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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This action is responsive to the communications filed 06/05/2025 (claimed foreign priority date 11/13/2024):
Claims 1-20 have been examined.
Legend: “Under BRI” = “under broadest reasonable interpretation;”
“[Prior Art/Analogous/Non-Analogous Art Reference] discloses through the invention” means “See/read entire document;” Paragraph [No..] = e.g., Para [0005] = paragraph 5; P = page, e.g., p4 = page 4; C = column, e.g. c3 = column 3;
Ln = line, e.g., ln25 = line 25; ln25-36 = lines 25 through 36.
Specification
1. The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: specification, in Para fig. 2-3, [0046, 0057], presents the following: “… FIG. 2 shows an example in which the motor system 30 is implemented in a configuration having a single inverter 32-1, and FIG. 3 shows an example in which the motor system 30 is implemented in a configuration having dual inverters 32-1 and 32-2,” which is unclear to understand whether an electrified vehicle with a single dual inverter structure is being specified/claimed, OR different electrified vehicle with dual inverter structure is being specified/claimed; whether a motor system with a single inverter structure is being specified/claimed, OR different motor system with a dual inverter structure is being specified/claimed; which implementation/configuration of motor system is being specified and/or claimed single inverter structure, or dual inverter structure, whether motor system in a configuration/implementation having a single inverter is being specified/claimed, OR motor system in a configuration/implementation having dual inverters is being specified/claimed, which renders the specification indefinite. Clarification and/or appropriate correction is required.
For the purpose of this examination, in view of the specification, and under BRI, the Examiner will interpret that “a motor system implemented in a configuration having dual inverters” is being specified and/or claimed.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
1.1 Claims 1-20 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
1.1.1 Independent claims 1 and 14 recite the limitations/features “electrified vehicle that includes a first inverter,” while dependent clams 8 and 19 that depend on independent claims 1 and 14 correspondingly, recite the limitations/features “the electrified vehicle that further includes second inverter,” which is unclear to understand whether an electrified vehicle with a single dual inverter structure is being claimed, OR different electrified vehicle with a dual inverter structure is being claimed, which renders the claims indefinite.
The Examiner finds that it is also unclear whether a motor system with a single inverter structure is being claimed, OR different motor system with a dual inverter structure is being claimed; which implementation/configuration of motor system is being claimed, single inverter structure, or dual inverter structure, whether motor system in a configuration/implementation having a single inverter is being claimed, OR motor system in a configuration/implementation having dual inverters is being claimed, which renders the claims indefinite. In other words independent claims 1 and 14 recite a single inverter structure motor system while dependent clams 8 and 19, which depend on independent claims 1 and 14 correspondingly, recite a dual inverters structure motor system, which renders the claims indefinite. Clarification is required.
For the purpose of this examination, in view of the specification, and under BRI, the Examiner will interpret that “a motor system implemented in a configuration having dual inverters” is being specified and/or claimed.
1.1.2 Claims 2-13 and 15-20 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, because of their dependencies on rejected independent claims 1 and 14, and for failing to cure the deficiencies listed above.
ALLOWABLE SUBJECT MATTER
1. Claims 1 and 14 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
2. Claims 2-13 and 15-20 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
3. The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
In performing initial search, the Examiner was able to find the closest prior art of record, which is JANG (CN117458919A) and YU (EP4224703A1) taken either individually or in combination with other prior art of KIM (CN117792120A), GAO (CN117458948A) and JEONG (CN116707385A), who describe a motor driving device and method; the device that comprises a first motor, a second motor, a first inverter, a second inverter, a first diverter switch, a second diverter switch and a controller; the second motor that comprises second windings respectively corresponding to multiple phases; the first inverter that comprises a first switching element and connected to the first end of each first winding; the second inverter that comprises a second switch element; the first switch that comprises a third switch element, the first end of the third switch element respectively connected to the second end of each first winding, the second ends connected with each other; said multiple switches that selectively connect the second inverter with the second end of each first winding or connect the second inverter with the first end of each second winding; the controller configured to control the states of the first switch element, the second switch element, the third switch element and the plurality of switches based on a preset condition; AND a motor driving apparatus driving a motor including a plurality of windings corresponding to each of phases that includes a mode change switch and a plurality of inverters that operate the motor in a closed end winding mode or an open end winding mode; and a controller configured for controlling the mode change switch and the plurality of inverters according to a first mode determination result based on a reverse magnetic flux and a second mode determination result according to an output power limit for each mode.
In regards to claims 1-20, JANG (CN117458919A) and YU (EP4224703A1) taken either individually or in combination with other prior art of record fail to teach or render obvious the following feature(s) / limitation(s):
selectively controlling a driving mode of the motor between a first driving mode in which the motor is driven using only output power of the main battery and a second driving mode in which the motor is driven using the output power of the main battery and output power of the auxiliary battery together based on a first switching condition with respect to a target operating point according to a required torque of the motor and a second switching condition with respect to a required output power of the motor and the output power of the auxiliary battery, in a state in which the electrified vehicle is equipped with the auxiliary battery.
RELEVANT PRIOR ART THAT WAS CITED BUT NOT APPLIED
The following relevant prior art references that were found, by the Examiner while performing initial and/or additional search, cited but not applied:
NAKAMURA (JP2010163053A) – (see entire NAKAMURA document, particularly abstract – teaching when a first state where a system main relay is set to on, and a system main relay is off is switched to a second state that the system main relay is set to off, and the system main relay is set to on via a transitional state that the system main relays are both set to off, the motor is controlled so that the motor can be driven within the range of a power which is larger than the output restriction of a master battery; and when a switching completion time estimation circuit temperature estimated as the temperature of a master side booster circuit, when the switching of the first state to the second state is completed is equal to or more than a threshold, the master side booster circuit is controlled, by using a carrier frequency which is smaller than the case that the switching completion time estimation circuit temperature is less than the threshold);
NADA MITSUHIRO (EP1566303A1) – (see entire NADA MITSUHIRO document, particularly abstract – teaching a hybrid vehicle with an engine, a generator, and a motor mounted thereon, said engine outputting power through combustion of a fuel, said generator generating electric power with at least part of the power output from said engine, said motor outputting power to a drive shaft of said hybrid vehicle, said hybrid vehicle comprising: an engine control unit that feedback controls a quantity of the fuel injected to said engine to attain a specified target revolving speed of said engine; a secondary battery connectable with both positive and negative power lines of a direct voltage source, which link said generator with said motor; a first contact that switches on and off connection of said secondary battery with one of the two power lines and links said secondary battery with the power line via a restriction resistor, which restricts electric current flowing out of said secondary battery; a second contact that is connected to the first contact in parallel and directly links said secondary battery with the power line; a third contact that switches on and off connection of said secondary battery with the other of the two power lines; a weld detection unit that detects a weld of the third contact; and a welding-state driving unit that opens both the first contact and the second contact after activation of said engine in response to detection of the weld of the third contact, and drives said motor with the electric power generated by said generator).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Primary Examiner YURI KAN, P.E., whose phone number is 571- 270-3978. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday – Friday.
If attempts to reach the examiner by phone are unsuccessful, you may contact the examiner's supervisor, Mr. Jelani Smith, who can be reached on 571-270-3969. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/YURI KAN, P.E./ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3662
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