CTFR 17/738,111 CTFR 92532 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia 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 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-12-aia AIA (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. 07-15-03-aia AIA Claim(s) 1-4, 7-12, 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 2021/0348459 (Lipponen) . Regarding claim 1, Lipponen teaches generating system using fuel cells (Fig. 1 shows marine power system produced using multiple fuel cells 11), the system comprising: a plurality of fuel cell stacks (Fig. 1 shows fuel cell stacks 11); a plurality of power converters (Fig. 1 shows plurality power converters 12-19), wherein each of the power converters is connected to a corresponding fuel cell stack of the fuel cell stacks (Fig. 1 shows each of the power converters 12-19 connected to a corresponding fuel cell stack of the fuel cell stacks 11) [0014] and configured for adjusting an output of the connected fuel cell stack and performing direct current - alternating current conversion (Fig. 1 shows power converters 12-19 to be DC/AC converters) [0014]; and a controller which is configured to individually control the respective power converters so that a total output of the plurality of power converters converges on a required system output while controlling the respective power converters to output a current varying over time (controller of the DC/AC converters 12-19 so that a total output of the DC/AC converters 12-19 converges on a required system output while controlling the respective power converter to output a current varying over time) [0027, 0034- 0039]; wherein the plurality of fuel cell stacks is organized into two groups (Fig. 1 shows two groups of fuel cell 11) [0016], with the power converters connected to the fuel cell stacks within each group synchronized through a synchronizer to provide uniformly variable output (Fig. 1 shows output groups are synchronized correspondingly) [0015, 0020], and wherein the controller is configured to control the power converters so that the two groups have opposite phases (upper- level controller stop some fuel cells and stopping some of the groups while the remaining groups are outputting constant voltage output thereby having opposite phases) [0023-0027]. Regarding claim 2, Lipponen teaches wherein respective output terminals of the plurality of power converters (Fig. 1 shows output terminals of the plurality of DC/AC converters 12-19) are connected through a grid linker (Fig. 1 shows transformer 22), and wherein the total output is provided at the grid linker (Fig. 1 shows total output is provided at the transformer 22) [0017]. Regarding claim 3, Lipponen teaches further including a synchronizer for synchronizing the outputs of the plurality of power converters (plurality of DC/AC converters 12-19 are synchronized) [0015, 0020]. Regarding claim 4, Lipponen teaches wherein the plurality of fuel cell stacks (Fig. 1 shows plurality fuel cells 11) is organized into a plurality of groups (Fig. | shows plurality of fuel cell stacks organized into a plurality of groups) [0015, 0019], and wherein the power converters (Fig. 1 shows DC/AC converters 12-19) connected to the fuel cell stacks (Fig. 1 shows plurality fuel cells 11) of the respective groups are synchronized through the synchronizer to provide uniform output [0015, 0020]. Regarding claim 5, Lipponen teaches wherein the plurality of fuel cell stacks is organized into two groups (Fig. 1 shows two groups of fuel cell 11) [0016], and wherein the controller is configured to control the power converters so that the two groups have opposite phases (upper- level controller stop some fuel cells and stopping some of the groups while the remaining groups are outputting constant voltage output thereby having opposite phases) [0023-0027]. Regarding claim 6, Lipponen teaches wherein the plurality of fuel cell stacks (Fig. 1 shows fuel cells 11) is organized into a plurality of groups (Fig. 1 shows groups 13, 14, 17, 18), with the power converters (Fig. 1 shows DC/AC converters 12-19) connected to the fuel cell stacks within each group synchronized through a synchronizer to provide uniformly variable output (plurality of DC/AC converters 12-19 are synchronized) [0015, 0020], and wherein the controller is configured to control the output of the power converters of each group so that the total output of the plurality of groups converges upon the required system output (controller of the DC/AC converters 12-19 so that a total output of the DC/AC converters 12-19 converges on a required system output while varying an output of the respective power converters 12-19) [0034-0039]. Regarding claim 7, Lipponen teaches wherein the plurality of fuel cell stacks is organized into a plurality of groups (Fig. 1 shows plurality of fuel cells 11 organized into plurality of groups) [0015-0016], and wherein when some of the groups are stopped, the controller is configured to control remaining groups among the groups to constant current output (upper level controller stop some fuel cells thereby stopping some of the groups while the remaining groups are outputting constant current output) [0023, 0026-0027]. Regarding claim 8, Lipponen teaches wherein when the stopped group is restarted, the controller is configured to control the restarted group to constant current output (upper level controller increase and decrease the number