DETAILED ACTION
This Office action is in response to the applicant's filing of 01/30/2025.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Status of Claims
Claims 1-19 are pending and have been examined.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 01/30/2025 has/have been considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. The claims are directed to a judicial exception (i.e., a law of nature, natural phenomenon, or abstract idea) without significantly more.
Step 1: In a test for patent subject matter eligibility, claims 1-19 are found to be in accordance with Step 1 (see 2019 Revised Patent Subject Matter Eligibility), as they are related to a process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter. Claims 1-17 recite a method, claim 18 recites a computer-readable medium, and claim 19 recites a system. When assessed under Step 2A, Prong I, claims 1-19 are found to be directed towards an abstract idea. The rationale for this finding is explained below:
Step 2A, Prong I: Under Step 2A, Prong I, claims 1, 18, and 19 are directed to an abstract idea without significantly more, as they all recite a judicial exception. Claims 1, 18, and 19 recite limitations directed to the abstract idea including “storing component information on a wind turbine component, the information including at least a type of the wind turbine component and several materials included in the wind turbine component; storing process information on a plurality of different recycling processes, the information for each recycling process including at least a list of materials for which the recycling process is suitable; compiling recycling information on the wind turbine component based on both the stored component information and the stored process information, the recycling information including one or more recycling processes suitable for the wind turbine component, wherein the step of compiling the recycling information is carried out automatically; and issuing a recycling passport for the wind turbine component based on the recycling information, wherein the recycling passport is a document that discloses at least one recycling process suitable for the wind turbine component so as to enable an efficient recycling of the wind turbine component.” These further limitations are not seen as any more than the judicial exception. Claims 1, 18, and 19 recite additional limitations including “in a component database; in a process database; wherein the process database is updated continuously; and via program code.” The claims are considered to be an abstract idea under certain methods of organizing human activity because the claims are directed to commercial or legal interactions (including agreements in the form of contracts; legal obligations; advertising, marketing or sales activities or behaviors; business relations) and managing personal behavior or relationships or interactions between people (including social activities, teaching, and following rules or instructions) such as issuing a recycling passport for wind turbine component based on compiling stored component and stored process information. The claims are also considered to be an abstract idea under Mental Processes such as concepts performed in the human mind (including an observation, evaluation, judgment, opinion) because the claims are directed to storing data (i.e. component information on wind turbines and process information on recycling processes); compiling data (i.e. recycling information on the wind turbine based on the stored information); and issuing data (i.e. document that discloses recycling processes suitable for the wind turbine component). Therefore, under Step 2A, Prong I, claims 1, 18, and 19 are directed towards an abstract idea.
Step 2A, Prong II: Step 2A, Prong II is to determine whether any claim recites any additional element that integrate the judicial exception (abstract idea) into a practical application. Claims 1, 18, and 19 recite additional limitations including “in a component database; in a process database; wherein the process database is updated continuously; and via program code.” These additional limitations are seen as adding the words “apply it” (or an equivalent) with the judicial exception, or mere instructions to implement an abstract idea on a computer, or merely uses a computer as a tool to perform an abstract idea - see MPEP 2106.05(f). Accordingly, alone, and in combination, these additional elements are seen as using a computer or tool to perform an abstract idea, adding insignificant-extra-solution activity to the judicial exception. They do no more than link the judicial exception (i.e. issuing a recycling passport for wind turbine component based on compiling stored component and stored process information) to a particular technological environment or field of use (i.e. database or program code) in order store/compile the information and update the database and therefore do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application. The courts decided that although the additional elements did limit the use of the abstract idea, the court explained that this type of limitation merely confines the use of the abstract idea to a particular technological environment and this fails to add an inventive concept to the claims (See Affinity Labs of Texas v. DirecTV, LLC,). Under Step 2A, Prong II, these claims remain directed towards an abstract idea.
Step 2B: Claims 1, 18, and 19 recite additional limitations including “in a component database; in a process database; wherein the process database is updated continuously; and via program code.” These limitations do not integrate the judicial exception (abstract idea) into a practical application because of the analysis provided in Step 2A, Prong II. Claims 1, 18, and 19 do not include additional elements or a combination of elements that result in the claims amount to significantly more than the judicial exception. As discussed above with respect to integration of the abstract idea into a practical application, the additional elements listed amount to no more than mere instructions to apply an exception using a generic computer component. In addition, the applicant’s specifications describe “common databases”, ¶ [0007] for implementing the database or program code, which do not amount to significantly more than the abstract idea of itself, which is not enough to transform an abstract idea into eligible subject matter. Furthermore, there is no improvement in the functioning of the computer or technological field, and there is no transformation of subject matter into a different state. Under Step 2B in a test for patent subject matter eligibility, these claims are not patent eligible.
Dependent claims 2-17 further recite the method of claim 1. Dependent claims 2-17 when analyzed as a whole are held to be patent ineligible under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the additional recited limitation fail to establish that the claims are not directed to an abstract idea:
Under Step 2A, Prong I, these additional claims only further narrow the abstract idea set forth in claims 1, 18, and 19. For example, claims 2-17 further describe the limitations for issuing a recycling passport for wind turbine component based on compiling stored component and stored process information – which is only further narrowing the scope of the abstract idea recited in the independent claims.
Under Step 2A, Prong II, for dependent claims 2-17, there are no additional elements introduced. Thus, they do not present integration into a practical application, or amount to significantly more.
Under Step 2B, the dependent claims do not include any additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception. Additionally, there is no improvement in the functioning of the computer or technological field, and there is no transformation of subject matter into a different state. As discussed above with respect to integration of the abstract idea into a practical application, the additional claims do not provide any additional elements that would amount to significantly more than the judicial exception. Under Step 2B, these claims are not patent eligible.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102(a)(1)
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) 1-7, 12, and 16-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Publication 2019/0066062 to Lilly.
With respect to Claim 1:
Lilly teaches:
A method for supporting a recycling process of a wind turbine component, the method comprising the following steps: storing component information on a wind turbine component in a component database, the information including at least a type of the wind turbine component and several materials included in the wind turbine component (i.e. storing wind turbine information in database, wherein information includes type of wind turbine and materials included in wind turbine) (Lilly: ¶ [0075] “The process in FIG. 3 generally includes obtaining a source object (e.g., a wind turbine blade) for recycling. Blocks 300, 302, 304, 306, 328, and 308 are substantially similar to steps of FIGS. 1 and 2, described above. However, the process of FIG. 3 includes an additional block 340 in which a source object code (e.g., a blade code) is obtained (e.g., via an RFID tag on the source object) and uploaded to a database, as described in further detail below. Blocks 310, 312, and 330 are substantially similar to steps of FIG. 2. Blocks 314, 316, 330, and 332 are substantially similar to steps of FIGS. 1 and 2 described above. However, the process of FIG. 3 includes additional steps 342 and 344 in which a container code is obtained ( e.g., via an RFID tag on the container) and uploaded to the database, and the container code is associated with the source object code in the database, as described in further detail below.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶ [0052] “For example, RFID (radio-frequency identification) technology can be used to automate tracking data and populate the database with identifiers and other information, from an identifier for the original turbine tower on which the blade was mounted, through the manufactured product in which the materials produced via processing of the recycled blade is incorporated. Illustrative uses of RFID technology are described in further detail below.” Furthermore, ¶¶ [0079]-[0084] discloses type of wind turbine and materials.);
storing process information on a plurality of different recycling processes in a process database, the information for each recycling process including at least a list of materials for which the recycling process is suitable, wherein the process database is updated continuously (i.e. storing recycling requirements/goals or process information, including recyclable materials and wherein the database is updated) (Lilly: ¶ [0078] “The ways in which the process steps may be carried out may vary in practice depending on factors such as the source objects being recycled, the requirements of the recycling certification process (if any), the requirements of downstream manufacturers ( e.g., the form in which recycled source material must be provided for new products to be manufactured), and the particular configuration of the recycling machinery.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶¶ [0103] [0104] “In this arrangement, the backend computer system 550 provides an interface through which the other computer systems may access the database 570. The permissions granted to different entities and users may vary. In an illustrative scenario, wind farm operators and a system manager can make changes to data via the interface provided by the backend computer system 550, while blade manufacturers may access data in a read-only state. The respective user interfaces of the computer systems for each entity can communicate with the backend computer system 550, which can respond to queries by obtaining and transmitting requested information or making requested changes in the database 570, if such access and changes are authorized for the respective entity or device…In described embodiments, records related to the blades in their installed state, as well as any number of states in the recycling process, are created and updated in the recycling management database 570. The database 570 may be customized to achieve one or more of the goals described herein with respect to the technological improvements of recycling and manufacturing processes described herein. In one embodiment, such the database 570 includes records that track information in categories such as the following (see column headers of the database record depicted in FIG. 7):”);
