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 .
Response to Amendment
The previous made objections to the Drawings are withdrawn in view of the 6/9/2026 amendments to the Drawings.
The previous made 112 rejections are withdrawn in view of the amendments.
The previous made 102 rejections are withdrawn in view of the amendments. Of particular note is the amendment changing the claim term “switching power supply” which is not a particular type of power supply to said “switched power supply” also known as the “switched mode power supply” which is a known and particular type of power supply in the art.
Drawings
The Drawings submitted 6/9/2026 attempt to enter new matter that was not previously disclosed. Particularly changing said power supply circuited to “switched power” supply types whereas nominally named “switching power supply”.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claims 1-4, 12-15 and 21-22 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.
Although enabling for “switching power supply” which is not a particular or specific type of power supply, the specification is not enabling for “switched power supply”, also known as “switched mode power supply” which is known and specific type of converter in the art. Nowhere in the originally filed disclosure provide support for the claim amendments of “switched power supply” also noting the Drawings attempt to redefine and introduce the new limitation as well, changing the generically recited “switching power supply” to the specific converter type “switched power”.
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 –
Claim(s) 1, 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Markowski et al. US 2014/0028101.
Markowski teaches:
1. An energy storage converter, comprising: a direct current (DC) switched power supply circuit (aka “switched mode power supply”) (108, FIG1 and Spec @ [0038]) coupled to a DC side port (114) of the energy storage converter and configured to provide a first power supply using DC power from the DC side port;
an alternating current (AC) switched power supply circuit (SMPS 106, FIG1) coupled to an AC side port (112) of the energy storage converter and configured to provide a second power supply using AC power from the AC side port;
a power supply circuit (power bus within 100 connected between said load (102) and the subconverters 106, 108, see FIG1) coupled to the DC switched power supply circuit and the AC switched power supply circuit, the power supply circuit being configured to supply power (only requires the ability to do so) to electronic units (via said power bus configured to supply power to any loads connected to said bus including but not limited to “electronic units” (noting “electronic units” do not refer to any particular or known loads in the art) in the energy storage converter using the first power supply or the second power supply (ie whether said loads connected to the bus are AC or DC power will be provided via sources 106 or 108); and
a control circuit (not shown, spec @ [0027]) coupled to the DC switched power supply circuit and the AC switched power supply circuit, the control circuit being configured to, based on an operation state (ie time and/or the given control input, see [0028]) of the energy storage converter, control the DC switched power supply circuit or the AC switched power supply circuit to provide the power supply circuit with power supply.
12. An energy storage system, comprising:
at least one energy storage unit (source connected at input of 114, spec @ [0025]) ; and
the energy storage converter according to the energy storage converter according to wherein a DC side of the energy storage converter is coupled to the energy storage unit.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4, 13-15, and 21-22 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims and by overcoming the 112, 1st paragraph rejection above.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL CAVALLARI whose telephone number is (571)272-8541. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 0900-18:30.
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/DANIEL CAVALLARI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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