DETAILED ACTION
This action is responsive to the following communications: Application filed on Oct. 09, 2024.
Claims 1-20 are presented for Examination. Claims 1, 9 and 20 are independent.
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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: A dual inverter control system for a Split multi-turn windings electrical machine .
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 1-20 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 1 & Claim 20:Recite that "a first converter for supplying a first AC current to the first portion and the second portion... and a second converter for supplying a second AC current to the second portion...". The claims specify "are for coupling to the same DC power source", which is statement of intended use or capability.
While generally permissible if interpreted as an apparatus capable of such connection, adding explicit circuit connectivity (e.g., tap connections 225 and Fig.3 as recited in [0060] of the specification) strengthens clarity and avoids ambiguity over whether the DC source is an element of the combination in the same circuit.
Claim 5: Recites that "...control the first converter and the second converter based on the determination of whether the electrical low is operating at low power."where the term "the electrical low" lacks antecedent basis. It should recite "the electrical load".
Claim 19: Recites that "The electrical power system of claim 10, wherein the second converter is configured to generate more voltage levels in its AC output than the first converter, or wherein the second power supply is configured to generate more voltage levels in its AC output than the first power supply.". But the dependent claim 19 depends from claim 10 (which recites "first power supply" and "second power supply" from base claim 9). The limitations of "the second converter" and "the first converter" lack antecedent basis in claim 10 and claim 9.
Claims 3 & 15:
Claim 3 recites that "...wherein the second converter and the second portion of the multi-turn winding are optimised for electrical efficiency at low power."
Claim 15 recites that "...wherein the second plurality of turns and the second power supply are optimised for electrical efficiency when the power level of the electrical load is low." . The limitations of "optimised for electrical efficiency" is a subjective degree or result-oriented limitation lacking standard objective baseline metrics in the claims, rendering the boundaries of the claim indefinite unless tied to explicit structural configurations (e.g., specific turn ratios, conductor cross-sections, switch topologies).
Appropriate correction is requested.
Since the independent claims 1, 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) hence the dependent claims of 1 and 9 are also rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b).
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)(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 1-16 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jeong et al (US 20220352838, IDS reference).
Regarding Independent Claim 1, Jeong et al disclose that an electrical power system (Fig.1), comprising:
an electrical load (Fig.1:100) comprising a multi-turn winding that has:
a first portion (Fig.1: C1:N1) having a first plurality of turns; and
a second portion (Fig.1:C1: N2) having a second plurality of turns;
a first converter (Fig.1:10) for supplying a first AC current to the first portion and the second portion of the multi-turn winding; and
a second converter (Fig.1:20) for supplying a second AC current to the second portion of the multi-turn winding,
wherein the first converter and the second converter are for coupling to the same DC power source (Fig.1: 200).
Regarding claim 2, Jeong et al disclose that wherein the second converter(20) is for supplying the second AC current to the second portion of the multi-turn winding when the electrical load is operating at low power, and
wherein the first converter( is for supplying the first AC current to the first portion and the second portion of the multi-turn winding when the electrical load is not operating at low power (Fig.1).
Regarding claim 3, Jeong et al disclose that wherein the second converter and the second portion of the multi-turn winding are optimised for electrical efficiency at low power (Fig.1: 20).
Regarding claim 4, Jeong et al disclose that configured such that when the electrical load is operating at low power, only the second AC current is supplied to the multi-turn winding ([0033]-[0034]; “first driving mode” require less power).
Regarding claim 5, Jeong et al disclose that further comprising:
a controller (Fig.1:40) configured to:
determine whether the electrical load is operating at low power based at least one measure of electrical load performance that is indicative of power and at least one pre-determined range of values defining a low power level; and
control the first converter and the second converter based on the determination of whether the electrical low is operating at low power ([0034]).
Regarding claim 6, Jeong et al disclose that wherein the at least one measure of electrical load performance that is indicative of power comprises at least one of:
a measure of mechanical power of the electrical load;
a speed of the electrical load;
a torque of the electrical load;
a measure of electrical current supplied to the electrical load;
a measure of electrical current supplied by the DC power source; or
a frequency of electrical current and/or voltage supplied to the electrical load ([0039]; “torque”).
Regarding claim 7, Jeong et al disclose that wherein the system is configured such that when the electrical load is not operating at low power, only the first AC current is supplied to the multi-turn winding ([0034]-[0035]).
Regarding claim 8, Jeong et al disclose that wherein the system is configured such that when the electrical load is operating at mid power, only the first AC current is supplied to the multi-turn winding and the second converter is turned off, and
when the electrical load is operating at high power, both the first AC current and the second AC current are supplied to the multi-turn winding ([0040]).
