Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Objections
Claims 1 and 7 are objected to because of the following informalities: The abbreviations PV and IV should be initially spelled out in the claims before being abbreviated. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hansen et al. (US 20230120165 A1) in view of Gostein et al. (US 20220360216 A1).
Regarding independent claim 1:
Hansen teaches a system for forecasting output power of a PV power plant, comprising: inputs for PV power measurements by measurement units, (Hansen: Fig. 1A (19), 1B, ¶[0133]-[0134]; Hansen teaches an embodiment that utilizes readily available electric power meters to measure Renewable Energy Source (RES) output that is input to an RES-ESS Dispatcher unit, which feeds into a forecasting unit) and a forecast model, wherein said forecast model forecasts future PV power generation based at least upon said PV power measurements. (Hansen: ¶[0176])
Hansen does not explicitly teach using in-situ IV measurement units as the inputs for the PV power measurements.
Gostein, in the same field of endeavor as the claimed invention, teaches using current versus voltage (IV) measurement devices in-situ in a PV array. (Gostein: ¶[0039])
It would have been obvious, to one of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the renewable electric generation resource to utilize the in-situ IV measurement units. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification to provide useful information relevant to assessing or monitoring performance of the PV power plant. (Gostein: ¶[0038])
Regarding claim 2, Hansen and Gostein further teaches the system of claim 1, wherein said forecast model forecasts power seconds, minutes, hours, or days in the future. (Hansen: ¶[0130]; Hansen teaches a forecast period of minutes, hours, and days.)
Regarding claim 3, Hansen and Gostein further teaches the system of claim 1, further comprising inputs for sky images from sky cameras within said PV power plant and wherein said forecast model forecasts future PV power generation based at least upon said PV power measurements and said sky images. (Hansen: ¶[0129], ¶[0134]; Hansen teaches the forecast may be based on on-site sky imaging, including cameras.)
Regarding claim 4, Hansen and Gostein further teaches the system of claim 1, further comprising inputs for satellite images or forecasted satellite images of cloud cover at said PV power plant and wherein said forecast model forecasts future PV power generation based at least upon said PV power measurements and said satellite images or forecasted satellite images. (Hansen: Fig. 1B, ¶[0129], ¶[0134]; Hansen teaches the forecast may be based on satellite imaging or meteorological modeling and a sky imaging sensor useful to determine sky conditions, such as the presence of clouds.)
Regarding claim 5, Hansen and Gostein further teaches the system of claim 1, further comprising inputs or intermediate results for forecasted irradiance and wherein said forecast model forecasts future PV power generation based at least upon said PV power measurements and said forecasted irradiance. (Hansen: Fig. 1B, ¶[0015], ¶[0134], ¶[0176]; Hansen teaches a time-dependent forecasting of electrical energy production performed by the forecasting unit and a data processing system that stores a table in memory that indicates the amount of energy a series of solar panels can generate based on a forecast amount of sunlight.)
Regarding claim 6, Hansen and Gostein further teaches the system of claim 1, wherein said forecast model is trained based at least upon said PV power measurements by said in-situ IV measurement units. (Hansen: Fig. 1A (19), 1B (36, 46), 17, ¶[0109], ¶[0134], ¶[0175]-¶[0178]; Hansen teaches a data processing system that generates a plurality of simulation results based on the energy production forecast.)
Regarding independent claim 7, Hansen and Gostein teaches a system for forecasting output power of a PV power plant, comprising: inputs for PV power measurements (Hansen: Fig. 1A (32), ¶[0133]) by in-situ IV measurement units (Gostein: Fig. 1 (210, 214), ¶[0024], ¶[0040]) , and a forecast model, wherein said forecast model forecasts future PV power generation, and wherein said forecast model is trained based at least upon said PV power measurements by said in-situ IV measurement units. (Hansen: Fig. 1A (19), 1B (36, 46), 17, ¶[0109], ¶[0134], ¶[0175]-¶[0178]; Hansen teaches a data processing system that generates a plurality of simulation results based on the energy production forecast, part of the energy production forecast resulting from the measured RES output.)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
LYTLE (US 20230275438 A1) discloses a system for predictive control of energy management for a segmented load centre.
KHABIBRAKHMANOV et al. (US 20180248380 A1) discloses a method for forecasting solar power generation using real-time power data.
MENICUCCI et al. (US 20150276980 A1) discloses a method of forecasting solar energy irradiance potential and subsequent photovoltaic output in a region.
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/ANDREW MACNAUGHTON BARLOW/Examiner, Art Unit 2118
/SCOTT T BADERMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2118
