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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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)(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 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Li et al. (US 2022/0209567 A1).
In regards to claim 20, Li discloses, in figure 1, a power distribution system (100) comprising: one or more power supply units (31) configured to accept at least one of DC input power from one or more DC input power sources (AC/DC conversion circuit 1) at one or more DC input voltages (Par 0025) and synchronous alternating current (AC) input power (synchronous rectification circuit 14; Par 0025, 0028) from one or more AC input sources (input AC sources of 11; Par 0025) and provide output DC power at a DC load voltage for distribution to one or more loads (33, 34) (Par 0035), wherein the one or more power supply units (31) include at least of one or more DC/DC converters (DC/DC power conversion circuit 31) to convert the DC input power to the DC load voltage (Par 0035) or one or more AC/DC rectifiers to convert the synchronous AC input power to the DC load voltage (OR is alternative suggestion).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 4-17, 19 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
In regards to claim 1, Wang et al. (US 2017/0063093 A1) discloses, in figure 1, a power distribution system (1) comprising: one or more power supply units (179, 197) configured to accept direct current (DC) input power from two or more DC input power sources (143, and 123a, 123b, 151) (Par 0010, 0015-0016) and provide output DC power at a DC load voltage for distribution to one or more loads (181) (Par 0017-0018; power supply units 179, 197 are DC/DC converters which provides DC power to load 181), wherein the DC input power is provided at one or more input DC voltages different than the DC load voltage (Par 0018; power supply unit 179 is a DC/DC converter which converts a DC voltage to step-up or step-down voltage, thus provides a voltage to a DC load 181 different than the input DC voltage), wherein the one or more power supply units (179, 197) include one or more DC/DC converters (Par 0018) to convert the DC input power to the DC load voltage (Par 0017-0018); and one or more alternating current (AC) to DC rectifiers (AC/DC rectifiers) (143) configured to convert AC input power from two or more AC input power sources (113, 119) (Par 0007, 0009) to at least one of the one or more input DC voltages (Par 0015), wherein each of the one or more AC/DC rectifiers (143) is connected to at least one of the one or more power supply units (179, 197) as one of the two or more DC input power sources (143, and 123a, 123b, 151) (Par 0017-0018),
Wang does not disclose wherein at least two of the two or more AC input power sources have asynchronous phases.
Ross et al. (US 4,761,563) discloses, in figure 1, wherein at least two of the two or more AC input power sources (source 1, source 2) have asynchronous phases (Col 4, lines 45-57), but does not disclose wherein the at least two of the two or more AC input power sources having asynchronous phases are directly connected to the one or more AC/DC rectifiers, and it would not have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to combine any prior art to teach or fairly suggest the features not disclosed by Wang and Ross.
In regards to claim 17, Tanaka et al. (US 2020/0395758 A1) discloses, in figure 1, a power distribution method comprising: receiving, with one or more power supply units (40A, 40B), direct current (DC) input power from two or more DC input power sources (30A, 30B) at one or more input DC voltages (Par 0028), wherein at least two of the two or more DC input power sources (30A, 30B) include alternating current (AC) to DC rectifiers (AC/DC rectifiers) (Par 0028) configured to convert AC input power from one or more AC input power sources (20A, 20B) to at least one of the one or more input DC voltages (Par 0025, 0028); converting, with the one or more power supply units (40A, 40B), the one or more input DC voltages to a DC load voltage different than the one or more input DC voltages (Par 0028; 40A, 40B is a DC/DC converter which converts a DC voltage to a step-up voltage, thus provides a voltage to a DC load 70 different than the input DC voltage); and providing, with the one or more power supply units (40A, 40B), output DC power at the DC load voltage for distribution to one or more loads (70) (Par 0028, 0032).
Tanaka does not disclose wherein at least two of the two or more AC input power sources have asynchronous phases.
Ross et al. (US 4,761,563) discloses, in figure 1, wherein at least two of the two or more AC input power sources (source 1, source 2) have asynchronous phases (Col 4, lines 45-57), but does not disclose wherein the at least two of the two or more AC input power sources having asynchronous phases are directly connected to the one or more AC/DC rectifiers, and it would not have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to combine any prior art to teach or fairly suggest the features not disclosed by Wang and Ross.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
5. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEX WONG LAM whose telephone number is (571)272-3409. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 7:30-5:00.
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/ALEX W LAM/Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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