Ex Parte Hao et al

Patent Trial and Appeal Board

Dec 14, 2017

13871756 (P.T.A.B. Dec. 14, 2017)

United States Patent and Trademark Office
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
P.O.Box 1450
Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
www.uspto.gov
APPLICATION NO. FILING DATE FIRST NAMED INVENTOR ATTORNEY DOCKET NO. CONFIRMATION NO.
13/871,756 04/26/2013 Lei Hao P019687-RD-SDJ 1073
65798 7590
MILLER IP GROUP, PLC
GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION
42690 WOODWARD AVENUE
SUITE 300
BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI 48304
EXAMINER
TRUONG, THOMAS
ART UNIT PAPER NUMBER
2834
MAIL DATE DELIVERY MODE
12/14/2017 PAPER
Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
Ex parte LEI HAO, CHANDRA S. NAMUDURI,
THOMAS WOLFGANG NEHL, and JOHN C. MORGANTE
Appeal 2017-001967
Application 13/871,756
Technology Center 2800
Before LINDA M. GAUDETTE, JEFFREY R. SNAY, and
JENNIFER R. GUPTA, Administrative Patent Judges.
SNAY, Administrative Patent Judge.
DECISION ON APPEAL1
Appellant2 appeals under 35 U.S.C. § 134(a) from the Examiner’s
decision rejecting claims 1—4 and 6—18. We have jurisdiction under
35 U.S.C. § 6(b).
We affirm.
1 We cite to the Specification (“Spec.”) filed April 26, 2013; Final Office
Action (“Final Act.”) dated July 29, 2015; Appellant’s Appeal Brief (“App.
Br.”) dated December 29, 2015; Examiner’s Answer (“Ans.”) dated
September 21, 2016, and Appellant’s Reply Brief (“Reply Br.”) dated
November 17, 2016.
2 Appellant is Applicant, GM Global Technology Operations LLC.
Appellant identifies General Motors as the real party in interest. App. Br. 4.
Appeal 2017-001967
Application 13/871,756
BACKGROUND
The invention relates to an electric machine intended for use in a
belted alternator starter system that is configured to provide low torque
ripple. Spec. H 1, 6. According to Appellant, torque ripple is reduced when
a ratio of the number of stator slots to the number of rotor bars is selected to
prevent first and second order harmonics. Id. | 6. Claim 1 is illustrative:
1. An electric machine comprising:
a stator including a number of stator slots
separated by stator teeth, said stator further including a
plurality of windings wound within the stator slots; and
a rotor rotatably mounted within the stator and
defining an air gap therebetween, said rotor including a
number of spaced apart rotor bars positioned adjacent to
the air gap, wherein a ratio of the number of stator slots
to the number of rotor bars is selected using all of the
following inequalities to prevent first and second order
harmonics between the stator slots and the rotor bars;
3p