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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because Figure 2 is described as an example electronic fuse emulation circuit 110 of the integrated protection circuit of Figure 1. Figure 2 shows elements 124 (without a gate drive/control signal input), 126, 128 ( with output to comparator 216) of Figure 1 also and it is not clear which elements are part of the emulation circuit 110. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: reference characters " I2t_IDC_FINE" and " It_SEL" have both been used to designate “a fourth user adjustable parameter” (see Specification, Paragraphs 45, 48). 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 5,7,12,14,19-20 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.
Claim 5 recites, “a switch” in line 7. It is indefinite whether the recited switch is same as the electronic fuse previously recited in parent claim or a different element. For examination purposes, the above phrase is considered same as the electronic fuse, as only one interrupting element is shown in Figures (124, Figures 1-2). Claims 7, 12, 14, 19-20 have similar recitations and similarly rejected and considered.
Claim 3 recites the limitation "in increments smaller than those of the first user adjustable parameter" in line 7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 10 recites the limitation "in increments smaller than those of the first user adjustable parameter" in line 7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 13 recites the limitation "corresponding registers of integrated protection circuit" in lines 2-3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 17 recites the limitation "in increments smaller than those of the first user adjustable parameter" in line 7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 1, 6, 8, 13, 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Dougherty (US 4,967,304).
Regarding Claim 1, Dougherty discloses an apparatus (Figures 1-3) comprising:
an electronic fuse (comprising circuit breaker 35, Figures 2-3), and
a circuit (Figure 3) configured to
set a direct current threshold level for a first region of an electronic fuse profile based at least in part on a first user adjustable parameter (current threshold level at 16, up to points 7, 8 from start, Figure 2, programmer 38 input to microprocessor 27, Figure 3, Column 2, line 54 – Column 3, line 13, “…Points 7 and 8 set the lower time boundary for the tailored motor trip curve for bolted fault protection slightly above the maximum motor in-rush current…”);
set an over current threshold level for a third region of the electronic fuse profile based at least in part on a third user adjustable parameter (current threshold level at 15, beyond point 1, Figure 2, programmer 38 input to microprocessor 27, Figure 3, Column 2, line 54 – Column 3, line 13, “….A long-time pickup threshold indicated at 15 is set at a factor of 1.1 times the rated motor current whereas instantaneous tripping occurs in excess of ten times the rated current…”); and
set an integration time constant for a second region of the electronic fuse profile based at least in part on a second user adjustable parameter (current threshold levels at 14 for points 1-4, 4-7, Figure 2, programmer 38 input to microprocessor 27, Figure 3, Column 2, line 54 – Column 3, line 13, “….Points 1-4 define the long-time running overload profile which improves on that recommended by the manufacturer before overheating occurs. Points 4-7 define the intermediate time acceleration-permitting profile wherein the motor in-rush current increases until magnetization of the motor has occurred…”), the second region connecting the first region to the third region in the electronic fuse profile (14 connecting 16 and 15, Figure 2).
Regarding Claim 6, Dougherty discloses the apparatus of Claim 1, wherein the first, second and third user adjustable parameters are stored in corresponding registers of the circuit (registers part of microprocessor 27, Figure 3, Column 4, lines 16-33).
Regarding Claim 8, Dougherty discloses a method for implementing an electronic fuse in system (electronic fuse curve for circuit breaker 35, Figures 2-3), the method comprising:
setting a direct current threshold level for a first region of an electronic fuse profile based at least in part on a first user adjustable parameter (current threshold level at 16, up to points 7, 8 from start, Figure 2, programmer 38 input to microprocessor 27, Figure 3, Column 2, line 54 – Column 3, line 13, “…Points 7 and 8 set the lower time boundary for the tailored motor trip curve for bolted fault protection slightly above the maximum motor in-rush current…”);
setting an over current threshold level for a third region of the electronic fuse profile based at least in part on a third user adjustable parameter (current threshold level at 15, beyond point 1, Figure 2, programmer 38 input to microprocessor 27, Figure 3, Column 2, line 54 – Column 3, line 13, “….A long-time pickup threshold indicated at 15 is set at a factor of 1.1 times the rated motor current whereas instantaneous tripping occurs in excess of ten times the rated current…”); and
setting an integration time constant for a second region of the electronic fuse profile based at least in part on a second user adjustable parameter (current threshold levels at 14 for points 1-4, 4-7, Figure 2, programmer 38 input to microprocessor 27, Figure 3, Column 2, line 54 – Column 3, line 13, “….Points 1-4 define the long-time running overload profile which improves on that recommended by the manufacturer before overheating occurs. Points 4-7 define the intermediate time acceleration-permitting profile wherein the motor in-rush current increases until magnetization of the motor has occurred…”), the second region connecting the first region to the third region in the electronic fuse profile (14 connecting 16 and 15, Figure 2).
Regarding Claim 13, Dougherty discloses the method of Claim 8, wherein the first, second and third user adjustable parameters are stored in corresponding registers of integrated protection circuit (registers part of microprocessor 27, Figure 3, Column 4, lines 16-33).