compiling recycling information on the wind turbine component via program code based on both the stored component information and the stored process information, the recycling information including one or more recycling processes suitable for the wind turbine component, wherein the step of compiling the recycling information is carried out automatically (i.e. compiling/gathering wind turbine information and recycling requirements/goals automatically from the databases) (Lilly: ¶ [0078] “The ways in which the process steps may be carried out may vary in practice depending on factors such as the source objects being recycled, the requirements of the recycling certification process (if any), the requirements of downstream manufacturers ( e.g., the form in which recycled source material must be provided for new products to be manufactured), and the particular configuration of the recycling machinery.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶¶ [0137] [0138] “The data stored and gathered in described embodiments may be transmitted to, or viewed by, the manufacturer, wind farm operator, or other entities. For example, the data can be used to notify the manufacturer or other entities of the current state of the blade. The data also can be used by the manufacturer to alter blade production schedules and to have new blades already made by the time a wind farm has to replace them. Critical information about the blade may be stored and calculations can be made using such information to assist a wind farm operator in planning the cost of repair and replacement of blades. The movement of the blade can also be tracked and shared between the manufacturer and the wind farm operator…Because information gathering and processing related to blade creation, maintenance, and disposal can be streamlined to increase revenue by reducing downtime, there are additional benefits provided by the technical solutions disclosed herein. Several forms may be produced throughout the lifetime of a blade, such as import and export forms for transporting the blade, certificates of destruction for each blade, and tax forms for state and federal agencies. For example, data collected by the system also can be used for regulatory or other purposes, which may vary by region. For example, customs or transportation forms may be required to move blades from region to region. Wind farms and the respective manufacturers that they use are typically not located in the same state or even country. Customs import and export forms typically must be created for moving the blades at each port of entry. When a blade gets damaged and is decommissioned, the owner of the blade may wish to recycle it according to one or more embodiments described herein. The blade will be transported to a third party facility for processing, and this typically will also require transportation forms. The disclosed software facilitates ( e.g., generates or populates) import and export forms as needed to legally move blades or decomposed blade product. This facilitation includes pulling information from the database to populate the forms.”); and
issuing a recycling passport for the wind turbine component based on the recycling information, wherein the recycling passport is a document that discloses at least one recycling process suitable for the wind turbine component so as to enable an efficient recycling of the wind turbine component (i.e. issuing documents/forms to recycle wind turbine based on recycling requirements and wind turbine information in order to efficiently recycle the wind turbine) (Lilly: ¶ [0144] “A wind farm interface also may include functionality (e.g., presented in a browser or a standalone application) for generating forms such as customs or certification forms, as described above. The operator can choose a form to generate and enter or import any details to complete that form. If the wind farm interface allows communication with the recipient of such forms ( e.g., with a certification agency that receives certificates of destruction), the wind farm interface may include an interface and functionality for electronically transmitting forms. Other possible options include saving and printing forms for signature.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶ [0147] “A system manager interface may include forms and views oriented to system managers. For example, a system manager interface may include a form ( e.g., presented in a browser or a standalone application) that allows the system manager to select a wind farm, blade, blade manufacturer, or any other level of data that they may want to view or manipulate. Data of various types and levels of detail may be accessed or modified through different forms, or forms that allow access or modification of combination of different types and levels of detail. As another example, a system manager interface may include one or more screens to view the data of individual windfarms, subsets of windfarms, or all wind farms managed by the system. Such views may be useful to allow for planning, management, and tracking of recycling efforts. As another example, a system manager interface also may include a form to allow the system manager to manipulate the data for wind farms ( e.g., via data filtering or other processing, or correction of errors reported by customers) so that the system manager can provide technical support to wind farm operators.”).
With respect to Claim 2:
Lilly teaches:
The method of claim 1 further comprising:1 providing the recycling passport to at least one of a potential customer and a current owner of the wind turbine component (i.e. interface provides recycling information to blade manufacturers, wind farm owners, and customers) (Lilly: ¶ [0100] “Access to the system can be provided with different possible levels of security and authentication functionality. In an embodiment, a user of the blade tracking system logs in to the system using a unique username and password. For example, a wind farm operator who licenses the system will be given a license number, which they can use to create user accounts. Blade manufacturers and wind farm owners can be linked together in some respects for data sharing ( e.g., to share data relating to particular blades). For example, a blade manufacturer can be given access to the data that relates to blades made by them for their respective customers. Other data, such as data relating to blades made by different manufacturers, may not be accessible to that manufacturer. On the wind farm side, the system interface may provide access to the same data as the blade manufacturer for blades made by that manufacturer, and this access may be extended to all wind farm operators having blades from that manufacturer.”).
With respect to Claim 3:
Lilly teaches:
The method of claim 1, wherein the recycling passport is issued upon request of a current owner of the wind turbine component (i.e. form is issued upon owner of the blade) (Lilly: ¶ [0138] “For example, customs or transportation forms may be required to move blades from region to region. Wind farms and the respective manufacturers that they use are typically not located in the same state or even country. Customs import and export forms typically must be created for moving the blades at each port of entry. When a blade gets damaged and is decommissioned, the owner of the blade may wish to recycle it according to one or more embodiments described herein. The blade will be transported to a third party facility for processing, and this typically will also require transportation forms. The disclosed software facilitates ( e.g., generates or populates) import and export forms as needed to legally move blades or decomposed blade product. This facilitation includes pulling information from the database to populate the forms.”).
With respect to Claim 4:
Lilly teaches:
The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the component database and the process database is maintained by a manufacturer of the wind turbine component (i.e. databases are maintained by owner/manufacturer) (Lilly: ¶ [0097] “In this section, an illustrative system architecture and related infrastructure is described in which embodiments described herein may be implemented. In an illustrative arrangement, a blade tracking system includes a database to store and organize blade tracking information (e.g., RFID numbers or other identifiers), a backend computer system (e.g., one or more servers) to carry out operations such as data filtering and data integrations, and one or more interfaces to provide access to the backend computer system and database. The system may have separate interfaces for entities such as wind farm operators, blade manufacturers, and recycling service providers. The database may include all the information about blades in the system disclosed above, a subset of such information, or additional information.”).
With respect to Claim 5:
Lilly teaches:
The method of claim 1, wherein the component information is stored or updated in the component database when a manufacturing process of the wind turbine component is completed (i.e. information is updated and stored according to a completed state of the wind turbine in the recycling process) (Lilly: ¶ [0102] “The backend computer system 550 may be programmed to perform functions such as form generation, data filtering and processing, CRM integrations, notifications ( e.g., automatically sending messages via appropriate communication channels to users as blades begin or complete stages in the recycling process), or other functions.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶ [0104] “In described embodiments, records related to the blades in their installed state, as well as any number of states in the recycling process, are created and updated in the recycling management database 570. The database 570 may be customized to achieve one or more of the goals described herein with respect to the technological improvements of recycling and manufacturing processes described herein.”).
With respect to Claim 6:
Lilly teaches:
The method of claim 1, wherein the component information includes at least one of a serial number of the wind turbine component, quantitative data on at least one of an amount and an exact composition of a material included in the wind turbine component, and a location of intended use of the wind turbine component (i.e. wind blade information includes serial number, weight and composition of wind blade, and destination or source location for wind blade) (Lilly: ¶¶ [0131]-[0136] “The software can be tailored to provide many different displays, dashboards, and reports. As examples, such displays, dashboards, and reports can be presented to the client/customer or a certification body. Content for illustrative displays, dashboards, and reports may include text, tables, graphics, and the like. Non-limiting examples of information that may be presented via such displays, dashboards, and reports include:…source/origin (e.g., blade serial number, tower, location harvested);…destination/facility/yard;…final end product made w/serial number (e.g., RFID number); or… status (e.g., "in field," "storage yard," "in transit," "bagged," "end product" (e.g., a specific manufactured product))…The date of manufacture, installation data, blade composite material, weight, length, and unique identifying serial number of each blade are examples of data that may be stored in a database in described embodiments. Some or all of this data, or other data, may be stored in an RFID tag attached to the blade, as well, and obtained by an RFID reader. Storage of maintenance data is also contemplated in the system, so that the system can estimate, for example, when an old blade should be removed and a new blade should be installed. Alternatively, a human operator can make such estimates based on data or preliminary calculations provided by the system.”).
