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 § 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) 1-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Arfin et al. (2010/0057582) and Ransom et al. (WO 2006/059195).
Regarding independent claim 1, Arfin teaches (Figs. 1 and 4) a method of accounting for electrical power contributions from a network of contributing facilities, said method comprising:
receiving information originating from a first plurality of monitoring stations (110) associated with a first plurality of facilities (Power Station, 100), wherein said first plurality of facilities is operable to generate (via 102) and consume (via “user electrical loads”) electricity, and wherein said information from said first plurality of monitoring stations comprises information about electricity generation by said first plurality of facilities using an onsite and local power generation capability of the first plurality of facilities, electricity flowing onto a power grid from said first plurality of facilities, electricity consumed by said first plurality of facilities, and electricity flowing into at least one of said first plurality of facilities ([0040], [0088]),
determining respective aggregate total power contributions of respective facilities of said first plurality of facilities based on said information originating from said first plurality of monitoring stations associated with said first plurality of facilities ([0102], [0113], [0133]); and
aggregating said respective total power contributions to a total aggregate contribution, wherein said total aggregate contribution represents energy generation capability of said plurality of facilities as a virtual generation entity ([0102], [0113], [0133]).
Arfin fails to explicitly teach verifying the information received from the first plurality of monitoring stations through authentication. Ransom teaches a similar power management system to that of Arfin. Ransom teaches a communication system that sends information between devices and verifies the source of the transmitted information through authentication ([0025], [0054], among others). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement Ransom’s method of communication (as described throughout [0025] and [0054]) into Arfin’s invention, since it allows for a more secure method of communication between elements. This motivation holds true for the rest of the claims below.
Regarding claim 2, the Arfin/Ransom combination teaches the respective aggregate total power contributions of said respective facilities are verified through cryptographic authentication of the information provided by each respective facility. ([0025], [0054], among others in Ransom)
Regarding claim 3, the Arfin/Ransom combination teaches the respective total power consumptions and respective total power contributions from said first plurality of facilities are passed through a communication network using a predetermined cryptographic system, operable to: transfer said information over said network; encrypt portions of said information; protect the confidentiality and integrity of said information; verify authenticity of said information; facilitate independent attestation of each facility's contribution; and attribute actual contribution of each specific facility of said plurality of facilities. ([0025], [0054], among others in Ransom)
Regarding claim 4, the Arfin/Ransom combination teaches a confirmation of receipt information, comprising said respective electricity generation, respective power consumptions and respective power contributions, to said first plurality of facilities is passed through a communication network using a predetermined cryptographically secured system, and is operable to transfer said information over said open network, sign portions of said information, facilitating authentication of receipt, and perform attestation of said information to each specific facility of said plurality of facilities. ([0025], [0054], among others in Ransom)
Regarding claim 5, the Arfin/Ransom combination teaches attesting to an authenticity of said information originating from said facility of said plurality of facilities. ([0025], [0054], among others in Ransom)
Regarding claim 6, Arfin teaches accounting for said collective generation as a virtual generation entity; charging for use of collectively generated power, and operable to enter into arrangements for supply and re-transmission of said energy generation capability. ([0102], [0113], [0114])
Regarding claim 7, Arfin teaches the virtual generation entity supplying power to a grid provider pursuant to entering into an agreement with a power grid provider based on said information, wherein said agreement prescribes a use of said collective power capability, a supply of power generation to consumers through said power grid, and consumption of power from said collective power capability via said power grid. ([0102], [0113], [0114])
Regarding claim 8, Arfin teaches accounting for said aggregate contribution onto said power grid and consumption via said power grid, by said first plurality of facilities using said information collected from said first plurality of monitoring stations, forming said virtual generation entity ([0102], [0113], [0114]), and
the Arfin/Ransom combination teaches the agreement also comprises a predetermined cryptographic system of authentication, encryption, keying information, digital signing, digital certificate, encryption and cryptographic algorithms to create, sign and verify said information ([0025], [0054], among others in Ransom).
Regarding claim 9, Arfin teaches the virtual generation entity determining a difference between said total aggregate contribution and said total aggregate consumption; and said virtual generation entity accounting for charging for use of electricity supplied onto said power-grid using said difference. ([0102], [0113], [0114])
Regarding claim 10, Arfin teaches the virtual generation entity accounting for disbursing compensation based on a respective contribution amount to individual contributing facilities within said first plurality of facilities according to a respective contribution of each facility ([0102], [0113], [0114]),
wherein the Arfin/Ransom combination teaches the respective contribution amount is authenticated through an examination of the information collected from said first plurality of monitoring stations, using cryptographic authentication to attest to its validity, and attribution to the originating facility, for which compensation is to be disbursed (as described above in Arfin and Ransom).
