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 § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim 1 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the enablement requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention. Regarding Claim 1, the acronym OLAP is disclosed. The specification fails to define the acronym and its significance. The specification merely discloses what it is connected to.
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.
Claim 1 through 14 are 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 1 and 8, the applicant discloses an OLAP database module. It is unclear what OLAP stands for as the specification fails to disclose the acronym, therefore rendering the claim indefinite.
Regarding Claim 4, it is disclosed that the plurality of sensor s of the individual wind turbine is connected to the modem through a wedge controller. It is unclear what the wedge controller is and its purpose with respect to the art. It is unclear whether this is a particular machine (trademarked) or a type of general controller. The specification fails to define the type of machine and its purpose. It further seems that this machine is not one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize or use, therefore rendering the claim indefinite. For purposes of continued examination, the examiner interprets this term as a generic controller.
Regarding Claim 5, it is disclosed that the SCADA server receives data directly from the modems through the M2M gateway module, a custom gateway module and the centralized gateway module. It is unclear what the custom gateway is and its purpose. The specification fails to define the type of machine and its purpose. It is generally stated and therefore renders the claim indefinite.
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.
Claims 1 through 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pionzio et al. (US20020029097, 2002-03-07) herein referred to as Pionzio, in view of Kiles et al. (US20190170118A1, 2019-06-06) herein referred to as Kiles and Meng et al. (CN110134740A, 2019-08-16) herein referred to Meng.
Regarding Claim 1, Pionzio et al. teaches a system for remote monitoring of wind turbines for extraction and transformation of wind turbine data into a uniform consolidated datamart, irrespective of make and model of wind turbine, the wind turbines being either an individual unit or a cluster of plurality of wind turbines and equipped with plurality of sensors with signal conditioning and processing circuits capturing operational parameters related to input and output characteristics thereof (Abstract; [0021]), the system comprising:
a modem receiving wind turbine data from the plurality of sensors and operably connected to a cloud network either in a wired or wireless manner to facilitate data transfer there between (TPU (210) [0049-0051];
a M2M gateway unit receiving data from the modem and connected to an application server (APU; [0027-0029])
a SCADA server connected to the application server through a centralized gateway; wherein the centralized gateway converts the received data format into single IEC-61850 standard and passes to the SCADA server (Abstract);
a real time database module operably connected to the SCADA server wherein the data from SCADA server is transformed to a readable format to have a single view of all the data collected from the wind turbines (TACS [0023], [0030]);
an application module consuming data from the OLAP database module available at source independent of the data from real time database module to ensure the users can analyze the historical data by slicing and dicing across the regions/farms/turbine makes & models without impacting on data collection from turbine [0007, 0030].
Pionzio fails to specifically teach an OLAP database module operably connected to the real time database module through an ETL module; providing a secured connectivity over GSM network for data transfer thereto.
However, in a related field, Kiles teaches providing a secured connectivity over GSM network for data transfer thereto [0065].
Kiles fails to teach an OLAP database module operably connected to the real time database module through an ETL module.
However, in a related filed Meng teaches an OLAP database module operably connected to the real time database module through an ETL module (page 9 third and fourth paragraph).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Pionzio to incorporate the teachings of Kiles and Meng by including: an OLAP database module operably connected to the real time database module through an ETL module; providing a secured connectivity over GSM network for data transfer thereto in order to assist in operating an efficient and reliable wind farm remotely.
Regrading Claim 2, the combination teaches the system as claimed in claim 1. The combination fails to specifically teach wherein the modem is a GPRS modem supported with GPRS technology for data transmission. However, GPRS modem is known by one of ordinary skill in the art as a modem with GSM capability. This is taught by Kiles [0065] as previously stated in Claim 1.
Regarding Claim 3., the combination teaches the system as claimed in claim 1. The combination further teaches wherein the plurality of sensors of the wind turbine cluster is connected to the modem through a serial converter unit and a data collection unit (Pionzio [0080]; fig. 3).
Regarding Claim 4, the combination teaches the system as claimed in claim 1. The combination further teaches wherein the plurality of sensors of the individual wind turbine is connected to the modem through a wedge controller (Pionzio: [[0049-0050] (TPU)).
Regarding Claim 5, the combination teaches the system as claimed in claim 1. The combination further teaches wherein the SCADA server receives data directly from the modems through the M2M gateway module, a custom gateway module and the centralized gateway module (Kiles: [0081]).
Regarding Claim 6, , the combination teaches the system as claimed in claim 1. The combination further teaches wherein the real time database module is an OLTP database configured as a central repository of real time data from the individual turbines (Pionzio: [0021-0025]).
Regarding Claim 7, the combination teaches the system as claimed in claim 1. The combination further teaches The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the centralized gateway module works on protocols selected from OPC, OPC-DA, IEC104, IEC103, IES101, IEC61850, MODBUS TCP & OPC-XML-DA and like (Pionzio: [0164]).
