DETAILED ACTION
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-5, 7-10, 13-14, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2025/0350116 (Gordon) in view of
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0043555 (Howell).
Claim 1:
The cited prior art describes a device, comprising: (Gordon: see the power controller 110 as illustrated in figure 1)
a processor; (Gordon: “The controller 260 is a computing device that manages operation of the power controller 200. As a computing device, the controller 260 may include at least a computer processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with encoded computer-readable instructions.” Paragraph 0032)
one or more power supply units (PSUs); (Gordon: see the power grid 120, AC generator 125, and renewable energy generator 130 as illustrated in figure 1 and as described in paragraphs 0018, 0034)
Gordon does not explicitly describe slots as described below. However, Howell teaches the slots as described below.
a plurality of linecard slots; (Howell: see the backplanes 101 with slots 102 and the removable engageable power modules 302 s illustrated in figure 1D) (Gordon: see the power grid port 270, the power storage port 280, and the load port 290 as illustrated in figure 2B and as described in paragraph 0034)
a battery unit disposed within a linecard slot of the plurality of linecard slots, (Howell: see the power storage module 302d with batteries as illustrated in figure 3D and as described in paragraphs 0133, 0134; “Each slot, collectively referred to as 102, has a slot connector, collectively referred to as 106, to which a power module 302 can dock.” Paragraph 0040; see the backplanes 101 with slots 102 and the removable engageable power modules 302 s illustrated in figure 1D) (Gordon: see the power storage unit 140 as illustrated in figure 1 and as described in paragraphs 0018, 0034)
wherein the one or more PSUs and the battery unit are configured to supply power to the device; and (Gordon: “The controller automatically switches 430 between the power grid and the PSU based on monitored inputs and the load requirement to optimize efficiency. Assuming both power sources are providing sufficient power inputs, the controller may utilize other data measurements to assess which power source to draw from.” Paragraph 0044)
a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises a power management logic that is configured to: (Gordon: “The controller 260 is a computing device that manages operation of the power controller 200. As a computing device, the controller 260 may include at least a computer processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with encoded computer-readable instructions.” Paragraph 0032)
determine a load demand associated with the device; (Gordon: see the determine load requirement 420 as illustrated in figure 4; “The controller determines 420 a load requirement. The load requires and consumes power. The controller may assess what the current load requirement based on voltage and current requirements from devices connected to the load.” Paragraph 0043)
monitor one or more power sources providing power to the battery unit and the one or more PSUs; and (Gordon: see the monitor power input 410 as illustrated in figure 4; “The controller monitors 410 power input from the power grid and the PSU. The power input may be measured in voltage, current, watt, kilowatt-hour, another electrical measure, or some combination thereof. The controller may further monitor the stability of the input power, e.g., if there's frequent disruptions, the input power may be deemed unstable.” Paragraph 0042)
dynamically control the power supplied from the one or more PSUs and the battery unit based on the determined load demand and the monitored one or more power sources. (Gordon: see the automatically switch between the power grid and the power storage unit 430 as illustrated in figure 4; “The controller automatically switches 430 between the power grid and the PSU based on monitored inputs and the load requirement to optimize efficiency.” Paragraph 0044)
One of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that applying the known technique of Gordon, namely, a grid power controller, with the known techniques of Howell, namely, a reconfigurable power apparatus, would have yielded predictable results and resulted in an improved system. Accordingly, applying the teachings of Gordon to control power among various power supplies with the teachings of Howell to use a variety of power supplies in a reconfigurable power apparatus would have been recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art as resulting in an improved power supply system. In other words, the combination of the references provides for a power control apparatus with a variety of power supplies in a device with slots based on the teachings of a power controllers using a variety of power supplies of Gordon and the teachings of a power apparatus with a variety of power supplies with slots in Howell.
