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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This office action is a response to an application filed on 03/31/2026 in which claims 13-14, 16-19 and 21-24 are pending and ready for examination.
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) 13-14, 16, 18-19, 21 and 23-24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over EP 3944461 A1 (hereinafter EP461) in view of CN 108565872 A (hereinafter CN872) further in view of Cao et al (hereinafter Cao) (US 2022/0026971 A1).
As to claims 13 and 18, EP461 discloses a method for operating a power system having a quick-switch apparatus (Fig 1, parag [0019]) and two power supplies (Fig 1, P1, P2), each of the power supplies being connected to a bus via an incoming line, one of the power supplies that is currently supplying power serves as a main power supply (Fig 1, P1), and another of the power supplies serves as a backup power supply (Fig 1, P2), the quick-switch apparatus being used to trigger switching between the two power supplies, and the bus having three phases (see parag [0019]), which comprises the steps of:
monitoring a phase voltage of each of the phases of the bus (see parag [0024), determining whether there is at least one sound phase among the three phases based on the incoming line).
EP461 does not disclose:
acquiring a rate of decrease of the phase voltage of each of the phases after the main power supply has been disconnected; and
triggering an engagement operation of the backup power supply if the rate of decrease of the phase voltage of each of the phases is less than or equal to a first preset threshold.
However, CN872 discloses acquiring a rate of decrease of the phase voltage of each of the phases after the main power supply has been disconnected; and
triggering an engagement operation of the backup power supply if the rate of decrease of the phase voltage of each of the phases is less than or equal to a first preset threshold (see page 5, last parag). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of EP461 to include the teachings as taught by CN872 in order to improve the switching of the apparatus.
The combination of EP461 and CN872 does not disclose determining that there is a fault connected to the bus if rates of decrease of the phase voltages are all greater than the first preset threshold and, when a fault is determined, prohibiting the engagement operation of the backup power supply.
However, Cao discloses determining that there is a fault connected to the bus if rates of decrease of the phase voltages are all greater than the first preset threshold and, when a fault is determined, prohibiting the engagement operation of the backup power supply (see parags [0116-0117]). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the apparatus of EP461 and CN872 to include the teachings as taught by Cao in order to connect/disconnect the back up power supply when faulty occurred.
As to claims 14 and 19, the combination of EP461, CN872 and Cao does not disclose the method according to claim 13, wherein the step of acquiring the rate of decrease of the phase voltage of each of the phases further comprises: determining the rate of decrease of the phase voltage of each of the phases according to a following formula: dU/dt = U(n) - U(n - 2T),wherein: dU/dt represents the rate of decrease of the phase voltage, U(n) represents a value of an nth sampling point of the phase voltage, U(n - 2T) represents a value of a (n - 2T)th sampling point of the phase voltage, and T represents a period of the phase voltage; or said dU/dt represents the rate of decrease of the phase voltage, said U(n) represents the nth amplitude of the phase voltage, said U(n - 2T) represents the (n - 2T)th amplitude of the phase voltage, and T represents the period of the phase voltage.
The combination of EP461 and CN872 does disclose dU/dt represents the rate of decrease of the phase voltage (CN872, page 5, last parag). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the apparatus of EP461 and CN872 to obtain the formula du/dt = U(n) - U(n - 2T) in order to calculate the rate of decrease of the phase voltage, since it seems obvious to subtract two values to determine the rate of change, and also involves only routine skills in the art.
As to claims 16 and 21, the combination of EP461, CN872 and Cao discloses the method according to claim 13, wherein, after the engagement operation of the backup power supply is prohibited, the method further comprises: unlocking a prohibition of the engagement operation of the backup power supply if it is judged that the phase voltage on each of the phases exhibits a rising trend (CN872, page 5, last parag, when the rate of decrease is less than or equal the first preset threshold, the backup power supply is engaged).
As to claim 23, the combination of EP461, CN872 and Cao discloses a quick-switch apparatus, comprising: at least one memory for storing instructions (EP461, see parag [0014]); and
at least one processor (EP461, see parag [0014]) for executing the method for operating the power system having the quick-switch apparatus according to claim 13 according to the instructions stored in said at least one memory.
As to claim 24, the combination of EP461, CN872 and Cao discloses a readable non-transitory storage medium storing machine- readable instructions (see parags [0014-0015]), and when the machine-readable instructions are executed by a machine, the machine executes the method for operating the power system having the quick-switch apparatus according to claim 13.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 17 and 22 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
As to claim 17, the cited prior art alone or in combination fail to disclose:
“judging whether a negative sequence voltage occurs on the bus; acquiring a ratio of the negative sequence voltage to a positive sequence voltage of the bus if a judgment result is positive; monitoring whether a process of variation of the ratio of the negative sequence voltage to the positive sequence voltage is greater than or equal to a second preset threshold and the negative sequence voltage is less than or equal to a third preset threshold, and if a first monitoring result is positive, determining that a phase-to-phase fault of the bus has disappeared; or judging whether a zero sequence voltage occurs on the bus; acquiring a ratio of the zero sequence voltage to the positive sequence voltage of the bus if a judgment result is positive; and monitoring whether a process of variation of the ratio of the zero sequence voltage to the positive sequence voltage is greater than or equal to a fourth preset threshold and the zero sequence voltage is less than or equal to a fifth preset threshold, and if a second monitoring result is positive, determining that a ground fault of the bus has disappeared”.
As to claim 22, the cited prior art alone or in combination fail to disclose:
“wherein said judgment unit is further used to judge whether a negative sequence voltage occurs on the bus, and if a second judgment result is positive, trigger said second acquisition unit; wherein said second acquisition unit is used to acquire a ratio of the negative sequence voltage to a positive sequence voltage of the bus; further comprising a second monitoring unit for monitoring whether a process of variation of the ratio of the negative sequence voltage to the positive sequence voltage is greater than or equal to a second preset threshold and the negative sequence voltage is less than or equal to a third preset threshold, and if a first monitoring result is positive, determining that a phase-to-phase fault of the bus has disappeared; or wherein said judgment unit is further used to judge whether a negative/zero sequence voltage occurs on the bus, and if a third judgment result is positive, trigger said second acquisition unit; said second acquisition unit is used to acquire a ratio of the zero sequence voltage to the positive sequence voltage of the bus; said second monitoring unit is used for monitoring whether a process of variation of the ratio of the zero sequence voltage to the positive sequence voltage is greater than or equal to a fourth preset threshold and the zero sequence voltage is less than or equal to a fifth preset threshold, and if a second monitoring result is positive, determining that a ground fault of the bus has disappeared”.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 10-19, filed 03/31/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 13 and 18 under 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of EP461, CN872 and Cao et al.
Conclusion
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 DUC M PHAM whose telephone number is (571)272-5026. The examiner can normally be reached 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Monday to Friday.
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/DUC M PHAM/Examiner, Art Unit 2836 August 17, 2026
/TAELOR KIM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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