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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed 07/30/2025 have been carefully and fully considered. With respect to applicant’s argument of the remarks on the USC 103 rejection which recites:
“The cited art fails to disclose the features of amended claim 1 and this claim therefore is allowable, as are claims 2-8 that depend from claim 1.”
Examiner agrees that the cited art fails to disclose the amended claims. Examiner now rejects the amended claims considering Lambert, in view of Cananzi, in further view of Shabbir, and in further view of Vichare. Please view the rejection below for further details.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. The claim recites “wherein the baseline cooling conditions are calculated during a development phase of information handling system”, “determine whether a first subset of data in the first set of data is substantially equal to a second subset of data in the second set of data, wherein the first subset of the data includes a baseline ambient temperature value, and the second subset of data includes a current ambient temperature value”, “in response to the first subset of data being substantially equal to the second subset of data, determine whether a baseline device temperature is substantially equal to a current device temperature”, “and in response to the baseline device temperature not being substantially equal to the current device temperature… to determine a first degradation issue within the information handling system based on cooling fans in a first fan zone for the device operating at full speed, and both the device temperature increases and downstream components temperatures increase”.
The limitations of “wherein the baseline cooling conditions are calculated during a development phase of information handling system”, “determine whether a first subset of data in the first set of data is substantially equal to a second subset of data in the second set of data, wherein the first subset of the data includes a baseline ambient temperature value, and the second subset of data includes a current ambient temperature value”, “in response to the first subset of data being substantially equal to the second subset of data, determine whether a baseline device temperature is substantially equal to a current device temperature”, “and in response to the baseline device temperature not being substantially equal to the current device temperature… to determine a first degradation issue within the information handling system based on cooling fans in a first fan zone for the device operating at full speed, and both the device temperature increases and downstream components temperatures increase” are processes that, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance of the limitation in the mind but for the recitation of generic computer components. For example, the language “determine” in the context of this claim encompasses that the user mentally could make an observation, and a determination. If a claim limitation, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance of the limitation in the mind but for the recitation of generic computer components, then it falls within the “Mental Processes” grouping of abstract ideas. Accordingly, the claim recites an abstract idea.
This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application. In particular, the claim recites additional elements- “An information handling system comprising”, “and a hardware processor to communicate with the memory, the processor to”, “the processor”, and “output a notification of the first degradation issue” ,which is simply using a computer as a tool to perform abstract ideas -Mere instructions to apply an exception – see MPEP 2106.05(f). The claim recites “receive a second set of data for a current cooling condition within the information handling system” which is considered as insignificant extra solution activity data gathering, as the data is being received over a network. The claim recites “a memory to store data associated with a plurality of cooling fans, a plurality of temperature sensors, and a plurality of components within the information handling system”, and “ store a first set of data for a baseline cooling condition within the information handling system, wherein the first set of data is stored in the memory” which is simply insignificant extra solution activity of storing data. The claim additionally recites “ wherein the first degradation issue includes aging of thermal grease on a central processing unit” which falls under field of use and technological environment- see MPEP 2106.05(h) Parker v. Flook ("Flook established that limiting an abstract idea to one field of use or adding token postsolution components did not make the concept patentable"). Therefore these do not integrate a judicial exception into a practical application or provide significantly more. The claim is not patent eligible.
This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application. In particular, the claim recites additional elements- “An information handling system comprising”, “and a hardware processor to communicate with the memory, the processor to”, “the processor” and “output a notification of the first degradation issue” which is simply using a computer as a tool to perform abstract ideas -Mere instructions to apply an exception – see MPEP 2106.05(f). The claim recites “receive a second set of data for a current cooling condition within the information handling system” which is considered as insignificant extra solution activity data gathering, as the data is being inputted and outputted over a network. The claim recites “a memory to store data associated with a plurality of cooling fans, a plurality of temperature sensors, and a plurality of components within the information handling system”, and “ store a first set of data for a baseline cooling condition within the information handling system, wherein the first set of data is stored in the memory” which is simply insignificant extra solution activity of storing data is considered to be well-understood, routine, conventional activity- see MPEP 2106.05(d) Versata Dev. Group, Inc. v. SAP Am. The claim additionally recites “ wherein the first degradation issue includes aging of thermal grease on a central processing unit” which falls under field of use and technological environment- see MPEP 2106.05(h) Parker v. Flook ("Flook established that limiting an abstract idea to one field of use or adding token postsolution components did not make the concept patentable"). Therefore these do not integrate a judicial exception into a practical.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. The claim inherits the mental abstract idea from claim 1. The claim additionally recites “wherein the first degradation issue is a buildup of dust on the device heat sink” which falls under field of use and technological environment- see MPEP 2106.05(h) Parker v. Flook ("Flook established that limiting an abstract idea to one field of use or adding token postsolution components did not make the concept patentable"). Therefore these do not integrate a judicial exception into a practical application or provide significantly more. The claim is not patent eligible.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. The claim recites “in response to the baseline device temperature not being substantially equal to the current device temperature… determine a second degradation issue within the information handling system based on cooling fans in a second fan zone for a first and second components are operating at full speed, and a first component temperature increases and a second component temperature decreases”. The claim additionally recites “the hardware processor further to ” which is simply using a computer as a tool to perform abstract ideas -Mere instructions to apply an exception – see MPEP 2106.05(f). Therefore these do not integrate a judicial exception into a practical application or provide significantly more. The claim is not patent eligible.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. The claim inherits the mental abstract idea from claim 3. The claim additionally recites “wherein the second degradation issue is a buildup of dust on a rear bracket of the first component” which falls under field of use and technological environment- see MPEP 2106.05(h) Parker v. Flook ("Flook established that limiting an abstract idea to one field of use or adding token postsolution components did not make the concept patentable"). Therefore these do not integrate a judicial exception into a practical application or provide significantly more. The claim is not patent eligible.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. The claim recites “in response to the baseline device temperature being substantially equal to the current device temperature, …determine a third degradation issue within the information handling system based on pulse width modulated signal values for cooling fans in a third fan zone increase substantially less than pulse width modulated signal values for cooling fans in other fan zones.”