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 .
This Office Action is responsive to the communication received on 09/15/2023. The claims 1-19 are pending, of which the claim(s) 1, 6, & 15 is/are in independent form.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 6- 14 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 6,
Issue 1: The claim recites “a first set of service cables connecting the secondary voltage connections to a first residential site” in lines 7-8. However, the claim already recites “residential sites including a first residential site and second residential site” in lines 1- 2. Therefore, the claim fails to clarify which first residential site the claim is referring to in lines 7-8 thereby rendering the scope of the claim indefinite. For the examination purpose, “a first residential site” of lines 7-8 is interpreted as same residential site of the lines 1- 2 or any residential sites that can be served by the second set of service cables.
Issue 2: the claim recites “a second set of service cables connecting the secondary voltage connections to the second residential site, at a higher line voltage than the residential line voltages for stepping down at the residential site” in last limitation. The claim recites “A system for connecting a source grid to residential sites including a first residential site and second residential site” in lines 1- 2. However, claim fails to clarify which residential site (i.e., first site or second site or both) is being referred to by recitation of “the residential site” in last line of the claim thereby rendering the scope of the claim indefinite.
For the examination purpose, the last line of the claim is interpreted as “voltages for stepping down at the second residential site.”
Regarding claims 7- 14, they are also rejected because of their dependency with rejected claim 6.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) (2) as being anticipated by Phan (US 20240135280 A1, filing date: 2022-10-23).
Regarding claim 1, Phan teaches a distribution transformer [“power delivery system 201 also includes …secondary distribution station 210 that includes a distribution transformer 212” “distribution transformers, such as distribution transformer 212 and distribution transformers 226”, wherein the “distribution transformer 300 is an example of the distribution transformer 212 of FIG. 2.” Hence, the transformer 300 is in exemplary (“simplified diagram of an example distribution transformer 300”) transformer that can implement “distribution transformers” of the Phan including transformer 212 and 226] for use in a providing electrical power to sites [power destination/end points in the “power delivery system 201”], the distribution transformer comprising: ([0016, 067-072, 076]);
[a] a ferromagnetic [“In some embodiments, the distribution transformer 300 is an example of the distribution transformer 212 of FIG. 2”, “the electromagnetic transformer 304 includes a ferromagnetic core 310”] core ([072, 074]);
[b] a primary winding [“the primary windings” of the distribution transformer] configured to be connected to a source grid at source grid voltage ([067, 074-075]);
[c] a secondary winding [“the secondary winding structure comprises one or more secondary windings.”] configured to be coupled to1 service cables [cables (“transmission lines 214 that are supported by poles 216”) from transformer 212 to the item 218 and from transformer 212 (“local transmission lines 230”) to the item 232] to supply electrical energy to at least one of the sites [the sites/end points of different consumers of the power delivery systems, e.g., “industrial consumers 218” and “power to residential consumers 232”] at a first line voltage [e.g., voltage at the residents 232] and at least another of the sites at a second line voltage [e.g., voltage at the industrial customer 218], wherein the second line voltage is higher [PHOSITA in power distribution art knows that the industrial customer like item 218 (“a medium industrial customer”) will need higher voltage compared to residential consumers like houses 232 which may operate at “120 V, 240 V,”] than the first line voltage ([067, 069-074]).
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Regarding claim 2, Phan further teaches the distribution transformer according to claim 1, wherein the service cables include a first set of service cables [in right side of the fig. 2, the lower cables 230 connecting the residential building 232 with the lower pole 228] to supply electrical energy to a first one of the sites [one of the “residential consumers 232”] at the first line voltage, and wherein the first line voltage is 120V [“the voltage is stepped down further to service voltages (e.g., 120 V, 240 V, and 480 V) using the pole-mounted distribution transformers 226.”] ([067, 069], fig. 2).
Regarding claim 3, Phan further teaches the distribution transformer according to claim 2, wherein the service cables include a second set of service cables [In fig. 2.s right side, the upper cables from transformer 226 to the upper residential consumer 232] to supply electrical energy to a second one of the sites at the second line voltage, and wherein the second line voltage is 480V [the voltage is stepped down further to service voltages (e.g., 120 V, 240 V, and 480 V) using the pole-mounted distribution transformers 226] (Fig. 2, [067]).
Regarding claim 4, Phan further teaches the distribution transformer according to claim 1, wherein the secondary winding is configured to be coupled to (claim does not require direct and physical coupling) a first plurality of the sites [sites of the homes 232] utilizing respective sets of the service cables to supply electrical energy at 480V (Fig. 2, [067- 069]).
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.
The factual inquiries 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(s) 6-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over BERNHEIM (US 20140368189 A1) in view of Phan (US 20240135280 A1).
