DETAILED ACTION
The instant action is in response to application 15 January 2026.
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 specification is objected to for the following informalities:
The oldest filed copending application should be included in the background. As near as can be determined, that appears to be the Japanese WIPO. Though not required, it is ordinary and customary to include the filing dates of all copending applications and their publication dates (if available).
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for domestic priority based on a WIPO application filed in Japan on 14 September 2022.
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 to claim 1, applicant claims “a first arm” “ a second arm” “a third arm” and “a fourth arm”. Though the language itself is definite, applicants specification remarks that 39A/9C correspond to the first arm and third arm which happen to be connected to the same node. In a similar vein, 39B and 39D also correspond to a second and fourth arm which also connect to the same node. Applicant is doubly claiming the same electrical points which has a number of antecedent basis issues in circuit based claims. For the purposes of examination, the first/third arm will refer to the hi-side bus of the cell, and the second/fourth arm will refer to the low-side bus of the cell. In a similar manner, applicant is claiming “a bridge circuit” and then proceeds to claim “one or more converter cells are full-birdge cells”. This is unclear whether applicant meant to claim 2 bridge circuits. Specifically, it is unclear whether the full bridge refers back to the previously claimed bridge. For the purposes of examination, it will be assumed applicant only claimed one full-bridge circuit, which appears to be suggested by most of Figures 3.
As to claim 4, applicant has a process step in an apparatus claim which is generally not permitted per MPEP 2173.05(p) II. For the purposes of examination, it will be assumed applicant claimed sufficient structure that would perform the process steps.
As to claims 5- 7, 10-14, 16 these have a similar issue to claim 4 above and are rejected per MPEP 2173.05(p) II for similar reasons. Likewise, it will also be assumed applicant claimed sufficient structure to perform the process steps.
Claims 2-20 depend directly or indirectly from a rejected claim and are, therefore, also rejected under 35 USC 112(b) , or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ) second paragraph for the reasons set above.
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 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.
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. (The claims have been condensed.)
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102 (a)(2) as being anticipated by Biris (US 20220123667).
As to claim 1, Birris discloses a power conversion device comprising: a power converter (Fig. 2B) including an arm circuit (240A) including a plurality of converter cells (215A…215B, Fig. 3B) connected in cascade; and a control device (Fig. 1 274) to control the power converter, each of the converter cells including: a first input/output terminal (Fig. 4A, 326) on a high potential side and a second input/output terminal on a low potential side (Fig. 4A, 325) ;a bridge circuit including a plurality of semiconductor switching elements; and a power storage element (460A/B) connected to the first input/output terminal and the second input/output terminal through the bridge circuit, wherein one or more of the converter cells are full-bridge converter cells,the bridge circuit of each of the full-bridge converter cells (the igbts of 350A-D forms full bridge in 3C) includes: a first arm connecting a high potential-side node of the power storage element to the first input/output terminal; a second arm connecting a low potential-side node of the power storage element to the first input/output terminal (as explained in the 112 above the first and third arm correspond to node 350A/350D and the second and fourth arm correspond to node 350B/350C); a third arm connecting the high potential-side node of the power storage element to the second input/output terminal; and a fourth arm connecting the low potential-side node of the power storage element to the second input/output terminal, each of the first arm, the second arm, the third arm, and the fourth arm has a semiconductor switching element (they all have an IGBT), and the second arm or the third arm includes a resistor element connected in series with the semiconductor switching element (the third arm has a resistor in series with 350C).
As to claim 2, Biris discloses wherein the second arm or the third arm further includes a rectifier element connected in parallel with the resistor element and such that a reverse bias direction is a forward direction (a discrete diode is shown in parallel with the IGBT 350D).
As to claim 4, Biros discloses wherein in a case where the second arm has the resistor element, the control device, in a first operation mode, turns normally off the semiconductor switching element of the second arm, turns normally on the semiconductor switching element of the first arm, and repeatedly turns on and off the semiconductor switching elements of the third arm and the fourth arm in a complementary manner, and in a case where the third arm has the resistor element, the control device, in a first operation mode turns normally off the semiconductor switching element of the third arm, turns normally on the semiconductor switching element of the fourth arm, and repeatedly turns on and off the semiconductor switching elements of the first arm and the second arm in a complementary manner (as near as can be determined, this corresponds to steady state, with the difference being whether the second or third arm has the resistor which is merely a matter of labelling).
