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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed 6/18/2025 fails to comply with 37 CFR 1.98(a)(2), which requires a legible copy of each cited foreign patent document; each non-patent literature publication or that portion which caused it to be listed; and all other information or that portion which caused it to be listed. The non-patent literature publications for which copies were not provided have not been considered.
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it has too many words. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Claim Objections
Claim 16 is objected to because of the following informalities: claim 16 should depend from claim 10. Appropriate correction is required.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The actual filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/applying-online/eterminal-disclaimer.
Claims 1-20 are provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-20 of copending Application No. 18/971,191 (reference application). Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the claims recite the same features as shown by the independent claims in the following table.
Instant Application 19/241,879
Copending Application 18/971,191
An electric machine assembly comprising:
a rotor; and a stator disposed concentrically about the rotor and separated from the rotor by a gap; wherein the rotor comprises five rotor protrusions disposed concentrically about the rotor; wherein the stator comprises two direct current coils disposed concentrically about the stator and magnetized is opposing directions, wherein each of the direct current coils provides an associated baseline magnetic flux that is adapted to interact with the rotor protrusions; and
wherein the stator comprises six stator poles disposed concentrically about the stator, wherein each of the stator poles is adapted to receive a current to provide an associated induced magnetic flux that is adapted to interact with the rotor protrusions.
An electric machine assembly comprising:
a rotor; and a stator disposed concentrically about the rotor and separated from the rotor by a gap; wherein the rotor comprises five rotor protrusions disposed concentrically about the rotor; wherein the stator comprises two permanent magnets or direct current coils disposed concentrically about the stator and magnetized is opposing directions, wherein each of the permanent magnets or direct current coils provides an associated baseline magnetic flux that is adapted to interact with the rotor protrusions; and wherein the stator comprises six stator poles disposed concentrically about the stator, wherein each of the stator poles is adapted to receive a current to provide an associated induced magnetic flux that is adapted to interact with the rotor protrusions.
10. An electric machine method comprising:
providing an electric machine assembly comprising:
a rotor; and
a stator disposed concentrically about the rotor and separated from the rotor by a gap; wherein the rotor comprises five rotor protrusions disposed concentrically about the rotor; wherein the stator comprises two direct current coils disposed concentrically about the stator and magnetized is opposing directions, wherein each of the direct current coils provides an associated baseline magnetic flux that is adapted to interact with the rotor protrusions; and wherein the stator comprises six stator poles disposed concentrically about the stator, wherein each of the stator poles is adapted to receive a current to provide an associated induced magnetic flux that is adapted to interact with the rotor protrusions; and
sequentially energizing and de-energizing the stator poles to impart a torque on the rotor.
10. An electric machine method comprising: providing an electric machine assembly comprising:
a rotor; and
a stator disposed concentrically about the rotor and separated from the rotor by a gap; wherein the rotor comprises five rotor protrusions disposed concentrically about the rotor; wherein the stator comprises two permanent magnets or direct current coils disposed concentrically about the stator and magnetized is opposing directions, wherein each of the permanent magnets or direct current coils provides an associated baseline magnetic flux that is adapted to interact with the rotor protrusions; and wherein the stator comprises six stator poles disposed concentrically about the stator, wherein each of the stator poles is adapted to receive a current to provide an associated induced magnetic flux that is adapted to interact with the rotor protrusions; and sequentially energizing and de-energizing the stator poles to impart a torque on the rotor.
18. An electric motor assembly for a electric vehicle, the electric motor comprising: a rotor adapted to be coupled to a drive wheel of the electric vehicle; and a stator disposed concentrically about the rotor and separated from the rotor by a gap; wherein the rotor comprises five rotor protrusions disposed concentrically about the rotor; wherein the stator comprises two direct current coils disposed concentrically about the stator and magnetized is opposing directions, wherein each of the direct current coils provides an associated baseline magnetic flux that is adapted to interact with the rotor protrusions; and
wherein the stator comprises six stator poles disposed concentrically about the stator, wherein each of the stator poles is adapted to receive a current to provide an associated induced magnetic flux that is adapted to interact with the rotor protrusions.
18. An electric motor assembly for an electric vehicle, the electric motor comprising: a rotor adapted to be coupled to a drive wheel of the electric vehicle; and a stator disposed concentrically about the rotor and separated from the rotor by a gap; wherein the rotor comprises five rotor protrusions disposed concentrically about the rotor; wherein the stator comprises two permanent magnets or direct current coils disposed concentrically about the stator and magnetized is opposing directions, wherein each of the permanent magnets or direct current coils provides an associated baseline magnetic flux that is adapted to interact with the rotor protrusions; and wherein the stator comprises six stator poles disposed concentrically about the stator, wherein each of the stator poles is adapted to receive a current to provide an associated induced magnetic flux that is adapted to interact with the rotor protrusions.
This is a provisional nonstatutory double patenting rejection because the patentably indistinct claims have not in fact been patented.
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.
(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) 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Meeker, Doubly Salient Synchronous Generator for Gas Turbine Engines, Electric Machines Technology Symposium 2014, of record.
As to claim 1, Meeker shows (FIG. 5):
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An electric machine assembly comprising:
a rotor R; and
a stator S disposed concentrically about the rotor R and separated from the rotor R by a gap; wherein the rotor R comprises five rotor protrusions RP disposed concentrically about the rotor R; wherein the stator S comprises two direct current coils DC disposed concentrically about the stator S and magnetized is opposing directions,
wherein each of the direct current coils DC provides an associated baseline magnetic flux that is adapted to interact with the rotor protrusions RP; and
wherein the stator S comprises six stator poles SP disposed concentrically about the stator S, wherein each of the stator poles SP is adapted to receive a current to provide an associated induced magnetic flux that is adapted to interact with the rotor protrusions RP (pages 1-2).
