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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schauder (Pat. No.: 5,182,508) in view of Suzuki et al. (Pub. No.: US 2018/0281619 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Schauder teaches a winding switching system for a vehicle motor (circuit means for producing switching signals to inverter means which produces three phase AC to associated motor winding, col. 2, lines 6-17), comprising:
a drive motor configured to drive a wheel of a vehicle (drive system for a battery-powered vehicle operable in drive mode or charging mode, See Abstract and motor 14, FIG. 1);
a control device configured to control the drive motor (18, 22, 20; FIG. 1);
a power converter configured to convert DC power output from a battery (DC energy drawn from storage battery 12, col. 3, lines 10-12) into AC power and supply the AC power to the drive motor (DC energy inverted to polyphase AC energy by inverter means 13 to power motor 14, col. 3, lines 10-12); and
a winding switching device configured to switch a connection state of a plurality of windings in the drive motor between a first connection state and a second connection state (Similarly, switching means 10 alter electrical paths within the drive such that the battery is easily recharged, col. 6, lines 42-45, or in a drive mode in which the motor has a pair of separately excitable three phase windings spatially displaced. In the charging mode, separate windings are excited which is interpreted as two distinct connections states that excites respective polyphase windings 26 and/or 27 within motor 14 depending on the mode; See Abstract),
wherein the control device includes:
a switching control unit configured to cause the winding switching device to switch from the first connection state to the second connection state after the AC current has changed (“Inverters 56 and 57 each preferably have a number of poles corresponding to the number of phases in the respective winding. Thus, in the embodiment shown, each inverter has three poles. Each pole comprises a pair of transistors or other semiconductor switching elements having respective anti parallel diodes. The transistors are serially arranged such that the collector of one is tied to a positive DC rail connected to the positive electrode 58 of battery 12. The emitter of the other is tied to a negative DC rail connected to battery negative electrode 59. The emitter of the first transistor is electrically connected to the collector of the second. The node connecting the two transistors together serves as an AC terminal. Firing signals from pulse width modulators 54 and 55 operate the transistors to produce three phase AC currents in windings 26 and 27 respectively. Because of the phase offset between current reference vector signals i.sub.1 * and i.sub.2 * the MMFs of the two windings coincide spatially within motor 14. This drive is fast and accurate, allowing operation of motor 14 at speeds approaching 12,000 revolutions per minute.” Col. 6, lines 20-41).
Schauder is silent to a torque control unit configured to change an output torque of the drive motor by changing an AC current output from the power converter at a predetermined gear shift timing of the vehicle. However, Suzuki teaches a vehicle including a drive motor configured to transfer torque to a wheel. The motor controller is configured to perform torque variation control during a predetermined period, in response to a predetermined trigger for performing a pseudo shift change, torque of the drive motor is decreased by a set variation amount and is then increased (See Abstract). Suzuki further discloses a battery 106 and an inverter 104 to serve electric motor power from the battery (¶ 15). It is known in the art that batteries output AC/DC current or vice versa via inverters to an electric motor which are well known to include a plurality of windings.
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the drive motor changing an AC current output from a power converter as taught by Schauder to have a torque control unit configured to change an output torque of the drive motor by changing an AC current output from the power converter at a predetermined gear shift timing of the vehicle as taught by Suzuki to minimize any vehicle awkwardness for the driver (¶¶ 4, 5).
Regarding claim 19, Schauder teaches a control device for controlling a drive motor that drives a wheel of a vehicle (drive system for a battery-powered vehicle operable in drive mode or charging mode, See Abstract and motor 14, FIG. 1), comprising:
a power converter configured to convert DC power output from a battery into AC power (DC energy drawn from storage battery 12, col. 3, lines 10-12) and supply the AC power to the drive motor (DC energy inverted to polyphase AC energy by inverter means 13 to power motor 14, col. 3, lines 10-12); and
a switching control unit configured to cause a winding switching device configured to switch a connection state of a plurality of windings in the driving motor to switch from a first connection state to a second connection state after the AC current has changed (“Inverters 56 and 57 each preferably have a number of poles corresponding to the number of phases in the respective winding. Thus, in the embodiment shown, each inverter has three poles. Each pole comprises a pair of transistors or other semiconductor switching elements having respective anti parallel diodes. The transistors are serially arranged such that the collector of one is tied to a positive DC rail connected to the positive electrode 58 of battery 12. The emitter of the other is tied to a negative DC rail connected to battery negative electrode 59. The emitter of the first transistor is electrically connected to the collector of the second. The node connecting the two transistors together serves as an AC terminal. Firing signals from pulse width modulators 54 and 55 operate the transistors to produce three phase AC currents in windings 26 and 27 respectively. Because of the phase offset between current reference vector signals i.sub.1 * and i.sub.2 * the MMFs of the two windings coincide spatially within motor 14. This drive is fast and accurate, allowing operation of motor 14 at speeds approaching 12,000 revolutions per minute.” Col. 6, lines 20-41).
