DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . In an Amendment filed on April 6, 2026, claims 1-20 were amended. Therefore, Claims 1-20 still are pending in this Application.
Request for Continued Examination under 37 CFR 1.114
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 4/6/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment/Remarks
Applicant’s argument/remarks, on pages 9-10, with respect to rejections to claims 1-20 under 35 USC § 112(a) have been fully considered but they are respectfully unpersuasive. Therefore, rejections to the claims under 35 USC § 112 have been maintained.
The claims are still deficient under 35 USC 112(a) for insufficient support in the disclosure as originally filed. The Applicant’s pointed support for the claimed subject matter in some paragraphs (see arguments page 10). However, these paragraphs do not have support for the limitations “locally at the respective sub-area, retrieving at least one of historical SCADA and PMU measurements and prior state estimation results for the respective sub-area, and restoring the removed bad data by using a matrix completion method based on at least one of historical measurements and prior estimation results, to thereby generate a restored measurement data set”. Paragraphs 0017, 0023, 0030, 0060, 0077, 0082, 0111, Fig. 3 step 5 and original claim recites “Bad data removal and recovery using the matrix completion method”. The method “a matrix completion method” was not sufficiently disclosed and the disclosure simply teaches that that data is removed and recovered using a matrix completion method (see 0017, 0023, 0030, 0060, 0077, 0082, 0111, 0154 and Fig. 1 and Fig. 3). However, the details of which data or the steps to remove the data and recover the data are not taught or suggested in the original disclosure and specifically removing and restoring based on “historical measurements and prior estimation results” were not sufficiently found in the disclosure.
Applicant’s argument/remarks, on pages 11-12, with respect to rejections to claims 1-20 under 35 USC § 101 have been fully considered but they are respectfully unpersuasive. Therefore, rejections to the claims under 35 USC § 101 have been maintained.
On page 11-12, the Applicant argues that:
“Amended independent claim I is not directed to an abstract idea, but instead is rooted in the operation and control of a physical, real-world power system and is directed to specific hardware and concrete technical improvement that require specific power system monitoring devices. In particular, amended claim I expressly requires distributed implementation across concrete power system components, including "a plurality of supervisory control and data acquisition systems and (SCADAs) and a plurality of phasor measurement units (PMUs)" of "a plurality of monitoring devices distributed over a large-scale power system”.
…a result, the claimed processes are not merely conceptual data manipulation, but are tied to concrete hardware, control systems, and physical infrastructure that monitor and manage a large-scale power system.
The claim also recites a specific technological improvement to power system state estimation. By performing the specifically-ordered combination of elements, including, among… the method overcomes scalability, accuracy, and robustness limitations of conventional centralized approaches”. These arguments are respectfully unpersuasive.
In response to the arguments above, the new amendments elements including, phasor measurement units (PMUs), supervisory control and data acquisition systems (SCADAs ), represent an structure of well-known devices, and which are used to collect data, transmit data, and perform calculations of the abstract idea in a distributed manner. These components simply represent computer components recited in high level of generality that the represent no more than instructions to apply the abstract idea on a computer or to generally link/tie the use of the judicial exception to the technological environment of a generic computer and its components and cannot provide an inventive concept as stated by the courts (see MPEP 2106.05(f) and 2106.05(h)). PMU and SCADA measurements devices were very well known devices as admitted in the background of the specification (see 0002-0008).
Also, the components such as the PMU, SCADAs, processor, which are recited in high level of generality and are considered extra-solution activities of mere data gathering and for providing the input data to the equations/the abstract idea. Accordingly, these additional elements do not integrate the abstract idea/judicial exception into a practical application because it does not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea.
The claim is directed to the calculation of extended sate vector quantities, performing SCADA based distributed state estimations (DSE) and PMU-based DSE, using covariance matrices, calculating residuals, performing phasor normalized residual tests and general normalized residual tests along with cross validation of data, detecting bad data based on mathematical algorithm an comparison with a threshold, restoring data using a mathematical algorithm such as the matrix completion method when bad data exists, recalculation of the SCADA-based and PMU-based DSEs, and finally mixing results which is a step of adding values. Each of these steps under its broadest reasonable interpretation (BRI), covers mathematical calculations which is identified as an example of mathematical concepts grouping of abstract ideas.