With respect to Claim 7:
Lilly teaches:
The method of claim 1, wherein the process information includes one or more materials with which the recycling process is incompatible (i.e. information includes materials that are non-recyclable) (Lilly: ¶ [0047] “Suitable other objects or materials may include scrap material from manufacturing processes ( e.g. fiber composite manufacturing processes), or other large objects formed entirely of recyclable materials or a combination of recyclable and non-recyclable materials, such as fiber composite boat hulls and hot tubs, among other objects and materials. Although the following description refers to embodiments for recycling wind turbine blades, it should be appreciated that any suitable object or material may be recycled using the aspects of the methods disclosed herein.”).
With respect to Claim 12:
Lilly teaches:
The method of claim 1 further comprising: selecting a recycling process for a wind turbine component based on the information provided in the recycling passport (i.e. recycling requirements are determined for wind turbine based on information provided) (Lilly: ¶ [0078] “The ways in which the process steps may be carried out may vary in practice depending on factors such as the source objects being recycled, the requirements of the recycling certification process (if any), the requirements of downstream manufacturers ( e.g., the form in which recycled source material must be provided for new products to be manufactured), and the particular configuration of the recycling machinery.”); and
recycling of the wind turbine component with the selected recycling process (i.e. wind turbine is recycled with respect to recycling requirement) (Lilly: ¶¶ [0079]-[0083] “1) source collected (e.g., blades cut) from site;…2) RFID tag for source attached to blade and scanned, and related information entered in database (e.g., weight, date, site information, RFID code number for source/blade);…3) blades/source put into storage (e.g., in storage yard);…4) blades/source crushed and/or ground into feedstock;…5) feedstock put in bag/container (in an embodiment, only 1 source (e.g., blade) per container (e.g., bag) maximum is allowed to prevent commingling and allow for unambiguous tracking of individual blades through the recycling process);”).
With respect to Claim 16:
Lilly teaches:
The method of claim 1, wherein the process database is updated continuously over a lifetime of the wind turbine component (i.e. information is updated and stored according to the different stages of the wind turbine in the recycling process) (Lilly: ¶ [0102] “The backend computer system 550 may be programmed to perform functions such as form generation, data filtering and processing, CRM integrations, notifications ( e.g., automatically sending messages via appropriate communication channels to users as blades begin or complete stages in the recycling process), or other functions.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶ [0104] “In described embodiments, records related to the blades in their installed state, as well as any number of states in the recycling process, are created and updated in the recycling management database 570. The database 570 may be customized to achieve one or more of the goals described herein with respect to the technological improvements of recycling and manufacturing processes described herein.”).
With respect to Claim 17:
Lilly teaches:
The method of claim 1, wherein said issuing the recycling passport for the wind turbine component is repeated at least one of periodically and when new process information is stored (i.e. wind blades are recycled according to recycling schedule and new process for new blades are stored) (Lilly: ¶ [0130] “The design of the database and the software system may be adjusted to accommodate or take advantage of particular features of the information being gathered or the technology being used. For example, a database that stores information such as blade composition and dimensions can be used to inform and improve manufacturing processes, and make predictions about the upcoming availability of recycled source material when those blades are recycled. In addition, maintenance data for individual blades can be recorded and transferred to blade manufacturers, which can adjust production schedules in anticipation of the need for new blades. This allows production of new blades to be more efficient.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶ [0143] “A wind farm interface may include forms and views oriented to wind farm operators. For example, a wind farm interface may include a form ( e.g., presented in a browser or a standalone application) to select a blade and enter data for that blade. This form may be used to allow the operator or technician to create an instance of a new blade or select an existing blade and assign data (or modify data) that may be desired or needed for that blade. Entry and modification of blade data (e.g., using RFID systems or other techniques described above) can be performed during a recycling process or prior to a recycling process, such by entering the data when a new blade is put into service on a wind turbine. Maintenance data also can be entered in such forms. Maintenance data can be helpful for determining the expected lifetime of a blade, or other characteristics.”).
With respect to Claim 18:
Lilly teaches:
A recycling passport for a wind turbine component, the recycling passport comprising: component specific recycling information stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium (i.e. recycling information is stored via management engine installed in a computer-readable medium) (Lilly: ¶ [0078] “The ways in which the process steps may be carried out may vary in practice depending on factors such as the source objects being recycled, the requirements of the recycling certification process (if any), the requirements of downstream manufacturers ( e.g., the form in which recycled source material must be provided for new products to be manufactured), and the particular configuration of the recycling machinery.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶ [0094] “The backend computer system 550 implements a recycling management engine 560 and a recycling management database 570. The recycling management engine 560 includes logic ( e.g., in the form of computer program code) configured to cause one or more computing devices to perform actions described herein as being associated with the engine. For example, a computing device can be specifically programmed to perform the actions by having installed therein a tangible computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors of the computing device, cause the computing device to perform the actions.”);
said component recycling information being based on component information on the wind turbine component stored in a component database and process information stored in a process database (i.e. wind turbine information is stored in database and recycling information is stored in database) (Lilly: ¶ [0052] “For example, RFID (radio-frequency identification) technology can be used to automate tracking data and populate the database with identifiers and other information, from an identifier for the original turbine tower on which the blade was mounted, through the manufactured product in which the materials produced via processing of the recycled blade is incorporated. Illustrative uses of RFID technology are described in further detail below.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶ [0094] “The backend computer system 550 implements a recycling management engine 560 and a recycling management database 570. The recycling management engine 560 includes logic ( e.g., in the form of computer program code) configured to cause one or more computing devices to perform actions described herein as being associated with the engine. For example, a computing device can be specifically programmed to perform the actions by having installed therein a tangible computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors of the computing device, cause the computing device to perform the actions.”);
the component information including at least a type of the wind turbine component and several materials included in the wind turbine component (i.e. storing wind turbine information in database, wherein information includes type of wind turbine and materials included in wind turbine) (Lilly: ¶ [0075] “The process in FIG. 3 generally includes obtaining a source object (e.g., a wind turbine blade) for recycling. Blocks 300, 302, 304, 306, 328, and 308 are substantially similar to steps of FIGS. 1 and 2, described above. However, the process of FIG. 3 includes an additional block 340 in which a source object code (e.g., a blade code) is obtained (e.g., via an RFID tag on the source object) and uploaded to a database, as described in further detail below. Blocks 310, 312, and 330 are substantially similar to steps of FIG. 2. Blocks 314, 316, 330, and 332 are substantially similar to steps of FIGS. 1 and 2 described above. However, the process of FIG. 3 includes additional steps 342 and 344 in which a container code is obtained ( e.g., via an RFID tag on the container) and uploaded to the database, and the container code is associated with the source object code in the database, as described in further detail below.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶ [0052] “For example, RFID (radio-frequency identification) technology can be used to automate tracking data and populate the database with identifiers and other information, from an identifier for the original turbine tower on which the blade was mounted, through the manufactured product in which the materials produced via processing of the recycled blade is incorporated. Illustrative uses of RFID technology are described in further detail below.” Furthermore, ¶¶ [0079]-[0084] discloses type of wind turbine and materials.);
the process information including information on a plurality of different recycling processes in the process database, the information for each recycling process including at least a list of materials for which the recycling process is suitable, wherein the process database is updated continuously (i.e. storing recycling requirements/goals or process information, including recyclable materials and wherein the database is updated) (Lilly: ¶ [0078] “The ways in which the process steps may be carried out may vary in practice depending on factors such as the source objects being recycled, the requirements of the recycling certification process (if any), the requirements of downstream manufacturers ( e.g., the form in which recycled source material must be provided for new products to be manufactured), and the particular configuration of the recycling machinery.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶¶ [0103] [0104] “In this arrangement, the backend computer system 550 provides an interface through which the other computer systems may access the database 570. The permissions granted to different entities and users may vary. In an illustrative scenario, wind farm operators and a system manager can make changes to data via the interface provided by the backend computer system 550, while blade manufacturers may access data in a read-only state. The respective user interfaces of the computer systems for each entity can communicate with the backend computer system 550, which can respond to queries by obtaining and transmitting requested information or making requested changes in the database 570, if such access and changes are authorized for the respective entity or device…In described embodiments, records related to the blades in their installed state, as well as any number of states in the recycling process, are created and updated in the recycling management database 570. The database 570 may be customized to achieve one or more of the goals described herein with respect to the technological improvements of recycling and manufacturing processes described herein. In one embodiment, such the database 570 includes records that track information in categories such as the following (see column headers of the database record depicted in FIG. 7):”);
