DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 12/19/2025 has been entered.
Response to Amendment/Argument
Amendment and argument filed on 12/19/2025 are considered. Claims 1, 10 and 16 are amended. Further search and consideration found prior arts Storino US 20030078741 A1 and Webster et al (US 5005410 A) teaching the amended limitations, See below in their respective section in claim rejection.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 1, 10, 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Asmussen et al. (US 20190371367 A1) herein after “Asmussen” in view of Vichare et al. (US 20170089607 A1) herein after “Vichare”, Webster et al (US 5005410 A) herein after “Webster” and Storino (US 20030078741 A1).
Regarding claim 1 Asmussen teaches a method for managing environmental conditions of an information handling system (para [0004] corrosion protection (i.e., managing environmental condition) of a tape drive (is viewed to be of an information handling system), comprising:
obtaining an ambient temperature of an environment proximate to the information handling system (para [0024] According to an example embodiment of the corrosion protection system, the temperature sensor and/or a humidity sensor are included within the tape drive. Thereby the temperature and/or humidity can be determined in close proximity to the components which should be protected against corrosion. According to other embodiments, the temperature sensor and/or a humidity sensor are external sensors arranged outside the tape drive.) External sensor (i.e., temperature sensor) is viewed to be obtaining an ambient temperature information outside or environment proximate to the tape drive system.;
obtaining an ambient humidity of the environment in para [0024] External sensor (i.e., humidity sensor) is viewed to be obtaining an ambient humidity information outside (i.e., environment) the tap drive system;
determining a component temperature of a component in the information handling system, using a temperature sensor integrated into the component; (para [0024] According to an example embodiment of the corrosion protection system, the temperature sensor and/or a humidity sensor are included within the tape drive. Thereby the temperature and/or humidity can be determined in close proximity to the components which should be protected against corrosion.)
From Fig. 1. Sensors 130, 160 located or included within the tape drive system 100 is viewed to measure proximate temperature or humidity of tape drive component 120;
However, Asmussen does not clearly teach determining a component humidity of the component based on the component temperature, the ambient temperature, and the ambient humidity, and using the following equation:
Log10Psat(T)= A- (B/(C+T)), where A, B and C are constants, T is the component temperature and Psat(T) is a vapor pressure;
determining, in real-time, an acceleration factor for the component based on the component humidity and the component temperature using an Arrhenius- Peck equation as follows;
A
F
=
R
1
R
2
-
2.66
*
[
e
^
(
(
E
a
K
)
*
1
T
1
-
1
T
2
)
]
where AF is an acceleration factor, R1 is a baseline relative humidity, R2 is the component humidity, E, is a baseline activation energy, K is the Boltzmann's constant, T1, is a baseline temperature, and T2, is the component temperature;
storing, in a memory module, the acceleration factor to create a historical information of acceleration factors for the component over time, wherein determining the acceleration factor is also based on the historical information of acceleration factors; and
modifying a speed of a fan configured to control airflow through the information handling system based on the acceleration factor.
Vichare teaches determining a component humidity of the component based on the component temperature, the ambient temperature, and the ambient humidity (para [0016] Information handling system 100 can include multiple temperature sensors. For example, a battery can include a temperature sensor, in addition to an embedded controller for monitoring charging and discharging temperatures of a rechargeable battery. In one embodiment, temperature sensor 190 and humidity sensor 192 can be incorporated at a battery assembly, and the embedded controller can perform one or more of the detection, logging, and remediation techniques disclosed herein. para [0022] The method continues at decision block 206 where it determined whether the current temperature is at or below the dew temperature calculated at block 205. If the current temperature is above the calculated dew temperature, the method returns to block 205 where the dew temperature continues to be monitored. If the current temperature is at or below the calculated dew temperature, it is possible or likely that condensation of water vapor can occur within the information handling system. Corrosion, especially of metallic components, is greatly accelerated by condensation.)
