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 .
This is in response to Applicant’s communication filed on 5/26/29, wherein:
Claims 1-3, 5-11, 13-17, 21-23, 25, 50 are currently pending.
Claims 2-3, 5-11, 1317, 21-23, 25 have been amended.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
(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(s) 1-11, 50 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by STEPCHENKEV ET AL (US 2022/0072968). Herein after STEPCHENKOV.
As for claim 1, STEPCHENKOV discloses a modular energy system controllable to supply power to one or more AC loads {see at least par. 0110} and one or more DC loads {see at least figure 3C, items 301, 302, pars. 0101, 0156, 0161, 0175}, the system comprising:
a plurality of modules connected together in a plurality of arrays arranged in a plurality of array segments, each array configured to output an AC voltage signal comprising a superposition of output voltages from the modules of that array, each array segment comprising a plurality of arrays coupled together at a common point, wherein the plurality of arrays are coupled to provide power to one or more AC loads
{see at least figures 1A-C, items 108-1 to 108-N; figure 7A-7E, pars. 0110, 0161 which discloses two or more modules 108 can be coupled together in a cascaded array that outputs a voltage signal formed by a superposition of the discrete voltages generated by each module 108 within the array; figures 7A-7E pars. 0110, 0161 also discloses each array segment comprising a plurality of arrays coupled together at a common point, wherein the plurality of arrays are coupled to provide power to one or more AC loads}.
a supplemental signal conversion device coupled to an output of each array and configured to convert AC voltage signals output by one or more of the plurality of arrays to an output DC signal and to provide the output DC signal to supply one or more DC loads {see at least figure 2A, item 202, figure 3C, item 202B, pars. 0071-0075 e.g. Converter 202 can be configured to convert a direct current (DC) signal from energy source 204 into an alternating current (AC) signal and output it over power connection 110 (e.g., an inverter). Converter 202 can also receive an AC or DC signal over connection 110 and apply it to energy source 204 with either polarity in a continuous or pulsed form}.
As for claim 2, STEPCHENKOV discloses wherein each module comprises one or more energy sources and a converter comprising switch circuitry configured to generate the output voltage for the module {see at least figure 2A, items 206, 202, pars. 0072, 0073, 0074, 0075}.
As for claim 3, STEPCHENKOV discloses wherein the one or more AC loads comprise one or more electric motors of an electric vehicle and the one or more DC loads comprises one or more auxiliary loads of the electric vehicle {see at least figure 3C, items 301, 302, pars. 0100, 0110, 0156, 0161, 0208}.
As for claim 5, STEPCHENKOV discloses wherein the supplemental signal conversion device comprises a rectifier circuit {see at least par. 0072}.
As for claim 6, STEPCHENKOV discloses wherein the rectifier circuit comprises a plurality of diodes and the output of one or more arrays is coupled to one or more of the plurality of diodes {see at least figure 13A, items 1204, pars. 0072, 0086, 0163-0165, 0170, 0185, 0192, 0205}.
As for claim 7, STEPCHENKOV discloses wherein the output of each array is coupled to a respective pair of diodes of the plurality of diodes {see at least figures 12A, 13A, pars. 0072, 0086, 0163-0165}.
As for claim 8, STEPCHENKOV discloses wherein the output of one array of each segment is coupled to one or more diodes of the rectifier circuit {see at least figures 12A, 13A, pars. 0072, 0086, 0163-0165, 0185, 0192, 0205}.
As for claim 9, STEPCHENKOV discloses wherein the outputs of all arrays of each segment are coupled to one or more diodes of the rectifier circuit {see at least figures 12A, 13A, pars. 0072, 0086, 0163-0165, 0185, 0192, 0205}.
As for claim 10, STEPCHENKOV discloses wherein the output of each array is coupled to a respective pair of diodes that are coupled between a positive DC line and a negative DC line of the supplemental signal conversion device {see at least figures 12A, 13A, pars. 0072, 0086, 0163-0165, 0185, 0192, 0205}.
As for claim 11, STEPCHENKOV discloses wherein the output of each array is coupled to the positive DC line through a first diode of the respective pair of diodes and to the negative DC line through a second diode of the respective pair of diodes {see at least figures 12A, 13A, pars. 0072, 0086, 0163-0165, 0185, 0192, 0205}.
As for claim 50, the limitation of this claim has been noted in the rejected above. It is therefore rejected for the same reason sets forth above.
Claims 13-17, 21-23, 25 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.
Yan et al (US 2019/0245432): Abstract discloses a power converter and a method of controlling the power converter are provided. The power converter includes a PFC rectifier module and a DC-DC converter module; figure 2 and par. 0060 discloses the power converter 4 includes a PFC rectifier module 41 and a DC-DC converter module 42. The power converter 4 receives an AC input and outputs DC power to a load 43 (such as an electric vehicle). The power converter 4 further has a positive DC bus BUS+ and a negative DC bus BUS−. The PFC rectifier module 41 is connected to the AC input of the power converter 4, the positive DC bus BUS+ and the negative DC bus BUS−. The DC-DC converter module 42 is connected to the positive DC bus BUS+, the negative DC bus BUS− and the output of the power converter 4;
Deshayes et al (US 2025/0096581): A battery power supply device of an electrical energy supply system for aircraft includes at least two battery modules connected to a DC power network through a positive line, a negative line, and power switching elements, wherein each module includes at least one switching device for isolating said module from said network or for connecting said module to the network.
Smedley et al (US 2015/0002099): a battery management converter system includes an arrangement of a plurality of battery converter cells, where each battery converter cell includes one or more battery cells and a switching power converter.
Shen et al (US 2018/0056805): method of energizing electric vehicle (EV) power train with multiple and independently controlled battery packs. In this method, an EV can have one or more battery packs installed, only limited by the EV's physical spaces of the battery pack connector.
Stepchenkov et al (US 2020/0307395): in clam 1 discloses A modular battery pack system controllable to supply power to an electric vehicle (EV), the modular battery pack system comprising: three converter module arrays, each array comprising at least three arrayed converter modules electrically coupled together to output an AC voltage signal comprising a superposition of output voltages from each of the three arrayed converter modules, wherein each of the three arrays is configured to output an AC voltage signal having a different phase angle for a three phase motor of the EV.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kira Nguyen whose telephone number is (571)270-1614. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday 9:00-5:00 ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Khoi Tran can be reached on 571-272-6919. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KIRA NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3656
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