4DETAILED 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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 5 is objected to because of the following informalities: last line of claim 5 reads the limitation “the component”, however it should be “the power system component”. Appropriate correction is required.
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(s) 1-11, 14, 16-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 2002/0085325 (Suzui).
Regarding claim 1, Suzui teaches a method for determining when a connection of a power system to a grid has been disconnected (method for determining when a connection of a power system to a grid shown in Fig. 4 as system 4 has been disconnected) [0003-0004] comprising:
detecting current values (Fig. 1 shows current detection type ground fault sensor 89 detecting current values) [0042];
summing the current values (ground fault sensor 89 detects the sum of currents) [0042];
if the sum of current values exceeds a predefined threshold (sum of current values exceeding zero i.e. predefined threshold) [0066-0067];
detecting a fault (detecting fault based on the current value detected by ground fault sensor 89) [0067-68]; and
turning off the power system (power system is disconnected when there is a fault i.e. abnormal connection) [0070].
Regarding claim 2, Suzui teaches wherein shutting off the power system comprising turning off an inverter (inverter 9 is disconnected from system 4) [0060].
Regarding claim 3, Suzui teaches wherein shutting off the power system comprising shutting off at least one component connected to the grid (shutting off the power system comprising shutting off at least one component connected to system 4 i.e. grid) [0060, 0081].
Regarding claim 4, Suzui teaches wherein shutting off the power system comprising opening a relay (Fig. 4 shows switch 522 to be mechanical switch such as relay) [0081].
Regarding claim 5, Suzui teaches a method for determining a fault condition in a power system component (method for determining a fault condition of a power system to a grid shown in Fig. 4) [0003-0004], comprising:
detecting current values of a sensor (Fig. 1 shows current detection type ground fault sensor 89 detecting current values) [0042];
summing the current values (ground fault sensor 89 detects the sum of currents) [0042];
reaching a threshold sum of current values (sum of current values exceeding zero i.e. predefined threshold) [0066-0067]; and
shutting off the component (shutting off the component when there is a fault i.e. abnormal connection) [0070].
Regarding claim 6, Suzui teaches wherein shutting off the power system comprising turning off an inverter (inverter 9 is disconnected from system 4) [0060].
Regarding claim 7, Suzui teaches wherein shutting off the power system comprising shutting off at least one component connected to the grid (shutting off the power system comprising shutting off at least one component connected to system 4 i.e. grid) [0060, 0081].
Regarding claim 8, Suzui teaches wherein shutting off the power system comprising opening a relay (Fig. 4 shows switch 522 to be mechanical switch such as relay) [0060, 0081].
Regarding claim 9, Suzui teaches wherein shutting off the power system comprising at least two of the following actions, turning off an inverter, opening a relay, shutting off one component connected to the grid (Fig. 9 shows shutting off the power system method comprising disconnecting inverter 9 from system 4, opening switch 522) [0075-79].
Regarding claim 10, Suzui teaches wherein the predefined threshold is defined by the user [0009].
Regarding claim 11, Suzui teaches wherein the components in the power system include at least one of the following: motor driven permanent generator, photovoltaic array, fuel-cell system, battery, invertor supplying AC power, Buck/boost converter supplying DC power (Fig. 1 shows solar battery from photovoltage array and inverter supplying AC power) [0030].
Regarding claim 14, Suzui teaches wherein the components includes a resistor to dissipate electrical energy (Fig. 4 shows line 12 which includes a resistor to dissipate electrical energy) [0052].
Regarding claim 16, Suzui teaches wherein each component comprises a current sensor (Fig. 4 shows ground fault current sensor 89 to be sensing current) [0054].
Regarding claim 17, Suzui teaches wherein the steps of detecting current values, summing current values and comparing the summed current values to a threshold are repeated at a predetermined time frames or continuously [0011, 0042].
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) 12-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2002/0085325 (Suzui) in view of US 2005/0047035 (Vallinmaki).
Regarding claim 12, Suzui teaches wherein the components include a motor/generator [0030].
However, Suzui does not teach generator to be three-phase.
However, Vallinmaki teaches generator to be three-phase [0012].
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have generator to be three-phase in order to have a more compact size of the system having the same output rating.
Regarding claim 13, Suzui teaches wherein the components include a three-phase inverter supplying AC power [0054].
However, Suzui does not teach the inverter being three-phase.
However, Vallinmaki teaches the inverter being three-phase [0010].
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the inverter being three-phase in order to have a more compact size of the system having the same output rating.
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2002/0085325 (Suzui) in view of US 2004/0008010 (Ebrahim).
Regarding claim 15, Suzui teaches wherein the resistor [0052].
However, Suzui does not teach resistor disposed in a water heater.
However, Ebrahim teaches resistor disposed in a water heater [0097].
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have resistor disposed in a water heater in order to allow a portion of the resistor energy loss to be recovered and added to the energy recovered.
Conclusion
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SWARNA N. CHOWDHURI
Examiner
Art Unit 2836
/S.N.C/Examiner, Art Unit 2836
/REXFORD N BARNIE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2836