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 the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
Claims 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
The amendment filed 07/08/26 includes the limitation “measuring a residual power offset that remains after dispatching the first power set points to the first set of the one or more authorised power units”. On page 6 of the Applicant’s response, the Applicant points to page 21, lines 24-28 of the original specification for alleged support for the claim amendments to claim 1.
Page 21, lines 24-28 of the original specification reads:
“In other words, the PPC 34 may be configured to select as many of the highest-ranking power units 22, 24, 25 as possible, to provide the respective deliverable power offset, without the cumulative power offset exceeding the plant offset power request, and determine respective set points for the remaining authorised power units 22, 24, 25 to satisfy any outstanding power shortage.”
This passage does not provide support for the “measuring a residual power offset” limitation added to claim 1 in the response filed 07/08/26. This limitation is not supported at all in the original specification.
Because this limitation is not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention, this limitation is considered new matter and claims 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) as failing to comply with the written description requirement.
This limitation is not being examined on the merits at this time.
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.
Claims 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Claessens et al. (US 2022/0190599; “Claessens”; reference of record).
Regarding claim 1, Claessens teaches a method of controlling a renewable energy power plant (connected assets; para. [0064]) to provide frequency regulation for a power network (grid; para. [0064]), to which the power plant is connected, the power plant comprising a plurality of power units (“assets”) operable to provide upregulation or downregulation (“consuming excess demand form the grid and supplying excess generating capacity to the grid”; para. [0064]) of the power network, and the method comprising:
receiving a measured frequency level of the power network (para. [0115]) indicative of a frequency deviation within a frequency contingency deadband of the power network (“tolerable range of frequency deviation”; para. [0116]);
identifying a sub-band of the frequency deviation, from amongst a plurality of sub- bands within the frequency contingency deadband, based on the measured frequency level (The assets operate in different parts of the determined operating frequency spectrum. Para. [0067], [0081], [0083]);
identifying one or more power units authorized for at least one frequency regulation service within the identified sub-band (Para. [0067], [0081], [0083]);
determining a deliverable power offset from a baseline power level for each authorized power unit, the deliverable power offset being based, in part, on the at least one authorized frequency regulation service (Para. [0074] teaches controller 102 increasing/decreasing power levels of assets A and B.); and
determining and dispatching power set points to the one or more authorized power units to satisfy a plant power offset request for the measured frequency level (Para. [0074] teaches controller 102 increasing/decreasing power levels of assets A and B.), wherein determining the power set points comprises:
determining first power set points for a first set of the one or more authorized power units such that a cumulative power offset of the first set of the one or more authorized power units is less than the offset request (Claessens teaches against frequency compensation if the compensation is too high. Para. [0127]), and
determining second power set points for a second set of the one or more authorized power units based on a residual power offset (Para. [0076] teaches controlling only the assets required for the frequency compensation. Para. [0125] teaches assets compensating for limitations of other assets.).
As for claim 2, Claessens teaches wherein determining the first power set points further comprises determining the deliverable power offset for the one or more authorized power units based on a minimum of: a prescribed power offset for the one or more authorized power units, the prescribed power offset being based on the at least one authorized frequency regulation service and the measured frequency level (Para. [0081] and [0092] teach the assets having preconfigured response functions.); and
a possible power offset for the one or more authorized power units, the possible power offset being a difference between the baseline power level for the one or more authorized power units and an upper or lower limit of available power for the one or more authorized power units (The assets have individual power limitations. Para. [0125], [0133]).
As for claim 3, Claessens teaches wherein the one or more authorized power units (assets) is authorized for one or more of a plurality of frequency regulation services, each frequency regulation service being associated with prescribed power offsets for respective frequency levels within one or more of the plurality of sub-bands (Para. [0067], [0083], and [0092] teach the assets operating in different frequency bands with preconfigured response functions.).
Regarding claim 4, Claessens teaches wherein the plurality of frequency regulation services include one or more of:
a Frequency Containment Reserve for Normal Operation (FCR-N) in response to frequency deviations below a nominal frequency level (50 Hz) of the power network (para. [0099]);
a FCR-N in response to frequency deviations above the nominal frequency level (50 Hz; para. [0099]);
a Frequency Containment Reserve for Disturbances (FCR-D) in response to frequency deviations below the nominal frequency level (50 Hz; para. [0116]); or
a FCR-D in response to frequency deviations above the nominal frequency level (50 Hz; para. [0116]).
As for claim 5, Claessens teaches wherein each frequency regulation service is associated with a respective Power-frequency (P-f) curve; and wherein the method further comprises determining the prescribed power offset for the one or more authorized power units based on the P-f curve associated with the at least one authorized frequency regulation service (Para. [0036] and [0080] teach the power-frequency curve of Claessens being either linear or non-linear).
As for claim 6, Claessens teaches wherein each of the FCR-N and FCR-D frequency regulation services is associated with a respective P-f offset curve (Para. [0036] and [0080] teach the power-frequency curve of Claessens being either linear or non-linear) from a baseline power level in a respective sub-band of the frequency contingency deadband (The assets operate in different parts of the determined operating frequency spectrum. Para. [0067], [0081], [0083]).
Regarding claim 7, Claessens teaches wherein combinations of the FCR-N or FCR-D frequency regulation services are associated with respective P-f curves, the respective P-f curves being determined by summing the respective P-f offset curves of the combined FCR-N or FCR-D frequency regulation services (Para. [0034]-[0036], [0083], [0141] teach aggregating asset P-f responses.).
As for claim 8, Claessens teaches wherein the one or more authorized power units are authorized for the one or more frequency regulation services for a respective service period (Para. [0070], [0099] teach time limits of asset response.).
Regarding claim 9, Claessens teaches determining the prescribed power offset for the one or more authorized power units (asset) based on a respective agreed maximum contribution to the at least one authorized frequency regulation service (Para. [0068] teaches maximum output capacities of assets.).
Regarding claim 10, Claessens teaches wherein the maximum contribution to the at least one authorized frequency regulation service is agreed for a prescribed service period (Para. [0068] teaches maximum output capacities of assets. Para. [0070], [0099] teach time limits of asset response.).
As for claim 11, Claessens teaches determining the possible power offset for the one or more authorized power units based on the baseline power level for the one or more authorized power units and the upper or lower limit of available power for the one or more authorized power units (Para. [0068] teaches maximum output capacities of assets.).
Regarding claim 12, Claessens teaches wherein determining the first power set points further comprises: ranking the one or more authorized power units in a priority list based on the deliverable power offset determined for each authorized power unit; and selecting the 1 to M highest ranked power units, where M is a positive integer (Para. [0068] teaches ranking assets including a battery and a generator.).
As for claim 13, Claessens teaches wherein M is a maximum positive integer for ensuring that the cumulative power offset of the first set of the one or more power units is less than or equal to the plant power offset request (Claessens teaches against frequency compensation if the compensation is too high. Para. [0127]).
As for claim 14, Claessens teaches wherein the plurality of power units (assets) include:
one or more renewable energy generators (wind, solar; para. [0064]);
one or more energy stores (battery; para. [0064]); or
one or more energy consumers (factory, machine, vehicle; para. [0064]).
Regarding claim 15, Claessens teaches a power plant controller (controller 102) configured to perform the method of claim 1.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 LEVI GANNON whose telephone number is (571)272-7971. The examiner can normally be reached 7:00AM-4:30PM.
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/LEVI GANNON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836 July 20, 2026
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