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
This office action is a response to an application filed on 02/25/2026 in which claims 1-29 are pending and ready for examination.
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.
Claim(s) 1-14, 19, 22-25 and 28-29 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamamoto et al (hereinafter Yamamoto) (US 2016/0322859 A1).
As to claims 1 and 28, Yamamoto discloses an electrical-energy storage system (see Fig 5) for storing electrical energy received from an energy harvesting power supply source (Fig 5, 110) and for delivery of stored energy to an application load (Fig 5, 200), the electrical-energy storage system comprising:
an input for receiving electrical energy from an energy harvesting power supply source (Fig 5, input from 110);
a first electrical-energy storage unit (Fig 5, 121) having a first storage capacity;
a second electrical-energy storage unit having a second storage capacity (Fig 5, 122), wherein the second storage capacity is greater than the first storage capacity;
an output for providing electrical energy from the second electrical-energy storage unit to an application load (see Fig 5, output from 122 to 200); and
control circuitry (Fig 9, 185), wherein the control circuitry is configured to:
determine when a first charging condition is met, and, in response to determining that the first charging condition is met, electrically couple the first electrical-energy storage unit to the input, with the first electrical-energy storage unit electrically decoupled from the second electrical-energy storage unit, for passing electrical energy from the input into the first electrical-energy storage unit (see Fig 5, parag [0093]); and
determine when a second charging condition is met, and, in response to determining that second charging condition is met, electrically couple the first electrical-energy storage unit to the second electrical-energy storage unit, with the first electrical-energy storage unit electrically decoupled from the input (see Fig 17, when SW3 connected to b terminal, the solar battery is decoupled from the storage battery) for passing electrical energy from the first electrical-energy storage unit into the second electrical-energy storage unit (see Fig 5, parag [0094]).
As to claim 2, Yamamoto discloses the electrical-energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the first charging condition depends at least in part on a first voltage level at a first point within the electrical-energy storage system and/or the energy harvesting power supply source, and wherein the second charging condition depends at least in part on a second voltage level at a second point within the electrical-energy storage system and/or the energy harvesting power supply source, wherein the first and second points may be a common point or different points (see parags [0093-0094]).
As to claim 3, Yamamoto discloses the electrical-energy storage system of claim 2, wherein each of the first and second voltage levels is an input voltage from an energy harvesting power supply source and/or is an output voltage of the first electrical-energy storage unit, and/or is a voltage at a respective point between an input from an energy harvesting power supply source and an output of the first electrical-energy storage unit, and/or is an input voltage to the second electrical-energy storage unit, and/or is a voltage at a respective point between an output of the first electrical-energy storage unit and an input to the second electrical-energy storage unit (see Fig 5, parags [0093-0096], [0149]).
As to claim 4, Yamamoto discloses the electrical-energy storage system of claim 2, wherein the control circuitry comprises a voltage detector for determining the voltage level at the first point and/or the second point (see Fig 9, 155, parags [0134], [0149]).
As to claim 5, Yamamoto discloses the electrical-energy storage system of claim 2, wherein the first charging condition comprises the first voltage having a value that is less than or equal to a first threshold, and wherein the second charging condition comprises the voltage at the second point having a value that is greater than or equal to a second threshold (implicit, see parags [0093-0096]).
As to claim 6, Yamamoto dislcoses the electrical-energy storage system of claim 5, wherein the second threshold is higher than the first threshold (see parag [0017]).
As to claim 7, Yamamoto discloses the electrical-energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to start detecting for the first charging condition after electrically coupling the first electrical-energy storage unit to the second electrical-energy storage unit (see parags [0170-0171]).
As to claim 8, Yamamoto discloses the electrical-energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to start detecting for the second charging condition after electrically coupling the first electrical-energy storage unit to the input (see parags [0170-0171]).
As to claim 9, Yamamoto discloses the electrical-energy storage system of claim 5, wherein an output voltage level of the second electrical-energy storage unit being greater than the first threshold voltage is indicative of a charging of the second electrical-energy storage unit being complete (see parag [0106]).
