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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-7, 18, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Pub. No. 2006/0164040 to Ohkubo, supplied by applicant.
1, 18. A power supply unit for a local consumer load (The power source control unit 5 illustrated in Fig.2 supplies a sensor 4) comprising:
an electrical power generating device configured to generate power from the environment and to provide first electrical power (According to [0036], the power generator 6 is a solar battery);
an electrical energy storage configured to store electrical energy and to provide second electrical power (The battery 7);
an electric buffer configured to receive and to buffer said first and said second electric power, and to provide a buffer output power (The capacitor 9 acts as a buffer for the voltage regulator 10, according to [0037]); and
an output power regulator configured to provide an output power to a load device at a nominal output voltage from said buffer output power (The regulator 10 outputs a stabilised voltage to the sensor 4, according to [0037]), and to adjust said nominal output voltage based on an amount of energy stored by said electrical energy storage, wherein the output power regulator is configured to adjust the nominal output voltage after the output voltage is delivered from the output power regulator (Abstract, “For example, when power supplying from the battery continues for a predetermined time, a processing for extending the operation interval of the sensor node or a processing for putting the sensor node in a continuous standby state is performed, thereby reducing the wasteful power consumption of the battery.”; According to [0085], with reference to Fig. 6, the voltage of the battery 7 is compared to the voltage output by the generator 6 using a comparator 18; the comparison is used to determine whether power is drawn from the generator 6; based on this information, the output of the regulator 10 is controlled; in particular, as detailed in [0074], in relation to Fig. 3, 4, the sensor is in a standby state in case the generator 6 is not used for more than a predetermined time);
wherein the load device is configured to: report acquired data toward a data processor; measure a value of the voltage of said output power; compile a report message further based on a result of said measuring the voltage of said output power; and transmit said compiled message to the data processor.
2. The power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein said output power regulator is configured to decrease said nominal output voltage by a predetermined output voltage drop when the stored amount of energy falls below a predetermined threshold (paragraphs 3, 37, 85, 91; claim 8).
3. The power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein said electrical energy storage is configured to provide said second electrical power at an energy storage voltage which changes at least in relation to some amounts of energy stored (paragraph 35-62, 71-74, 83-97).
4. The power supply unit according to claim 3, wherein said output power regulator is configured to determine an amount of energy stored by said electrical energy storage based on said energy storage voltage (paragraph 35-62, 71-74, 83-97).
5. The power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein said power generating device comprises any one of an energy harvesting element, a solar cell, a solar panel, a thermal energy cell, and a radio wave harvester (paragraph 35, 43, 45, 73, 95, 97, 104-112).
6. The power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein said electrical energy storage comprises any one of a battery, a rechargeable battery, and a super capacitor (paragraph 35-62, 71-74, 83-97).
7. The power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein said electricity buffer comprises any one of an electrolytic capacitor, a tantalum capacitor, a high-capacity capacitor, a rechargeable battery, a super capacitor, and an ultracap (paragraph 35-37, 51, 79-97).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 8, 10-17 are allowed. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Ohkubo fails to disclose all the claimed features of applicant’s instant invention, specifically including:
8. wherein the processing unit is configured to measure a value of the voltage of said output power and to compile the message based on a result of said measuring the voltage of said output power.
It is for these reasons that applicant’s invention defines over the prior art of record.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 8/11/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues Ohkubo fails to teach adjusting the nominal output voltage of the output voltage based on an amount of energy stored by said electrical energy storage. The examiner disagrees. Ohkubo teaches the comparison of the battery voltage to generator voltage is used to determine whether power is drawn from the generator, and based on this information, the output of the regulator is controlled, wherein, in relation to Fig. 3 and 4, the sensor is in a standby state in case that the generator is not used for more than a predetermined time (Abstract, “For example, when power supplying from the battery continues for a predetermined time, a processing for extending the operation interval of the sensor node or a processing for putting the sensor node in a continuous standby state is performed, thereby reducing the wasteful power consumption of the battery.”; The regulator 10 outputs a stabilised voltage to the sensor 4, according to [0037]; According to [0085], with reference to Fig. 6, the voltage of the battery 7 is compared to the voltage output by the generator 6 using a comparator 18; the comparison is used to determine whether power is drawn from the generator 6; based on this information, the output of the regulator 10 is controlled; in particular, as detailed in [0074], in relation to Fig. 3, 4, the sensor is in a standby state in case the generator 6 is not used for more than a predetermined time), which reads on adjusting the nominal output voltage of the output voltage based on an amount of energy stored by said electrical energy storage.
Applicant argues Ohkubo fails to teach a power supply unit configured to provide an output power to a load device… wherein said load device is configured to: report acquired data toward a data processor; measure a value of the voltage of said output power; compile a report message further based on a result of said measuring the voltage of said output power; and transmit said compiled message to the data processor. The examiner submits that the load device is not claimed as being part of the power supply unit and in fact, the power supply unit is configured to provide output power to the load device, therefore the configuration of the load device does not limit the scope of the power supply unit.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEAN P SHECHTMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-3754. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30am-6:00pm, M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, William Kraig can be reached at 571-272-8660. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Sean Shechtman/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896
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