Regarding Independent Claim 9, Jeong et al disclose that an electrical power system(Fig.1), comprising:
an electrical load (Fig.1:100) comprising a multi-turn winding that has:
a first portion (Fig.1: C1:N1) having a first plurality of turns; and
a second portion (Fig.1:C1: N2) having a second plurality of turns;
a first power supply (Fig.1:10) for supplying a first AC current to the first portion and the second portion of the multi-turn winding;
a second power supply (Fig.1:20) for supplying a second AC current to the second portion of the multi-turn winding; and
a controller (Fig.1: 40) coupled to the first power supply and the second power supply and configured to:
determine a power level of the electrical load ([0038]); and
control the first power supply and the second power supply based at least in part on the determined power level of the electrical load (Fig.1: 100).
Regarding claim 10, Jeong et al disclose that wherein the controller is configured to determine the power level of the electrical load based on at least one measurement associated with the electrical load that is indicative of power, and
wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the power level of the electrical load is high using a first pre-determined range of power levels that are defined as high power levels (Fig.2 and [0041]).
Regarding claim 11, Jeong et al disclose that wherein the at least one measurement associated with the electrical load that is indicative of power comprises at least one of:
a measure of mechanical power of the electrical load;
a speed of the electrical load;
a torque of the electrical load;
a measure of electrical current supplied to the electrical load;
a measure of electrical current supplied by the DC power source; or
a frequency of electrical current supplied to the electrical load ([0039]; “torque”).
Regarding claim 12, Jeong et al disclose that wherein the controller is configured to turn on both the first power supply (10) and the second power supply (20) to supply first AC current and second AC current to the multi-turn winding when the determined power level of the electrical load is high (Fig.1).
Regarding claim 13, Jeong et al disclose that wherein the controller is configured to turn on only the second power supply to supply only the second AC current to the multi-turn winding when the power level of the electrical load is low ([0033]-[0034]; “first driving mode” require less power).
Regarding claim 14, Jeong et al disclose that wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the power level of the electrical load is low using a second pre-determined range of power levels that are defined as low power levels ([0035]; ‘second driving mode”).
Regarding claim 15, Jeong et al disclose that wherein the second plurality of turns and the second power supply are optimised for electrical efficiency when the power level of the electrical load is low ([0036]).
Regarding claim 16, Jeong et al disclose that wherein the first power supply and the second power supply are couplable to the same DC power source (Fig.1: 200), or
wherein the first power supply is couplable to a first DC power source and the second power supply is couplable to a second DC power source.
Regarding claim 18, Jeong et al disclose that wherein one or more of a cross-sectional size, a cross-sectional shape, or a material of a conductor making up the first plurality of turns is different to one or more of: a cross-sectional size, a cross-sectional shape, or a material of a conductor making up the second plurality of turns (Fig.1: left circuit is different than right side circuit in conductors).
Regarding claim 19, Jeong et al disclose that wherein the second converter is configured to generate more voltage levels in its AC output than the first converter, or
wherein the second power supply is configured to generate more voltage levels in its AC output than the first power supply ([0035]).
Regarding independent claim 20, Jeong et al disclose that an electric vehicle comprising an electrical power system (Fig.1), the electrical power system comprising:
an electrical load (Fig.1:100) comprising a multi-turn winding that has:
a first portion (Fig.1: C1:N1) having a first plurality of turns; and
a second portion (Fig.1:C1: N2) having a second plurality of turns;
a first converter (Fig.1:10) for supplying a first AC current to the first portion and the second portion of the multi-turn winding; and
a second converter (Fig.1:20)for supplying a second AC current to the second portion of the multi-turn winding,
wherein the first converter and the second converter are for coupling to the same DC power source(Fig.1: 200).
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.
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jeong et al (US 20220352838, IDS reference) as applied to claim 10 above, and further in view of Hart et al (US 20140028239).
Regarding claim 17, Jeong et al fail to teach but Hart et al teach that wherein the controller is configured to control the first power supply and the second power supply based further on one or more of: at least one temperature measurement associated with the first power supply or at least one temperature measurement associated with the second power supply (Fig.2 and [0063])).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to modify the first power supply and the second power supply based further on one or more of: at least one temperature measurement, using the teaching of Hart et al’s control system in order to allow temperature derating for avoiding hot spots on the drive(e.g. see Hart et al; para.[0075]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MUHAMMAD S ISLAM whose telephone number is (571)272-8439. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30am to 6:00pm.
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/MUHAMMAD S ISLAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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