DETAILED ACTION
Claim 1 is pending. Claim 1 is amended.
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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter.
The claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more.
Claim 1 recites a reservoir ecological operation method integrating ecological flow process and water temperature process requirements of fish species, comprising the following steps: (1) establishing a habitat model for a target fish species and deducing an ecological flow process of a lift history of the target fish species; … (2) calculating a critical spawning water temperature threshold and a critical gonadal development accumulated temperature threshold of the target fish species based on historical river water temperature data before dam construction, and calculating a critical spawning water temperature threshold and a critical gonadal development accumulated temperature threshold of the target fish species under an influence of current reservoir operation regulations based on river water temperature data after the dam construction; … (3) establishing a multi-objective reservoir operation model orienting to needs of the ecological flow process throughout a life history of the target fish species to obtain flow process and water level after the optimized reservoir operation by at least determining a power generation flow of an ith hydropower station and an outflow of an ith reservoir; … (4) coupling a water temperature model based on the multi-objective reservoir operation model orienting to needs of the ecological flow process to establish a multi-objective reservoir ecological operation model integrating both the ecological flow process and the water temperature process, and calculating reservoir outflow water temperatures before and after the optimized reservoir operation;… (5) calculating an improvement difference between the critical water temperature threshold and the accumulated temperature threshold of the target fish species on arrival dates after reservoir ecological operation and those before the optimized reservoir operation, as well as a difference between the critical water temperature threshold and the accumulated temperature threshold of the target fish species after the reservoir ecological operation and those in an ideal state of the river before the darn construction…
and thus grouped as Mathematical concepts – mathematical relationships, mathematical formulas or equations, mathematical calculations.
These judicial exceptions are not integrated into a practical application nor do they include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception.
Additionally, sub-step limitations, 1.1-1.8, 2.1-2.3, 3.1-3.3, 4.1-4.8, and 5.1-5.3 when analyzed as a whole are patent ineligible under 35 U.S.C. §101 because the limitations fail to establish that the claims are not directed to an abstract idea as they are directed mathematical concepts and/or mental processes and do not add significantly more to the abstract idea.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 1 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 101 set forth in this Office action.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Claim 1 is considered to be allowable over the cited prior art because none of the cited prior art teaches or suggests, in combination with the other claimed limitations, (3) establishing a multi-objective reservoir operation model orienting to needs of the ecological flow process throughout a life history of the target fish species to obtain flow process and water level after the optimized reservoir operation … the step (3) specifically comprises the following sub-steps: (3.1) taking maximum power generation, highest satisfaction rate of ecological flow of the target fish species, highest water supply satisfaction rate, and longest suitable navigation period as objective functions of the multi-objective reservoir operation model … (3.2) determining constraint conditions of the multi-objective reservoir operation model, wherein the constraint conditions comprise reservoir water level constraint, reservoir capacity constraint, power output constraint, outflow constraint, and variable non-negative constraint… (3.3) optimizing and solving the multi-objective reservoir operation model orienting to needs of the ecological flow process based on a third-generation non-dominated genetic algorithm (NSGA-III); and iteration stops when an objective function value does not update any longer with an increase in the number of iterations, such that an optimized flow process and water level for the reservoir are obtained…
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 08/31/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues, “the newly recited features of claim 1 are not a mere mathematical optimization, but rather an actionable process applied to control the operations (i.e. power generation flow and the outflow of the ith reservoir) of a physical reservoir, constituting a practical application,” (see page 19, last paragraph of the response) (see page 1, last paragraph of the response).
In response, the Examiner disagrees and indicates the newly added limitations, “by at least determining a power generation flow of an ith hydropower station and an outflow of an ith reservoir,” does not necessarily provide a positive recitation of an action of controlling the flow process and the water level of the reservoir. At most, a determination is made of a generation flow “value” and an outflow “value”; nothing of which is controlling the operations of the reservoir. The generation flow “value” and an outflow “value” are used for optimizing and solving the multi-objective reservoir operation model (see step 3 and substeps 3.1-3.3). Processing data and optimizing data in better form fall under data processing information, organizing information, and comparison analysis and is considered an abstract idea.
Relevant Prior Art / Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Hu et al. (US Patent Application Publication 2018/0024514 A1) discloses a method for management and optimization of hydropower generation and consumption;
CUMPLIDO MATESANZ (US Patent Application Publication 2011/0064522 A1) discloses a system and method for reducing the downstream environmental impact of water extracted from a hydraulic dam.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICKY GO whose telephone number is (571)270-3340. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Arleen M. Vazquez can be reached on (571) 272-2619. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RICKY GO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2857