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 .
Claim Objections
Claims 2-20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 2-7 and 16-19, ll. 1, “assembly” was already recited in claim 1.
Claim 8, ll. 1-2, “a rotating electric machine” was already recited in claim 1.
Claim 8, ll. 2, “a vehicle was already recited in claim 1.
Claim 8, ll. 5, “an assembly” was already recited in claim 1.
Claim 8, ll. 5, “a rotating electric machine” was already recited in claim 1.
Claims 9-15, ll. 1 “circuit” was already recited in claim 8.
Claim 10, ll. 3, “an electrical load” was already recited in claim 1. Examiner suggests amending to differentiate between the two electrical loads.
Claim 20, ll. 1, “a rotating electric machine” was already recited in claim 1.
claim 20, ll. 2, “a vehicle” was already recited in claim 1.
Claim 20, ll. 5, “an assembly” was already recited in claim 1.
Claim 20, ll. 5, “a rotating electric machine” was already recited in claim 1.
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 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1, pg. 1, second to last paragraph, recites “a respective electrical energy storage unit,” which seems to be different to the “an electrical energy storage unit (12)” on ll. 9 of the same claim. See ¶ [0106] of the application publication. Examiner suggests differentiating between the two different energy storage units to obviate any indefiniteness.
Claim 7 has the same issues as claim 1.
Claims 2-6 and 8-20 are rejected for depending on claim 1.
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 and 3-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Helling et al. (US 2020/0014310 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Helling discloses assembly (10) for supplying power to a rotating electric machine (70) for driving a vehicle (¶ [0021]) comprising:
at least one string of modules (12) comprising a first terminal (22) and a second terminal (22), each module (14, 40) comprising:
a primary terminal (16, 42) and a secondary terminal (18, 44), the primary terminal (16, 42) being connected to the secondary terminal (18, 44) of another module (14, 40) and/or the secondary terminal (18, 44) being connected to the primary terminal (15, 42) of another module (14, 40),
an electrical energy storage unit (26, 58),
a switching H-bridge (see annotation below), the bridge comprising two switching arms comprising two controllable switches (28), arranged on either side of a midpoint (see annotation below), each midpoint of the bridge being connected to one of the terminals (16, 42, 18, 44) of the module (14, 40), the electrical energy storage unit (26, 58) being arranged in a branch in parallel with the switching arms (FIG. 5), and
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at least one module (40) comprising a DC/DC converter (46), comprising controllable switches (28; ¶ [0129]), that is connected firstly to the terminals (48) of the electrical energy storage unit (58; ¶ [0138]) and secondly to a tertiary terminal (50) and a quaternary terminal (50) of the module (40),
a first and a second power supply bus (60) that are intended to be connected to an electrical load (74) and/or a respective electrical energy storage unit (62, 76, FIG. 6, 7; ¶ [0141]),
each string (12) comprising at least one module (40) having its tertiary (50) and quaternary terminals (50) connected to the first power supply bus (60) and at least one module (40) having its tertiary (50) and quaternary terminals (50) connected to the second power supply bus (60; FIG. 7; each of the module 40 is connected to a different bus), the modules (14, 40) of each string (12) being distributed in particular between modules (14, 40) having their tertiary and quaternary terminals (50) connected to the first power supply bus (60) and modules having their tertiary and quaternary terminals (50) connected to the second power supply bus (60; FIG. 6, 7),
wherein at least one DC/DC converter (46) of a module of each string (12) is an isolated (FIG. 6, 7) and reversible converter (¶ [0143] bi-directional transfer of energy into and out of the energy store converter system 10).
Regarding claim 3/1, Helling was discussed above in claim 1. Helling further discloses the first and second terminals (22) defining the only output voltage of the at least one string (12) other than voltages defined between tertiary and quaternary terminals (50) of one of the modules (40; ¶ [0117]).
Regarding claim 4/1, Helling was discussed above in claim 1. Helling further discloses the energy storage unit (26, 58) within the modules (14, 40) being arranged in a branch in parallel with the switching arms (FIG. 5), this branch being devoid of switches (capacitor has no switches connected directly).
Regarding claim 5/1, Helling was discussed above in claim 1. Helling further discloses all or some of the modules (14, 40) of the at least one string (12) comprising a bidirectional switching cell (26, 58) arranged between their primary terminal (16, 42) and their secondary terminal (18, 44; ¶ [0141], [0143] charging terminal 72 allows the energy store converter system 10 to be recharged, indicating the energy storage units are bidirectional), this switching cell (26, 58) comprising at least one controllable semiconductor switch (¶ [0062] all switches are semiconductor, which are used to recharge the converter system 10).
Regarding claim 6/1, Helling was discussed above in claim 1. Helling further discloses the electrical energy storage unit (58) within the modules (40) of the at least one string (12) having a nominal voltage of between 3 and 60 V (¶ [0142] the module 40 supplies between 10 to 20 V).