The Applicant argues above that the claimed subject matter improves system “stability” but the abstract idea is not applied/integrated into the power system to control components and to improve stability. The improvement to stability is not reflected in the claims and the system simply performs mathematical calculations.
On page 12, the Applicant further argues:
“The claim recites significantly more than any alleged abstract idea because the specifically-ordered combination of elements provides a technical solution that is not well understood, routine, or conventional in the field of power system monitoring. Additionally, claim 1 has been amended to recite "in accordance with the SCADA-based and the PMU-based DSEs, detecting a failure situation and a failure location of the large-scale power system distributed in the plurality of sub-areas and controlling the large-scale power system based on the failure situation and the failure location, thereby improving accuracy and stability of system monitoring of the large-scale power system." (emphasis added.) These activities integrate any alleged abstract idea into a practical application and linking the use of the judicial exception to a particular technological environment and field of use. Accordingly, the claimed invention is rooted in real-world power system monitoring infrastructure and is believed to be patent-eligible”. These arguments are respectfully unpersuasive.
The argues limitations above are recited in high level of generality and when interpreted in the BRI involve a step of performing a comparison of values in order to determine a failure situation and its location, which can be a mathematical comparison or a mental step of simply collecting data, observing, and making a judgment of the failure based on the results of the calculated values. Also, the Applicant argues that this step represents an integration into a practical application. However, this step can be interpreted as a field of use or simply and generally linking the results or use of a first abstract/the judicial exception to a technological environment or field of use of applying the Abstract idea in a power system, and cannot provide an inventive concept as stated by the courts (see MPEP 2106.05(f) and 2106.05(h)).
Applicant’s argument/remarks, on pages 14-15, with respect to rejections to claims 1-20 under 35 USC § 103(a) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, rejections to claims 1-20 have been withdrawn due to the amendments.
The affidavits under 37 CFR 1.130 filed on 04/06/2026 is sufficient to overcome the rejection of claims 1-20 based upon the primary reference Ban et al (Decentralization of Phasor-Aided State Estimation Using Local State Vector Extension, 2021)
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 line 5 recites “data acquisition systems and (SCADAS)”. This seems an inadvertent typographical error.
The term above seems to be: -- data acquisition systems (SCADAS)
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112, first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
These limitations as recited do not have sufficient support in the disclosure as originally filed. The Applicant did not provide any evidence or support in the form of paragraphs from the original disclosure for the amended clams.
Claims 1, 9, and 17, respectively, recites:
“…A) locally at the respective sub-area, retrieving at least one of historical SCADA and PMU measurements and prior state estimation results for the respective sub-area, and restoring the removed bad data by using a matrix completion method based on at least one of historical measurements and prior estimation results, to thereby generate a restored measurement data set…
B) in accordance with the SCADA-based and the PMU-based DSEs, detecting a failure situation and a failure location of the large-scale power system distributed in the plurality of sub-areas and controlling the large-scale power system based on the failure situation and the failure location, thereby improving accuracy and stability of system monitoring of the large-scale power system…”
These limitations as recited do not have sufficient support in the disclosure as originally filed. The Applicant did not provide any evidence or support in the form of paragraphs from the original disclosure for the amended clams.
