DETAILED ACTION
This is the first Office Action regarding application number 18/270,972, filed on 07/05/2023, which is a 371 of PCT/US2022/011321, filed on 01/05/2022, and which claims priority to provisional application numbers 63/134,030, 63/134,034, 63/134,039, 63/134,028, all filed on 01/05/2021.
This action is in response to the Applicant’s Response received 02/18/2025.
Election of Restricted Inventions
The Applicant’s election with traverse of Group II, Species A2 (claims 21-34) in the reply received on 02/18/2025 is acknowledged. The applicant requests rejoinder of claims 35 and 36. The traversal is on the ground(s) that there is unity of invention because claims 35 and 36 are drawn to a process of use of the product of claim 21. The applicant now cancels the claims of Groups I, IV, and V, so the only remaining groups are Groups II and III. In view of the applicant’s amendments, the examiner concurs with the applicant’s remarks, and the restriction requirement is withdrawn. Claims 35 and 36 are examined along with the other pending claims 21-34.
Status of Claims
Claims 21-36 are currently pending.
Claims 1-20 and 37-39 are cancelled.
Claims 21-36 are examined below.
No claim is allowed.
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 21-29, 31-33, 35, and 36 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by SENTINELLI (US 2012/0293111 A1).
Regarding claim 21, SENTINELLI teaches a portable solar power plant (“mobile solar power-generating system”), comprising:
a portable frame (container 1 on portable wheels 2); and
a plurality of deployable solar panels (panels 6, 630, 640, Fig. 13) folded about the portable frame in an undeployed stored configuration (Fig. 6 illustrates the undeployed folded stored configuration),
each of the plurality of deployable solar panels being coupled to the portable frame by at least one hinged connection (hinges 7 on the sides of the panels, para. 17),
each of the plurality of deployable solar panels being deployable about the at least one hinged connection from the undeployed configuration into a deployed configuration (Figs. 7-12 illustrate the deployment process of unfolding the panels about their respective hinges into a deployed configuration where light may then be captured and converted by the exposed solar panels).
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Regarding claim 22, SENTINELLI teaches the portable solar power plant of Claim 21, wherein the portable frame has a length and a width, wherein hinged connections about which each of the plurality of deployable solar panels deploys are parallel to the length or the width of the portable frame (hinges arranged parallel to both the length and width directions of the portable frame, see annotated Fig. 7 below).
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Regarding claim 23, SENTINELLI teaches the portable solar power plant of Claim 22, wherein the plurality of deployable solar panels are formed into a plurality of deployable banks of deployable solar panels (there are four deployable banks, see Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 24, SENTINELLI teaches the portable solar power plant of Claim 23, wherein a first of the plurality of deployable banks of deployable solar panels is collapsed around a first lateral side of the portable frame when in the undeployed configuration (see annotated Fig. 7 above indicating the recited feature).
Regarding claim 25, SENTINELLI teaches the portable solar power plant of Claim 24, wherein a second of the plurality of deployable banks of deployable solar panels is collapsed around a second lateral side of the portable frame when in the undeployed configuration (see annotated Fig. 7 above indicating the recited feature).
Regarding claim 26, SENTINELLI teaches the portable solar power plant of Claim 25, wherein a third of the plurality of deployable banks of deployable solar panels is collapsed around an upper side of the portable frame when in the undeployed configuration (see annotated Fig. 7 above indicating the recited feature, with top side solar panels; and there are two additional deployable banks that can collapse above to the upper side, but also the upper side solar panels 620 could be considered “collapsed in a totally flat horizontal position when in an undeployed configuration).
Regarding claim 27, SENTINELLI teaches the portable solar power plant of Claim 26, wherein the first, second and third deployable banks of deployable solar panels are configured to deploy into a flat array (Fig. 13 illustrates “flat” planar array of solar panels).
Regarding claim 28, SENTINELLI teaches the portable solar power plant of Claim 26, wherein the flat array is mounted on a main hinged connection (16, Fig. 13) with respect to the portable frame to permit the flat array to rotate from a first position to a second position about the main hinged connection (array can rotate from horizontal with ground to an angled position to better absorb sunlight above, Fig. 13).
