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 .
Status of Preliminary Amendment
Examiner acknowledges receipt of preliminary amendment to application 18/024,203 received March 1, 2023. Claims 1-6 and 8-16 are amended, and claim 7 is left as original.
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 1-3, 5-10 and 12-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim Dong Joo KR-20180090673 (hereinafter Kim).
Regarding Claim 1, Kim teaches an energy storage system (Kim, Fig. 2; Abstract, “ESS”), comprising a plurality of power converters configured to perform a DC/DC conversion (Kim, Fig. 2, Elements 115 and 121, See excerpt from Kim below.) for a plurality of battery racks (Kim, Fig. 2, Elements 111 and 117 of modules 107 and 109 respectively), respectively,
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a power conversion system (PCS) (Kim, Fig. 2, Element 103) configured to perform power conversion between the power converters (Kim, Fig. 2, Elements 115 and 121) and a power grid (Kim, Fig. 2, Element 500), and
a battery section controller (Kim, Fig. 2, Element 105, “Master BMS”. Where the Master BMS controls the “sub BMSs” 113 and 119) interworking with the plurality of power converters and the power conversion system, wherein the battery section controller is configured,
to control a first power converter (Kim, Fig. 2, Element 121) among the plurality of power converters (Kim, Fig. 2, Elements 115 and 121) to perform a constant voltage (CV) mode control for maintaining a voltage of a DC link (Kim, Fig. 2, Element 600) at a constant level,
Excerpt from Kim (see below):
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to check a state of a first battery rack (Kim, Fig. 2, Element 117. Where the state of a first battery rack is the SOC calculated for battery module 119. See excerpt below.) to which the first power converter (Kim, Fig. 2, Element 121) is connected among the plurality of battery racks (Kim, Elements 111 and 117), and
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to select a second power converter (Kim, Fig. 2, Element 115) among the plurality of power converters (Kim, Fig. 2, Elements 115 and 121) to perform the CV mode control for the DC link (Kim, Fig. 2, Element 600) according to the state of the first battery rack.
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Regarding Claim 2, The teaching of the Kim reference discloses the claimed invention as stated above in claim 1. Furthermore, Kim teaches wherein the battery section controller is further configured to control the power converters other than the first power converter among the plurality of power converters to perform a constant power (CP) mode control or a constant current (CC) mode control (Kim, See excerpt below).
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Regarding Claim 3, The teaching of the Kim reference discloses the claimed invention as stated above in claim 1. Furthermore, Kim teaches wherein the battery section controller is further configured to stop the first power converter from performing the CV mode control for the DC link and to control the second power converter among the plurality of power converters to perform the CV mode control for the DC link based on the state of charge (SOC) of the first battery rack (Kim, See excerpt below).
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Regarding Claim 5, The teaching of the Kim reference discloses the claimed invention as stated above in claims 3/1. Furthermore, Kim teaches wherein the battery section controller is further configured to select a power converter among the plurality of power converters except for the first power converter as the second power converter to perform the CV mode control for the DC link instead of the first power converter, and wherein the second power converter is connected to a battery rack with an intermediate SOC value among the SOC values of the battery racks connected to the power converters other than the first power converter (Kim, See excerpt below).
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Regarding Claim 6, The teaching of the Kim reference discloses the claimed invention as stated above in claim 1. Furthermore, Kim teaches wherein the battery section controller is further configured to determine whether a state of charge (SOC) of the first battery rack has reached an upper limit or a lower limit of a preset range of SOC and to decide whether to select the second power converter to perform the CV mode control for the DC link (Kim, See excerpt below).
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Regarding Claim 7, The teaching of the Kim reference discloses the claimed invention as stated above in claim 1. Furthermore, Kim teaches wherein the DC link is a link between the plurality of power converters and the power conversion system (PCS) (Kim, See excerpt below).
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Regarding Claim 8, Kim teaches a control method of an energy storage system (Kim, Fig. 2; Abstract, “ESS”) including a plurality of battery racks (Kim, Fig. 2, Elements 111 and 117 of modules 107 and 109 respectively, See excerpt from Kim below.) and a plurality of power converters respectively connected to the plurality of battery racks (Kim, Fig. 2, Elements 115 and 121),
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the method comprising controlling a first power converter (Kim, Fig. 2, Element 121) among the plurality of power converters (Kim, Fig. 2, Elements 115 and 121) to perform a constant voltage (CV) mode control for maintaining a voltage of a DC link (Kim, Fig. 2, Element 600) at a constant level,
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checking a state of a first battery rack (Kim, Fig. 2, Element 117. Where the state of a first battery rack is the SOC calculated for battery module 119. See excerpt below.) to which the first power converter (Kim, Fig. 2, Element 121) is connected among the plurality of battery racks (Kim, Elements 111 and 117),
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and selecting a second power converter (Kim, Fig. 2, Element 115) among the plurality of power converters (Kim, Fig. 2, Elements 115 and 121) to perform the CV mode control for the DC link (Kim, Fig. 2, Element 600) according to the state of the first battery rack.
