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 § 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.
Claim 1-4 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.
Referring to claim 1, for example claim 1, line 7-8 recites the limitation “the direct current-to-direct current circuit unit”, however lines 1-7 recites the limitations of plural systems each including a direct current-to-direct current circuit unit. Therefore the recitation of “the direct current-to-direct current circuit unit” in the same or subsequent claim is unclear because it is uncertain which of the units was intended (MPEP 2173.05(e)). For purposes of examination, it will be assumed to be any of these.
Referring to claim 1, for example claim 1, line 8 recites the limitation “the duty cycle”, however lines 1-7 recites the limitations of plural systems each including a duty cycle. Therefore the recitation of “the duty cycle” in the same or subsequent claim is unclear because it is uncertain which of the duty cycles was intended (MPEP 2173.05(e)). For purposes of examination, it will be assumed to be any of these.
Referring to claim 1, for example claim 1, line 9 recites the limitation “the solar panel”, however lines 1-7 recites the limitations of plural systems each including a solar panel. Therefore the recitation of “the solar panel” in the same or subsequent claim is unclear because it is uncertain which of the solar panels was intended (MPEP 2173.05(e)). For purposes of examination, it will be assumed to be any of these.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Pub. No. 2022/0231511 to Shi.
1. A solar power generation system including a plurality of power generation systems connected in parallel, the power generation systems each including a solar panel and a direct current-to-direct current circuit unit configured to control an operating point of power generation of the solar panel according to a duty cycle of a drive signal of a direct current-to-direct current converter, the solar power generation system comprising (Abstract, claims 1-18, Fig. 1, paragraphs 55-79):
a first control unit configured to perform maximum power point tracking control for a host power generation system that is one of the power generation systems, and drive the direct current-to-direct current circuit unit at the duty cycle corresponding to a maximum power point of the solar panel (Figs. 1-5, 10-12, paragraphs 80-137, 165-227; claims 1-18; paragraph 72, “master control is performed on the n DC/DC converter circuits in the N DC/DC converter circuits located at the previous stage of the DC/AC inverter circuit, that is, MPPT control is performed, so that the n DC/DC converter circuits operate in an MPPT mode; and slave control is performed on the (N−n) DC/DC converter circuits, that is, CPG control is performed, so that the (N−n) DC/DC converter circuits operate in a CPG mode. In this embodiment of this application, master-slave control is implemented on the N DC/DC converter circuits located at the previous stage of the DC/AC inverter circuit, to reduce impact of illumination intensity and ambient temperature on an active-power reserve of the photovoltaic string inverter, implement a fast and accurate power reserve or limit of the photovoltaic string inverter with any illumination intensity and ambient temperature, and eliminate fluctuation of a direct current bus voltage and alternating current output power that are of the photovoltaic string inverter in a control process.”); and
a second control unit configured to, for each of slave power generation systems other than the host power generation system among the power generation systems, derive a variation ratio of an input voltage or an output voltage of the direct current-to-direct current circuit unit before and after the maximum power point tracking control is performed by the first control unit, and correct the duty cycle of the direct current-to-direct current circuit unit based on the variation ratio (Figs. 1-5, 10-12, paragraphs 80-137, 165-227; claims 1-18; paragraph 72, “master control is performed on the n DC/DC converter circuits in the N DC/DC converter circuits located at the previous stage of the DC/AC inverter circuit, that is, MPPT control is performed, so that the n DC/DC converter circuits operate in an MPPT mode; and slave control is performed on the (N−n) DC/DC converter circuits, that is, CPG control is performed, so that the (N−n) DC/DC converter circuits operate in a CPG mode. In this embodiment of this application, master-slave control is implemented on the N DC/DC converter circuits located at the previous stage of the DC/AC inverter circuit, to reduce impact of illumination intensity and ambient temperature on an active-power reserve of the photovoltaic string inverter, implement a fast and accurate power reserve or limit of the photovoltaic string inverter with any illumination intensity and ambient temperature, and eliminate fluctuation of a direct current bus voltage and alternating current output power that are of the photovoltaic string inverter in a control process.”; Additionally, claim scope is not limited by claim language that suggests or makes optional but does not require steps to be performed (MPEP 2111.04). The claimed condition of “or…”, and any limitation based thereon, is made optional by the terminology used in the claim).
2. The solar power generation system according to claim 1, wherein the first control unit is configured to perform the maximum power point tracking control while sequentially switching each of the power generation systems to the host power generation system (paragraphs 8, 17-26, 59-73; Figs. 1-5, 10-12, paragraphs 80-137, 165-227).
3. The solar power generation system according to claim 1, wherein the second control unit is configured to, when the variation ratio is a variation proportion of the input voltage after the maximum power point tracking control is performed to the input voltage before the maximum power point tracking control is performed, perform correction by multiplying the duty cycle by the variation proportion (Figs. 1-5, 10-12, paragraphs 80-137, 165-227; additionally, claim scope is not limited by claim language that suggests or makes optional but does not require steps to be performed (MPEP 2111.04). The claimed condition of “or…”, “when…” and any limitation based thereon, is made optional by the terminology used in the claim).
4. The solar power generation system according to claim 1, wherein the second control unit is configured to, when the variation ratio is a variation proportion of the output voltage after the maximum power point tracking control is performed to the output voltage before the maximum power point tracking control is performed, perform correction by dividing the duty cycle by the variation proportion (Figs. 1-5, 10-12, paragraphs 80-137, 165-227; additionally, claim scope is not limited by claim language that suggests or makes optional but does not require steps to be performed (MPEP 2111.04). The claimed condition of “or…”, “when…” and any limitation based thereon, is made optional by the terminology used in the claim).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEAN P SHECHTMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-3754. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30am-6:00pm, M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, William Kraig can be reached at 571-272-8660. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Sean Shechtman/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896
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