. The claim additionally recites “the hardware processor further to ” which is simply using a computer as a tool to perform abstract ideas -Mere instructions to apply an exception – see MPEP 2106.05(f). Therefore these do not integrate a judicial exception into a practical application or provide significantly more. The claim is not patent eligible.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. The claim inherits the mental abstract idea from claim 5. The claim additionally recites ”wherein the third degradation issue is a disorder of cables in the rear of the information handling system” which falls under field of use and technological environment- see MPEP 2106.05(h) Parker v. Flook ("Flook established that limiting an abstract idea to one field of use or adding token postsolution components did not make the concept patentable"). Therefore these do not integrate a judicial exception into a practical application or provide significantly more. The claim is not patent eligible.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. The claim recites “in response to the baseline device temperature being substantially equal to the current device temperature, … determine a fourth degradation issue within the information handling system based on pulse width modulated signal values all cooling fans in the information handling system increasing at a same amount of power.”. The claim additionally recites “the hardware processor further to ” which is simply using a computer as a tool to perform abstract ideas -Mere instructions to apply an exception – see MPEP 2106.05(f). Therefore these do not integrate a judicial exception into a practical application or provide significantly more. The claim is not patent eligible.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. The claim inherits the mental abstract idea from claim 7. The claim additionally recites “wherein the fourth degradation issue is a buildup of dust a front bezel of the information handling system” which falls under field of use and technological environment- see MPEP 2106.05(h) Parker v. Flook ("Flook established that limiting an abstract idea to one field of use or adding token postsolution components did not make the concept patentable"). Therefore these do not integrate a judicial exception into a practical application or provide significantly more. The claim is not patent eligible.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. The claim recites “wherein the baseline cooling conditions are calculated during a development phase of information handling system”, “determining whether a first subset of data in the first set of data is substantially equal to a second subset of data in the second set of data, wherein the first subset of the data includes a baseline ambient temperature value, and the second subset of data includes a current ambient temperature value; in response to the first subset of data being substantially equal to the second subset of data, determining whether a baseline device temperature is substantially equal to a current device temperature; and in response to the baseline device temperature not being substantially equal to the current device temperature, determining, … a first degradation issue within the information handling system based on cooling fans in a first fan zone for the device operating at full speed, and both the device temperature increases and downstream components temperatures increase”.
The limitations of “determining whether a first subset of data in the first set of data is substantially equal to a second subset of data in the second set of data, wherein the first subset of the data includes a baseline ambient temperature value, and the second subset of data includes a current ambient temperature value; in response to the first subset of data being substantially equal to the second subset of data, determining whether a baseline device temperature is substantially equal to a current device temperature; and in response to the baseline device temperature not being substantially equal to the current device temperature, determining, … a first degradation issue within the information handling system based on cooling fans in a first fan zone for the device operating at full speed, and both the device temperature increases and downstream components temperatures increase” are processes that, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance of the limitation in the mind but for the recitation of generic computer components. For example, the language “determining” in the context of this claim encompasses that the user mentally could make an observation, and a determination. If a claim limitation, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance of the limitation in the mind but for the recitation of generic computer components, then it falls within the “Mental Processes” grouping of abstract ideas. Accordingly, the claim recites an abstract idea.
This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application. In particular, the claim recites additional elements- “by a hardware processor of the information handling system”, “by the hardware processor”, and “output a notification of the first degradation issue”, which is simply using a computer as a tool to perform abstract ideas -Mere instructions to apply an exception – see MPEP 2106.05(f). The claim recites “receiving a second set of data for a current cooling condition within the information handling system” which is considered as insignificant extra solution activity data gathering, as the data is being received over a network. The claim recites “storing, in a memory of an information handling system, data associated with a plurality of cooling fans, a plurality of temperature sensors, and a plurality of components within the information handling system; storing… , a first set of data for a baseline cooling condition within the information handling system, wherein the first set of data is stored in the memory”, and “ store a first set of data for a baseline cooling condition within the information handling system, wherein the first set of data is stored in the memory” which is simply insignificant extra solution activity of storing data. The claim additionally recites “ wherein the first degradation issue includes aging of thermal grease on a central processing unit” which falls under field of use and technological environment- see MPEP 2106.05(h) Parker v. Flook ("Flook established that limiting an abstract idea to one field of use or adding token postsolution components did not make the concept patentable"). Therefore these do not integrate a judicial exception into a practical application or provide significantly more. The claim is not patent eligible.
This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application. In particular, the claim recites additional elements- “by a hardware processor of the information handling system”, “by the hardware processor”, “output a notification of the first degradation issue” which is simply using a computer as a tool to perform abstract ideas -Mere instructions to apply an exception – see MPEP 2106.05(f). The claim recites “receiving a second set of data for a current cooling condition within the information handling system” which is considered as insignificant extra solution activity data gathering, as the data is being inputted and outputted over a network. The claim recites “storing, in a memory of an information handling system, data associated with a plurality of cooling fans, a plurality of temperature sensors, and a plurality of components within the information handling system; storing… , a first set of data for a baseline cooling condition within the information handling system, wherein the first set of data is stored in the memory”, and “ store a first set of data for a baseline cooling condition within the information handling system, wherein the first set of data is stored in the memory” which is simply insignificant extra solution activity of storing data is considered to be well-understood, routine, conventional activity- see MPEP 2106.05(d) Versata Dev. Group, Inc. v. SAP Am. Therefore these do not integrate a judicial exception into a practical application or provide significantly more. The claim additionally recites “ wherein the first degradation issue includes aging of thermal grease on a central processing unit” which falls under field of use and technological environment- see MPEP 2106.05(h) Parker v. Flook ("Flook established that limiting an abstract idea to one field of use or adding token postsolution components did not make the concept patentable"). Therefore these do not integrate a judicial exception into a practical.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 for similar reasons to claim 2.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 for similar reasons to claim 3.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 for similar reasons to claim 4.
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 for similar reasons to claim 5.
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 for similar reasons to claim 6.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 for similar reasons to claim 7.