Regarding Claim 8, Pionzio et al. teaches a system for remote monitoring of wind turbines for extraction and transformation of wind turbine data into a uniform consolidated datamart, irrespective of make and model of wind turbine, the wind turbines being either an individual unit or a cluster of plurality of wind turbines and equipped with plurality of sensors with signal conditioning and processing circuits capturing operational parameters related to input and output characteristics thereof (Abstract; [0021]), the system comprising:
a modem receiving wind turbine data from the plurality of sensors and operably connected to a cloud network either in a wired or wireless manner to facilitate data transfer there between (TPU (210) [0049-0051];
a M2M gateway unit receiving data from the modem and connected to an application server (APU; [0027-0029])
a SCADA server connected to the application server through a centralized gateway; wherein the centralized gateway converts the received data format into single IEC-61850 standard and passes to the SCADA server (Abstract);
a real time database module operably connected to the SCADA server wherein the data from SCADA server is transformed to a readable format to have a single view of all the data collected from the wind turbines (TACS [0023], [0030]);
an application module consuming data from the OLAP database module available at source independent of the data from real time database module to ensure the users can analyze the historical data by slicing and dicing across the regions/farms/turbine makes & models without impacting on data collection from turbine [0007, 0030].
Pionzio fails to specifically teach an OLAP database module operably connected to the real time database module through an ETL module; providing a secured connectivity over GSM network for data transfer thereto.
However, in a related field, Kiles teaches providing a secured connectivity over GSM network for data transfer thereto [0065].
Kiles fails to teach an OLAP database module operably connected to the real time database module through an ETL module.
However, in a related filed Meng teaches an OLAP database module operably connected to the real time database module through an ETL module (page 9 third and fourth paragraph).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Pionzio to incorporate the teachings of Kiles and Meng by including: an OLAP database module operably connected to the real time database module through an ETL module; providing a secured connectivity over GSM network for data transfer thereto in order to assist in operating an efficient and reliable wind farm remotely.
Regrading Claim 9, the combination teaches the method as claimed in claim 8. The combination fails to specifically teach wherein the modem is a GPRS modem supported with GPRS technology for data transmission. However, GPRS modem is known by one of ordinary skill in the art as a modem with GSM capability. This is taught by Kiles [0065] as previously stated in Claim 8.
Regarding Claim 10, the combination teaches the system as claimed in claim 8. The combination further teaches wherein the plurality of sensors of the wind turbine cluster is connected to the modem through a serial converter unit and a data collection unit (Pionzio [0080]; fig. 3).
Regarding Claim 11, the combination teaches the system as claimed in claim 8. The combination further teaches wherein the plurality of sensors of the individual wind turbine is connected to the modem through a wedge controller (Pionzio: [[0049-0050] (TPU)).
Regarding Claim 12, the combination teaches the system as claimed in claim 8. The combination further teaches wherein the SCADA server receives data directly from the modems through the M2M gateway module, a custom gateway module and the centralized gateway module (Kiles: [0081]).
Regarding Claim 13, the combination teaches the system as claimed in claim 8. The combination further teaches wherein the real time database module is an OLTP database configured as a central repository of real time data from the individual turbines (Pionzio: [0021-0025]).
Regarding Claim 14, the combination teaches the system as claimed in claim 1. The combination further teaches The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the centralized gateway module works on protocols selected from OPC, OPC-DA, IEC104, IEC103, IES101, IEC61850, MODBUS TCP & OPC-XML-DA and like (Pionzio: [0164]).
Conclusion
The prior art made record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
Lund et al. (Digital System And Method For Managing A Wind Farm Having Plurality Of Wind Turbines Coupled To Power Grid, 2018-11-20) teaches a digital system for managing a wind farm having a plurality of wind turbines electrically coupled to a power grid. The system includes a farm-based first communication network having one or more individual wind turbine control systems communicatively coupled to the one or more wind turbines and an overall wind farm control system. The system also includes a cloud-based second communication network communicatively coupled to the first communication network via an industrial gateway. The second communication network includes a digital infrastructure having a plurality of digital models of the one or more wind turbines, wherein the plurality of digital models of the one or more wind turbines are continuously updated during operation of the wind farm via data supplied by the farm-based first communication network;
Melero et al. (MEASURING SYSTEM INTENDED FOR GRID QUALITY AND POWER CURVE TESTING IN WIND TURBINES AND POWER SUPPLY QUALITY TESTING, 2007-03-05) teaches a measurement system for the power curve test and network quality in wind turbines, as well as the quality of the electrical supply in general, which comprises measurement apparatus which carried out the power curve test and various tests to determine the quality of the electrical supply thus permitting the status of the test being carried out to be visualized at any given moment, in which one of the wind turbines is provided with measurement apparatus which enables the status of the power curve test to be determined at any moment in time and remotely, in addition to analyzing the network quality in the wind turbine, which issues reports configurable by a user restricting the transit of data by means of an external communications device;
Yao et al. (Wind Field Communication Method And System For Wind Turbine, 2022-05-12) teaches a wind farm communication system for wind generating set, the wind field communication method and system comprises a hardware module, a software module and a system module, the hardware module signal is connected with a wind power station SCADA system, the wind power station SCADA system one-way signal is connected with a monitoring unit. The invention through monitoring system, wind power station SCADA system, hardware module and the software module between the monitoring system, using the monitoring system of the firewall, realizing the function of the safety protection of the wind power field SCADA system control, effectively solves the problem that the outer network without permission to enter into the wind power field SCADA system, using the monitoring system of the firewall of the limiting mode, so that the website entering into the wind power field SCADA system needs to be verified, ensuring the safety of the wind power station SCADA system operation, avoiding the disorder of system caused by the modification of the network address without authority into the wind power field SCADA system.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL J SINGLETARY whose telephone number is (571)272-4593. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Catherine Rastovski can be reached at (571) 270-0349. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL J SINGLETARY/Examiner, Art Unit 2863