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
This office action is a response to an application filed on 02/05/2026 in which claims 1, 3, 7, 10-13, 15 and 19 are pending and ready for examination.
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(s) 1 and 10-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2013/014879 A1 (hereinafter WO879) in view of JP 2008- 245458 A (hereinafter JP458) further in view of Reynolds et al (hereinafter Reynolds) (US 2008/0238198 A1) and further in view of Fujita (US 2018/0109199 A1).
As to claims 1 and 13, WO879 discloses a power conversion device comprising: a plurality of converters (Fig 2, 20) each connected to a plurality of cell strings (Fig 2, 10); and wherein the plurality of converters constitutes a multi-level (Figs 1 & 2, parags [0046- 0061]).
WO879 does not disclose a plurality of auxiliary power supply units configured to supply driving power to each of the plurality of converters using voltages outputted from each of the plurality of cell strings; wherein each of the plurality of auxiliary power supply units is configured to supply driving power to a corresponding one of the plurality of converters using a voltage outputted from one cell string of the plurality of cell string corresponding to a level or the corresponding converter.
However, JP458 discloses a plurality of auxiliary power supply units configured to supply driving power to each of the plurality of converters using voltages outputted from each of the plurality of cell strings; wherein each of the plurality of auxiliary power supply units is configured to supply driving power to a corresponding one of the plurality of converters using a voltage outputted from one cell string of the plurality of cell string corresponding to a level or the corresponding converter (see Fig 1, parags [0017-0026]). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the device of WO879 to include the auxiliary power supply units as taught by JP458 in order to effectively provide power to the converters using power from the input units. The combination of WO879 and JP458 does not disclose:
wherein each of the auxiliary power supply units comprises two-stage regulators connected sequentially, wherein the two-stage regulators comprise a step-down regulator and a step-up regulator which are connected sequentially, and wherein the driving power is supplied to each of the plurality of converters through sequentially both the step-down regulator and the step-up regulator.
However, Reynolds discloses each of the auxiliary power supply units comprises two-stage regulators connected sequentially (see Fig 2), wherein the two-stage regulators comprise a step-down regulator (Fig 2, 300) and a step-up regulator (Fig 2, 400) which are connected sequentially, and wherein the driving power is supplied to each of the plurality of converters through sequentially both the step-down regulator and the step-up regulator (see parag [0022]). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the power conversion device of WO879 and JP458 to include the regulators as taught by Reynolds in order to effectively manage the power provided from the power conversion device.
The combination of WO879, JP458 and Reynolds does not disclose each of the plurality of converters has a different reference potential from one another.
However, Fujita discloses each of the plurality of converters has a different reference potential from one another (see Fig 4, parags [0009], [0061]). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the power conversion device of WO879, JP458 and Reynolds to include the teachings as taught by Fujita in order to supply power to the converters with a supply voltage that is level-shifted according to the reference potential (parag [0061]).
As to claim 10, the combination of WO879, JP458, Reynolds and Fujita discloses the power conversion device according to claim 1, comprising: a control unit configured to monitor at least one of input signals, output signals of the plurality of converters, and current flowing in inductors included in each of converters to transmit it to outside through power line communication (PLC), or generate and apply a control signal for each of the plurality of converters (WO879, see Figs 1, 2, 11 & 12, parags [0046-0058], [0081- 0084).
As to claim 11, the combination of WO879, JP458, Reynolds and Fujita discloses the power conversion device according to claim 1, the power conversion device according to wherein the plurality of converters receives the control signal and perform maximum power point tracking control (WO879, see Figs 2, 3, parags [0055-0074).
As to claim 12, the combination of WO879, JP458, Reynolds and Fujita discloses the power conversion device according to claim 1, the power conversion device according to wherein, the plurality of converters is connected in cascode (WO879, see Figs 2, 3, parags [0055-0074)).
4. Claim(s) 3, 7, 15 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2013/014879 A1 (hereinafter WO879) in view of JP 2008- 245458 A (hereinafter JP458) as modified by Reynolds et al (hereinafter Reynolds) (US 2008/0238198 A1) further in view of Fujita (US 2018/0109199 A1) further in view of JP 2007-259614 A (hereinafter JP614).
As to claims 3 and 15, the combination of WO879, JP458, Reynolds and Fujita does not disclose the power conversion device according to claim 1, wherein a type of regulator forming the auxiliary power supply unit varies according to a target voltage of the driving power supplied by each auxiliary power supply unit.
However, JP614 discloses wherein a type of regulator forming the auxiliary power supply unit varies according to a target voltage of the driving power supplied by each auxiliary power supply unit (see parag [(0011-0014]). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the device of WO0O879, JP458, Reynolds and Fujita to include the teachings of JP614 in order to control the power supplied to the converters effectively.
As to claims 7 and 19, the combination of WO879, JP458, Reynolds, Fujita and JP614 discloses the power conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the step-down regulator comprises at least one of a linear regulator and a step-down converter, and wherein the step-up regulator comprises at least one of a charge pump and a step-up converter (JP614, see parags [001 1-0014)).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 7-14, filed on 02/05/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) claims 1 and 13 under 103 have been fully considered and are moot. Upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of WO879, JP458, Reynolds, Fujita and JP614.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DUC M PHAM whose telephone number is (571)272-5026. The examiner can normally be reached 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Monday to Friday.
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/DUC M PHAM/Examiner, Art Unit 2836 June 20, 2026
/TAELOR KIM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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