Schauder is silent to a torque control unit configured to change an output torque of the drive motor by changing an AC current output from the power converter at a predetermined gear shift timing of the vehicle. However, Suzuki teaches a vehicle including a drive motor configured to transfer torque to a wheel. The motor controller is configured to perform torque variation control during a predetermined period, in response to a predetermined trigger for performing a pseudo shift change, torque of the drive motor is decreased by a set variation amount and is then increased (See Abstract). Suzuki further discloses a battery 106 and an inverter 104 to serve electric motor power from the battery (¶ 15). It is known in the art that batteries output AC/DC current or vice versa via inverters to an electric motor which are well known to include a plurality of windings.
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the drive motor changing an AC current output from a power converter as taught by Schauder to have a torque control unit configured to change an output torque of the drive motor by changing an AC current output from the power converter at a predetermined gear shift timing of the vehicle as taught by Suzuki to minimize any vehicle awkwardness for the driver (¶¶ 4, 5).
Regarding claim 20, Schauder teaches a control method for a vehicle motor, to be executed by a control device for controlling a drive motor that drives a wheel of a vehicle (drive system for a battery-powered vehicle operable in drive mode or charging mode, See Abstract and motor 14, FIG. 1), the control method comprising:
a power converter configured to convert DC power output from a battery into AC power and supply the AC power to the drive motor (DC energy inverted to polyphase AC energy by inverter means 13 to power motor 14, col. 3, lines 10-12); and
a step of causing a winding switching device configured to switch a connection state of a plurality of windings in the driving motor to switch from a first connection state to a second connection state after the AC current has changed (col. 6, lines 20-41).
Schauder is silent to a step of changing an output torque of the drive motor by changing an AC current output from the power converter, at a predetermined gear shift timing of the vehicle. However, Suzuki teaches a vehicle including a drive motor configured to transfer torque to a wheel. The motor controller is configured to perform torque variation control during a predetermined period, in response to a predetermined trigger for performing a pseudo shift change, torque of the drive motor is decreased by a set variation amount and is then increased (See Abstract). Suzuki further discloses a battery 106 and an inverter 104 to serve electric motor power from the battery (¶ 15). It is known in the art that batteries output AC/DC current or vice versa via inverters to an electric motor which are well known to include a plurality of windings.
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the drive motor changing an AC current output from a power converter as taught by Schauder to have a step of changing an output torque of the drive motor by changing an AC current output from the power converter at a predetermined gear shift timing of the vehicle as taught by Suzuki to minimize any vehicle awkwardness for the driver (¶¶ 4, 5).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 - 18 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Welchko et al. (Patent No.: US 7,199,535 B2). Teaches a double-ended inverter system for a vehicle having a load, a first energy source, and a first inverter system coupled to the first energy source and adapted to drive the load. The double-ended inverter system further having a secondary energy source, a second capacitor coupled in parallel to the secondary energy source, and a second inverter system coupled to the secondary energy source and adapted to drive the load. The inverter switches power to the drive motor windings from a direct current DC bus.
Nagashima et al. (Pub. No.: US 2009/0033253 A1). Discloses An electric traction system for a vehicle having a high voltage battery and a low voltage battery is provided. The system includes an AC electric motor and a double ended inverter system coupled to the AC electric motor. The AC electric motor has a first set of windings and a second set of windings that occupy common stator slots, where the first set of windings and the second set of windings are electrically isolated from each other. The double ended inverter system drives the AC electric motor using energy obtained from the high voltage battery and energy obtained from the low voltage battery. The double ended inverter system utilizes a first inverter subsystem coupled between the first set of windings and the high voltage battery, and a second inverter subsystem coupled between the second set of windings and the low voltage battery.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TYLER J LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-9727. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-5:00.
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/TYLER J LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3663