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Regarding Claim 9, The teaching of the Kim reference discloses the claimed invention as stated above in claim 8. Furthermore, Kim teaches further comprising controlling the power converters other than the first power converter among the plurality of power converters to perform a constant power (CP) mode control or a constant current (CC) mode control (Kim, See excerpt below).
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Regarding Claim 10, The teaching of the Kim reference discloses the claimed invention as stated above in claim 8. Furthermore, Kim teaches wherein the selecting of the second power converter includes stopping the first power converter from performing the CV mode control for the DC link and controlling the second power converter among the plurality of power converters to perform the CV mode control for the DC link based on a state of charge (SOC) of the first battery rack (Kim, See excerpt below).
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Regarding Claim 12, The teaching of the Kim reference discloses the claimed invention as stated above in claims 10/8. Furthermore, Kim teaches wherein the selecting of the second power converter further includes selecting a power converter among the plurality of power converters except for the first power converter as the second power converter to perform the CV control for the DC link instead of the first power converter, wherein the second power converter is connected to a battery rack with an intermediate SOC value among the SOC values of the battery racks connected to the power converters other than the first power converter (Kim, See excerpt below).
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Regarding Claim 13, The teaching of the Kim reference discloses the claimed invention as stated above in claim 8. Furthermore, Kim teaches wherein the checking of the state of the first battery rack includes determining whether a state of charge of the first battery rack has reached an upper limit or a lower limit of a preset range of state of charge (Kim, See excerpt below).
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Regarding Claim 14, The teaching of the Kim reference discloses the claimed invention as stated above in claim 8. Furthermore, Kim teaches wherein the DC link is a link between the plurality of power converters and a power conversion system (PCS) that is configured to perform an AC/DC conversion between the plurality of power converters and a power grid (Kim, See excerpt below).
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Regarding Claim 15, Kim teaches a battery section controller (Kim, Fig. 2, Element 105, “Master BMS”. Where the Master BMS controls the “sub BMSs” 113 and 119) in an energy storage system (Kim, Fig. 2; Abstract, “ESS”) including a plurality of battery racks (Kim, Fig. 2, Elements 111 and 117 of modules 107 and 109 respectively) and a plurality of power converters respectively connected to the plurality of battery racks (Kim, Fig. 2, Elements 115 and 121, See excerpt from Kim below.),
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the battery section controller being in connection with the plurality of power converters,
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the battery section controller comprising at least one processor, and a memory configured to store at least one instruction executed by the at least one processor,
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wherein the at least one instruction includes an instruction to control a first power converter among the plurality of power converters to perform a constant voltage (CV) mode control for maintaining a voltage of a DC link at a constant level,
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an instruction to check a state of a first battery rack to which the first power converter is connected among the plurality of battery racks,
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and an instruction to select a second power converter among the plurality of power converters to perform the CV mode control for the DC link according to the state of the first battery rack.
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Regarding Claim 16, The teaching of the Kim reference discloses the claimed invention as stated above in claim 15. Furthermore, Kim teaches wherein the at least one instruction further includes an instruction to control the power converters other than the first power converter among the plurality of power converters to perform a constant power (CP) mode control or a constant current (CC) mode control (Kim, See excerpt below).
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 and 11 are objected to as being dependent upon rejected base claims, 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: Though the prior art discloses an energy storage system with a plurality of battery modules/racks connected to a grid system via a plurality of DC/DC power converters and controlled by processing to maintain a constant voltage on a DC link circuit before being converted to AC via an DC/AC power conversion system, it fails to teach or suggest the aforementioned limitations of claim 4, and further including the combination of:
wherein the battery section controller is further configured to control the first power converter and the second power converter to simultaneously perform the CV mode control for the DC link temporarily, before stopping the first power converter from performing the CV mode control for the DC-link and causing the second power converter to continue performing the CV mode control for the DC-link.
Regarding Claim 11: Though the prior art discloses a control method of an energy storage system with a plurality of battery modules/racks connected to a grid system via a plurality of DC/DC power converters and controlled by processing to maintain a constant voltage on a DC link circuit before being converted to AC via an DC/AC power conversion system, it fails to teach or suggest the aforementioned limitations of claim 11, and further including the combination of:
wherein the selecting of the second power converter further includes controlling the first power converter and the second power converter to simultaneously perform the CV mode control for the DC link temporarily, and, then stopping the first power converter from performing the CV mode control for the DC- link and causing the second power converter to continue performing the CV mode control of for the DC-link.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kim U.S. PGPub 2014/0340044 teaches an energy storage system with a plurality of battery packs and a plurality of DC/DC power converters.
Korea KR-101923515 teaches an energy storage system with a plurality of battery packs, a plurality of DC/DC power converters and PCS.
Zhou CN-112865154 teaches an energy storage system with a plurality of battery packs, a plurality of DC/DC power converters.
Liang CN-109309396 teaches an energy storage system charging and discharging.
Dan CN-110048513 teaches an energy storage system with a plurality of battery packs, a plurality of DC/DC power converters and PCS to connect to the grid.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JERRY D ROBBINS whose telephone number is (571)272-7585. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00AM - 6:00PM Tuesday-Saturday.
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/JERRY D ROBBINS/ Examiner, Art Unit 2859