wherein component specific recycling information is compiled via program code based on both the stored component information and the stored process information, the component specific recycling information including one or more recycling processes suitable for the wind turbine component, wherein the compiling the recycling information is carried out automatically (i.e. compiling/gathering wind turbine information and recycling requirements/goals automatically from the databases) (Lilly: ¶ [0078] “The ways in which the process steps may be carried out may vary in practice depending on factors such as the source objects being recycled, the requirements of the recycling certification process (if any), the requirements of downstream manufacturers ( e.g., the form in which recycled source material must be provided for new products to be manufactured), and the particular configuration of the recycling machinery.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶¶ [0137] [0138] “The data stored and gathered in described embodiments may be transmitted to, or viewed by, the manufacturer, wind farm operator, or other entities. For example, the data can be used to notify the manufacturer or other entities of the current state of the blade. The data also can be used by the manufacturer to alter blade production schedules and to have new blades already made by the time a wind farm has to replace them. Critical information about the blade may be stored and calculations can be made using such information to assist a wind farm operator in planning the cost of repair and replacement of blades. The movement of the blade can also be tracked and shared between the manufacturer and the wind farm operator…Because information gathering and processing related to blade creation, maintenance, and disposal can be streamlined to increase revenue by reducing downtime, there are additional benefits provided by the technical solutions disclosed herein. Several forms may be produced throughout the lifetime of a blade, such as import and export forms for transporting the blade, certificates of destruction for each blade, and tax forms for state and federal agencies. For example, data collected by the system also can be used for regulatory or other purposes, which may vary by region. For example, customs or transportation forms may be required to move blades from region to region. Wind farms and the respective manufacturers that they use are typically not located in the same state or even country. Customs import and export forms typically must be created for moving the blades at each port of entry. When a blade gets damaged and is decommissioned, the owner of the blade may wish to recycle it according to one or more embodiments described herein. The blade will be transported to a third party facility for processing, and this typically will also require transportation forms. The disclosed software facilitates ( e.g., generates or populates) import and export forms as needed to legally move blades or decomposed blade product. This facilitation includes pulling information from the database to populate the forms.”); and
wherein the recycling passport is a document that discloses at least one recycling process suitable for the wind turbine component so as to enable an efficient recycling of the wind turbine component (i.e. issuing documents/forms to recycle wind turbine based on recycling requirements and wind turbine information in order to efficiently recycle the wind turbine) (Lilly: ¶ [0144] “A wind farm interface also may include functionality (e.g., presented in a browser or a standalone application) for generating forms such as customs or certification forms, as described above. The operator can choose a form to generate and enter or import any details to complete that form. If the wind farm interface allows communication with the recipient of such forms ( e.g., with a certification agency that receives certificates of destruction), the wind farm interface may include an interface and functionality for electronically transmitting forms. Other possible options include saving and printing forms for signature.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶ [0147] “A system manager interface may include forms and views oriented to system managers. For example, a system manager interface may include a form ( e.g., presented in a browser or a standalone application) that allows the system manager to select a wind farm, blade, blade manufacturer, or any other level of data that they may want to view or manipulate. Data of various types and levels of detail may be accessed or modified through different forms, or forms that allow access or modification of combination of different types and levels of detail. As another example, a system manager interface may include one or more screens to view the data of individual windfarms, subsets of windfarms, or all wind farms managed by the system. Such views may be useful to allow for planning, management, and tracking of recycling efforts. As another example, a system manager interface also may include a form to allow the system manager to manipulate the data for wind farms ( e.g., via data filtering or other processing, or correction of errors reported by customers) so that the system manager can provide technical support to wind farm operators.”).
With respect to Claim 19:
Lilly teaches:
A wind turbine component comprising: a wind turbine component body having an identification associated therewith (i.e. wind turbine component with RFID tag) (Lilly: ¶ [0075] “The process in FIG. 3 generally includes obtaining a source object (e.g., a wind turbine blade) for recycling. Blocks 300, 302, 304, 306, 328, and 308 are substantially similar to steps of FIGS. 1 and 2, described above. However, the process of FIG. 3 includes an additional block 340 in which a source object code (e.g., a blade code) is obtained (e.g., via an RFID tag on the source object) and uploaded to a database, as described in further detail below. Blocks 310, 312, and 330 are substantially similar to steps of FIG. 2. Blocks 314, 316, 330, and 332 are substantially similar to steps of FIGS. 1 and 2 described above. However, the process of FIG. 3 includes additional steps 342 and 344 in which a container code is obtained ( e.g., via an RFID tag on the container) and uploaded to the database, and the container code is associated with the source object code in the database, as described in further detail below. From block 316, the pieces or particles (or the container that contains those pieces or particles) are loaded into a transportation vessel at block 350.”);
a recycling passport for the wind turbine component, the recycling passport including component specific recycling information stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium (i.e. recycling information is stored via management engine installed in a computer-readable medium) (Lilly: ¶ [0078] “The ways in which the process steps may be carried out may vary in practice depending on factors such as the source objects being recycled, the requirements of the recycling certification process (if any), the requirements of downstream manufacturers ( e.g., the form in which recycled source material must be provided for new products to be manufactured), and the particular configuration of the recycling machinery.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶ [0094] “The backend computer system 550 implements a recycling management engine 560 and a recycling management database 570. The recycling management engine 560 includes logic ( e.g., in the form of computer program code) configured to cause one or more computing devices to perform actions described herein as being associated with the engine. For example, a computing device can be specifically programmed to perform the actions by having installed therein a tangible computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors of the computing device, cause the computing device to perform the actions.”);
said component recycling information being based on component information on the wind turbine component stored in a component database and process information stored in a process database (i.e. wind turbine information is stored in database and recycling information is stored in database) (Lilly: ¶ [0052] “For example, RFID (radio-frequency identification) technology can be used to automate tracking data and populate the database with identifiers and other information, from an identifier for the original turbine tower on which the blade was mounted, through the manufactured product in which the materials produced via processing of the recycled blade is incorporated. Illustrative uses of RFID technology are described in further detail below.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶ [0094] “The backend computer system 550 implements a recycling management engine 560 and a recycling management database 570. The recycling management engine 560 includes logic ( e.g., in the form of computer program code) configured to cause one or more computing devices to perform actions described herein as being associated with the engine. For example, a computing device can be specifically programmed to perform the actions by having installed therein a tangible computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors of the computing device, cause the computing device to perform the actions.”);
the component information including at least a type of the wind turbine component and several materials included in the wind turbine component (i.e. information including type of wind turbine and materials included) (Lilly: ¶ [0075] “The process in FIG. 3 generally includes obtaining a source object (e.g., a wind turbine blade) for recycling. Blocks 300, 302, 304, 306, 328, and 308 are substantially similar to steps of FIGS. 1 and 2, described above. However, the process of FIG. 3 includes an additional block 340 in which a source object code (e.g., a blade code) is obtained (e.g., via an RFID tag on the source object) and uploaded to a database, as described in further detail below. Blocks 310, 312, and 330 are substantially similar to steps of FIG. 2. Blocks 314, 316, 330, and 332 are substantially similar to steps of FIGS. 1 and 2 described above. However, the process of FIG. 3 includes additional steps 342 and 344 in which a container code is obtained ( e.g., via an RFID tag on the container) and uploaded to the database, and the container code is associated with the source object code in the database, as described in further detail below.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶ [0052] “For example, RFID (radio-frequency identification) technology can be used to automate tracking data and populate the database with identifiers and other information, from an identifier for the original turbine tower on which the blade was mounted, through the manufactured product in which the materials produced via processing of the recycled blade is incorporated. Illustrative uses of RFID technology are described in further detail below.” Furthermore, ¶¶ [0079]-[0084] discloses type of wind turbine and materials.);
