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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 07/22/2025 and 11/20/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-2, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li (CN117791827) in view of May (US 2006/0139819).
Regarding claim 1, Li teaches A power conversion device (see figure 2), comprising: a positive power terminal (fig. 2@ upper "N" in figure 2); a negative power terminal (inherently preset for battery pack 10a in figure 2); a first output circuit (fig. 2@ transmission circuit 20a); a second output circuit (fig. 2@ transmission circuit 20b), coupled in parallel with the first output circuit (20a); a control switch (fig. 2@ shunt switch 50), coupled between the external power terminal and the positive power terminal (upper N); a battery module (fig. 2@ battery pack 10b), coupled between the positive power terminal and the negative power terminal and configured to provide a battery power (10b) to the positive power terminal (see figure 2); a first conversion circuit (fig. 2@ conversion module 30a), coupled to the external power terminal (upper N), the negative power terminal, and the first output circuit (20a); and a second conversion circuit (fig. 2@ conversion module 30b), coupled to the battery module (10b), the positive power terminal (lower N), the negative power terminal, and the second output circuit (20b), wherein when an external power at the external power terminal (upper N) is insufficient, the control switch (50) is turned on (see figure 2), so that the first conversion circuit (30a) is coupled in parallel with the second conversion circuit (30b), the battery module (10b), the first conversion circuit (30a), and the first output circuit (20a) form a first power loop during a first period, and the battery module (10b) and the second conversion circuit (30b) form a second power loop during the first period (see figure 2 and par. [n0039-n0045]).
However, Li does not explicitly teaches an external power terminal.
May teaches an external power terminal (fig. 1@ a non-battery power source 26) is used together with a battery (fig. 1@ battery 24).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Li with the teachings of May by having an external power terminal in order to provide an advantage that the energy in the battery last much longer, when an external power source is present an power is used from the external source.
Regarding claim 2, the combination teaches wherein when the external power (non-battery power source 26; May) is sufficient, the control switch is turned off (see par. [0086]; Li).
Regarding claim 16, the combination teaches when a power of the external power (10a) is sufficient and less than a power required by a load, the first conversion circuit (30a) provides a first power according to the external power (10a), and the second conversion circuit (30b) provides a second power according to the battery power (10b), (see figure 2; Li).
Claims 3 and 12-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li (CN117791827) in view of May (US 2006/0139819) and further in view of Krein (US 2005/0286277).
Regarding claim 3, the combination teaches the power conversion device above, but does not explicitly teach wherein when the external power is insufficient: the battery module and the first conversion circuit form a third power loop during a second period, the battery module, the second conversion circuit, and the second output circuit form a fourth power loop during the second period, wherein the second period and the first period alternate with each other.
Krein teaches when the external power is insufficient: the battery module and the first conversion circuit form a third power loop during a second period, the battery module, the second conversion circuit, and the second output circuit form a fourth power loop during the second period, wherein the second period and the first period alternate with each other (see figures 8 and par. [0019] and [0028-0029], alternating operation of the first and second converter).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Li and May with the teachings of Krein by having when the external power is insufficient: the battery module and the first conversion circuit form a third power loop during a second period, the battery module, the second conversion circuit, and the second output circuit form a fourth power loop during the second period, wherein the second period and the first period alternate with each other in order to enable the system to dynamically share the load and regulate voltage. By continuously alternating power paths, it prevents hardware burnout, reduces thermal stress, and delivers stable, continuous power to the load even when the primary external source fails to meet demand.
Regarding claim 12, the combination teaches wherein during the first period: the first conversion circuit (30a) provides a first power according to the battery power (10b), and the first output circuit (20a) stores the first power, and provides a first output power according to the first power (see figure 2 and par. [n0039-n0045]; Li).
Regarding claim 13, the combination teaches wherein during the second period: the first output circuit (20a) provides the first output power according to a power stored during the first period (see figure 2 and par. [n0039-n0045]; Li).
Regarding claim 14, the combination teaches wherein during the second period: the second conversion circuit (30b) provides a second power according to the battery power (10b), and the second output circuit (20b) stores the second power, and provides a second output power according to the second power (see figure 2 and par. [n0039-n0045]; Li).
Regarding claim 15, the combination teaches wherein during the first period: the second output circuit (20b) provides the second output power according to a power stored during the second period (see figure 2 and par. [n0039-n0045]; Li).
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li (CN117791827) in view of May (US 2006/0139819) and further in view of Brombach (US 2021/0050728).
Regarding claim 17, the combination teaches the power conversion device above, but does not explicitly teach wherein the external power is generated by a renewable energy.
Brombach teaches the external power (fig. 3@ 204) is generated by a renewable energy (see figure 3 and par. [0079], a photovoltaic installation 204).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Li and May with the teachings of Brombach by having the external power is generated by a renewable energy in order to eliminates greenhouse gas emissions to help mitigate climate change, relies on naturally replenished resources for long-term supply security, and can protect consumers from the volatile price swings of imported fossil.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-11 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to XUAN LY whose telephone number is (571)272-9885. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Rexford Barnie can be reached at 571-272-7492. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/XUAN LY/Examiner, Art Unit 2836
/REXFORD N BARNIE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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