Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/974,904

INVERTER, GRID-CONNECTED CONTROL METHOD, PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM, APPARATUS AND MEDIUM

Non-Final OA §102§112
Filed
Dec 10, 2024
Examiner
CAVALLARI, DANIEL
Art Unit
2836
Tech Center
2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
Assignee
Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
78%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 10m
To Grant
92%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 78% — above average
78%
Career Allow Rate
643 granted / 824 resolved
+10.0% vs TC avg
Moderate +14% lift
Without
With
+14.1%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 10m
Avg Prosecution
39 currently pending
Career history
863
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
1.0%
-39.0% vs TC avg
§103
36.9%
-3.1% vs TC avg
§102
23.5%
-16.5% vs TC avg
§112
34.7%
-5.3% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 824 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §112
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 . Election/Restrictions Claims 10-18 and 20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected claims, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 12/5/2025. Applicant’s traversal that “all claims are made under a single general inventive concept” is not persuasive as “single general inventive concept” is not basis for which restriction is made as set forth in detail in the 10/9/2025 Restriction requirement. It appears Applicant is referring to 371 PCT practice of Unity of Invention, “inventive concept” however this is not a 371 application. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 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. Claims 1-9 and 19 are 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. Regarding claims 1, 2, 4, and 9 The claim limitation “in a case that” is not standard US claim terminology nor is it clear what “in a case that” is intended to mean. It is unclear whether the term is intended to be a positive recitation and required or whether said term is intended as an optional limitation. Claim 9 uses the term “in a case that” as an “if” claim statement reciting various possible embodiments of the filter circuit. As such, the claim term “in a case that” will be examined as best understood as “if” and therefore an optional claim limitation. 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. Claim(s) 1-9 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang et al. CN 115513994A. Wang teaches: 1. An inverter, comprising: a power conversion circuit (see inverter bridge of FIGURE 1); and a controller (read on by “control unit” (not shown) see corresponding Specification, exert provided below); “the control unit is used for controlling the working mode of the inverter; when the leakage current of the inverter is higher than the first threshold value, the control unit controls the inverter to work in the first working mode, when the leakage current is lower than the first threshold value, the control unit controls the inverter to work in the second working mode” wherein the controller is configured to, if the inverter operates in a standby state, control the inverter to operate in an off-grid state when a direct-current voltage of the inverter is greater than a voltage threshold, and adjust an off-grid operation parameter of the power conversion circuit in the inverter or an operation parameter of a temperature regulation system in an inverter cabinet; (note case in which the inverter is NOT operated in a standby state taught) and the controller is configured to, when the inverter meets at least one predetermined condition, control the inverter to operate in a grid-connected state; wherein the predetermined condition comprises: the direct-current voltage, an alternative-current voltage, an alternative-current current, a direct-current current (read on by said leakage via said leakage unit detection unit and subsequent control via said control unit to operate the inverter in the grid-connected mode of mode 1 or mode 2, see Claim 10), a direct-current side power or an alternative-current side power of the inverter being greater than a corresponding threshold (see Claim 10, read on by first working mode (mode 1) “ when the leakage current of the inverter is higher than the first threshold value, the control unit controls the inverter to work in the first working mode”). 2. The inverter according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to, if the inverter operates in the off-grid state, control the inverter to operate in the grid-connected state when the direct-current voltage of the inverter is greater than the voltage threshold and the direct-current side power of the inverter is greater than a power threshold (read on by when inverter NOT working in said above state). 3. The inverter according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to, if the inverter operates in the off-grid state, control the inverter to operate in the grid-connected state when the direct-current voltage of the inverter is greater than the voltage threshold and the direct-current side power of the inverter is greater than the power threshold for more than a time threshold. (read on by when inverter NOT working in said above state) 4. The inverter according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to, if the inverter operates in the grid-connected state, control the inverter to operate in the standby state when the direct-current side power, the alternative-current side power, the direct-current voltage, the direct-current current or the alternative-current current of the inverter is less than a corresponding threshold for more than a time threshold (read on by when inverter NOT working in said above state). 5. The inverter according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the off-grid operation parameter of the power conversion circuit in the inverter by increasing a direct-current voltage of the power conversion circuit (read on by when inverter NOT working in said above state of Claim 1 therefore not comprising the off-grid operation parameter). 6. The inverter according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the off-grid operation parameter of the power conversion circuit in the inverter by increasing an amplitude of an alternative-current voltage of the power conversion circuit (read on by when inverter NOT working in said above state of Claim 1 therefore not comprising the off-grid operation parameter). 7. The inverter according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the off-grid operation parameter of the power conversion circuit in the inverter by increasing a frequency of a switching transistor of the power conversion circuit (read on by when inverter NOT working in said above state of Claim 1 therefore not comprising the off-grid operation parameter). 8. The inverter according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the off-grid operation parameter of the power conversion circuit in the inverter by increasing an operation power of the temperature regulation system in the inverter cabinet (read on by when inverter NOT working in said above state of Claim 1 therefore not comprising the off-grid operation parameter). 9. The inverter according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to: adjust the off-grid operation parameter of the power conversion circuit in the inverter by adjusting a frequency of an alternative-current voltage of the power conversion circuit if the inverter comprises a filter circuit (read on by the case where it does NOT comprise a filter circuit); wherein the controller is further configured to: if the filter circuit of the inverter is an L-type filter circuit, reduce the frequency of the alternative-current voltage of the power conversion circuit; if the filter circuit of the inverter is an LC-type filter circuit, adjust the frequency of the alternative-current voltage of the power conversion circuit to reduce a difference between the frequency of the alternative-current voltage of the power conversion circuit and a resonant frequency of the LC-type filter circuit; and if the filter circuit of the inverter is a C-type filter circuit, increase the frequency of the alternative-current voltage of the power conversion circuit. (read on by the cases wherein there is no filter circuit and therefore no filter circuit types). 19. A photovoltaic system, comprising: the inverter according to claim 1; wherein a direct-current side of the inverter is connected to a photovoltaic array, and an alternative-current side of the inverter is connected to a power grid (ie see description of FIGURE 1 depicting a “photovoltaic grid-connected inverter topology circuit structure schematic diagram of the invention”. Conclusion 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. 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. /DANIEL CAVALLARI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Dec 10, 2024
Application Filed
Mar 03, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §102, §112 (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
78%
Grant Probability
92%
With Interview (+14.1%)
2y 10m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 824 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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