DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to the application filed on 03/31/2025.
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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-6 and 8 are objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 1 recites “for converting said DC power into AC power for use by said power grid” it appears this should be “for converting said DC power into said AC power for use by AC said power grid”. Claims 2, 3 and 8 line 8 “voltages of said flying capacitor” should be “said voltages of said flying capacitors”. Claims 4 and 5 lines 11-13 “each flying capacitor is coupled between a first coupling point and a second coupling point in said chain of circuit element modules and each of said flying capacitor and each pair of circuit element modules are arranged in said chain” it appears this should be “each of said flying capacitor is coupled between a first coupling point and a second coupling point in said chain of circuit element modules and each of said flying capacitor and each pair of said circuit element modules are arranged in said chain”. Claim 5 lines 20 and 22 “a first coupling point” and “a second coupling point” it appears this should be “the first coupling point” and “the second coupling point”. Claim 6 line 5 “an energy storage subsystem” this should be “the energy storage subsystem”. Claim 6 recites “a DC/AC inverter receiving high voltage DC power from said high voltage DC/DC converter, said DC/AC inverter being for converting said high voltage DC power from said high voltage DC/DC converter into AC power suitable for use with said AC power grid, said DC/AC inverter being coupled between said high voltage DC/DC converter and said grid” it appears this should be “a DC/AC inverter receiving high voltage DC power from said bi-directional high voltage DC/DC converter, said DC/AC inverter being for converting said high voltage DC power from said bi-directional high voltage DC/DC converter into said AC power suitable for use with said AC power grid, said DC/AC inverter being coupled between said bi-directional high voltage DC/DC converter and said AC power grid”. Appropriate correction is required. Examiner’s Note: Due to numerous informalities issues present in the claims the applicant cooperation is requested for review of the claims.
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.
Claims 1-5 and 8 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 line 7 recites “for receiving DC power” it is not clear if this DC power is the same or different from the DC power mentioned in line 1 of claim 1 because this one is sent to the inverter as an input. For purposes of examination the limitations are going to be interpreted as different DC power.
Claims 3 and 8 line 2 recites “incoming DC power into AC output power”. First it is not clear if this DC power is different or the same from the other two DC powers mentioned in claim 1. Second, it is not clear if the AC output power is the same or different from the AC power output by the system of claim 1. For purposes of examination the limitations are going to be interpreted as any of the ones mentioned above.
Claim 5 line 14 “a second coupling point in said chain” it is not clear to which chain is the applicant referring to because claim 5 mentions that there is two chains (first and second chains). For purposes of examination the limitations are going to be interpreted as either one of the chains.
Claims 2 and 4 are also rejected to under 35 U.S.C. 112(b), for being dependent on a rejected claim under 35 U.S.C. 112(b).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sabripour US 2015/0130281.
Regarding Claim 6, Sabripour teaches (Figures 6) a system (600) for converting DC power to AC power suitable for an AC power grid (from 304 to 518), said DC power coming from either at least one PV panel (PV Cells) or an energy storage subsystem, the system comprising: - a DC/DC low voltage converter (604 and 606) for producing output DC power from received from at least one PV panel (at 304), said output DC power being for charging an energy storage subsystem (510); - a bi-directional high voltage DC/DC converter (608) for converting low voltage DC power from said energy storage subsystem into high voltage DC power (with 608), said high voltage DC/DC converter being coupled to said energy storage subsystem (see fig. 6); - a DC/AC inverter (610) receiving high voltage DC power from said high voltage DC/DC converter (608), said DC/AC inverter being for converting said high voltage DC power from said high voltage DC/DC converter into AC power suitable for use with said AC power grid (sent to 518), said DC/AC inverter being coupled between said high voltage DC/DC converter (608) and said grid (at 518); and - a control system (602) for controlling parameters across components of said system. (For Example: Par. 38-39)
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) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sabripour in view of Xue CN 104092393.
Regarding Claim 7, Sabripour teaches (Figures 6) the system.
Sabripour does not teach wherein said DC/AC inverter converter is based on differential geometry such that capacitor voltages for capacitors in said DC/AC inverter converge to nominal values as operating conditions of said system changes.
Xue teaches (Figures 1-3) wherein said DC/AC inverter converter (12) is based on differential geometry (par. 7-12) such that capacitor voltages (Uc) for capacitors (C1-c2) in said DC/AC inverter converge to nominal values as operating conditions of said system changes. (For Example: Par. 33-45 and claim 1)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the circuit of Sabripour to include wherein said DC/AC inverter converter is based on differential geometry such that capacitor voltages for capacitors in said DC/AC inverter converge to nominal values as operating conditions of said system changes, as taught by Xue so that the output voltage fluctuation range is not large.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pahlevaninezhad US 2016/0372926 (herein, Pah) in view of Xue CN 104092393.
Regarding Claim 1, Pah teaches (Figures 3-5) A system (10) for converting DC power (40a-40d) to AC power suitable (from 30) for an AC power grid (grid), said DC power coming from either at least one PV panel (40a-40d) or an energy storage subsystem, the system comprising:" a plurality of DC/DC converters (20a-20d), each of said plurality of DC/DC converters being for receiving DC power from at least one PV panel (see fig. 3) and for performing maximum power point tracking (310 at fig. 5) for said at least one PV panel; a DC/AC inverter (30) for receiving DC power from said plurality of DC/DC converters (input of 30) and for converting said DC power into AC power (from 30) for use by said power grid (40); a controller (60-70) for controlling said DC/AC inverter and for coordinating and controlling said plurality of DC/DC converters (see fig. 3). (For Example: Par. 47-50 and 64-65)
Pah does not teach a differential geometry controller for controlling said DC/AC inverter.
Xue teaches (Figures 1-3) a differential geometry controller (with 2-4) for controlling said DC/AC inverter (12). (For Example: Par. 33-45 and claim 1)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the circuit of Sabripour to include a differential geometry controller for controlling said DC/AC inverter, as taught by Xue so that the output voltage fluctuation range is not large.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-5 and 8 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GUSTAVO A ROSARIO-BENITEZ whose telephone number is (571)270-7888. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9AM-5PM.
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/GUSTAVO A ROSARIO-BENITEZ/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
