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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 01/15/2025 and 07/07/2025 are 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 § 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.
Claims 1-4, 7 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Denso [JP 2023-104642], applicant cited prior art (refer to provided machine translation).
Claim 1, Denso discloses a contactor system [5], comprising: a contactor [2] provided on a power supply path [paragraphs 0015 and 0022] connecting a power supply [battery; paragraph 0022] and a load [motor; paragraph 0022], the contactor comprising a normally open movable contact for selectively establishing/interrupting the power supply path and an electromagnetic coil for driving the movable contact [paragraph 0025; contact are normally open as energizing the coil closes the contacts]; a contactor driving circuit [included in control device 1; paragraphs 0015 and 0023] electrically connected to the electromagnetic coil to drive the contactor [paragraphs 0015 and 0023]; a current sensor [not shown but required to measure the current supplied to the coil; paragraph 0046] for detecting a contactor drive current flowing from the contactor driving circuit to the electromagnetic coil [paragraph 0046]; and a controller [included in control device 1; paragraph 0016] configured to control the contactor driving circuit so as to apply a voltage to the electromagnetic coil to close the contactor and so as to stop voltage application to the electromagnetic coil to open the contactor, wherein the controller is configured to estimate a coil temperature of the electromagnetic coil based on the contactor drive current detected by the current sensor.
Claim 2, Denso discloses the contactor system according to claim 1, wherein the controller calculates a resistance of the electromagnetic coil based on the voltage applied to the electromagnetic coil and the contactor drive current and estimates the coil temperature of the electromagnetic coil based on the resistance [paragraphs 0042, 43 and 46].
Claim 3, Denso discloses the contactor system according to claim 2, wherein the controller estimates the coil temperature by referring to a map showing a relationship between the resistance and the coil temperature [paragraph 0042].
Claim 4, Denso discloses the contactor system according to claim 1, wherein the controller increases the voltage applied to the electromagnetic coil when the coil temperature exceeds a first threshold [paragraph 0007s and 0039, current is increased to actuate the contactor]
Claims 7 and 8, a contactor control method in a contactor system is inherent in the product structure of the contactor system of claims 1-4 as disclosed by Denso above.
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.
Claims 5, 6, 9 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Denso [JP 2023-104642], applicant cited prior art, in view of Weir [US 5,644,510].
Claim 5, Denso discloses the contactor system according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the contactor driving circuit to stop the voltage application to the electromagnetic coil when the coil temperature exceeds a second threshold temperature that is set beforehand.
Weir teaches a control system comprising a contactor [24], a sensor [20], a controller [200] and a motor [12]; wherein the controller calculates the temperature of the motor based on the current supplied to the motor and upon reaching a threshold temperature, deenergizes the contactor to stop the motor [col. 3 lines 15-24]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the control system of Weir to the contactor system of Denso thereby controlling the contactor to stop the voltage application to the electromagnetic coil when the coil temperature exceeds a threshold temperature in order to prevent damage to the contactor due to excessive temperature.
Claim 6, Denso discloses the contactor system according to claim 4, wherein the controller controls the contactor driving circuit to stop the voltage application to the electromagnetic coil when the coil temperature exceeds a second threshold temperature that is set beforehand, the second threshold temperature being higher than the first threshold temperature.
Weir teaches a control system comprising a contactor [24], a sensor [20], a controller [200] and a motor [12]; wherein the controller calculates the temperature of the motor based on the current supplied to the motor and upon reaching a threshold temperature, deenergizes the contactor to stop the motor [col. 3 lines 15-24]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the control system of Weir to the contactor system of Denso thereby controlling the contactor to stop the voltage application to the electromagnetic coil when the coil temperature exceeds a threshold temperature in, the second threshold temperature being higher than the first threshold temperature order to prevent damage to the contactor due to excessive temperature.
Claims 9 and 10, a contactor control method in a contactor system is inherent in the product structure of the contactor system of claims 5 and 6 as taught by Denso in view of Weir above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Bernard Rojas whose telephone number is (571)272-1998. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. thru Fri. 7:00 am - 4:00 pm.
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/BERNARD ROJAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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