Regarding claim 6, Bernheim teaches system [system of figs. 1/4] for connecting a source grid [power grid that provides power to the transformers 101/401] to residential sites including a first residential site [e.g., “service point/residence 405” with remote 402] and second residential site [residence with remote 404], the system comprising: (fig. 42, [027]);
a distribution transformer [“Service Transformer” like item 401/101] for use in a providing electrical power, the distribution transformer having at least one primary voltage connection [connection from where the transformer 401 receives power from distribution system] to the source grid at source grid voltage, and secondary voltage connections [see in figs. ¼ that show multiple power connections from transformer 401 to different residences 405] providing electrical energy to the first residential site and to the second residential site ([003-004, 027]);
a first set of service cables [power lines (“power lines 102”) from the transformer 401 to the home with remote 402] connecting the secondary voltage connections to a first residential site at residential line voltages for residential service at the first residential site (Fis. 1, 4, [026-027]);
a second set of service cables [e.g., power lines from transformer 401/101 to the home with remote 404/403] connecting the secondary voltage connections to the second residential site,
Bernheim may or may not teach the second set of service cables are at a higher line voltage than the residential line voltage for stepping down at the residential site as shown above with strikethrough emphasis.
Phan teaches a system [“Power delivery system 201”] for connecting a source grid to a residential sites using a distribution transformer [item 212, which has structure as shown as item 300] (Figs. 2- 3). Specifically, Phan teaches the system comprising:
a distribution transformer [“distribution transformer 212 supplies power”, analogous to Bernheim’s transformer 401] for use in a providing electrical power having secondary voltage connections providing electrical energy to the first industrial site [“transmission lines 214 that are supported by poles 216. Power is then provided to industrial consumers 218”] and to the second residential site; a second set of service cables [cables from transformer 212 to the “secondary distribution station 220” and towards consumers 232] connecting the secondary voltage connections to the second residential site, at a higher line voltage [using of the another step-down transformer 226] than the residential line voltages for stepping down [“here the voltage is stepped down further to service voltages (e.g., 120 V, 240 V, and 480 V) using the pole-mounted distribution transformers 226.” Here, the voltage 120 is further stepped down voltage after the transformer 212 has already stepped down once] at the residential site ([067-070]).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to (1) combine Phan and Bernheim because they both related to using a distribution transformer to supply power to the pluralities of the residential customers and (2) modify the second set of service cables (like cables to the house with meter 403/404) connecting the second connection to be at a higher line voltage (e.g., from 480 V rather than 120 V) than the residential line voltages for stepping down (later) at the residential site as in Phan. Doing so would allow the delivery of the power to the consumers (service point/residence 405 of Bernheim) that are located at very far distance from the distribution transformer 401 in an efficient and effective manner (Phan [0070] & Bernheim Fig. 4). Accordingly, Bernheim in view of Phan combines to teach each elements of the claim and renders invention of this claim obvious to PHOSITA.
Regarding claim 7, Bernheim in view of Phan teaches the system according to claim 6, wherein the first set of service cables connects the secondary voltage connections to the first residential site at residential line voltages of 120V [PHOSITA knows that in typical US households like house with meter 403/405, the provided power is 120/240V], providing 120V/240V service (Bernheim, fig. 4 & Phan [069]).
Regarding claim 8, Bernheim in view of Phan teaches/suggests the system according to claim 7, wherein the second set of service cables connects the secondary voltage connections to the second residential site at the higher line voltage of 480V [some houses 405 of Bernheim can receive 480 V and 100 amperes depending on needs of the service location and types of the electric loads required], providing 480V and 100 amperes to the residential site (Phan [069], Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 9, Bernheim in view of Phan teaches/suggests the system according to claim 6, comprising a site transformer [“distribution transformers 226 adjust the electric voltage”] including a site core, a site primary winding around the site core and coupled to the second set of service cables, and a site secondary winding around the site core and coupled to site cables [“local transmission lines 230 provide power to residential consumers 232.”] providing service at the second residential site (Phan figs. 2-3, [069- 070] to efficiently extend the distance power is transmitted from the transformer 401 in Bernheim as suggested by Phan).
Regarding claim 10, Bernheim in view of Phan teaches/suggests the system according to claim 9, wherein the site cables connect the site transformer to the second residential site at residential line voltages of 120V, providing 120V/240V and 200 amp service to the second residential site (Phan [069-070], fig. 2).