Regarding claim 7/6, Helling was discussed above in claim 6. Helling further discloses the first and second power supply buses (60) being intended to be connected to electrical loads (74) and/or electrical energy storage units (62, 76) having the same nominal voltage (¶ [0142] all the modules 40 supply voltage between 10 to 20 V).
Regarding claim 8/1, Helling was discussed above in claim 1. Helling further discloses electrical circuit (10) for supplying power to a rotating electric machine (70) for driving a vehicle (¶ [0021]) comprising:
a polyphase electric machine (70; FIG. 6, 7);
an input interface (62, 74, 76) that is able to be connected to a charging station (72),
an assembly (10) for supplying power to a rotating electric machine (70) according to Claim 1,
a system of switches (28, see annotation below) allowing each string (12) of the assembly (10) to be connected to the terminals of a phase of the electric machine (70) or to the input interface (62, 74, 76; FIG. 6, 7), and
a control unit (20) that is able to control the switches (28) within the electrical circuit (10; ¶ [0113]).
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Regarding claim 9/8, Helling was discussed above in claim 8. Helling further discloses the control unit (20) being able to control the switches (28) of the DC/DC converters (46) of the modules (14, 40) connected to the same power supply bus (60) in such a way that at least one module (14, 40) transfers energy to at least one other module (14, 40) via said same power supply bus (60; FIG. 6), the DC/DC converters (46) of these modules (14, 40) discharging and charging their respective energy storage units (26, 58).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 2 and 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Helling et al. (US 2020/0014310 A1) in view of Slepchenkov et al. (US 2023/0009016 A1).
Regarding claim 2/1, Helling was discussed above in claim 1. Helling discloses the DC/DC converter being an isolated and reversible converter (¶ [0143] bi-directional transfer of energy into and out of the energy store converter system 10).
Helling does not disclose all the modules of the at least one string comprising a DC/DC converter.
Slepchenkov discloses all the modules (108D) of the at least one string (700) comprising a DC/DC converter (1100).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Helling in view of Slepchenkov to disclose all the modules of the at least one string comprising a DC/DC converter, for the advantages of selectively couples the energy source to other modules in the system for receiving and storing power from a charge source (¶ [0005]).
Regarding claim 16/2, Helling in view of Slepchenkov was discussed above in claim 2. Helling further discloses the first and second terminals (22) defining the only output voltage of the at least one string (12) other than voltages defined between tertiary and quaternary terminals (50) of one of the modules (40; ¶ [0117]).
Regarding claim 17/2, Helling in view of Slepchenkov was discussed above in claim 2. Helling further discloses the energy storage unit (26, 58) within the modules (14, 40) being arranged in a branch in parallel with the switching arms (FIG. 5), this branch being devoid of switches (capacitor has no switches connected directly).
Regarding claim 18/2, Helling in view of Slepchenkov was discussed above in claim 2. Helling further discloses all or some of the modules (14, 40) of the at least one string (12) comprising a bidirectional switching cell (26, 58) arranged between their primary terminal (16, 42) and their secondary terminal (18, 44; ¶ [0141], [0143] charging terminal 72 allows the energy store converter system 10 to be recharged, indicating the energy storage units are bidirectional), this switching cell (26, 58) comprising at least one controllable semiconductor switch (¶ [0062] all switches are semiconductor, which are used to recharge the converter system 10).
Regarding claim 19/2, Helling in view of Slepchenkov was discussed above in claim 2. Helling further discloses the electrical energy storage unit (58) within the modules (40) of the at least one string (12) having a nominal voltage of between 3 and 60 V (¶ [0142] the module 40 supplies between 10 to 20 V).
Regarding claim 20/2, Helling in view of Slepchenkov was discussed above in claim 2. Helling discloses electrical circuit (10) for supplying power to a rotating electric machine (70) for driving a vehicle (¶ [0021]) comprising:
a polyphase electric machine (70; FIG. 6, 7);
an input interface (62, 74, 76) that is able to be connected to a charging station (72),
an assembly (10) for supplying power to a rotating electric machine (70) according to Claim 2,
a system of switches (28, see annotation below) allowing each string (12) of the assembly (10) to be connected to the terminals of a phase of the electric machine (70) or to the input interface (62, 74, 76; FIG. 6, 7), and
a control unit (20) that is able to control the switches (28) within the electrical circuit (10; ¶ [0113]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-15 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.
Regarding claim 10/8, the specific limitation of “a third power supply bus (115) intended to be connected to an electrical load having a nominal voltage higher than the nominal voltage of the loads and/or electrical energy storage units intended to be connected to the first and second power supply buses (110, 112), and comprising an additional string (114) such as the at least one string (30) of the assembly (103)” in the combination as claimed are neither anticipated nor made obvious over the prior art made of record.
The closest prior art Slepchenkov discloses strings of modules connected to a power source and an auxiliary load, but does not disclose the auxiliary load having a higher nominal voltage compared to the power source.
Claims 11-15 are allowable for depending upon claim 10.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MINKI CHANG whose telephone number is (571)270-0521. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Seye Iwarere can be reached at (571) 270-5112. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MINKI CHANG/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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