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 for similar reasons to claim 8.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lambert et al. (US20190390864, herein Lambert), in view of Shabbir et al. (US20170318707, herein Shabbir), in further view of Cananzi et al. (US20200253085, herein Cananzi), and in further view of Vichare (US20160041948, herein Vichare).
Regarding claim 1, Lambert teaches An information handling system comprising: a memory to store data associated with a plurality of cooling fans, a plurality of temperature sensors, and a plurality of components within the information handling system; and a hardware processor to communicate with the memory ([0005] information handling system includes at least one processor, and a memory medium coupled to the at least one processor and storing program instructions) , the processor to: store a first set of data for a baseline cooling condition within the information handling system, wherein the first set of data is stored in the memory; receive a second set of data for a current cooling condition within the information handling system; determine whether a first subset of data in the first set of data is substantially equal to a second subset of data in the second set of data ([0081] identifying a potential failure or performance degradation of the given fan based on the presence of one or more new top bins and/or lower numbers of occurrences for particular bins compared to the reference data, [0078] the results of the analysis may be saved as new reference data with which subsequently collected data is to be compared rather than, or in addition to, being compared to the reference data collected during the training phase, [0103] data collected for test case 2, in which one fan blade was broken off, there were several new top bins and lowered numbers of occurrences (data points) in some bins when compared with the baseline data), wherein the first subset of data includes a baseline …temperature value, and the second subset of data includes a current … temperature value (Fig. 7 702 Identify potential failure or performance degradation of a given fan based on an anomaly in analysis of tope RPM Bins, Analysis indicates Fan missing or failed? NO, 708 problem frequencies, NO, 718 Invoke system power throttling [0084] invoking system power throttling to ensure that system thermal measurements are within defined limits, [0003] Thermal controlled fans operate by sensing the temperature of computing devices and then increasing or decreasing the speed of the fan to regulate the temperature inside the system and prevent devices from failing due to overheating, [0096] determine whether the detected issue (whether includes a performance issue, a thermal issue, or both) has been corrected); in response to the first subset of data being substantially equal to the second subset of data (Fig. 6 614 Top Bins and Occurrences match reference data, Yes, 616 Detect No anomalies, Fig. 7 702 Identify potential failure or performance degradation of a given fan based on an anomaly in analysis of tope RPM Bins, Analysis indicates Fan missing or failed? NO, 708 problem frequencies, NO, 712 Increase Fan Speed) , determine whether a baseline device temperature is substantially equal to a current device temperature (Fig. 7 702 Identify potential failure or performance degradation of a given fan based on an anomaly in analysis of tope RPM Bins, Analysis indicates Fan missing or failed? NO, 708 problem frequencies, NO, 718 Invoke system power throttling [0084] invoking system power throttling to ensure that system thermal measurements are within defined limits); and in response to the baseline device temperature not being substantially equal to the current device temperature, the processor to determine a first degradation issue within the information handling system (Fig. 6 614 Top Bins and occurrence match reference data? NO, 618 Identify Potential failure or performance degradation) based on cooling fans in a first fan zone for the device operating at full speed, and both the device temperature increases and downstream components temperatures increase (Fig. 7, [0095] it is determined that the fan has reached its maximum speed, method 700 may continue at 718, [0096] 718, the method may include invoking system power throttling to reduce the thermal effects of the detected fan performance degradation issue, if any, and then repeating the data collection and analysis to determine whether the detected issue (whether includes a performance issue, a thermal issue, or both) has been corrected, [0084] when an anomaly is detected for a fan, an indication of the anomaly may be provided a fan controller, such as a power/fan controller 170 illustrated in FIG. 1, a management controller residing in the power/fan controller 170, a baseboard management controller such as BMC 180, or another component of the information handling system in which the fan is installed that includes circuitry or logic affecting the operation of the fan… invoking system power throttling to ensure that system thermal measurements are within defined limits, [0003] regulate the temperature inside the system and prevent devices from failing due to overheating); and output a notification of the first degradation issue ([0049] provide a notification of a result of a fan typing or fan anomaly detection exercise or to control the distribution of power in the information handling system or perform other functions, via one or more analog or digital signals 176, [0088] logging the detection of the anomaly in a system event log, which may provide a user with a notification of a potential problem).
Lambert does not teach , wherein the baseline cooling conditions are calculated during a development phase of information handling system; ambient temperature value
Shabbir teaches wherein the baseline cooling conditions are calculated during a development phase of information handling system ([0010] The thermal manager may be configured to determine a baseline open loop fan speed for the at least one cooling fan based on the inlet ambient temperature and a hardware configuration of the information handling system, [0046] thermal manager 42 may determine an inlet ambient temperature (e.g., temperature sensed by inlet temperature sensor 40). At step 804, thermal manager 42 may determine a power consumption level for information handling system 10… maximum power level may be determined based on an in-system characterization or maximum workload simulation for information handling system 10, [0031] as estimated intermediate thermal conditions are applied to generate fan and power consumption settings, [0032] Thermal manager 42 may apply one or both of these formulas to set cooling fan speed to meet exhaust temperature constraints. For internal components and subassemblies, thermal manager 42 may determine a minimum fan speed to keep ambient temperature of a component within a desired constraint by determining an “inlet” temperature estimated for air as it arrives at the component based upon power consumption of other components in the airflow before the air arrives at the component of interest)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lambert’s teaching of collecting data for the baseline cooling with Shabbir’s teaching of the estimating thermal conditions using a simulation and collected data. The combined teaching provides an expected result of calculating baseline conditions by estimating using a simulation and collected data. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to improve the accuracy of the baseline cooling conditions using estimates based on collected data and a simulation.
