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 is 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.
Claim 1 recites “may be transferred”, “may be rectified”; which renders the claim indefinite as it is not clear if the transferred or the rectified is taking place.
Claims 2-10 are also rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph for indirectly including the above noted deficiencies.
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, 3-4, 6-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by HARIRCHI et al. (US 2023/0406147).
With respect to claim 1, HIRIRCHI discloses a microgrid system (figure 2 discloses a home energy ecosystem 200 for a house/building) comprising: providing at least one electric vehicle having an electric vehicle battery, electrically coupled with a charge port (Electric vehicle 112 comprises battery pack 124); and the charge port electrically coupled with a microgrid central control unit (figure 2 disclose EVSE 138 connected to HEE controller 209); and the microgrid central control unit electrically coupled with at least one microgrid battery and further electrically coupled with a rectifier/inverter (HEE 209 is connected to HES 208 via respective DC/AC converters, paragraph 0022); wherein DC current from the electric vehicle battery may be transferred through said charge port, controlled by the microgrid central control unit and transferred to the microgrid battery wherein it may be rectified in the rectifier/inverter before provided to at least one end user (paragraphs 0020, 0023 discloses drawing power from electric vehicle 112 to charge the HES and powering equipment in the house, figures 1-2).
With respect to claim 3, HIRIRCHI discloses the microgrid system of claim 1 further comprising: alternative generation sources connected with, and supplying power to, the microgrid. Solar panels 211 provide regenerative energy.
With respect to claim 4, HIRIRCHI discloses the microgrid system of claim 1 wherein; current provided to at least one end user is converted to meet local voltage and hertz requirements. Figure 2 discloses that power is provided to equipment in a house/building.
With respect to claim 6, HIRIRCHI discloses the microgrid system of claim 1 wherein: the microgrid is configured for interfacing with an existing electrical grid. Figure 2 discloses connecting to grid 204.
With respect to claims 7, 8, HIRIRCHI discloses the microgrid system of claim 5 wherein: the existing electrical grid is not grid connected, the existing electrical grid is grid connected but subject to outages. Paragraph 0023 discloses that the grid is not connected/outage from the grid.
With respect to claims 9, 13, HIRIRCHI discloses the microgrid system of one of the claims further comprising: each charge port provides bidirectional power delivery wherein: each electric vehicle having an electric vehicle battery is a power source component of the microgrid and a battery storage component of the microgrid. Paragraph 0020 discloses that charge port provides bidirectional power from the electric vehicle and to the electric vehicle.
With respect to claims 10, 12, HIRIRCHI discloses the microgrid system of one of the claims wherein: the microgrid is in communication with an existing utility grid wherein; each electric vehicle having an electric vehicle battery is charged while the utility grid is operational and is used as a power source when the utility grid is not operational. Paragraphs 0029-0030 discloses that the HEE controller is in communication with the grid 204.
With respect to claim 11, HIRIRCHI discloses a microgrid system comprising: providing at least one electric vehicle having an electric vehicle battery and an on-board inverter/rectifier (electric vehicle 112 comprises battery 124 and inverter/power conversion 132 to converter between AC and DC power), electrically coupled with a charge port (EVSE 138 and 140); and the charge port electrically coupled with a microgrid central control unit (HEE controller 209); and the microgrid central control unit electrically coupled with an end user electric power circuit (HEE controller is connected to electrical loads of a house/building); and further electrically coupled with at least one microgrid inverter/rectifier that is in turn electrically coupled with a microgrid battery (HEE 209 is connected to HES 209 via respective DC/AC converters, paragraph 0022); wherein AC current from the electric vehicle battery inverted by said on-board inverter/rectifier transferred through said charge port (paragraphs 0020, 0023 discloses that the electric vehicle provides AC power to HEE 200 and the grid), is controlled by the microgrid central control unit and transferred to the end user electric power circuit and further managed by the microgrid central control unit through the microgrid inverter/rectifier to invert the AC current to DC current that is in turn stored in the microgrid battery (HEE controllers 209, 212 controls the transfer of AC power from the electric vehicle 112 to the loads/AC grid and also to charge the HES 208).
With respect to claim 14, HIRIRCHI discloses a method of using the apparatus of claim 1, the method comprising: powering a microgrid (HEE for house/building); by transferring DC current from at least one EV battery to a charge port (EVSE 138, 140); and transferring DC current to a microgrid central control unit (HEE controller 209, 212); and processing DC current through a rectifier to produce AC current; and transferring AC current to end users. HEE 209 is connected to HES 209 via respective DC/AC converters, to provide AC power to the loads, paragraph 0022.
With respect to claim 15, HIRIRCHI discloses the method of claim 14 further comprising: transferring DC current from a microgrid central control unit to a microgrid battery. Figures 2-3 discloses transferring DC power to the battery to thus charge the battery.
With respect to claim 16, HIRIRCHI discloses a method for using the apparatus of claim 14, the method comprising: powering a microgrid; by transferring AC current from at least one EV battery, through an EV on-board inverter, to a charge port; and transferring AC current from to a microgrid central control unit; and transferring AC current from said microgrid central control unit to end users (HEE controllers 209, 212 controls the transfer of AC power from the electric vehicle 112 to the loads/AC grid).
With respect to claim 17, HIRIRCHI discloses the method of claim 16 further comprising: processing AC current through an inverter to produce DC current; and storing DC current in at least one microgrid battery (paragraph 0022 discloses that the HES 208 comprises an DC/AC converter to process AC current and charge the HES 208).
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) 2, 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HARIRCHI et al. (US 2023/0406147) in view of Moorman (US 2024/0186796).
With respect to claims 2, 5, HIRIRCHI discloses the microgrid system of claim 1; except for, wherein: the system is deployed as part of a disaster relief action, a container configured for housing the microgrid system components wherein; the microgrid system may be shipped for rapid deployment.
Moorman discloses a portable microgrid system comprising structure and devices within the system to select and manage resources to optimize energy output to devices, figures 1-2. The system is provided in a mobile shipping container and deployed in the event of a natural disaster (paragraph 0088).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention, to have modify HIRIRCHI and include the mobile system of Moorman to thus provide the system inside a mobile container that can easily be shipped where needed, for example (paragraph 0088).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Seroff et al. (US 2024/0198836) discloses a charging site with EV charging systems connected to a battery system, electric vehicles and a load/building.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CARLOS AMAYA whose telephone number is (571)272-8941. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:00AM-4:00PM.
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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.
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/CARLOS AMAYA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836