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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after allowance or after an Office action under Ex Parte Quayle, 25 USPQ 74, 453 O.G. 213 (Comm'r Pat. 1935). Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, prosecution in this application has been reopened pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 05/11/2025 has been entered.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements filed 05/11/2026. This submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97.
Accordingly, the IDS has been fully considered by the Office.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 (a)
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
The specification falls short of explaining as how an electric heating device as shown in figure 1 and described in specification is optically coupled to the at least one thermal energy storage device 104. Since there is no explanation in the specification describing how said electric heating device is optically coupled with the at least one thermal energy storage.
Additionally, claim 1 for the reasons stated above fails to satisfy the written description requirement. The claim 1 has been rejected as best understood.
The dependent claims as they inherent the defects of claim 1 are also rejected for similar reasons.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112(b)
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim(s) 1 and 2 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
The phrase “optically coupled” in claims 1 and 2 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The phrase “optically coupled” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. For this reason, the metes and bounds of claims 1 and 2 cannot be ascertained and the claim appears to be indefinite. The claims 1-3 have been rejected as best understood.
The dependent claims as they inherent the defects of claim 1, 2 are also rejected for similar reasons.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or non-obviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-5, 9-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S Publication number 2020/0186081 A1 to HU (HU) in view of U.S Publication number 2018/0083449 A1 to GREEN (GREEN).
Re: Claim 1:
HU discloses:
A solar collection system comprising:
at least one solar collector (See Fig.4: ¶0040-¶0042: solar collector as shown in figure 4 ) comprising a Fresnel lens (See Fig.4: Fresnel lens 311, 312, 316) configured to collect rays from the sun (See Fig.4: this is implied);
at least one thermal storage device (See Fig.4: ¶0042: thermal energy storage device 322) including an absorber (See Fig.4: ¶0042: absorber 3221) optically coupled to the Fresnel lens (See Fig.4: Fresnel lens 311, 312, 316), the at least one thermal storage device (See Fig.4: ¶0042: thermal energy storage device 322) storing heat of the sun's rays the Fresnel lens (See Fig.4: Fresnel lens 311, 312, 316) focuses on the absorber (See Fig.4: ¶0042: absorber 3221);
HU discloses heat storage/thermal energy utilization device which van perform heat exchange with an external system through an inflow pipe as explained in ¶0042, although HU is silent regarding
a thermal engine (See Fig.9: thermal engine 124) thermally coupled to the at least one thermal storage device (See Fig.9: thermal energy storage 122) ; and an electric heating device (See Fig.9: ¶0069, ¶0088, ¶0092: electric device 144, Electric power is drawn by heater system 144 from the substation 26 via transmission line 252) optically coupled to the at least one thermal storage device (See Fig.9: ¶0069, ¶0070, ¶0088, ¶0092: electric heating system is optically/visibly coupled to the at least one thermal storage device 122 via 147), the electric heating device (See Fig.9: ¶0069, ¶0070, ¶0088, ¶0092: electric device 144 provides heat to the at least one thermal energy storage device 122 by heating the fluid flowing to the at least one thermal storage 122) configured to convert electricity into heat for storage by the at least one thermal storage device (See Fig.9: 122) to balance loading of the electric power grid so the electric power grid selectively supplies electricity to the electric heating device for heating the at least one thermal storage device (See Fig.9: ¶0069, ¶0070, ¶0088, ¶0090, ¶0092: control system 200 causes the electric current to be modulated responsive to information comprising grid information. Such responsive modulation provides the grid operator with finer control over the balance of supply and demand on the grid),
wherein the thermal engine (See Fig.9: thermal engine 124) receives from the at least one thermal storage device (See Fig.9: thermal energy storage 122),
(a) heat derived from the collected rays of the sun (See Fig.4: ¶0040-¶0042, ¶0049: solar collector as shown in figure 4 ) and/or (b) heat the electric heating device converts from electricity.
Re: claim 9: HU modified by GREEN discloses all the limitations of claim 9
Re: Claim 2:
HU modified by GREEN discloses:
The solar collection system of claim 1, the modified HU discloses all the limitations of claim 1, and wherein the electric heating device is thermally coupled to an absorber (GREEN: See Fig.9: ¶0092: absorber 314 as it absorbs the solar heat, the heated working fluid is then conveyed from tower 316 to the hot storage tank 122 via conduit 320, and in this way, both solar heating and grid responsive electric heating of the molten fluid are used in combination), and the absorber is optically coupled to the at least one solar collector (GREEN: See Fig.9: ¶0092: typically absorber 314 is visible since it is exposed to concentrated solar energy to absorb the solar heat).
Re: Claim 10: HU modified by GREEN discloses all the limitations of claim 10.
