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 .
DETAILED ACTION
INFORMATION DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/18/2024, 09/25/2024 & 08/01/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
NOTICE OF PRELIMINARY AMENDMENT
The Examiner acknowledges the amended claims filed on 08/26/2025.
- Claims 1-23 have been cancelled.
- Claims 24-45 have been added.
ALLOWABLE SUBJECT MATTER
Claims 26, 28, 30, 32-34, 37, 39, 41 & 43-45 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
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 of this title, 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.
Claims 24-25 & 35-36 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
TIAN et al. (U.S. Publication 2023/0237794) in view of Boright et al. (U.S. Publication 2005/0114027)
As to claims 24 & 35, TIAN discloses a computer-implemented method of reducing shading on solar panels in a solar farm, the method comprising (Fig. 1 & [0007-0008] discloses a method for automatically identifying solar PV panels via a cloud platform using Landsat-8 optical satellite images. See wherein the images are preprocessed to obtain a set of surface reflectance images.): identifying the solar panels in the solar farm within at least one image based on one or both of geometric analysis or pixel-based analysis (Fig. 1 & [0009] discloses constructing a solar photovoltaic panel remote sensing identification index. Also, See obtaining solar photovoltaic panel remote sensing identification index images. Fig. 1 & [0017-0025] discloses thresholding an ith pixel location and determining whether that location indicates a solar PV panel in an identification result image. Fig. 1 & [0007-0008] discloses collecting Landsat-8 optical satellite images; Preprocessing and obtaining a set of surface reflectance images.); identifying shading on the solar panels by: iteratively performing the pixel-based analysis on at least one visual range satellite image and on at least one non-visual range satellite image (Fig. 1 & [0008] discloses collecting Landsat-8 optical satellite images; Preprocessing and obtaining a set of surface reflectance images. [0015] discloses a blue band image and a first shortwave infrared band image are synthesized and reconstructed and selected as a model input image. [0045] discloses blue band reflectance image, green band reflectance image, red band reflectance image, near-infrared band reflectance image, first shortwave infrared band reflectance image, and second shortwave infrared band reflectance images; [0025, 0066] discloses S11-S17 repeating until pixel locations in the study area are all traversed.);
TIAN is silent to determining the shading on the solar panels based on the iterative analysis; and performing one or both of: modifying an output image in order to identify the determined shading on the solar panels; or automatically performing at least one action in order to reduce the shading on the solar panels.
However, Boright discloses determining the shading on the solar panels based on the iterative analysis (Fig. 16 & [0011] discloses the data point is classified as one of a shadow covered ground point and a non-shadow covered ground point based on the comparison with the spectral data threshold. determining whether a data point indicates a shadow covered ground point using visible, near-infrared, and short wavelength. Image data indicates presence of a shadow, near infrared and short wavelength infrared data. See further [0038-0040] discloses detecting shadows in high altitude and/or orbital overhead via spectral tests applied to pixel level spectral measurements. Spectral Tests applied to pixel level spectral tests applied to pixel level spectral measurements with visible, near-infrared, and short wavelength infrared data. [0156] discloses iterative analysis across the image: “it is determined if all the data points have been evaluated. If not, the routine 1500 loops to the block 1504 for input of the next data point. iterating the analysis over data points until all data points have been evaluated.); and performing one or both of: modifying an output image in order to identify the determined shading on the solar panels (Fig. 11D & [0128] discloses a shadow mask superimposed on image 1100. [0129] & Fig. 12B discloses a shadow mask 1210 superimposed on image 1200. [0158-0159] discloses outputting shadow mask data 1680 and shadow mask 1690.); or automatically performing at least one action in order to reduce the shading on the solar panels.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing to modify TIAN’s disclosure to include the above limitations in order to distinguish shaded PV-panel regions from unshaded PV-panel regions and to generate an annotated output image showing the determined shading for those solar panels.
