:“wherein optionally at least one part of the absorbed energy is converted into heat…”.The term “optionally” renders the scope of the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the controlled conversion of absorbed energy into heat is required by the claim. A claim must clearly define the metes and bounds of the invention. Because the limitation may or may not be present, the scope of claim 1 is uncertain .
Claim 1 also recites “by an ohmic resistor of the drive system by injecting an alternating current into the drive system”. It is unclear whether the “ohmic resistor” refers to a discrete resistor component, an inherent resistance of another component, or any resistance present in the drive system. The claim therefore fails to clearly define the structure or component responsible for converting the energy into heat. Accordingly, claim 1 is indefinite.
Claim 2 recites: “an inherent ohmic resistance at least of one electric component…”. The limitations “at least of one electric component” is grammatically unclear and renders the scope of the claim uncertain. It is unclear whether the claim requires one electric component, multiple electric components, or merely resistance associated with any component in the system.Accordingly, claim 2 is indefinite.
Claim 3 recites: “for the alternating current, a frequency and/or a current intensity is/are determined.”. The phrase “and/or” creates ambiguity as to whether frequency, current intensity, or both must be determined. Additionally, the claim does not specify by whom or by what structure the frequency and/or current intensity is determined, or according to what criteria.
Accordingly, claim 3 is indefinite.
Claim 4 recites: “the frequency of the injected alternating current is selected such that this is higher than a mechanical time constant of the drive system.”. The phrase “such that this is higher” lacks a clear antecedent basis. It appears that “this” refers to the frequency, but the claim language is unclear.
Further, the phrase “higher than a mechanical time constant” is technically unclear because frequency and time constant are quantities having different units. A frequency may be compared to the inverse of a time constant, but not directly to a time constant without further clarification. Accordingly, claim 4 is indefinite.
Claim 5 recites: “the frequency and current intensity of the injected alternating current are selected such that its temporal average is zero.”. The limitations “its temporal average” lacks clear antecedent basis. It is unclear whether “its” refers to the frequency, current intensity, alternating current, injected alternating current, or another parameter. Further, frequency generally does not have a temporal average of zero in this context.Accordingly, claim 5 is indefinite.
Claim 6 recites: “wherein the drive motor is regulated through emission of a control value signal by at least one regulator, wherein a ripple signal for injecting the alternating current overlaps the control value signal.” The limitations “overlaps the control value signal” is unclear. It is not apparent whether “overlaps” means that the ripple signal is superimposed on, added to, synchronized with, temporally coincident with, or otherwise combined with the control value signal. Accordingly, claim 6 is indefinite.
Claim 9 recites:“the electric energy absorbed by the drivemotor is firstly supplied to the energy store until a first predetermined electric and/or thermal threshold value is exceeded…”The phrase “electric and/or thermal threshold value” is unclear because it does not specify what electric or thermal parameter is being measured, e.g., voltage, current, charge, temperature, power, or energy. Accordingly, claim 9 is indefinite.
Claim 10 recites: “on falling below a second predetermined electric and/or thermal threshold value…”.As with claim 9, the phrase “electric and/or thermal threshold value” is indefinite because the particular electric or thermal parameter is not identified.Because claim 10 depends from claim 1, but the “first threshold value” is introduced in claim 9, the phrase “the first threshold value” lacks antecedent basis unless claim 10 properly depends from claim 9. Accordingly, claim 10 is indefinite.
Claim 13 recites: “a ripple generator … configured, for the injecting of the alternating current, to generate a ripple signal which overlaps the control value signal.”As with claim 6, the term “overlaps” is indefinite because the manner of overlap is unclear. Accordingly, claim 13 is indefinite.
Appropriate correction is requested.
Since the independent claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) and hence the dependent claims of 1 are also rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b).
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 of this title, 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 1-15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over US Bucella et al (US 2018/0257511 A1 (hereinafter "'Bucellla").