the process information including information on a plurality of different recycling processes in the process database, the information for each recycling process including at least a list of materials for which the recycling process is suitable, wherein the process database is updated continuously (i.e. storing recycling requirements/goals or process information, including recyclable materials and wherein the database is updated) (Lilly: ¶ [0078] “The ways in which the process steps may be carried out may vary in practice depending on factors such as the source objects being recycled, the requirements of the recycling certification process (if any), the requirements of downstream manufacturers ( e.g., the form in which recycled source material must be provided for new products to be manufactured), and the particular configuration of the recycling machinery.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶¶ [0103] [0104] “In this arrangement, the backend computer system 550 provides an interface through which the other computer systems may access the database 570. The permissions granted to different entities and users may vary. In an illustrative scenario, wind farm operators and a system manager can make changes to data via the interface provided by the backend computer system 550, while blade manufacturers may access data in a read-only state. The respective user interfaces of the computer systems for each entity can communicate with the backend computer system 550, which can respond to queries by obtaining and transmitting requested information or making requested changes in the database 570, if such access and changes are authorized for the respective entity or device…In described embodiments, records related to the blades in their installed state, as well as any number of states in the recycling process, are created and updated in the recycling management database 570. The database 570 may be customized to achieve one or more of the goals described herein with respect to the technological improvements of recycling and manufacturing processes described herein. In one embodiment, such the database 570 includes records that track information in categories such as the following (see column headers of the database record depicted in FIG. 7):”);
wherein component specific recycling information is compiled via program code based on both the stored component information and the stored process information, the component specific recycling information including one or more recycling processes suitable for the wind turbine component, wherein the compiling the recycling information is carried out automatically (i.e. compiling/gathering wind turbine information and recycling requirements/goals automatically from the databases) (Lilly: ¶ [0078] “The ways in which the process steps may be carried out may vary in practice depending on factors such as the source objects being recycled, the requirements of the recycling certification process (if any), the requirements of downstream manufacturers ( e.g., the form in which recycled source material must be provided for new products to be manufactured), and the particular configuration of the recycling machinery.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶¶ [0137] [0138] “The data stored and gathered in described embodiments may be transmitted to, or viewed by, the manufacturer, wind farm operator, or other entities. For example, the data can be used to notify the manufacturer or other entities of the current state of the blade. The data also can be used by the manufacturer to alter blade production schedules and to have new blades already made by the time a wind farm has to replace them. Critical information about the blade may be stored and calculations can be made using such information to assist a wind farm operator in planning the cost of repair and replacement of blades. The movement of the blade can also be tracked and shared between the manufacturer and the wind farm operator…Because information gathering and processing related to blade creation, maintenance, and disposal can be streamlined to increase revenue by reducing downtime, there are additional benefits provided by the technical solutions disclosed herein. Several forms may be produced throughout the lifetime of a blade, such as import and export forms for transporting the blade, certificates of destruction for each blade, and tax forms for state and federal agencies. For example, data collected by the system also can be used for regulatory or other purposes, which may vary by region. For example, customs or transportation forms may be required to move blades from region to region. Wind farms and the respective manufacturers that they use are typically not located in the same state or even country. Customs import and export forms typically must be created for moving the blades at each port of entry. When a blade gets damaged and is decommissioned, the owner of the blade may wish to recycle it according to one or more embodiments described herein. The blade will be transported to a third party facility for processing, and this typically will also require transportation forms. The disclosed software facilitates ( e.g., generates or populates) import and export forms as needed to legally move blades or decomposed blade product. This facilitation includes pulling information from the database to populate the forms.”); and
wherein the recycling passport is a document that discloses at least one recycling process suitable for the wind turbine component so as to enable an efficient recycling of the wind turbine component (i.e. issuing documents/forms to recycle wind turbine based on recycling requirements and wind turbine information in order to efficiently recycle the wind turbine) (Lilly: ¶ [0144] “A wind farm interface also may include functionality (e.g., presented in a browser or a standalone application) for generating forms such as customs or certification forms, as described above. The operator can choose a form to generate and enter or import any details to complete that form. If the wind farm interface allows communication with the recipient of such forms ( e.g., with a certification agency that receives certificates of destruction), the wind farm interface may include an interface and functionality for electronically transmitting forms. Other possible options include saving and printing forms for signature.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶ [0147] “A system manager interface may include forms and views oriented to system managers. For example, a system manager interface may include a form ( e.g., presented in a browser or a standalone application) that allows the system manager to select a wind farm, blade, blade manufacturer, or any other level of data that they may want to view or manipulate. Data of various types and levels of detail may be accessed or modified through different forms, or forms that allow access or modification of combination of different types and levels of detail. As another example, a system manager interface may include one or more screens to view the data of individual windfarms, subsets of windfarms, or all wind farms managed by the system. Such views may be useful to allow for planning, management, and tracking of recycling efforts. As another example, a system manager interface also may include a form to allow the system manager to manipulate the data for wind farms ( e.g., via data filtering or other processing, or correction of errors reported by customers) so that the system manager can provide technical support to wind farm operators.”).
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, 11, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lilly in view of U.S. Patent 10,308,784 to Santacesaria.
With respect to Claim 8:
Lilly teaches:
The method of claim 1, wherein the process information includes parameters indicating at least one of a cost, an energy demand, an environmental footprint, […] (i.e. information includes cost, energy demand or power generation) (Lilly: Fig. 10 and ¶ [0137] “Critical information about the blade may be stored and calculations can be made using such information to assist a wind farm operator in planning the cost of repair and replacement of blades. The movement of the blade can also be tracked and shared between the manufacturer and the wind farm operator.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶ [0157] “For example, in a worldwide view, each country or region can be explored to obtain more detailed data. Individual countries can be selected and a rough estimate of the wind-power generation capacity for that country can be illustrated, similar to selection of Texas in FIG. 9. As another example, as was done in the transition from FIG. 8 to FIG. 10 (illustrating a particular wind farm), zoom-in, zoom-out, or other operation can be used to analyze data in other countries.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶ [0054] “In some embodiments, the step of crushing the source object sections is performed with dust suppression measures to limit the environmental impact of the method. In other embodiments, a step of weighing the container having the source object pieces is performed prior to loading the source object pieces into a transportation vessel.”).
Lilly does not explicitly disclose wherein the process information includes parameters indicating at least one of […] a material recovery rate, and a thermal recovery rate of the recycling process when applied to a suitable material.
However, Santacesaria further discloses wherein the process information includes parameters indicating at least one of […] a material recovery rate, and a thermal recovery rate (i.e. recycling process includes recovery rate based on pyrolysis temperature or thermal recovery rate, and the organic portion that was recovered or material recovery rate) (Santacesaria: Col. 7 Lines 12-31 “Advantageously, the residual oxygen concentration is lower than 10%, preferably is lower than 5%, in particular is lower than 2%, more in particular is lower than 1 %. Advantageously, the pyrolysis temperature is set between 400 and 500° C., preferably, between 400° C. and 450° C. In this case, the residence time of the waste in the pyrolysis chamber is preferably set between 1 and 2 hours, for example between 1.5 and 2 hours. This way, in optimal process conditions, is possible to recover more than 95% by weight of the organic portion of the fiberglass-reinforced plastics, or of the unsaturated polyester resin, in the form of a viscous liquid that can be mixed as such with a commercial unsaturated resin and undergo a crosslinking reaction to provide fiberglass-reinforced plastic articles whose quality is substantially the same as the articles made from a fresh unsaturated resin alone, as Examples 3 and 5 indicate. A temperature different from the above is however acceptable, even if lower temperatures slow down the process, while higher temperatures increase the amount of carbonaceous residue that settles on the fibers.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was made, to add Santacesaria’s process information includes parameters indicating at least one of a material recovery rate, and a thermal recovery rate to Lilly’s process information includes parameters indicating at least one of a cost, an energy demand, an environmental footprint. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to do so in order to “provide a thermochemical process for disposing a waste containing an unsaturated polyester resin, in particular a fiberglass-reinforced plastic waste, which makes it possible to recover an organic portion therefrom, which can be reused as such ad a raw material, typically in mixture with an amount of fresh prepolymer, to produce a new radically crosslinkable resin, in particular a new polyester resin.” (Santacesaria: Col. 4 Lines 7-14).
