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 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.
Claim(s) 15 – 17, 19, 20, 27 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sasao (US 20210328515).
Regarding claim 15, Sasao discloses a controller comprising:
a circuit board (the circuit board to mount all the power modules; see abstract. See also circuit board 300R, Fig. 4); and
a module assembly (AC/DC converter 200, Fig. 1) arranged at the circuit board and including a first power module (power module 220_1), a second power module (power module 220_2), and a third power module (power module 220_N);
wherein: the circuit board includes a first current circuit (L1-1) connected to the first power module (220_1), a second current circuit (L1-2) connected to the second power module (220_2), and a third current circuit (L1-N) connected to the third power module (220_N); and
the first current circuit and the second current circuit share one or more circuit components (L1-1 and L1-2 share the same capacitor Co 204).
Regarding claim 16, Sasao discloses the claimed invention as set forth in claim 15. Sasao further suggests the one or more circuit components include a first capacitor (capacitor Co), and the third current circuit includes a second capacitor (capacitor Ci connected to 202-N).
Regarding claim 17, Sasao discloses the claimed invention as set forth in claim 15. Sasao further discloses an output wiring (output line 204) connected to the second power module (220_2), the output wiring is located on a front surface (output capacitor Co are laid out on the main mounting surface SA of the printed circuit board 300R, paragraph 63) of the circuit board that faces the module assembly, and wirings of the one or more circuit components are located on a back surface of the circuit board that faces away from the module assembly (some input capacitor are mounted on the bottom surface SB, paragraph 72; several other components are also on the SB surface, Fig. 18).
Regarding claim 19, Sasao discloses the claimed invention as set forth in claim 15. Sasao further suggests a heat sink (paragraph 11); wherein the first power module, the second power module, and the third power module are all in contact with the heat sink (the heat sink 240, Figures 8 - 10, is in contact with the upper surfaces of the N power modules; paragraph 47 and 50).
Regarding claim 20, Sasao discloses the claimed invention as set forth in claim 19. Sasao further discloses the heat sink (240, Fig. 8) is in a shape of a rectangular plate; length directions of the first power module (220_1), the second power module (220_2), and the third power module (220_N) align with a length direction of the heat sink (240); and the first power module (220_1), the second power module (220_2), and the third power module (220_N) are arranged in sequence along the length direction of the heat sink (Fig. 8).
Regarding claim 27, Saso discloses an air conditioner outdoor unit comprising:
a controller (controller 210, Fig. 1) including:
a circuit board (the circuit board to mount all the power modules; see abstract. See also circuit board 300R, Fig. 4); and
a module assembly (AC/DC converter 200, Fig. 1) arranged at the circuit board and including a first power module (power module 220_1), a second power module (power module 220_2), and a third power module (power module 220_N);
wherein: the circuit board includes a first current circuit (L1-1) connected to the first power module, a second current circuit (L1-2) connected to the second power module, and a third current circuit (L1-N) connected to the third power module; and
the first current circuit and the second current circuit share one or more circuit components (L1-1 and L1-2 share the same capacitor Co 204).
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.
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.
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.
Claim(s) 18, 32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sasao (US 20210328515), in view of Huang (US 20230396158).
Regarding claim 18, Sasao discloses the claimed invention as set forth in claim 15.
Sasao does not explicitly disclose the first current circuit includes a first sampling resistor, the second current circuit includes a second sampling resistor, and the third current circuit includes a third sampling resistor.
Huang suggests the unit circuitry include a resistor (R, Fig. 9).
It would have been obvious to one having skill in the art at the effective filing date of the invention to include a resistor in the unit circuitry in order to provide an intended function to the circuit.
Regarding claim 32, Sasao discloses the claimed invention as set forth in claim 29.
Sasao does not explicitly disclose the first current circuit includes a first sampling resistor, the second current circuit includes a second sampling resistor, and the third current circuit includes a third sampling resistor.
Huang suggests the unit circuitry include a resistor (R, Fig. 9).
It would have been obvious to one having skill in the art at the effective filing date of the invention to include a resistor in the unit circuitry in order to provide an intended function to the circuit.
Claim(s) 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sasao (US 20210328515).
Regarding claim 26, Sasao discloses the claimed invention as set forth in claim 20.