With respect to the limitations A, which are functions found in claims 1, 9, and 17, the disclosure does not teach or suggest “restoring the removed bad data by using a matrix completion method based on at least one of historical measurements and prior estimation results, to thereby generate a restored measurement data”. For instance, the method term “a matrix completion method” while being described in the original disclosure, it was not sufficiently disclosed as recited and the disclosure simple teaches that that data is removed and recovered using a matrix completion method (see 0017, 0030, 0060, 0077, 0082, 0111, 0154 and Fig. 1 and Fig. 3). However, the details of which data or the steps to remove the data and recover the data and which variables or data was used to performed the method are not taught or suggested in the original disclosure and specifically removing and restoring based on historical measurements and prior estimation results were not sufficiently found in the disclosure. Thus, there is insufficient support for these limitations in the claims as previously stated. Furthermore, with respect to limitation B) the algorithm of fig. 3 and any of the Figs. Does not teach any device of system performing a step of failure detection and control of the system. The disclosure paragraph [0157] briefly states that the method can be used “0157 Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a H-DSE algorithm which has advantages of high computation efficiency, low BD sensitivity, and high estimation accuracy compared to a CSE algorithm currently commercialized and used in large-scale power systems, or a BDP method in H-DSE. In this way, the present invention can contribute to efficiency improvement through optimal system operation and system stabilization through failure situation detection, failure location search, and optimal control of distributed resources”. This paragraph simply suggests an intended use of the calculation of data. However, the algorithm of fig. 3 does no teach or suggest the determination or detection of a failure situation or failure location in the system and much less the control of the system.
As to dependent claims 2-8, 10-16, and 18-20, these claims are ejected for the same reasons mutatis mutandis as their parent claims since they inherit the same error.
The Applicant can amend the claims and/or provide specific evidence and support by pointing to the specific paragraph/page in the original disclosure in order to be considered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to a judicial exception (i.e., a law of nature, a natural phenomenon, or an abstract idea) without significantly more.
Claims 1, 9, and 17, respectively recite in part:
establishing an extended state vector set associated with the respective sub-area, the extended state vector set including additional boundary state variables corresponding to boundary buses shared with at least on neighboring sub-area;…
performing SCADA-based distributed state estimation (DSE) using a SCADA measurement of the respective sub-area and boundary state data of at least one neighboring sub-area, and using a covariance matrix of integrated vectors of the SCADA measurement and the boundary state data;
performing PMU-based DSE using a PMU measurement of the respective sub-area and boundary state data of at least one neighboring sub-area, and using the covariance matrix of the integrated vectors of the SCADA measurement and the boundary state data, in parallel with the SCADA-based DSE;
performing a phasor-aided normalized residual test and a general normalized residual test based on the estimation results and residuals of the SCADA-based DSE and the PMU-based DSE for the respective sub-area, and cross-validating results of the phasor-aided normalized residual test and the general normalized residual test to detect and identify bad data (BD) included in SCADA and PMU measurements for the respective sub-area, thereby generating a measurement data set having missing data elements corresponding to removed bad data…
…restoring the removed bad data by using a matrix completion method based on at least one of historical measurements and prior estimation results, to thereby generate a restored measurement data set;…
re-performing the SCADA-based and PMU-based DSEs using a new measurement data set including the restored measurement data set, generating updated state estimation results and associated covariance matrices, and mixing the updated state estimation results to obtain a final state estimation result for the respective sub-area, …
in accordance with the SCADA-based and the PMU-based DSEs, detecting a failure situation and a failure location of the large-scale power system distributed in the plurality of sub-areas”
Under the broadest reasonable interpretation, the terms of the claim are presumed to have their plain meaning consistent with the specification as it would be interpreted by one of ordinary skill in the art. See MPEP 2111.
Under the broadest reasonable interpretation, these limitations, as drafted, are a process that covers mathematical calculations which is identified as an example of mathematical concepts grouping of abstract ideas. See MPEP 210604(a)(2), III. For instance, step C) establishing of extended state vectors and extended state vector sets is performed by calculating a transpose of matrices values, performing a permutation matrix, as explained in the original disclosure page 17. Step E) and F) performing the distributed State estimation (DSE) using SCADA measurements and using PMU measurements and a covariance matrix, requires the calculation and multiplication of values with a covariance matrix, using an algorithm as clearly explained in equation 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 as clearly pointed out in pages 17-19 of the original disclosure, thus, this involves mathematical concepts. Moreover, steps H) Performing…a phasor-aided normalized residual test and a general normalized residual test- based on the estimation results and residuals of the SCADA-based DSE and the PMU-based DSE for the sub-area, and cross-validating results of the phasor-aided normalized residual test involves the calculation of values sing the equations 8-9, 10, and 11-12 (see pages 19-21), thus, this involves mathematical concepts. Furthermore, step I) which is a step of restoring removed data uses a matrix completion method which is a mathematical algorithm used to replace data, thus, this involves mathematical concepts. Step K) recites “in accordance with the SCADA-based and the PMU-based DSEs, detecting a failure situation and a failure location of the large-scale power system distributed in the plurality of sub-areas”, which is a step of performing a comparison of values in order to determine a failure situation and its location, which can be a mathematical comparison or a mental step of simply collecting data, observing, and making a judgment of the failure based on the results of the calculated values. Finally, step J) is a recalculation/reperforming steps similar to steps E) and F), which also involves the execution of mathematical algorithm and thus, this involves mathematical concepts. Step J) also performs a mixing of the updated state estimation results to obtain a final state estimation result for the sub-area, which requires the addition of values such as the estimated values from the first estimator (PMU estimator) to the second estimator (SCADA estimator), thus, an addition of values, thus, this involves mathematical concepts. Thus, each of the steps requires the use an calculation of values and covers or uses mathematical calculations which is identified as an example of mathematical concepts grouping of abstract ideas.