Regarding Independent claim 1, Bucella teach that a method for absorbing energy in an electric drive system (a motor drive system (300) including a motor (309) and an inverter (307) controlled by a controller (500, 601) ( Fig. 3, Fig. 5; para. [0060]-[0062])), a drive system for operating an entry system or door system of a vehicle, with an electric drive motor for driving a drive body, and with a motor control circuit for controlling the drive of the drive motor, wherein electric energy is supplied in a controlled manner to the drive motor via the motor control circuit in a driving operating mode and electric energy is absorbed by the drive motor via the motor control circuit in a braking operating mode (during normal operation, the capacitor bank (305) provides energy to the motor (309) via inverter (307) to drive a load (311) (motoring mode), and when the motor is braking or lowering the load, energy is returned to the capacitor bank (305) (braking mode) ( para. [0061]; Fig. 3, energy flow arrows 323, 325)), wherein optionally at least one part of the absorbed energy is converted into heat in a controlled manner by an ohmic resistor of the drive system by injecting an alternating current into the drive system (when the voltage in the capacitor bank (305) approaches a voltage limit, the energy is returned to the motor (309) in a transformed state (i.e., zero net torque) and dissipated as wasted heat (313) in the motor windings ( Abstract; para. [0008], [0061], [0062]; Fig. 3, energy flow arrow 327). The heat dissipation occurs through the motor's inherent ohmic resistance (I²R losses) in the windings ( para. [0066]). The injected current is an alternating current (AC) phase current that produces no shaft torque ( para. [0010], [0028], [0066])).
A person of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to apply the energy dissipation method of Bucella to the drive system of a vehicle entry/door system, as motors are commonly used in such applications and the need to manage regenerative energy during braking is a well-known problem.
Regarding Claim 2, Bucella teach that wherein an inherent ohmic resistance at least of one electric component, which is provided for a functional operation of the drive system, electric current line(s), motor winding(s) of the drive motor and/or semiconductor switching element(s) of the motor control circuit, is used for the controlled conversion of the energy into heat (Bucella explicitly teaches that the energy is dissipated through the motor windings ( para. [0061], [0066], [0078]): "the calculated I_D current...is proportional to the magnetic field that is aligned with the rotor's permanent magnetic field...and therefore produces no shaft torque, but only motor losses" and "dissipated waste heat (313) in the motor (309)." The motor windings are an inherent ohmic resistance of the drive system provided for functional operation.
A person of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the motor windings inherently provide ohmic resistance for heat conversion, as explicitly taught by Bucella.
Regarding Claim 3, Bucella teach that wherein for the alternating current, a frequency and/or a current intensity is/are determined. "first new current (I_D)...producing only motor energy losses" ( para. [0027], [0028]). To calculate and control this current, the controller must necessarily determine the current's amplitude (current intensity) and frequency. This is inherent in the act of calculating and generating a specific phase current for injection into the motor ( para. [0024], [0076]). A person of ordinary skill in the art would have understood that determining the frequency and/or current intensity is required to implement the current injection taught by Bucella.
Regarding Claim 4, Bucella teach that wherein the frequency of the injected alternating current is selected such that this is higher than a mechanical time constant of the drive system ( teaches generating a current that produces "no shaft torque" (para. [0010], [0066]). To achieve zero net torque while injecting an alternating current, a person of ordinary skill in the art would recognize the need to inject the current at a frequency high enough that the mechanical system (rotor with inertia) cannot physically respond to any residual torque ripple. This is achieved by selecting a frequency higher than the mechanical bandwidth or, equivalently, the inverse of the mechanical time constant of the drive system. This is an obvious design choice to ensure the primary teaching of Bucella producing no net shaft torque—is successfully implemented.
