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 .
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.
Claim Objections
Claims 2-9 and 10-11 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claims 2-9, claims 2-9 are dependent claims, therefore, the preamble should recite “[[A]] The method”.
Regarding claim 10, claim 10 is missing a transitional phrase. Please see MPEP 2111.03.
Regarding claim 11, claim 11 is a dependent claim, therefore, the preamble should recite “[[A]] The method”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-11 and 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by EP 1752659 A2 to Letas et al.
Regarding claim 1, Letas et al. discloses a method comprising:
setting a power consumption restriction mode of the wind turbines so that a predetermined power consuming activity of each the wind turbines is inhibited from starting ([0009]: locking conditions), wherein the power consuming activity comprises one or more of a yawing activity ([0017]: adjusting azimuth angle), a cable untwist activity, a hydraulic activity, and a heating activity,
determining a start sequence for a group of at least two of the wind turbines ([0019]: at least two sub-circuits), wherein the start sequence comprises a sequence of different start times or non-overlapping starts periods for the predetermined power consuming activity ([0013]: staggered, one after the other),
operating the wind turbines of the group according to the start sequence so that the predetermined power consuming activity is started or allowed to start, only for one selection of a plurality of selections of wind turbines of the group of wind turbines at one of the start times or within one of the start periods [0017].
Regarding claim 2, Letas et al. discloses the predetermined power consuming activity is started or allowed to start sequentially for the plurality of selections of the wind turbines according to the start sequence ([0013]: staggered).
Regarding claim 3, Letas et al. discloses determining the start sequence of different start times or starts periods, so that succeeding start times are separated at least by the start period, or so that a succeeding start period is located after an end of a preceding start period ([0013]: staggered, one after the other).
Regarding claim 4, Letas et al. discloses operating the wind turbines so that the predetermined power consuming activity is started comprises sending a start request requesting the selection of one or more wind turbines to start at one of the start times or within one of the start periods ([0030]: signal to start up).
Regarding claim 5, Letas et al. discloses operating the wind turbines so that the predetermined power consuming activity is allowed to start comprises sending a start permission allowing the selection of one or more wind turbines to start at one of the start times or within one of the start periods ([0030]: signal to start up).
Regarding claim 6, Letas et al. discloses the start requests or the start permissions are sent sequentially to the plurality of the selections of the wind turbines according to the start sequence [0017].
Regarding claim 7, Letas et al. discloses the wind turbines are configured to start or enabled to start the predetermined power consuming activity in response to receiving the start request or start permission [0030].
Regarding claim 8, Letas et al. discloses receiving requests from one or more of the wind turbines to perform the predetermined power consuming activity, and determining the start sequence based on the received requests [0030].
Regarding claim 9, Letas et al. discloses operating the wind turbines comprises running the predetermined power consuming activity for a plurality of wind turbines of at least two of the selections simultaneously after the end of at least one start period ([0013]: can be operated simultaneously).
Regarding claim 10, Letas et al. discloses a method for determining a power capacity of a power backup system, wherein the power backup system (Fig. 1: 15) is arranged to power a plurality of wind turbines (1) during a situation where the wind turbines are disconnected from an electrical power grid (10; also see [0001]), wherein the wind turbines are arranged to be controlled according to the method of claim 1 (see claim 1 above).
Regarding claim 11, Letas et al. discloses determining a number of one or more wind turbines allowed to start the power consuming activity at the same time or within the same start period ([0013]: can be operated simultaneously), and determining the power capacity of the power backup system based on said number and a peak start power consumption of the power consuming activity ([0030]: 300 kW).
Regarding claim 15, Letas et al. discloses a central controller (Fig. 2: 72) is arranged to perform an operation, comprising, while the wind turbines are disconnected from an electrical power grid and connected to a power backup system [0001]:
setting a power consumption restriction mode of the wind turbines so that a predetermined power consuming activity of each the wind turbines is inhibited from starting ([0009]: locking conditions), wherein the power consuming activity comprises one or more of a yawing activity ([0017]: adjusting azimuth angle), a cable untwist activity, a hydraulic activity, and a heating activity,
determining a start sequence for a group of at least two of the wind turbines ([0019]: at least two sub-circuits), wherein the start sequence comprises a sequence of different start times or non-overlapping starts periods for the predetermined power consuming activity ([0013]: staggered, one after the other),
operating the wind turbines of the group according to the start sequence so that the predetermined power consuming activity is started or allowed to start, only for one selection of a plurality of selections of wind turbines of the group of wind turbines at one of the start times or within one of the start periods [0017].
Regarding claim 16, Letas et al. discloses the predetermined power consuming activity is started or allowed to start sequentially for the plurality of selections of the wind turbines according to the start sequence ([0013]: staggered).
Regarding claim 17, Letas et al. discloses determining the start sequence of different start times or starts periods, so that succeeding start times are separated at least by the start period, or so that a succeeding start period is located after an end of a preceding start period ([0013]: staggered, one after the other).
Regarding claim 18, Letas et al. discloses an operation comprising:
setting a power consumption restriction mode of the wind turbines so that a predetermined power consuming activity of each the wind turbines is inhibited from starting ([0009]: locking conditions), wherein the power consuming activity comprises one or more of a yawing activity ([0017]: adjusting azimuth angle), a cable untwist activity, a hydraulic activity, and a heating activity,
determining a start sequence for a group of at least two of the wind turbines ([0019]: at least two sub-circuits), wherein the start sequence comprises a sequence of different start times or non-overlapping starts periods for the predetermined power consuming activity ([0013]: staggered, one after the other),
operating the wind turbines of the group according to the start sequence so that the predetermined power consuming activity is started or allowed to start, only for one selection of a plurality of selections of wind turbines of the group of wind turbines at one of the start times or within one of the start periods [0017].
Regarding claim 19, Letas et al. discloses the predetermined power consuming activity is started or allowed to start sequentially for the plurality of selections of the wind turbines according to the start sequence ([0013]: staggered).
Regarding claim 20, Letas et al. discloses determining the start sequence of different start times or starts periods, so that succeeding start times are separated at least by the start period, or so that a succeeding start period is located after an end of a preceding start period ([0013]: staggered, one after the other).
Conclusion
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/VIET P NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834