Claim 2:
The cited prior art describes the device of claim 1, wherein the one or more power sources include at least one of:
a utility power grid, (Gordon: see the power grid 120 as illustrated in figure 1)
a renewable energy source, or (Gordon: see the renewable energy generator 130 as illustrated in figure 1)
a non-renewable energy source. (Gordon: see the AC generator 125 as illustrated in figure 1)
Claim 3:
The cited prior art describes the device of claim 2, wherein, in response to the one or more power sources including the utility power grid, the power management logic is further configured to facilitate one or more grid support functions via the battery unit. (Gordon: “Equipped with sensors, the power controller meticulously observes metrics from each power source, including the power grid and/or one or more generators, which encompasses factors such as power voltage, frequency, and stability. Notably, the power controller integrates an inverter to harmonize the electricity generated by the generator and/or supplied by the power storage unit with the power grid's voltage and frequency specifications. This harmonious interaction fortifies the stability of the overall electrical system, contributing to enhanced grid resilience.” Paragraph 0002; “For example, the power controller 110 may monitor metrics from the power grid 120, e.g., indicating power voltage, power frequency, power stability, etc. The power controller 110 may include an inverter, which ensures that the electricity generated by the renewable energy generator 130 and/or provided by the power storage unit 140 matches to the power grid 120′s voltage and frequency specifications.” Paragraph 0015)
Claim 4:
The prior art describes the device of claim 3, wherein the one or more grid support functions include at least one of:
frequency regulation, (Gordon: “Equipped with sensors, the power controller meticulously observes metrics from each power source, including the power grid and/or one or more generators, which encompasses factors such as power voltage, frequency, and stability. Notably, the power controller integrates an inverter to harmonize the electricity generated by the generator and/or supplied by the power storage unit with the power grid's voltage and frequency specifications. This harmonious interaction fortifies the stability of the overall electrical system, contributing to enhanced grid resilience.” Paragraph 0002; “For example, the power controller 110 may monitor metrics from the power grid 120, e.g., indicating power voltage, power frequency, power stability, etc. The power controller 110 may include an inverter, which ensures that the electricity generated by the renewable energy generator 130 and/or provided by the power storage unit 140 matches to the power grid 120′s voltage and frequency specifications.” Paragraph 0015)
voltage control, or (Gordon: “Equipped with sensors, the power controller meticulously observes metrics from each power source, including the power grid and/or one or more generators, which encompasses factors such as power voltage, frequency, and stability. Notably, the power controller integrates an inverter to harmonize the electricity generated by the generator and/or supplied by the power storage unit with the power grid's voltage and frequency specifications. This harmonious interaction fortifies the stability of the overall electrical system, contributing to enhanced grid resilience.” Paragraph 0002; “For example, the power controller 110 may monitor metrics from the power grid 120, e.g., indicating power voltage, power frequency, power stability, etc. The power controller 110 may include an inverter, which ensures that the electricity generated by the renewable energy generator 130 and/or provided by the power storage unit 140 matches to the power grid 120′s voltage and frequency specifications.” Paragraph 0015)
load balancing for the utility power grid. (Gordon: “The generator priority mode is advantageous in reducing reliance on the power grid, e.g., creating cost-saving benefits. In the auto-selection mode, the power management module 320 automatically balances the load between the various power sources.” Paragraph 0037)
Claim 5:
The cited prior art describes the device of claim 4, wherein, in response to the one or more grid support functions including load balancing, the power management logic is further configured to: (Gordon: “The generator priority mode is advantageous in reducing reliance on the power grid, e.g., creating cost-saving benefits. In the auto-selection mode, the power management module 320 automatically balances the load between the various power sources.” Paragraph 0037)
detect a time period during which a power grid load demand is less than a threshold load demand; and (Gordon: see the switch between the power grid and the power storage unit 430 as illustrated in figure 4 and as described in paragraph 0044)
operate the battery unit in a charging mode during the detected time period, wherein the charging mode comprises storing excess energy from the utility power grid, during the detected time period, in the battery unit. (Gordon: see the charge power storage unit with excess power 440 as illustrated in figure 4 and as described in paragraph 0045)
Claim 7:
The cited prior art describes the device of claim 4, wherein, in response to the one or more grid support functions including load balancing, the power management logic is further configured to: (Gordon: “The generator priority mode is advantageous in reducing reliance on the power grid, e.g., creating cost-saving benefits. In the auto-selection mode, the power management module 320 automatically balances the load between the various power sources.” Paragraph 0037)
