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 . Claims 1-23 are pending and examined below. This action is in response to the claims filed 11/20/25.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 11/20/25 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s arguments, see Applicant Remarks Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. § 102 filed on 11/20/25, regarding 35 U.S.C. § 102 rejections are persuasive in view of amendments of 11/20/25.
However, upon further consideration, new grounds of rejection are made below in view of Sullivan (US 2009/0186535).
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 1-11 and 13-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Crane et al. (US 2010/0283318) in view of Sullivan (US 2009/0186535).
Regarding claims 1 and 13, Crane discloses a marine power distribution system including an electric marine propulsion system/method configured to propel a marine vessel, the system comprising (Abstract):
at least one electric motor powered by a power storage system and configured to rotate a propulsor to propel the marine vessel (¶19 and ¶29 – propulsion motor corresponding to the recited electric motor powered by zonal energy stores corresponding to the recited power storage system);
a control system configured to (¶70 - electronic control system):
determine a voltage change due to a change in demand level of the electric motor (¶44-45 - load voltage can be ramped up to the desired operating point corresponding to the recited voltage change due to a change in demand level);
determine a minimum voltage at a maximum rated demand level for the electric motor based on the voltage change, wherein the minimum voltage is a minimum input voltage at the electric motor (¶118-119 – uppermost constant power curve corresponding to the recited maximum rated demand level for the electric motor is utilized to determine minimum voltage for the rated load which is the load presented by a propulsion drive comprising the propeller 6, the propulsion motor 5 and the propulsion converter 4 corresponding to the recited minimum voltage input at the motor before the system goes into fault and voltage tripping occurs);
determine an adjusted command for the electric motor based on the minimum voltage and a current demand input (¶119 – voltage and current is limited based on the determined load curves including the minimum loaded voltage corresponding to the recited adjusted command for the motor based on the minimum voltage and current demand input); and
control the electric motor based on the adjusted command (¶119 - propulsion drive load is regulated by the regulator that controls the propulsion converter based on the adjusted power levels).
While Crane does disclose adjusting voltage applied to the motor based on change in demand, it does not explicitly state the demand change is a required change in propulsion output. However, Sullivan discloses a system for powering an amphibious craft including determine a voltage change in input voltage at the electric motor due to a change in demand level requiring a change in propulsion output of the electric motor (¶44 – determined desired or target torque value via operator input controls corresponding to the recited change in demand level requiring a change in propulsion output of the electric motor used to determine dynamically reconfigures the motor/generator current level and/or voltage and/or polarity thousands of times per second such as to produce maximum peak torque efficiency while simultaneously providing a high level of maneuvering (forward, reverse and steering) control);
The combination of the marine power distribution system of Crane with the operator control input electrical adjustments to the motor of Sullivan fully discloses the elements as claimed.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date to have combined the marine power distribution system of Crane with the operator control input electrical adjustments to the motor of Sullivan in order to produce maximum peak torque efficiency while simultaneously providing a high level of maneuvering (forward, reverse and steering) control (Sullivan - ¶44).
Regarding claims 2 and 14, Crane further discloses determine an adapted system resistance of the power storage system based on the voltage change, and wherein the minimum voltage is determined based on the adapted system resistance (¶69 and ¶122 – minimum and nominal levels of supply voltage corresponding to the recited minimum voltage is determined utilizing dynamic source resistance corresponding to the recited adapted system resistance of the power storage system applied based on supply voltage fluctuations where the power supply is a battery corresponding to the recited power storage system).
Regarding claims 3 and 15, Crane further discloses wherein the adapted system resistance includes an internal resistance of at least one battery in the power storage system and a resistance of connection elements connecting the electric motor to the at least one battery (¶87 and ¶122-123 – dynamic source resistance includes resistance measured at the power source(s) which includes zonal power supply units corresponding to the recited at least one battery in the power storage system as well as the feeder connections corresponding to the recited connection elements connecting the motor to the battery such as converters).
Regarding claims 4 and 16, Crane further discloses determine a filtered adapted system resistance based on the adapted system resistance over time, and wherein the minimum voltage is determined based on the filtered adapted system resistance (¶122-123 – dynamic source resistance measures the resistance applied to the power sources over time corresponding to the recited filtered adapted system resistance which is utilized for determining the minimum voltage levels).
