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 .
This action is in response to an application filed on 10/28/2024.
Claims 1-20 are pending for examination.
Claim Objections
Claim 6 recites the limitations " a waveform of the first three-phase bridge and a waveform of the second three-phase bridge " in lines 1-2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 23 is objected to under 37 CFR 1.75 as being a substantial duplicate of claim 22. When two claims in an application are duplicates or else are so close in content that they both cover the same thing, despite a slight difference in wording, it is proper after allowing one claim to object to the other as being a substantial duplicate of the allowed claim. See MPEP § 608.01(m).
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 5-7 and 15-23 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 5 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential steps, such omission amounting to a gap between the steps. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted steps before superposing a waveform of the first three-phase bridge and a waveform of the second three-phase bridge to eliminate a sawtooth wave of the first three-phase bridge and obtain a waveform containing only a sawtooth wave of the second three-phase bridge are:
acquiring the waveform of the first three-phase bridge and the waveform of the second three-phase bridge, respectively;
inverting the waveform of the first three-phase bridge, and modulating the waveform of the second three-phase bridge based on an inverted waveform of the first three-phase bridge, so as to obtain a modulated waveform of the second three-phase bridge
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)(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.
Claims 1-4 and 11-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (2) as being anticipated by Saha et al. (US 2022/0200508 A1 and Saha hereinafter).
As to Claim 1, Saha in his teachings as shown in Fig.1 – 21 disclose an electric drive system (see [Abstract]), comprising:
a motor (80) and a converter (50);
wherein the motor comprises a first winding (82) and a second winding (81);
the converter comprises a first three-phase bridge (52) and a second three-phase bridge (51);
an input end of the first three-phase bridge (52) is connected to a power source (41), and an output end of the first three-phase bridge is connected to the first winding (82) of the motor; and
an input end of the second three-phase bridge (51) is connected to the power source (41), and an output end of the second three-phase bridge is connected to the second winding (81) of the motor (80).
As to Claim 2, Saha disclose the electric drive system according to claim 1, wherein the motor is a non-equal power dual three-phase motor, wherein the first winding of the motor and the second winding of the motor have unequal powers (The first inverter 51 and the second inverter 52 are inverters 50 having different specifications (they have the same circuit configuration but have different electrical specifications) that are connected to the first (82) and second (81) windings of the motor (80)- see [0033]).
As to Claim 3, Saha disclose the electric drive system according to claim 1, wherein the first three-phase bridge comprises silicon-based devices, and the second three-phase bridge comprises silicon carbide-based devices (see [0035]).
As to Claim 4, Saha disclose the electric drive system according to claim 1, wherein a neutral point of the first winding and a neutral point of the second winding are not connected with each other; and a supportive capacitor is provided in parallel at the input end of the first three-phase bridge (see Fig.1 and [0031]).
As to Claim 11, Saha disclose the electric drive system according to claim 1, wherein the first winding and the second winding of the motor each are formed by connecting a three-phase winding in a Y-type pattern (Fig.1 shows a three-phase winding U,V,W in a Y-type pattern – see also [0032]).
As to Claim 12, Saha disclose the electric drive system according to claim 2, wherein the first winding and the second winding of the motor each are formed by connecting a three-phase winding in a Y-type pattern (Fig.1 shows a three-phase winding U,V,W in a Y-type pattern – see also [0032]).
As to Claim 13, Saha disclose the electric drive system according to claim 3, wherein the first winding and the second winding of the motor each are formed by connecting a three-phase winding in a Y-type pattern (Fig.1 shows a three-phase winding U,V,W in a Y-type pattern – see also [0032]).
As to Claim 14, Saha disclose the electric drive system according to claim 4, wherein the first winding and the second winding of the motor each are formed by connecting a three-phase winding in a Y-type pattern (Fig.1 shows a three-phase winding U,V,W in a Y-type pattern – see also [0032]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure (US 2011/0074326 A1: The present disclosure includes electrical motor/generator drive systems and methods that significantly reduce inverter direct-current (DC) bus ripple currents and thus the volume and cost of a capacitor. The drive methodology is based on a segmented drive system that does not add switches or passive components but involves reconfiguring inverter switches and motor stator winding connections in a way that allows the formation of multiple, independent drive units and the use of simple alternated switching and optimized Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) schemes to eliminate or significantly reduce the capacitor ripple current- see [Abstract]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GABRIEL T AGARED whose telephone number is (571)270-1981. The examiner can normally be reached 8-5 (Mon- Thur).
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eduardo Colon-Santana can be reached at (571) 272-2060. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/GABRIEL AGARED/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
