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 .
Applicant’s response filed on 03/02/2026 has been entered and considered. Upon entering claims 1-17 were pending; and claims 16-17 have been newly added.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed on 03/02/2026 have been fully considered, however they are not persuasive for following reasons:
Applicant argues that the combination of Schumacher and Paucara does not teach or suggest “a controller configured to control the active power converter based on a control logic having a corner frequency; and the corner frequency is equal to or greater than the cutoff frequency”.
The examiner respectfully do not agree because Paucara clearly teaches a controller (fig. 9 (b) controller) configured to control the active power converter (fig. 6@ DC-DC Stage) based on a control logic having a corner frequency (fig. 10: red plot line, see its comer frequency; and page 380 section 2) ENHANCED GFL VI CONTROLLER); and the corner frequency is equal to or greater than the cutoff frequency (see fig. 10: red and blue lines have the same corner frequency; and the crossover frequency (fc) is much lower than the cutoff frequency (fLC)).
Therefore, the rejection is maintained.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 02/13/2026 the submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schumacher et al. (US 2022/0105807) in view of Paucara et al. (HESS Management for Virtual Inertia, Frequency, and Voltage Support Through Off-Board EV Bidirectional Chargers; IDS).
Regarding claim 1, Schumacher teaches an electrical system (see figure 5A) comprising: an active power converter (fig. 5A@ 583); a filter having a cutoff frequency (fig. 5A@ EMI filter 591); a DC power supply network (fig. 5A@ DC Inputs); and a controller (fig.5A@ 515); and wherein: the active power converter (583) and the filter (591) are electrically couped to the DC power supply network (DC Inputs), (see figure 5A).
However, Schumacher does not explicitly teach a controller configured to control the active power converter based on a control logic having a corner frequency; and
the corner frequency is equal to or greater than the cutoff frequency.
Paucara teaches a controller (fig. 9 (b) controller) configured to control the active power converter (fig. 6@ DC-DC Stage) based on a control logic having a corner frequency (fig. 10: red plot line, see its comer frequency; and page 380 section 2) ENHANCED GFL VI CONTROLLER); and the corner frequency is equal to or greater than the cutoff frequency (see fig. 10: red and blue lines have the same corner frequency).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Schumacher with the teachings of Paucara by having a controller configured to control the active power converter based on a control logic having a corner frequency; and the corner frequency is equal to or greater than the cutoff frequency in order to allows the control system to respond effectively to a wider range of frequencies, encompassing all the necessary control bandwidth.
Regarding claim 2, the combination teaches the electrical system of claim 1, wherein the cutoff frequency is at least 50 hertz (see figure 10; Paucara).
Regarding claim 3, the combination teaches the electrical system of claim 2, wherein the cutoff frequency is at least 300 hertz (see figure 10; Paucara).
Regarding claim 4, the combination teaches the electrical system of claim 1, wherein the control logic includes a proportional gain and an integral gain (see figure 10; Paucara).
Regarding claim 5, the combination teaches the electrical system of claim 1, further comprising a port (fig. 5A: connector between DC Inputs and PDU 510a) configured to be coupled to an external cable (fig. 5A: lines connected to DC Inputs), and wherein the active power converter (583) is coupled between the port and the DC power supply network (DC Inputs), (see figure 5A; Schumacher).
Regarding claim 6, the combination teaches the electrical system of claim 1, further comprising a load (fig. 5A@ 532), and wherein the load (532) is coupled to the DC power supply network (DC Inputs) via the filter (EMI), (see figure 5A; Schumacher).
Regarding claim 7, the combination teaches the electrical system of claim 1, further comprising a starter motor for a prime mover, and wherein the starter motor is coupled to the DC power supply network (see par. [0052]; Schumacher).
Regarding claim 8, the combination teaches the electrical system of claim 7, further comprising an energy storage device (fig. 5A@ 532) electrically coupled to the DC power supply network (DC Inputs), (see figure 5A; Schumacher).
Regarding claim 9, the combination teaches the electrical system of claim 8, wherein the energy storage device includes a battery (see par. [0008], “multiple rechargeable energy storage system (RESS)”; Schumacher).
Regarding claim 10, the combination teaches the electrical system of claim 1, wherein the filter is a passive filter (figs. 6: Co, Lo; Paucara).
Regarding claim 11, the combination teaches a transport refrigeration (see figure 1C; Schumacher) system comprising the electrical system of claim 1, (see figure 5A; Schumacher).
Regarding claim 12, the combination teaches a vehicle (see figure 1C; Schumacher) comprising the electrical system of claim 1, (see figure 5A; Schumacher).