With respect to Claim 11:
Lilly teaches: the method of claim 1 further comprising: […] establishing the information on the recycling process to be stored in the process database (i.e. establishing recycling requirements/goals or process information in database) (Lilly: ¶ [0078] “The ways in which the process steps may be carried out may vary in practice depending on factors such as the source objects being recycled, the requirements of the recycling certification process (if any), the requirements of downstream manufacturers ( e.g., the form in which recycled source material must be provided for new products to be manufactured), and the particular configuration of the recycling machinery.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶¶ [0103] [0104] “In this arrangement, the backend computer system 550 provides an interface through which the other computer systems may access the database 570. The permissions granted to different entities and users may vary. In an illustrative scenario, wind farm operators and a system manager can make changes to data via the interface provided by the backend computer system 550, while blade manufacturers may access data in a read-only state. The respective user interfaces of the computer systems for each entity can communicate with the backend computer system 550, which can respond to queries by obtaining and transmitting requested information or making requested changes in the database 570, if such access and changes are authorized for the respective entity or device…In described embodiments, records related to the blades in their installed state, as well as any number of states in the recycling process, are created and updated in the recycling management database 570. The database 570 may be customized to achieve one or more of the goals described herein with respect to the technological improvements of recycling and manufacturing processes described herein. In one embodiment, such the database 570 includes records that track information in categories such as the following (see column headers of the database record depicted in FIG. 7):”).
Lilly does not explicitly disclose subjecting at least a portion of a wind turbine component to a recycling process in a test procedure; and collecting data on the recycling process in the test procedure; and […].
However, Santacesaria further discloses:
subjecting at least a portion of a wind turbine component to a recycling process in a test procedure (i.e. subjecting wind turbine component or fiberglass to recycling tests) (Santacesaria: Col. 16 Lines 25-38 “In the tests, fiberglass-reinforced plastic waste have been used made of unsaturated polyester resins of orthophthalic, isophthalic and vinylester type, obtained by a polycondensation reactions involving ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, and neopentyl glycol. For all the tests, given in the examples 1-5, a mass balance has been calculated, in order to determine the amounts of organic material collected as recyclable liquid, the amount of organic material settled on the fibers as a carbonaceous residue and the amount of organic material lost due to material handling and/or to the formation of non-condensable compounds. All these data are given hereinafter. The examples serves to illustrate the invention only, and are not to be considered limitative.”); and
collecting data on the recycling process in the test procedure (i.e. collecting test samples) (Santacesaria: Col. 16 Lines 4-18 “In the tests, the samples have been taken from fiberglass-reinforced plastic waste coming from different industries, in the form of listels of predetermined standard size, which have been suitably mixed, in order to obtain samples that can represent the composition differences of the fiberglass-reinforced plastic waste that can occur in an industrial recovery process. In fact, in the productions of fiberglass-reinforced plastics, a) the resin/fiber ratio, i.e. the organic/inorganic ratio can vary in a range of values, depending on the operator that carries out the production cycle, as well as on the performances of a particular article and on the related design specifications; b) moreover, different types of polyester resins can be used, i.e. orthophthalic, isophthalic or vinylester resins. The samples to be tested were taken from the above-described mix of specimens.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was made, to add Santacesaria’s subjecting at least a portion of a wind turbine component to a recycling process in a test procedure; and collecting data on the recycling process in the test procedure to Lilly’s establishing the information on the recycling process to be stored in the process database. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to do so in order to “provide a thermochemical process for disposing a waste containing an unsaturated polyester resin, in particular a fiberglass-reinforced plastic waste, which makes it possible to recover an organic portion therefrom, which can be reused as such ad a raw material, typically in mixture with an amount of fresh prepolymer, to produce a new radically crosslinkable resin, in particular a new polyester resin.” (Santacesaria: Col. 4 Lines 7-14).
With respect to Claim 14:
Lilly teaches:
The method of claim 1, wherein the recycling processes include one or more of the following processes: mechanical grinding, […] co-processing (i.e. recycling process includes mechanical grinding and/or co-processing or creating raw materials from recycled material) (Lilly: ¶ [0067] “Similarly to the method of FIG. 1, the method in FIG. 2 generally includes obtaining the source object for recycling, sectioning the source object in to two or more sections, transporting the source object sections to the feed bin of a crushing machine, conveying the source object sections from the feed bin to a rotating crushing drum, crushing the source object sections, the crushing occurring in the rotating crushing drum to produce source object pieces, conveying the source object pieces to a grinding machine configured to break the source object pieces into smaller source object particles, grinding the source object pieces into source object particles, conveying the source object particles to a chute configured to direct the source object particles into a container, loading the source object particles into the container, and loading the source object particles into a transportation vessel. In some embodiments, the steps of crushing the source object sections and/or grinding the source object particles is performed with dust suppression measures to limit the environmental impact of the method.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶ [0071] “The methods described herein have several advantages, including, but not limited to, mobility of the individual pieces of equipment, creation of useful raw materials, and tracking of the wind turbine blades from the removal at the blade farm to the raw output material. The combination of the particular equipment can reduce wind turbine blades into raw materials that can be incorporated into other products in a timeframe on the order of minutes.”).
Lilly does not explicitly disclose wherein the recycling processes include one or more of the following processes: […] pyrolysis, solvolysis, chemolysis, […].
However, Santacesaria further discloses wherein the recycling processes include one or more of the following processes: […] pyrolysis, solvolysis, chemolysis, […] (i.e. recycling process includes pyrolysis, solvolysis, or chemolysis or thermochemical/chemical methods) (Santacesaria: Col. 17 Lines 27-52 “Pyrolysis in the Presence of Nitrogen: The recovered resin is 30.4% of the fiberglass-reinforced plastics initial weight. If only the organic compounds present in the fiberglass-reinforced plastics, in this tests 63.5% of the total weight, are taken as the reference for the yield, a value of 48% by weight can be calculated. From the mass balance, a loss of 3.17 g results that has not been collected along with the liquid obtained by condensation, which is 13.4% of the initial sample. A visual examination of the fiberglass-reinforced plastics after the treatment has shown a copious carbonaceous deposit on the surface of the fibers. By calcinating the fibers covered with this deposit in air to 650° C. for 5 hours, an amount of 8.65 g of clean glass fibers could be fully recovered, i.e. 36.5% of the initial fiberglass-reinforced plastics, which is an experimental value that fits the value obtained from the direct calcination test. A portion of the pyrolysis liquid has been obtained by repeatedly washing the reactor and the connection tubes with acetone. From the quantitative analysis of the unsaturations, an I.N.=42 g 12/100 g of sample is obtained, which corresponds to 0.1653 moles of unsaturations per 100 g of sample…Pyrolysis in the Presence of Steam: In the presence of steam, the pyrolysis takes place along with hydrolysis reactions and solvolysis effects. The cooling water flowrate has been reduced to avoid an excessive cooling during evaporation.” Furthermore, as cited in Col. 3 Liens 3-16 “thermochemically extracting the fibers, e.g. vacuum pyrolysis, other fluid-bed thermal processes, cold extraction with a supercritical fluid used as a solvent, which turned out to be profitable for composite materials including valuable fibers, such as carbon fibers or Kevlar fibers, but is unprofitable for common fiberglass-reinforced plastics;…chemical methods: the processes of refs. 1 to 11, some of which summarized in Italian patent application ITRM2014A000100, have provide at least one drawback, such as low yield, components difficult to separate, low quality of the recycled product, high cost of specific reagents and/or presence of catalyzers that can pollute the final product.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was made, to add Santacesaria’s recycling processes include one or more of the following processes: pyrolysis, solvolysis, chemolysis to Lilly’s recycling processes include one or more of the following processes: mechanical grinding, co-processing. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to do so in order to “provide a thermochemical process for disposing a waste containing an unsaturated polyester resin, in particular a fiberglass-reinforced plastic waste, which makes it possible to recover an organic portion therefrom, which can be reused as such ad a raw material, typically in mixture with an amount of fresh prepolymer, to produce a new radically crosslinkable resin, in particular a new polyester resin.” (Santacesaria: Col. 4 Lines 7-14).
Claim(s) 9, 10, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lilly in view of U.S. Publication 2024/0257079 to Birkbak.