Re: Claim 3:
HU modified by GREEN discloses:
The solar collection system of claims 1 and 9, the modified HU discloses all the limitations of claim 1 and claim 9, and further comprising a thermal transfer arrangement (GREEN: See Fig.9: ¶0092: thermal transfer arrangement 124) configured to transfer, into or out of the at least one thermal storage device (GREEN: See Fig.9: ¶0092: the at least one thermal storage device 122), heat collected by the at least one solar collector and/or heat stored by the at least one thermal storage device (GREEN: See Fig.9: ¶0092: the at least one thermal storage device 122 collects heat using the at least one solar collector 310/312).
Re: Claim 11: HU modified by GREEN discloses all the limitations of claim 11.
Re: Claim 4:
HU modified by GREEN discloses:
The solar collection system of claim 1, the modified HU discloses all the limitations of claim 1, and wherein the electric heating device converts electricity to heat during times when demand for electricity from the electric power grid is low, thereby balancing loading of the electric power grid (GREEN: See Fig.9: ¶0069, ¶0070, ¶0088, ¶0090, ¶0092: control system 200 causes the electric current to be modulated responsive to information comprising grid information. Such responsive modulation provides the grid operator with finer control over the balance of supply and demand on the grid).
Re: Claim 12: HU modified by GREEN discloses all the limitations of claim 12.
Re: Claim 5:
HU modified by GREEN discloses:
The solar collection system of claim 1 , the modified HU discloses all the limitations of claim 1, and the modified HU discloses all the limitations of claim 1, and wherein the absorber comprises a heat exchanger (HU: ¶0042: discloses absorber performs the function of heat exchange).
Re: Claim 13: HU modified by GREEN discloses all the limitations of claim 13.
Claim(s) 6, 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S Publication number 2020/0186081 A1 to HU (HU) in view of U.S Publication number 2018/0083449 A1 to GREEN (GREEN) as applied to claims 1 and 9 respectively as above, and further in view of by U.S Publication number 2022/0220867 A1 to ODONNELL et al. (ODENNELL).
Re: Claim 6:
HU modified by GREEN discloses:
The solar collection system of claim 1, the modified HU discloses all the limitations of claim 1, the modified HU is silent regarding:
further comprising an air circulator that circulates heat from the at least one thermal storage device to the thermal engine.
However thermal energy storages having air circulation system are well known in the art, such a system is explicitly taught by U.S Publication number 2022/0220867 A1 to ODONNELL et al. (ODENNELL: ¶0041: discloses air circulation from thermal energy storage), it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to circulate air via thermal storage unit/system to vide direct heating thereby optimizing heat absorption by the working medium which is an efficient heat absorption system, and would have provide similar benefits in the system of modified HU.
Re: Claim 14: HU modified by GREEN and ODONNEL discloses all the limitations of claim 14.
Claim(s) 7, 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S Publication number 2020/0186081 A1 to HU (HU) in view of U.S Publication number 2018/0083449 A1 to GREEN (GREEN) as applied to claims 1 and 9 respectively as above, and further in view of by U.S Publication number 2004/0148922 A1 to PINKERTON (PINKERTON).
Re: Claim 7:
HU modified by GREEN discloses:
The solar collection system of claim 1, the modified HU discloses all the limitations of claim 1, the modified HU is silent regarding:
wherein the electric heating device is disposed within the at least one thermal storage device.
However it is well known in the art that electric heating devices are positioned within thermal energy storage, such a system is explicitly taught by U. S Publication number 2004/0148922 A1 to PINKERTON (PINKERTON: ¶0041: resistive heater 233, which is powered by electrical input 110, is in physical contact with the thermal storage material), it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to position electric heater within thermal energy storage to provide direct heating thereby optimizing heat absorption by the working medium which is an efficient heat absorption system, and would have provide similar benefits in the system of modified HU.
Re: Claim 15: HU modified by GREEN and PINKERTON discloses all the limitations of claim 15.
Claim(s) 8, 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S Publication number 2020/0186081 A1 to HU (HU) in view of U.S Publication number 2018/0083449 A1 to GREEN (GREEN) as applied to claims 1 and 9 respectively as above, and further in view of by U. S Publication number 2013/0081394 A1 to PERRY (PERRY).
Re: Claim 8:
HU modified by GREEN discloses:
The solar collection system of claim 1, the modified HU discloses all the limitations of claim 1, the modified HU is silent regarding:
further comprising an energy monitor and an automatic transfer switch configured to selectively connect the electric heating device to and disconnect the electric heating device from the electric power grid.
However it is well known in the art that electric heating devices are selectively used to augment heating of the working fluid therefore control switches are implied, such a system is explicitly taught by U. S Publication number 2013/0081394 A1 to PERRY (PERRY: ¶0017: A controller 52 is connected with the supplemental heat source 36 to selectively augment heating of the working fluid 26), it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to employ control switches to selectively provide supplemental heating to the working medium which is cost effective and would have economized the operation of thermal energy storage.
Re: Claim 16: HU modified by GREEN and PERRY discloses all the limitations of claim 16.
Conclusion
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/SHAFIQ MIAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746 May 19, 2026
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