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 .
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)(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.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being participated by Kang et al. (US 2017/0117746).
Regarding claim 1, Kang teaches an auxiliary-power-supply unit (see figs. 1, 5, 6C), comprising: a connector (300, 810; 811, 851, 850); and a controller (see fig. 5@ 870) configured to power, via the connector, a microgrid having outlets (outlets) each configured to provide power from a grid to a load (see figure 6C and par. [0101]) in response to determining that, the connector (300, 810; 811, 851, 850) is plugged into an outlet of the outlets (outlets) of the microgrid, and the microgrid is uncoupled from the grid (par. [0064-0070]).
Regarding claim 2, Kang teaches in (see fig. 1) wherein the connector has at least two prongs (see plugs, shown in fig. 1).
Regarding claim 3, Kang teaches wherein the controller is further configured to power the microgrid in response to determining that the connector is plugged into an outlet of the microgrid, the microgrid is uncoupled from the grid; and power from the grid is unavailable to power the microgrid (see par. [0064-0070] and [0076]).
Regarding claim 4, Kang teaches an inverter; and wherein the controller is configured to power the microgrid by causing the inverter to generate an auxiliary power signal from a battery voltage, and by coupling the auxiliary-power signal to the connector (see par. [0036, 0046]). Note that power from the solar panel or battery can be converted into ac and used to power the load coupled to connector (851).
Regarding claim 5, Kang teaches wherein the controller is configured to determine that the connector is plugged into the outlet (851) in response to detecting a signal generated by a microgrid interface disposed in another outlet (850) of the microgrid (see par. [0064-0070] and 0076]). Note that the controller determines the status of the grid and then makes a decision to power load(s) based on availability of the grid.
Regarding claim 6, Kang teaches wherein the controller is configured to determine that the connector is plugged into the outlet (851) in response to detecting a signal generated by a microgrid interface disposed in another outlet (850) of the microgrid (see par. [0064-0070] and [0076]). Note that the controller determines the status of the grid and then makes a decision to power load(s) based on availability of the grid.
Regarding claim 7, Kang teaches wherein the controller is configured to determine that the microgrid is uncoupled from the grid in response to detecting that a breaker (fig. 4@835) that couples the microgrid to the grid is open (see par. [0074-0076]).
Regarding claim 8, Kang teaches an auxiliary power supply, comprising: a connector(300, 810; 811, 851, 850); a battery (1000); and a controller (870) configured to power a microgrid from the battery in response to determining that the connector is plugged into an outlet of the microgrid, and the microgrid is uncoupled from a grid (par. [0064-0070] and [0076]).
Regarding claim 9, Kang teaches wherein the controller is further configured to charge the battery from the microgrid in response to determining that the grid is powering the microgrid (see par. [0082]).
Regarding claim 10, Kang teaches a subgrid assembly (see figs. 1, 4 and 5), comprising: a microgrid (outlets) having an outlet (350, 851, 850); a breaker (fig. 4@ 835) configured to couple the microgrid to a grid while closed, and to uncouple the microgrid from the grid while open (par. [0074-0076]); and an auxiliary power supply (see figs. 1, 4 and 5) including a connector (300, 810; 811, 851, 850) and a battery (1000) and configured to provide auxiliary power from the battery to the microgrid in response to determining that the connector is plugged into the outlet (350, 851, 850) of the microgrid, the breaker (835) is open, and power from the grid to the breaker is interrupted (par. [0064-0070] and [0074-0076]).
Conclusion
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/XUAN LY/Examiner, Art Unit 2836
/REXFORD N BARNIE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2836