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
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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)(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.
1. Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(2) as being anticipated by Ariesen et al (USPN 2024/0396326).
Regarding claim 1, Ariesen discloses a method comprising:
receiving, by a computing device (a computing device 22, see details in figure 3), electrical signals (DC output voltage signals shown in figures 2, 4) indicative of a power output of a power source (see par. 0020);
determining, by the computing device (22) and based on the received electrical signals (the DC signals), a current or voltage surge event of the power output (a lightning voltage event, see par. 0021, 0023); and
causing, by the computing device (22) and based on the determined current or voltage surge event, an interruption to a current cycle of the power output by switching a polarity of power output (by triggering the surge protector 40 to switch polarity of the DC power signals, see par. 0023, 0024), wherein the interruption resets a surge protector activated by the current or voltage surge event (0023).
Regarding claim 2, Ariesen discloses wherein the power output of the power source comprises a switched polarity direct current (DC) power output (see figures 2, 4, par. 0023).
Regarding claims 3, 4, Ariesen discloses wherein the surge protector (40) comprises a crowbar device (such as a gas discharge tube, see par. 0019), wherein the surge protector comprises a thyristor device or a gas discharge tube (see par. 0019).
Regarding claim 5, Ariesen discloses determining the current or voltage surge event comprises identifying the received electrical signals exceed a current or voltage threshold (see par. 0023-0024).
Regarding claim 6, Ariesen discloses wherein switching of the polarity of the power output comprises switching the polarity at a greater frequency (such as about 100 Hz) than a normal polarity switching frequency for the power output (such as 0.2 to 5 Hz) (e. see par. 0020-0021).
Regarding claim 7, Ariesen discloses an implementation of a number of polarity changes over a predefined period of time (e.g. see par. 0021).
Regarding claim 8, Ariesen discloses an alteration of a transition rate for the power output (see figures 2, 4, and par. 0023).
Regarding claim 9, Ariesen discloses wherein the interruption comprises implementing a voltage dropout for a predefined period of time (such as when a voltage drop in stable mode, see par. 0023, 0025).
Regarding claim 10, Ariesen discloses wherein the interruption causes the power output to experience one or more zero crossing events (see par. 0021, 0023).
Regarding claim 11, Ariesen discloses a method comprising:
monitoring, by a computing device (a computing device 22), a power output of a power source (such as a DC output, see figures 2, 4);
detecting, by the computing device (22) and based on the monitoring, a current surge event of the power source (a lightning voltage event, see par. 0021-0023);
adjusting, by the computing device (22) and based on the detected current surge event, the power output of the power source by increasing a frequency for polarity switching of the power output (increasing frequencies by increasing a switching time of the surge protector 40 from 1 to 5 ms which is equipvant a frequences from 200 Hz to 1 KHz, see par. 0021, 0023, figures 2, 4); and
resetting, by the computing device (22) and via the adjusting, a crowbar device (such as a gas discharge tube, see par. 0019) activated by the current surge event (see par. 0023).
Regarding claim 12, Ariesen discloses wherein the power output of the power source comprises a switched polarity direct current (DC) power output (see par. 0021, figures 2, 4).
Regarding claim 13, Ariesen discloses wherein the power source comprises an outside plant (OSP) (such as an outside cabinet 16), a cable plant (such as a hybrid fiber coaxial cables 24, 28, 30 see par. 0018), a cable television (CATV) provider, a content streaming provider, or a combination thereof.
Regarding claim 14, Ariesen wherein the power output (such as the output power shown in figures 2, 4) is configured to transmit a CATV or content stream (such as content stream transmitted via the hybrid fiber cable 30, see par. 0018).
Regarding claim 15, Ariesen discloses wherein the crowbar device (the surge protector 40 includes a gas discharge tube, see par. 0019) is activated due to the current surge event (see par. 0021).
Regarding claim 16, Ariesen discloses wherein the increasing the frequency of the polarity switch (such as a switching time of the surge protector 40 from 1 to 5 ms which is equivalent from 200 Hz to 1 KHz, see figure 4) causes the power output to cross a zero-voltage threshold at a short time compared to a normal operation of the power output.
Regarding claim 17, Ariesen discloses wherein a switching frequency for the power output is less than 60 Hz (such as a switching frequency of the DC power output about 5 Hz, see par. 0020-0021).
Regarding claim 18, Ariesen discloses a system (such as a broadband communication network 10 shown in figure 1, see par. 0018) comprising:
a power source (an internal DC power source, see par. 0020) configured to transmit a power output; and
a computing device (a computing device 22, see details in figure 3) in communication with the power source, the computing device configured to:
receive electrical signals (such as DC output voltage signals in figures 2, 4) indicative of the power output of the power source;
determine, based on the received electrical signals, a current surge event of the power output; and cause, based on the determined current surge event, an interruption to a current cycle of the power output by switching a polarity of power output, wherein the interruption resets a surge protector activated by the current surge event (see par. 0022-0023).
Regarding claim 19, Ariesen discloses wherein the power output of the power source comprises a switched polarity direct current (DC) power output (see figures 2, 4, par. 0021).
Regarding claim 20, Ariesen discloses wherein the surge protector comprises a crowbar device (such as a gas discharge tube, see par. 0019).
Conclusion
2. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANNY NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2054. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00AM-4:30PM.
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/DANNY NGUYEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838