With respect to Claim 9:
Lilly teaches:
The method of claim 1, wherein the recycling passport includes a description of the wind turbine component, a description of a suitable recycling process, information on at least one of an approved recycling hub […] (i.e. information includes description of wind turbine component, recycling requirements, and information on the appropriate manufacturing facility) (Lilly: ¶ [0078] “The ways in which the process steps may be carried out may vary in practice depending on factors such as the source objects being recycled, the requirements of the recycling certification process (if any), the requirements of downstream manufacturers ( e.g., the form in which recycled source material must be provided for new products to be manufactured), and the particular configuration of the recycling machinery.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶ [0055] “In one embodiment, the wind turbine blade is sourced at a wind turbine farm where the blade has a specific effective life expectancy. At the end of the useful life, the blade may be selected for removal and replacement. After removal from the wind turbine tower, the methods disclosed herein are suitable for recycling the wind turbine blade into raw materials that are useful for creating new products. In some embodiments, the wind turbine blade is obtained and partially processed at the wind turbine farm. In other embodiments, the wind turbine blade is delivered to a facility for carrying out the steps of the method disclosed herein. In the embodiments disclosed herein, any number of blades may be processed simultaneously or in succession.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶ [0076] “As shown in FIG. 3, an option is provided at terminal B for further tracking and management of the process at a manufacturing facility, as shown in FIG. 4. In the example shown in FIG. 4, at block 460 the pieces or particles are transported to a manufacturing facility. At block 462, the pieces or particles are unloaded at the manufacturing facility, and at block 464 a new product is manufactured using the pieces or particles. At block 466, a product code is obtained (e.g., via an RFID tag on the new product) and uploaded to the database. At block 468, the product code is associated with the source object code and the container code in the database, as described in further detail below. It should be understood that the manufacturing facility may be at a different site or the same site as the recycling facility.”).
Lilly does not explicitly disclose wherein the recycling passport includes […] an efficiency rating and quantitative information per unit mass and/or for the entire wind turbine component on costs, energy demand, environmental footprint, thermal recovery rate, material recovery rate.
However, Birkbak further discloses wherein the recycling passport includes […] an efficiency rating and quantitative information per unit mass and/or for the entire wind turbine component on costs, energy demand, environmental footprint, thermal recovery rate, material recovery rate (i.e EOL test score or reusability score per unit material of wind turbine component based on costs, energy, and environmental factors) (Birkbak: ¶ [0057] “The EOL testing data may include information relating to one or more performance tests that are performed when respective rotor blades reach the end of their term of life. For example, the EOL testing data may provide information relating to quality measurements that indicate a quality for respective components and/or materials of the rotor blades. To provide a specific example, the EOL testing data may include reusability scores for respective components and/or materials of a rotor blade. The reusability scores may, for example, be based on residual values of materials, structural integrity values of the materials, and/or measured lengths of fibers of the materials.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶ [0082] “In some embodiments, the recycling management platform 404 may use the data model to determine expected reusability scores for multiple materials included in a composite material. For example, a composite material for the rotor blade may include multiple materials, such as fiber, metal, resin, and/or the like. By processing the historical operational data, the recycling management platform 404 may determine an expected reusability score for the fiber, an expected reusability score for the metal, and an expected reusability score for the resin. Each respective expected reusability score may be determined based on historical data values indicative of a particular residual strength, a particular structural integrity, and/or a particular EOL fiber length. These expected reusability scores may, for example, be different, if each material responds differently to the effects of aging, responds differently to impact from an external object, responds differently to exposure to weather, and/or the like.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was made, to add Birkbak’s an efficiency rating and quantitative information per unit mass and/or for the entire wind turbine component on costs, energy demand, environmental footprint, thermal recovery rate, material recovery rate to Lilly’s recycling passport includes a description of the wind turbine component, a description of a suitable recycling process, information on at least one of an approved recycling hub. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to do so because “This may allow the recycling manager to use the recycling recommendation to optimize the process of recycling one or more materials of the rotor blade.” (Birkbak: ¶ [0091]).
With respect to Claim 10:
Lilly does not explicitly disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the recycling passport discloses at least two recycling processes suitable for at least one of the wind turbine component and a specific part of the wind turbine component, and a ranking indicating a preference for at least one of the at least two recycling processes.
However, Birkbak further discloses wherein the recycling passport discloses at least two recycling processes suitable for at least one of the wind turbine component and a specific part of the wind turbine component, and a ranking indicating a preference for at least one of the at least two recycling processes (i.e. providing at least two sets of instructions for recycling recommendations for each wind turbine component, wherein each instructions include a corresponding quality grade specific to each recycling process) (Birkbak: ¶¶ [0089] [0090] “In some embodiments, the recycling management platform 404 may determine a set of cut instructions indicating to cut the rotor blade in a way that separates materials or subsets of respective materials that have different quality grades. For example, if different areas of a spar cap have different quality grades, the set of cut instructions may indicate to cut the spar cap in a way that creates spar cap pieces which are effectively separated based on quality grade. In some embodiments, the set of cut instructions may indicate where to cut each respective material…In some embodiments, the recycling management platform 404 may determine a set of bin placement instructions indicating to sort materials or subsets of materials into different recycling containers. This allows materials and/or subsets of materials to be sorted into different recycling containers, such that each recycling container is dedicated to a specific quality grade.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was made, to add Birkbak’s recycling passport discloses at least two recycling processes suitable for at least one of the wind turbine component and a specific part of the wind turbine component, and a ranking indicating a preference for at least one of the at least two recycling processes to Lilly’s issuing a recycling passport for the wind turbine component based on the recycling information, wherein the recycling passport is a document that discloses at least one recycling process suitable for the wind turbine component so as to enable an efficient recycling of the wind turbine component. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to do so because “This may allow the recycling manager to use the recycling recommendation to optimize the process of recycling one or more materials of the rotor blade.” (Birkbak: ¶ [0091]).
With respect to Claim 13:
Lilly teaches:
The method of claim 1, wherein the wind turbine component is at least one of a wind turbine rotor blade, a wind turbine tower, a wind turbine foundation, […] (i.e. wind turbine information includes wind blade data, wind turbine tower data, and wind turbine composition or foundation) (Lilly: ¶ [0136] “The date of manufacture, installation data, blade composite material, weight, length, and unique identifying serial number of each blade are examples of data that may be stored in a database in described embodiments. Some or all of this data, or other data, may be stored in an RFID tag attached to the blade, as well, and obtained by an RFID reader. Storage of maintenance data is also contemplated in the system, so that the system can estimate, for example, when an old blade should be removed and a new blade should be installed.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶ [0151] “Data related to the turbines of the windfarm is illustrated graphically on the map portion and in table form with specific details related to recycling blades from the turbines. The table includes information such as blade serial number; tower/turbine number; date "cut" ( e.g., the date the blade was removed from the turbine); date moved to a processing facility (e.g., for sectioning, crushing, and grinding); and status of the recycling process for each blades. FIG. 12 is a further close-up of the wind farm of FIG. 11, with individual towers shown. In this example, a tower (F-25) has been selected, and serial numbers of the three blades thereon are displayed.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶ [0130] “For example, a database that stores information such as blade composition and dimensions can be used to inform and improve manufacturing processes, and make predictions about the upcoming availability of recycled source material when those blades are recycled. In addition, maintenance data for individual blades can be recorded and transferred to blade manufacturers, which can adjust production schedules in anticipation of the need for new blades.”).
Lilly does not explicitly disclose wherein the wind turbine component is at least one of […] a wind turbine part located in a nacelle, and a wind turbine nacelle housing.
However, Birkbak further discloses wherein the wind turbine component is at least one of […] a wind turbine part located in a nacelle, and a wind turbine nacelle housing (i.e. wind turbine components include nacelle, and rotor/yaw bearing or nacelle housing) (Birkbak: Fig. 1 and ¶ [0035] “FIG. 1 shows a wind turbine 100 in which the products of the invention could be advantageously used. The wind turbine 100 includes a tower 102, a nacelle 104 on which a rotor 106 is mounted, and a yaw bearing 108. The yaw bearing 108 rotatably connects the tower 102 to the nacelle 104. The rotor 106 comprises a rotor hub to which, in this wind turbine 100, three rotor blades (shown as rotor blades 110, 112, and 114, respectively) are attached. The yaw bearing 108 is configured such that nacelle 104, together with the rotor 106 mounted thereon, is rotatable relative to the tower 102. As such, the nacelle 104 may be arranged such that the rotor 106 is oriented towards the wind. When oriented towards the wind, the wind turbine 100 is operable to generate more electricity.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was made, to add Birkbak’s wind turbine component is at least one of a wind turbine part located in a nacelle, and a wind turbine nacelle housing to Lilly’s wind turbine component is at least one of a wind turbine rotor blade, a wind turbine tower, a wind turbine foundation. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to do so because “This may allow the recycling manager to use the recycling recommendation to optimize the process of recycling one or more materials of the rotor blade.” (Birkbak: ¶ [0091]).
