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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on European application 22161896.0 filed in Europe on March 14, 2022.
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.
Claims 1, 2, 4, and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over O’Hora (US PG Pub. No. 20190132145), herein “O’Hora,” in view of German Patent document Hammerschmidt (DE 102010006527 A), herein “Hammerschmidt.”
Regarding claim 1,
O’Hora teaches a power grid comprising a plurality of energy generating devices configured to generate electric energy and a plurality of energy consuming devices configured to consume electric energy from the energy generating devices; (Par. 0004: “In some embodiments, an energy virtualization system may include a physical interface gateway that may include a plurality of common interfaces. The plurality of common interfaces may be coupled to a plurality of energy producing devices, a plurality of energy-control devices, and a plurality of energy-consuming devices. The system may also include a building network, where the plurality of energy-producing devices, the plurality of energy-control devices, and the plurality of energy-consuming devices can communicate through the building network.” Par. 0030: “The overall architecture of the system described herein may be referred to as a "virtualized grid." The virtualized grid for a commercial, residential, and/or industrial installation may include a hardware/software layer referred to as the energy virtualization layer that provides a plug-and-play interface for energy providing devices, energy consuming devices, and/or energy control device. The smart grid provides a stable, local platform in which new devices can be installed, upgraded, and removed dynamically and seamlessly through the energy virtualization layer.”)
wherein at least one of the energy consuming devices is an energy consuming device which comprises storing device in which a receiving key (profile and/or module profile) is stored, the receiving key includes data about a consumer compatibility criterion; (Par. 0062: “the virtualization layer may receive a module profile for each energy consuming device. The profile information may include, for example, a DC voltage and current that is required by the energy consuming device.” Par. 0047: “The module profile 306 in FIG. 3 is specific to an energy storage/providing device. In cases where the new device is an energy consuming device, the module profile 306 may include AC/DC current, voltage, and/or waveform requirements to power the device, along with communication protocols and/or recognized commands that can be provided to/from the new device.” See also Par. 0046.)
the power grid comprises a control device which is configured to make, in real time, the energy generating device to generate and supply electric
energy to the energy consuming device, if the consumer compatibility
criterion of the energy consuming device matches the generator compatibility criterion of the energy generating device. (Par. 0101: “FIG. 13 illustrates a virtual grid connection, according to some embodiments. A virtual grid connection refers to a connection that matches, correlates, or coordinates energy usage with energy production across the smart grid infrastructure. Specifically, users can coordinate energy production in one location and governed by one set of hardware with energy usage in another location governed by another set of hardware. This allows users to efficiently match energy producing devices with energy consuming devices over the smart grid. In some instances, energy producing devices can “bank” energy to the smart grid, and corresponding energy consuming devices can use this “banked” energy when needed.” Examiner’s Note – See also Hammerschmidt page 14, Par. 5: “In this embodiment, it can be advantageous that the selection of a load or feed profile can proceed quickly, since it is not necessary to first calculate a suitable profile. Moreover, consumer-side or generator-side means may be used for profile matching...” See also Hammerschmidt page 14, last paragraph and page 15, Par. 1.)
O’Hora does not teach that the power consuming devices and the power generating devices store the key (profile that includes energy amounts). However, Hammerschmidt does teach at least one of the energy generating devices is an energy generating device which comprises storing in which a sending key is stored, the sending key includes data about a generator compatibility criterion; and (Page 14, Par. 4: “…consumer of the group are assigned storage means in which at least two load profiles are stored for the consumer, wherein the adaptation of the load profile of the consumer comprises the selection of the stored load profiles, and / or that a producer the group are assigned storage means in which at least two feed-in profiles for the producer are stored, wherein the adaptation of the feed-in profile of the producer comprises the selection of one of the stored feed-in profiles.” Page 22, Par. 4: “The ASIC 133 is set up, the feed profile of the photovoltaic system 130 in the low voltage line 106 by defining for different times which part of the solar modules 131 generated electrical power through the inverter 132 in the low voltage line 106 is fed and what part of the lead-gel battery135 accrues. About the WLAN module 134 can the feed profile of the photovoltaic system 130…” Page 23, Par. 3: “the load profile of the vehicle battery 140 and the group profile from the server 150 retrieve. The ASIC 133 the photovoltaic system 130 is set up…” See figure 1 that shows the load (consumption) side that stores the profile in the ASIC 111 and production side ASIC 133 that holds the production profile (key). See also Page 14, Par. 2 and 3.)
