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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Drawings
Receipt is acknowledged of drawings submitted on 30 December 2024. These drawings are acceptable.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 and 2 objected to because of the following informalities: “positive termina of storage battery (see Claim 12/30/2024, Page 2 Line 5 and Page 4 Line 10).” Appropriate correction is required.
Examiner will continue with the assumption “termina” is a misspelling of “terminal.”
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
(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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Takamatsu et al. (US 2021/0091573 A1; hereinafter “Takamatsu”).
In re claim 1, Takamatsu discloses an electrical power converter (Figs. 1-5) for use with a system including a storage battery (12) and an electrical device (18) which is
electrically connectable with the storage battery, comprising:
a three-level inverter (10) which is electrically connected to the storage battery;
a rotating electrical machine (20) which includes multi-phase windings (U,V,W) electrically connected to the three-level inverter; a connector (50); and a controller (60), wherein the electrical device is disposed outside the electrical power converter and implemented by a charger (30) working to charge the storage battery, the three-level inverter includes a first electrical storage device, a second electrical storage device, and switches, the first electrical storage device (C1) and the second electrical storage device (C2) being connected in series with each other, the switches working to connect the windings with a positive side of the first electrical storage device, a neutral point (NP1) between a negative side of the first electrical storage device and a positive side of the second electrical storage device, or a negative side of the second electrical storage device, the switches include upper arm switches (SU1, SV1, SW1) and lower arm switches (SU4, SV4, SW4) for a plurality of phases of the rotating electrical machine, the upper and lower arm switches being connected in series with each other, the switches of the three-level inverter also include clamp switches (DU1-2, DV1-2, DW1-2, SU2-3, SV2-3, SW2-3) each for one of the phases of the rotating electrical machine, each of the clamp switches establishing or blocking a flow of electrical current between a corresponding one of the windings and the neutral point, the positive side of the first electrical storage device (C1) is connected to a positive terminal of storage battery (12), the negative side of the second electrical storage device (C2) is connected to a negative terminal of the storage battery (12), the connector (50) works to achieve electrical connection of the electrical device with the three-level inverter and also achieve electrical connection of the electrical device with the storage battery through the neutral point, and the controller (60) works to control switching operations of the switches to achieve transmission of electrical power between the electrical device and the storage battery with the three-level inverter and the electrical device connected together through the connector, the connector includes a neutral point connector and a negative connector, the neutral point connector connecting a positive terminal of the charger (32P) to the neutral point, the negative connector connecting a negative terminal of the charger (32N) to the negative side of the second electrical storage device, the controller works to start a voltage step-up task to perform the switching operations with the charger connected to the three-level inverter through the neutral point connector and the negative connector to create flows of electrical current through the three-level inverter and the windings, thereby stepping-up charging voltage developed at the charger and delivering the stepped-up charging voltage to the storage battery (Paragraph [0045] In the boost mode, the battery 12 is charged by boosting the power from the DC charger 30), and in the voltage step-up task (Figs. 4 and 5), the controller turns off a first clamp switch that is at least one of the clamp switches for a specified phase that is at least one of the phases of the multi-phase rotating electrical machine and alternately turns on first upper and lower arm switches that are the upper and lower arm switches for the specified phase (shown in Fig. 4), the controller also turning off second upper and lower arm switches that are the upper and lower arm switches other than the first upper and lower arm switches and turning on a second clamp switch that is at least one of the clamp switches other than the first clamp switch (shown in Fig. 5).
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 non-obviousness.
Claims 2,3; 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takamatsu et al. (US 2021/0091573 A1; hereinafter “Takamatsu”) in view of Ohata et al. (US 11,207,985 B2; hereinafter “Ohata”).