As to claims 25 & 36, TIAN in view of Boright discloses everything as disclosed in claims 24 & 35. In addition, TIAN discloses wherein the at least one non-visual range satellite image comprises at least one surface reflectance satellite image. ([0008] discloses preprocessing Landsat-8 optical satellite images to obtain a set of surface reflectance images. [0015] discloses further disclosing non-visual inputs include SWIR reflectance data, stating that a clue band image and a first shortwave infrared band image are selected as model input at [0015]. [0045 disclose blue, red, near infrared, first shortwave infrared and second shortwave infrared band reflectance images.])
Claims 27 & 38 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
TIAN et al. (U.S. Publication 2023/0237794) in view of Boright et al. (U.S. Publication 2005/0114027) as applied in claims 24 & 35 above, further in view of Abousleman et al. (U.S. Publication 2017/0277966)
As to claims 27 & 38, TIAN in view of Boright discloses everything as disclosed in claims 24 & 35 but is silent to wherein the solar panels are identified based on both of the geometric analysis of the at least one image and the pixel-based analysis of the at least one image; and wherein the geometric analysis detects contours, edges and corners in order to identify the solar panels.
However, Abousleman discloses wherein the solar panels are identified based on both of the geometric analysis of the at least one image and the pixel-based analysis of the at least one image; and wherein the geometric analysis detects contours, edges and corners in order to identify the solar panels. ([0067] discloses the corners and contours are two additional features that can be used with panel edges in the panel assessment solution.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing to modify TIAN in view of Boright’s disclosure to include the above limitations in order to improve panel-boundary localization and reduce false positives when identifying panel regions.
Claims 29 & 40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
TIAN et al. (U.S. Publication 2023/0237794) in view of Boright et al. (U.S. Publication 2005/0114027) as applied in claims 24 & 35 above, further in view of BARRAZA VICENCIO et al. (U.S. Publication 2023/0042106)
As to claims 29 & 40, TIAN in view of Boright discloses everything as disclosed in claims 24 & 35 but is silent to wherein the iterative analysis identifies soiling and shading.
However, BARRAZA VICENCIO discloses wherein the iterative analysis identifies soiling and shading. ([0008] discloses a method that processes PV-panel images from a clean condition to different levels of soiling over time and calculates a digital soiling value [0008]. [0015] further discloses comparing clean and soiled panels by evaluating the distribution of both images and the frequency of the digital values of each pixel. [0019-0023] discloses obtaining panel images at different soiling levels and evaluating the frequency of the digital values of each pixel [0025]. [0042-0045] discloses calculating the digital soiling value from pixel value frequency information.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing to modify TIAN in view of Boright’s disclosure to include the above limitations in order to determine both shading related and soiling related PV performance losses in a single monitoring pipeline.
Claims 31 & 42 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
TIAN et al. (U.S. Publication 2023/0237794) in view of Boright et al. (U.S. Publication 2005/0114027) as applied in claims 24 & 35 above, further in view of Gupta et al. (U.S. Publication 2015/0327766)
As to claims 31 & 42, TIAN in view of Boright discloses everything as disclosed in claims 29 & 40 but is silent to wherein the pixel-based analysis comprises albedo analysis.
However, Gupta discloses wherein the pixel-based analysis comprises albedo analysis. ([0026] discloses albedo shading decomposition module that decomposes intensity values of a psudeo image or the image into an albedo component and a shading component. Also see wherein the albedo component and the shading components are done for each channel of each pixel)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing to modify TIAN in view of Boright’s disclosure to include the above limitations in order to separate surface-reflectance effects from illumination effects when classifying shaded solar panel regions.
CONCLUSION
No prior art has been found for claims 26, 28, 30, 32-34, 37, 39, 41 & 43-45 in their current form.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Stephen P Coleman whose telephone number is (571)270-5931. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 8AM-5PM.
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Stephen P. Coleman
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2675
/STEPHEN P COLEMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2675
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