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 .
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 1 – 4 and 6 – 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ough (U.S. 20220278531).
Regarding claim 1, Ough teaches a electric power system (figure 1 shows an electric power system item 10 defined as a mobile hybrid microgrid system) comprising:
an electrical storage device electrically connected to an electric power system (figure 1 item 20 defined in paragraph [0037] as an electrical storage system); and
a controller configured to control the electrical storage device based on an electric power command from an upper control system configured to control input-output electric power of the electrical storage device (figure 1 item 30 and figure 3 item 222 defined in paragraph [0039] as a control systems to control the input-output by monitoring and adjusting the parameters of the system which includes the electrical storage system), and
make a transition to an autonomous mode in which the input-output electric power of the electrical storage device is controlled based on a charge remaining amount of the electrical storage device (paragraph [0062] discloses wherein the control system 222 operates in an autonomously based on the state of charge of the electric storage systems), in at least one of a case where the controller senses that communication with the upper control system fails or a case where the controller senses that the electrical storage device and the electric power system is disconnected (paragraph [0084] discloses wherein when a fault with the communications is detected, the operation is in an autonomous mode or default mode of operation).
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Ough Figure 1 shows a microgrid system
Regarding claim 2, Ough teaches the electric power system according to claim 1,
wherein when the charge remaining amount becomes a first threshold value in the autonomous mode, the controller performs first operation that stops inputting and outputting of electric power of the electrical storage device, and when the charge remaining amount becomes a second threshold value due to standby electric power consumption after the first operation, the controller performs second operation that charges the electrical storage device (paragraph [0062] discloses wherein the rate of charge and discharge is varied by the control system according to the charge remaining or state of charge of the battery. Thus, when the state of charge of the battery is at a first threshold, the controller performs a charging rate according to the state of charge and when the remaining charge or state of charge is at another threshold, the charge rate is again varied).
Regarding claim 3, Ough teaches the electric power system according to claim 1,
wherein the controller stops inputting of electric power of the electrical storage device by reducing input electric power of the electrical storage device at stages or continuously in accordance with the charge remaining amount of the electrical storage device in the autonomous mode or the controller stops outputting of electric power of the electrical storage device by reducing output electric power of the electrical storage device at stages or continuously in accordance with the charge remaining amount of the electrical storage device in the autonomous mode (paragraphs [0062]-[0063] discloses wherein the rate of charge and discharge, continuously, of the electrical storage system is varied by the control system based on the remaining charge or state of charge of the electrical storage system).
Regarding claim 4, Ough teaches the electric power system according to claim 1, wherein the controller stops inputting of electric power of the electrical storage device by reducing input electric power of the electrical storage device at stages or continuously in accordance with an elapsed time of the autonomous mode in the autonomous mode or the controller stops outputting of electric power of the electrical storage device by reducing output electric power of the electrical storage device at stages or continuously in accordance with an elapsed time of the autonomous mode in the autonomous mode (paragraphs [0062]-[0063] discloses wherein the rate of charge and discharge, continuously, of the electrical storage system is varied by the control system based on the remaining charge or state of charge of the electrical storage system).
Regarding claim 6, Ough teaches the electric power system according to claim 1, further comprising an electronic device including the controller, and an electric power supply device configured to supply electric power to the electrical storage device, wherein the controller provides pseudo inertial force to an output from the electric power supply device, and the controller disables the pseudo inertial force after transition to the autonomous mode (defined in paragraph [0059] wherein providing a pseudo inertial force and disabling the pseudo inertial force is interpreted as the electrical storage systems vary the discharge profile based on a required load to maintain stability during peak load demands. Thus, the discharging is disabled when the system enters an autonomous mode).
Regarding claim 7, Ough teaches the electric power system according to claim 1, further comprising an electronic device including the controller, and a communicator configured to perform communication between the upper control system and the controller, wherein the electronic device periodically sends a request to the upper control system, and the controller makes a transition to the autonomous mode when the electronic device does not receive a response from the upper control system in an allowed time (paragraphs [0086] – [0087] discloses wherein data and various communications may be exchanged between a server and the microgrid system).
Regarding claim 8, Ough teaches the electric power system according to claim 1, wherein the controller cancels the autonomous mode when having determined that communication with the upper control system is resumed in a state which the electrical storage device and the electric power system is connected (paragraphs [0091] – [0092] discloses wherein modes of operation may be activated and deactivated based on the electrical storage system. Thus, when an autonomous mode is activated, the mode may be deactivated when the electrical storage system is at a desired level).