As to claim 2/1, Meeker further shows (FIG. 5 above) wherein the stator S is divided into two stator segments, wherein each stator segment comprises three stator poles SP of the six stator poles SP, and wherein the two stator segments are separated by the two direct current coils DC.
As to claim 3/1, Meeker further shows (FIG. 5 above) wherein each of the stator poles SP comprises a stator tooth disposed concentrically about the stator S and an associated stator coil (PAGES 1-2).
As to claim 4/1, Meeker further shows (FIG. 5 above) wherein the baseline magnetic flux and/or the induced magnetic flux are adapted to arrest or cause rotation of the rotor R with respect to the stator S (capable of performing the claimed function).
As to claim 5/1, Meeker further shows (FIG. 5 above) wherein the baseline magnetic flux is adapted to arrest rotation of the rotor R with respect to the stator S (capable of performing the claimed function).
As to claim 6/1, Meeker further shows (FIG. 5 above) wherein the current provided to each of the stator poles SP has a square, near sinusoidal, or sinusoidal current waveform (three phase current is implied to be sinusoidal pages 1-2).
As to claim 7/1, Meeker further shows (FIG. 5 above) wherein the stator poles SP are sequentially energized and de-energized to impart a torque on the rotor R (three phase coils pages 1-2).
As to claim 8/1, Meeker further shows (FIG. 5 above) wherein the rotor R and the stator S are manufactured from a ferromagnetic material (iron label FIG. 5).
As to claim 9/1, Meeker further shows (FIG. 5 above) wherein the electric machine assembly is utilized in one of an electric vehicle, industrial machinery, a robot, and a turbine generator (turbine generator title).
As to claim 10 Meeker shows (FIG. 5 above) An electric machine method comprising:
providing an electric machine assembly comprising:
a rotor R; and
a stator S disposed concentrically about the rotor R and separated from the rotor by a gap;
wherein the rotor R comprises five rotor protrusions RP disposed concentrically about the rotor R;
wherein the stator S comprises two direct current coils DC disposed concentrically about the stator S and magnetized is opposing directions,
wherein each of the direct current coils DC provides an associated baseline magnetic flux that is adapted to interact with the rotor protrusions RP; and
wherein the stator S comprises six stator poles SP disposed concentrically about the stator S, wherein each of the stator poles SP is adapted to receive a current to provide an associated induced magnetic flux that is adapted to interact with the rotor protrusions RP; and
sequentially energizing and de-energizing the stator poles SP to impart a torque on the rotor R (three phase coils pages 1-2).
As to claim 11/10, Meeker further shows (FIG. 5 above) wherein the stator S is divided into two stator segments, wherein each stator segment comprises three stator poles SP of the six stator poles SP, and wherein the two stator segments are separated by the two direct current coils DC.
As to claim 12/10, Meeker further shows (FIG. 5 above) wherein each of the stator poles SP comprises a stator tooth disposed concentrically about the stator S and an associated stator coil (PAGES 1-2).
As to claim 13/10, Meeker further shows (FIG. 5 above) wherein the baseline magnetic flux and/or the induced magnetic flux are adapted to arrest or cause rotation of the rotor R with respect to the stator S (capable of performing the claimed function).
As to claim 14/10, Meeker further shows (FIG. 5 above) wherein the baseline magnetic flux is adapted to arrest rotation of the rotor R with respect to the stator S (capable of performing the claimed function).
As to claim 15/10, Meeker further shows (FIG. 5 above) wherein the current provided to each of the stator poles SP has a square, near sinusoidal, or sinusoidal current waveform (three phase current is implied to be sinusoidal pages 1-2).
As to claim 16/1, Meeker further shows (FIG. 5 above) wherein the rotor R and the stator S are manufactured from a ferromagnetic material (iron label FIG. 5).
As to claim 17/10, Meeker further shows (FIG. 5 above) wherein the electric machine assembly is utilized in one of an electric vehicle, industrial machinery, a robot, and a turbine generator (turbine generator title).
As to claim 18, Meeker shows (FIG. 5 above) An electric motor assembly for an electric vehicle, the electric motor comprising:
a rotor R adapted to be coupled to a drive wheel of the electric vehicle; and
a stator S disposed concentrically about the rotor R and separated from the rotor R by a gap;
wherein the rotor R comprises five rotor protrusions RP disposed concentrically about the rotor R;
wherein the stator S comprises two direct current coils DC disposed concentrically about the stator S and magnetized is opposing directions,
wherein each of the direct current coils DC provides an associated baseline magnetic flux that is adapted to interact with the rotor protrusions RP; and
wherein the stator S comprises six stator poles SP disposed concentrically about the stator S, wherein each of the stator poles SP is adapted to receive a current to provide an associated induced magnetic flux that is adapted to interact with the rotor protrusions RP (pages 1-2, vehicle page 6-7).
As to claim 19/18, Meeker further shows (FIG. 5 above) wherein the stator S is divided into two stator segments, wherein each stator segment comprises three stator poles SP of the six stator poles SP, and wherein the two stator segments are separated by the two direct current coils DC.
As to claim 20/18, Meeker further shows (FIG. 5 above) wherein each of the stator poles SP comprises a stator tooth disposed concentrically about the stator S and an associated stator coil (PAGES 1-2).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT E MATES whose telephone number is (571)270-5293. The examiner can normally be reached M to F 12:00pm to 8pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, TULSIDAS PATEL can be reached at (571)272-2098. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ROBERT E MATES/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/TULSIDAS C PATEL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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