Regarding claim 11, the Arfin/Ransom combination teaches the information is signed with a cryptographic signature at a facility meter and wherein said information is selected from a group consisting of: an amount, time, identifying information, location of said facility, location within said facility, digital certificate, nonce, duration, direction of power flow, method of generation, and location of power contributions and consumption ([0088] of Arfin; [0025], [0054] of Ransom).
Regarding claim 12, the Arfin/Ransom combination teaches performing cryptographic processes securing said information, wherein said cryptographic processes authenticate said facility information, and verify facility identifying information, and attribute to a specific facility; and verifying signatures and extracting information related to electricity generation, contributions and consumptions. ([0025], [0054], among others of Ransom)
Regarding claim 13, the Arfin/Ransom combination teaches the secure authentication of said information involves analysis of said facility information, comparing against agreed keying information, encryption, certificates, digital signatures using algorithms of said predetermined authentication system, attesting to the validity of said contribution information, and attributing the information to a respective individual facility, using said predetermined secure authentication processes. ([0025], [0054], among others of Ransom)
Regarding claims 14 and 23, the Arfin/Ransom combination teaches the first plurality of facilities is provided an acknowledgement (in the form of monthly statements/billing), cryptographically based on information received, verifying and allowing independent confirmation that said information was received and processed by the first plurality of facilities, and said contribution and consumptions will be accounted for in said aggregate totals ([0054] of Ransom).
Regarding claim 15, Arfin teaches determining compensation for each of said first plurality of facilities based on said information, wherein said information is selected from the group consisting of: an amount of a respective facility electricity production, consumption, net contribution, a proportion of contribution relative to an aggregate sum of contribution made by each of said first plurality of facilities, a time of day, a duration of contribution and a method of power generation at each facility. ([0113], [0114])
Regarding claims 16-18, the Arfin/Ransom combination teaches the cryptographic processes are performed using cryptographic keys (or based on keying information) and/or digital signing processes and certificate information (or key distribution system) predetermined by said first plurality of facilities, power grid provider and virtual generating entity (based on the agreement/contract). ([0025], [0054], among others of Ransom)
Regarding claim 19, Ransom teaches the cryptographic processes are selected from the group consisting of public key, private key, shared secrets, key distribution system, digital signature system, digital certificate system, and asymmetric key cryptosystem. ([0025], [0054], among others of Ransom)
Regarding claim 20, the Arfin/Ransom combination teaches each of said first plurality of facilities comprises an electricity metering system (108, 110 of Arfin) and further comprising using said electricity metering system to securely embed cryptographic material within said information, wherein said cryptographic material comprises keys, certificates, cryptographic processes, challenge-response protocols, cryptographic signatures, signature distribution processes, and information signing processes. ([0025], [0054], among others of Ransom)
Regarding claim 21, the Arfin/Ransom combination teaches the electricity metering system securely incorporates said cryptographic material in a manner that confirms the use of approved metering equipment, confirms the authenticity of information created by said metering equipment, protects the confidentiality and integrity of said information, and enables the detection of the transmission of false metering information. ([0025], [0054], among others of Ransom)
Regarding claim 22, the Arfin/Ransom combination teaches the virtual power entity is operable to use a predetermined cryptographic authentication system to detect and identify false metering information, report information tampering, and ignore accounting for false contributions and consumptions. ([0025], [0054], among others of Ransom)
Regarding claim 24, the Arfin/Ransom combination teaches determining a compensation amount for a grid provider for a portion of electricity consumed by said first plurality of facilities and said second plurality of facilities, wherein said portion of electricity is conveyed by said grid provider, and wherein said determining said compensation amount for said grid provider is based on cryptographically authenticating information concerning electricity contributed from said first plurality of facilities and consumed by said second plurality of facilities ([0113], [0114] of Arfin; [0025], [0054] of Ransom).
Regarding claim 25, the Arfin/Ransom combination teaches the respective aggregate total power consumptions of said respective facilities are verified through cryptographic authentication of the information provided by each respective facility (same teachings as above).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DRU M PARRIES whose telephone number is (571)272-8542. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday -Thursday from 9:00am to 6:00pm. The examiner can also be reached on alternate Fridays.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Rexford Barnie, can be reached on 571-272-7492. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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DMP
1/19/2026
/DANIEL KESSIE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836