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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement filed on 12/11/2024,10/08/2025, 01/05/2026 and 06/04/2026 has been considered. An initialed copy of form 1449 is enclosed herewith.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: The abstract should be limited to a single paragraph within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. Correction is required. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Claim Objections
Claims 44, 49, 50, 51, 56 and 57 are objected to because of the following informalities: The limitation starting with “the controller is capable of…” should be read as follow:
The controller is configured to:
execute connection switching control for switching from the high rotational speed connection state to the high torque connection state,
start the connection switching control in a state where a rotational speed of the motor is higher than an idling rotational speed of the high torque connection state, and
stop driving of the motor when executing the connection switching control, and resume driving of the motor immediately after executing the connection switching control.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 44- 55 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.
Claims 44 and 49 recite the limitation “stop driving of the motor when executing the connection switching control, and resume driving of the motor immediately after executing the connection switching control…” and “switch the drive unit to a drive stop state in which supply of drive power to the motor is stopped…” the boundaries of the functional language are unclear because the claim does not provide a discernable boundary on what performs the function. The recited function does not follow from the structure recited in the claim, i.e.; controller, so it is unclear whether the function requires some other structure or is simply a result of operating the switching by the controller in a certain manner. The specification and Figs 18- 19 do not show this function required other structure. It’s only required switching the ON/OFF state of the switching in manner to avoid a common sense bad switching sequences that leads to unwanted connections; which obviously already programmed within the controller. Thus, one of ordinary skill in the art would not be able to draw a clear boundary between what is and is not covered by the claims.
Claims 44- 62 recite the limitation “the connection switching” is configured in either “high rotational speed connection state” or “high torque connection state.” The claims define the switching connections by the results to be achieved as motor outputs. The motor can be achieved an high speed or high torque outputs regardless of the configuration of the switching connection. Those limitations recited in claims 44- 62 render the claims indefinite, because the claims includes elements and functions not actually disclosed (those encompassed by the high rotational speed connection state” or “high torque connection state”), thereby rendering the claims confusing, vague, and indefinite.
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)(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 56- 58 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Stanke et al. (US 20220311309 A1).
Re. claim 56, Stanke discloses a work machine (100), comprising:
a motor (motor 275) having a plurality of windings (400, 410, 420);
a drive unit (260) driving the motor (275)
a connection switching unit (circuit 800 in Fig. 8 and ¶. [0065]) configured to be capable of switching between a high rotational speed connection state in which the plurality of windings are connected to each other to have a high rotational speed characteristic, and a high torque connection state in which the plurality of windings are connected to each other to have a high torque characteristic (Fig. 6 and ¶. [0064]- [0066]);
an operation unit operating start and stop of the motor (125); and
a controller (200) controlling the drive unit (260) and the connection switching unit (“an additional pair of phase switches can be added to the power switching network 260” ¶. [0064]- [0066]), wherein
wherein the controller is capable of executing connection switching control for switching from the high rotational speed connection state to the high torque connection state, and is configured to start the connection switching control in a state where a rotational speed of the motor is higher than an idling rotational speed of the high torque connection state (Figs. 14A-C- 17 and ¶. [0078]- [0083]), and wherein
the controller is configured to switch the connection state to the high torque connection state when the work load increases and becomes equal to or greater than a first winding switching threshold value while setting the connection state as the high rotational speed connection state (Figs. 14A-C- 17 and ¶. [0078]- [0083]), and
switch the connection state to the high rotational speed connection state when the work load decreases and becomes equal to or smaller than a second winding switching threshold value while setting the connection state as the high torque connection state (Figs. 14A-C- 17 and ¶. [0078]- [0083]), and the first winding switching threshold value is greater than the second winding switching threshold value (the DELTA torque-speed curve and the WYE torque-speed curve intersect).
Re. claim 57, Stanke discloses wherein a battery mounting portion (Fig. 2, element 110 and 150) capable of mounting a battery pack which is a battery pack serving as a power supply of the motor and outputs a discharge stop signal when a discharge current exceeds a battery- side overcurrent protection threshold value (¶. [0056]), wherein the controller stops the motor when a current flowing through the motor exceeds a main body-side overcurrent protection threshold value, and the battery-side overcurrent protection threshold value is greater than the main body- side overcurrent protection threshold value (¶. [0069]).
Re. claim 58, Stanke discloses wherein the controller is configured to execute connection switching control for switching the connection state from the high rotational speed connection state to the high torque connection state in a case when a predetermined winding switching condition is satisfied, the winding switching condition comprises a duration of any of the work load equal to or greater than the first winding switching threshold value being equal to or greater than a time threshold value that varies depending on a magnitude of the work load (Figs. 14A-C and 15 and ¶. [0078]- [0081].)
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
8. 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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 44- 49, 51, 53 and 55 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 over Stanke et al. (US 20220311309 A1) in view of Bunte et al. (DE 102013009036 A1).