Claims 9 (claim 9 includes steps H) and I) and 17 recites the steps J) mixing results and recalculating SCADA DSE and PMU DSE, H) Performing…a phasor-aided normalized residual test and a general normalized residual test, and I) restoring …, which as explained above involves the execution of mathematical algorithms such as addition of values and the use of specific equations. Furthermore, Claims 9 and 17 recites additional step “determining whether there is a bad data (BD) in SCADA measurement for each sub-area and PMU measurement for each sub-area, which is a comparison mathematical calculation of comparing the result of the residual test with a threshold (see page 21) and/or also this step cover mental process wherein data is observed, evaluated, and a judgements (estimation or determination of value and compared) to determine if a first value/residual test value is greater than a threshold in determined that bad data exists when the residual test value is greater than a threshold. Thus, these steps involve a mathematical concepts and/or a mental concept. Thus, the claims recite an abstract idea.
The judicial exceptions are not integrated into a practical application because Claims 1, 9 and 17 recites the additional limitations of “method implemented in/comprising A) a plurality of power system monitoring devices distributed over a large-scale power system and including a plurality of phasor measurement units (PMUs) installed in each of a plurality of sub-areas, local supervisory control and data acquisition systems (L-SCADAs), associated with the respective sub-areas and interconnected via a communication network”, wherein these components are used for collection of data (acquiring and transmitting data to be used in the abstract idea) “B) …acquiring, by a SCADA and a PMU installed in the respective sub-area, real-time measurements of the respective sub-area, and transmitting measurements corresponding to the respective sub-area via a communication network, wherein these components are recited at high level of generality and is considered insignificant extra solution and pre-solution activities of mere data gathering/acquiring data (see MPEP 2106.05(g). The additional limitation step “D) receiving boundary information from at least one neighboring sub-area of the respective sub-area through the communication network, in accordance with the boundary state variables included in pre-defined extended state vectors and the extended state vector set” which is a collection of data step and which is recited in a high level of generality and is considered insignificant extra solution and pre-solution activities of mere data gathering as well (see MPEP 2106.05(g)). The additional element a step of “G) providing estimation results and residuals obtained by the SCADA-based DSE and the PMU-based DSE” which is a step of outputting results obtained from the abstract ideas, and is considered an insignificant extra solution and post-solution activities of mere data output, which amounts to necessary data gathering and/or outputting (see MPEP 2106.05(g) i.e., all uses of the recited judicial exception require such data gathering or data output)). The additional element step “I) of locally at the respective sub-area, retrieving at least one of historical SCADA and PMU measurements and prior state estimation results for the respective sub-area”, and which is recited in a high level of generality and is considered insignificant extra solution and pre-solution activities of mere data gathering as well (see MPEP 2106.05(g)). The additional element of K) …controlling the large-scale power system based on the failure situation and the failure location, thereby improving accuracy and stability of system monitoring of the large-scale power system, which is recited at high level of generality and seems a tangential limitation which represent a field of use or to generally linking the use of the judicial exception to the technological environment or field of use of applying the Abstract idea in a power system, and cannot provide an inventive concept as stated by the courts (see MPEP 2106.05(f) and 2106.05(h)). Thus, the components are recited at high level of generality and are considered extra-solution activities of providing components of mere data gathering and for providing the input/gather data to the equations/the abstract idea and which some other components seems computer components recited at a high level of generality that represents no more than instructions to apply the abstract idea on a computer or to generally link the use of the judicial exception to the technological environment of generic computer to execute the functions of the abstract idea and being related to an electrical power system and wherein its components cannot provide an inventive concept as stated by the courts (see MPEP 2106.05(f) and 2106.05(h)). Claim 1 further recites “L) wherein the method includes a hybrid distributed state estimation (H-DSE) process using SCADA-based and PMU-based distributed state estimation and a distributed PHASE bad data processing procedure for detecting and handling