The combination of Lambert and Shabbir do not teach ambient temperature value
Canazi teaches ambient temperature value (Fig. 4, [0012] a temperature sensor that can determine the ambient operating condition, logic, and a fan power gating mechanism. With this combination, a controller can discern whether the fan(s) should be on, or off, based on the ambient conditions. For instance, a fan rated for −20° C. (i.e., lower temperature limit) will not spin when the ambient conditions are less than −20° C. but the electronic components that are meant to be protected may be cooled passively from the relatively low ambient temperature. Once the controller determines from the temperature sensor that temperature is below a specified threshold, the controller can turn off power to fans, and as a result rotation ceases. Once the temperature rises, the controller restores power and the fans operate normally, [0016] Temperature sensor 104 determines the ambient temperature condition; typically, this will register a temperature inside chassis 102. ECB 108 functions as the fan's power switch and is controlled by controller 110, according to temperature determined from temperature sensor 104. In some versions, controller 110 controls fan speed of fan(s) 112 while power is supplied to fan(s) 112 from power supply 106 through ECB 108, according to temperature determined from temperature sensor 104, [0017] based on temperature measured by the first temperature sensor 104, which measures ambient temperature inside the chassis 102, and/or the second temperature sensor 120, which measures temperature of a component 118 of interest, [0019] temperature sensor 202 is a multi-channel temperature sensor that can detect ambient air temperature and also detect temperature of component 204).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lambert’s teaching of determining whether a first subset of data is substantially equal to a second set of data with Canazi’s teaching of the data including a current ambient temperature compared to a threshold ambient temperature. The combined teaching provides an expected result of a first subset of data including current ambient temperature compared to a second set of data including a threshold ambient temperature. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to “minimize fan maintenance and replacement” as shown by Cananzi [0002].
Lambert, Shabbir, and Canazi do not teach wherein the first degradation issue includes aging of thermal grease on a central processing unit
Vichare teaches wherein the first degradation issue includes aging of thermal grease on a central processing unit ([0015] Examples of known classes of anomalies include an exceeded threshold, an outlier, a processing system degradation, and a processing system failure, such as a thermal trip, a fan failure, a fan rotor lock, a processor throttling, a dust clogged heat-sink, an inlet vent obstruction, a thermal grease degradation, [0019] Examples of thermal sensor data 153 information can include a temperature of processor 110 (Central Processing Unit, CPU))
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lambert’s teaching of determining an anomaly in the system with Vichare’s teaching of the anomaly including a thermal grease degradation. The combined teaching provides an expected result of determining an anomaly in the system including a thermal grease degradation. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to improve the accuracy of the system “ to make anomaly predictions, and to resolve anomalies” as shown by Vichare [0014].
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Lambert, Shabbir, Cananzi, and Vichare teach The information handling system of claim 1, in response to the baseline device temperature not being substantially equal to the current device (Lambert, Fig. 7 702 Identify potential failure or performance degradation of a given fan based on an anomaly in analysis of tope RPM Bins, Analysis indicates Fan missing or failed? NO, 708 problem frequencies, NO, 718 Invoke system power throttling [0084] invoking system power throttling to ensure that system thermal measurements are within defined limits), the hardware processor further to: determine a second degradation issue within the information handling system based on cooling fans in a second fan zone for a first and second components ([0084] when an anomaly is detected for a fan, an indication of the anomaly may be provided a fan controller, such as a power/fan controller 170 illustrated in FIG. 1, a management controller residing in the power/fan controller 170, a baseboard management controller such as BMC 180, or another component of the information handling system in which the fan is installed that includes circuitry or logic affecting the operation of the fan… invoking system power throttling to ensure that system thermal measurements are within defined limits) are operating at full speed (Fig. 7, [0095] it is determined that the fan has reached its maximum speed, method 700 may continue at 718), and a first component temperature increases and a second component temperature decreases ([0016] determining that the anomaly associated with the first fan represents a failure or performance degradation of the first fan, and taking corrective action to mitigate the anomaly, [0049] one or more fans 174 may reside outside of the power supply units 172, in which case the functionality of power/fan control modules 170 may be divided into separate power control modules and fan control modules (not shown). In some embodiments, baseboard management controller 180 may be implemented within one or more of the power/fan control modules 170 rather than as a separate component of information handling system 100, [0018] a pulse width modulation (PWM) control signal with a second PWM duty cycle to be provided to an input of a second fan)
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Lambert, Shabbir, Cananzi, and Vichare teach The information handling system of claim 3, in response to the baseline device temperature being substantially equal to the current device temperature components (Lambert, [0084] when an anomaly is detected for a fan, an indication of the anomaly may be provided a fan controller, such as a power/fan controller 170 illustrated in FIG. 1, a management controller residing in the power/fan controller 170, a baseboard management controller such as BMC 180, or another component of the information handling system in which the fan is installed that includes circuitry or logic affecting the operation of the fan… invoking system power throttling to ensure that system thermal measurements are within defined limits), the hardware processor further to: determine a third degradation issue within the information handling system based on pulse width modulated signal values for cooling fans in a third fan zone increase substantially less than pulse width modulated signal values for cooling fans in other fan zones ([0009] compare the frequency of the tachometer signal output by the given fan while the PWM control signal has the first PWM duty cycle to a minimum tachometer frequency for fans of multiple fan types, and responsive to determining that the frequency of the tachometer signal output by the given fan while the PWM control signal is less than the minimum tachometer frequency for fans of multiple fan types, provide an indication of a potential failure or performance degradation of the given fan to the fan controller, [0065] different fans in the information handling system may have different performance requirement, e.g., depending on their location and/or function within the information handling system, [0049] baseboard management controller 180 may exchange information and/or control signals with other components of information handling system 100, such as power/fan control modules 170, power supply units 172, and/or fans 174 over a management control bus 115. In some embodiments, baseboard management controller 180 may provide controls to and receive information from various power supply units 172 and/or fans 174 through one or more power/fan control modules 170. For example, baseboard management controller 180 may, either directly or through one of power/fan control modules 170, provide a PWM control signal 171 as an input to a fan 174 and may receive a tachometer signal 173 that is output from the fan 174. Baseboard management controller 180 may, either directly or through one of power/fan control modules 170, exchange information and/or control signals with other elements of power supply units 172, such as to provide a notification of a result of a fan typing or fan anomaly detection exercise or to control the distribution of power in the information handling system or perform other functions, via one or more analog or digital signals 176.) .