Regarding claim 13, Schumacher teaches a method of the power converter (fig. 5A@ 583) forming part of an electrical system (see figure 5A) further comprising: a filter having a cutoff frequency (fig. 5A@ EMI filter 591); a load (fig. 5A@ 532, 540) and a DC power supply network (fig. 5A@ DC Inputs), wherein the active power converter (583), the filter (591) and the load (532, 540) are electrically couped to the DC power supply network (DC Inputs).
However, Schumacher does not explicitly teach a method of tuning a control logic of a controller configured to control a power converter based on the control logic; and wherein the method comprises: adjusting a gain of the control logic to reduce voltage oscillations on the DC power supply network caused by the load below the cutoff frequency of the filter.
Paucara teaches a method of tuning a control logic of a controller (fig. 9 (b) controller) configured to control a power converter (fig. 6@ DC-DC Stage) based on the control logic (see figure 10); and wherein the method comprises: adjusting a gain of the control logic to reduce voltage oscillations on the DC power supply network (fig. 6@ EV-B) caused by the load below the cutoff frequency of the filter ( fig. 6@ Co, Lo), (see fig. 10: the crossover frequency ( fc ) is much lower than the cutoff frequency ( fLC) of the LoCo filter).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Schumacher with the teachings of Paucara by having a controller configured to control the active power converter based on a control logic having a method of tuning a control logic of a controller configured to control a power converter based on the control logic; and wherein the method comprises: adjusting a gain of the control logic to reduce voltage oscillations on the DC power supply network caused by the load below the cutoff frequency of the filter in order to allows the control system to respond effectively to a wider range of frequencies, encompassing all the necessary control bandwidth.
Claims 14 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schumacher et al. (US 2022/0105807) in view of Paucara et al. (HESS Management for Virtual Inertia, Frequency, and Voltage Support Through Off-Board EV Bidirectional Chargers; IDS) and further in view of Lee et al. (Hybrid Active Filter With Variable Conductance for Harmonic Resonance Suppression in Industrial Power Systems; IDS).
Regarding claim 14, the combination teaches the method of claim 13, but does not explicitly teach wherein the control logic includes a proportional gain and an integral gain, and wherein adjusting the gain of the control logic includes increasing a magnitude of the integral gain relative to a magnitude of the proportional gain.
Lee teaches the control logic includes a proportional gain and an integral gain, and wherein adjusting the gain of the control logic includes increasing a magnitude of the integral gain relative to a magnitude of the proportional gain, (see fig. 9: for a Kp and a Ki. Increasing a magnitude of the Ki is merely one of obvious possibilities to adjust the gain of the regulator).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Schumacher and Paucara with the teachings of Lee by having the control logic includes a proportional gain and an integral gain, and wherein adjusting the gain of the control logic includes increasing a magnitude of the integral gain relative to a magnitude of the proportional gain in order to adjusting the gain of the control logic by increasing the magnitude of the integral gain relative to the magnitude of the proportional gain yields the following specific advantages and trade-offs.
Regarding claim 15, the combination teaches the method of claim 14, wherein adjusting the gain of the control logic includes increasing a magnitude of the integral gain (see fig. 9: for a Kp and a Ki. Increasing a magnitude of the Ki is merely one of obvious possibilities to adjust the gain of the regulator; Lee).
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schumacher et al. (US 2022/0105807) in view of Paucara et al. (HESS Management for Virtual Inertia, Frequency, and Voltage Support Through Off-Board EV Bidirectional Chargers; IDS) and further in view of Feng et al. (Control Strategy of AC-DC Matrix Converter in Battery Energy Storage System; IDS).
Regarding claim 16, the combination teaches the electrical system above, but does not explicitly teach wherein the controller is configured to control the active power converter based solely on the control logic having the corner frequency.
Feng teaches the controller is configured to control the active power converter based solely on the control logic having the corner frequency (see pages 2130-2131; section A. Current Loop Controller Design and B. Voltage loop Controller Design : controller is configured at the corner frequency).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Schumacher and Paucara with the teachings of Feng by having the controller is configured to control the active power converter based solely on the control logic having the corner frequency in order to limits the rate of change of frequency. This provides stable, controlled inertial support to the grid
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 17 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
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to XUAN LY whose telephone number is (571)272-9885. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5pm.
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, Rexford Barnie can be reached at 571-272-7492. 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.
/XUAN LY/Examiner, Art Unit 2836
/REXFORD N BARNIE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2836
Prosecution Insights