Application No. 17/297,954
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`Docket No.: 091478-0442
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`Introduction
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`REMARKS
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`Claims 1-13 are pending, of which claims 1 and 12 are independent.
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`Applicant notes with appreciation the indication of allowable subject matter of claims 5
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`and 10.
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`Claims 1, 12 and 13 have been amended. No new matter has been added.
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`Entry of various comments regarding the claims and/orthe art, in the Office Action,
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`should not be construed as any acquiescence or agreement by Applicants with the stated
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`reasoning, regardless of whether or not these remarks specifically address any particular
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`commentfrom the Office Action.
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`Reconsideration of this application for allowanceofall pending claims is hereby
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`respectfully requested in view of the claim amendmentand the following remarks.
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`Patentability under 35 U.S.C. § 103
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`Claims 1-4, 6, 9 and 11-13 were rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable
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`over Hot Plan KK (JP 2013-070585) in view of Toshiba Lighting & Technology (JP 2018-
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`038229). Claims 7 and 8 were rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Hotin
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`view of Toshiba and further in view of Kishi et al. JP 2001-008380). Without conceding any
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`correctness of the rejections, Applicant traverses the rejections for at least the following reasons.
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`At a minimum, noneof the cited references disclose or suggest that the control unit [is]
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`configured to, when the inverter circuit performs the independent operation, operate in a first
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`mode when a currenttimeis in a first time range, wherein in the first mode, the power
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`conversion system is controlled such that an AC voltage is applied to the terminal, and operate in
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`Application No. 17/297,954
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`Docket No.: 091478-0442
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`a second mode whenthe current time is in a second time range different from the first time
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`range, wherein in the second mode, the power conversion system is controlled to stop an
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`operation of having the AC voltage applied to the terminal, as recited by claim 1, and that the
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`control method comprises, when the inverter circuit performs the independent operation,
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`operating in a first mode ina first time range, wherein in the first mode, the power conversion
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`system is controlled such that an AC voltage is applied to the terminal, and operating in a second
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`modein a second time range different from the first time range, wherein in the second mode,the
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`power conversion system is controlled to stop an operation of having the AC voltage applied to
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`the terminal, as recited by claim 12.
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`The Office Action conceded that Hotfails to teach: the second mode including control of
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`stopping an operation of having the AC voltage applied to the terminal; wherein the control unit
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`is configured to stop operation of the inverter circuit in the second mode, and relied on Toshiba
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`to cure the deficiencies of Hot. Specifically, the Office Action asserted that paragraphs [0067]-
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`[0068] of Toshiba disclose the claimed second mode. Applicant respectfully disagrees.
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`Toshiba describes that when the remaining battery level is less than the threshold, the
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`independent discharge of the power storage device is stopped to make the powerstorage device
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`standby (see paragraph [0067]). In addition, Toshiba discloses:
`“el
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`The controller dynamically sets the threshold in accordance with a time point at which
`the controller stops the independent discharge of the power storge device and a time
`point at which the power generator starts generating power. Therefore, for example,
`when poweroutage occurs during the night-time hours, the power storage system can
`determine the remaining battery level of the power storage device so that the power
`storage device can normally operate until a time point at which the power generator will
`start generating power on the following day” (paragraph [0068], emphasis added).
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`In sum, the control as described in paragraphs [0067] and [0068] is as follows: When the
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`remaining battery level thus detected is less than the threshold, the independent discharge of the
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`Application No. 17/297,954
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`Docket No.: 091478-0442
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`powerstorage device is stopped, and based on that time point, the threshold is changed; the
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`threshold thus changed is used for determination as to whether or not the independentdischarge
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`is to be stopped on the following day.
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`Therefore, the configuration of Toshiba is different from the subject matter of claims 1
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`and 12, in which an operation of having the AC voltage applied to the terminal of the inverter
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`circuit is stopped in accordance with a current time range (time point).
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`Further, Toshiba merely describes in paragraphs [0045] to [0046] that in accordance with
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`the remaining battery level thus detected, “PV standby” is executed. According to FIG. 7 and
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`the description in paragraph [0063] of Toshiba, a reference to a difference between a current time
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`point and a scheduled time point at which power generation will be started is made to determine
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`whetheror not the discharge of the rechargeable battery is to be stopped (S703 to S705), but no
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`reference to the current time point (current time range) is made.
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`Thus, Toshiba fails to disclose the aforementioned features of claims 1 and 12.
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`Applicant also submits that, even if, arguendo, the control disclosed in Toshiba were
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`combined with Hot, such a combination would result in a configuration that an electric power
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`supply is stopped in accordance with the remaining battery level of the rechargeable battery
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`regardless of the time range, but would notresult in the claimed invention.
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`Based on the foregoing, Applicant submits that claims 1 and 12 andall claims dependent
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`thereon are patentable over the cited references.
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`Application No. 17/297,954
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`Docket No.: 091478-0442
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`CONCLUSION
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`Having fully respondedto all matters raised in the Office Action, Applicant submits that
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`all claims are in condition for allowance, an indication for whichis respectfully solicited. If
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`there are any outstanding issues that might be resolved by an interview or an Examiner’s
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`amendment, the Examineris requested to call Applicant’s attorney at the telephone number
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`shownbelow.
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`To the extent necessary, a petition for an extension of time under 37 C.F.R. § 1.136 is
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`hereby made. Please charge any shortage in fees due in connection with the filing of this paper,
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`including extension of time fees, to Deposit Account 500417 and please credit any excess fees to
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`such deposit account.
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`Respectfully submitted,
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`MCDERMOTTWILL & EMERY LLP
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`/Takashi Saito/
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`
`Takashi Saito
`Registration No. 69,536
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`Please recognize our Customer No. 53080 as
`our correspondence address.
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`The McDermott Building
`500 North Capitol Street, NW
`Washington, DC 20001-1531
`Phone: (202) 756-8244 TS:
`Facsimile: (202) 756-8087
`Date: June 22, 2023
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