DETAILED ACTION
1. This action is in response to the application filed on 1/9/25.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
2. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Drawings
3. The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore,
“A vehicle” (in claim 24)
“two on-board electrical energy sub-systems” (in claim 25)
must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
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.
Claim Objections
4. Claim 12, 27, and 24 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 17 and 27 recites “a primary side” should be replaced with “the primary side”; “a secondary side” should be replaced with “the secondary side”
Claim 24 recites “at least one power-electronics DC voltage converter having a primary side with at least two electronic switches and a secondary side, which is galvanically isolated from the primary side, with at least one electronic switch” should be replaced with “the at least one power-electronics DC voltage converter having the primary side with the at least two electronic switches and the secondary side, which is galvanically isolated from the primary side, with the at least one electronic switch”
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
5. 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.
6. Claim 12-28 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.
Claims 12 and 19, recite the limitations “BWHH algorithm”. It is unclear to what the abbreviation “BWHH” stands for.
Claim 15 and 22 recites the limitation “the current”. However, it is unclear to which previously recited current the limitation “the current” refers to.
Claim 15 and 22 recites the limitation “the additional voltage therefrom”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 13-14, 16-21, 23-28 are rejected due to their dependency of claims 12 and 19.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
7. 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
8. Claims 12-14, 17-21, and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Jang et al. (US 20230037590).
Regarding claim 19: Jang et al. disclose (i.e. figures 1, 3 and 4A-B) a controller (i.e. controller of figure 3 and 4A-B) for controlling a power-electronics DC voltage converter (i.e. converter of figure 1) having a primary side (i.e. primary side) with at least two electronic switches (i.e. switches of primary side) and a secondary side (i.e. switches of secondary side), which is galvanically isolated (i.e. by transformer) from the primary side (i.e. primary side), with at least one electronic switch (i.e. switch of primary side), wherein the controller (i.e. controller of figure 3 and 4A-B) is configured to: adjust at least one reference variable and/or control parameters (i.e. Iout_LLC, Vout_LLC, by the controller 320) for the controller (i.e. controller of figure 3 and 4A-B) via a BWHH algorithm (i.e. algorithm of figure 4A-B, ¶ 81) (i.e. ¶ 40-60).
Regarding claim 20: (i.e. figures 1, 3 and 4A-B) wherein the DC voltage converter (i.e. converter of figure 1) is controlled by a cascaded current-voltage controller (i.e. 410, 420), and wherein the adjustable control parameters (i.e. Iout_LLC, Vout_LLC, by the controller 320) comprise control parameters of a current controller (i.e. 420) and/or control parameters of a voltage controller (i.e. 410) (i.e. ¶ 40-60).
Regarding claim 21: (i.e. figures 1, 3 and 4A-B) wherein the controller (i.e. controller of figure 3 and 4A-B) is configured to: calculate a duty cycle loss and/or an additional voltage via the BWHH algorithm using the following input variables:
an input voltage (i.e. Vlink) at a primary side of the DC voltage controller (i.e. controller of figure 3 and 4A-B);
a duty cycle (i.e. from 350 and/or 360);
an output voltage (i.e. Vout_LLC) at the secondary side of the DC voltage converter (i.e. converter of figure 1); and
an output current (i.e. Iout_LLC) at the secondary side of the DC voltage converter (i.e. ¶ 40-60).
Regarding claim 24: (i.e. figures 1, 3 and 4A-B) a vehicle (i.e. ¶ 3) comprising at least one power-electronics DC voltage converter (i.e. converter of figure 1) having a primary side (i.e. primary side) with at least two electronic switches (i.e. switches of primary side) and a secondary side (i.e. secondary side), which is galvanically isolated (i.e. by transformer) from the primary side, with at least one electronic switch (i.e. switches of primary side); and the controller according to claim 19.
Regarding claims 12-14: the method steps will be met during the normal operation of the apparatus described above. (Examiner notes: For method claims, note that under MPEP 2112.02, the principles of inherency, if a prior art device, in its normal and usual operation, would necessarily perform the method claimed, then the method claimed will be considered to be anticipated by the prior art device. When the prior art device is the same as a device described in the specification for carrying out the claimed method, it can be assumed the device will inherently perform the claimed process. In re King, 801 F.2d 1324, 231 USPQ 136 (Fed. Cir. 1986). Therefore, the previous rejections based on the apparatus will not be repeated).
Regarding claim 17: (i.e. figures 1, 3 and 4A-B) wherein the DC voltage converter comprises a primary side having a full-bridge with four electronic switches (i.e. switches of primary side) and a secondary side (i.e. secondary side) with two electronic switches (i.e. switches of secondary side), wherein the primary side and the secondary side are galvanically isolated from one another by a transformer (i.e. by transformer).
