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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`17/297,954
`
`05/27/2021
`
`Yousuke OHTSUKI
`
`091478-0442
`
`3182
`
`McDermott Will and Emery LLP
`The McDermott Building
`500 North Capitol Street, N.W.
`Washington, DC 20001
`
`CAVALLARESEE, DANIEL
`
`2836
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
`
`03/24/2023
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`Thetime period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e-mail address(es):
`
`mweipdocket@mwe.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-13 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`C) Claim(s)__ is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1-4,6-9 and 11-13 is/are rejected.
`Claim(s) 5and10 is/are objectedto.
`C] Claim(s
`are subjectto restriction and/or election requirement
`S)
`“If any claims have been determined allowable, you maybeeligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`http:/Awww.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
`
`) ) ) )
`
`Application Papers
`10) The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`b)@M objected to by the Examiner.
`11)M The drawing(s) filed on 5/27/2021 is/are: a)C) accepted or
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12)[¥] Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
`c)() None ofthe:
`b)( Some**
`a) All
`1.4] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.1.) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.2.) Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been receivedin this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`* See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`1)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3)
`
`(LJ Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`4) (J Other:
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20230320
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`17/297 ,954
`OHTSUKI etal.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF) StatusExaminer
`DANIEL CAVALLARI
`2836
`Yes
`
`
`
`-- The MAILING DATEof this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply betimely filed after SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing
`date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133).
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, evenif timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
`
`1) Responsive to communication(s) filed on 5/27/2021.
`C} A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
`
`2a)() This action is FINAL. 2b)¥)This action is non-final.
`3)02 An election was madeby the applicant in responseto a restriction requirement set forth during the interview
`on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`4)\0) Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/297,954
`Art Unit: 2836
`
`Page 2
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`Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined underthe
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`first inventorto file provisions of the AJA.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which formsthe basis for all obviousness
`
`rejectionsset forth in this Office action:
`
`A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed inventionis 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 obviousbefore the effective
`filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinaryskill in the art to which the claimed
`invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the mannerin which the invention was made.
`
`Claim(s) 1-4, 6, 9, 11-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
`
`Hot Plan KK (“Hot”) JP 2013/070585 in view of Toshiba Lighting & Technology JP 2018-
`
`038229.
`
`Hot teaches:
`
`1, 2, 11, 12. A control system comprising a control unit (control unit 25 and/or external PC
`
`program (“PC”), see FIG1), the control unit being configured to control a power conversion
`
`system,
`
`the power conversion system including an inverter circuit (inverter 23), the inverter
`
`circuit being configured to perform:
`
`a grid-connected operation in which the inverter circuit is allowed to convert DC power
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`supplied from a DC powersupply into AC power and output the AC powerthus converted to a
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`powergrid (see mode corresponding to FIG4); and
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/297,954
`Art Unit: 2836
`
`Page 3
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`an independentoperation in which the inverter circuit is allowed to output, via a terminal,
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`the AC powerconverted to a load disconnected from the powergrid,
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`the control unit being configured to, when the inverter circuit performs the independent
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`operation,
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`control, when operating in a first mode, the power conversion system in a first time range
`
`such that an AC voltage is applied to the terminal (see mode corresponding to FIG7
`
`corresponding to time 7am-6pm,spec. para. 116), and
`
`control, when operating in a second mode, the power conversion system in a second time
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`range different from the first time range (see mode corresponding to FIG8 correspondingto time
`
`6pm-11pm noting powerprovided via said battery and inverter, spec. para. 127).
`
`Hotfails to teach:
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`the second modeincluding control of stopping an operation of having the AC voltage
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`applied to the terminal;
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`wherein the control unit is configured to stop operation of the inverter circuit in the
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`second mode.
`
`Toshiba teaches:
`
`a control system comprising a second modeincluding control of stopping an operation of
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`having the AC voltage applied to the terminal;
`
`wherein the control unit is configured to stop operation of the inverter circuit in the
`
`second mode(see inverter 100, spec. para. 21 and 67; stopping read on by said “waiting state” in
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/297,954
`Art Unit: 2836
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`Page 4
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`whichthe inverter 100 is suspended from discharging the battery upon said battery voltage
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`reaching a minimum threshold value, see spec. para. 67-68).
`
`It would have been obvious to incorporate said battery suspension operation upon a
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`threshold voltage during discharge operation as taught by Toshiba into the discharge second
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`modeoperation of Hot with the motivation of preventing undesirable over-discharge of a battery
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`that is knownto result in potential battery short-circuit, increased internal resistance, reduced
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`capacity, and shortenedlife (ie protect said battery).