As to claim 10, Yamamoto discloses the electrical-energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry comprises one or more switches (Fig 5, SW1) for performing the electrical coupling and decoupling of the first electrical-energy storage unit to the input and to the second electrical-energy storage unit.
As to claim 11, Yamamoto discloses the electrical-energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry comprises a first switch (Fig 17, SW3) between the input and first electrical-energy storage unit, and configured for decoupling the first electrical-energy storage unit from the input (Fig 17, when SW3 connected to b terminal) when the second charging condition is determined to be met, and comprises a second switch (Fig 17, SW1) between the first electrical-energy storage unit and the second electrical-energy storage unit, and wherein the control circuitry is configured so that, at least during a charging state of the electrical-energy storage system, the first switch and the second switch are always in opposite states (see parags [0202], [0205]).
As to claim 12, Yamamoto discloses the electrical-energy storage system of claim 11, wherein the electrical- energy storage system is switchable between a charging state in which the first switch is in a first state, being either open or closed, and the second switch is in an opposite state to the first switch, and a discharging state in which the first and second switches are both closed or in which the first switch is closed and the second switch is open (see parags [0202-0205]).
As to claim 13, Yamamoto discloses the electrical-energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the first electrical-energy storage unit comprises at least one capacitor (see parag [0071]).
As to claim 14, Yamamoto discloses the electrical-energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the second electrical-energy storage unit comprises at least one of a capacitor, a supercapacitor, or a rechargeable cell (see parag [0071]).
As to claim 19, Yamamoto discloses the electrical-energy storage system of claim 1, comprising an input isolation switch (Fig 14, SW3) for decoupling the first electrical-energy storage unit and/or second electrical-energy storage unit from the input, and/or comprising an output isolation switch (Fig 9, SW2) for decoupling the first electrical-energy storage unit and/or second electrical-energy storage unit from the output, without decoupling the energy harvesting power supply source from the application load.
As to claim 22, Yamamoto discloses an electrical supply system configured to supply electrical power to an application load wherein the electrical supply system comprises: the electrical-energy storage system of claim 1 and the energy harvesting power supply source (see Fig 3).
As to claim 23, Yamamoto discloses the electrical supply system of claim 22, wherein the energy harvesting power supply source comprises a photovoltaic unit (see Fig 1, 110, solar battery).
As to claim 24, Yamamoto discloses the electrical supply system of claim 22, wherein the energy harvesting power supply source further comprises an energy storage unit (Fig 3, 120), a load switch (Fig 3, 140) and a voltage detector (Fig 3, 150).
As to claim 25, Yamamoto discloses the electrical supply system of claim 22, comprising control circuitry configured to electrically couple and decouple the application load with an output of the energy harvesting power supply source and/or to electrically couple and decouple the application load with the electrical-energy storage system and/or to electrically couple and decouple an output of the energy harvesting power supply source with the electrical-energy storage system, at least partly in dependence upon a voltage at a point within the electrical supply system (see Fig 5, parags [0093-0096]).
As to claim 29, Yamamoto discloses the method of claim 28, wherein the electrical-energy storage system further comprises an output for delivering stored energy to the application load, the method further comprising: determining when a discharging condition is met, and, in response to determining that the discharging condition is met, electrically coupling the first electrical-energy storage unit and/or second electrical-energy storage unit to the output for passing electrical energy from the electrical-energy storage system to the application load (see parags [0093-0094]).
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.
Claim(s) 15-18, 21 and 26-27 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamamoto et al (hereinafter Yamamoto) (US 2016/0322859 A1) in view WO2020239532 A1 (hereinafter WO532).
As to claim 15, Yamamoto does not disclose the electrical-energy storage system of claim 1, comprising a DC-to-DC convertor between the first electrical-energy storage unit and the second electrical-energy storage unit.
However, WO532 discloses a DC-to-DC convertor between the first electrical-energy storage unit and the second electrical-energy storage unit (see parag [0089]). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of Yamamoto to include the converter as taught by WO532 in order to control the power flowing between energy storage devices.
