DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 12 recites that “the energy storage system outputs the second power signal to the load in response to checkpoint processing being performed for the one or more artificial intelligence models” and “the energy storage system stores the power generated by the fuel cell power system in response to training processing being performed for the one or more artificial intelligence models.” However, the figures and the specification disclose that the energy storage system outputs power in response to training processing being performed and the energy storage system stores power in response to checkpoint processing being performed. It is suggested that claim be changed to correspond to the figures and the specification as noted above to overcome the rejection.
Claim 11 is also rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph for indirectly including the above noted deficiencies.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 3-6, 8-11, 13-21, 23-31 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by COTTULI (US 2021/0349152).
With respect to claim 1, COTTULI discloses a system (fuel cell IT grid), comprising: a fuel cell power system configured to output a first power signal having a first power level to a load having a power consumption level (figures 1 and 3 disclose that power module housing 12 contain fuel cell system 10); and a first energy storage system configured to: output a second power signal to the load in case the first power level is less than the power consumption level (paragraph 0090 figure 4 discloses that power storage device 402 provides power to bus 304 and IT load when there is insufficient power from module 12); and receive a third power signal from the fuel cell power system in case the first power level is greater than the power consumption level (paragraph 0090 discloses that the energy storage 402 stores power generated by the fuel cell).
With respect to claim 3, COTTULI discloses the system of claim 1, further comprising: a controller (control device 301) configured to determine the first power level of the first power signal and the power consumption level of the load; and set power levels of the second power signal and the third power signal based on the first power level and the power consumption level. Paragraph 0068, 0090, 0158 discloses that controller 301 received data signals from the fuel cell IT grid and control connection t hte power storage device 402.
With respect to claims 4, 16, 23, 30, COTTULI discloses the system of one of the claims, further comprising: a load bank configured to convert power generated by the fuel cell power system to heat energy in case the first power level is greater than the power consumption level. Paragraph 0053 discloses a load bank configured to dissipate excess power.
With respect to claim 5, 17, 24, COTTULI discloses the system of one of the claims, further comprising: a converter configured to convert power generated by the fuel cell power system to power for a grid external to the system in case the first power level is greater than the power consumption level. Figure 8 discloses a bidirectional DC/AC inverter 800 connected to an electrical grid 802.
With respect to claim 6, COTTULI discloses the system of claim 1, further comprising: a converter configured to convert power generated by the fuel cell power system to power for the load. Figures 4-10 disclose a converter device connected between the power modules and the IT load.
With respect to claim 8, COTTULI discloses the system of claim 1 wherein the fuel cell power system includes a plurality of power modules, each of the plurality of power modules including a hot box. Figure 1 discloses that the fuel cell system comprises a hot box 13.
With respect to claim 9, COTTULI discloses the system of claim 8 wherein each hot box includes one or more fuel cell stacks. Paragraph 0057 discloses that the hot boxes comprise fuel cell stacks.
With respect to claim 10, COTTULI discloses the system of claim 9 wherein the one or more fuel cell stacks include solid oxide fuel cells interleaved with conductive interconnects. Paragraph 0057 discloses that the fuel cell stack includes solid oxide with conductive interconnect plates.
With respect to claim 11, COTTULI discloses a system, comprising: a fuel cell power system configured to output a first power signal to a load (fuel cell IT grid system provides power to IT loads); and an energy storage system (energy storage 402) configured to: output a second power signal to the load in case a power level of the first power signal is smaller than a power consumption of the load (paragraph 0090 figure 4 discloses that power storage device 402 provides power to bus 304 and IT load when there is insufficient power from module 12); and store power generated by the fuel cell power system in case the power level of the first power signal is larger than the power consumption of the load (paragraph 0090 discloses that the energy storage 402 stores power generated by the fuel cell).
With respect to claim 13, COTTULI discloses the system of claim 11 wherein the fuel cell power system is configured to: decrease the power level of the first power signal in response to a decrease in the power consumption of the load; and increase the power level of the first power signal in response to an increase in the power consumption of the load. Paragraphs 0005, 0009 discloses that the control device receives electrical power demand signals and control the power modules/fuel cell accordingly.
With respect to claim 14, COTTULI discloses the system of claim 13 wherein the energy storage system outputs the second power signal in case the power level of the first power signal is increased at a first rate and the power consumption of the load is increased at a second rate faster than the first rate, and a power level of the second power signal is set based on a difference between power levels of the power consumption of the load and the first power signal. The control device receives load power demand and controls the power storage device 402 to output power when the load exceeds the power output of the fuel cell, paragraphs 0010, 0030.
With respect to claim 15, COTTULI discloses the system of claim 13 wherein the energy storage system stores the power generated by the fuel cell power system in case the power level of the first power signal is decreased at a first rate and the power consumption of the load is decreased at a second rate faster than the first rate. Paragraphs 0090, 0153 discloses a control unit that receive electrical power demand signals and determines that there is excess power that the energy storage 402 stores.
