DETAILED ACTION
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
2. The specification, the abstract and the drawings are all acceptable.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
3. 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.
4. Claims 1, 5-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by USPN 11,218,100 to Kojima.
As to claim 1, Kojima teaches a control device for a rotating machine(fig. 1: “5” & col. 3: lines 15-35), the control device comprising: a current detector to detect stator currents flowing through a stator of the rotating machine(col. 4: lines 32-35); a position estimator to compute a rotor position estimate and a rotational speed estimate on a basis of computed flux linkages of the rotating machine, the rotor position estimate being an estimated position of a rotor of the rotating machine, the rotational speed estimate being an estimated speed(col. 4: lines 36-49); a control circuitry to output stator voltage command values based on the stator currents and the rotor position estimate for driving the rotating machine(col. 5: lines 21-67); and a voltage application circuitry to apply drive voltages to the rotating machine on a basis of the stator voltage command values, wherein the position estimator updates the computed flux linkages on a basis of the stator voltage command values, the rotational speed estimate, and the computed flux linkages that are the most recent(col. 4: lines 62 – col. 5: lines 67 & col. 21: lines 59 – col. 22: lines 23 wherein apparatus and method are taught for a motor control system for applying drive voltages to the motor based on the voltage command/instruction and flux linkages on a basis of the voltage command values and the rotational speed).
As to claim 5, Kojima teaches the control device for the rotating machine according to claim 1, wherein inductance of the rotating machine includes a variable inductance component that varies with a rotor position, the rotor position being a rotational position of the rotor(col. 21: lines 59 – col. 22: lines 23).
As to claim 6, Kojima teaches the control device for the rotating machine according to claim 5, wherein the rotor of the rotating machine is permanent magnet-free(col. 4: lines 25-62 wherein the motor includes but not limit to a permanent magnet-free motor rotor).
As to claim 7, Kojima teaches the control device for the rotating machine according to claim 5, wherein the rotor of the rotating machine includes a permanent magnet(col. 4: lines 25-62 wherein the motor includes but not limit to a permanent magnet motor rotor).
As to claim 8, Kojima teaches the control device for the rotating machine according to claim 5, wherein the position estimator estimates the rotor position from flux-linkage inductance variation components that are included in flux linkages of the rotating machine and generated by the variable inductance component and the stator currents(col. 18: lines 5-35 & col. 20: lines 8-30).
Allowable Subject Matter
5. Claims 2-4, 9 are objected to as being dependent upon the rejected base claim 1, but could be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claims and any intervening claims for the following reasons: No prior art of record discloses the features as claimed in the noted claims.
6. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter. The non-obvious features are:
In comparison with the closest prior art as cited in this Office action and any previous Office actions, no prior art of record discloses the following features as claimed in the following claim limitations:
As per claim 2: The position estimator updates the computed flux linkages on a basis of the stator voltage command values, products of the rotational speed estimate and the computed flux linkages that are the most recent, and quotients of the stator voltage command values by the rotational speed estimate.
As per claim 3: The position estimator updates the computed flux linkages on a basis of the stator voltage command values, the products of the rotational speed estimate and the computed flux linkages that are the most recent, and differences between the computed flux linkages that are the most recent and the quotients of the stator voltage command values by the rotational speed estimate.
As per claim 4: The position estimator updates the computed flux linkages on a basis of first differences between the stator voltage command values and the products of the rotational speed estimate and the computed flux linkages that are the most recent and second differences between the computed flux linkages that are the most recent and the quotients of the stator voltage command values by the rotational speed estimate.
As per claim 9: The inductance of the rotating machine is divided into a mean component that does not vary with the rotor position and the variable inductance component that varies at twice an electrical angular frequency where the rotor position changes, and
the flux-linkage inductance variation components are magnetic fluxes generated by the stator currents and the variable component.
Conclusion
7. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
USPN 7,193,387 to Lu discloses a motor control system.
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID S LUO whose telephone number is (571)270-5251. The examiner can normally be reached 8AM-5PM.
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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.
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/DAVID LUO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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