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 .
Inventorship
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.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements submitted on 5/21/2024 and 8/26/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claims 1-10 and 14-20 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.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the electric power" in line 9. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. It is not clear whether the applicant is referring to the electric power supplied to the load by the converter or electric power supplied by the stabilizer as claimed.
Claims 2-10 inherit the same from claim 1.
Claims 9 and 14-20 all recite the limitation "a constant power load to supply electric power required by the load to the load" in lines 2-3. This limitation is vague and confusing. Which load or loads is the applicant referring to? The load in claim 1 or the constant power load?
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1/a2 as being anticipated by Zhang et al. (US 20220231597).
Zhang et a. disclose a direct current (DC) power distribution system comprising: a DC bus (112) that distributes DC power; a first power converter (108) that converts DC power from the DC bus into electric power required by a load (110, 102), the first power converter being connected between the DC bus (112) and the load (110, 102); and a voltage stabilizer (200) connected to the DC bus (112) in parallel with the first power converter (108), wherein the voltage stabilizer supplies electric power to the DC bus (112), the electric power corresponding to fluctuation of an input voltage (104) input from the DC bus (112) to the first power converter (108) and corresponding to DC power supplied from the DC bus (112) to the first power converter (108).
Claim(s) 1-3 and 9-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1/a2 as being anticipated by Takaichi et al. (US 20110206272).
Claims 1 and 11; Takaichi et al. disclose a direct current (DC) power distribution system comprising: a DC bus (9) that distributes DC power; a first power converter (31) that converts DC power from the DC bus (9) into electric power required by a load (32), the first power converter being connected between the DC bus (9) and the load (32); and a voltage stabilizer (4) connected to the DC bus (9) in parallel with the first power converter (31), wherein the voltage stabilizer supplies electric power to the DC bus (9), the electric power corresponding to fluctuation of an input voltage input from the DC bus to the first power converter and corresponding to DC power supplied from the DC bus to the first power converter (abstract; para. [0054], fig. 5).
Claims 2 and 12; the voltage stabilizer varies DC power supplied from the DC bus to the first power converter and the voltage stabilizer, in accordance with fluctuation of the input voltage, and operates to compensate for a deviation between a first DC power and a second DC power, the first DC power being supplied to the first power converter and the voltage stabilizer, the second DC power being supplied to the first power converter (para. [0007]-[0009], [0054].
Claims 3, 10 and 13-15; the voltage stabilizer includes: a buffer capacitor (42); a bidirectional DC/DC converter (41) connected between the DC bus and the buffer capacitor; and a control circuit (43) that controls the bidirectional DC/DC converter, and the control circuit controls the bidirectional DC/DC converter such that the voltage stabilizer compensates for the deviation.
Claim 9; the first power converter operates as a constant power load to supply electric power required by the load to the load (32), and the first power converter and the voltage stabilizer integrally operate as a constant current load.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4-8 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.
Claims 16-20 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claims 4-8 and 16-20; prior art fails to disclose or fairly suggest, inter alia, the control circuit separates the input voltage into a steady component and a fluctuation component, calculates compensating electric power that should be compensated by the voltage stabilizer, by multiplying DC power supplied to the first power converter by a ratio of the fluctuation component to the steady component, and controls the bidirectional DC/DC converter to exchange the calculated compensating electric power with the DC bus.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 11482944 Dai discloses a power converter with parallel converter; US 6487096 Gilbreth et al. disclose a power controller; US 6433522 Siri discloses a power system with input and output stabilizers.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GARY L LAXTON whose telephone number is (571)272-2079. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8 am-4 pm.
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/GARY L LAXTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838 11/19/2025