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the power grid system that has a plurality of generating devices and a plurality of energy consuming devices where the profiles of the devices are matched as in O’Hora with the electrical grid system that has consumers and generation systems (wind turbines or photovoltaic systems) wherein each system can store their own load or feed profile as in Hammerschmidt in order to have profiles of the consumers and producers that can be matched and adaptable to each other. (Page 15, Par. 1 – 3)
Regarding claim 2,
The previously cited reference(s) teach the limitations of claim 1 which claim 2 depends. Hora and Hammerschmidt also teaches a plurality of the energy generating devices and a plurality of the energy consuming devices; (Hora, Abstract; See also Hammerschmidt, Page 2, Par. 6: “…behavior of consumers and producers operating on the electric grid…”) and
a grid operating device including, the control device which is
configured to control an energy flow from the plurality of energy generating devices to the plurality of energy consuming devices, the grid operating device comprises a keychain which includes the sending keys of the energy generating devices and the receiving keys of the energy consuming devices; (O’Hora Par. 0076: “Each resource may have a profile that can be manually created or configured, or provided by a manufacturer…” See O’Hora paragraph 0046. Par. 0047: “he module profile 306 in FIG. 3 is specific to an energy storage/providing device. In cases where the new device is an energy consuming device, the module profile 306 may include AC/DC current, voltage, and/or waveform requirements to power the device, along with communication protocols and/or recognized commands that can be provided to/from the new device. An energy control device may have a module profile that includes similar information for powering the energy control device, along with commands and/or communication protocols that may be transmitted to/from the energy control device.” O’Hora Par. 0048, 0062, 0084. Hammerschmidt page 8, last paragraph: “We have further achieved the object by control means for a consumer connectable to an electrical network and groupable into a group, the control means being arranged to cause the consumer associated communication means to provide a load profile of the consumer on a communication platform, further Feed-in profiles of possible generators grouped to the group…”)
wherein the receiving keys further include an energy amount which is intended to be consumed within a predetermined time period by the respective energy consuming device; (O’Hora Par. 0065: “…dynamic allocation of energy resources based on demand, availability, time of use, and a variety of other factors.” Par. 0027, 0097, 0108. The module profile 306 in FIG. 3 is specific to an energy storage/providing device. In cases where the new device is an energy consuming device, the module profile 306 may include AC/DC current, voltage, and/or waveform requirements to power the device, along with communication protocols and/or recognized commands that can be provided to/from the new device. An energy control device may have a module profile that includes similar information for powering the energy control device, along with commands and/or communication protocols that may be transmitted to/from the energy control device. The module profile 306 in FIG. 3 is specific to an energy storage/providing device. In cases where the new device is an energy consuming device, the module profile 306 may include AC/DC current, voltage, and/or waveform requirements to power the device, along with communication protocols and/or recognized commands that can be provided to/from the new device. An energy control device may have a module profile that includes similar information for powering the energy control device, along with commands and/or communication protocols that may be transmitted to/from the energy control device. Page 3, Par. 3: “Load profiles can include different information. According to a first variant, a load profile for a certain period of time to which it refers can indicate for each time point a specific value for the power consumption of the load from the network, so that the load profile is described by time-power value pairs, which are also referred to as mathematical function can be expressed.”)
the control device is configured to make the energy generating devices
to generate and supply energy to the energy consuming devices with a total energy amount within the predetermined time period as included in the receiving keys of the energy consuming devices. (O’Hora Par. 0047: “The module profile 306 in FIG. 3 is specific to an energy storage/providing device. In cases where the new device is an energy consuming device, the module profile 306 may include AC/DC current, voltage, and/or waveform requirements to power the device, along with communication protocols and/or recognized commands that can be provided to/from the new device. An energy control device may have a module profile that includes similar information for powering the energy control device, along with commands and/or communication protocols that may be transmitted to/from the energy control device.” Par. 0062. Hammerschmidt Page 20, Par. 2.)
Regarding claim 4,
The previously cited reference(s) teach the limitations of claim 1 which claim 4 depends. Hora also teaches a grid operating device comprising the control device which is configured to control an energy flow from the plurality of energy generating devices to the plurality of energy consuming devices, the grid operating device comprises a keychain which includes the sending keys of the energy generating devices and the receiving keys of the energy consuming devices; wherein the receiving keys further include an energy amount which is intended to be consumed within a predetermined time period by the respective energy consuming device; the sending keys further include an energy amount which can be generated within the predetermined time period by the respective energy generating device; and the control device is configured to elect a subgroup of the energy generating devices such that an energy amount which can be generated within the predetermined time period by the subgroup of the energy generating device matches a total energy amount within the predetermined time period as included in the receiving keys of the energy consuming devices. (Par. 0014, 0043, 0047, 0052, 0055, 0059, 0060, 0076, 0089, 0090, 0097, 0098, 0104, 0109, 0117, 0119, 0121, and 0126).