detect a time period during which a power grid load demand is greater than a threshold load demand; and (Gordon: see the monitor 610, determine 620, and responsive 640 actions as illustrated in figure 6 and as described in paragraphs 0052, 0053, 0054, 0055)
operate the battery unit in a discharging mode during the detected time period, wherein the discharging mode comprises releasing energy from the battery unit to the utility power grid during the detected time period. Gordon: see responsive draw power from the power storage unit 640 as illustrated in figure 6 and as described in paragraphs 0052, 0053, 0054, 0055)
Claim 8:
The cited prior cited describes the device of claim 2, wherein, in response to the one or more power sources including the renewable energy source, the power management logic is further configured to monitor an energy output associated with the renewable energy source. (Gordon: see the renewable energy generator 130 as illustrated in figure 1; “The renewable energy generator 130 may further include sensors to monitor performance and/or output of the renewable energy generator 130. Example metrics may include output voltage, output frequency, environmental conditions, run-time metrics, emission levels, fault detection, other diagnostics, or some combination thereof.” Paragraph 0017)
Claim 9:
The cited prior art describes the device of claim 8, wherein the power management logic is further configured to:
detect that the energy output associated with the renewable energy source exceeds the determined load demand; and (Gordon: see the responsive 530 action as illustrated in figure 5; see the renewable energy generator 130 as illustrated in figure 1; “The renewable energy generator 130 may further include sensors to monitor performance and/or output of the renewable energy generator 130. Example metrics may include output voltage, output frequency, environmental conditions, run-time metrics, emission levels, fault detection, other diagnostics, or some combination thereof.” Paragraph 0017; “The power source monitor 310 monitors the various power input and metrics of the power sources. The power source monitor 310 may track the power input from each power source.” Paragraph 0036)
operate the battery unit in a charging mode in response to detecting that the energy output exceeds the determined load demand, wherein the charging mode comprises storing excess energy output of the renewable energy source in the battery unit. (Gordon: see the charge power storage unit 540 as illustrated in figure 5; “The power storage unit 140 stores power, e.g., generated by the renewable energy generator 130 and/or provided by the power grid 120.” Paragraph 0018)
Claim 10:
The cited prior art describes the device of claim 8, wherein the power management logic is further configured to:
detect that the energy output associated with the renewable energy source is less than the determined load demand; and (Gordon: see the responsive 640 action as illustrated in figure 6; see the renewable energy generator 130 as illustrated in figure 1; “The renewable energy generator 130 may further include sensors to monitor performance and/or output of the renewable energy generator 130. Example metrics may include output voltage, output frequency, environmental conditions, run-time metrics, emission levels, fault detection, other diagnostics, or some combination thereof.” Paragraph 0017; “The power source monitor 310 monitors the various power input and metrics of the power sources. The power source monitor 310 may track the power input from each power source.” Paragraph 0036)
operate the battery unit in a discharging mode in response to detecting that the energy output is less than the determined load demand, wherein the discharging mode comprises releasing energy stored in the battery unit to satisfy the load demand. (Gordon: see the discharge power storage unit 640 as illustrated in figure 6; “The power storage unit 140 stores power, e.g., generated by the renewable energy generator 130 and/or provided by the power grid 120.” Paragraph 0018)
Claim 13:
The cited prior art describes the device of claim 1, wherein dynamically controlling the power supplied from the one or more PSUs and the battery unit comprises:
operating the one or more PSUs in one of an active mode or a standby mode based on the determined load demand and a PSU efficiency parameter; and (Gordon: see the determination of the load requirement in the different modes (i.e., efficient parameter) and subsequent control as illustrated in figures 4, 5, 6, 7; “For example, the user may, via the client device 170, select the power controller 110 to operate in one of the available modes. The power controller 110 may, subsequently, provide confirmation of the mode selection.” Paragraph 0021; “The manual toggle 220 provides an input for the user to select an operation mode of the power controller 200. In the example shown in FIG. 2A, the manual toggle includes a toggle that can be moved between a plurality of operation modes. The plurality of operation modes may include a power grid priority mode, a generator priority mode, and, optionally, an auto-selection mode. In other embodiments, the user may provide the selection digitally, e.g., via a client device communicatively coupled to the power controller 200.” Paragraph 0026)
operating the battery unit in one of a charging mode, a discharging mode, or an idle mode based on the determined load demand. (Gordon: see the various mode operations for the controller and the subsequent battery modes as illustrated in figures 4, 5, 6, 7)
Claim 14:
The cited prior art describes the device of claim 13, wherein dynamically controlling the power supplied from the one or more PSUs and the battery unit further comprises:
