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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This office action is a response to an application filed on 01/06/2025 in which claims 7-26 are pending and ready for examination.
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) 7, 10-11, 13, 16-17, 19-24 and 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Narla et al (hereinafter Narla) (US 2018/0054064 A1).
As to claims 7 and 13, Narla discloses an energy control system (see Fig 3), comprising:
a grid interconnection electrically coupled to a utility grid (Fig 3, 306);
a backup power interconnection electrically coupled to backup power source (Fig 3, 314, 302);
a backup load interconnection electrically coupled to at least one backup load (Fig 3, 336);
a microgrid interconnection device (Fig 328) electrically coupled to the grid
interconnection, the backup power interconnection, and the backup load
interconnection; and
a controller (Fig 3, 340) in communication with the microgrid interconnection device, wherein the controller is configured to:
monitor energy stored in the backup power source (see parag [0025]);
cause storage of energy from the utility grid or solar (Fig 3, 302) according to a backup reserve value that is an amount of energy stored to maintain operations of the energy control system (see parags [0031-0033]); and
in response to detecting a grid outage, control power distribution to at least some backup loads during the grid outage to prolong the backup reserve value (see parags [0030], [0035]).
As to claims 10 and 16, Narla discloses the energy control system of claim 7, wherein the microgrid interconnection device is configured to switch between:
an on-grid mode electrically connecting the grid interconnection and the backup power interconnection to the backup load interconnection, and a backup mode electrically disconnecting the grid interconnection from the backup power interconnection (see parag [0030]).
As to claims 11 and 17, Narla discloses the energy control system of claim 10, wherein in response to detecting the grid outage, the controller is configured to switch the microgrid interconnection device from the on-grid mode to the backup mode (see
parags [0030-0032]).
As to claim 19, Narla discloses an energy control system (see Fig 3) comprising:
a grid interconnection coupled to a utility grid (Fig 3, 306);
a backup power interconnection coupled to at least one backup power source (Fig 3, 314);
a backup load interconnection coupled to at least one backup load (Fig 3, 336);
a non-backup load interconnection coupled to at least one non-backup load (Fig 3, 338); and
a microgrid interconnection device (Fig 3, 328) electrically coupled to the grid interconnection, the backup power interconnection, and the backup load interconnection; and
a controller (Fig 3, 340) in communication with the microgrid interconnection device, wherein the controller is configured to:
detect a power outage (see parag [0038]); and
in response to detecting the power outage, instruct the microgrid interconnection device to switch between:
(1) an on-grid mode that causes the grid interconnection to provide power to the at least one non-backup load by using the utility grid and causes the backup power interconnection to provide power to the at least one backup load by using a backup power source of the at least one backup power source (see parags [0031-0033]), and
(2) a backup mode that causes disconnecting of the grid interconnection and causes
the backup power interconnection to provide power to the at least one backup load by using the backup power source (see parags [0030], [0035]).
As to claim 20, Narla discloses the energy control system of claim 19, wherein the microgrid interconnection device is further configured to, in response to backup power exceeding power used by the at least one backup load, provide power to charge
a battery (see parag [0025]).
As to claim 21, Narla discloses the energy control system of claim 19, wherein the microgrid interconnection device is further configured to send a command to adjust power from a solar power inverter (see Fig 3, PV inverter, parags [0050], [0063]).
As to claim 22, Narla discloses the energy control system of claim 21, wherein the microgrid interconnection device is further configured to send the command to indicate to the solar power inverter to reduce power provided from the solar power inverter (see parags [0049], [0061]).
As to claim 23, Narla discloses the energy control system of claim 22, wherein the microgrid interconnection device is further configured to, in response to sending the command, cause the solar power inverter to curtail power (implicit, see parags [0049], [0061]).
As to claim 24, Narla discloses the energy control system of claim 19, wherein the microgrid interconnection device is further configured to control a relay to isolate the backup power interconnection from the grid interconnection (see parag [0026]).
As to claim 26, Narla discloses the energy control system of claim 19, wherein the backup power source comprises a photovoltaic (PV) power generation system, and the backup power interconnection is configured to receive electrical energy generated by a PV power generation system (see Fig 3, 302).
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) 8 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Narla et al (hereinafter Narla) (US 2018/0054064 A1).
As to claims 8 and 14, Narla does not disclose the energy control system of claim 7, wherein the backup reserve value is between 0% and 100% of power received by the energy control system. However, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of Narla to have the backup reserve value is between 0% and 100% in order to effectively control the power provided to the load, since this is just designed choice and involves only routine skills in the art.
Claim(s) 9, 12, 15, 18 and 25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Narla et al (hereinafter Narla) (US 2018/0054064 A1) in view of EP 3454533 A1 (hereinafter EP533).
As to claims 9 and 15, Narla does not disclose the energy control system of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to provide an indication of providing power, wherein the indication includes a light emitting diode (LED).
However, EP533 discloses wherein the controller is further configured to provide an indication of providing power (see Fig 5, 35, display), wherein the indication includes a light emitting diode (LED). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of Narla to include the display as taught by EP533 in order to monitor the power provided to the load.
As to claims 12 and 18, the combination of Narla and EP533 discloses the energy control system of claim 10, wherein the controller is in communication with a user device (EP533, see parag [0105]), and upon receiving an input from the user device, the controller is configured to switch the on-grid mode to the backup mode.
As to claim 25, the combination of Narla and EP533 discloses the energy control system of claim 19, wherein the microgrid interconnection device is further configured to cause display (EP533, Fig 5, 35) of information including performance of the energy control system.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 2017/0331293 A1; US 2018/0131226 A1.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DUC M PHAM whose telephone number is (571)272-5026. The examiner can normally be reached 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Monday to Friday.
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/DUC M PHAM/Examiner, Art Unit 2836 January 9, 2026
/DANIEL CAVALLARI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836