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 § 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 10-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Rajapakse et al (US 2021/0382103).
Regarding claim 10, Rajapakse teaches a bipole power transmission network (see fig. 1B), comprising: a first converter station (see left MMCs) positioned in-use remote from a second converter station (see right MMCs ) and having first and second power converters (see top and bottom MMCs); first and second transmission conduits (see Ip1, Ip2 and In1, In2 respectively) and a return conduit (see Ir1, Ir2) to in-use interconnect the first converter station with the second converter station and thereby permit the transfer of power between the first and second converter stations, the first transmission conduit (see Ip1, Ip2) extending from the first power converter whereby at least the first power converter and the first transmission conduit together define a first transmission pole (see positive pole), the second transmission conduit extending from the second power converter whereby at least the second power converter and the second transmission conduit together define a second transmission pole, and each conduit having a current sensor associated therewith to measure the current flowing therein (see claim 6); and a controller(see fig. 6) arranged in operative communication with each current sensor to receive current flow information from each current sensor, the controller being programmed to identify a faulty first or second transmission pole by: interrogating the current flow information received from each current sensor to establish whether the current flowing in a respective conduit has changed in a first direction or a second direction opposite the first direction; and identifying a faulty first or second transmission pole according to a predefined relationship between the changes in current flow direction in the respective conduits (see fig. 6 and para 0025).
Regarding claim 11, Rajapakse teaches wherein a first predefined relationship between the changes in current flow direction in the respective conduits is the current flowing in each of the second transmission conduit and the return conduit changing in the second direction, the controller identifying a faulty first transmission pole in the event of such a first predefined relationship arising (see para 0304-0315).
Regarding claim 12 Rajapakse teaches wherein a second predefined relationship between the changes in current flow direction in the respective conduits is the current flowing in each of the first transmission conduit and the return conduit changing in the first direction, the controller identifying a faulty second transmission pole in the event of such a second predefined relationship arising (see para 0304-0315).
Regarding claim 13, Rajapakse teaches wherein the controller is additionally programmed only to begin interrogating the current flow information received from each current sensor in the event of a predetermined change in the current flowing in one or other of the first and second transmission conduits (see para 0304-0315).
Regarding claim 14, Rajapakse teaches wherein the predetermined change in the current flowing in one or other of the first and second transmission conduits is one or both of: an increase in the rate of change of current flowing above a pre-set threshold; and an increase in the absolute magnitude of current flowing above a pre-set threshold (see para 0232, Fig. 35).
Regarding claim 15, Rajapakse teaches additionally having an earthed end at one or other of the first and second converter stations, wherein the controller is additionally programmed, when interrogating the current flow information received from the current sensor associated with the return conduit, to consider a sum of current flowing in the return conduit and any ground current flowing at the earthed end, and thereafter is still further additionally programmed to: identify a faulty first transmission pole when the sum of current flowing in the return conduit and any ground current flowing at the earthed end changes in the second direction; and identifying a faulty second transmission pole when the sum of current flowing in the return conduit and any ground current flowing at the earthed end changes in the first direction (see para 0232, Fig. 35).
Regarding claim 16, Rajapakse teaches wherein the controller is additionally programmed to determine the type of fault identified in a faulty first or second transmission pole by additionally considering the change in current flow direction in the transmission conduit within the faulty first or second transmission pole (see para 0232, Fig. 35).
Regarding claim 17, Rajapakse teaches in the event of a faulty first transmission pole being identified the controller is additionally programmed to determine a forward fault has occurred if the current flowing in the first transmission conduit changes in the first direction, or to determine a reverse fault has occurred if the current flowing in the first transmission conduit changes in the second direction; and in the event of a faulty second transmission pole being identified the controller is additionally programmed to determine a forward fault has occurred if the current flowing in the second transmission conduit changes in the second direction, or to determine a reverse fault has occurred if the current flowing in the second transmission conduit changes in the first direction (see para 0232, Fig. 35).
Regarding claim 18, Rajapakse teaches a method of operating a bipole power transmission network, comprising a first converter station positioned in-use remote from a second converter station and having first and second power converters, first and second transmission conduits, and a return conduit to in- use interconnect the first converter station with the second converter station and thereby permit the transfer of power between the first and second converter stations, the first transmission conduit extending from the first power converter whereby at least the first power converter and the first transmission conduit together define a first transmission pole, the second transmission conduit extending from the second power converter whereby at least the second power converter and the second transmission conduit together define a second transmission pole, and each conduit having a current sensor associated therewith to measure the current flowing therein, and the bipole power transmission scheme further comprising a controller arranged in operative communication with each current sensor to receive current flow information from each current sensor, the method of the invention comprising the steps of having the controller: interrogate the current flow information received from each current sensor to establish whether the current flowing in a respective conduit has changed in a first direction or a second direction opposite the first direction; and identify a faulty first or second transmission pole according to a predefined relationship between the changes in current flow direction in the respective conduits (Please see the rejection of claim 10).
Conclusion
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/ELIM ORTIZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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