Sasao does not explicitly disclose the circuit board as a rectangular plate with a length greater than or equal to 233 mm and smaller than or equal to 253 mm.
Sasao suggests the width of the inductor chip is 4 mm (paragraph 990). There are N number of power modules. The width and length of the circuit board depends upon the number of power modules in the circuitry. Since N is a variable depends on the need of the user, it is obvious that the length and width of the circuit board may fall between 233 mm and 253 mm.
It would have been obvious to one having skill in the art at the effective filing date of the invention to adjust the size of the circuit board following the number of the components required in the circuitry in order to fit all components into the limited space of the circuit board.
Claim(s) 29 – 31, 33, 34 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sasao (US 20210328515), in view of Nakatsu (US 20060232942).
Regarding claim 29, Sasao discloses an air conditioner comprising:
a controller (controller 210, Fig. 1) including:
a circuit board (the circuit board to mount all the power modules; see abstract. See also circuit board 300R, Fig. 4); and
a module assembly (AC/DC converter 200, Fig. 1) arranged at the circuit board and including a first power module (power module 220_1), a second power module (power module 220_2), and a third power module (power module 220_N);
wherein: the circuit board includes a first current circuit (L1-1) connected to the first power module, a second current circuit (L1-2) connected to the second power module, and a third current circuit (L1-N) connected to the third power module; and
the first current circuit and the second current circuit share one or more circuit components (L1-1 and L1-2 share the same capacitor Co 204).
Sasao does not explicitly disclose an air conditioner outdoor unit.
Nakatsu suggests the power module in include the air conditioner unit, Fig. 19, for a vehicle.
It would have been obvious to one having skill in the art at the effective filing date of the invention to include air conditioner unit in order to use the power module in an air conditioner equipment.
Regarding claim 30, Sasao discloses the claimed invention as set forth in claim 29. Sasao further discloses the one or more circuit components include a first capacitor (Co), and the third current circuit includes a second capacitor (Cin).
Regarding claim 31, Sasao discloses the claimed invention as set forth in claim 29. Sasao further suggests the circuit board further includes an output wiring (output line 204) connected to the second power module, the output wiring is located on a front surface of the circuit board that faces the module assembly, and wirings of the one or more circuit components are located on a back surface of the circuit board that faces away from the module assembly (some circuit components are on SB side of the circuit board, Fig. 16).
Regarding claim 33, Sasao discloses the claimed invention as set forth in claim 29. Sasao further suggests a heat sink (paragraph 11); wherein the first power module, the second power module, and the third power module are all in contact with the heat sink (the heat sink 240, Figures 8 - 10, is in contact with the upper surfaces of the N power modules; paragraph 47 and 50).
Regarding claim 34, Sasao discloses the claimed invention as set forth in claim 33. Sasao further discloses the heat sink (240, Fig. 8) is in a shape of a rectangular plate; length directions of the first power module (220_1), the second power module (220_2), and the third power module (220_N) align with a length direction of the heat sink (240); and the first power module (220_1), the second power module (220_2), and the third power module (220_N) are arranged in sequence along the length direction of the heat sink (Fig. 8).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 21 - 25, 28 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.
Reasons for Allowance
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 21, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in claim 20, a combination of limitations that a height of the first power module is equal to a height of the second power module and is smaller than a height of the third power module. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding claim 23, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in claim 20, a combination of limitations that the module assembly further includes a rectifier module, an insulated gate bipolar transistor module, and a fast recovery diode module arranged at the circuit board in sequence along the length direction of the heat sink and in contact with the heat sink. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding claim 24, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in claim 20, a combination of limitations that a bracket fixed to the circuit board, the bracket extending along the length direction of the heat sink and being arranged between the circuit board and the heat sink to support the module assembly. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding claim 28, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in claim 27, a combination of limitations that an electrical control box; wherein the controller is installed inside the electrical control box, and the module assembly is located on a side of the circuit board facing a bottom wall of the electrical control box. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Feurtado (US 20220354014) discloses three power modules, Fig. 5.
Klausz (US 20210153352) discloses several power modules on the same circuit board.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BINH B TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-9289. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Timothy J Dole can be reached at 571-272-2229. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BINH B TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847
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