operating at least one of the PSU among the one or more PSUs in an active mode based on the determined load demand; and (Gordon: see the determination of the load requirement in the different modes (i.e., efficient parameter) and subsequent control as illustrated in figures 4, 5, 6, 7; “For example, the user may, via the client device 170, select the power controller 110 to operate in one of the available modes. The power controller 110 may, subsequently, provide confirmation of the mode selection.” Paragraph 0021; “The manual toggle 220 provides an input for the user to select an operation mode of the power controller 200. In the example shown in FIG. 2A, the manual toggle includes a toggle that can be moved between a plurality of operation modes. The plurality of operation modes may include a power grid priority mode, a generator priority mode, and, optionally, an auto-selection mode. In other embodiments, the user may provide the selection digitally, e.g., via a client device communicatively coupled to the power controller 200.” Paragraph 0026)
operating the battery unit in a discharging mode based on the determined load demand. (Gordon: see the various mode operations for the controller and the subsequent battery charging modes as illustrated in figures 4, 5, 6, 7)
Claim 19:
The cited prior art describes a device, comprising: (Gordon: see the power controller 110 as illustrated in figure 1)
a processor; (Gordon: “The controller 260 is a computing device that manages operation of the power controller 200. As a computing device, the controller 260 may include at least a computer processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with encoded computer-readable instructions.” Paragraph 0032)
Gordon does not explicitly describe slots as described below. However, Howell teaches the slots as described below.
a plurality of power supply unit (PSU) slots including at least a first PSU slot and a second PSU slot; (Gordon: see the power grid 120, AC generator 125, and renewable energy generator 130 as illustrated in figure 1 and as described in paragraphs 0018, h 0034) (Howell: see the backplanes 101 with slots 102 and the removable engageable power modules 302 s illustrated in figure 1D) (Gordon: see the power grid port 270, the power storage port 280, and the load port 290 as illustrated in figure 2B and as described in paragraph 0034)
a PSU disposed within the first PSU slot; (Howell: see the combination power module 302C as illustrated in figure 3C and as described in paragraph 0128; “Each slot, collectively referred to as 102, has a slot connector, collectively referred to as 106, to which a power module 302 can dock.” Paragraph 0040; see the backplanes 101 with slots 102 and the removable engageable power modules 302 s illustrated in figure 1D) (Gordon: see the power grid 120, AC generator 125, and renewable energy generator 130 as illustrated in figure 1 and as described in paragraphs 0018, 0034)
a battery unit disposed within the second PSU slot, (Howell: see the power storage module 302d with batteries as illustrated in figure 3D and as described in paragraphs 0133, 0134; “Each slot, collectively referred to as 102, has a slot connector, collectively referred to as 106, to which a power module 302 can dock.” Paragraph 0040; see the backplanes 101 with slots 102 and the removable engageable power modules 302 s illustrated in figure 1D) (Gordon: see the power storage unit 140 as illustrated in figure 1 and as described in paragraphs 0018, 0034)
wherein the PSU and the battery unit are configured to supply power to the device; and (Gordon: “The controller automatically switches 430 between the power grid and the PSU based on monitored inputs and the load requirement to optimize efficiency. Assuming both power sources are providing sufficient power inputs, the controller may utilize other data measurements to assess which power source to draw from.” Paragraph 0044)
a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises a power management logic that is configured to: (Gordon: “The controller 260 is a computing device that manages operation of the power controller 200. As a computing device, the controller 260 may include at least a computer processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with encoded computer-readable instructions.” Paragraph 0032)
determine a load demand associated with the device; (Gordon: see the determine load requirement 420 as illustrated in figure 4; “The controller determines 420 a load requirement. The load requires and consumes power. The controller may assess what the current load requirement based on voltage and current requirements from devices connected to the load.” Paragraph 0043)
monitor one or more power sources providing power to the PSU and the battery unit; and (Gordon: see the monitor power input 410 as illustrated in figure 4; “The controller monitors 410 power input from the power grid and the PSU. The power input may be measured in voltage, current, watt, kilowatt-hour, another electrical measure, or some combination thereof. The controller may further monitor the stability of the input power, e.g., if there's frequent disruptions, the input power may be deemed unstable.” Paragraph 0042)
dynamically control the power supplied from the PSU and the battery unit based on the determined load demand and the monitored one or more power sources. (Gordon: see the automatically switch between the power grid and the power storage unit 430 as illustrated in figure 4; “The controller automatically switches 430 between the power grid and the PSU based on monitored inputs and the load requirement to optimize efficiency.” Paragraph 0044)
Gordon and Howell are combinable for the same rationale as set forth above with respect to claim 1.
