Prior art — US Patent 8842454B2

As a technical patent analyst, I have searched the USPTO database for US patent 8842454B2. The USPTO's Patent Public Search tool is a web-based application providing access to patents and patent application publications.

To determine the most relevant prior art for US patent 8842454B2, I will examine the "Cited By" and "Citations" sections of the patent itself, as found on Google Patents. Prior art is crucial in patent examination to assess novelty and non-obviousness under 35 U.S.C. § 102. A prior art document is read as a person skilled in the art would have read it on its relevant date (publication or priority date).

Please note that the Google Patents page for US8842454B2 serves as the primary source for the following prior art citations. The USPTO provides resources for conducting prior art searches and lists prior art in patent examination.

Here is an analysis of the most relevant prior art cited within US patent 8842454B2, focusing on the "Citations" section. I will prioritize patents that appear to have a strong conceptual overlap with the independent claims of US8842454B2:

Most Relevant Prior Art for US8842454B2

US6169678B1
- Full Citation: US6169678B1 - Photovoltaic power generation apparatus and control method thereof
- Publication Date: 2001-01-02
- Priority Date: 1999-01-28
- Brief Description: This patent describes a photovoltaic power generation apparatus and its control method. It focuses on converting DC power from solar cells to AC power and supplying it to an AC system. The system includes multiple solar cell modules, each with its own inverter, and a controller that monitors the operating conditions of each module to maximize power output.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent potentially anticipates aspects of all three independent claims (Apparatus Claim 1, Method Claim 10, and Computer-readable medium Claim 17) due to its disclosure of:
  - A plurality of inverters (one for each solar cell module) converting DC to AC. (Anticipates "plurality of inverters" in Claim 1, "array of inverters" in Claims 10 and 17).
  - A control system that monitors and controls the power conversion. (Anticipates the concept of a "primary controller" and "secondary controllers" or analogous control means in all claims).
  - The objective of supplying AC power to an AC system/load. (Anticipates "provide AC power to an AC load" in Claim 1, and "delivering AC power to an AC load" in Claims 10 and 17).
  - The control method aims to maximize power output, implying a feedback mechanism related to the overall AC power. (Potentially anticipates "first control signal based on total AC current and total AC voltage" in Claim 1 and "first control signal in response to the AC power" in Claims 10 and 17).
US6259017B1
- Full Citation: US6259017B1 - Solar power generation apparatus and control method therefor
- Publication Date: 2001-07-10
- Priority Date: 1998-10-15
- Brief Description: This patent describes a solar power generation apparatus where multiple solar cell units, each having a DC-AC converter, are connected in parallel to an AC system. A control unit controls the power output of each DC-AC converter individually, responding to the overall system state.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent is highly relevant and potentially anticipates elements of all three independent claims (Apparatus Claim 1, Method Claim 10, and Computer-readable medium Claim 17) because it discloses:
  - Multiple solar cell units, each with a DC-AC converter (inverter). (Anticipates "plurality of inverters" in Claim 1, "array of inverters" in Claims 10 and 17).
  - Individual control of each DC-AC converter based on system conditions. This directly aligns with the concept of localized control and a hierarchy of control signals. (Anticipates the "primary controller" and "plurality of secondary controllers" generating "respective secondary control signals" in Claim 1, and the analogous "first control signal" and "plurality of second control signals" in Claims 10 and 17).
  - Providing AC power to an AC system. (Anticipates "provide AC power to an AC load" in Claim 1, and "delivering AC power to an AC load" in Claims 10 and 17).
US5677833A
- Full Citation: US5677833A - Power conditioning system for a four quadrant photovoltaic array with an inverter for each array quadrant
- Publication Date: 1997-10-14
- Priority Date: 1995-05-16
- Brief Description: This patent details a power conditioning system for a photovoltaic array, where the array is divided into quadrants, and each quadrant has its own inverter. A central controller manages the operation of these inverters. The system aims to optimize power extraction even under varying solar conditions across the array.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent is relevant to the concept of distributed inversion with centralized control and potentially anticipates aspects of all three independent claims, particularly:
  - A plurality of inverters (one for each array quadrant) receiving DC power and providing AC power. (Anticipates "plurality of inverters" in Claim 1, "array of inverters" in Claims 10 and 17).
  - A central controller and local inverter control. (Anticipates the "primary controller" generating a "primary control signal" and "plurality of secondary controllers" generating "respective secondary control signals" in Claim 1, and the analogous control signals in Claims 10 and 17).
  - Managing AC power delivery to a load. (Anticipates "provide AC power to an AC load" in Claim 1, and "delivering AC power to an AC load" in Claims 10 and 17). The focus on optimizing power extraction under varying conditions also speaks to the efficiency goals often addressed by such control systems, which could be related to the basis of the control signals.

It is important to note that a full anticipation analysis under 35 U.S.C. § 102 would require a detailed claim-by-claim comparison, considering all limitations of each claim and all disclosures of each prior art reference. The above is a high-level assessment of potential relevance.