In re claim 2, Takamatsu discloses an electrical power converter (Figs. 1-5) for use with a system including a storage battery (12) and an electrical device (18) which is electrically connectable with the storage battery, comprising: a three-level inverter (10) which is electrically connected to the storage battery; a rotating electrical machine (20) which includes windings electrically connected to the three-level inverter; a connector 50); and a controller (60), wherein the electrical device is disposed outside the electrical power converter and implemented by a low-voltage charger (30) working to charge the power supply, the low-voltage charger having a charging voltage lower than a voltage rating of the storage battery (Paragraph [0045] a boost mode, which is a second charging mode applied when the maximum voltage of the DC charger 30 is lower than the battery voltage VB), the three-level inverter includes a first electrical storage device (C1), a second electrical storage device (C2), and switches (SU1-4, SV1-5, SW1-4, DU1-2, DV1-2; DW1-2), the first electrical storage device and the second electrical storage device being connected in series with each other, the switches working to connect the windings (20) with a positive side of the first electrical storage device, a neutral point between a negative side of the first electrical storage device and a positive side of the second electrical storage device, or a negative side of the second electrical storage device (shown in Fig. 3), the positive side of the first electrical storage device (C1) is connected to a positive terminal of storage battery (12), the negative side of the second electrical storage device (C2) is connected to a negative terminal of the storage battery (12), the connector (50) works to achieve electrical connection of the electrical device (18) with the three-level inverter and also achieve electrical connection of the electrical device with the storage battery (12) through the neutral point, the controller (60) works to control switching operations of the switches to achieve transmission of electrical power between the electrical device and the storage battery with the three-level inverter and the electrical device connected together through the connector, the connector includes a negative connector and a positive connector, the negative connector connecting a negative terminal of the low-voltage charger (32N) to the negative side of the second electrical storage device, the positive connector connecting a positive side of a high-voltage charger (32P) whose charging voltage is lower than that of the low-voltage charger with a positive side of the first electrical storage device (Paragraph [0045] a boost mode, which is a second charging mode applied when the maximum voltage of the DC charger 30 is lower than the battery voltage VB), the controller works to start a voltage step-up task to perform the switching operations with the low-voltage charger connected to the three-level inverter through the neutral point connector and the negative connector to create flows of electrical current through the three-level inverter and the windings, thereby stepping-up charging voltage developed at the low-voltage charger and delivering the stepped-up charging voltage to the storage battery.
Takamatsu does not disclose “a connector that includes a neutral point connector, a negative connector, and a positive connector, the neutral point connector connecting a positive terminal of the low-voltage charger to the neutral point.”
Whereas Ohata discloses a similar apparatus (Figs. 1-6), wherein a connector (50) includes a neutral point connector (32B), a negative connector (32C), and a positive connector (32A), the neutral point connector connecting a positive terminal of the low-voltage charger to the neutral point, the negative connector connecting a negative terminal of the low-voltage charger (32C) to the negative side of the second electrical storage device, the positive connector connecting a positive side of a high-voltage charger (32A).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the connector of Takamatsu such that connector includes a neutral point connector (32B), a negative connector, and a positive connector, the neutral point connector connecting a positive terminal of the low-voltage charger to the neutral point as shown by Ohata. The selection of the connector would be a routine matter to the person of ordinary skill to better control and create flows of electrical current through the three-level inverter and the windings, as taught by Ohata, cited above.
In re claim 3, Takamatsu discloses an electrical power converter (see Claim 2 rejection above and Figs. 1-5), wherein the rotating electrical machine (20) is designed as a multi-phase rotating electrical machine (U, V, W), the switches of the three-level inverter include upper arm switches (SU1, SV1, SW1) and lower arm switches (SU4, SV4, SW4) for a plurality of phases of the rotating electrical machine, the upper and lower arm switches being connected in series with the upper arm switches (See Fig. 1), the switches of the three-level inverter also include clamp switches (DU1-2, DV1-2, DW1-2, SU2-3, SV2-3, SW2-3) each for one of the phases of the multi-phase rotating electrical machine, each of the clamp switches establishing or blocking a flow of electrical current between a corresponding one of the windings and the neutral point (NP1), in the voltage step-up task, the controller (60) turns off a first clamp switch that is at least one of the clamp switches for a specified phase that is at least one of the phases of the multi-phase rotating electrical machine and alternately turns on first upper and lower arm switches that are the upper and lower arm switches for the specified phase (shown in Fig. 4), the controller also turning off second upper and lower arm switches that are the upper and lower arm switches other than the first upper and lower arm switches and turning on a second clamp switch that is at least one of the clamp switches other than the first clamp switch (shown in Fig. 5).
In re claim 7, Takamatsu discloses an electrical power converter (see Claim 2 rejection above and Figs. 1-5), wherein the charger (30) is a low-voltage charger whose charging voltage (400V) is lower than a voltage rating (800V) of the storage battery (12), the connector includes the negative connector (32N) and a positive connector (32P) which connects a positive side of a high-voltage charger whose charging voltage is lower than that of the low-voltage charger with a positive side of the first electrical storage device.