As to claim 16, the combination of Yamamoto and WO532 discloses the electrical-energy storage system of claim 15, wherein the control circuitry is configured to electrically decouple the DC-to-DC convertor from at least one of the first and second electrical-energy storage units in response to determining that the first charging condition is met (WO532, see parag [0089]).
As to claim 17, the combination of Yamamoto and WO532 discloses the electrical-energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the input and the output of the electrical-energy storage system are provided by a shared conductor (see Fig 5, parag [0090], last sentence).
As to claim 18, the combination of Yamamoto and WO532 discloses the electrical-energy storage system of claim 17, comprising an asymmetric conductance unit between an output of second electrical-energy storage unit and the shared conductor (see Fig 5, parag [0090], last sentence).
As to claim 21, the combination of Yamamoto and WO532 discloses the electrical-energy storage system of claim 1, comprising a current regulator between a switch associated with the electrical-energy storage system and the energy harvesting power supply source wherein the current regulator is configured to control the rate that energy is received from the energy harvesting power supply source and/or configured to control the rate that energy is delivered from electrical-energy storage system to the application load (WO532, see parag [0063]).
As to claim 26, Yamamoto discloses the electrical supply system of claim 25, wherein the control circuitry is configured to disconnect the application load from the electrical supply system when the voltage at the point reaches or crosses a disconnection threshold from above, the disconnection threshold being indicative of the second electrical-energy storage unit of the electrical-energy storage system reaching a discharged state (WO532, see Fig 4b, parags [0070-0072]).
As to claim 27, the combination of Yamamoto and WO532 discloses the electrical supply system of claim 22any of claims 22 to 26, comprising control circuitry configured to switch the state of an electrical-energy storage system from one of a charging state, a null state and a discharging state to a different one of a charging state, a null state and a discharging state; wherein said state switching is at least partly dependent upon at least one of: a voltage at a point within the electrical supply system; an output of a timer; or an output of a light meter (WO532, see Fig 4b, parags [0070-0072]).
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamamoto et al (hereinafter Yamamoto) (US 2016/0322859 A1) in view of Kazumi (US 2023/0027426 A1).
As to claim 20, Yamamoto does not disclose the electrical-energy storage system of claim 1, comprising a resistor between the second electrical-energy storage unit and the output for controlling a discharge rate of the second electrical-energy storage unit through the output.
However, Kazumi discloses comprising a resistor (Fig 1, 34) between the second electrical-energy storage unit (Fig 1, 31) and the output for controlling a discharge rate of the second electrical-energy storage unit through the output (see parag [0039]). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of Yamamoto to include the resistor as taught by Kazumi in order to control the power discharged from the energy storage device.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on 02/25/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. As to claim 1, the applicant argued that the storage battery A did not decouple from the solar battery 110. The examiner disagreed with the applicant’s argument. From Fig. 17, when the switch SW3 connected to the terminal b, the solar battery will decouple from the storage battery A. As to claim 6, the applicant argued that the parag [0017] did not teach the second voltage threshold is higher than the first threshold, the examiner disagreed with the applicant’s argument. Parag [0017] disclosed that the voltage of the first storage battery is lower than the second threshold voltage, since the first voltage is equal to the first threshold in claim 5, the second threshold will higher than the first threshold. As to claim 9, parag [0106] disclosed when the storage battery B become a voltage VH, the converter 130 stops outputting so as to prevent the battery B being overcharged. As to claim 11, from Fig. 17, it shows that when SW3 connected to terminal b, the solar battery 110 will decouple from the storage battery A and when SW3 is connected to terminal a to charge storage battery A, SW3 and SW1 are in opposite states. As to claim 19, from Fig. 17, it shows that when SW3 connected to terminal b, the solar battery 110 will decouple from the storage battery A.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DUC M PHAM whose telephone number is (571)272-5026. The examiner can normally be reached 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Monday to Friday.
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/DUC M PHAM/Examiner, Art Unit 2836 August 24, 2026
/TAELOR KIM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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