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 .
This action is in response to an application filed on 12/20/2024.
Claims 1-15 are pending for examination.
Claim Objections
Claim 12 is objected to because of the following informalities: the limitations recited in (b) and (e); (c) and (f), respectively are identical. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 14 recites the limitation " A starter" and “a processor” in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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 1-3, 12 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Zhang et al. (IEEE transactions on industrial electronics, Vol. 56, No. 11, November 2009 and Zhang hereinafter).
As to Claim 1, Zhang in its teachings as shown in Fig.1-12 disclose a method of monitoring a starter, the starter being connected to an electric network and to an electric motor; the electric motor having at least one winding; the starter comprising a processor and a motor thermal protection application configured to cause the tripping of a motor thermal fault when the electric motor reaches defined thermal conditions (see [Abstract], Fig.5 and also… Stator-winding resistance estimation is broadly used not only in thermal protection but also in motor controls [14]-[18], fault diagnosis [19], [20], efficiency evaluation [21]-[23], etc. In [24]-[26], it is proposed to use the motor
equivalent circuit to calculate the stator-winding resistance…see Page1, right column, Line 17-21); the method comprising:
a) initiating a first start of the electric motor (see equations 6 and 7: “The initial states of the thermal parameters can be estimated based on the Trip Class (TC) and the service factor (SF)),
b) determining a duration of the first start and a current supplied to one winding of the electric motor during the initiation of the first start (see equations 3 and 4: Ploss represents the heat dissipation in the stator winding, which is mainly the copper loss, given by (equation 3) where Irms represents the rms value of the phase current. Using the first-order thermal model, the stator-winding temperature can be calculated as [equation 4],” t is duration, Figure 4),
c) computing the limit theoretical thermal state of the electric motor based on the duration of the first start, on the current supplied to one winding of the electric motor during the first start and on parameters of said electric motor (…The thermal overload of the motor can lead to deterioration of the key components of the motor, including stator-winding insulation, bearing, motor conductors, core, etc. [l]. It is shown in [2][4] that thermal overload is one of the most underlying root causes of stator insulation failures and rotor cage failures. It is widely believed that a motor's life is reduced by 50% for 10 °C above the temperature limit. Therefore, reliable thermal protection methods are highly desirable for reducing the motor malfunctions and extending the motor life…see Page 1, left column, last paragraph),
d) determining a current supplied to one winding of the electric motor (see Fig.5, current sensor IA),
e) computing a current thermal state based on the current determined and on said electric motor parameters (see equation 3, 4 and Fig.4),
f) comparing the current thermal state to the limit theoretical thermal state, if the current thermal state is greater than the limit theoretical thermal state, transmitting a warning signal representative of a risk of tripping a motor thermal fault (…Therefore, by monitoring the thermal resistance Rth using the proposed cooling-condition monitoring scheme, the deterioration of cooling condition can be detected to alert the user for further inspection and repair… see Page 7, right column, first paragraph …The thermal-parameter estimation error from the EKF approach is within 3% after convergence. With both the stator-winding temperature and the motor cooling condition monitored, the overall thermal-protection scheme will trip the motor in the case of stator-winding overheat and warn the user for proactive inspections or maintenance in the case of cooling-condition deterioration. Therefore, the proposed overall thermal-protection scheme can provide complete reliable thermal protection for soft-starter-connected induction motors… see Page 7, right column, last paragraph).
As to Claim 2, Zhang disclose the method according to claim 1, wherein said electric motor parameters comprises the nominal current of the electric motor, a time constant, and an error threshold of the thermal state of the electric motor (see equation 4 and 7).
As to Claim 3, Zhang disclose the method according to claim 1, wherein if the current thermal state is lower than the limit theoretical thermal state, repeating steps d) to f) (see Fig.5 and Page 7, conclusion).
As to Claim 12, Zhang in its teachings as shown in Fig.1-12 disclose a method of monitoring a starter, the starter being connected to an electric network and to an electric motor; the electric motor having at least one winding; the starter comprising a processor and a motor thermal protection application configured to cause the tripping of a motor thermal fault when the electric motor reaches defined thermal conditions (see [Abstract], Fig.5 and also… Stator-winding resistance estimation is broadly used not only in thermal protection but also in motor controls [14]-[18], fault diagnosis [19], [20], efficiency evaluation [21]-[23], etc. In [24]-[26], it is proposed to use the motor
equivalent circuit to calculate the stator-winding resistance…see Page1, right column, Line 17-21); the method comprising:
a) initiating a first start of the electric motor (see equations 6 and 7: “The initial states of the thermal parameters can be estimated based on the Trip Class (TC) and the service factor (SF)),
b) determining a current supplied to one winding of the electric motor (see equations 3: Ploss represents the heat dissipation in the stator winding, which is mainly the copper loss, given by (equation 3) where Irms represents the rms value of the phase current and see also Figure 4),
c) computing a current thermal state based on the electric motor on the current determined during the start and on parameters of said electric motor (see equation 3, 4 and Fig.4),
d) comparing the current thermal state to the first thermal state, if the current thermal state is greater than the first thermal state, considering the current thermal state as being the preceding thermal state (…Therefore, by monitoring the thermal resistance Rth using the proposed cooling-condition monitoring scheme, the deterioration of cooling condition can be detected to alert the user for further inspection and repair… see Page 7, right column, first paragraph …The thermal-parameter estimation error from the EKF approach is within 3% after convergence. With both the stator-winding temperature and the motor cooling condition monitored, the overall thermal-protection scheme will trip the motor in the case of stator-winding overheat and warn the user for proactive inspections or maintenance in the case of cooling-condition deterioration… see Page 7, right column, last paragraph).