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Lambert, Shabbir, Cananzi, and Vichare teach The information handling system of claim 5, in response to the baseline device temperature being substantially equal to the current device temperature (Lambert, Fig. 7 702 Identify potential failure or performance degradation of a given fan based on an anomaly in analysis of tope RPM Bins, Analysis indicates Fan missing or failed? NO, 708 problem frequencies, NO, 718 Invoke system power throttling [0084] invoking system power throttling to ensure that system thermal measurements are within defined limits), the hardware processor further to: determine a fourth degradation issue within the information handling system based on pulse width modulated signal values all cooling fans in the information handling system increasing at a same amount of power (Fig. 7 708 analysis indicates problem frequencies, NO, 712 increase fan speed by an incremental amount, [0093] At 712, method 700 may include increasing the fan speed by an incremental amount as a countermeasure to the detected fan performance degradation issue, and then repeating the data collection and analysis described above in reference to the re-evaluation of the given fan, [0011] PWM control signal has the first PWM duty cycle to an expected tachometer frequency for fans, [0049] information handing system 100 includes one or more power/fan control modules 170 and one or more power supply units 172, each of which may include one or more fans 174.).
Regarding claim 9, Lambert teaches A method comprising: storing, in a memory of an information handling system, data associated with a plurality of cooling fans, a plurality of temperature sensors, and a plurality of components within the information handling system ([0005] information handling system includes at least one processor, and a memory medium coupled to the at least one processor and storing program instructions); storing, by a hardware processor of the information handling system, a first set of data for a baseline cooling condition within the information handling system, wherein the first set of data is stored in the memory; receiving a second set of data for a current cooling condition within the information handling system; determining whether a first subset of data in the first set of data is substantially equal to a second subset of data in the second set of data ([0081] identifying a potential failure or performance degradation of the given fan based on the presence of one or more new top bins and/or lower numbers of occurrences for particular bins compared to the reference data, [0078] the results of the analysis may be saved as new reference data with which subsequently collected data is to be compared rather than, or in addition to, being compared to the reference data collected during the training phase, [0103] data collected for test case 2, in which one fan blade was broken off, there were several new top bins and lowered numbers of occurrences (data points) in some bins when compared with the baseline data) wherein the first subset of data includes a baseline …temperature value, and the second subset of data includes a current … temperature value; (Fig. 7 702 Identify potential failure or performance degradation of a given fan based on an anomaly in analysis of tope RPM Bins, Analysis indicates Fan missing or failed? NO, 708 problem frequencies, NO, 718 Invoke system power throttling [0084] invoking system power throttling to ensure that system thermal measurements are within defined limits, [0003] Thermal controlled fans operate by sensing the temperature of computing devices and then increasing or decreasing the speed of the fan to regulate the temperature inside the system and prevent devices from failing due to overheating, [0096] determine whether the detected issue (whether includes a performance issue, a thermal issue, or both) has been corrected). (i.e. system thermal measurements as current ambient temperature value, and thermal defined limits as baseline ambient temperature value)in response to the first subset of data being substantially equal to the second subset of data (Fig. 6 614 Top Bins and Occurrences match reference data, Yes, 616 Detect No anomalies, Fig. 7 702 Identify potential failure or performance degradation of a given fan based on an anomaly in analysis of tope RPM Bins, Analysis indicates Fan missing or failed? NO, 708 problem frequencies, NO, 712 Increase Fan Speed), determining whether a baseline device temperature is substantially equal to a current device temperature (Fig. 7 702 Identify potential failure or performance degradation of a given fan based on an anomaly in analysis of tope RPM Bins, Analysis indicates Fan missing or failed? NO, 708 problem frequencies, NO, 718 Invoke system power throttling [0084] invoking system power throttling to ensure that system thermal measurements are within defined limits); and in response to the baseline device temperature not being substantially equal to the current device temperature, determining, by the hardware processor, a first degradation issue within the information handling system (Fig. 6 614 Top Bins and occurrence match reference data? NO, 618 Identify Potential failure or performance degradation) based on cooling fans in a first fan zone for the device operating at full speed, and both the device temperature increases and downstream components temperatures increase (Fig. 7, [0095] it is determined that the fan has reached its maximum speed, method 700 may continue at 718, [0096] 718, the method may include invoking system power throttling to reduce the thermal effects of the detected fan performance degradation issue, if any, and then repeating the data collection and analysis to determine whether the detected issue (whether includes a performance issue, a thermal issue, or both) has been corrected, [0084] when an anomaly is detected for a fan, an indication of the anomaly may be provided a fan controller, such as a power/fan controller 170 illustrated in FIG. 1, a management controller residing in the power/fan controller 170, a baseboard management controller such as BMC 180, or another component of the information handling system in which the fan is installed that includes circuitry or logic affecting the operation of the fan… invoking system power throttling to ensure that system thermal measurements are within defined limits, [0003] regulate the temperature inside the system and prevent devices from failing due to overheating); and output a notification of the first degradation issue ([0049] provide a notification of a result of a fan typing or fan anomaly detection exercise or to control the distribution of power in the information handling system or perform other functions, via one or more analog or digital signals 176, [0088] logging the detection of the anomaly in a system event log, which may provide a user with a notification of a potential problem).
Lambert does not teach wherein the baseline cooling conditions are calculated during a development phase of information handling system; ambient temperature value
Shabbir teaches wherein the baseline cooling conditions are calculated during a development phase of information handling system ([0010] The thermal manager may be configured to determine a baseline open loop fan speed for the at least one cooling fan based on the inlet ambient temperature and a hardware configuration of the information handling system, [0046] thermal manager 42 may determine an inlet ambient temperature (e.g., temperature sensed by inlet temperature sensor 40). At step 804, thermal manager 42 may determine a power consumption level for information handling system 10… maximum power level may be determined based on an in-system characterization or maximum workload simulation for information handling system 10, [0031] as estimated intermediate thermal conditions are applied to generate fan and power consumption settings, [0032] Thermal manager 42 may apply one or both of these formulas to set cooling fan speed to meet exhaust temperature constraints. For internal components and subassemblies, thermal manager 42 may determine a minimum fan speed to keep ambient temperature of a component within a desired constraint by determining an “inlet” temperature estimated for air as it arrives at the component based upon power consumption of other components in the airflow before the air arrives at the component of interest)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lambert’s teaching of collecting data for the baseline cooling with Shabbir’s teaching of the estimating thermal conditions using a simulation and collected data. The combined teaching provides an expected result of calculating baseline conditions by estimating using a simulation and collected data. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to improve the accuracy of the baseline cooling conditions using estimates based on collected data and a simulation.
