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, 4-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by USPN 11,207,985 to Ohata.
As to claim 1, Ohata teaches a system comprising a multi-level inverter (fig. 1: “18- three-level inverter”, col. 1: line 46 “three-level inverter”) configured to convert DC power to AC power to drive a motor(col. 4: lines 1-6), wherein the multi-level inverter includes: a first printed circuit board (fig. 2: “14”) for a two-level inverter(fig. 2: “18”); a power module (fig. 2: “12”) electrically connected to the first printed circuit board(fig. 2: “14”); and a second printed circuit board (fig. 2: “18”) electrically connected to the power module (fig. 2: “12”) and to the first printed circuit board(fig. 2: “14”), wherein the second printed circuit board includes: one or more switches; one or more capacitors electrically connected to the one or more switches; and one or more controllers to control the one or more switches(fig. 1: “16” and “18” wherein a plurality of switches are connected in series and in parallel and two capacitors are connected to the switches which are controlled by the ECU controller “60”).
As to claim 4, Ohata teaches the system of claim 1, wherein the second printed circuit board (fig. 2: “18”) is on a first side of the first printed circuit board(fig. 2: “14”), the power module(fig. 2: “12”) is on a second side, and wherein one or more leads extend through the first printed circuit board(fig. 2: “14”).
As to claim 5, Ohata teaches the system of claim 1, wherein the second printed circuit board (fig. 2: “18”) is provided on a second side of the first printed circuit board(fig. 2: “14”).
As to claim 6, Ohata teaches the system of claim 1, wherein the second printed circuit (fig. 2: “18”) board is provided between the first printed circuit board (fig. 2: “14”) and the power module(fig. 2: “12”).
As to claim 7, Ohata teaches the system of claim 1, wherein the power module(fig. 2: “12”) is provided between the first printed circuit board (fig. 2: “14”) and the second printed circuit board(fig. 2: “18”).
As to claim 8, Ohata teaches the system of claim 1, wherein the one or more switches (fig. 2: “40”) and capacitor (fig. 2: “16”) of the second printed circuit board are on opposite sides of the second printed circuit board(fig. 2: “18”).
As to claim 9, Ohata teaches the system of claim 1, wherein the one or more switches and capacitor of the second printed circuit board are on a same side of the second printed circuit board(fig. 1: “16” and “18” wherein a plurality of switches are connected in series and in parallel and two capacitors are connected to the switches which are controlled by the ECU controller “60”).
As to claim 10, Ohata teaches the system of claim 1, further comprising: a bulk capacitor (fig. 1: “16”) electrically connected to the power module(fig. 1: “12”).
As to claim 11, Ohata teaches the system of claim 1, further comprising: a battery (fig. 1: “12”) configured to supply the DC power to the multi-level inverter(fig. 1: “18”); and the motor (fig. 1: “20”) configured to receive the AC power from the multi-level inverter(fig. 1: “18”) to drive the motor(fig. 1: “20”), wherein the multi-level inverter, the battery, and the motor are provided as a vehicle(col. 2: lines 58 – col. 3: lines 5).
As to claim 12, Ohata teaches a three-level extension board comprising: one or more three-level switches to be connected to one or more two-level switches of a two-level board of an inverter(fig. 1: “18)”.
As to claim 13, Ohata teaches the three-level extension board of claim 12, further comprising: one or more capacitors(fig. 1: “16”) electrically connected to the one or more three-level switches(fig. 1: “18”).
As to claim 14, Ohata teaches the three-level extension board of claim 12, further comprising: one or more controllers (figs. 1 & 2: “60”) to control the one or more three-level switches(fig. 1: “18”).
As to claim 15, Ohata teaches the three-level extension board of claim 12, further comprising: one or more board-to-board connectors to electrically connect the three-level extension board to the two-level board(col. 5: lines 1-16).
As to claim 16, Ohata teaches a multi-level extension board for a lower-level board of an inverter, the multi-level extension board comprising: one or more multi-level switches to be connected to one or more switches of the lower-level board(fig. 1: “18”); one or more capacitors (fig. 1: “16”) electrically connected to the one or more multi-level switches(fig. 1: “18”); and one or more controllers to control the one or more multi-level switches(fig. 1: “18”).
As to claim 17, Ohata teaches the multi-level extension board of claim 16, wherein the one or more multi-level switches are three-level switches(fig. 1: “18”).
As to claim 18, Ohata teaches the multi-level extension board of claim 16, wherein the lower-level board is a two-level inverter board, and the multi-level extension board is a three-level inverter board(fig. 1: “18”).
As to claim 19, Ohata teaches the multi-level extension board of claim 16, wherein the one or more controllers include one or more gate drivers (fig. 2: “64”) for the one or more multi-level switches(fig. 1: “18”).
As to claim 20, Ohata teaches the multi-level extension board of claim 19, wherein the one or more controllers include one or more of a gate driver power supply, a protection circuit, or a neutral point voltage sensor(fig. 2 wherein ECU controller 60 inherently has its a gate driver power supply and a protection circuit).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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 of this title, 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.
6. Claims 2-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over USPN 11,207,985 to Ohata, and in view of USPN 11,575,167 to Schmidt.
As to claim 2, Ohata teaches the system of claim 1.
Ohata does not teach one or more heat exchangers on the circuit board.
Schmidt teaches one or more heat exchangers on the circuit board(col. 1: lines 43-58).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the teachings of Schmidt into Ohata
since Ohata suggests an inverter control system and Schmidt suggests the beneficial
use of heat exchangers on the inverter power modules in the analogous art of inverter control
technology.
The motivation for this comes from the fact that Schmidt teaches an apparatus of heat exchangers on the inverter power modules which can be used to improve the inverter control system disclosed by Ohata
As to claim 3, Ohata in view of Schmidt teaches the system of claim 1, further comprising: a first heatsink on the power module and a second heatsink on the power module(Schmidt col. 1: lines 59 – col. 2: lines 16).
Conclusion
7. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
USPN 7,834,579 to Nojima 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.
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.
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/DAVID LUO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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