Claim 20:
Claim 20 is substantially similar to claim 1 and is rejected for the same reasons and rationale.
20. A method, comprising:
determining a load demand associated with a network device, wherein the network device comprises one or more power supply units (PSUs) and a battery unit disposed within a linecard slot in the network device;
monitoring one or more power sources providing power to the battery unit and the one or more PSUs; and
dynamically controlling a power supply from the one or more PSUs and the battery unit based on the determined load demand and the monitored one or more power sources.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2025/0350116 (Gordon) in view of
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0043555 (Howell) and further in view of
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0245987 (Pratt).
Claim 6:
Gordon and Pratt do not explicitly describe a power supply signal as described below. However, Pratt teaches the power supply signal as described below.
The cited prior art describes the device of claim 5, wherein, in the charging mode, the battery unit is configured to:
receive a power supply signal from the utility power grid; and (Pratt: “At process block 410, data representing electrical characteristics of an electric power distribution system (e.g., a power grid) is received. The data received can include, for example, one or more data messages indicating an instantaneous frequency of the power grid, an average frequency of the power grid, a high voltage level of the power grid, a low voltage level of the power grid, or a level of phase shift of the power grid.” Paragraph 0067)
filter one or more fluctuations in the power supply signal to store the excess energy. (Pratt: “At process block 420, the electrical characteristic data is used, at least in part, to select a desired charging/discharging rate for an energy storage device. For example, the data used can include the instantaneous frequency for the electric power grid and the average frequency of the electric power grid. Selecting the desired charging/discharging rate can also comprise normalizing the output regulation signal for the range of frequency signal input. In one implementation, the difference between the instantaneous and average frequency is measured to obtain a regulation up/down signal.” Paragraph 0068; “Finally, at process block 430, a regulation signal is generated for controlling a bi-directional charger. The regulation signal can be based on or comprise the selected charging/discharging rate.” Paragraph 0070)
One of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that applying the known technique of Gordon, namely, a grid power controller, with the known techniques of Howell, namely, a reconfigurable power apparatus, and the known techniques of Pratt, namely, a power controller for grid regulation services, would have yielded predictable results and resulted in an improved system. Accordingly, applying the teachings of Gordon to control power among various power supplies with the teachings of Howell to use a variety of power supplies in a reconfigurable power apparatus and the teachings of Pratt to provide for grid regulation using energy storage devices would have been recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art as resulting in an improved power supply system. In other words, the combination of the references provides for a power control apparatus with a variety of power supplies in a device with slots for providing grid regulation services based on the teachings of a power controllers using a variety of power supplies of Gordon and the teachings of a power apparatus with a variety of power supplies with slots in Howell and the teachings of a power controller for grid regulation services in Pratt.
Claims 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2025/0350116 (Gordon) in view of
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0043555 (Howell) and further in view of
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0030712 (Bogolea).
Claim 11:
Gordon and Pratt do not explicitly describe a pricing event as described below. However, Bogolea teaches the pricing event as described below.
The cited prior art describes the device of claim 1, wherein the power management logic is further configured to:
detect a pricing event associated with the one or more power sources; and (Bogolea: see the electricity price check 209, 310 as illustrated in figures 3, 4; “The information shared by utilities and accessed by the system either directly or through the utility meter may include a plurality of information, which may include:” paragraph 0024; “1. Pricing information, both current and forecasted” paragraph 0025)
control charging and discharging of the battery unit based on the detected pricing event. (Bogolea: see the charging 203, 204, 305 and discharging 208, 207, 308 control as illustrated in figures 3, 4)
One of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that applying the known technique of Gordon, namely, a grid power controller, with the known techniques of Howell, namely, a reconfigurable power apparatus, and the known techniques of Bogolea, namely, a power controller for battery services, would have yielded predictable results and resulted in an improved system. Accordingly, applying the teachings of Gordon to control power among various power supplies with the teachings of Howell to use a variety of power supplies in a reconfigurable power apparatus and the teachings of Bogolea to provide for battery charging and discharging control would have been recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art as resulting in an improved power supply system. In other words, the combination of the references provides for a power control apparatus with a variety of power supplies in a device with slots for providing charging/discharging control based on the teachings of a power controllers using a variety of power supplies of Gordon and the teachings of a power apparatus with a variety of power supplies with slots in Howell and the teachings of a power controller for controlling charging/discharging batteries in Bogolea.
