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 09/18/2025 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 Objections
Claims 2, 14, and 18 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 2, 14, and 18, recite the term “and/or” is confusing and unclear. It is unclear whether “and” or “or” is intended and it is noted that the two terms (“and” and “or”) have different meanings making it imperative to know which term is intended in order to understand the metes and bounds of the claim. Applicant is advised to select EITHER “and” or “or”, but not both. The claim will be examined as best understood wherein “and/or” is taken to mean “or”.
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 1-5, 7, 9-11, 13-16, and 18-19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being participated by Huang et al. (US 2022/0269325).
Regarding claim 1, Huang teaches An energy storage valve submodule (see figures 4-5 and 8; fig. 4@ 400), comprising an energy storage module (fig. 4@ 401) and a load (fig. 4@ Load); wherein: the load (Load) is electrically connected to the energy storage module (401); and the load (Load) is further electrically connected to another energy storage valve submodule (fig. 4@ 402).
Regarding claim 2, Huang teaches wherein the energy storage module is provided in one the energy storage module (fig. 4@ First energy storage unit).
Regarding claim 3, Huang teaches wherein: the energy storage valve submodule (401) comprises a first power conversion module (fig. 4@ First DC/DC converter); and the first power conversion module (First DC/DC converter) is connected to the energy storage module via a main direct current bus (see figure 4), and the load (Load) is connected to the first power conversion module (First DC/DC converter).
Regarding claim 4, Huang teaches wherein: the energy storage valve submodule (401) further comprises a first local direct current bus (fig. 4@ Bus tie switch unit 403); and the first local direct current bus (403) is connected to the first power conversion module (First DC/DC converter), (see figure 4).
Regarding claim 5, Huang teaches further comprising: a first output direct current bus (fig. 4: output of DC bus from First switch unit); wherein the first output direct current bus (output of DC bus from First switch unit) is connected to the first power conversion module (First DC/DC converter), (see figure 4).
Regarding claim 7, Huang teaches wherein the first power conversion module (First DC/DC converter) is disposed in a busbar cabinet (see figure 4).
Regarding claim 9, Huang teaches further comprising: a first output direct current bus (see figures 3-4: an output from 301; par. [0054]; “the solid-state transformer 301 is configured to convert an alternating current input to the power supply apparatus into a first direct current”); wherein the first output direct current bus is connected to a main direct current bus and another energy storage valve submodule (see figure 4).
Regarding claim 10, Huang teaches further comprising: a first standby direct current bus (see figure 4: DC buses are connected from 401, 402 to Load); wherein the load (Load) is connected to another energy storage valve submodule (401, 402) via the first standby direct current bus (see figure 4).
Regarding claim 11, Huang teaches wherein the first standby direct current bus (DC buses are connected from 401, 402 to Load) is provided in plurality, and the plurality of first standby direct current buses are connected to a plurality of another energy storage valve submodules (402) and the load (Load), (see figures 4 and 8).
Regarding claim 13, Huang teaches further comprising: a first power module (401); wherein the first power module (401) is connected between the energy storage module (First energy storage unit) and a power grid (see par. [0055], “power supply in a power grid”) and is configured to perform charge-discharge switching (fig. 4@ First solid-state transformer) for the energy storage module (First energy storage unit), (see figure 4).
Regarding claim 14, Huang teaches further comprising: a power supply module (fig. 5@ SST1); wherein: the power supply module (SST1) is connected between the load (Load) and the energy storage module (Battery 1).
Regarding claim 15, Huang teaches wherein the energy storage modules (First energy storage unit and Second energy storage unit) are disposed in respective electrical cabinets (see figure 4).
Regarding claim 16, Huang teaches further comprising: a plurality of first power conversion units (fig. 4@ First DC/DC converter, Second DC/DC converter, Third DC/DC converter, Fourth DC/DC converter); wherein: the energy storage module is provided in plurality and the plurality of energy storage modules (First energy storage unit, Second energy storage unit) are connected to the plurality of first power conversion units (First DC/DC converter, Second DC/DC converter, Third DC/DC converter, Fourth DC/DC converter); and the load (Load) is electrically connected to the plurality of first power conversion units (First DC/DC converter, Second DC/DC converter, Third DC/DC converter, Fourth DC/DC converter), (see figure 4).
Regarding claim 18, Huang teaches wherein the load (Load) comprises a control circuit and/or a switch (fig. 4@ First switch unit, Second switch unit and 403).
Regarding claim 19, Huang teaches An energy storage station (fig. 4@ power supply system 400), comprising the energy storage valve submodule (401), (see figure 4).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6, 8, 12, and 17 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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