The combination of Lambert and Shabbir do not teach ambient temperature value
Canazi teaches ambient temperature value (Fig. 4, [0012] a temperature sensor that can determine the ambient operating condition, logic, and a fan power gating mechanism. With this combination, a controller can discern whether the fan(s) should be on, or off, based on the ambient conditions. For instance, a fan rated for −20° C. (i.e., lower temperature limit) will not spin when the ambient conditions are less than −20° C. but the electronic components that are meant to be protected may be cooled passively from the relatively low ambient temperature. Once the controller determines from the temperature sensor that temperature is below a specified threshold, the controller can turn off power to fans, and as a result rotation ceases. Once the temperature rises, the controller restores power and the fans operate normally, [0016] Temperature sensor 104 determines the ambient temperature condition; typically, this will register a temperature inside chassis 102. ECB 108 functions as the fan's power switch and is controlled by controller 110, according to temperature determined from temperature sensor 104. In some versions, controller 110 controls fan speed of fan(s) 112 while power is supplied to fan(s) 112 from power supply 106 through ECB 108, according to temperature determined from temperature sensor 104, [0017] based on temperature measured by the first temperature sensor 104, which measures ambient temperature inside the chassis 102, and/or the second temperature sensor 120, which measures temperature of a component 118 of interest, [0019] temperature sensor 202 is a multi-channel temperature sensor that can detect ambient air temperature and also detect temperature of component 204).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lambert’s teaching of determining whether a first subset of data is substantially equal to a second set of data with Canazi’s teaching of the data including a current ambient temperature compared to a threshold ambient temperature. The combined teaching provides an expected result of a first subset of data including current ambient temperature compared to a second set of data including a threshold ambient temperature. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to “minimize fan maintenance and replacement” as shown by Cananzi [0002].
Lambert, Shabbir, and Canazi do not teach wherein the first degradation issue includes aging of thermal grease on a central processing unit
Vichare teaches wherein the first degradation issue includes aging of thermal grease on a central processing unit ([0015] Examples of known classes of anomalies include an exceeded threshold, an outlier, a processing system degradation, and a processing system failure, such as a thermal trip, a fan failure, a fan rotor lock, a processor throttling, a dust clogged heat-sink, an inlet vent obstruction, a thermal grease degradation, [0019] Examples of thermal sensor data 153 information can include a temperature of processor 110 (Central Processing Unit, CPU))
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lambert’s teaching of determining an anomaly in the system with Vichare’s teaching of the anomaly including a thermal grease degradation. The combined teaching provides an expected result of determining an anomaly in the system including a thermal grease degradation. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to improve the accuracy of the system “ to make anomaly predictions, and to resolve anomalies” as shown by Vichare [0014].
Regarding claim 11, the combination of Lambert, Shabbir, Cananzi, and Vichare teach The method of claim 9, in response to the baseline device temperature not being substantially equal to the current device temperature (Lambert, Fig. 7 702 Identify potential failure or performance degradation of a given fan based on an anomaly in analysis of tope RPM Bins, Analysis indicates Fan missing or failed? NO, 708 problem frequencies, NO, 718 Invoke system power throttling [0084] invoking system power throttling to ensure that system thermal measurements are within defined limits), the method further comprises: determining a second degradation issue within the information handling system based on cooling fans in a second fan zone for a first and second components ([0084] when an anomaly is detected for a fan, an indication of the anomaly may be provided a fan controller, such as a power/fan controller 170 illustrated in FIG. 1, a management controller residing in the power/fan controller 170, a baseboard management controller such as BMC 180, or another component of the information handling system in which the fan is installed that includes circuitry or logic affecting the operation of the fan… invoking system power throttling to ensure that system thermal measurements are within defined limits) are operating at full speed (Fig. 7, [0095] it is determined that the fan has reached its maximum speed, method 700 may continue at 718), and a first component temperature increases and a second component temperature decreases ([0016] determining that the anomaly associated with the first fan represents a failure or performance degradation of the first fan, and taking corrective action to mitigate the anomaly, [0049] one or more fans 174 may reside outside of the power supply units 172, in which case the functionality of power/fan control modules 170 may be divided into separate power control modules and fan control modules (not shown). In some embodiments, baseboard management controller 180 may be implemented within one or more of the power/fan control modules 170 rather than as a separate component of information handling system 100, [0018] a pulse width modulation (PWM) control signal with a second PWM duty cycle to be provided to an input of a second fan ).
Regarding claim 13, the combination of Lambert, Shabbir, Cananzi, and Vichare teach The method of claim 11, in response to the baseline device temperature being substantially equal to the current device temperature (Lambert, [0084] when an anomaly is detected for a fan, an indication of the anomaly may be provided a fan controller, such as a power/fan controller 170 illustrated in FIG. 1, a management controller residing in the power/fan controller 170, a baseboard management controller such as BMC 180, or another component of the information handling system in which the fan is installed that includes circuitry or logic affecting the operation of the fan… invoking system power throttling to ensure that system thermal measurements are within defined limits), the method further comprises: determining a third degradation issue within the information handling system based on pulse width modulated signal values for cooling fans in a third fan zone increase substantially less than pulse width modulated signal values for cooling fans in other fan zones ([0009] compare the frequency of the tachometer signal output by the given fan while the PWM control signal has the first PWM duty cycle to a minimum tachometer frequency for fans of multiple fan types, and responsive to determining that the frequency of the tachometer signal output by the given fan while the PWM control signal is less than the minimum tachometer frequency for fans of multiple fan types, provide an indication of a potential failure or performance degradation of the given fan to the fan controller, [0065] different fans in the information handling system may have different performance requirement, e.g., depending on their location and/or function within the information handling system, [0049] baseboard management controller 180 may exchange information and/or control signals with other components of information handling system 100, such as power/fan control modules 170, power supply units 172, and/or fans 174 over a management control bus 115. In some embodiments, baseboard management controller 180 may provide controls to and receive information from various power supply units 172 and/or fans 174 through one or more power/fan control modules 170. For example, baseboard management controller 180 may, either directly or through one of power/fan control modules 170, provide a PWM control signal 171 as an input to a fan 174 and may receive a tachometer signal 173 that is output from the fan 174. Baseboard management controller 180 may, either directly or through one of power/fan control modules 170, exchange information and/or control signals with other elements of power supply units 172, such as to provide a notification of a result of a fan typing or fan anomaly detection exercise or to control the distribution of power in the information handling system or perform other functions, via one or more analog or digital signals 176.)