Regarding claim 8,
The previously cited reference(s) teach the limitations of claim 1 which claim 8 depends. Hammerschmidt also teaches sending key and/or the receiving key are transmitted to and from the control device via internet, direct wireless data transmission, or satellite. (Page 22, Par. 3: “The washing machine 110 includes an ASIC 111 , a wireless module 112 and a flash memory 113 , the sake of ease of representation outside the washing machine 110 are shown. The ASIC 111 is set up on the load profile of the washing machine 110 act. The WLAN module 112 is set up, a load profile of the washing machine 110 on the communication platform, ie in the database 151 of the server 150 to deposit. To do this, it transfers the load profile to a gateway (not shown) near the residential buildings 108 and 109 is arranged, and a wired Internet connection to the server 150 entertains. The gateway uses this connection to transfer the load profile to the server 150 , In the flash memory 113 is the load profile for the washing machine 110 deposited.”)
Claims 5 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over O’Hora in view of Hammerschmidt in further view of Pietsch et al. (US PG Pub. No. 20150108843), herein “Pietsch.”
Regarding claim 5,
The previously cited reference(s) teach the limitations of claim 1 which claim 5 depends. They do not teach that either the generation or consuming device includes the control device. However, Pietsch teaches that the energy generating device or the energy consuming device comprises the control device. (Par. 0023: “The power generation system further includes an energy control system monitoring the grid supply network and the solar generation source to identify transients or power conditions that adversely affect the grid supply network.” See also paragraph 0098 – matching load with production.)
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the power grid system that has a plurality of generating devices and a plurality of energy consuming devices where the profiles of the devices are matched as in O’Hora with the electrical grid system that has consumers and generation systems (wind turbines or photovoltaic systems) wherein each system can store their own load or feed profile as in Hammerschmidt with a grid control system wherein at least the power generation system includes a control device as in Pietsch in order to address load conditions rapidly and efficiently. (Par. 0010)
Regarding claim 6,
The previously cited reference(s) teach the limitations of claim 1 which claim 6 depends. They do not teach a frequency tolerance or a pressure tolerance, or a renewable energy etc. However, Pietsch teaches that the generator compatibility criterion and the consumer compatibility criterion comprise one of a frequency tolerance, a pressure tolerance, an indicator of renewable energy, an energy efficiency degree, and a parameter related to a CO2 footprint. (Par. 0011: “The production of large amounts of wind and/or solar energy is an important goal related to renewable resources and achieving national energy security. To accommodate the difference between the temporal distribution of energy generation from such sources (e.g. most wind energy is generated at night, and solar energy does not match the load curve to varying degrees with seasonal changes), storage of generated energy can be necessary. Such energy storage desirably can include capacity sufficient for periods of regeneration time from one hour upwards depending on the level of reserve desired to balance the load curve. With the addition of recharging components and a large capacity storage unit, dynamic loading can also be used to store and regenerate electrical energy. This energy can advantageously be capable of being taken from the AC mains grid and placed into storage under precise high-power (on the order of a megawatt to more than a gigawatt) control.” Par. 0012: “Rather, a storage load must be capable of compensating dynamically to match the amount of power taken from the grid. Storage efficacy can be defined by a combination of factors, including, for example, cost and efficiencies of the conversion of electrical energy into storage media, the storage self-discharge rate, and conversion back from the storage media to the grid. For the example of grid storage and retrieval, implementations of the current subject matter can address approaches suitable for highly efficient conversion of electrical energy into thermal energy, whereupon it may be transferred to storage. The concept of high-efficiency conversion of very large amounts of AC electricity to direct current provided as an input to a load is not limited to storage applications.” See also Par. 0069.)
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over O’Hora in view of Hammerschmidt in further view of Gardner et al. (US Patent No. 10,541,099), herein “Gardner.”