Claim 12:
Gordon and Pratt do not explicitly describe a power switchover event as described below. However, Bogolea teaches the power switchover event as described below.
The cited prior art describes the device of claim 1, wherein the power management logic is further to:
detect a power source switchover event associated with the device; and (Bogolea: see the disconnect building from grid 401 and successful detection 402 as illustrated in figure 5)
operate the battery unit in a discharging mode during the power source switchover event. (Bogolea: “At step 403, if the participation of the user is not detected, the system proceeds to step 505, wherein electrical power is provided to the building. At step 506, the Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) continues providing power to the building.” Paragraph 0063; see the provide power for building 404, 505 as illustrated in figure 5)
Gordon, Howell, and Bogolea are combinable for the same rationale as set forth above with respect to claim 11.
Claims 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2025/0350116 (Gordon) in view of
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0043555 (Howell) and further in view of
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020/0076196 (Lee).
Claim 15:
Gordon and Pratt do not explicitly describe a prediction as described below. However, Lee teaches the prediction as described below.
The cited prior art describes the device of claim 1, wherein the power management logic is further to configured to:
predict one or more time periods of power unavailability from the one or more power sources; (Lee: see the rate prediction 1118 and the load prediction 1120 for the ESS optimizer 1216 as illustrated in figure 12; “In step 1508, constraint setter 1208 can be configured to set a constraint for the objective function to be predicted load equated to a sum of a grid load and a discharge amount for the scheduling horizon. The constraint may be: L t =p t +x t out ·λd where Lt is the predicted load and is equated to a sum of the grid load, pt, and the discharge amount xt out·λd where xt out is powered discharged by the ESS 1026 at a particular time and λd is the discharging efficiency. In some embodiments, there may be any number of constraints, some of which model the physical nature of the ESS 1026 and/or the life of the ESS 1026, these constraints are described in further detail elsewhere herein.” Paragraph 0339)
generate a discharging schedule for the battery unit based on the prediction of the one or more time periods of power unavailability; and (Lee: see the discharging schedule as illustrated in figure 12; “In step 1510, ESS optimizer 1216 can determine an optimal ESS charging and discharging schedule for the scheduling horizon. The ESS optimizer 1216 can optimize the objective function 1221 over the time horizon based on the constraints 1220 and/or the predicted load. The result may be a schedule including an indication to charge or discharge the ESS 1026 at multiple time steps and at particular amounts.” Paragraph 0340)
operate the battery unit in a discharging mode based on the discharging schedule. (Lee: see the ESS 1026 operating based on the schedules via the ESS controller 1222 as illustrated in figure 12; “In step 1512, charging/discharging schedule 1218 can be configured to send the ESS charging and discharging schedule to ESS controller 1222. In step 1514, ESS 1026 can be configured to be operated by the ESS controller to charge and discharge based on the ESS charging and discharging schedule.” Paragraph 0341)
One of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that applying the known technique of Gordon, namely, a grid power controller, with the known techniques of Howell, namely, a reconfigurable power apparatus, and the known techniques of Lee, namely, a building energy system using prediction data, would have yielded predictable results and resulted in an improved system. Accordingly, applying the teachings of Gordon to control power among various power supplies with the teachings of Howell to use a variety of power supplies in a reconfigurable power apparatus and the teachings of Lee to predict data for control of a building energy system including an energy storage system would have been recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art as resulting in an improved power supply system. In other words, the combination of the references provides for a power control apparatus with a variety of power supplies in a device with slots for providing charging/discharging control based on the teachings of a power controllers using a variety of power supplies of Gordon and the teachings of a power apparatus with a variety of power supplies with slots in Howell and the teachings of a building system for controlling charging/discharging energy storage systems in Lee.