bad data in SCADA and PMU measurements”, which are simply statements describing the intended use of the previous steps E) and F), and H-I), step is recited at high level of generality and simply represents an intended use or result of the previous steps. Accordingly, these additional elements do not integrate the abstract idea/judicial exception into a practical application because none of these the additional elements/limitations impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea. Claims 9 and 17 further recites “wherein each sub-area is defined by a network topology, measurement types, and sensor locations related to SCADA measurements and PMU measurements, thereby continuously maintaining reliability and accuracy of power system operation..”, which are recited in high level of generality and are considered extra-solution activities of mere data gathering and for providing the input data to the equations/the abstract idea. Claim 17 further recites “a memory configured to store at least one command; and a processor connected to the memory and configured to execute the at least one command, wherein, when the processor operates, the at least one command causes the processor to perform operations according to the method”, which are recited in high level of generality and are considered extra-solution activities of mere data gathering and for providing the input data to the equations/the abstract idea. The term “a processor” which seems to be a computer component recited in high level of generality that the represent no more than instructions to apply the abstract idea on a computer or to generally link the use of the judicial exception to the technological environment of a generic computer and its components and cannot provide an inventive concept as stated by the courts (see MPEP 2106.05(f) and 2106.05(h)). Accordingly, these additional elements do not integrate the abstract idea/judicial exception into a practical application because it does not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea.
The claims do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception. As discussed above with respect to integration of the abstract idea into a practical application, the additional elements of including a plurality of power system monitoring devices distributed over a large-scale power system and including plurality of phasor measurement units (PMUs) installed in each of a plurality of sub-areas, plurality of supervisory control and data acquisition systems (SCADAs), associated with the respective sub-areas and interconnected via a communication network”, wherein these components are used for acquiring data, receiving data, D) generating state vectors, E) -F) , G) transmitting data, H) performing/executing the residual tests, and cross validation algorithms steps, I) retrieving data and restoring data, J) reperforming the steps of the SCADA-based and PMU-based DSEs such as performing/executing the functions of the estimations, which some components are recited at high level of generality and are considered extra-solution activities of providing components of mere data gathering and for providing the input/gather data to the equations/the abstract idea and which some other components seems computer components recited at a high level of generality that represents no more than instructions to apply the abstract idea on a computer or to generally link the use of the judicial exception to the technological environment of generic computer to execute the functions of the abstract idea and being related to an electrical power system and wherein its components cannot provide an inventive concept as stated by the courts (see MPEP 2106.05(f) and 2106.05(h)). Claim 1 further recites “A) acquiring, by PMUs installed in each sub-area, real- time measurements of the sub-area, and transmitting measurements corresponding to the sub-area via the communication network”, “C) receiving boundary information from at least one neighboring sub-area through the communication network, in accordance with the boundary state variables included in pre-defined extended state vectors and the extended state vector set”, G) transmitting estimation results and residuals obtained by the SCADA-based DSE and the PMU-based DSE, and I) retrieving at least one of historical SCADA and PMU measurements and prior state estimation results for the sub-area for restoring data using the matrix completion method, which are recited at high level of generality and are considered extra-solution activities of providing components of mere data gathering and outputting/receiving data and for providing the input/gather data to the equations/the abstract idea (se MPEP 2106.05g). The additional element of K) …controlling the large-scale power system based on the failure situation and the failure location, thereby improving accuracy and stability of system monitoring of the large-scale power system, which is recited at high level of generality and seems a tangential limitation which represent a field of use or to generally linking the use of the judicial exception to the technological environment