Regarding claim 7,
The previously cited reference(s) teach the limitations of claim 1 which claim 7 depends. They do not teach power line communications. However, Gardner teaches that the sending key and/or the receiving key are transmitted to and from the control device via a grid mains line, via a 50 Hz alternating current having a modulated data signal of the sending key and/or the receiving key. (Col. 10, line 50 – Col. 11, line 12: “In some embodiments, the components of the smart plug 510 may include a processor 512, a memory 514, power interfaces 516, and a transceiver 518. In an example, the memory 514 may represent a computer-readable storage medium that stores computer-readable instructions and that stores the identifier and power parameter(s). The processor 512 may be communicatively coupled with the memory 514 and the transceiver 518 over an interface bus. The processor 512, the memory 514, and the transceiver 518 may receive electrical power from a power source (not shown) internal to the smart plug 510. The power source may draw electrical power from the power cable connected to the smart plug 510 via the power interfaces 516 and/or from an internal battery. The processor 514 may execute the computer-readable instructions to provide various functionalities including accessing the identifier and power parameter(s) from the memory 514, generate a data message (e.g., at a periodic basis or in response to a request from a circuit breaker, the processor 514 may retrieve the identifier and, as applicable, power parameters from the memory 514 of the load and add this information to a payload of the data message), and pass the data message to the transceiver 518 for transmission. Depending on the type of transmission, the transceiver 518 may support PLC communications such that the data message may be sent over the power cable, and/or data communications such that the data message may be sent over the data cable and/or a wireless data interface. If a broadcast transmission is used, the transceiver 518 may need to only transmit the data message. In this case, the transceiver 518 may be a transmitter (rather a transmitter and a receiver).” Col. 9, line 66 – Col. 10, line 10: “Generally, any of the components described here that send a data message over a power cable or a power line may rely on a power line communication (PLC) technology, such as power-line carrier communication (PLCC). At the physical layer, a low energy information signal may be superposed to the power wave. This information signal may encode the information of the data message. While the power wave is transmitted at 50 or 60 Hz (or some other frequency depending on the geographical region)…”)
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the power grid system that has a plurality of generating devices and a plurality of energy consuming devices where the profiles of the devices are matched as in O’Hora with the electrical grid system that has consumers and generation systems (wind turbines or photovoltaic systems) wherein each system can store their own load or feed profile as in Hammerschmidt with sending an identifier that contains power parameters by a local power source by power line communications transmitted at 50 Hz as in Gardner in order to send identifiers over a power line to maintain mapping of the electrical connection between a load and the power source. (Gardner, Col. 2, lines 37 – 67)
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over O’Hora in view of Hammerschmidt in further view of Scobie et al. (US PG Pub. No. 20250149892), herein “Scobie.”
Regarding claim 9,
The previously cited reference(s) teach the limitations of claim 1 which claim 7 depends. They do not teach a further device that does not contain a key (profile). However, Scobie teaches that one further energy generating device of the plurality of energy generating devices, which does not comprise any sending key, or one energy generating device of the plurality of energy generating devices, which comprises a sending key which does not match the receiving keys of the energy consuming devices; a further energy consuming device of the plurality of energy consuming devices, which does not comprise any receiving key, or one energy consuming device of the plurality of energy consuming devices, which comprises a receiving key which does not match the sending keys of the energy generating devices; wherein the control device is configured to make, in real time, the further energy generating device of the plurality of energy generating devices, which does not comprise any sending key, or the energy generating device of the plurality of energy generating devices, which comprises a sending key which does not match the receiving keys of the energy consuming devices, to generate and supply electric energy to the further energy consuming device of the plurality of energy consuming devices, which does not comprise any receiving key, or to the energy consuming device of the plurality of energy consuming devices, which comprises a receiving key which does not match the sending keys of the energy generating devices. (Par. 0034: “The controller matches the supply of electrical energy to the electrical loads on the apparatus by dynamically controlling the operation of the energy storage and retrieval components to: (i) store energy when the available electric power exceeds that required by the loads, and (ii) supply electrical energy from the stored energy when the available electric power is less than that required by the loads.” Par. 0020: “…the plurality of dynamically dispatchable electrical energy storage components includes an electromagnetic energy generation component.” See also Par. 0003, 0008, and 0038.)
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the power grid system that has a plurality of generating devices and a plurality of energy consuming devices where the profiles of the devices are matched as in O’Hora with the electrical grid system that has consumers and generation systems (wind turbines or photovoltaic systems) wherein each system can store their own load or feed profile as in Hammerschmidt with having plurality of energy loads and sources without having a profile stored therein and controlling the loads with the supply by matching the supply to the loads as in Scobie in order to remove of harmonics or voltage transients or phase imbalances from renewable energy systems. (Par. 0034)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3 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 pending resolving all intervening issues such as any other rejections above. Reasons for allowance will be held in abeyance pending final recitation of the claims. The prior art does not disclose the elements of claim 1 and the elements of: if a total amount of electric energy which can be generated within the predetermined time period by the energy generating devices exceeds a total amount of electric energy which is intended to be consumed within the predetermined time period by the energy consuming devices, the control device the grid operating device is configured to make the energy generating devices to generate and supply the excessive electric energy to one further energy consuming device of the plurality of energy consuming devices, which does not comprise any receiving key, or to one energy consuming device of the plurality of energy consuming devices, which comprise a receiving key which does not match the sending keys of the energy generating devices.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Miller et al. (US PG Pub. No. 20220247174) is on point with the instant application and teaches a plurality of a plurality of generation and consumption facilities (Par. 0014) wherein the facilities have time-matched energy source profiles that are matched. (Par. 0025 and 0054).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHAD G ERDMAN whose telephone number is (571)270-0177. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 7am - 3pm or 4pm EST..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kenneth Lo can be reached at (571) 272-9774. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHAD G ERDMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2116
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