DETAILED ACTION
This is a first action on the merits, in response to the claims received 12/05/2023. Claims 1-20 are pending for prosecution below.
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) 1,3-5,7-11,13,14,17-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gunnerud et al, (Gunnerud), (USNO.2015/0306973).
As for claim 1, Gunnerud discloses and shows in Fig. 1 a system comprising: a first direct current to direct current (DC/DC) converter configured to: provide DC input power to an energy storage system (ESS) (ref’s high voltage battery) in a first mode of operation; and receive stored power from the ESS and provide the stored power to a common DC bus in a second mode of operation; and a second DC/DC converter configured to receive at least a portion of the stored power from the common DC bus and provide it to a load (ref’s auxiliary loads) in the second mode of operation (par.[0012-0015]).
As for claim 3, Gunnerud discloses and shows in Fig. 1 at least one alternating current to direct current (AC/DC) converter configured to provide the DC input power to the common DC bus in the first mode of operation
As for claim 4, Gunnerud discloses and shows in Fig. 1 first DC/DC converter is further configured to provide input power to a load in a third mode of operation
As for claim 5, Gunnerud discloses and shows in Fig. 1 first DC/DC converter is configured to receive a portion of the stored power from the ESS and provide it to the common DC bus for grid forming or grid support in a fourth mode of operation
As for claim 7, Gunnerud discloses and shows in Fig. 1 second DC/DC converter is inactive in the fourth mode of operation
As for claim 8 , Gunnerud discloses and shows in Fig. 1 a plurality of DC/DC converters including the first DC/DC converter and the second DC/DC converter; and a switching matrix (via ref’s switches) configured to connect or disconnect an input of each of the plurality of DC/DC converters to the common DC bus (par.[0032]).
As for claim 9 , Gunnerud discloses and shows in Fig. 1 a plurality of DC/DC converters including the first DC/DC converter and the second DC/DC converter; and
a switching matrix (via ref’s switches) configured to connect or disconnect an output of each of the plurality of DC/DC converters to a plurality of loads, wherein: the plurality of loads comprises the ESS and at least one electric vehicle (par.[0032]).
As for claim 10 , Gunnerud discloses and shows in Fig. 1 a first power electronics module (PEM) comprising a first AC/DC converter having an output coupled to an input of the first DC/DC converter; and
a second PEM comprising a second AC/DC converter having an output coupled to the input of the second DC/DC converter.
As for claim 11, Gunnerud discloses and shows in Fig. 1 a method comprising: in a first mode of operation: providing input power from a first direct current to direct current (DC/DC) converter to an energy storage system (ESS) (via high voltage battery); and in a second mode of operation: providing stored power from the ESS to a common DC bus using the first DC/DC converter; and providing at least a portion of the stored power from the common DC bus to a load (ref’s auxiliary loads) using a second DC/DC converter (par.[0012-0015]).
As for claim 13, Gunnerud discloses and shows in Fig. 1 in the first mode of operation, providing the DC input power to the common DC bus using at least one alternating current to direct current (AC/DC) converter.
As for claim 14, Gunnerud discloses and shows in Fig. 1 in a third mode of operation, providing input power to a load using the first DC/DC converter
As for claim 17, Gunnerud discloses and shows in Fig. 1 the fourth mode of operation, inactivating the second DC/DC converter
As for claim 18, Gunnerud discloses and shows in Fig. 1 connecting or disconnecting an input of each of a plurality of DC/DC converters to the common DC bus using a switching matrix, wherein the plurality of DC/DC converters includes the first DC/DC converter and the second DC/DC converter
As for claim 19, Gunnerud discloses and shows in Fig. 1 connecting or disconnecting an output of each of a plurality of DC/DC converters to a plurality of loads using a switching matrix, wherein the plurality of DC/DC converters includes the first DC/DC converter and the second DC/DC converter and wherein the plurality of loads comprises the ESS and at least one electric vehicle
As for claim 20, Gunnerud discloses and shows in Fig. 1 a system comprising: a first power electronics module (PEM) comprising a first alternating current to direct current (AC/DC) converter (via external power input) coupled to a first direct current to direct current (DC/DC) converter; a second PEM comprising a second AC/DC converter coupled to a second DC/DC converter; a common DC bus selectively connectable to the first PEM between the first AC/DC converter and the first DC/DC converter and to the second PEM between the second AC/DC converter and the second DC/DC converter; and an energy storage system (ESS) (ref’s high voltage battery), wherein: in a first mode of operation, the first DC/DC converter is configured to provide DC input power to the ESS; and in a second mode of operation: the first DC/DC converter is configured to receive stored power from the ESS and provide the stored power to the common DC bus; and the second DC/DC converter is configured to receive at least a portion of the stored power from the common DC bus and provide it to an electric vehicle (par.[0004,0012-0015,0035]).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 2,6,12,15, and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gunnerud in view of Chang, (USNO.2018/0339595)
As for claim 6, Gunnerud discloses all limitations, but differs from the claimed invention because he does not explicitly disclose AC/DC converter configured to receive the portion of the stored power from the common DC bus and provide it for the grid forming or grid support
Chang discloses AC/DC converter configured to receive the portion of the stored power from the common DC bus and provide it for the grid forming or grid support (par.[0054])
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the teachings of by Gunnerud using AC/DC converter configured to receive the portion of the stored power from the common DC bus and provide it for the grid forming or grid support for advantages such as providing the ability to relieve pressure during power demand (par.[0054]), as taught by Chang.
As for claim 2, Gunnerud in combination with Chang discloses first DC/DC converter and the second DC/DC converter is electrically isolated and configurable to provide bidirectional power flow and wherein the second DC/DC converter is further configured to provide input power to the ESS in the first mode of operation
As for claim 12, Gunnerud in combination with Chang discloses of the first DC/DC converter and the second DC/DC converter is electrically isolated and configurable to provide bidirectional power flow, the method further comprising, in the first mode of operation, providing input power from the second DC/DC converter to the ESS
As for claim 15, Gunnerud in combination with Chang discloses using the first DC/DC converter to receive a portion of the stored power from the ESS and provide it to the common DC bus for grid forming or grid support
As for claim 16, Gunnerud in combination with Chang discloses using at least one AC/DC converter to receive the portion of the stored power from the common DC bus and provide it for the grid forming or grid support
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ARUN C WILLIAMS whose telephone number is (571)272-9765. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 9 a.m. - 6 p.m..
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Julian Huffman can be reached on 571-272-2147. 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.
/ARUN C WILLIAMS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
Prosecution Insights