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 .
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are pending.
Claim(s) 1 and 11 is/are independent.
Priority
No priority has been claimed in the present application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The references cited in the information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 8/24/2023 have been considered by the examiner.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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.
Claim(s) 1-7, 9-17 and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Patarroyo et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2022/0077688) (hereinafter “Patarroyo”).
Regarding claim 1 and corresponding claim 11, Patarroyo teaches a control system to regulate frequency of an islanded microgrid, having at least one grid-tied renewable energy source, (Para. 373 - - microgrid frequency is regulated, where microgrid is in islanded mode; Fig. 1 - - grid-tied renewable energy resource is used)
comprising: a centralized H∞ controller to generate active and reactive power setpoints; (Para. 354 - - H-infinity controller is used for setpoints; Para. 68 - - active and reactive power values, i.e. setpoints, can be used to enhance the controller)
a multi-agent system integrated into the grid through a grid-tied inverter coupled with an LCL filter; (Para. 324 - - LCL filter is used in a grid-connected inverter; Fig. 1 - - multi-agent, i.e. multiple subsystems, are integrated with grid, where agents are subsystems as per Pg. 9 of Applicant’s Specification)
and a distributed control to control the multi-agent system and the grid-tied inverter to adjust output power of a multi-agent microgrid storage cooperatively so that they achieve consensus in the energy while providing inertial support. (Para. 321 - - microgrid is controlled in islanded mode connected to a grid; Para. 354 - - H-infinity controller is used for setpoints; Fig. 1 - - grid-tied renewable energy resource is used)
Regarding claim 2 and corresponding claim 12, Patarroyo teaches wherein the renewable energy source is a photovoltaic (PV) system. (Fig. 1 - - solar panel, i.e. PV system, can be used)
Regarding claim 3 and corresponding claim 13, Patarroyo teaches wherein the renewable energy source is a wind turbine system. (Fig. 1 - - wind turbine system can be used)
Regarding claim 4 and corresponding claim 14, Patarroyo teaches wherein the centralized H∞ controller regulates the frequency of an islanded microgrid. (Para. 373 - - microgrid frequency is regulated, where microgrid is in islanded mode)
Regarding claim 5 and corresponding claim 15, Patarroyo teaches wherein the centralized H∞ controller outputs feedback that minimizes the maximum gain of the output over disturbances. (Para. 121 - - control is used to reject, i.e. minimize, disturbances)
Regarding claim 6 and corresponding claim 16, Patarroyo teaches wherein the disturbances include power injections from the at least one grid-tied renewable energy source. (Fig. 1 - - renewable energy sources inject power to the grid)
Regarding claim 7 and corresponding claim 17, Patarroyo teaches a virtual inertial unit that receives the active and reactive power setpoints and enhances the centralized H∞ controller to exhibit damping and inertia properties of a synchronous generator. (Para. 68 - - generators exhibit synchronous machine behavior which is emulated, i.e. virtual unit, where active and reactive power values, i.e. setpoints, can be used to enhance the autonomous controller, i.e. the H∞ controller)
Regarding claim 9 and corresponding claim 19, Patarroyo teaches wherein the multi-agent system includes a group of battery energy storage devices, wherein the distributed control is a decentralized cooperative multi-agent control to synchronize the power and state of charge (SOCs) among the battery energy storage devices. (Fig. 1 - - charge controller controls charge in a group of battery energy storage devices)
Regarding claim 10 and corresponding claim 20, Patarroyo teaches wherein the multi-agent control operates according to a coordinated leader-follower multi-agent control strategy configured to balance the state of charge (SOC) of the battery energy storage devices, by adjusting output power of operative batteries to balance the SOC while providing inertial support to the microgrid, while ensuring that no battery is depleted when available capacity exists in remaining battery energy storage devices. (Fig. 1 - - charge controller controls charge in a group of battery energy storage devices)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 8 and 18 is/are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim(s), but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim(s) and any intervening claim(s).
It is noted that any citations to specific, pages, columns, lines, or figures in the prior art references and any interpretation of the reference should not be considered to be limiting in any way. A reference is relevant for all it contains and may be relied upon for all that it would have reasonably suggested to one having ordinary skill in the art. See MPEP 2123.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Saad M. Kabir whose telephone number is 571-270-0608 (direct fax number is 571-270-9933). The examiner can normally be reached on Mondays to Fridays 9am to 5pm EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mohammad Ali can be reached on 571-272-4105. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/SAAD M KABIR/
Examiner, Art Unit 2119
/ZIAUL KARIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2119