Claim 16:
Gordon and Pratt do not explicitly describe a prediction as described below. However, Lee teaches the prediction as described below.
The cited prior art describes the device of claim 15, wherein the power management logic predicts the one or more time periods of power unavailability based on at least one of historical power availability data or one or more environmental factors. (Lee: “Based on the received data from campus 102 (received via network 1322), cloud platform 1302 can be configured to generate a charging and/or discharging schedule for ESS controller 1222 to operate ESS 1026 based on. Cloud platform 1302 can be configured to receive real-time data 1325 from campus 102 (e.g., time of day, day of week, occupancy data, load meter data, time-of-use cost, demand cost, and/or ambient temperature). The data received from campus 102 may be in the form of a data package. The data package may include a value for time of day, a value for day of week, a value for occupancy, a value for load based on the load meter data, a value for time-of-use cost, and a value for demand cost. In this regard, the data stored in historical database 1308 may also be stored in a similar manner.” Paragraph 0324; see the rate prediction 1118 and the load prediction 1120 for the ESS optimizer 1216 as illustrated in figure 12; “In step 1508, constraint setter 1208 can be configured to set a constraint for the objective function to be predicted load equated to a sum of a grid load and a discharge amount for the scheduling horizon. The constraint may be: L t =p t +x t out ·λd where Lt is the predicted load and is equated to a sum of the grid load, pt, and the discharge amount xt out·λd where xt out is powered discharged by the ESS 1026 at a particular time and λd is the discharging efficiency. In some embodiments, there may be any number of constraints, some of which model the physical nature of the ESS 1026 and/or the life of the ESS 1026, these constraints are described in further detail elsewhere herein.” Paragraph 0339)
Gordon, Howell, and Lee are combinable for the same rationale as set forth above with respect to claim 15.
Claim 17:
Gordon and Pratt do not explicitly describe a prediction as described below. However, Lee teaches the prediction as described below.
The cited prior art describes the device of claim 15, wherein the power management logic is further to configured to:
generate a charging schedule for the battery unit based on the prediction of the one or more time periods of power unavailability; and (Lee: see the charging schedule as illustrated in figure 12; “In step 1510, ESS optimizer 1216 can determine an optimal ESS charging and discharging schedule for the scheduling horizon. The ESS optimizer 1216 can optimize the objective function 1221 over the time horizon based on the constraints 1220 and/or the predicted load. The result may be a schedule including an indication to charge or discharge the ESS 1026 at multiple time steps and at particular amounts.” Paragraph 0340)
operate the battery unit in a charging mode based on the charging schedule. (Lee: see the ESS 1026 operating based on the schedules via the ESS controller 1222 as illustrated in figure 12; “In step 1512, charging/discharging schedule 1218 can be configured to send the ESS charging and discharging schedule to ESS controller 1222. In step 1514, ESS 1026 can be configured to be operated by the ESS controller to charge and discharge based on the ESS charging and discharging schedule.” Paragraph 0341)
Gordon, Howell, and Lee are combinable for the same rationale as set forth above with respect to claim 15.
Claim 18:
Gordon and Pratt do not explicitly describe a prediction as described below. However, Lee teaches the prediction as described below.
The cited prior art describes the device of claim 17, wherein the charging schedule is aligned with the one or more time periods of power unavailability to maintain energy reserves in the battery unit for the one or more time periods of power unavailability. (Lee: see the constraints including the minimum values as described in paragraphs 0299, 0193, 0310; see the charging schedule as illustrated in figure 12; “In step 1510, ESS optimizer 1216 can determine an optimal ESS charging and discharging schedule for the scheduling horizon. The ESS optimizer 1216 can optimize the objective function 1221 over the time horizon based on the constraints 1220 and/or the predicted load. The result may be a schedule including an indication to charge or discharge the ESS 1026 at multiple time steps and at particular amounts.” Paragraph 0340)
Gordon, Howell, and Lee are combinable for the same rationale as set forth above with respect to claim 15.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0193764 describes a swappable DC battery back-up.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0158037 describes a power storage appliance for integrating alternative energy sources and energy storage components.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0150375 describes a power storage apparatus with charging/discharging control.
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/Christopher E. Everett/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2117
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