Regarding claim 11, Bernheim in view of Phan teaches/suggests the system according to claim 9, wherein the system is utilized to connect to further residential sites [“Additional distribution transformers may also be used to step the voltage either up or down at various points where there is a change in voltage in the electric power delivery system 201” suggests that the power delivery system can be expended to more houses that will need additional service cables], and the system comprises further sets of service cables, each further set of service cables connecting the secondary winding to respective ones of the further residential sites (Phan, fig. 2 [067-069]).
Regarding claim 12, Bernheim in view of Phan teaches/suggests the system according to claim 11, wherein the further sets of service cables include further first sets of cables that connect the secondary winding to ones of the further residential sites, at line voltages of 120V, and provide 120V/240V service at the respective residential sites (Bernheim Fig. 4, Phan, fig. 2 [067-070]).
Regarding claim 13, Bernheim in view of Phan teaches/suggests the system according to claim 11, wherein the further sets of service cables include further second sets of cables [cables needed to provide power to the additional households] that connect the secondary winding to respective other ones of the further residential sites, each at respective line voltages of 480V (Bernheim Fig. 4, Phan, fig. 2 [067-070]).
Regarding claim 14, Bernheim in view of Phan teaches/suggests the system according to claim 13, comprising a plurality of further site transformers each having a further primary winding connected to a respective one of the further second sets of service cables, and a further secondary winding coupled to further site cables providing 120V/240V and 200 amp service at the respective other ones of the further residential sites (Bernheim Fig. 4, Phan, fig. 2 [067-070]).
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Phan (US 20240135280 A1, filing date: 2022-10-23).
Regarding claim 5, Phan further teaches the distribution transformer according to claim 4, wherein the secondary winding is configured to be coupled to a second
Phan does not explicitly state that its “power delivery system 201” can provide power to the loads downstream of the pole 216 at line voltages of 120 V.
However, PHOSITA knows that the same power service line can be shared by a residential customer located nearby of the industrial consumer and the industrial consumer 218 itself. Thus the voltage level of the line 214 can be further lowered to 120 V to generate suitable power for the consumers that are downstream of the pole 216 since Phan explicitly states “Additional distribution transformers may also be used to step the voltage either up or down at various points where there is a change in voltage in the electric power delivery system 201” in para. 070. That is, in situation, where additional customers are connected downstream of the user 216, the provided voltage can be at 120 V. In summary, the invention of the claim 5 would have been obvious over Phan. See MPEP 2144.04 (V).
Claim(s) 15-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Phan (US 20240135280 A1, filing date: 2022-10-23) in view of Keihle (US 20080272090 A1).
Regarding claim 15, Phan teaches a method of delivering electrical energy from a source grid [“an electric generator 204 is installed”] to residential sites [“residential consumers 232” and “medium industrial customer (e.g., such as industrial consumers 218)”] including a first residential site [e.g., “industrial consumers 218”] and second residential site [area around “residential consumers 232”], the method comprising: (Fig. 2 [067]);
utilizing a distribution transformer [“distribution transformer 212 supplies power to secondary transmission lines 214”], stepping down from a grid voltage [voltage at the “primary transmission lines 206”] to line voltages of 120V along a first set of service cables [“local transmission lines 230 provide power to residential consumers 232”, the cables that provide power to the consumer 232 located in lower/right side of the fig. 2 from “secondary distribution station 220” are mapped as first of service cables. The claim does not require only the single distribution transformer converts the grid voltage down to 120/240V] and providing 120V/240V service to the first residential site ([067-070);
utilizing the distribution transformer, stepping down [“where the voltage is stepped down further to service voltages (e.g., 120 V, 240 V, and 480 V) using the pole-mounted distribution transformers 226.”] from the grid voltage to 480V along a second set of service cables [cables from “secondary distribution station 220” to the upper house 232 in fig. 2] to provide
Phan does not specifically state that its residential customer is provided with 100 Ampere current as claimed. That is, Phan is silent about the amount describing the current that can be provided when the provided voltage is at 480 V.
Keihle teaches a method of delivering electrical energy from a source grid to a power load 10, the method comprising: utilizing the distribution transformer, stepping down from the grid voltage to 480V along a second set of service cables to provide 480V and 100A [“The main breaker 52 may be a 480 volt/100 amp breaker. From the main breaker 52, two (2) phases of the three-phase alternating current electricity may be carried to a step-down transformer 54, such as a 480 volt/110 volt step-down transformer”] for stepping down at the second residential site (Fig. 4, [041]). In summary, Keihle demonstrates that the provided current to the residential customers can be at 100 Amp when the provided line voltage is at 480V.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to (1) combine Keihle and Phan because they both related to providing current from a power source to 480 V power service cables and (2) modify the 480 V service cables of Phan to use 100 A current as in Keihle. Keihle teaches an exemplary level of the current (100 Amp) that 480 V power service cables are known to carry to operate pluralities of the power loads of a residential building to PHOSITA.
