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 .
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.
Response to Amendment
This Office action is responsive to the amendment filed 8 June 2026. Claims 1-11 are pending and are examined.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 3, 4, 9, 11 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Dalal (US 2018 / 0216526).
Regarding claim 1, Dalal teaches a method (Fig. 4) for managing the power transitions between a generation mode 402 and an assistance mode (406 power assist mode) in a turbomachine 204 having a high-pressure shaft 206 driving a high-pressure electric machine 212 and from which a high-pressure power (HP) is taken off (¶20, ¶25) and a low-pressure shaft 208 driving a low- pressure electric machine 222 and from which a low-pressure power is taken off (¶20,¶25), the generation mode corresponding to a predetermined sharing of power between the high-pressure power and the low-pressure power (¶20) and the assistance mode corresponding to a request for injection of an additional power into the high-pressure shaft or the low-pressure shaft (404, 406, power adjustment event leads to power assist operation, ¶18, ¶25), wherein to reach the requested additional power, when the high- or low-pressure power takeoff is interrupted (¶4, transition from power take-off to power assist is an interruption in the power takeoff) and the high- or low-pressure electric machine respectively driving the high- or low-pressure shaft whose takeoff is interrupted enters motor mode (406 power assist mode), the remaining taken-off power from the high- or low-pressure shaft in generator mode is adjusted based on the injected high- or low-pressure power coming from the high- or low-pressure electric machine that has entered motor mode (¶20, During power assist operation , the low pressure spool generator system can have enough capacity (in overload condition, e.g., 150% for 5 minute or 200% for 5 seconds) to carry all its own bus loads , bus loads (all essential plus all or some non-essential loads ) of the high pressure spool, and also provide power for the power assist operation. Power can be managed to remain within high pressure spool and low pressure spool horsepower extraction ratings. ¶21, When the power assist operation is limited to a few seconds , the low pressure spool generator system can be capable of providing this power as an overload condition. Power generator systems can be rated for 150% loads (5 min operation) and 200% loads (5 sec operation )).
Regarding claim 3, Dalal teaches a turbomachine 204 having a high-pressure shaft 206 from which a high-pressure power (HP) is taken off (¶20, ¶25) and a low-pressure shaft 208 from which a low-pressure power is taken off (¶20, ¶25), a control module 600 receiving power setpoints from an ECU (¶25, ¶47, ¶48, ¶54) and power converters (214, 224) associated with high- and low-pressure electric machines (212, 222) respectively mounted on the high- and low-pressure shafts (Fig. 2), a generation mode corresponding to a predetermined sharing of power between the high-pressure power and the low-pressure power (402) and an assistance mode corresponding to the injection of an additional power into the high-pressure shaft or the low-pressure shaft (406), wherein to reach the requested additional power, the control module is configured so that, when the takeoff of high- or low-pressure power is interrupted and the high- or low- pressure electric machine respectively driving the high- or low-pressure shaft whose takeoff is interrupted enters motor mode, the remaining taken-off power from the high- or low-pressure shaft in generator mode is adjusted based on the injected high- or low- pressure power coming from the high- or low-pressure electric machine that has entered motor mode (¶20, During power assist operation, the low pressure spool generator system can have enough capacity (in overload condition, e.g., 150% for 5 minute or 200% for 5 seconds) to carry all its own bus loads , bus loads (all essential plus all or some non-essential loads) of the high pressure spool, and also provide power for the power assist operation. Power can be managed to remain within high pressure spool and low pressure spool horsepower extraction ratings. ¶21, When the power assist operation is limited to a few seconds , the low pressure spool generator system can be capable of providing this power as an overload condition. Power generator systems can be rated for 150% loads (5 min operation) and 200% loads (5 sec operation )).
Regarding claim 4, Dalal teaches the invention as claimed and discussed above and Dalal further teaches the control module further comprises assistance modules configured to add the injected high- or low-pressure power to the remaining taken-off high- or low- pressure power and a selecting module configured to select the taken-off powers coming from the assistance modules (Fig. 3, ¶34-¶36, discusses how main line contactors 316 and 326 and core assist contactor 328 and a bus tie contactor 330 provide assistance modules and selecting modules to route power between the various operations).
Regarding claim 9, Dalal teaches the invention as claimed and discussed above and Dalal further teaches an aeronautical turbomachine such as a hybrid turbofan, a hybrid turboprop or a hybrid helicopter turbomachine (¶22, turbofan and helicopters are described. As engines can receive power from a battery they are hybrids, ¶20.).
Regarding claim 11, Dalal teaches the invention as claimed and discussed above and Dalal further teaches an aeronautical turbomachine (¶22, turbofan and helicopters are described. Fig. 1 shows an airplane).
Regarding claim 12, Dalal teaches the invention as claimed and discussed above and Dalal further teaches the aeronautical turbomachine comprises a hybrid turbofan, a hybrid turboprop or a hybrid helicopter turbomachine (¶22, turbofan and helicopters are described. As engines can receive power from a battery they are hybrids, ¶20.).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 and 5-8 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 8 June 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that Dalal fails to disclose "a remaining taken-off power from the high- or low-pressure shaft in generator mode is adjusted based on an injected high- or low-pressure power coming from the high- or low-pressure electric machine that has entered motor mode," as recited in independent claims 1 and 3. Applicant further argues this recitation requires a direct, real-time causal link where the generator-mode power setpoint is computed as a function of the motor-mode injected power. This is an anticipatory feedforward control mechanism, where the power being extracted from the shaft remaining in generator mode is dynamically adjusted based on the power being injected by the machine that has entered motor mode. Dalal's disclosure of static overload capacity ratings is fundamentally different from the claimed dynamic adjustment.
Applicant appears to be arguing limitations that are not in the claim. The limitation Applicant has argued doesn’t mention any type of computation. The limitation recites an “adjustment” to the power based on an injected high- or low-pressure power coming from the high- or low-pressure electric machine. Dalal teaches an “adjustment.” For example, Dalal teaches in Fig. 4, step 404, determining a power adjustment event associated with the high pressure spool where some amount of power is directed to the high pressure spool in response in step 406. As Dalal specifies various ranges, the amount of power directed is not some fixed amount. Thus, although this point is moot because Applicant’s claim doesn’t require a dynamic calculation, Examiner doesn’t agree that Dalal only teaches a static adjustment.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action (New grounds are related to the new claims. New grounds were not introduced in regards to the previously rejected claims.). 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 DAVID OLYNICK whose telephone number is (571)272-2355. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 7:30 am-5 pm (ET).
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/DAVID P. OLYNICK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3741
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