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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by FAN et al. (CN101685975) (“FAN”) (Document provided on the IDS of 11/25/2025).
With respect to claim 1, FAN discloses a power converter (converter 200, figures 5-6, 8-10), comprising: an input terminal, configured to be selectively connected to an alternating current power supply and a direct current power supply (figure 6 discloses node A receiving AC power from mains L and from battery); an output terminal, configured to be connected to a positive direct current bus and a negative direct current bus, wherein a positive direct current bus capacitor and a negative direct current bus capacitor connected in series with each other are electrically connected between the positive direct current bus and the negative direct current bus, and a node between the positive direct current bus capacitor and the negative direct current bus capacitor is connected to a neutral line (figure 6 discloses capacitors C1 and C2 connected to a positive and negative DC bus, respectively, and to a neutral line N); a power conversion unit, connected between the input terminal and the output terminal, and configured to selectively implement AC-DC conversion or DC-DC conversion (converter unit 200 is a rectifier); a soft start device unit connected between the input terminal and a positive electrode of the direct current power supply (R and RLY1 are connected in series and to a positive terminal of the battery), wherein the soft start device unit comprises a soft start switch and a resistor connected in series (R and RLY1 are connected in series and to a positive terminal of the battery); and a soft start control unit (control module 100) configured to control the soft start device unit and the power conversion unit so that the direct current power supply charges each of the positive direct current bus capacitor and the negative direct current bus capacitor to the voltage of the direct current power supply (figure 7 discloses the relay RLY3 is open and the relay RLY2 is closed during the time period 2 in figure 7, and Vbus is gradually increased up to the voltage of the direct current power supply and beyond by boost operation of switches Q1 and Q2. This gradual increase of Vbus can also be regarded as part of a soft-start procedure).
With respect to claim 2, FAN discloses the power converter of claim 1, wherein the soft start control unit is configured to perform the following operations: turning on the soft start switch, wherein the direct current power supply charges each of the positive direct current bus capacitor and the negative direct current bus capacitor to half of the voltage of the direct current power supply; and turning off the soft start switch and directly connecting the input terminal to the direct current power supply, wherein the direct current power supply charges each of the positive direct current bus capacitor and the negative direct current bus capacitor to the voltage of the direct current power supply through the power conversion unit, respectively. Figure 7 discloses controlling the soft start switch to charge the positive and negative bus capacitor to the rated voltage of the battery.
With respect to claim 10, FAN discloses an uninterruptible power supply, comprising the power converter of claim 1. FAN discloses that the system is an uninterruptible power supply (UPS).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 3, 7-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over FAN et al. (CN101685975) (“FAN”) in view of LIU et al. (US 2023/0253877) (“LIU”).
With respect to claim 3, FAN discloses the power converter of claim 1, wherein the power conversion unit comprises: an inductor assembly (L1, figure 6), wherein a first terminal of the inductor assembly is connected to the input terminal (input terminal A, figure 6); a first node connected to a second terminal of the inductor assembly (node A); a second node connected to a negative electrode of the direct current power supply (BUS- is connected to negative terminal of the battery); a first branch between the first node and the positive direct current bus (branch with d1); a third branch between the first node and the negative direct current bus (branch with d4);
FAN; however, does not disclose a second branch between the first node and the neutral line; a fourth branch between the neutral line and the second node; and a fifth branch between the negative direct current bus and the second node.
LIU discloses in figure 3 a second branch comprise of transistors Q211 and Q212, a fourth branch comprising diode D212, and a fifth branch comprising Q214.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention, to have modify and include the branches of LIU onto the UPS circuit of FAN, for the purpose of controlling the positive and negative electrode of the battery to be alternatively connected to a neutral point and one of the positive and negative direct current buses during power supply of a battery, for example (abstract).
With respect to claim 7, FAN in view of LIU disclose the power converter of claim 3, wherein the first branch is controlled by a first diode to turn on unidirectionally from the first node to the positive direct current bus, a positive electrode of the first diode is connected to the first node, and a negative electrode of the first diode is connected to the positive direct current bus (diode D211, figure 3); and/or the second branch is controlled to turn on by a first transistor and a second transistor connected in reverse series with the first transistor, the other terminal of the first transistor is connected to the first node, and the other terminal of the second transistor is connected to the neutral line (transistors Q211, Q212); and/or the third branch is controlled to turn on by a third transistor, a first terminal of the third transistor is connected to the first node, and a second terminal of the third transistor is connected to the negative direct current bus (Q213).
With respect to claim 8, FAN in view of LIU discloses the power converter of claim 7, wherein the fourth branch is controlled to turn on by a fourth transistor, a first terminal of the fourth transistor is connected to the neutral line, and a second terminal of the fourth transistor is connected to the second node. Figure 3 discloses that transistor Q214 is connected to neutral line N and to a node between the diode D212 and the negative terminal of the battery.
With respect to claim 9, FAN in view of LIU discloses the power converter of claim 8, wherein the fifth branch is controlled by a second diode to turn on unidirectionally from the negative direct current bus to the negative electrode of the direct current power supply, a positive electrode of the second diode is connected to the negative direct current bus, and a negative electrode of the second diode is connected to the second node. Figure 3 discloses diode D212 connected to the negative bus and the second node.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11-18 are allowed.
Claim 11 is allowable over the prior art of record, because the prior art of record does not disclose (b) operating the first switching circuit to conduct current from the inductor through a series combination of the first capacitor and the second capacitor to charge the first capacitor and the second capacitor to a first voltage level; (c) operating the first switching circuit to conduct current from the inductor through the first capacitor and back to the DC power source while bypassing the second capacitor to charge the first capacitor to a second voltage level greater than the first voltage level; and (d) operating the first switching circuit to conduct current from the inductor through the second capacitor while bypassing the first capacitor to charge the second capacitor to a third voltage level greater than the first voltage level. Along with the remaining features of the claim.
Claim 16 is allowable over the prior art of record, because the prior art of record does not disclose (b) operating the first switching circuit to conduct current from the inductor through a series combination of the first capacitor and the second capacitor to charge the first capacitor and the second capacitor to a first voltage level; (c) operating the first switching circuit to conduct current from the inductor through the first capacitor and back to the DC power source while bypassing the second capacitor to charge the first capacitor to a second voltage level greater than the first voltage level; and (d) operating the first switching circuit to conduct current from the inductor through the second capacitor while bypassing the first capacitor to charge the second capacitor to a third voltage level greater than the first voltage level. Along with the remaining features of the claim.
Claims 4-6 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.
Claim 4 is allowable over the prior art of record, because the prior art of record does not disclose wherein the soft start control unit is configured to control the soft start switch and the power conversion unit so that the direct current power supply charges each of the positive direct current bus capacitor and the negative direct current bus capacitor to the voltage of the direct current power supply through the power conversion unit using the following operations: turning on the soft start switch, the first branch, and the fifth branch, to charge the positive direct current bus capacitor and the negative direct current bus capacitor in series to charge each of the positive direct current bus capacitor and the negative direct current bus capacitor to half of the voltage of the direct current power supply; turning off the fifth branch and turning on the fourth branch, to charge the positive direct current bus capacitor to the voltage of the direct current power supply; and turning off the first branch and the fourth branch, and turning on the second branch and the fifth branch, to charge the negative direct current bus capacitor to the direct current power supply.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Lai et al. (US 2007/0241616) discloses an uninterruptible power supply with an inrush circuit comprising a resistor and switch in series.
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/CARLOS AMAYA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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