Regarding Claim 5, Bucella teach that wherein the frequency and current intensity of the injected alternating current are selected such that its temporal average is zero(reference explicitly teaches that the injected current "produces no shaft torque" (para. [0010], [0028], [0066]). "No shaft torque" means the torque effect, when averaged over time, is zero. This is the central principle of the energy dissipation method in Bucella. A person of ordinary skill in the art would have understood that selecting the frequency and current intensity to achieve zero temporal average torque is inherent in producing "no shaft torque" as taught by Bucella.
Regarding Claim 6, Bucella teach that wherein the drive motor (M) is regulated through emission of a control value signal by at least one regulator, wherein a ripple signal for injecting the alternating current overlaps the control value signal ( calculating a torque-producing current component (I_Q) and a non-torque-producing (loss-generating) current component (I_D) (para. [0028]). The controller (500) combines these components: "These target zero net torque currents are added to the motor phase currents required to produce a required shaft (309a) torque, and the combined resulting currents are delivered to the motor phases" (para. [0062]). A person of ordinary skill in the art would understand that in a modern motor controller, the final command signal sent to the inverter is a composite signal resulting from the superposition of these different control components. Therefore, it would have been obvious that the signal for injecting the energy-dissipating alternating current (the "ripple signal") overlaps (i.e., is superimposed upon or combined with) the primary motor control signal.).
Regarding Claim 7, Bucella teach that wherein at least one part of the electric energy absorbed by the drive motor via the motor control circuit is stored in a rechargeable energy store( explicitly discloses storing absorbed electric energy in a rechargeable energy store: "a DC energy storage device (305) to store and supply power received from an AC power line" ( para. [0017], [0061]; Fig. 3, capacitor bank 305). The reference states that the system can "resupply energy to the DC energy storage device" ( para. [0008])).
Regarding Claim 8, Bucella teach that wherein energy is supplied in a controlled manner to the drivemotor (M) in its driving operating mode from the energy store via the motor control circuit ("the capacitor bank (305) provides the energy converted by the rectifier (303) to the motor (309) via an inverter (307) to drive a load (311)" ( para. [0061]; Fig. 3, energy flow arrow 323). This discloses supplying energy from the energy store to the drive motor in the driving operating mode via the motor control circuit).
Regarding Claim 9, Bucella teach that wherein the electric energy absorbed by the drive motor is firstly supplied to the energy store until a first predetermined electric and/or thermal threshold value is exceeded, and only after exceeding the first threshold value, the electric energy further absorbed by the drive motor (M) by means of injecting the alternating current into the drive system (1) is converted into heat in a controlled manner(explicitly teaches this threshold-based control logic: "when recovered energy approaches a level that would cause the voltage of the DC energy storage device to exceed a safe limit...the recovered energy is dissipated by the motor" (para. [0008]). The reference further states: "the energy dissipation controller (601) monitors a voltage Vbus (603) across the DC energy storage device (305), and when the voltage Vbus (603) exceeds a maximum limit...can set an I_D current target (513) value from a value of zero (0) to a predetermined non-zero value" ( para. [0075]). This "safe limit" or "maximum limit" is the claimed "first predetermined electric...threshold value." The reference teaches supplying energy to the store until this threshold is reached, and only then converting further absorbed energy into heat.
Regarding Claim 10, Bucella teach that wherein on falling below a second predetermined electric and/or thermal threshold value, the controlled converting of the electric energy absorbed by the drive motor into heat is terminated, wherein the second threshold value differs from the first threshold value("the energy dissipation controller is configured to compare (Vbus) with a voltage limit (Vlim) of the DC energy storage device and to compare (Vbus) with a predetermined lower voltage set point lower than (Vlim)...and to stop adding I_D to the currents of the multi-phase power when the (Vbus) is less than the predetermined lower voltage set point" ( para. [0018], [0081]). The "predetermined lower voltage set point" is the claimed "second predetermined electric...threshold value." The reference teaches that this second threshold is lower than the first threshold (Vlim), creating a hysteresis band for stable control ( para. [0081]: "lower set point [Vlim(703) - hlim(705)]"). A person of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that implementing hysteresis with upper and lower thresholds is a standard engineering practice to prevent rapid switching).