Takamatsu does not disclose “a connector that includes a neutral point connector.”
Whereas Ohata discloses a similar apparatus (Figs. 1-6), wherein a connector (50) includes a neutral point connector (32B), a negative connector (32C), and a positive connector (32A), the neutral point connector connecting a positive terminal of the low-voltage charger to the neutral point, the negative connector connecting a negative terminal of the low-voltage charger (32C) to the negative side of the second electrical storage device, the positive connector connecting a positive side of a high-voltage charger (32A).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the connector of Takamatsu such that connector includes a neutral point connector (32B), a negative connector, and a positive connector, the neutral point connector connecting a positive terminal of the low-voltage charger to the neutral point as shown by Ohata. The selection of the connector would be a routine matter to the person of ordinary skill to better control and create flows of electrical current through the three-level inverter and the windings, as taught by Ohata, cited above.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4-6 is 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.
With respect to claim 4, Takamatsu discloses a similar electrical power converter (see Claim 2 rejection above and Figs. 1-5), wherein the rotating electrical machine (20) is designed as a multi-phase rotating electrical machine (U,V, W), the switches of the three-level inverter include first switches (SU1, SV1, SW1) connected in series with each other, each for one of a plurality of phases of the multi-phase rotating electrical machine, second switches (SU2, SV2, SW2) connected in series with each other, each for one of the phases, third switches (SU3, SV3, SW3) connected in series with each other, each for one of the phase, and fourth switches (SU4, SV4, SW4) connected in series with each other, each for one of the phases, the three-level inverter includes first clamp diodes (DU1, DV1, DW1), one for each of the phases of the multi-phase rotating electrical machine, and second clamp diodes (DU2, DV2, DW2), one for each of the phases, the first switches have high-potential terminals connected to the positive terminal of the storage battery (22), the fourth switches have low-potential terminals connected to the negative terminal of the storage battery (24), joints of the second switches to the third switches are connected to the windings, joints of the first switches to the second switches are connected to cathodes of the first clamp diodes, the first clamp didoes have anodes connected to cathodes of the second clamp diodes, the second clamp diodes have anodes connected to joints of the third switches and the fourth switches, joints of the first clamp diodes to the second clamp diodes are connected to the neutral point (shown in Fig. 1).
Despite the similarity with the reference, Takamatsu does not disclose an electrical device wherein the voltage step-up task, the controller alternately turns on the first and second switches for a specified phase that is at least one of the phases of the multi-phase rotating electrical machine and also turns on the third and fourth switches for the specified phase, in the voltage step-up task, the controller also turns off at least one of the first switches and turns on at least one of the second switches for at least one of the phases other than the specified phase, the controller also turning off at least one of the third switches and/or at least one of the fourth switches for at least one of the phases other than the specified phase. The other prior art on record does not provide an obvious modification before the respective filing date within the limitations of claim 2.
With respect to claim 5, Takamatsu discloses a similar electrical power converter (see Claim 2 rejection above and Figs. 1-5).
Despite the similarity with the reference, Takamatsu does not disclose an electrical device wherein in the voltage step-up task, the controller works to create flows of electrical current through the three-level inverter and the windings to bring a q-axis current to zero or a value around zero. The other prior art on record does not provide an obvious modification before the respective filing date within the limitations of claim 2.
Claim 6 depends on Claim 5 and is therefore determined to have allowable subject matter for the same reasons stated above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure:
Salem et al. US 20220085741 A1 COMMON-MODE VOLTAGE REDUCTION OF A SIC BASED DUAL T-TYPE DRIVE SYSTEM
Sugahara et al. US 11848600 B2 Power Conversion Device With Control Circuit To Adjust A Common Mode Voltage Of Combined Output Voltages
Li et al. CN 114096435 A An Electric Drive System, A Power Assembly, A Heating Method And An Electric Vehicle
Ohata et al. JP 2021035202 A POWER SUPPLY APPARATUS
Ohata et al. JP 2021044965 A Power Supply Device For Use In Electric Vehicle, Has Controller Which Controls On/off Switching Of Three-level Inverter So That Three-phase Alternating Current (AC) Voltage From Charger Is Transformed To Direct Current (DC) Voltage
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Nicolas A Chapa Mills whose telephone number is (571)272-3683. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9am-6pm.
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/NICOLAS ALDEN CHAPA MILLS/ Examiner, Art Unit 2838
/CRYSTAL L HAMMOND/ Supervisory Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
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