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 .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because Figs. 2A-2D, 3A-3B, 5A-5B, 6C, 7-10, 13A-17B, 19-20, 21D-21H, and 26 are unclear due to shading and unclear font. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claim 6 is objected to because of the following informalities: the phrase for acronym “GUI” needs to be recited. 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)(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.
Claims 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by FR 2995034 A1 to Brovero.
Regarding claim 10, Brovero discloses a method comprising:
moving by a particular pod (Fig. 7: 12) of a pod array in response to an incoming wave (wave moves middle pod upwards);
responsive to movement by the particular pod, elastically deforming by a particular truss (30) of a truss structure (16) coupled to the particular pod (12), the truss structure coupled (by 26 and 28) to the pod array, wherein elastic deformation of the particular truss causes compression or expansion of a generator (Fig. 12: 45) coupled to the particular truss; and
generating energy (from generator 45) based on the compression or expansion of the generator.
Regarding claim 11, Brovero discloses moving by the particular pod of the pod array in response to a second incoming wave, the second incoming wave having a second direction different from a first direction of the incoming wave; responsive to movement by the particular pod, elastically deforming by the particular truss of the truss structure a second time, wherein the second elastic deformation of the particular truss causes second compression or expansion of the generator coupled to the particular truss; and generating second energy based on the second compression or expansion of the generator (Fig. 7 as waves move across floats 12).
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.
Claims 1-5, 7-9, and 12-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over FR 2995034 A1 to Brovero in view of US 20110308244 A1 to Findlay.
Regarding claim 1, Brovero discloses a system comprising:
a pod array including a plurality of pods (Fig. 7: 12); and
a truss structure (16) coupled (by 26 and 28) to the pod array, the truss structure including one or more trusses (30), wherein at least one truss of the one or more trusses includes a generator (Fig. 12: 45) configured to generate energy, wherein:
the pods include buoyant material and are configured to float and move with incoming waves (Fig. 7: wave moves middle pod upwards),
the pods are flexibly coupled (by 26 and 28 and truss 30) to one another and configured to move relative to one another from incoming waves, and
movement of the pods causes movement of the at least one truss of the one or more trusses and the generator thereof and generation of electricity (from generator 45).
However, it fails to disclose suspend the truss structure in water.
Findlay teaches suspend the truss structure (Fig. 7: 73) in water (under water line).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the control as disclosed by Findlay to the system disclosed by Brovero.
One would have been motivated to do so to enhance generator performance or to protect the system. Refer to Findlay, [0090].
Regarding claim 2, Brovero discloses a pod and truss interconnection system configured to couple the one or more trusses of the truss structure to one or more pods of the pod array, wherein the pod and truss interconnection system includes one or more flexible connections (Figs. 10-11: 26-28).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Brovero and Findlay discloses a mooring system including one or more mooring lines (Fig. 7: anchor lines), one or more floats (72), and one or more weights or anchors (71) and coupled to the pod array, the truss structure or both (73), the mooring system configured to secure the energy generation system within an operational area with flexible boundary conditions (sea).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Brovero and Findlay discloses a depth control system configured to adjust a submergence depth of one or more pods of the pod array [0162].
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Brovero and Findlay discloses a control system configured to control one or more operating parameters of the energy generation system [0022].
Regarding claim 7, Brovero discloses an energy conversion system configured to convert electricity received from the generator to another form of electricity or to adjust a parameter of the received electricity; an energy transmission system configured to transmit the received electricity or stored electricity; and an energy storage system configured to store energy based on the electricity generated from the generator (page 10, lines 1-5).
Regarding claim 8, Brovero discloses the one or more trusses comprise a plurality of trusses and the plurality of trusses are arranged in a series of repeating geometric shapes, wherein the plurality of trusses has multiple sets of trusses where each set of trusses forms one instance of a geometric shape of the repeating geometric shapes, and wherein at least one truss of each of the multiple sets of trusses includes or is associated with a generator (Figs. 18-22).
Regarding claim 9, Brovero discloses the geometric shape includes a triangle, a rectangle, a square, a pentagon, a hexagon, or an octagon (Figs. 18-22).
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Brovero and Findlay discloses adjusting, by a control system, a submergence depth of one or more pods of the pod array [0162].
Regarding claim 13, the combination of Brovero and Findlay discloses adjusting, by a control system, one or more parameters of the generator, the one or more parameters includes a stiffness parameter, a damping parameter, or both [0133].
Regarding claim 14, the combination of Brovero and Findlay discloses obtaining, by a control system, wave profile data; and determining, by the control system, to adjust a submergence depth or generator parameters based on the wave profile data [0180].
Regarding claim 15, the combination of Brovero and Findlay discloses a system comprising:
the energy generation system of claim 1 (see claim 1 above);
a second energy generation system comprising a second pod array including a second plurality of pods and comprising a second truss structure coupled to the second pod array, the second truss structure including a plurality of second trusses, wherein at least one truss of the plurality of second trusses is coupled to a second generator configured to generate second energy (Brovero, Fig. 18: each shape is a generation system); and
a control system coupled to the energy generation system and the second energy generation system and configured to control energy generation operations of the energy generation system and the second energy generation system (Findlay, [0156]).
Regarding claim 16, Brovero discloses a pod and truss interconnection system configured to couple the one or more trusses of the truss structure to one or more pods of the pod array, wherein the pod and truss interconnection system includes one or more flexible connections (Figs. 10-11: 26-28).
Regarding claim 17, the combination of Brovero and Findlay discloses a mooring system including one or more mooring lines (Fig. 7: anchor lines), one or more floats (72), and one or more weights or anchors (71) and coupled to the energy generation system and the second energy generation system (73), the mooring system configured to secure the energy generation system and the second energy generation system within an operational area with flexible boundary conditions (sea).
Regarding claim 18, the combination of Brovero and Findlay discloses a depth control system configured to adjust a submergence depth of one or more pods of the pod array and one or more second pods of the second pod array [0162].
Regarding claim 19, Brovero discloses the plurality of second trusses are arranged in a series of repeating geometric shapes, wherein the plurality of second trusses has multiple sets of second trusses where each set of second trusses forms one instance of a geometric shape of the repeating geometric shapes, and wherein at least one truss of each of the multiple sets of second trusses includes or is associated with a generator (Figs. 18-22).
Regarding claim 20, Brovero discloses the geometric shape includes a triangle, a rectangle, a square, a pentagon, a hexagon, or an octagon (Figs. 18-22).
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over FR 2995034 A1 to Brovero in view of US 20110308244 A1 to Findlay as applied to claim 1 above and further in view of US 20160041019 A1 to Hannon.
Regarding claim 6, Brovero and Findlay discloses a system as described above.
However, it fails to disclose the limitations of claim 6.
Hannon teaches a display interface (Fig. 11: 1102) configured to output a GUI for control of the energy generation system; and a communication interface (1124) configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more devices of the energy generation system, one or more external devices, or both.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the teaching of the interfaces as disclosed by Hannon to the system disclosed by Brovero and Findlay.
One would have been motivated to do so to improve control of the power generation system.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VIET P NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-9457. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 12-8.
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/VIET P NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834