e) determining a current supplied to one winding of the electric motor (see Fig.5, current sensor IA),
f) computing a current thermal state based on the current determined and on said electric motor parameters (see equation 3, 4 and Fig.4),
g) comparing the current thermal state to the preceding thermal state, if the current thermal state is greater than the preceding thermal state, transmitting a warning signal representative of a risk of tripping a motor thermal fault (…Therefore, by monitoring the thermal resistance Rth using the proposed cooling-condition monitoring scheme, the deterioration of cooling condition can be detected to alert the user for further inspection and repair… see Page 7, right column, first paragraph …The thermal-parameter estimation error from the EKF approach is within 3% after convergence. With both the stator-winding temperature and the motor cooling condition monitored, the overall thermal-protection scheme will trip the motor in the case of stator-winding overheat and warn the user for proactive inspections or maintenance in the case of cooling-condition deterioration. Therefore, the proposed overall thermal-protection scheme can provide complete reliable thermal protection for soft-starter-connected induction motors… see Page 7, right column, last paragraph).
As to Claim 15, Zhang disclose the starter according to claim 14, wherein the starter is a soft starter or an On Line Direct starter (see [Abstract]).
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.
The factual inquiries 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 4, 13 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang in view of Devos et al. (US 2021/0167711 A1 and Devos hereinafter).
As to Claim 4, Zhang disclose the method according to claim 1, however, it doesn’t explicitly disclose:
wherein the transmission of the warning signal blocks an order of initiating a current start received by the starter
Nonethless, Devos in its teachings as shown in Fig.1-5 disclose that the protection of the electric machine 12 is improved and the electric starter 14 can authorize or not a next start of the electric machine 12 (see [0200])
Therefore, it would have been an obvious modification before the effective filing date of the instant application for the transmission of the warning signal blocks an order of initiating a current start received by the starter as thought by Devos within the teachings of Zhang because the vehicle’s safety systems require the transmission to be in a fault-free, safe position before allowing the engine to start.
As to Claim 13 and 14, Zhang disclose a starter and the method according to claim 1, however, it doesn’t explicitly disclose:
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to carry out the method and
a processor comprising a storage unit storing parameters of the electric motor, the processor being adapted to implement the method
Nonetheless, Devos in its teachings as shown in Fig.1-5 disclose that the control module 30, the acquisition module 34 and the calculation module 36, as well as in optional aspect the diagnostic module 38, are for example each realized, i.e. implemented, as a software executable by the processor 44. The memory 42 of the processing unit 40 is adapted to store a control software (see [0100] and [0079])
Therefore, it would have been an obvious modification before the effective filing date of the instant application for the processor to be adapted to implement/carry out the method as thought by Devos within the teachings of Zhang in order to enable the processor to execute a program reliably over time.
Claims 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang in view of by Pinjia Zhang et al. (IEEE transactions on industrial electronics, Vol. 46, No. 5, September/October 2010 and Pinjia hereinafter).
As to Claim 5, Zhang disclose the method according to claim 1, however, it doesn’t explicitly disclose:
computing a theoretical waiting time based on the theoretical limit thermal state, on the current thermal state and a on a time constant
Nonetheless, Pinjia in its teachings as shown in Fig.1-12 disclose that thermal overload relays are used to protect the ac motors with duty type S3, because of the conservative estimation of both the stator temperature during operation and the thermal
time constant during de-energization, a much longer thermal recovery time ∆R is required (see Page 3, left column, last paragraph) and also the comparison of the estimated and actual stator temperatures when operated with duty type S3 (Fig.2)
Therefore, it would have been an obvious modification before the effective filing date of the instant application computing a theoretical waiting time based on the theoretical limit thermal state, on the current thermal state and a on a time as thought by Pinjia within the teachings of Zhang in order to predict how long it would take for the system to reach a critical thermal condition, enabling safe operation and effective protection.
As to Claim 6, Zhang in view of Pinjia disclose the method according to claim 5, which comprises displaying the theoretical waiting time on a displaying screen (Zhang: see warning system of Fig.2 and [Abstract]).
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang in view of by Kling et al. (US 2007/0013326 A1 and Kling hereinafter).
As to Claim 11, Zhang disclose the method according to claim 1, however, it doesn’t explicitly disclose:
wherein the defined thermal conditions causing the tripping of a motor thermal fault are based on the thermal protection class of the electric motor, on the nominal current of the electric motor and on settings based on the standard IEC 60947
Nonetheless, Kling in its teachings as shown in Fig.1-8 disclose that the soft starter is a semiconductor based AC motor controller and motor starter according to IEC: 60947-4-2-1999+A1:2001 (see [0023])
Therefore, it would have been an obvious modification before the effective filing date of the instant application for the settings to be based on the standard IEC 60947 as thought by Kling within the teachings of Zhang in order to form the basis for safe, reliable, and standardized motor circuit design.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-10 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure (US 2016/0181966 A1: Monitoring thermal conditions of an electric motor using current signals from power supplied to the motor is disclosed herein. The current signals may be used to calculate composite current values which may be used to calculate slip. The slip may be used to provide thermal monitoring and protection to the electric motor. Slip may be calculated using only values from the stator of the electric motor for providing thermal monitoring and protection to electric motors where rotor measurements are not available – see [Abstract])
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GABRIEL T AGARED whose telephone number is (571)270-1981. The examiner can normally be reached 8-5 (Mon- Thur).
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.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/GABRIEL AGARED/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
Prosecution Insights