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.
Claims 1 and 5-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Cotton et al. (US 20210325069.
Regarding claim 1, Cotton (C) discloses a method for controlling a district thermal energy distribution system (Abstract), the thermal energy distribution system comprising: a distribution grid (108, [0162]) for a fluid-based distribution of heating and cooling, the distribution grid comprising a hot conduit (252a, [0365]) configured to allow heat transfer fluid of a first temperature to flow therethrough and a cold conduit (252b, [0377]) configured to allow heat transfer fluid of a second temperature to flow therethrough, the second temperature is lower than the first temperature; a control server (100, i.e., EMS, [0429]); a plurality of heat pumps (220a, [0179]) connected to the distribution grid, each heat pump being configured to transfer heat from a primary side thereof to a secondary side thereof, the primary side being configured to allow a flow of heat transfer fluid from the hot conduit of the distribution grid to the cold conduit of the distribution grid, and the secondary side being configured to allow heat transfer fluid of a local heating circuit to flow therethrough; and a plurality of cooling machines (220, [0254]) connected to the distribution grid, each cooling machines being configured to transfer heat from a secondary side thereof to a primary side thereof, the primary side being configured to allow a flow of heat transfer fluid from the cold conduit of the distribution grid to the hot conduit of the distribution grid, and the secondary side being configured to allow heat transfer fluid of a local cooling circuit to flow therethrough; wherein the method comprises: receiving, at the control server (100), an energy demand for a first heat pump among the plurality of heat pumps or a first cooling machine among the plurality of cooling machines to extract energy from the distribution grid ([0136]); determining, at the control server, a set of cooling machines among the plurality of cooling machines or a set of heat pumps among the plurality of heat pumps to which a respective control message is to be sent in order to compensate for the energy demand received ([0179]); generating, at the control server, a respective control message for each cooling machine in the set of cooling machines or a respective control message for each heat pump in the set of heat pumps, wherein the respective control message comprises data instructing the respective cooling machine to extract cold from the distribution grid to compensate, at least partly, for the energy demand for the first heat pump to extract heat from the distribution grid, or comprises data instructing the respective heat pump to extract heat from the distribution grid to compensate, at least partly, for the energy demand for the first cooling machine to extract cold from the distribution grid; and sending, from the control server and to the respective cooling machine or to the respective heat pump, the respective control message ([0009],[0136],[0184],[0522] i.e., balanced thermal energy mode). As a clarification, the EMC (110) is a server that controls the heat pump which requires the sending and receiving of signals to control the claimed elements.
Regarding claim 5, Cotton (C) discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining the set of cooling machines to which a respective control message is to be sent is made based on geographic location data ([0126], i.e., ambient temperature) pertaining to the first heat pump, or wherein the step of determining the set of heat pumps to which a respective control message is to be sent is made based on geographic location data pertaining to the first cooling machine.
Regarding claim 6, Cotton (C) discloses the method according to claim 5, wherein the one or more cooling machines in the set of cooling machines is/are selected among the cooling machines being within a threshold radius of geographic distance from the first heat pump ([0521]), or wherein the one or more heat pumps in the set of heat pumps is/are selected among the heat pumps being within a threshold radius of geographic distance from the first cooling machine.
Regarding claim 7, Cotton (C) discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the set of cooling machines comprises one or more of the plurality of cooling machines (220, [0254]), and wherein the set of heat pumps comprises one or more of the plurality of heat pumps (220a, [0179]).
Regarding claim 8, Cotton (C) discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the respective control message comprises an instruction instructing the respective heat pump or cooling machine to increase its outtake of energy from the distribution grid independent from its present outtake of energy from the distribution grid ([0179]).
Regarding claim 9, Cotton (C) discloses the method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving, at the respective cooling machine or at the respective heat pump, the control message and controlling the respective cooling machine or heat pump based thereon ([0184]).
Regarding claim 10, Cotton (C) discloses the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions for implementing the method according to claim 1, when executed on a device having processing capabilities ([0084-85]).
Regarding claim 11, Cotton (C) discloses a control server for controlling heat pumps (220a, [0179]) and/or cooling machines connected to a distribution grid for a fluid-based distribution of heating and cooling, the control server (100, i.e., EMS, [0429]); having knowledge of the number, the type and the relative geographical position of the heat pumps and the cooling machines of the distribution grid ([0521]), the control server comprising: a transceiver ([0037], the controller is communicating with the machines) configured to communicate with the heat pumps and/or cooling machines; and a control circuit (100) configured to execute: an energy demand function configured to determine an energy demand, for a first heat pump among the heat pumps or a first cooling machine among the cooling machines, to extract energy from the distribution grid, a demand compensating function configured to: determine a set of cooling machines among the cooling machines or a set of heat pumps among the heat pumps to which a respective control message is to be sent in order to compensate for the energy demand, and generate a respective control message to each cooling machine in the set of cooling machines or a respective control message to each heat pump in the set of heat pumps, wherein the respective control message comprises data instructing the respective cooling machine to extract cold from the distribution grid to compensate, at least partly, for the energy demand for the first heat pump to extract heat from the distribution grid, or comprises data instructing the respective heat pump to extract heat from the distribution grid to compensate, at least partly, for the energy demand for the first cooling machine to extract cold from the distribution grid; and a messaging function configured to, by means of the transceiver send the respective control message to the respective cooling machine or the respective heat pump ([0009],[0136],[0184],[0522] i.e., balanced thermal energy mode).