or field of use of applying the Abstract idea in a power system, and cannot provide an inventive concept as stated by the courts (see MPEP 2106.05(f) and 2106.05(h)). Claim 1 further recites “L) wherein the method includes a hybrid distributed state estimation (H-DSE) process using SCADA-based and PMU-based distributed state estimation and a distributed PHASE bad data processing procedure for detecting and handling bad data in SCADA and PMU measurements”, which are simply statements describing the intended use of the previous steps E) and F), and H-I), step is recited at high level of generality and simply represents an intended use or result of the previous steps. Claims 9 and 17 further recites “wherein each sub-area is defined by a network topology, measurement types, and sensor locations related to SCADA measurements and PMU measurements, thereby continuously maintaining reliability and accuracy of power system operation..”, which are recited in high level of generality and are considered extra-solution activities of mere data gathering and for providing the input data to the equations/the abstract idea. Claim 17 further recites “a memory configured to store at least one command; and a processor connected to the memory and configured to execute the at least one command, wherein, when the processor operates, the at least one command causes the processor to perform operations according to the method”, which are recited in high level of generality and are considered extra-solution activities of mere data gathering and for providing the input data to the equations/the abstract idea. The term “a processor” which seems to be a computer component recited in high level of generality that the represent no more than instructions to apply the abstract idea on a computer or to generally link the use of the judicial exception to the technological environment of a generic computer and its components and cannot provide an inventive concept as stated by the courts (see MPEP 2106.05(f) and 2106.05(h)). Accordingly, these additional elements do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application, do not amount to significantly more than the judicial exception, and do not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea. Therefore, the claims are not patent eligible.
Claims 2-8, 11-16 and 18-20 depend from claims 1, 9, and 17, respectively, and thus recite the limitations and the abstract ideas of their respective parent claims.
Claims 2, 7, 13, 16, and 18 further recites in part “wherein the performing of the SCADA-based DSE and the PMU- based DSE in parallel comprises generating SCADA and PMU distribution states of each sub-area using alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM)-based DSE while interacting with an adjacent estimator”, these limitations, as drafted, are a process that, under its broadest reasonable interpretation (BRI), covers mathematical algorithms/equations which is identified as an example of mathematical concepts grouping of abstract ideas. The ADMM is a mathematical algorithm as explained in pages 18-20 an involving equations 4-6, and 7. Therefore, these claims are not patent eligible. Accordingly, these additional elements do not integrate the abstract idea of claims 1, 9, and 17 into a practical application, do not amount to significantly more than the judicial exception, and do not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea. Therefore, the claims are not patent eligible.
As per claim 3 further recites “determining whether there is a bad data (BD) in SCADA measurement for each sub-area and PMU measurement for each sub-area”, which is a comparison mathematical calculation of comparing the result of the residual test with a threshold (see page 21) and/or also this step cover mental process wherein data is observed, evaluated, and a judgements (estimation or determination of value and compared) to determine if a first value/residual test value is greater than a threshold in determined that bad data exists when the residual test value is greater than a threshold. Thus, these steps involve a mathematical concepts and/or a mental concept. Thus, the claims recite an abstract idea. Accordingly, these additional elements do not integrate the abstract idea of claims 1 into a practical application, do not amount to significantly more than the judicial exception, and do not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea. Therefore, the claims are not patent eligible.
As per claim 4, 8, 10, 14, and 18-19 further recites in part “when there is no BD, fusing the results of the SCADA-based DSE and the PMU-based DSE”, which is an addition of values according to equations 13, (see page 22). As previously explained above each of these steps involve a mathematical concepts, thus, recite an abstract idea. Accordingly, these additional elements do not integrate the abstract idea of claims 1, 9, and 17 into a practical application, do not amount to significantly more than the judicial exception, and do not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea. Therefore, the claims are not patent eligible.
