DETAILED ACTION
This action is in respond to the application filed 03/06/2024.
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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/06/2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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(s) 1, 3, & 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KR Doc. ID KR101598464B1 (hereinafter Cho Sun) in view of US Doc. ID US11342783B2 (hereinafter Miyamoto).
Regarding claim 1, Cho Sun discloses a scanning control device [e.g. Fig. 1, element 40 (control means); paragraph 0040, “The control means 40 includes a microprocessor and executes estimation selection control and measurement selection control”] that controls a scanning process [e.g. paragraph 0039, “The storage means 30 is an algorithm of the maximum power point control method (MPPT), the Perturbation and Observation (PO) control method 31, the Incremental Conductance (IC) control method 32 and the CV (Constant Voltage) control method 33”]in a solar module, the solar module including a solar panel [e.g. abstract, “The present invention may comprise: a photovoltaic panel equipped with a plurality of solar cells”] and a power generation control unit [e.g. abstract, “a control means which controls the direction of the photovoltaic panel, by continuously applying the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) method”] configured to control power generation of the solar panel [e.g. paragraph 0048, “It operates by increasing and decreasing the solar cell voltage periodically”], and the scanning process being a process in which the power generation control unit scans an output voltage of the solar panel to find a maximum power point[e.g. paragraph 0007, “PO method periodically calculates power by measuring solar cell voltage and current, and then traces MPP using power value”; Fig. 3, element Measure V(k)], the scanning control device comprising: an acquisition unit configured to acquire information on the power generation of the solar panel [e.g. Fig. 3, element Measure V(k), I(k)]; a setting unit configured to set target power [e.g. Fig. 3, element P(k-1)] based on the information on the power generation [e.g. Fig. 3, element ΔV(k+1)], the target power being a target value of power that is generated by the solar panel [e.g. paragraph 0007, “The IC control method is a method of measuring the solar cell voltage and current so as to control the change rate of power with respect to the change of the terminal voltage operating point of the array to be '0'”]; wherein the setting unit is configured to change the target power according to a change in the information on the power generation.
Cho Sun fails to disclose an instruction unit configured to allow the power generation control unit to execute the scanning process when a difference between the target power and power generated by the solar panel is larger than a first threshold value, and configured to prohibit the power generation control unit from executing the scanning process when the difference is equal to or less than the first threshold value.
Miyamoto teaches an instruction unit [e.g. Fig. 1, element 32] configured to allow the power generation control unit [e.g. Fig. 1, element 31] to execute the scanning process [e.g. paragraph 0020, “The execution unit 31 causes the DC-DC converter 20 which is a control object (hereinafter referred to as a “corresponding DC-DC converter 20 ”) to perform a scan process”] when a difference between the target power and power generated by the solar panel is larger than a first threshold value [e.g. Fig. 2, element S204], and configured to prohibit the power generation control unit from executing the scanning process when the difference is equal to or less than the first threshold value [e.g. Fig. 2, No option of element S204].
It would be obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to modify Cho Sun to incorporate the teaching of Miyamoto wherein the instruction unit is further configured to allow the power generation unit to execute the scanning process when a difference between the target power and power generated by the solar panel is larger than a first threshold value and configured to prohibit the power generation control unit from executing the scanning process when the difference is equal to or less than the first threshold value in order to reduce power losses.
Regarding claim 3, Cho Sun discloses the scanning control device according to claim 1, wherein the information on the power generation includes information on a past power generation status [e.g. Fig. 3, P(k-1)] of the solar panel [e.g. paragraph 0048, “compares the output power of the current array with the output power of the solar array during the previous disturbance cycle”].
Regarding claim 4, Cho Sun discloses the scanning control device according to claim 1, wherein the information on the power generation includes information on an environment including at least a location where the solar panel is present and weather at the location [e.g. paragraph 023, “according to the present invention, measuring means for measuring the time, season and solar radiation of the region in which the photovoltaic panel is installed”].
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KR Doc. ID KR101598464B1 (hereinafter Cho Sun) in view of US Doc. ID US11342783B2 (hereinafter Miyamoto) and US Doc. ID US9644993B2 (hereinafter Adest).
Regarding claim 2, Cho Sun fails to disclose the scanning control device according to claim 1, wherein the information on the power generation includes information on a temperature of the solar panel.
Adest teaches the scanning control device according to claim 1, wherein the information on the power generation includes information on a temperature of the solar panel [e.g. Fig. 3A, element 307].
It would be obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to modify Cho Sun to incorporate the teaching of Adest wherein the information on the power generation includes information on a temperature of the solar panel in order to reduce power losses.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KR Doc. ID KR101598464B1 (hereinafter Cho Sun) in view of US Doc. ID US11342783B2 (hereinafter Miyamoto) and JP Doc. ID JP2014038567A (hereinafter Kuwabara).
Regarding claim 5, Cho Sun discloses setting an average value or median value of the power [e.g. Fig. 3, element P(k-1)] to the target power.
Cho Sun fails to disclose a state in which the difference is larger than the first threshold value and a fluctuation value of the power generated by the solar panel is equal to or less than a second threshold value continues for a predetermined period.
Kuwabara teaches a state in which the difference is larger than the first threshold value [e.g. paragraph 0028, “When the input voltage value (Vin) is large (in the case of Yes in S103)”] and a fluctuation value of the power generated by the solar panel is equal to or less than a second threshold value continues for a predetermined period [e.g. paragraph 0028, “the control unit 21 determines whether the operation is stable (S105)… whether or not the voltage (MPP voltage: Vm) during MPPT control has been within a predetermined range for a predetermined time” or ‘input power from the solar cell panel is’”].
It would be obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to modify Cho Sun to incorporate the teaching of Kuwabara by wherein the scanning control device further includes a state in which the difference is larger than the first threshold value and a fluctuation value of the power generated by the solar panel is equal to or less than a threshold value continues for a predetermined period in order to ensure better operational stability.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
CN104656616B-Xu Kai-Clustered control method for solar photovoltaic power generation array.
KR20200090686A-JEONG SEOK YOUNG-Power Pumping System of Photovoltaic Facilities to Track Maximum Power Voltage and Centralized Interconnection Control
JP7119664B2-SUGANO JUNYA-POWER GENERATION RESERVED CAPACITY MEASUREMENT SYSTEM AND POWER GENERATION RESERVED CAPACITY MEASUREMENT METHOD
KR101615747B1-KIM YOUNG IL-A EFFICIENT IMPROVEMENT METHOD FOR MAXIMUM POWER POINT TRACKING OF THE SOLAR INVERTER IN CASE OF PARTIAL SHADING
WO2012097325A2-SPANOCHE SORIN ANDREI-METHODS AND DEVICES FOR CONTROLLING A PHOTOVOLTAIC PANEL IN A THREE PHASE POWER GENERATION SYSTEM
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/MONICA LEWIS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2838
/JARED RAYMOND HAUSMAN/Examiner, Art Unit 2838