Regarding claim 15, the combination of Lambert, Shabbir, Cananzi, and Vichare teach The method of claim 13, in response to the baseline device temperature being substantially equal to the current device temperature (Lambert, Fig. 7 702 Identify potential failure or performance degradation of a given fan based on an anomaly in analysis of tope RPM Bins, Analysis indicates Fan missing or failed? NO, 708 problem frequencies, NO, 718 Invoke system power throttling [0084] invoking system power throttling to ensure that system thermal measurements are within defined limits), the method further comprises: determining a fourth degradation issue within the information handling system based on pulse width modulated signal values all cooling fans in the information handling system increasing at a same amount of power (Fig. 7 708 analysis indicates problem frequencies, NO, 712 increase fan speed by an incremental amount, [0093] At 712, method 700 may include increasing the fan speed by an incremental amount as a countermeasure to the detected fan performance degradation issue, and then repeating the data collection and analysis described above in reference to the re-evaluation of the given fan, [0011] PWM control signal has the first PWM duty cycle to an expected tachometer frequency for fans, [0049] information handing system 100 includes one or more power/fan control modules 170 and one or more power supply units 172, each of which may include one or more fans 174.)
Claim 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lambert et al. (US20190390864, herein Lambert), in view of Shabbir et. al (US20170318707, herein Shabbir), in view of Cananzi et al. (US20200253085, herein Cananzi), in further view of Vichare (US20160041948, herein Vichare), and in further view of Bandholz et al. (US20090045967, herein Bandholz),
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Lambert, Shabbir, Cananzi, and Vichare teach The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the first degradation issue is a buildup of dust (Lambert[0052] The fans installed in information handling systems work as hard as they can to produce an expected tachometer signal output (in terms of revolutions per minute, or RPM) based on the input PWM duty cycle. Various fan failure modes, such as broken blades or the presence of debris (e.g., dust or dirt) can affect the ability of a fan to perform with uniform air flow as expected by thermal control algorithms, especially in cases in which in-line dual rotors are not performing as expected).
Lambert does not teach on the device heat sink
Bandholz teaches on the device heat sink ([0024] accumulation of dust reduces airflow between the fins of the heatsinks 40 and thus reduces the cooling efficiency of the heatsinks 40. This reduced cooling efficiency can impact the overall efficiency of the rack system 10, such as by requiring an increased airflow rate in order to sufficiently cool the blade servers 16).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lambert’s teaching of presence of dust affecting the ability of devices with Bandholz’s teaching of dust on heatsink. The combined teaching provides an expected result of presence of dust on the heatsink. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to minimize the impact of dust to maintain system efficiency.
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Lambert, Shabbir, Cananzi, and Vichare teach The information handling system of claim 3, wherein the second degradation issue is a buildup of dust (Lambert, [0052] The fans installed in information handling systems work as hard as they can to produce an expected tachometer signal output (in terms of revolutions per minute, or RPM) based on the input PWM duty cycle. Various fan failure modes, such as broken blades or the presence of debris (e.g., dust or dirt) can affect the ability of a fan to perform with uniform air flow as expected by thermal control algorithms, especially in cases in which in-line dual rotors are not performing as expected)
Lambert does not teach on a rear bracket of the first component
Bandholz teaches on a rear bracket of the first component ([0024] FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of one of the blade servers 16 adapted to include a capacitive sensing chip 50 configured according to the invention for the detection of dust within the blade server 16. Air enters a housing of the blade server 16 at an air inlet 17 and exits at an air outlet 18. An outer housing wall has been removed to reveal some of the internal components on which dust accumulates… redundant power and signal connectors 38). (i.e. rear bracket is interpreted as connectors 38).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lambert’s teaching of presence of dust affecting the ability of devices with Bandholz’s teaching of dust on the rear bracket. The combined teaching provides an expected result of presence of dust on the rear bracket. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to minimize the impact of dust to maintain system efficiency.
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Lambert, Shabbir, Cananzi, and Vichare teach The information handling system of claim 5,
Lambert does not teach wherein the third degradation issue is a disorder of cables in the rear of the information handling system
Bandholz teaches wherein the third degradation issue is a disorder of cables in the rear of the information handling system ([0005] Dust can also interfere with operation of moving parts, such as fan blades and mechanical connectors, and reduce the reliability of electrical components, such as by collecting between electrical contacts in electrical connectors, [0024] FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of one of the blade servers 16 adapted to include a capacitive sensing chip 50 configured according to the invention for the detection of dust within the blade server 16. Air enters a housing of the blade server 16 at an air inlet 17 and exits at an air outlet 18. An outer housing wall has been removed to reveal some of the internal components on which dust accumulates… redundant power and signal connectors 38).(i.e. the cables in the rear are interpreted as power and signal connectors)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lambert’s teaching of presence of dust affecting the ability of devices with Bandholz’s teaching of dust on the power and signal connectors 38. The combined teaching provides an expected result of presence of dust on the power and signal connectors 38. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to minimize the impact of dust to maintain system efficiency.