Regarding claim 16, Phan in view of Keihle further teaches/suggests the method according to claim 15, comprising utilizing a site transformer [e.g., item 226 or other downstream transformers that can be provided in the exemplary power delivery system 201 of Phan], stepping down from the 480V and 100A along the second set of service cables, to line voltages of 120V along second site cables and providing 120V/240V and 200A service to the second residential site (Phan, Fig. 2 [067- 070] & Keihle [041])
Regarding claims 17 -19, Phan in view of Keihle further teaches/suggests delivering power to the pluralities of the residential consumers 232 and “additional distribution transformers may also be used to step the voltage either up or down at various points where there is a change in voltage in the electric power delivery system 201 (067-070]).
However, as required by the claims 17- 19, Phan in view of Keihle does not explicitly teach its method of delivering power electrical energy comprising:
upgrading to 200A service by stepping down from the grid voltage to 480V along the first set of service cables to provide 480V and 100A to the first residential site;
adding a further site transformer at the first residential site and, utilizing the further site transformer, stepping down from the 480V and 100A to line voltages of 120V along first site cables and providing 120V/240V and 200A service to the first residential sites;
utilizing existing site service entry cables as the second set of service cables to provide 480V and 100A for stepping down at the second residential site.
However, these method steps of the claims 17- 19 set forth the specific values of the voltage and current to be delivered to the different electric loads/power lines in the exemplary electric power delivery system 201. PHOSITA would understand that the “electric power delivery system 201” of Phan not to be limited to explicit values of the voltage and currents provided at different nodes and end units of the delivery system 201.
Therefore, PHOSITA can modify the “electric power delivery system 201” to arrive at the claimed values of the voltage and current as in claims 17- 19 based on the design needs, specific sites (jurisdictions) where the power delivery system is installed and available electrical elements to the power distribution engineer. Here, neither the claims nor the specification has demonstrated the criticality of the values of the voltage and current in the limitations of the claims 17- 19. See MPEP 2144.04 (IV). Accordingly, the inventions of the claims 17- 19 are not patentably distinguishable over Phan in view of Keihle. Thus, the claims 17- 19’s inventions fall within the “Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments.” (Phan, 0129). Therefore, claims 17- 19 are not patentable over Phan in view of Keihle.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
1) Osawa et al., (US 20230274873 A1) teaches a transformer 10 with a secondary winding coupled with multiple loads 301s (Fig. 1).
2) Dias (US 20230071239 A1) teaches a multi-winding phase shift transformer 11 comprising a ferromagnetic core 17, a primary winding 16 and secondary windings 14 (Fig. 1, [022, 052, 066]).
3) Juchem et al. (US 20250030355 A1) teaches a transformer [“first transformer 2 is a multi-winding transformer”] with a primary winding, a core, and secondary winding [“secondary side 2S”] configured to be coupled to service cables to supply electrical energy to at least one of the sites at a first line voltage [U1] and at least another of the sites at a second line voltage [U2], wherein the second line voltage is higher than the first line voltage (Fig. 3, [040]).
4) Tomiyama et al. (JP 2002101662 A) substantially teaches invention of the claim 1. That is, Tomiyama teaches a distribution transformer [“In FIG. 1, T101 is an insulating transformer”] for use in a providing electrical power to sites, the distribution transformer comprising: (please see 3fig.1); a the core between primary and secondary cores shown with solid line by the symbol T101] a primary winding [cores at left side by symbol Q101] configured to be connected to a source grid at source grid voltage; a secondary winding configured to be coupled to service cables to supply electrical energy to at least one of the sites [at 3.3 V/ 5 V] at a first line voltage and at least another of the sites at a second line voltage [at 24 V], wherein the second line voltage is higher than the first line voltage (Fig. 1 & associated texts, [072]).
5) Turner et al. (US 20140300344 A1) teaches a method of delivering electrical energy from a source grid 10 to residential sites including a first residential site 106 and second residential site 108 using a distribution transformer 104 (Fig. 1).
Contacts
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SANTOSH R. POUDEL whose telephone number is (571)272-2347. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday (8:30 am - 5:00 pm).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thomas Lee can be reached on 571-272-3667. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SANTOSH R POUDEL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2115
1 Please note that the claim does not require the secondary windings to directly and physically couple with the service cables as in applicant’s figs. 2- 9. The coupling can be either physical or electrical and indirect coupling. Please refer to fig. 3 of Juchem et al. (US 20250030355 A1, not cited and listed in the interest of compact prosecution only) for direct coupling of the multiple service cables from a single transformer’s secondary winding to provide different levels of the AC voltage lines.
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