So far as the claims are understood
Re. Claims 44 and 49, Stanke discloses a work machine (100), comprising:
a motor (motor 275) having a plurality of windings (400, 410, 420);
a drive unit (260) driving the motor (275)
a connection switching unit (circuit 800 in Fig. 8 and ¶. [0065]) configured to be capable of switching between a high rotational speed connection state in which the plurality of windings are connected to each other to have a high rotational speed characteristic, and a high torque connection state in which the plurality of windings are connected to each other to have a high torque characteristic (Fig. 6 and ¶. [0064]- [0066]);
an operation unit operating start and stop of the motor (125); and
a controller (200) controlling the drive unit (260) and the connection switching unit (“an additional pair of phase switches can be added to the power switching network 260” ¶. [0064]- [0066]), wherein
the controller is capable of executing connection switching control for switching from the high rotational speed connection state to the high torque connection state (Fig. 13A), and
is configured to start the connection switching control in a state where a rotational speed of the motor is higher than an idling rotational speed of the high torque connection state (Figs. 14A-C and ¶. [0078]), and wherein
Stanke discloses “the timing of the control of the switches to switch from the DELTA configuration to the WYE configuration is also controlled by the controller 200 to reduce transient current spikes experienced during the transition” (¶. [0083]) but is silence with regard to stopping the driving of the motor when executing the connection switching control, and resume driving of the motor immediately after executing the connection switching control. Bunte Fig. 2 discloses a controller 9 configured to stop the driving of the motor (2) when executing the connection switching control (switching device 4.1 and 4.2), and resume driving of the motor immediately after executing the connection switching control (switching device 4.3). It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to stop/restart the motor using Bunte switching algorithm in order to prevent the open contacts of the switching devices 4.1 and 4.2 to avoid field and/or torque-forming current flow in the motor 2 (Bunte).
Re. Claim 45, the combination of Stanke and Bunte discloses wherein the idling rotational speed of the high torque connection state is a rotational speed of the motor at an intersection point of an extension line obtained by extending a characteristic line of a portion of the high torque connection state and a straight line with a torque of 0 in a case where a graph, with a horizontal axis being torque and a vertical axis being rotational speed, shows a relationship between the rotational speed and torque of the motor as the characteristic line (Stanke, Figs. 14A-C and 15 and ¶. [0078]- [0081]).
Re. Claim 46, the combination of Stanke and Bunte discloses wherein the controller is configured to complete the connection switching control in a state where the rotational speed of the motor becomes equal to or lower than the idling rotational speed of the high torque connection state (Stanke, Figs. 14A-C and 15 and ¶. [0078]- [0081]).
Re. Claim 47, the combination of Stanke and Bunte discloses wherein the controller is configured to switch the drive unit to a drive stop state in which supply of drive power to the motor is stopped, and to switch the connection switching unit to a connection terminated state in which at least some of the plurality of windings are cut off, in the connection switching control (Bunte, Fig. 2, switching devices 4.1 and 4.2 and 4.3).
Re. Claim 48, the combination of Stanke and Bunte discloses wherein, when the drive unit is in the drive stop state in the connection switching control (Bunte, Fig. 2, switching devices 4.1 and 4.2 and 4.3)., the controller is configured to switch the connection switching unit from the high rotational speed connection state to the connection terminated state, or, from the connection terminated state to the high torque connection state (“the timing of the control of the switches to switch from the DELTA configuration to the WYE configuration is also controlled by the controller 200 to reduce transient current spikes experienced during the transition” Stanke, ¶. [0083]).
Re. Claim 51, the combination of Stanke and Bunte discloses wherein the controller is configured to be capable of selecting whether to drive the motor in a first mode configured to be capable of executing connection switching control for switching the connection state from the high rotational speed connection state to the high torque connection state in response to an increase in a work load applied to the motor, or a second mode configured to maintain the connection state in the high torque connection state, in response to an operation of the mode selection unit performed by the operator.
Re. claim 53, the combination of Stanke and Bunte discloses wherein the controller is configured to control the connection switching unit to switch the connection from the high rotational speed connection state to the high torque connection state when a work load applied to the motor increases, and the controller is configured to switch to the high torque connection state and apply an electric brake to the motor when the operation unit is turned off in the high rotational speed connection state (Stanke, Figs. 14A-C and 15 and ¶. [0078]- [0081].)
Re. claim 55, the combination of Stanke and Bunte discloses wherein the controller is configured to control the connection switching unit to switch the connection from the high rotational speed connection state to the high torque connection state when a work load applied to the motor increases, and the controller is configured to apply an electric brake to the motor while in the high rotational speed connection state to stop the motor when the operation unit is turned off in the high rotational speed connection state. Stanke, Figs. 14A-C and 15 and ¶. [0078]- [0081].
Allowable Subject Matter
9. Claims 50-52, 54, 59, 60- 62 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
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/SAID BOUZIANE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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