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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-20 are presented for examination.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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, 10-15, and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Stevens (US Patent 7,920,663).
As per claim 1, Stevens discloses a system, comprising
a power generator configured to convert utility power having an unstable utility frequency to supply power having a stable frequency component [Fig. 2; col. 2, lines 6-26; “… there exists a need for an alternative way to provide a precise and stable reference frequency.”; col. 2, line 14 – col. 3, line 37; “Master reference frequency generator 202 includes one or more components capable of generating a precise and stable reference frequency.”]; and
a power distribution system, coupled to an output of the power generator, and configured to distribute the supply power having the stable frequency component to at least one power consumer which is configured to utilize the stable frequency component of the supply power as a reference frequency [Fig. 1; col. 2, line 14 – col. 3, line 37; “… power distribution area (grid) …”; “… a single power distribution area that maintains the frequency of the AC mains within a tolerance level across the entire distribution area.”; “… in the U.S. power is distributed primarily on three grids …”; as shown in Fig. 1, at least one of (Frequency Slave 106 … Frequency Slave 108) utilizes the stable reference frequency generated by the master reference frequency generator 202].
As per claim 12, Stevens discloses an apparatus configured to utilize an atomic clock signal to convert utility power having an unstable utility frequency to supply power having stable frequency component for use as a system reference, wherein the stable frequency component has a frequency that corresponds to a frequency of the atomic clock signal [Fig. 2; col. 2, lines 6-26; “… there exists a need for an alternative way to provide a precise and stable reference frequency.”; col. 2, line 14 – col. 3, line 37; “Master reference frequency generator 202 includes one or more components capable of generating a precise and stable reference frequency.”; “Examples of the master reference frequency generator components include a standalone atomic clock (e.g., Rubidium or Cesium based), …”].
As per claim 17, Stevens discloses a method comprising:
converting utility power having an unstable utility frequency to supply power having a stable frequency component [Fig. 2; col. 2, lines 6-26; “… there exists a need for an alternative way to provide a precise and stable reference frequency.”; col. 2, line 14 – col. 3, line 37; “Master reference frequency generator 202 includes one or more components capable of generating a precise and stable reference frequency.”]; and
distributing the supply power having the stable frequency component to at least one power consumer which is configured to utilize the stable frequency component of the supply power as a reference frequency [Fig. 1; col. 2, line 14 – col. 3, line 37; “… power distribution area (grid) …”; “… a single power distribution area that maintains the frequency of the AC mains within a tolerance level across the entire distribution area.”; “… in the U.S. power is distributed primarily on three grids …”; as shown in Fig. 1, at least one of (Frequency Slave 106 … Frequency Slave 108) utilizes the stable reference frequency generated by the master reference frequency generator 202].
As per claim 2, Stevens discloses wherein the supply power comprises alternating current (AC) supply power having a stable frequency which corresponds to a nominal utility frequency of the utility power [col. 2, lines 17-19; alternating current (AC)].
As per claim 3, Stevens discloses wherein the AC supply power comprises a square wave signal [col. 3, lines 32-34; “… the waveform provided from an AC wall outlet …”].
As per claim 5, Stevens discloses wherein the power generator is integrated with a power distribution unit [Fig. 1, 2; col. 2, line 50 – col. 3, line 37; “Frequency master 102, frequency slave 106, and frequency slave 108 are associated with a single power distribution area that maintains the frequency of the AC mains within a tolerance level across the entire distribution area.”; “In some embodiments, frequency master 102 of Fig. 1 includes component of Fig. 2. Master reference frequency generator 202 includes one or more component capable of generating a precise and stable reference frequency.”].
As per claim 10, Stevens discloses wherein the power distribution system comprises a power distribution panel which distributes power to one or more branch circuits [Fig. 1, 2; col. 2, line 50 – col. 3, line 37; “Frequency master 102, frequency slave 106, and frequency slave 108 are associated with a single power distribution area that maintains the frequency of the AC mains within a tolerance level across the entire distribution area.”; inherent to the system to have a power distribution panel to distribute power].
As per claim 11, Stevens discloses wherein the power distribution system comprises a power supply unit that is configured to extract the stable frequency component from the distributed supply power and provide the stable frequency component to a system component which utilizes the stable frequency component as a system reference [Fig. 1, 2; col. 2, line 50 – col. 3, line 37; “Frequency master 102, frequency slave 106, and frequency slave 108 are associated with a single power distribution area that maintains the frequency of the AC mains within a tolerance level across the entire distribution area.”; “In some embodiments, frequency master 102 of Fig. 1 includes component of Fig. 2. Master reference frequency generator 202 includes one or more component capable of generating a precise and stable reference frequency.”].
As per claim 13, Stevens discloses wherein the atomic clock signal comprises a frequency that is substantially equal to a nominal utility frequency of the utility power [col. 2, line 14 – col. 3, line 37; “Master reference frequency generator 202 includes one or more components capable of generating a precise and stable reference frequency.”; “Examples of the master reference frequency generator components include a standalone atomic clock (e.g., Rubidium or Cesium based), …”].
As per claim 14, Stevens discloses wherein the supply power generated by the apparatus comprises an alternating current (AC) power waveform having a frequency which corresponds to the frequency of the atomic clock signal [col. 2, lines 17-19; alternating current (AC); col. 3, lines 32-34; “… the waveform provided from an AC wall outlet …”; col. 2, line 14 – col. 3, line 37; “Examples of the master reference frequency generator components include a standalone atomic clock (e.g., Rubidium or Cesium based), …”].
As per claim 15, Stevens discloses wherein the AC power waveform comprises a square wave signal [col. 3, lines 32-34; “… the waveform provided from an AC wall outlet …”].
As per claim 18, Stevens discloses wherein the supply power comprises alternating current (AC) supply power having a stable frequency which corresponds to a nominal utility frequency of the utility power [col. 2, lines 17-19; alternating current (AC)].
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 4, 16, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Stevens (US Patent 7,920,663) in view of Jia et al (CN 110556838; hereinafter Jia).
As per claims 4, 16, and 19, Stevens discloses the invention substantially. Though Stevens does not specifically disclose regarding that the supply of power comprises direct current (DC) supply power, it is well known in the art regarding direct current. However, Jia (in the same field of endeavor, e.g., power generator and stabilizing frequency) discloses a power supply direct current [Abstract; page 3; direct current; wind power generator]. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the cited reference as both are directed to method and system of stabilizing system frequency.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-9 and 20 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.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
B. US-20080223684 discloses because power distribution (into the power distribution grid) and power obtained by users receiving power from such a generator or the grid needs to be at or very close to a selected and stable frequency, like 60 Hertz (Hz) in the United States, the power from the environmentally powered generators must be converted to the desired or selected stable frequency by suitable frequency conversion devices.
C. US-20030126488 discloses what is different from the prior art is that the frequency signal enabling apparatus may convert the unstable frequency signal into a stable frequency signal in real-time for the microprocessor.
D. US-20160268462 discloses photoelectric conversion module array converts sunlight into electricity to generate direct current power and supplies the generated direct current power to the junction box.
O. CN-110212762 discloses a high-frequency power generating device for supplying high frequency power to the plasma load, and more particularly relates to high-frequency power generating device for improving impulse function, pulse width modulation (PWM) waveform switch element for radio frequency (RF) power amplifier of the pulse output, adjusting the adaptability to the DC-direct current (DC-DC) converter is applied, so as to stabilize the output, and can prevent overshoot or undershoot in the pulse interval.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SURESH K SURYAWANSHI whose telephone number is (571)272-3668. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-5:00 PM.
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/SURESH SURYAWANSHI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2116