Regarding Claim 15, Dougherty discloses a system (Figures 1-3) comprising:
a load (Column 2, lines 21, “electric motor”, not shown in Figures);
a controller (comprising 27, 23, 29, Figure 3, Figure 4); and
an electronic fuse connected between the load and the controller (comprising circuit breaker 35, Figure 1);
wherein the controller is configured to:
set a direct current threshold level for a first region of an electronic fuse profile based at least in part on a first user adjustable parameter (current threshold level at 16, up to points 7, 8 from start, Figure 2, programmer 38 input to microprocessor 27, Figure 3, Column 2, line 54 – Column 3, line 13, “…Points 7 and 8 set the lower time boundary for the tailored motor trip curve for bolted fault protection slightly above the maximum motor in-rush current…”);
set an over current threshold level for a third region of the electronic fuse profile based at least in part on a third user adjustable parameter (current threshold level at 15, beyond point 1, Figure 2, programmer 38 input to microprocessor 27, Figure 3, Column 2, line 54 – Column 3, line 13, “….A long-time pickup threshold indicated at 15 is set at a factor of 1.1 times the rated motor current whereas instantaneous tripping occurs in excess of ten times the rated current…”); and
set an integration time constant for a second region of the electronic fuse profile based at least in part on a second user adjustable parameter (current threshold levels at 14 for points 1-4, 4-7, Figure 2, programmer 38 input to microprocessor 27, Figure 3, Column 2, line 54 – Column 3, line 13, “….Points 1-4 define the long-time running overload profile which improves on that recommended by the manufacturer before overheating occurs. Points 4-7 define the intermediate time acceleration-permitting profile wherein the motor in-rush current increases until magnetization of the motor has occurred…”), the second region connecting the first region to the third region in the electronic fuse profile (14 connecting 16 and 15, Figure 2).
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.
Claims 2-5, 9-12, 16-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dougherty (US 4,967,304) in view of Khayat et al. (US 7,855,903).
Regarding Claim 2, Dougherty discloses the apparatus of Claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to set the direct current threshold level by modifying a value of the first user adjustable parameter (programmer 38 input to 27, Figure 3). Dougherty
Does not specifically disclose setting the direct current threshold level being by modifying a value of an adjustable resistor of an RC circuit.
Khayat discloses a power converter apparatus comprising a circuit to select overcurrent threshold levels (Figures 2-3), wherein the circuit is configured to set the direct current threshold level by modifying a value of an adjustable resistor of an RC circuit (resistor Rp and capacitor, not labelled, Figure 2, RC network coupled to COMP input of 32, Figure 3, Column 3, line 62-Clumn 4, line 13, Column 4, lines 31-35).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide an adjustable resistor in an RC circuit as taught by Khayat, such that current thresholds can be easily adjusted by changing the resistor values (see Khayat, Column 4, lines 4-9, “…resistor Rp can be used to program a current sensing circuit which decodes and selects one of several overcurrent threshold limits…”, Column 4, lines 31-35, “…controller 32 provides overcurrent or short circuit protection through the selection of one of several internal overcurrent thresholds determined by sensing the impedance of an external passive component, such as resistor Rp, connected from pin COMP to ground”).
Regarding Claim 3, combination of Dougherty and Khayat discloses the apparatus of Claim 2,
wherein: the circuit is configured to set the direct current threshold level based at least in part on the first user adjustable parameter and a fourth user adjustable parameter (current threshold 16 set based on the points on the tailored trip profile 14 in Figure 2); and the first user adjustable parameter corresponds to a coarse modification of the value of the adjustable resistor (modifying Rp in Figures 2-3 of Khayat in the combination). Combination of Dougherty and Khayat does not specifically disclose the fourth user adjustable parameter corresponds to a fine modification of the value of the adjustable resistor in increments smaller than those of the first user adjustable parameter. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to adjust the resistor in the combination in smaller increments to set the threshold values more accurately near transition points of the electronic fuse profile.
Regarding Claim 4, combination of Dougherty and Khayat discloses the apparatus of Claim 2, wherein the circuit is configured to set the integration time constant by modifying a value that corresponds to the second user adjustable parameter (Dougherty, Column 4, lines 17-36). Combination of Dougherty and Khayat does not specifically disclose the integration time constant being set by modifying a value of an adjustable capacitor of the RC circuit. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide in the combination an adjustable capacitor such that the integration time constant can be easily modified by adjusting the value of both the resistor and capacitor.
Regarding Claim 5, combination of Dougherty and Khayat discloses the apparatus of Claim 4, wherein the circuit is further configured to:
obtain a load current (Dougherty, current signal Ix from current transformer 17 to signal conditioning circuit 23, Figure 3); digitize the load current (Dougherty, signal conditioning circuit receiving Vx signal at Rx, Figure 3, Column 3, lines 38-55, Column 1, lines 15-23); square the digitized load current (Dougherty, signal conditioning circuit receiving Vx signal at Rx, Figure 3, Column 3, lines 38-55, Column 1, lines 15-23);
apply the RC circuit to the squared digitized load current (Khayat, RC circuit in Figures 2-3 in the combination);
compare an output of the RC circuit to a predetermined reference value (Dougherty, controller 27 comparing load current received from 23 toa predetermined current condition, Figure 3); and
open a switch between a power supply and a load based on the output of the signal conditioning circuit being greater than the predetermined reference current and (Dougherty, Column 4, lines19-23, 27 output trip signal when the load current exceeds a predetermined current condition for a calculated time period).