Regarding claim 18: (i.e. figures 1, 3 and 4A-B) wherein the DC voltage converter is a phase-shifted full-bridge (i.e. full-bridge of figure 1) (i.e. ¶ 40-60).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
9. 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.
10. Claims 15-16, 22-23, and 26-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jang et al. (US 20230037590) in view of Martin Baumann (Efficient Small-Signal Algorithm for High Dynamic Phase-Shifted Full-Bridge Converters, filed in the IDS on 1/09/25).
Regarding claims 15 and 22: Jang et al. disclose (i.e. figures 1, 3 and 4A-B) wherein the controller is configured to: using the BWHH algorithm (i.e. algorithm of figure 4A-B, ¶ 81) and the input variables (i.e. Vlink, from 350, 360, Vout_LLC, Iout_LLC):
calculate a ripple current (i.e. ¶ 78),
but does not specifically disclose calculate, from the ripple current, an initial value for a current in a primary side transformer half-unit, or a corresponding stray inductance; successively calculate, for each phase of a switching scheme of the DC voltage converter, the current; and at an end of a final phase of the switching scheme, calculate the duty cycle loss and/or the additional voltage therefrom.
Baumann discloses a converter comprising calculate, from the ripple current (i.e. IR), an initial value for a current in a primary side transformer half-unit (i.e. current Ilk), or a corresponding stray inductance; successively calculate, for each phase of a switching scheme of the DC voltage converter (i.e. switching phase of figure 2), the current; and at an end of a final phase (i.e. one of the switching phase) of the switching scheme, calculate the duty cycle loss (i.e. DL) and/or the additional voltage therefrom (i.e. chapter III. Algorithm).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date to modify the circuit of Jang et al.’s invention with the converter as disclose by Baumann to efficiently calculate deadtime and load-dependent deviations.
Regarding claims 16 and 23: Jang et al. disclose the limitation of the claim(s) as discussed above, but does not specifically disclose wherein the at least one reference variable corresponds to a reference time delay which is calculated as function of a duty cycle loss, which is calculated using the BWHH algorithm, wherein the reference time delay represents a measure of a delayed switching of the at least one electronic switch on the secondary side.
Baumann discloses a converter comprising wherein the at least one reference variable (i.e. variable using time delay to calculate) corresponds to a reference time delay (i.e. time delay td) which is calculated as function of a duty cycle loss (i.e. DL), which is calculated using the BWHH algorithm (i.e. chapter III. Algorithm), wherein the reference time delay (i.e. time delay td) represents a measure of a delayed switching (i.e. switching signal of full bridge) of the at least one electronic switch on the secondary side (i.e. signal of Q5 or Q6) (i.e. see Chapter I-III).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date to modify the circuit of Jang et al.’s invention with the converter as disclose by Baumann to efficiently calculate deadtime and load-dependent deviations.
Regarding claim 26: Jang et al. disclose the vehicle is an electric vehicle (i.e. ¶ 03).
Regarding claim 27: (i.e. figures 1, 3 and 4A-B) wherein the DC voltage converter comprises a primary side having a full-bridge with four electronic switches (i.e. switches of primary side) and a secondary side (i.e. secondary side) with two electronic switches (i.e. switches of secondary side), wherein the primary side and the secondary side are galvanically isolated from one another by a transformer (i.e. by transformer).
Regarding claim 28: (i.e. figures 1, 3 and 4A-B) wherein the DC voltage converter is a phase-shifted full-bridge (i.e. full-bridge of figure 1) (i.e. ¶ 40-60).
11. Claim 25 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jang et al. (US 20230037590) in view of Khaligh et al. (US 20210155100).
Regarding claim 25: Jang et al. disclose the limitation of the claim(s) as discussed above, but does not specifically disclose the DC voltage converter is configured to convert a voltage between two on-board electrical energy sub-systems of the vehicle having different voltage levels.
Khaligh et al. disclose a converter (i.e. figure 10) comprising the DC voltage converter is configured to convert a voltage between two on-board electrical energy sub-systems (i.e. two on-board of figure 10) of the vehicle having different voltage levels (i.e. HV to LV).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date to modify the circuit of Jang et al.’s invention with the converter as disclose by Khaligh et al., because it provides a compact on-board charger for efficient bi-directional charging of both low voltage (LV) battery and high voltage (HV) battery on PEVs.
Conclusion
12. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NGUYEN TRAN whose telephone number is (571)270-1269. The examiner can normally be reached Flex: M-F 8-7.
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/Nguyen Tran/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
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