DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 8/10/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. In reference to applicant’s arguments with respect to Johnson et al not teaching the new added information to independent claims 1 and 15, the new added limitation only states that the information received and stored by the controller is related to the type of device connected to the plurality of channels and the information related to the devices is updated by the controller. Applicant describes for example in fig. 4 the internal components of controller 108, wherein said controller includes a storage means 406 for storing different type of data and processing circuitry 404 for accessing said data when controlling operation of the power system taught by Johnson et al. Johnson et al clearly describes different scenarios where the controller 108 receives information about all the devices 112 connected to the power conversion system bus 104 through adapters 106 so that it decides what device or devices can deliver power to the bus or consume power from the bus. Controller 108 constantly updates the information (threshold, limits, maximum/minimum charge) of each device 112 so that only the device that needs power can consume power or only the device that can deliver power to the system bus 104 can do so, please refer to the detailed description of the operating method of controller 108 in col. 11 lines 1-67, col. 12 lines 1-67, and col. 13 lines 1-26.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. 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.
4. Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Johnson et al (US Patent 9525285).
Claims 1 and 15, the preamble of these claims include that the recited power control system is part of an elevator system. However, the portion (body) of the claims following the preamble does not list any limitations directed to any elevator system. Therefore, the recitation related to the “elevator system” is considered an intended use of the power control system. It has been held that a recitation with respect to the manner in which the claimed structure is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed structure from a prior art apparatus satisfying the claimed structural limitations. Ex parte Masham, 2 USPQ 2d 1647 (1987).
Johnson et al teaches a control system or a method for controlling a power control system comprising: a multi-channel (this has been interpreted as multiple independently controlled paths) converter 102 that includes a plurality of adapters 106a-106h connectable to a plurality of devices 112a-112h, wherein each adapter is independently controlled by a controller 108. One or more of the plurality of devices 112a-112h may simultaneously supply power to a bus 104 of converter 102 and one or more devices may simultaneously consume power from the converter (as described for example in col 4 lines 58-67 and col. 5 lines 1-25). The controller 108 comprises a memory means 406 and processing circuitry 404, wherein the controller receives information about each of the devices (threshold or maximum/minimum charge for example of a battery and updates said information based on a feedback (please refer to the detailed description of the operating method of controller 108 in col. 11 lines 1-67, col. 12 lines 1-67, and col. 13 lines 1-26).
Although Johnson et al does not explicitly describe the plurality of adapters as parallel channels (applicant has not recited what he means by a multi-channel converter), it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to implement the adapters as parallel channels of a DC-DC converter, since Johnson et al teaches concurrent operation and independent control of multiple energy paths. Such an implementation would be considered a simple design variation that improves efficiency in power distribution.
Claim 2, Johnson et al describes, col. 10 lines 11-22, each of the plurality of adapters 106 being independently connected to controller 108 through small microprocessors in the adapters.
Claim 3, Johnson et al teaches controller 108 controlling the plurality of adapters 106a-106h based on information about each of the adapters (as described for example in col. 12 lines 33-41 or col. 13 lines 8-17).
Claim 4, Johnson et al describes one of the devices 112a-112h being a power source solar power (112a), wind power (112b), or grid (112d).
Claim 5, Johnson et al describes for example in fig. 1 a plurality of channels 106a-106h being connected to a plurality of power sources 112a-112b.
Claim 6, Johnson et al describes 112e as one or more batteries (see col. 2 lines 5-6).
Claim 7, Johnson et al describes 112a as solar power and 112b as power generated from wind.
Claim 8, Johnson et al describes 102 as a power conversion system having a plurality of adapters 106a-106h, wherein 102 can be configured as a DC-DC power converter.
Claim 9, Johnson et al describes one of the power sources connected to power conversion circuit 102 as the grid (see 112 d), wherein the grid provides AC power. The AC power in converted by an AC/DC converter used in one of the adapters 106.
Claim 10, Johnson et al describes 112e as an energy storage device (battery).
Claim 11, Johnson et al describes, col. 4 lines 58-65, a plurality of sources 112 simultaneously providing power and an energy storage device 112 consumes power.
Claim 12, Johnson et al describes a plurality of power sources being connected to the power conversion circuit 102 using a plurality of adapters 106a-106h, wherein at least one power source is represented by a solar panel.
Claim 13, Johnson et al teaches multi-channel DC-DC converter 102 as a bidirectional converter (see for example the description given in col. 6 lines 48-63).
Claim 14, Johnson et al describes a power converter comprising a plurality of channels, the manner in which the power modules forming the channels are connected is considered a design choice. Additionally, DC-DC converters having a plurality of legs connected in parallel, wherein each leg comprises semiconductor switches connected in series and inductors is well-known in the art of power systems.
Claim 16, Johnson et al describes, for example in col. 11 lines 15-67 and col. 12 lines 1-52, a controller 108 responding to the needs of each of the devices 112a-112h connected to the power conversion system 102. It is obvious the controller identifies the type of each of the devices through each of the adapters since it recognizes which devices produced energy that is converted to power delivered to the power conversion system and which ones of the plurality of device consume power delivered by the power conversion system. Additionally, the controller verifies maximum voltage that a device can provide or receive at a given time.
Claims 17 and 19, as pointed out before, the limitation directed to the power system being used in an elevator system is considered a recitation of an intended use not particularly given any patentable weight. Johnson et al mentions in col. 17 lines 1-13 that their power system can be used to power elevator systems. As pointed out in the rejections of claims 1 and 15, Johnson et al also describes information sent to the controller 108 being updated or replaced when the plurality of adapters 106a-106h are used to connect or disconnect the plurality of devices 112a-112h.
Claim 18, Johnson et al describes controller 108 individually operating each of the plurality of devices 112a-112h through adapters 106a-106h. Additionally, Johnson et al describes for example in col. 7 lines 15-27 controller 108 in combination with converter 204 of adapters 106a-106h use pulse with modulation.
Claim 20, Johnson et al describes for example in col. 20 lines 4-18 that inductors can be connected to the adapters 106a-106h which are connected to the plurality of channels.
Conclusion
5. 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.
6. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Rina I Duda whose telephone number is (571)272-2062. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-4 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eduardo Colon Santana can be reached at (571) 272-2060. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RINA I DUDA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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