As per claim 5, 11, and 18 further recites in part “comprising, when there is BD, removing the BD and recovering data using a matrix completion method”, these limitations, as drafted, are a process that, under its broadest reasonable interpretation (BRI), covers mathematical algorithms/equations which is identified as an example of mathematical concepts grouping of abstract ideas. The matrix completion method is a well-known mathematical algorithm of removing and recovering data in a matrix based on the calculation of values and performing mathematical conversions such as convex relaxation, rank minimization, and trim/remove values with degrees largen than a threshold. Therefore, these claims are not patent eligible. Accordingly, these additional elements do not integrate the abstract idea of claim 1, 9, and 17 into a practical application, do not amount to significantly more than the judicial exception, and do not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea. Therefore, the claims are not patent eligible.
Claim 6, 12, and 18 further recites in part “performing additional DSE using SCADA and PMU measurements recovered in the recovering of the data”, under the broadest reasonable interpretation, these limitations, as drafted, are a process that, under its broadest reasonable interpretation (BRI), covers mathematical calculations which is identified as an example of mathematical concepts grouping of abstract ideas. See MPEP 210604(a)(2), III. performing additional DSE using SCADA and PMU measurements requires the calculation and multiplication of values with a covariance matrix, using an algorithm as clearly explained in equation 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 as clearly pointed out in pages 17-19 of the disclosure. Thus, these steps involve a mathematical concepts. Thus, the claims recite an abstract idea. Accordingly, these additional elements do not integrate the abstract idea of claim 1, 9, and 17 into a practical application, do not amount to significantly more than the judicial exception, and do not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea. Therefore, the claims are not patent eligible.
Claim 15 and 20 further recites in part, “establishing extended state vectors and an extended state vector set for each sub-area”, the establishing of extended state vectors and extended state vector sets is performed by calculating a transpose of matrices values, performing a permutation matrix, as explained in the original disclosure page 17. The establishing if extended state vectors and extended state vector sets is performed by calculating a transpose of matrices values, performing a permutation matrix, as explained in the original disclosure page 17 and as previously explained in claim 1 above. Thus, the claims recite an abstract idea. Accordingly, these additional elements do not integrate the abstract idea of claim 9 and 17 into a practical application, do not amount to significantly more than the judicial exception, and do not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea. Therefore, the claims are not patent eligible.
Reasons for Allowance
Provided that the rejection of claims 1-20 under 35 USC 112(a) and under 35 USC 101 are overcome the Claims would be allowed since no prior art of has been applied to claims 1-20.
None of these references alone or in combination teaches explicitly or implicitly the limitations of claims 1, 9, and 17 including:
Claim 1 “establishing an extended state vector set associated with the respective sub-area, the extended state vector set including additional boundary state variables corresponding to boundary buses shared with at least on neighboring sub-area;
D) receiving boundary information from at least one neighboring sub-area of the respective sub-area through the communication network, in accordance with the boundary state variables included in pre-defined extended state vectors and the extended state vector set;
E) performing SCADA-based distributed state estimation (DSE) using a SCADA measurement of the respective sub-area and boundary state data of at least one neighboring sub-area, and using a covariance matrix of integrated vectors of the SCADA measurement and the boundary state data;
F) performing PMU-based DSE using a PMU measurement of the respective sub-area and boundary state data of at least one neighboring sub-area, and using the covariance matrix of the integrated vectors of the SCADA measurement and the boundary state data, in parallel with the SCADA-based DSE;
G) providing estimation results and residuals obtained by the SCADA-based DSE and the PMU-based DSE;
H) performing a phasor-aided normalized residual test and a general normalized residual test based on the estimation results and residuals of the SCADA-based DSE and the PMU-based DSE for the respective sub-area, and cross-validating results of the phasor-aided normalized residual test and the general normalized residual test to
detect and identify bad data (BD) included in SCADA and PMU measurements for the respective sub-area, thereby generating a measurement data set having missing data elements corresponding to removed bad data;
locally at the respective sub-area, retrieving at least one of historical SCADA and PMU measurements and prior state estimation results for the respective sub-area, and restoring the removed bad data by using a matrix completion method based on at least one of historical measurements and prior estimation results, to thereby generate a restored measurement data set;