With respect to claim 18, COTTULI discloses the system of claim 11 wherein the first power signal has a substantially constant power level. Figure 11 discloses maintaining an electrical power output.
With respect to claim 19, COTTULI discloses the system of claim 12 wherein heat energy generated by the fuel cell power system is supplied to an absorption chiller to cool processing systems. Paragraphs 0024, 00075 discloses providing heat to a cooling/HVAC load.
With respect to claim 20, COTTULI discloses the system of claim 16 wherein heat energy generated by the load bank, or the fuel cell power system, or both the load bank and the fuel cell power system is supplied to a steam generator, a thermoelectric generator, a water heater, an absorption chiller, a Rankine cycle device, or a combination thereof. Paragraph 0075 discloses providing power to mechanical loads, HVAC system, electrical/mechanical/thermal power storage.
With respect to claim 21, COTTULI discloses a method, comprising: determining, by a controller (control device 301), a total amount of power on a power bus that connects a fuel cell power system, one or more energy storage systems, and a load to each other (paragraph 0154 discloses that controller 301 sensing the power of the DC power bus 304); detecting, by the controller, a deficit in power on the power bus based on the total amount of power and a power consumption of the load; increasing, by the controller, power on the power bus in response to detecting the deficit (figure 11 discloses in 1108 that there is a deficit in power and increasing the power output); detecting, by the controller, excess power on the power bus based on the total amount of power and the power consumption of the load; and decreasing, by the controller, power on the power bus in response to detecting the excess power (figure 11 discloses reducing the power on the power bus at 1112).
With respect to claim 25, COTTULI discloses the method of claim 21 wherein the increasing of the power on the power bus includes increasing power output from the one or more energy storage systems to the power bus. Paragraph 0090 figure 4 discloses that power storage device 402 provides power to bus 304 and IT load when there is insufficient power from module 12.
With respect to claim 26, COTTULI discloses the method of claim 21 wherein an external grid is connected to the power bus, and the increasing of the power on the power bus includes increasing power output from the external grid to the power bus. Figure 10, paragraph 0158 discloses that the bidirectional DC/AC inverter provides power to the DC bus 304 from an Electrical Utility Grid.
With respect to claim 27, COTTULI discloses the method of claim 21 wherein the increasing of the power on the power bus includes increasing power output from the fuel cell power system to the power bus. Figure 11, paragraph 0158 discloses increasing the electrical power output of the power modules.
With respect to claim 28, COTTULI discloses the method of claim 21 wherein the decreasing of the power on the power bus includes increasing power output from the power bus to the one or more energy storage systems. Paragraph 0090 discloses that the energy storage 402 stores power on the power bus.
With respect to claim 29, COTTULI discloses the method of claim 21 wherein an external grid is connected to the power bus, and the decreasing of the power on the power bus includes increasing power output from the power bus to the external grid. Figure 10, paragraphs 0130, 0145 discloses that the external grid is part of the load balancing and thus receives power from the power bus.
With respect to claim 31, COTTULI discloses the method of claim 21 wherein the decreasing of the power on the power bus includes reducing power output from the fuel cell power system to the power bus. Paragraph 0069 0090 discloses reducing the power output of the power modules and thus decreasing the power on the power bus 304.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 2, 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over COTTULI (US 2021/0349152) in view of Walsh (US 11,962,157).
With respect to claims 2, 22 COTTULI discloses the system of one of the claims; except for, wherein the load includes processing systems for training artificial intelligence models. Note that COTTULI discloses in paragraph 0052 that the IT load comprises data processing and storage.
Walsh discloses controlling power supply to a computing system that requires a high computational workload that uses data processing devices that process Artificial Intelligence (AI), claim 8 and abstract.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention, to have modify COTTULI and include the Artificial Intelligence of Walsh as the data that is process in the IT load, for the purpose of optimizing the power supply from the different power sources based on computational workload, for example (abstract).
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over COTTULI (US 2021/0349152) in view of DONG et al. (US 2021/0218249) (“DONG”).
With respect to claim 7, COTTULI discloses the system of claim 1; except for further comprising: a second energy storage system having slower discharging and charging times than the first energy storage system and greater power capacity than the first energy storage system, the second energy storage system configured to receive a fourth power signal from the fuel cell power system in case the first power level is greater than the power consumption level and the first energy storage system is charged. Note that COTTRULI discloses in figure 4 a plurality of Power storage device 402 that receive power from the fuel cell.
DONG discloses an energy storage system that comprises a first energy storage circuity 1111 and a second energy storage circuitry 1112, the storage system includes a high power density power storage circuitry 1112, figure 1 and paragraph 0063.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention, to have modify COTTRULI and include a second storage circuitry that has a different response than the power storage device 402, for the purpose of controlling either of the energy storage circuitry based on a reference value of the DC bus, for example (paragraph 0013).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. COTTULI et al. (US 2020/0266658) discloses a hybrid power system for data center load, the power generation system includes a fuel cell and power storage devices powering an IT load.
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/CARLOS AMAYA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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