`
`Hot further teaches:
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`3, 4. The control system of claim 1, wherein the DC powersupply includes a storage battery
`
`(21,22, FIG1) and a power generation facility (solar system 1, FIG1), and the control unitis
`
`configured to make the power conversion system perform a predetermined operation while the
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`powergeneration facility is outputting DC powerin the second time range, wherein the
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`predetermined operationis at least one of: an operation of having power supplied from the power
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`generation facility to the storage battery; an operation of having powersupplied from the power
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`generation facility to the load; or an operation of having power supplied from the power
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`generation facility to the load and havingsurplus electricity of the power generation facility
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`supplied to the storage battery (control unit configuration of “B mode”, wherein utility available
`
`during said time range 7am-6pm;predetermined operation shown in FIG4, supply power from
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`solar to said battery (21, 22) and load, see FIG4, spec para. 78).
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/297,954
`Art Unit: 2836
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`Page 5
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`6. The control system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first time range or the second time
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`range is set on a predeterminedperiod basis (based on said time of day modes, A-D, see para.
`
`18).
`
`Hot teaches:
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`9. The control system of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a guidance unit or a change
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`unit (see paragraphs[0116]-[0126]), read on by that circuit/program unit that performs where the
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`time slot during which the solar power generation device is generating poweris set as the E
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`mode, the storage battery is charged with power generated by the solar power generation device,
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`and the stored poweris discharged via the DC/ACinverter 23 so as to be supplied to the load 3).
`
`Hotfails to teach the guidance unit being configured to prompt a user to changeatleast
`
`one of the first time range or the second time range according to weather information, the change
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`unit being configured to changeat least one ofthe first time range or the second time range
`
`according to the weather information.
`
`Toshiba teaches estimating the time at which the solar power generation device can
`
`generate poweron the basis of weather information is a well-knownfeature (see paragraph
`
`[0036]).
`
`It would have been obvious to incorporate the time allocation based on weather as taught
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`by Toshiba into the system of Hot with the motivation of providing system maximization, that is
`
`to say, maximum powerusagebased on weather(ie. sun/clouds) that directly effect power
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`generation via said PV system.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/297,954
`Art Unit: 2836
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`Hot further teaches:
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`Page 6
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`13. A program (See program of “PC”, FIG1 and program of 25, FIG1 para. 57-58, 63, 71)
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`designed to cause a computer system to perform the control method of claim 12.
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`Claim(s) 7, 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hot Plan KK
`
`(“Hot”) JP 2013/070585 in view of Toshiba Lighting & Technology JP 2018-038229 and Kishi
`
`et al. JP 2001-008380 A.
`
`Hot teaches:
`
`7. The control system of claim 1, further comprising a presentation unit (read on by “PC”, FIG1)
`
`and wherein the DC power supply includesa storage battery (see battery 21, 22, FIG1), however
`
`Hotfails to teach said display unit configured to present information indicating whether the
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`control unit is operating in the first mode or the second mode; and
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`8. The control system of claim 7, wherein the presentation unit is configured to present the
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`information in accordance with an end timeofthe first time range and a remaining capacity of
`
`the storage battery.
`
`Kishi teaches:
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`A display unit configured to present information indicating mode of operation; and the
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`presentation unit is configured to present the information in accordance with an end time of the
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`first time range (read on bysaid time) and a remaining capacity of the storage battery. (see para.
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`14, provided below):
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`13 is a display example in which poweris being supplied to the battery No. 03.
`The display screen includesa pictorial display 200 imitating a house, a
`pictorial display 210 imitating an electric vehicle, a charge modedisplay 221 indicating
`a charged state, a time display 230, a % display 231 of remaining battery capacity,
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/297,954
`Art Unit: 2836
`
`Page 7
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`and a remaining battery capacity. , A charge powerand an integrated charge power
`amount 236 from the start of charging, and a power fee 237 for the integrated charge
`power amount.
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`It would have been obvious to include a display displaying the above system parameters
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`in orderto alert the user of the state of the system and potential issues.
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`Allowable Subject Matter
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`Claims 5, 10 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be
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`allowable if rewritten in independentform includingall of the limitations of the base claim and
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`any intervening claims.
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`Conclusion
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to DANIEL CAVALLARIwhose telephone numberis (571)272-
`
`8541. The examiner can normally be reached on The examiner can normally be reached on
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`Monday-Friday, 10:00-18:30.
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`If attempts to reach the examinerby telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
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`supervisor, Rexford Barnie can be reached at (571)272-7492. The fax phone numberfor the
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`organization wherethis application or proceedingis assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/297,954
`Art Unit: 2836
`
`Page 8
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`
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`
`maybe obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished
`
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`
`/DANIEL CAVALLARI/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
`
`