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 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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Consadori et al. (US 2005/0141154) in view of Haines et al. (US 2011/0254372).
With respect to claim 1, Consadori discloses an energy management device for use in an electrical installation having access to a primary source of AC electrical power and a secondary source of AC electrical power and configured to distribute AC power to a plurality of branch circuits or appliances (figure 2 discloses panel 142 for controlling distribution of a first and second AC power to appliances), comprising: power input terminals configured to receive AC electrical power from the primary and secondary sources of AC electrical power (terminals 222, 224); processing circuitry configured to execute energy management algorithms based on available information; communication circuitry operatively connected to the processing circuitry and configured to communicate with external devices (controller 148 communicates with external devices via CAN BUS 122); a plurality of power output terminals, each configured to distribute AC electrical power to a branch circuit or appliance; a corresponding plurality of electrical paths, each associated with a different branch circuit or appliance (the figures show providing power to a plurality of branches and providing power to a plurality of devices), each electrical path including: a relay controlled by the processing circuitry and configured to permit or inhibit power flow to the branch circuit or appliance from either of said primary or secondary AC electrical power sources (relays 144-146 is controlled by controller 148); an electrical current sensor configured to measure AC electrical current consumed by the branch circuit or appliances, and to provide the measurement as part of the information available to the processing circuitry (load sensors 160-162); and a circuit breaker compliant with the National Electrical Code for overcurrent protection of the branch circuit or appliance, and configured such that all AC electrical power distributed to the branch circuit or appliance flows through this circuit breaker, whether the power originates from the primary or secondary source of AC electrical power (paragraph 0095 discloses circuit breakers and whichever AC is selected flows through the AC breakers, figure 2).
Consadori; however, does not expressly disclose that the AC from the primary and secondary AC sources are of split-phase AC electric power.
Haines discloses a split-phase power grid system, figure 3 and paragraph 0050.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have included the split-phase system of Haines in the system of Consadori, for the purpose of employing a system that is common in households and that saves material, for example.
With respect to claims 2, 13, Consadori in view of Haines disclose the energy management device of one of the claims wherein the secondary source of AC electrical power is of lower total power capacity than the primary source of AC electrical power and wherein an energy management algorithm causes the processor to control the relays such that AC power from the secondary AC electrical power source flow to only a subset of the branch circuits or appliances, the total power consumption of which does not exceed the lower power capacity. Consadori and Haines discloses providing power from batteries, for example, and providing power to priority loads.
With respect to claims 3-4, 14-15, Consadori in view of Haines disclose the energy management device of one of the claims, wherein the subset of branch circuits or appliances is selected based on the available information; wherein the available information includes one or more of: current measurements provided by the electrical current sensors; priorities for the branch circuits or appliances to receive power provided by a user via an external device; parameters relating to the status of the primary AC electrical power source; parameters relating to the status of the secondary AC electrical power source; characteristics of the branch circuits or appliances; and weather information received from an external device. Consadori and Haines disclose that based on sensing parameters of the sensors, priority loads are selected to receive power.
With respect to claim 5, 16, Consadori in view of Haines disclose the energy management device of one of the claims wherein the primary AC electrical power is an electrical utility grid and the parameters relating to the status of the primary AC electrical power source include one or more of: a current tariff rate for consuming energy from the electrical utility grid; tariff rates for consuming energy from the electrical utility at certain times; and measured voltage or frequency of the electrical utility grid or stability thereof. Haines discloses sensing parameters of the utility grid and also controlling load switches based on rate of power, paragraph 0058.
With respect to claims 6, 17, Consadori in view of Haines disclose the energy management device of one of the claims wherein the secondary AC electrical power source is a solar energy system comprising photovoltaic panels, a storage battery, and a DC to AC inverter, and wherein the parameters relating to the status of the secondary AC electrical power source include one or more of: total AC power or current capacity of the DC to AC inverter; measured voltage or frequency of the DC to AC inverter or stability thereof; charge state of the storage battery; and measured power received from photovoltaic panels. Haines discloses receiving power from solar panels and storage battery and an inverter and grid sensor and controller and grid sensor for monitoring the AC power produced by the inverter, figure 6.