Regarding claims 5 and 17, Crane further discloses identify the change in demand level that is at least a threshold change (¶112 – change in output voltage which displaces from the determined steady state corresponding to the recited threshold change);
identify the voltage change as a corresponding change in the input voltage at the electric motor that corresponds with the threshold change in demand level (¶112-113 and ¶119-122 – voltage is calculated utilizing the propulsion drive load corresponding to the recited input voltage at the motor with respect to the supply voltage); and
determine the adapted system resistance based on the change in demand level and the corresponding change in the input voltage (¶122 – minimum and nominal levels of supply voltage corresponding to the recited minimum voltage is determined utilizing dynamic source resistance corresponding to the recited adapted system resistance applied based on supply voltage fluctuations which may fluctuate outside of the steady state as determined utilizing dynamic source resistance corresponding to the recited adapted system resistance).
Regarding claims 6 and 18, Crane further discloses wherein the change in demand level is one of a threshold change in motor current, a threshold change in motor torque, and a threshold change in helm command (¶35 and ¶119-122 – change in demand level includes propulsion motor load, corresponding to the recited change in motor torque, current curves corresponding to the recited motor current, and operator commands corresponding to the recited helm command wherein any factor that disrupts the steady state corresponding to the recited threshold change).
Regarding claims 7 and 19, Crane further discloses identify a first steady state demand level and measure a first motor input voltage at the first steady state demand level; identify a second steady state demand level and measure a second motor input voltage at the second steady state demand level; wherein the change in demand level is a difference between the first steady state demand level and the second steady state demand level (¶112-122 – outputs at nominal steady state loading point corresponding to the recited first steady state demand level and demand exceeding steady state limits corresponding to the recited second steady state demand level where the change in demand is the difference between the two).
Regarding claims 8 and 20, Crane further discloses wherein the maximum rated demand level is a maximum rated torque for the electric motor, wherein the current demand input is a current torque demand, and the adjusted command is a torque command to the electric motor (¶54 and ¶119-122 - maximize the performance of the associated propulsion motor corresponding to the recited maximum rated torque for the electric motor where current demand input is the current load demand for the motor corresponding to the recited current torque demand to determine the modified voltage/current output corresponding to the recited adjusted command).
Regarding claims 9 and 21, Crane further discloses wherein the current demand input is based on a user demand input at a user input device (¶35 – propulsion device is commanded based on operator commands (e.g., demand signals provided directly from the control levels of the marine vessel)).
Regarding claims 10 and 22, Crane further discloses determine the adjusted command for the electric motor by rescaling user demand input values from the user input device based on the minimum voltage (¶113-122 – output voltage is reduced corresponding to the recited rescale user demand input values based on the calculated minimums).
Regarding claims 11 and 23, Crane further discloses determine the adjusted command for the electric motor to limit user authority over output of the electric motor based on the minimum voltage (¶113-122 – output voltage is reduced corresponding to the recited limited user authority based on the calculated minimums).
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Crane et al. (US 2010/0283318) in view of Sullivan (US 2009/0186535), as applied to claim 1 above, in view of Onnerud et al. (US 2011/0049977).
Regarding claim 12, Crane doesn’t explicitly disclose utilizing a command table for determining command values however Onnerud discloses a vehicle battery management system including further comprising a command table stored in memory comprising adjusted command values based on minimum voltage values; wherein the control system is further configured to access the command table based on the minimum voltage and the current demand input to determine the adjusted command (¶44-48 – charge/discharge rates are determined utilizing a look-up table with measured power factors).
The combination of the marine power distribution system including determining minimum voltages and current demands of Crane in view of Sullivan with the battery state look-up tables of Onnerud fully disclose the elements as claimed.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date to have combined the marine power distribution system including determining minimum voltages and current demands of Crane in view of Sullivan with the battery state look-up tables of Onnerud in order to optimize performance and safety associated with large scale battery systems (Onnerud - ¶3).
Additional References Cited
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Haugland (US 2012/0309242) discloses a hybrid propulsion system for a marine vessel including adjusting output voltage based on input demand in either speed or power control mode (¶71-74).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Matthew J Reda whose telephone number is (408)918-7573. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday 7-4 ET.
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/MATTHEW J. REDA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3665