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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
1. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/27/2024 and is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. According, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the Examiner.
Claim Objection
2. Claim 5 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 5, line 4, “in particular” should be deleted.
Examiner Notes
3. Examiner cites particular paragraphs, columns and line numbers in the references as applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that, in preparing responses, the applicant fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
4. 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.
5. Claims are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Roux et al. (WO-2012143886; hereinafter “Roux”).
Regarding claim 1, Roux discloses a solar cell test procedure for testing multiple produced solar cells (a method or a system for measuring efficiency of photovoltaic devices, paragraph [0019] and Fig. 4), comprising the following steps: carrying out at least one primary measurement on substantially each of the multiple solar cells by means of a primary measurement method to determine a primary measurement result, for each of the multiple solar cells (“applying at least one of a first voltage and a first current to the photovoltaic device, conducting a first measurement of the photovoltaic device”, see [0019]); carrying out a secondary measurement on at least one of the produced solar cells by means of a secondary measurement method to determine a secondary measurement result (“ applying at least one of a second voltage and a second current to the photovoltaic device, conducting at least a second measurement of the photovoltaic device”, see [0019]); and assigning each of the multiple solar cells to a sorting category according to the primary measurement result and/or secondary measurement result associated with the solar cell (such as identifying the quality deficiency in one of the tested solar cells, thus establishing which solar cells are working correctly and which are not, see at least in [0019, 41, 51, 71]), wherein the secondary measurement by means of the secondary measurement method is carried out on a subset of the multiple solar cells and in that the primary measurement method and/or the primary measurement result are/is calibrated according to the secondary measurement result (using at least a first illumination source that closely resembles a sun spectrum with at least one of the first voltage and the first current to calibrate the second measurement. Normally at least one of respectively the first voltage and the second voltage or the first current and the second current are identical to facilitate the calibration..., see at least in [0019] and Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 2, Roux discloses the solar cell test procedure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the primary measurement method comprises a contactless measurement method (see Fig. 2). Regarding claim 3, Roux discloses the solar cell test procedure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the primary measurement method comprises an imaging measurement method and/or a non-imaging measurement method (see Fig. 1). Regarding claim 4, Roux discloses the solar cell test procedure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the secondary measurement method comprises a contact-connecting measurement method (see Fig. 2 and [0019]). Regarding claim 8, Roux discloses a solar cell production process comprising producing multiple solar cells and testing the produced multiple solar cells using a solar cell test procedure as claimed in claim 1 (see [0013, 71]).
Regarding claim 9, Roux discloses a solar cell test installation (a system for measuring efficiency of photovoltaic devices, paragraph [0019] and Fig. 1-4)having: a primary measuring apparatus (a first measurement is performed by the system in Fig. 1-6) for carrying out at least one primary measurement on substantially each of multiple solar cells by means of a primary measurement method to determine a primary measurement result for each of the multiple solar cells (“applying at least one of a first voltage and a first current to the photovoltaic device, conducting a first measurement of the photovoltaic device”, see [0019]); a secondary measuring apparatus (a second measurement is performed by the system in Fig. 1-6) for carrying out a secondary measurement on at least one of the produced solar cells by means of a secondary measurement method to determine a secondary measurement result (“ applying at least one of a second voltage and a second current to the photovoltaic device, conducting at least a second measurement of the photovoltaic device”, see [0019]); and a sorting apparatus for assigning each of the multiple solar cells to a sorting category according to the primary measurement result and/or secondary measurement result associated with the solar cell (such as identifying the quality deficiency in one of the tested solar cells, thus establishing which solar cells are working correctly and which are not, see at least in [0019, 41, 51, 71]), wherein the solar cell production plant is designed to carry out the secondary measurement by means of the secondary measurement method on a subset of the multiple solar cells and to calibrate the primary measurement method and/or the primary measurement result according to the secondary measurement result (using at least a first illumination source that closely resembles a sun spectrum with at least one of the first voltage and the first current to calibrate the second measurement. Normally at least one of respectively the first voltage and the second voltage or the first current and the second current are identical to facilitate the calibration..., see at least in [0019] and Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 10, Roux discloses a solar cell production plant having a production section designed to produce multiple solar cells and having a solar cell test installation as claimed in claim 9 (see [0013, 71]).
6. Claims are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Greulich et al. (US. Pub. 20240195357cited from IDS; hereinafter “Greulich”).