Regarding claim 9, Ough teaches the electric power system according to claim 1, wherein the controller cancels the autonomous mode when communication with the upper control system is resumed and a command related to control of the electrical storage device is received from the upper control system in a state which the electrical storage device and the electric power system is connected (paragraphs [0091] – [0092] discloses wherein modes of operation may be activated and deactivated based on the electrical storage system. Thus, when an autonomous mode is activated, the mode may be deactivated when the electrical storage system is at a desired level).
Regarding claim 10, Ough teaches the electric power system according to claim 1, wherein the charge remaining amount is SoC (paragraph [0062] teaches wherein the charge remaining is SOC).
Regarding claim 11, Ough teaches an electronic device (figure 1 item 20 defined in paragraph [0037] as an electrical storage system) comprising a controller configured to control an electrical storage device electrically connected to an electric power system based on an electric power command from an upper control system configured to control input-output electric power of the electrical storage device (figure 1 item 30 and figure 3 item 222 defined in paragraph [0039] as a control systems to control the input-output by monitoring and adjusting the parameters of the system which includes the electrical storage system), and make a transition to an autonomous mode in which input-output electric power of the electrical storage device is controlled based on a charge remaining amount of the electrical storage device (paragraph [0062] discloses wherein the control system 222 operates in an autonomously based on the state of charge of the electric storage systems), in at least one of a case where the controller senses that communication with the upper control system fails and a case where the controller senses that the electrical storage device and the electric power system is disconnected (paragraph [0084] discloses wherein when a fault with the communications is detected, the operation is in an autonomous mode or default mode of operation).
Regarding claim 12, Ough teaches a electric control (figures 12 and 13 show a method) method comprising: controlling an electrical storage device electrically connected to an electric power system, based on an electric power command from an upper control system configured to control input-output electric power of the electrical storage device (figure 1 item 30 and figure 3 item 222 defined in paragraph [0039] as a control systems to control the input-output by monitoring and adjusting the parameters of the system which includes the electrical storage system); and
making a transition to an autonomous mode in which the input-output electric power of the electrical storage device is controlled based on a charge remaining amount of the electrical storage device (paragraph [0062] discloses wherein the control system 222 operates in an autonomously based on the state of charge of the electric storage systems), in at least one of a case of sensing that communication with the upper control system fails or a case of sensing that the electrical storage device and the electric power system is disconnected (paragraph [0084] discloses wherein when a fault with the communications is detected, the operation is in an autonomous mode or default mode of operation).
Regarding claim 13, Ough teaches a non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer program stored therein which causes a computer to execute processes (figure 12 shows a program executing processes item 700) comprising:
controlling an electrical storage device electrically connected to an electric power system, based on an electric power command from an upper control system configured to control input-output electric power of the electrical storage device (figure 1 item 30 and figure 3 item 222 defined in paragraph [0039] as a control systems to control the input-output by monitoring and adjusting the parameters of the system which includes the electrical storage system); and
making a transition to an autonomous mode in which the input-output electric power of the electrical storage device is controlled based on a charge remaining amount of the electrical storage device device (paragraph [0062] discloses wherein the control system 222 operates in an autonomously based on the state of charge of the electric storage systems), in at least one of a case of sensing that communication with the upper control system fails or a case of sensing that the electrical storage device and the electric power system is disconnected (paragraph [0084] discloses wherein when a fault with the communications is detected, the operation is in an autonomous mode or default mode of operation).
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 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ough (U.S. 20220278531) in view of Zimmanck (US 20170163049).
Regarding claim 5, Ough teaches the electric power system according to claim 1, further comprising an electronic device including the controller, and an inverter configured to convert DC power supplied from the electrical storage device into AC power (figure 5 items 210 discloses an inverter to convert DC to AC supplied from the electrical storage unit) but does not explicitly teach wherein droop characteristics of the electronic device is disabled when the charge remaining amount of the electrical storage device is out of a predetermined range after transition to the autonomous mode.
Zimmanck teaches wherein droop characteristics of the electronic device is disabled when the charge remaining amount of the electrical storage device is out of a predetermined range after transition to the autonomous mode (paragraphs [0035] – [0038] discloses wherein the droop characteristics are employed, enabled or disabled based on and proportionally to the remaining charge or state of charge of the electric storage device while in an autonomous mode).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the microgrid system of the Ough reference with the microgrid system of the Zimmanck reference so that the batteries within the system maintain a charge balance.
The suggestion/motivation for combination can be found in the Zimmanck reference in paragraph [0006] wherein a charge balance between batteries taught.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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ALEXIS BOATENG PACHECO
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2859
/ALEXIS B PACHECO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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