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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-9 in the reply filed on 01/07/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 10-15 are withdrawn and CANCELED from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 01/07/2026.
The requirement is deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1 – 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the energy storage device" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the delta structure semiconductor transformer" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 3 recites the limitation "the capacitor" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 3 recites the limitation "the battery" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
(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.
1. Claims 1 and 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Helling (US 20200235582).
Regarding claim 1, Helling teaches a SoC equalization control device of the energy storage device based on the delta structure semiconductor transformer (Figure 1 item 20 discloses a control device defined in paragraph [0070] as a controller which controls the state of charge or charge state of the modules. Paragraph [0121] discloses balancing the state of charge of the modules).
comprising: an A-phase PCS, a B-phase PCS, and a C-phase PCS in which PCSs (Power Conditioning Systems) performing charging/discharging from a 3-phase AC power supply are connected in a delta connection (figure 5 shows Power Conditioning Systems (PCS), interpreted as modules 14. Figure 5 shows modules with an A-phase, B-phase and C-phase connected in a delta connection); and
an SoC equalization control device controlling the charging/discharging of a battery so that battery SoCs (State of Charge) of the PCSs are equalized (figure 1 item 20 shows an SOC equalization control device. Paragraphs [0070] and [0104] disclose wherein the SOC or charging state is equalized between the modules).
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Figure 5 item 10 shows a plurality of PCS, modules items 14 connected in a delta structure.
Regarding claim 2, Helling teaches the SoC equalization control device according to claim 1, wherein at least two or more PCSs in the A-phase PCS, the B-phase PCS, and the C-phase PCS are connected in series therein (figure 5 shows wherein at least two or more PCS, module items 14 are connected in series therein).
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 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Helling (US 20200235582) in view of Kato (US 20200127458)
Regarding claim 3, Helling teaches the SoC equalization control device according to claim 1, wherein the PCS includes: an AC/DC converter converting an alternating current (AC) into a direct current (DC) and storing power in the capacitor; and a DC/DC converter performing DC/DC conversion in order to store the power stored in the capacitor in the battery (paragraph [0045] discloses wherein the PCS, modules, may contain both a storage element and an energy conversion element. Paragraph [0038] discloses wherein the storage elements may be a combination of a capacitor and a battery cell).
Helling does not explicitly teach wherein the conversion elements are an ACDC converter, and a DCDC converter.
Kato teaches wherein the conversion elements are an ACDC converter, and a DCDC converter (paragraph [0080] discloses wherein the power storage module includes a power conditioner item 12 with an ACDC converter 125 and a DCDC converter 127).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the charging system of the Helling reference with charging system of the Kato reference so that the power lines are still operational upon a power failure.
The suggestion/motivation for combination can be found in the Kato reference in paragraph [0079] wherein maintaining operability upon a power failure is taught.
Allowable Subject Matter
1. Claims 4 – 9 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.
Regarding claim 4, the prior art teaches an SOC equalization control of a three-phase system, but does not explicitly teach “an each-phase SoC equalization control unit calculating a total zero phase component AC voltage command value based on an output of the positive/negative/zero phase component extraction unit for the equalization control of the each-phase battery SoC of the A-phase PCS, the B-phase PCS, and the C-phase PCS; an individual SoC equalization control unit calculating an individual capacitor voltage command value for the equalization control of individual battery SoC of the A-phase PCS, the B-phase PCS, and the C-phase PCS; an AC voltage control unit calculating an each-phase AC voltage command value based on outputs of the positive/negative phase/zero phase component extraction unit and the each-phase SoC equalization control unit.”
Regarding claims 5 – 9, the claims are dependent upon claim 4 and include its allowable limitations.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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ALEXIS BOATENG PACHECO
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2859
/ALEXIS B PACHECO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859