Regarding claim 1, Greulich discloses a solar cell test procedure for testing multiple produced solar cells (see paragraph [0009] and claim 1), comprising the following steps: carrying out at least one primary measurement on substantially each of the multiple solar cells by means of a primary measurement method to determine a primary measurement result, for each of the multiple solar cells (“carrying out a first luminescence measurement in which a first sub-region of the solar cell is impinged on by excitation radiation in accordance with a first set of parameters and a second sub-region of the solar cell is impinged on by excitation radiation in accordance with a second set of parameters, which is different than the first set of parameters, and measuring a first intensity of luminescent radiation emitted by the solar cell in the first sub-region or the second sub-region”, see claim 1); carrying out a secondary measurement on at least one of the produced solar cells by means of a secondary measurement method to determine a secondary measurement result (“carrying out at least one second luminescence measurement in which a second intensity of luminescent radiation emitted by the solar cell is measured”, see claim 1); and assigning each of the multiple solar cells to a sorting category according to the primary measurement result and/or secondary measurement result associated with the solar cell (such as identifying the quality deficiency in one of the tested solar cells, thus establishing which solar cells are working correctly and which are not, see at least in [0049]), wherein the secondary measurement by means of the secondary measurement method is carried out on a subset of the multiple solar cells and in that the primary measurement method and/or the primary measurement result are/is calibrated according to the secondary measurement result (the change in the parameter set between the first luminescence measurement and the second luminescence measurement can be regarded as a calibration, see at least in [0053-55, 123-124, 142-143, 226] and claim 1).
Regarding claim 2, Greulich discloses the solar cell test procedure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the primary measurement method comprises a contactless measurement method (see Fig. 3). Regarding claim 3, Greulich discloses the solar cell test procedure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the primary measurement method comprises an imaging measurement method and/or a non-imaging measurement method (see [0117]). Regarding claim 4, Greulich discloses the solar cell test procedure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the secondary measurement method comprises a contact-connecting measurement method (see Fig. 2). Regarding claim 5, Greulich discloses the solar cell test procedure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the calibration of the primary measurement method and/or the primary measurement result comprises applying artificial intelligence algorithms, in particular machine learning algorithms (see [0189-191]).
Regarding claim 6, Greulich discloses the 6. The solar cell test procedure as claimed in claim 5, wherein the calibration of the primary measurement method and/or the primary measurement result comprises using an artificial neural network (see [0189-191]).
Regarding claim 8, Greulich discloses a solar cell production process comprising producing multiple solar cells and testing the produced multiple solar cells using a solar cell test procedure as claimed in claim 1 (see Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 9, Greulich discloses a solar cell test installation (Figs. 2-4)having: a primary measuring apparatus (a first measurement configuration of a device in Fig. 3) for carrying out at least one primary measurement on substantially each of multiple solar cells by means of a primary measurement method to determine a primary measurement result for each of the multiple solar cells (“carrying out a first luminescence measurement in which a first sub-region of the solar cell is impinged on by excitation radiation in accordance with a first set of parameters and a second sub-region of the solar cell is impinged on by excitation radiation in accordance with a second set of parameters, which is different than the first set of parameters, and measuring a first intensity of luminescent radiation emitted by the solar cell in the first sub-region or the second sub-region”, see claim 1); a secondary measuring apparatus (a second measurement configuration of a device in Fig. 4) for carrying out a secondary measurement on at least one of the produced solar cells by means of a secondary measurement method to determine a secondary measurement result (“carrying out at least one second luminescence measurement in which a second intensity of luminescent radiation emitted by the solar cell is measured”, see claim 1); and a sorting apparatus for assigning each of the multiple solar cells to a sorting category according to the primary measurement result and/or secondary measurement result associated with the solar cell (such as identifying the quality deficiency in one of the tested solar cells, thus establishing which solar cells are working correctly and which are not, see at least in [0049]), wherein the solar cell production plant is designed to carry out the secondary measurement by means of the secondary measurement method on a subset of the multiple solar cells and to calibrate the primary measurement method and/or the primary measurement result according to the secondary measurement result (the change in the parameter set between the first luminescence measurement and the second luminescence measurement can be regarded as a calibration, see at least in [0053-55, 123-124, 142-143, 226] and claim 1).
Regarding claim 10, Greulich discloses a solar cell production plant having a production section designed to produce multiple solar cells and having a solar cell test installation as claimed in claim 9 (Fig. 5).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
7. 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.
8. Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Roux. Regarding claim 7, Roux discloses the solar cell test procedure as claimed in claim 1, except for explicitly specifying wherein the subset comprises less than 10%, 1% or 0.1% of a number of the multiple solar cells. However selecting a subset of solar cells for a second measurement such that the subset comprises less than 10%, 1% or 0.1% of a number of the multiple solar cells is a known practice in the art and the specifics of 10%, 1% or 0.1% would simply be a matter of inventor design choice.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the test solar cell device of Greulich by selecting the subset comprises less than 10%, 1% or 0.1% of a number of the multiple solar cells, in order to meet the system design and specification requirement.
Prior Art of Record
9. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Bamberger (U.S Pub. 20210305936) discloses a method, computer-implemented tool and power plant control device for detecting power production degradation of solar power plants (see specification for more details). Haunschild (U.S Pub. 20120203494) discloses a method for measuring a semiconductor structure, which has an emitter and a base, and which is a solar cell or a precursor of a solar cell, (see specification for more details).
Conclusion
10. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THANG LE whose telephone number is (571)272-9349. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday thru Friday 7:30AM-5:00PM EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Huy Phan can be reached on (571) 272-7924. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/THANG X LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
9/23/2026
Prosecution Insights