Regarding Claim 11, Bucella teach that wherein the drive system is configured such that the total ohmic resistance in the drive system available for the controlled conversion into heat has a value of 0.5 to 5 Ohm, preferably 1 Ohm to 5 Ohm (teaches a system where energy is dissipated via the motor's inherent ohmic resistance in the windings ( para. [0066]). While Bucella does not specify a numerical value for this resistance, the range of 0.5 to 5 Ohm is a conventional and typical range for the winding resistance of motors used in such applications. For a person of ordinary skill in the art implementing the teachings of Bucella, selecting a motor with a suitable resistance for effective energy dissipation would be a matter of routine design and component selection. The claimed range represents an obvious design choice that would yield the predictable result of dissipating heat as taught by BUcella).
Regarding Claim 12, Bucella teach that An electric drive system, in particular for operating an entry or door system of a vehicle, having an electric drive motor for the drive of a drive body , and a motor control circuit for the drive control of the drive motor (M), wherein electric energy is able to be supplied in a controlled manner to the drive motor via the motor control circuit in a driving operating mode and electric energy is able to be absorbed by the drive motor via the motor control circuit in a braking operating mode, wherein a control unit is provided, which is configured to carry out a method according to one of the preceding claims claim 1, in order to control the drive motor (electric energy is able to be supplied in a controlled manner to the drive motor...in a driving operating mode and electric energy is able to be absorbed by the drive motor...in a braking operating mode": Bucella teaches motoring and braking modes with energy flow to and from the motor (para. [0061]; Fig. 3) and "a control unit...which is configured to carry out a method": Bucella discloses a controller (106, 500, 601) configured to carry out the energy dissipation method ( para. [0017], [0024], [0076]; Fig. 5, Fig. 6).
A person of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to apply the drive system of Bucella to a vehicle entry/door system, as electric motors and controllers are commonly used in such applications.
Regarding Claim 13, Bucella teach that wherein the drive system has at least one regulator for the regulating of the drive motor through emission of a control value signal and a ripple generator, which is configured, for the injecting of the alternating current, to generate a ripple signal which overlaps the control value signal (a controller (500) with regulators (529, 531—PI controllers) for regulating the motor through control values (V_D, V_Q) ( Fig. 5). The energy dissipation controller (601) generates an I_D target current that is combined with the torque-producing current control (para. [0075], [0076]). This I_D target generation function can be described as a "ripple generator" that generates a signal for injecting the energy-dissipating current. As explained for Claim 6, the ripple signal is combined with (overlaps) the control value signal. A person of ordinary skill in the art would have found this configuration obvious from the controller architecture taught by Bucella).
Regarding Claim 14, Bucella teach that whereby a total ohmic resistance, available for the controlled conversion into heat, with a value of 0.5 to 5 Ohm. (As discussed for Claim 11, Bucella teaches energy dissipation through the motor's inherent ohmic resistance (para. [0066]). The claimed resistance range of 0.5 to 5 Ohm is a conventional design choice for motor winding resistance, and selecting a motor with such resistance would be obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art implementing the teachings of Bucella).
Regarding Claim 15, Bucella teach that wherein the drive body is a door wing, a ramp, or a step ( a drive system for a "mechanical load" in general (Abstract; para. [0002]). Applying this known energy dissipation technique to a particular, well-known application for electric motors—such as a vehicle door wing, ramp, or step—would have been an obvious application of the prior art. There is no special synergy or unexpected result from using Bucella’s method with a door versus any other mechanical load that undergoes braking. It is merely applying a known solution to a known field of use. A person of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that vehicle entry systems (doors, ramps, steps) commonly use electric motors and require energy management).
Conclusion
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/MUHAMMAD S ISLAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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