Claims 9-12 recite the method corresponding to the apparatus of Claims 2-5 respectively. Therefore, Claims 9-12 are rejected at least for the same reasons as for Claims 2-5 respectively.
Claims 16-19 recite the limitations of Claims 2-5 respectively, except that the system of Claim 15 is recited. Therefore, Claims 16-19 are rejected at least for the same reasons as for Claims 2-5 respectively.
11. Claims 7, 14, 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dougherty (US 4,967,304) in view of Struder, II (US 2012/0123762).
Regarding Claim 7, Dougherty discloses the apparatus of Claim 1, wherein the circuit is further configured to:
obtain a load current (current signal Ix from current transformer 17 to signal conditioning circuit 23, Figure 3); digitize the load current (Dougherty, signal conditioning circuit receiving Vx signal at Rx, Figure 3, Column 3, lines 38-55, Column 1, lines 15-23); and open a switch between a power supply and a load based on the determination that the load current is above a predetermined current condition for a calculated time period (Dougherty, 23 receiving input from burden resistor RB and sending output via data bus 26 to microprocessor 27 of the digital circuit interrupter 15, Figure 3, Column 4, lines19-23, 27 output trip signal when the load current exceeds a predetermined current condition for a calculated time period).
Dougherty does not specifically disclose setting an overlap setting based on a fourth user adjustable parameter, digitize the load current being using an analog to digital converter, determine that the digitized load current is a full scale value of the analog to digital converter, and the switch being opened being based on the determination that the digitized load current is a full scale value and the overlap setting.
Struder, II discloses a circuit (Figures 1-2) comprising a current transformer (comprising 118, 120, Figure 1) sensing a load current (sensing current load current passing through conductor 112 coupled to load 116, Figure 1), digitize the load current using an analog to digital converter (signal output at the secondary coil 120 to burden resistor 138 and then A/D 128, Figure 1); and opening a switch based on the load current exceeds a predetermined threshold (controller 126 opening switch via 124 based on the load current received from A/D 128, Figure 1, 214-220, Figure 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide in the apparatus of Dougherty, an analog to digital converter as taught by Struder, II, to include additional settings and/thresholds can be set, to increase fault determination.
Claim 14 recites the method corresponding to the apparatus of Claim 7. Therefore, Claim 14 is rejected at least for the same reasons as for Claim 7.
Claim 20 recites the limitations of Claim 7, except that the system of Claim 15 is recited. Therefore, Claim 20 is rejected at least for the same reasons as for Claim 7.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Sutherland (US 6,456,097) discloses in Figure 1, Column 3, lines 16-25, a fault current detection system comprising current transformer 17 is connected between terminal 12 and the voltage transformer 16. The current transformer provides an analog current feedback signal, through a burden resistor 34, to a second analog-to-digital converter 32. The burden resistor 34 is connected to the current transformer in order to convert the signal from a current to a voltage. The A/D converter 32 then converts the analog voltage signal to a digital voltage signal. The AID converter 32 then provides the digital current feedback signal to the processor 22;
Klaus (EP 1 536 537 B1) discloses an apparatus (Figures 1-4) comprising:
an electronic fuse (Figure 1); and a circuit configured to:
set a direct current threshold level for a first region of an electronic fuse profile of the electronic fuse (12a, 12b, for time period 0-100 ms, Figure 2, 15a, 15b, for time period 0-100 ms, Figure 3); set an over current threshold level for a third region of the electronic fuse profile (12a, 12b for time period above 300 ms, Figure 2); and set an integration time constant for a second region of the electronic fuse profile (12a, 12b for time period above 100 - 300 ms, Figure 2), the second region connecting the first region to the third region in the electronic fuse profile (second region between the first and second regions, Figure 2);
Takahashi et al. (US 2007/0146951) discloses an apparatus (Figures 1-12) comprising: an electronic fuse (20, Figure 1); and a circuit (comprising threshold voltage generator 52, Figure 1) configured to:
set a direct current threshold level for a first region of an electronic fuse profile of the electronic fuse (first anomaly threshold current ILoc for Reference fuse time, Figure 5); set an over current threshold level for a third region of the electronic fuse profile (heat generation/dissipation balance region current threshold Io, Figure 5); and set an integration time constant for a second region of the electronic fuse profile (second anomaly threshold current ILfc Excessive thermal resistance region current threshold ILoc, count time/period, Figure 5), the second region connecting the first region to the third region in the electronic fuse profile (second region between the first and second regions, Figure 5).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LUCY M THOMAS whose telephone number is (571)272-6002. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9:30 am - 5:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Crystal L Hammond can be reached at (571)270-1682. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LUCY M THOMAS/ Examiner, Art Unit 2838, 6/27/2026
/CRYSTAL L HAMMOND/ Supervisory Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
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