With respect to claims 7, 18, Consadori in view of Haines disclose the energy management device of one of the claims in which one of the energy management algorithms is configured to seek to minimize the cost of electrical power to the user by causing the processing circuitry to control the relays to direct power from the secondary AC electrical power source to selected ones of the branch circuits or appliances when the cost of power consumption from the primary AC electrical power source exceeds a threshold. Haines discloses in paragraph 0058 controlling the power to the loads based on the rate of power.
With respect to claims 8, 19, Consadori in view of Haines disclose the energy management device of one of the claims wherein an external device is a user terminal, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to communicate with the user terminal via the communication circuitry. Consadori and Haines disclose providing a user interface to communicate with a user.
With respect to claim 9, Consadori in view of Haines disclose the energy management device of claim 8 wherein the communication with a user terminal is wireless. Consadori and Haines discloses using wireless communication to communicate.
With respect to claims 10, 20, Consadori in view of Haines disclose the energy management device of one of the claims wherein the processor is configured to communicate, via the communication circuitry, with an internet server that monitors operation of the energy management device, and to output alerts for the need of maintenance. Haines discloses a usage broadcaster and communication module 412 for communication to remotely-located devices to provide information regarding the system, figure 8 and paragraphs 0059.
With respect to claim 11, Consadori disclose a smart electrical panel for use in an electrical installation having access to a primary source of AC electrical power and a secondary source of AC electrical power and configured to distribute AC power to a plurality of branch circuits or appliances (figure 2 discloses panel 142 for controlling distribution of a first and second AC power to appliances), comprising: power input terminals configured to receive AC electrical power from the primary and secondary sources of AC electrical power (terminals 222, 224); a plurality of power output terminals, each configured to distribute AC electrical power to a branch circuit or appliance (the figures show providing power a plurality of branches for providing power to a plurality of devices); one or more neutral busses configured to terminate neutral conductors from the branch circuits or appliances (neutrals busses 284, figure 3); one or more ground busses configured to terminate grounding conductors from the branch circuits or appliances (figures 1 and 2 discloses an electrical panel that must necessary have a ground for the circuit to work); a multiconductor power distribution buss configured to distribute the AC power from the power input terminals; a plurality of breaker slots, each housing a relay (relays 144-146), a current sensor (load sensors 160-162), and a breaker stab operatively connected together (the figures show providing power to a plurality of branches and providing power to a plurality of devices), wherein the relay is connected to the multiconductor power distribution buss and configured to enable or inhibit power flow from one leg of the primary split-phase AC electrical power source or the corresponding leg of the secondary AC electrical power source to the associated branch circuit or appliance (relay 144 is controlled by controller 148), whereby the selected AC electrical power flows through the same associated circuit breaker whichever source is selected (paragraph 0095 discloses circuit breakers and whichever AC is selected flows through the AC breakers, figure 2); and processing circuitry configured to execute energy management algorithms based on available information, and to control the relays to dynamically determine which of the branch circuits or appliances receive power from the primary AC electrical power source and which of the branch circuits or appliances receive power from the secondary AC electrical power source (paragraph 0095 discloses that based on the available power, provide power on a priority basis), the processing circuitry comprising a communication interface configured to communicate with external devices to receive the available information (controller 148 communicates with external devices via CAN BUS 122).
Consadori; however, does not expressly disclose that the AC from the primary and secondary AC sources are of split-phase AC electric power.
Haines discloses a split-phase power grid system, figure 3 and paragraph 0050.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have included the split-phase system of Haines in the system of Consadori, for the purpose of employing a system that is common in households and that saves material, for example.
With respect to claim 12, Consadori in view of Haines disclose the smart electrical panel of claim 11, wherein each breaker stab is configured to accept a circuit breaker providing overcurrent protection for one branch circuit or appliance, each circuit breaker being one or a combination of: a standard circuit breaker, a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt circuit breaker, and an Arc Fault Circuit Interrupt circuit breaker. Consadori and Haines disclose a standard circuit panel that receives standard circuit breakers.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CARLOS AMAYA whose telephone number is (571)272-8941. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:00AM-4:00PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Rexford Barnie can be reached at (571) 272-7492. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/CARLOS AMAYA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836