Regarding claim 29, SENTINELLI teaches the portable solar power plant of Claim 28, further comprising a controller operably coupled to the solar panels, the controller being configured to direct electrical power generated by the solar panels (circuit layout shown in Fig. 17 capable of performing the recited functions).
Regarding claim 31, SENTINELLI teaches the portable solar power plant of Claim 21, wherein the portable frame includes a horizontally extending portion and a vertically extending portion coupled to the horizontally extending portion (Fig. 13 illustrates a portable frame in the form of a cube-type shape, with the horizontal structure components interpreted as the horizontal extending portions, and the vertical portions in a similar way interpreted).
Regarding claim 32, SENTINELLI teaches the portable solar power plant of Claim 31, wherein the plurality of solar panels are pivotally connected to the vertically extending portion of the frame (claim does not require “direct” pivotal connection, so the hinge is positioned very closely to the vertical edge side surface of the frame, which would allow for greater freedom of tilting, Fig. 13).
Regarding claim 33, SENTINELLI teaches the portable solar power plant of Claim 32, wherein the horizontally extending portion of the portable frame includes at least one pair of wheels to transport the portable solar power plant (wheels 2, Fig. 13).
Regarding claim 35, SENTINELLI teaches a method of generating electricity, comprising: providing the portable solar power plant of Claim 21;
unfolding the plurality of deployable solar panels folded about the portable frame by pivoting the plurality of deployable solar panels about a first set of hinges to partially deploy the solar panels in a first deployment step (Fig. 7); and
further unfolding the plurality of deployable solar panels about a second set of hinges oriented orthogonally with respect to the first set of hinges to form a planar solar array in a second deployment step (see how the unfolding hinges of Fig. 9 are orthogonal to the hinges previously unfolded in Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 36, SENTINELLI teaches the method of Claim 35, wherein at least two solar panels in the plurality of deployable solar panels have photoactive surfaces facing each other prior to deploying the solar panels (Fig. 9 illustrates the claimed arrangement).
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 of this title, 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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim 30 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SENTINELLI (US 2012/0293111 A1) in view of MCGINTY (US 2020/0321909 A1).
Regarding claim 30, SENTINELLI teaches the portable solar power plant of Claim 29, but does not disclose expressly that the controller is operably coupled to a drive to selectively position the array deploy and collapse the first and second deployable banks of solar panels in response to an input to the controller.
MCGINTY provides a portable solar power plant that configures a controller to operate the movement of the associated solar panels, that that the sun is tracked throughout its movement across the daytime sky, thus producing maximum power efficiency, and also for the automatic storage during nighttime hours, periods of high wind conditions (which are known to potentially damage these devices), and during movement of the host vehicle to which the power plant is coupled (paras. 43 and 44).
Skilled artisans would have found it obvious to modify SENTINELLI and configure the controller so that it is operably coupled to drive, control, and operate the movement and deployment of the solar panels in response to controller inputs in order to maximize solar power and ensure safe and secure system operation as taught by MCGINTY.
Claim 34 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SENTINELLI (US 2012/0293111 A1) in view of SWAN (US 2017/0104441 A1).
Regarding claim 34, SENTINELLI teaches the portable solar power plant of Claim 33, but does not disclose expressly the horizontally extending portion of the portable frame includes at least one coupling to attach to a tow vehicle to transport the portable solar power plant.
SWAN teaches a portable solar power plant, having a horizontal base with a “coupling” to attached to a two vehicle so that the power plant can be easily and conveniently towed by a vehicle to a rural or remote location where it is required (para. 161).
Skilled artisans would have found it obvious to modify SENTINELLI and add at least one coupling to the horizontally extending portion of a portable frame so that the power plant can be easily and conveniently towed by a vehicle to a rural or remote location where it is required as taught by SWAN.
Conclusion
No claim is allowed.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANGELO TRIVISONNO whose telephone number is (571) 272-5201 or by email at <angelo.trivisonno@uspto.gov>. The examiner can normally be reached on MONDAY-FRIDAY, 9:00a-5:00pm EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, ALLISON BOURKE, can be reached at (303) 297-4684.
/ANGELO TRIVISONNO/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1721