Regarding claim 12, Cotton (C), discloses the district thermal energy distribution system, comprising: a distribution grid (108, [0162]) for a fluid-based distribution of heating and cooling, the distribution grid comprising a hot conduit (252a, [0365]) configured to allow heat transfer fluid of a first temperature to flow therethrough and a cold conduit (252b, [0377]) configured to allow heat transfer fluid of a second temperature to flow therethrough, the second temperature is lower than the first temperature; a plurality of heat pumps (220a, [0179]) connected to the distribution grid, each heat pump being configured to transfer heat from a primary side thereof to a secondary side thereof, the primary side being configured to allow a flow of heat transfer fluid from the hot conduit of the distribution grid to the cold conduit of the distribution grid, and the secondary side being configured to allow heat transfer fluid of a local heating circuit to flow therethrough; and a plurality of cooling machines (220, [0254]) connected to the distribution grid, each cooling machines being configured to transfer heat from a secondary side thereof to a primary side thereof, the primary side being configured to allow a flow of heat transfer fluid from the cold conduit of the distribution grid to the hot conduit of the distribution grid, and the secondary side being configured to allow heat transfer fluid of a local cooling circuit to flow therethrough; and a control server (110) according to claim 11.
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.
Claims 2-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cotton et al. (US 20210325069 and Long et al. (US 2014/0121848).
Regarding claim 2, Cotton (C) discloses the method according to claim 1, but does not contain the step of determining the set of cooling machines to which a respective control message is to be sent is made based on a distance along the distribution grid between a connection of the first heat pump to the distribution grid and a connection of the respective cooling machine to the distribution grid or wherein the step of determining the set of heat pumps to which a respective control message is to be sent is made based on a distance along the distribution grid between a connection of the first cooling machine to the distribution grid and a connection of the respective heat pump to the distribution grid.
However, Long (L) discloses a method of managing a cogeneration unit (Abstract) wherein the step of determining the set of cooling machines to which a respective control message is to be sent is made based on a distance along the distribution grid between a connection of the first heat pump to the distribution grid and a connection of the respective cooling machine to the distribution grid or wherein the step of determining the set of heat pumps to which a respective control message is to be sent is made based on a distance along the distribution grid between a connection of the first cooling machine to the distribution grid and a connection of the respective heat pump to the distribution grid ([0014],[0016], [0096]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the effective filing date of this application to factor in elements useful in balancing the system, such as thermal inertia to better control the temperature of the fluid (hot and cold) this would require distance from the heat source.
Regarding claim 3, Cotton (C), as modified, discloses the method according to claim 2, wherein the one or more cooling machines in the set of cooling machines is/are selected among the cooling machines being at a distance along the distribution grid shorter than a threshold distance, or wherein the one or more heat pumps in the set of heat pumps is/are selected among the heat pumps being at a distance along the distribution grid shorter than a threshold distance ([0096]). As a clarification, Long compensates for thermal inertia of the system and therefore it would be obvious to have cooling machines and heating machines within a distance to effect the temperature of the fluid in the system. If they are too distant from each other the heating or cooling would ineffective.
Claims 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cotton et al. (US 20210325069, Long et al. (US 2014/0121848), and Mercier, Sr. (US 10,690,356)
Regarding claim 4, Cotton (C), as modified, discloses the method according to claim 1, but not the step of determining the set of cooling machines to which a respective control message is to be sent is made based on a priority set to each of the plurality of cooling machine, or wherein the step of determining the set of heat pumps to which a respective control message is to be sent is made based on a priority set to each of the plurality of heat pumps.
However, Mercier (M) discloses a hydronic heating system (Abstract) with the step of determining the set of cooling machines to which a respective control message is to be sent is made based on a priority set to each of the plurality of cooling machine, or wherein the step of determining the set of heat pumps to which a respective control message is to be sent is made based on a priority set to each of the plurality of heat pumps (C11,58-63). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the effective filing date of this application consider the distance between machines and prioritize them in order to improve the thermal efficiency of the system.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 (Notice of References Cited); Rosen et al. (EP 305 832 A1) discloses a district thermal energy distribution system (110, Figures 1-2) with a thermal energy distribution system (110, [0056]) for a fluid-based distribution of heating and cooling with similar elements of the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN E BARGERO whose telephone number is (571) 270-1770. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
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/JOHN E BARGERO/Examiner, Art Unit 3762
/STEVEN B MCALLISTER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3762