DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to the application filed on 9/10/24.
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 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.
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 Objections
Claims 3-8 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In regards to claim 3, it appears that “a number” should be “the number”.
In regards to claim 4, it appears that “a control mode” should be “the control mode”.
In regards to claim 4, lines 3 and 9, it appears that “a number” should be “the number”.
In regards to claim 6, it appears that “a control mode” should be “the control mode”.
Claims 5, 7 and 8 are objected to, based on their dependency of an objected to claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter as follows. Claims 20 recite "A readable storage medium" which is not defined in the specification and therefore encompassing, subject matter such as a "signal" or "carrier wave". A signal or carrier wave is not a "process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter" and therefore the claim is considered non-statutory. The examiner suggests amending the claim to recite "At least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium".
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.
Claims 1, 2, 10, 11, 18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Xie et al. (CN112421662, hereinafter Xie).
Regarding Claim 1, Xie discloses (fig. 1, 2) a method for suppressing direct current oscillation in a power transmission system, wherein the power transmission system comprises a sending terminal voltage source converter (2), a receiving terminal VSC (7) and a direct current energy storage apparatus (5, and fig. 2), wherein the direct current energy storage apparatus is connected in parallel to the sending terminal VSC and the receiving terminal VSC (see fig. 2), and the direct current energy storage apparatus comprises a plurality of energy storage submodules (9); the method comprises: acquiring a direct current power oscillation amount of the power transmission system (; and controlling, according to the direct current power oscillation amount, a number of the direct current energy storage apparatuses connected to the energy storage submodules of the power transmission system (¶14-21).
Regarding Claim 2, Xie discloses (fig. 1, 2) the method comprises: acquiring a direct current voltage and a direct current power of the power transmission system (¶15-18); determining, according to the direct current voltage, a direct current voltage oscillation amount of the power transmission system, and determining the direct current power oscillation amount according to the direct current power (¶15-21).
Regarding Claim 10, Xie discloses a power transmission system (fig. 1, 2), comprising: a sending terminal voltage source converter (2), a receiving terminal (7), a direct current energy storage apparatus (5 and fig. 2) and a control module (fig. 3 and ¶15-24), wherein the direct current energy storage apparatus is connected in parallel to the sending terminal VSC and the receiving terminal VSC (fig. 2), and the direct current energy storage apparatus comprises a plurality of energy storage submodules (9); the control module is configured to acquire a direct current power oscillation amount of the power transmission system, and control, according to the direct current power oscillation amount, a number of the direct current energy storage apparatuses connected to the energy storage submodules of the power transmission system (¶14-21).
Regarding Claim 11, Xie discloses (fig. 1, 2) the control module is configured to: acquire a direct current voltage and a direct current power of the power transmission system (¶15-18); determine, according to the direct current voltage, a direct current voltage oscillation amount of the power transmission system, and determine the direct current power oscillation amount according to the direct current power (¶15-21).
Regarding Claim 18, Xie discloses (fig. 1, 2) the plurality of energy storage submodules are connected in series (fig. 2).
Regarding Claim 20, Xie discloses (as best understood fig. 3) a readable storage medium, wherein the readable storage medium stores a computer program which enables a computing device to perform the method according to claim 1 when executed by the computing device (fig. 3 and ¶15-24).
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.
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Xie in view of Eckert et al. (US20140167726, hereinafter Eckert).
Regarding Claim 19, Xie discloses (fig. 1, 2) the energy storage submodules comprise a power module (10) and an energy storage module (11).
Xie does not disclose a battery.
Eckert discloses (fig. 2, 3) a battery (24).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Xie to include batteries as disclosed in Eckert to provide a high storage density and provide optimal output voltage.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-9 and 12-17 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 3, the prior art fails to disclose: “...the controlling, according to the direct current power oscillation amount, a number of the direct current energy storage apparatuses connected to the energy storage submodules of the power transmission system comprises: controlling…to switch to a control mode in case that the direct current power oscillation amount is greater than a first threshold, wherein the control mode is configured to control a number of the direct current energy storage apparatuses connected to the energy storage submodules of the power transmission system.” in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by the Applicant.
Regarding claim 9, the prior art fails to disclose: “...the determining, according to the direct current voltage, the direct current voltage oscillation amount of the power transmission system, and determining the direct current power oscillation amount according to the direct current power comprises: extracting the direct current voltage oscillation amount from the direct current voltage, and extracting the direct current power oscillation amount from the direct current power by means of low-pass filtering, high-pass filtering, amplitude compensation and power compensation..” in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by the Applicant.
Regarding claim 12, the prior art fails to disclose: “...the control module is configured to: control the direct current energy storage apparatus to switch to a control mode in case that the direct current power oscillation amount is greater than a first threshold, wherein the control mode is configured to control a number of the direct current energy storage apparatuses connected to the energy storage submodules of the power transmission system.” in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by the Applicant.
Regarding claim 17, the prior art fails to disclose: “...the control module is configured to: extract the direct current voltage oscillation amount from the direct current voltage, and extract the direct current power oscillation amount from the direct current power by means of low-pass filtering, high-pass filtering, amplitude compensation and power compensation.” in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by the Applicant.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US 10084371, Jonsson; Tomas discloses a multilevel converter with a chopper circuit.
US 12512675, Nakamura; Fuminori et al. discloses a power conversion system.
US 20080252142, Davies; Mark et al. discloses an apparatus for electrical power transmission.
US 20150003134, Trainer; David Reginald discloses a modular multilevel converter using asymmetry.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KYLE J MOODY whose telephone number is (571)272-5242. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 10 AM - 4 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Monica Lewis can be reached on 571-272-1838. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KYLE J MOODY/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
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