Claim(s) 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lilly in view of Santacesaria in further view of U.S. Publication 2020/0018283 to Bozsak.
With respect to Claim 15:
Lilly teaches:
The method of claim 1, wherein the list of materials includes at least one of: glass fiber reinforced plastics, carbon fiber reinforced plastics, […] (i.e. fiber reinforced fiber in order to create glass fiber and/or carbon fiber) (Lilly: ¶ [0047] “The following description provides several examples that relate to recycling used fiber composite ( e.g., fiberglass) products, such as wind turbine blades. However, the disclosed techniques and tools are not limited to recycling of wind turbine blades. With appropriate modifications, the disclosed methods, techniques, processes, and tools can be adapted for recycling other objects or materials. Suitable other objects or materials may include scrap material from manufacturing processes ( e.g. fiber composite manufacturing processes), or other large objects formed entirely of recyclable materials or a combination of recyclable and non-recyclable materials, such as fiber composite boat hulls and hot tubs, among other objects and materials. Although the following description refers to embodiments for recycling wind turbine blades, it should be appreciated that any suitable object or material may be recycled using the aspects of the methods disclosed herein.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶ [0054] “Referring to FIG. 1, a method for recycling a source object, such as a wind turbine blade, for providing raw output materials to be used in the production of new composite products, including fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP), is shown. The method generally includes obtaining the source object for recycling, sectioning the source object in to two or more sections, transporting the source object sections to the feed bin of a crushing machine, conveying the source object sections from the feed bin to a rotating crushing drum, crushing the source object sections, the crushing occurring in the rotating crushing drum to produce source object pieces, conveying the source object pieces to a chute configured to direct the source object pieces into a container, loading the source object pieces into the container, and loading the source object pieces into a transportation vessel.”).
Lilly does not explicitly disclose wherein the list of materials includes at least one of: […] epoxy, poly-urethane, vinyl ester, polyethylene terephthalate, wood, polyvinyl chloride, steel.
However, Santacesaria further discloses wherein the list of materials includes at least one of: […] epoxy, […], vinyl ester, […], steel (i.e. materials include epoxy, vinylester, and metal/steel) (Santacesaria: Col. 10 Lines 1-9 “Instead, ground fibers can be used as a reinforcement material in cast articles, in particular made of thermosetting resins: in fact, their thickening power is lower, with respect to cut fibers, therefore larger amounts thereof be used, without reducing the flowability of the casting material; in plasters and assembling mastics, which are thermosetting materials; in epoxy resins, to prepare high resistance plasters.” Furthermore, as cited in Col. 14 Lines 23-30 “In the examples described hereinafter, waste 21 comprised plates of fiberglass-reinforced plastics based on unsaturated polyester resins, more in detail orthophthalic, isophthalic and vinylester resins, which had been broken into listels of suitable size, for example, 0.3 to 0.8 widthx1 to 6 cm length for a smaller laboratory reactor, and into listels of such sizes as 1 to 2 cm width and 10 to 15 cm length, for a larger laboratory reactor.” Furthermore, as cited in Col. 3 Lines 35-44 “JP 2000 301131 A describes a process for treating discarded printed circuits (PCB, Printed Circuit Boards), in order to recover the metals therefrom, which is carried in the presence of nitrogen and of a certain amount of oxygen, up to 10% by volume, after which the circuits are heated up to a temperature of at least 250° C., and then cooling them down under an inert blanket, so as to cause an embrittlement of the plastic portion of the circuit and to assist milling and subsequent mesh separation of the metal, while the recovery the polymeric fraction it is not described.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was made, to add Santacesaria’s list of materials includes at least one of: epoxy, vinyl ester, steel to Lilly’s list of materials includes at least one of: glass fiber reinforced plastics, carbon fiber reinforced plastics. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to do so in order to “provide a thermochemical process for disposing a waste containing an unsaturated polyester resin, in particular a fiberglass-reinforced plastic waste, which makes it possible to recover an organic portion therefrom, which can be reused as such ad a raw material, typically in mixture with an amount of fresh prepolymer, to produce a new radically crosslinkable resin, in particular a new polyester resin.” (Santacesaria: Col. 4 Lines 7-14).
Lilly and Santacesaria do not explicitly disclose wherein the list of materials includes at least one of: […] poly-urethane, […], polyethylene terephthalate, wood, polyvinyl chloride, […].
However, Bozsak further discloses wherein the list of materials includes at least one of: […] poly-urethane, […], polyethylene terephthalate, wood, polyvinyl chloride, […] (i.e. materials include poly-urethane, polyethylene terephthalate, wood, polyvinyl chloride) (Bozsak: ¶ [0079] “Synthetic materials that may be mentioned include polymer fibers selected from thermosetting polymer fibers, thermoplastic polymers or mixtures thereof. The polymer fibers may consist of polyamide (aliphatic or aromatic), polyester, polyvinyl alcohol, polyolefins, polyurethanes, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, unsaturated polyesters, epoxy resins and vinyl esters.” Furthermore, as cited in ¶ [0097] “This arrangement forms a sandwich-type structure where the low-density structure 8 is surrounded by one or more panels 3 of thermoplastic polymer composite. The low-density structure generally has a density of less than 200 kg/m3 , preferably less than 150 kg/m3 , and even more preferably less than 75 kg/m3. The low-density structure is for example selected from wood (such as balsa), a honeycomb structure or expanded or foamed plastic (such as expanded polystyrene or PET (polyethylene terephthalate) foam, or PVC (polyvinyl chloride) foam.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was made, to add Bozsak’s list of materials includes at least one of: poly-urethane, polyethylene terephthalate, wood, polyvinyl chloride to Lilly’s list of materials includes at least one of: glass fiber reinforced plastics, carbon fiber reinforced plastics. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to do so in order to “provide a process for manufacturing wind turbine blades or parts of wind turbine blades more quickly than existing processes and enabling quick and easy assembly, repair or adjustments at the installation site.” (Bozsak: ¶ [0007]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant’s disclosure. The following reference are cited to further show the state of the art:
U.S. Publication 2022/0242009 to Espeland for disclosing a method and system for recycling wind turbine blades. A scalper scalps off balsa wood and foam from recycled composite chips, a lump breaker shatters the chips produced by the scalper, a hammer mill breaks fiber chips produced by the lump breaker to reduce the chips to strand clusters, a vibratory screen and cyclone air classifier or circular vibratory screener separate strand clusters of acceptable size from larger strand clusters that require repeated processing with a hammer mill, another vibratory screen and cyclone air classifier or circular vibratory screener further separate strand clusters of acceptable size from larger strand clusters that require repeated processing with a hammer mill, and a granulator pulverizes the resulting fiber strand into microfibers that can be used as reinforcement fibers.
U.S. Patent 11,988,004 to Hofmann for disclosing a method for, in particular completely or partially, disassembling a tower of a wind power plant, comprising the following steps: selecting suitable disassembly measures as a function of the tower location and the tower characteristics; preparing the disassembly, in particular of the tower and optionally the surroundings; carrying out the disassembly; and transporting the disassembled tower away.
U.S. Publication 2023/0136172 to Korsgaard for disclosing a method for preparing a wind turbine blade for recycling by sectioning the wind turbine into at least a first and a second wind turbine blade part comprising different types of materials or comprising the same type of materials in a different relative content.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Azam Ansari, whose telephone number is (571) 272-7047. The examiner can normally be reached from Monday to Friday between 8 AM and 4:30 PM.
If any attempt to reach the examiner by telephone is unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Waseem Ashraf, can be reached at (571) 270-3948.
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Sincerely,
/AZAM A ANSARI/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3621
February 26, 2026