Claim(s) 1, 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102 (a)(2) as being anticipated by Ota (US 20220385209).
As to claim 1, Ota teaches A power conversion device (Fig.1, "1") comprising: a power converter (Fig.1, "2") including an arm circuit (Fig.1, "4u") including a plurality of converter cells (Fig.1, "7") connected in cascade; and a control device (Fig.1, "3") to control the power converter, each of the converter cells including: a first input/output terminal (Fig.2, "26P") on a high potential side and a second input/output terminal (Fig.2, "26N") on a low potential side; a bridge circuit (Fig.2, "31" + "32") including a plurality of semiconductor switching elements (Fig.2, "22A", "22B", "22D", "23C"); and a power storage element (Fig.2, "Chb") connected to the first input/output terminal and the second input/output terminal through the bridge circuit, wherein one or more of the converter cells are full-bridge converter cells (Fig.2, "31" + "32" is considered as a full bridge), the bridge circuit of each of the full-bridge converter cells includes: a first arm (Fig.2, "22A") connecting a high potential-side node of the power storage element to the first input/output terminal; a second arm (Fig.2, "22B") connecting a low potential-side node of the power storage element to the first input/output terminal; a third arm (Fig.2, "23C" + "51") connecting the high potential-side node of the power storage element to the second input/output terminal; and a fourth arm (Fig.2, "23D") connecting the low potential-side node of the power storage element to the second input/output terminal, each of the first arm, the second arm, the third arm, and the fourth arm has a semiconductor switching element (Fig.2, either an IGBT or a diode), and the second arm or the third arm includes a resistor element (Fig.2, "51") connected in series with the semiconductor switching element.
As to claim 17, Ota teaches wherein the converter cells connected in cascade are divided into one or more blocks adjacent to each other, each of the one or more blocks includes at least one the full-bridge converter cell, and the power conversion device further comprises one or more bypass circuits respectively corresponding to the one or more blocks and each connected in parallel with a corresponding block (Fig. 9).
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 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.
Claim 3, 17, 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Biris (US 20220123667) in view of Schweizer (EP 3329585).
As to claim 3, Biris does not explicitly teach wherein the second arm or the third arm further includes a rectifier element connected in parallel with a combination of the resistor element and the semiconductor switching element and such that a reverse bias direction is a forward direction..
Schweizer teaches and the power conversion device further comprises one or more bypass circuits respectively corresponding to the one or more blocks and each connected in parallel with a corresponding block (Fig. 6).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device above to use the didoe in parallel with the switch and resistor in order to reduce heat when current travels in the positive direction.
As to claim 17, Biris does not disclose wherein the converter cells connected in cascade are divided into one or more blocks adjacent to each other, each of the one or more blocks includes at least one the full-bridge converter cell, and the power conversion device further comprises one or more bypass circuits respectively corresponding to the one or more blocks and each connected in parallel with a corresponding block.
Schweizer teaches wherein the converter cells connected in cascade are divided into one or more blocks adjacent to each other, each of the one or more blocks includes at least one the full-bridge converter cell, and the power conversion device further comprises one or more bypass circuits respectively corresponding to the one or more blocks and each connected in parallel with a corresponding block (fig. 1, abstract).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device above to normal and half cells to reduce harmonic distortion (pg. 2, lines 10-15).
As to claim 18, Biris does not teach wherein one or more of the converter cells connected in cascade are half-bridge converter cells, and the power storage element of each of the half-bridge converter cells has a capacity larger than a capacity of the power storage element of each of the full-bridge converter cells.
Schweizer teaches wherein one or more of the converter cells connected in cascade are half-bridge converter cells, and the power storage element of each of the half-bridge converter cells has a capacity larger than a capacity of the power storage element of each of the full-bridge converter cells (abstract “The converter cells (16) of the first row (14) have a first cell capacity (Ccell') and the converter cells (20) of the second row (18) have a second cell capacity (Ccell) higher than the first cell capacity (Ccell').”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device above to normal and half cells to reduce harmonic distortion (pg. 2, lines 10-15).