J) re-performing the SCADA-based and PMU-based DSEs using a new measurement data set including the restored measurement data set, generating updated state estimation results and associated covariance matrices, and mixing the updated state estimation results to obtain a final state estimation result for the respective sub-area; and
K) in accordance with the SCADA-based and the PMU-based DSEs, detecting a failure situation and a failure location of the large-scale power system distributed in the plurality of sub-areas…”
Claim 9 “obtaining estimation results and residuals of SCADA-based and PMU-based distributed state estimation (DSE) algorithms;
performing a phasor-aided normalized residual test and a general normalized residual test based on estimation results and residuals of SCADA-based DSE and PMU-based DSE algorithms for the respective sub-area, cross-validating phase-aided normalized residuals and general normalized residuals to determine whether there is bad data (BD) and which measurement data correspond to the bad data included in SCADA and PMU measurements for the respective sub-area, thereby generating a measurement data set having missing data elements corresponding to removed bad data;
locally at the respective sub-area, retrieving at least one of historical SCADA and PMU measurements and prior state estimation results for each sub-area, and restoring the removed bad data by using a matrix completion method based on at least one of historical measurements and prior estimation results, to thereby generate a restored measurement data set;
performing a SCADA-based and PMU-based DSE using a new measurement data set including the restored measurement data set, generating updated state estimation results and associated covariance matrices, and mixing the updated state estimation results to obtain a final state estimation result for the respective sub-area; and
in accordance with the SCADA-based and the PMU-based DSEs, detecting a failure situation and a failure location of the large-scale power system distributed in the plurality of sub- areas…”
Claim 17 “mix estimation results of supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA)-based distributed state estimation (DSE) and phasor measurement unit (PMU)-based DSE algorithms and perform a phasor-aided normalized residual test and a general normalized residual test on SCADA data received from an SCADA and PMU data received from at least one distinct sub-area, to detect and identify bad data (BD) in SCADA and PMU measurements for the respective sub-area;
determine whether there is bad data (BD) in SCADA and PMU measurements for the respective sub-area, and generate a measurement data set having missing data elements corresponding to removed bad data;
locally at the respective sub-area, restore the removed bad data by using a matrix completion process based on at least one of historical SCADA and PMU measurements and prior state estimation results, to thereby generate a restored measurement data set; and
based on the restored measurement data set, perform SCADA-based DSE and PMU-based DSE algorithms for the respective sub-area to update state estimation results, and mix the updated state estimation results by using a data fusion method; and
in accordance with the updated state estimation results, detect a failure situation and a failure location of the large-scale power system distributed in the plurality of sub-areas and control the large-scale power system based on the failure situation and the failure location, thereby improving accuracy and stability of system monitoring of the large-scale power system…”.
Previously prior art of record Filho et al (Enhanced Bad Data Processing by Phasor-Aided State Estimation, cited in the IDS), Chen et al (CN 104092212), Ga et al (missing Data recovery by exploiting Low-dimensionality in Power system…”), Biswas et al (US 20170017298) and Lin et al (AN IMPLEMENTABLE DISTRIBUTED STATE ESTIMATOR AND DISTRIBUTED BAD DATA PROCESSING SCHEMES FOR ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEMS, 1994) alone or in combination dos not explicitly teach the combining of limitations as recited in claims 1, 9, and 17 above.
Conclusion
Examiner respectfully requests, in response to this Office action, support be shown for language added to any original claims on amendment and any new claims. That is, indicate support for newly added claim language by specifically pointing to page(s) and line number(s) in the specification and/or drawing figure(s). This will assist Examiner in prosecuting the application.
When responding to this Office Action, Applicant is advised to clearly point out the patentable novelty which he or she thinks the claims present, in view of the state of the art disclosed by the references cited or the objections made. Applicant must also show how the amendments avoid or differentiate from such references or objections. See 37 CFR 1.111 (c).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OLVIN LOPEZ ALVAREZ whose telephone number is (571) 270-7686 and fax (571) 270-8686. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Friday from 9:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Robert Fennema, can be reached at (571) 272-2748. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/O. L./
Examiner, Art Unit 2117
/ROBERT E FENNEMA/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2117
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