of operating fuel cells to constant voltage output) [0024-0026], and wherein when the restarted group has reached the constant current output [0026], the system controls each group so that the output of the power converters is varied for the required system output to be converged upon (upper level controller controls each group so that the output of the DC/AC converters is varied for the required output) [(0015-0017, 0027-0028]. Regarding claim 9, Lipponen teaches wherein the fuel cell stack is a fuel cell stack for a vehicle (Fig. 1 power system to be used for propulsion of passenger vessel) [0003-0004]. Regarding claim 10, Lipponen teaches the method comprising: checking, by the controller, normal operation of the respective fuel cell stacks (controller of the DC/AC converters 12-19 so that a total output of the DC/AC converters 12-19 converges on a required system output while varying an output of the respective power converters 12-19) [0025-0027, 0034-0035]; and controlling, by the controller, the respective power converters so that the total output of the plurality of power converters converges on the required system output while controlling the respective power converters to output the current varying over time (controller controls the respective power converters so that the total output of the plurality of power converters converges on the total demand while controlling the respective power converters to output the current varying over time based on the varying demand levels) [0026-0027, 0034-0037], and wherein the controlling includes synchronizing the power converters connected to the fuel cell stacks within each group to provide uniformly variable output [0015, 0020, 0023, 0038]. Regarding claim 11, Lipponen teaches wherein the plurality of fuel cell stacks (Fig. 1 shows plurality fuel cells 11) is organized into a plurality of groups (Fig. | shows plurality of fuel cell stacks organized into a plurality of groups) [0015, 0019], and wherein when some of the groups are stopped, the controller is configured to control remaining groups among the groups to constant current output (upper level controller stop some fuel cells thereby stopping some of the groups while the remaining groups are outputting constant voltage output) [0023, 0026-0027]. Regarding claim 12, Lipponen teaches wherein when the stopped group is restarted, the controller is configured to control the restarted group to constant current output (upper level controller increase and decrease the number of operating fuel cells to constant voltage output) [0024-0026], and wherein when the restarted group has reached the constant current output [0026], the controller is configured to control each group so that the output of the power converters is varied for the required system output to be converged upon (upper level controller controls each group so that the output of the DC/AC converters is varied for the required output) [0015-0017, 0027-0028]. Regarding claim 14, Lipponen teaches wherein when a first group of the two groups is stopped (upper level controller increase and decrease the number of operating fuel cells to constant voltage output) [0024-0026], the controller is configured to control a second group of the two groups to maintain constant current (upper level controller stop some fuel cells thereby stopping some of the groups while the remaining groups are outputting constant voltage output) [0023- 0027], and wherein when the first group is normalized and restarted, the controller is configured to control the first group to be operate at constant current and then to operate normally at variable current together with the second group (upper level controller controls each group so that the output of the DC/AC converters is varied for the required output) [0015-0017, 0026- 0028] . Response to Arguments 07-37 AIA Applicant's arguments filed 01/22/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant presents that the currently amended portion “with the power converters connected to the fuel cell stacks within each group synchronized through a synchronizer to provide uniformly variable output” is not taught by Lipponen. However, the Examiner would like to point to Lipponen Fig. 1 to show the power converters being connected to the fuel cell stacks within each group and said power converters being synchronized to have the same output voltage as taught in paragraph [0015, 0020, 0023, 0038]. Thereby, the rejection stands. Conclusion 07-39 AIA THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a). A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SWARNA N CHOWDHURI whose telephone number is (571)431-0696. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8am-5pm. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Rexford Barnie can be reached at 571-272-7496. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. SWARNA N. CHOWDHURI Examiner Art Unit 2836 /S.N.C/Examiner, Art Unit 2836 /REXFORD N BARNIE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2836 Application/Control Number: 17/738,111 Page 2 Art Unit: 2836 Application/Control Number: 17/738,111 Page 3 Art Unit: 2836 Application/Control Number: 17/738,111 Page 4 Art Unit: 2836 Application/Control Number: 17/738,111 Page 5 Art Unit: 2836 Application/Control Number: 17/738,111 Page 6 Art Unit: 2836 Application/Control Number: 17/738,111 Page 7 Art Unit: 2836
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