Claim 19 (as best understood) is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Biris (US 20220123667) in view of Ergin (US 20200389084).
As to claim 19, Biris teaches wherein the power converter is connected between a DC circuit and an AC circuit, switches the semiconductor switching elements sequentially in units of groups of a plurality of converter cells that are one or more of the converter cells connected in cascade, so that, for each of the converter cells included in each of the groups, a voltage of the power storage element is output from between the first input/output terminal and the second input/output terminal.
Biris does not disclose the power conversion device further comprising: an AC circuit breaker connected to an AC line between the power converter and the AC circuit; a DC circuit breaker connected to a DC line between the power converter and the DC circuit; and a discharge resistor having a first end connected to the DC line between the DC circuit breaker and the power converter through a switch, and a second end connected to a ground electrode, when the power conversion device is to be stopped, the control device turns off all of the semiconductor switching elements included in each of the converter cells connected in cascade, opens the AC circuit breaker and the DC circuit breaker, and thereafter, with the switch closed.
Ergin teaches the power conversion device further comprising: an AC circuit breaker connected to an AC line between the power converter and the AC circuit; a DC circuit breaker connected to a DC line between the power converter and the DC circuit; and a discharge resistor having a first end connected to the DC line between the DC circuit breaker and the power converter through a switch, and a second end connected to a ground electrode, when the power conversion device is to be stopped, the control device turns off all of the semiconductor switching elements included in each of the converter cells connected in cascade, opens the AC circuit breaker and the DC circuit breaker, and thereafter, with the switch closed a plurality of converter cells that are one or more of the converter cells connected in cascade, so that, for each of the converter cells included in each of the groups, a voltage of the power storage element is output from between the first input/output terminal and the second input/output terminal. (Ergin, Fig. 3).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device above to use breakers as disclosed in Ergin to provide inverter/rectifier protection.
Claim 20 (as best understood) are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Biris (US 20220123667).
As to claim 20, Biris teaches a plurality of wind power generation devices; an offshore substation connected to the wind power generation devices
However HVDC inverters/rectifiers used in offshore and onshore windfarms are old and well known in the art and therefore not patentable (See MPEP 2144.03 and US 2016003622 ¶2, US 20150048716 Fig. 2, and US 20140091630 Fig. 1, ¶3).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-16 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
As to claim 5, the prior art fails to disclose: “wherein in a case where the second arm has the resistor element, the control device, in a second operation mode, intermittently turns on and off the semiconductor switching element of the second arm, turns normally on the semiconductor switching element of the first arm, and repeatedly turns on and off the semiconductor switching elements of the third arm and the fourth arm in a complementary manner, and in a case where the third arm has the resistor element, the control device, in a second operation mode, intermittently turns on and off the semiconductor switching element of the third arm, turns normally on the semiconductor switching element of the fourth arm, and repeatedly turns on and off the semiconductor switching elements of the first arm and the second arm in a complementary manner” in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by the Applicant.
Please note: while objected or allowed claims have been indicated, only the presented claims have been examined for compliance with form and 35 USC 112 consideration. As a reminder, claims that are dependent upon objected claims still require examination for form and 35 USC 112 issues even if they overcome 35 USC 102 and 103 rejections. Similarly, amendments incorporating allowable subject matter into independent claims requires reconsideration for dependent claim form and any possible 35 USC 112 issues that arise through amendments even if the 35 USC 102 and 103 rejections are overcome. As such, applicant is advised that while examiner can enter previously allowed claims or previously objected claims rewritten into independent form after final rejection, any other claims may not be entered.
Conclusion
Examiner has cited particular column, paragraph, and line numbers in the references applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner. In the case of amending the claimed invention, Applicant is respectfully requested to indicate the portion(s) of the specification which dictate(s) the structure relied on for proper interpretation and also to verify and ascertain the metes and bounds of the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PETER M NOVAK whose telephone number is (571)270-1375. The examiner can normally be reached on 9AM-5PM,Monday through Thursday, EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Crystal Hammond can be reached on 571-270-1682. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PETER M NOVAK/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2839
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