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Lambert, Shabbir, Cananzi, and Vichare teach The information handling system of claim 7, wherein the fourth degradation issue is a buildup of dust (Lambert, [0052] The fans installed in information handling systems work as hard as they can to produce an expected tachometer signal output (in terms of revolutions per minute, or RPM) based on the input PWM duty cycle. Various fan failure modes, such as broken blades or the presence of debris (e.g., dust or dirt) can affect the ability of a fan to perform with uniform air flow as expected by thermal control algorithms, especially in cases in which in-line dual rotors are not performing as expected)
Lambert does not teach a front bezel of the information handling system
Bandholz teaches a front bezel of the information handling system ([0024] FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of one of the blade servers 16 adapted to include a capacitive sensing chip 50 configured according to the invention for the detection of dust within the blade server 16. Air enters a housing of the blade server 16 at an air inlet 17 and exits at an air outlet 18. An outer housing wall has been removed to reveal some of the internal components on which dust accumulates). (i.e. the front bezel is interpreted as the air inlet)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lambert’s teaching of presence of dust affecting the ability of devices with Bandholz’s teaching of dust on the air inlet. The combined teaching provides an expected result of presence of dust on the air inlet. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to minimize the impact of dust to maintain system efficiency.
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Lambert, Shabbir, Cananzi, and Vichare teach The method of claim 9, wherein the first degradation issue is a buildup of dust on the first device …(Lambert, [0052] The fans installed in information handling systems work as hard as they can to produce an expected tachometer signal output (in terms of revolutions per minute, or RPM) based on the input PWM duty cycle. Various fan failure modes, such as broken blades or the presence of debris (e.g., dust or dirt) can affect the ability of a fan to perform with uniform air flow as expected by thermal control algorithms, especially in cases in which in-line dual rotors are not performing as expected).
Lambert does not teach on the device heat sink
Bandholz teaches on the device heat sink ([0024] accumulation of dust reduces airflow between the fins of the heatsinks 40 and thus reduces the cooling efficiency of the heatsinks 40. This reduced cooling efficiency can impact the overall efficiency of the rack system 10, such as by requiring an increased airflow rate in order to sufficiently cool the blade servers 16)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lambert’s teaching of presence of dust affecting the ability of devices with Bandholz’s teaching of dust on heatsink. The combined teaching provides an expected result of presence of dust on the heatsink. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to minimize the impact of dust to maintain system efficiency.
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Lambert, Shabbir, Cananzi, and Vichare teach The method of claim 11, wherein the second degradation issue is a buildup of dust (Lambert, [0052] The fans installed in information handling systems work as hard as they can to produce an expected tachometer signal output (in terms of revolutions per minute, or RPM) based on the input PWM duty cycle. Various fan failure modes, such as broken blades or the presence of debris (e.g., dust or dirt) can affect the ability of a fan to perform with uniform air flow as expected by thermal control algorithms, especially in cases in which in-line dual rotors are not performing as expected)
Lambert does not teach on a rear bracket of the first component
Bandholz teaches on a rear bracket of the first component ([0024] FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of one of the blade servers 16 adapted to include a capacitive sensing chip 50 configured according to the invention for the detection of dust within the blade server 16. Air enters a housing of the blade server 16 at an air inlet 17 and exits at an air outlet 18. An outer housing wall has been removed to reveal some of the internal components on which dust accumulates… redundant power and signal connectors 38).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lambert’s teaching of presence of dust affecting the ability of devices with Bandholz’s teaching of dust on the rear bracket. The combined teaching provides an expected result of presence of dust on the rear bracket. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to minimize the impact of dust to maintain system efficiency.
Regarding claim 14, the combination of Lambert, Shabbir , Cananzi, and Vichare teach The method of claim 13,
Lambert does not teach wherein the third degradation issue is a disorder of cables in the rear of the information handling system
Bandholz teaches wherein the third degradation issue is a disorder of cables in the rear of the information handling system ([0005] Dust can also interfere with operation of moving parts, such as fan blades and mechanical connectors, and reduce the reliability of electrical components, such as by collecting between electrical contacts in electrical connectors, [0024] FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of one of the blade servers 16 adapted to include a capacitive sensing chip 50 configured according to the invention for the detection of dust within the blade server 16. Air enters a housing of the blade server 16 at an air inlet 17 and exits at an air outlet 18. An outer housing wall has been removed to reveal some of the internal components on which dust accumulates… redundant power and signal connectors 38).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lambert’s teaching of presence of dust affecting the ability of devices with Bandholz’s teaching of dust on the power and signal connectors 38. The combined teaching provides an expected result of presence of dust on the power and signal connectors 38. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to minimize the impact of dust to maintain system efficiency.
Regarding claim 16, the combination of Lambert, Shabbir, Cananzi, and Vichare teach The method of claim 15, wherein the fourth degradation issue is a buildup of dust (Lambert, [0052] The fans installed in information handling systems work as hard as they can to produce an expected tachometer signal output (in terms of revolutions per minute, or RPM) based on the input PWM duty cycle. Various fan failure modes, such as broken blades or the presence of debris (e.g., dust or dirt) can affect the ability of a fan to perform with uniform air flow as expected by thermal control algorithms, especially in cases in which in-line dual rotors are not performing as expected)
Lambert does not teach a front bezel of the information handling system
Bandholz teaches a front bezel of the information handling system ([0024] FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of one of the blade servers 16 adapted to include a capacitive sensing chip 50 configured according to the invention for the detection of dust within the blade server 16. Air enters a housing of the blade server 16 at an air inlet 17 and exits at an air outlet 18. An outer housing wall has been removed to reveal some of the internal components on which dust accumulates).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lambert’s teaching of presence of dust affecting the ability of devices with Bandholz’s teaching of dust on the air inlet. The combined teaching provides an expected result of presence of dust on the air inlet. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to minimize the impact of dust to maintain system efficiency.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
Fujiwara (US8559173) discloses an electronic apparatus provided with cooling structure using a cooling fan.
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/YVONNE TRANG FOLLANSBEE/Examiner, Art Unit 2117
/ROBERT E FENNEMA/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2117
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