Herein current temperature (i.e., viewed to be a temperature within the information handling system or a component temperature) is compared with a dew point value or temperature (i.e., combination of ambient temperature and ambient humidity as suggested by para [0080] and [0085] of instant application) to determine the condensation of water vapor (i.e., related to component humidity or relative humidity) of a component (i.e., battery or metallic components) within the information handling system;
storing, in a memory module, the acceleration factor to create a historical information of acceleration factors for the component over time (para [0005] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for maintaining a record of humidity and condensation events to estimate a corrosion rate at an information handling system according to a specific embodiment of the present disclosure. Para [0023] Method 200 continues at block 207, where the condensation event can be logged. For example, a time and duration of a condensation event can be stored with the temperature and humidity information logged at block 203).; Herein the time and duration of condensation event (i.e., condensation event estimates acceleration factor or corrosion rate) at the information handling system is recorded to create a log (i.e., a historical information) over time and duration, wherein determining the acceleration factor is also based on the historical information of acceleration factors (para [0009…Environmental logs and historical failure data can be used to facilitate diagnosis of a failure at an information handling system. For example, such data may predict that a device failure is due to corrosion of an electrical connector associated with the device, rather than failure of the device itself.);
modifying a speed of a fan configured to control airflow through the information handling system based on the acceleration factor (para 31 and 44, para [0031] According to an example embodiment of the corrosion protection method, the controller activates the heating entity such that a drop of ambient air temperature of the environment surrounding the tape drive from a first temperature value to a second temperature value is mitigated within the tape drive. Thereby corrosion can be prevented with reduced thermal heating and therefore reduced energy. Para [0036] Similarly, the heating entity 150 and/or the humidity sensor 160 may be integrated within the frame or chassis 110 or may an external entity/sensor (e.g., heating entity is an external blower)
para [0044] For example, the controller may be configured to decide whether the temperature decrease is 10° C. or more within one hour. When temperature drops by 10° C. or more within one hour, there is a high risk of corrosion…. If is Tdrop is above a given temperature drop threshold value Tdrop, TH (step S230), the controller may activate the heating entity 150 (step S235). By activating the heating entity 150, the temperature within the tape drive is rising thereby avoiding the risk of corrosion of tape drive components, specifically the tape drive head.
Para [0045] If the temperature increase Tinc has not reached T inc, TH, then heating entity 150 stays activated and temperature increase Tinc measurement is performed. If temperature increase Tinc is equal to or higher than T inc, TH, then heating entity 150 is deactivated (step S250) and the control method returns to step S210,)
Herein examiner views activating and deactivating a heating entity (i.e., a blower or fan) as modifying speed of fan to control the airflow through the system based on the risk of corrosion (i.e., acceleration factor).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the invention to have incorporated Vichare into Asmussen for the purpose of determining humidity, a corrosion factor in an information handling system using a dew point and temperature, create a historical information of acceleration factor so that a modification of a speed of a fan to control the airflow through the information handling system can be obtained using the acceleration factor.
The combination of Assmussen and Vichar do not teach
using the following equation:
Log10Psat(T)= A- (B/(C+T)), where A, B and C are constants, T is the component temperature and Psat(T) is a vapor pressure;
Webster teaches determining a component humidity of the component based on the component temperature, the ambient temperature, ambient humidity based on Antoine equation. (In col 5. Line 54-60. Equation 1. P*V= 10^(A-(B/(Tc+C))), where A, B, C are coefficient or constants, Tc is the measured temperature of sample and P*V saturated vapor pressure.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the invention to have incorporated Webster into Asmussen for the purpose of accurate determination of humidity in an information handling system using an Antoine equation taught be Webster.
The combination of Assmussen, Vichar and Webster do not clearly teach
determining, in real-time, an acceleration factor for the component based on the component humidity and the component temperature using an Arrhenius-Peck equation as follows;
A
F
=
R
1
R
2
-
2.66
*
[
e
^
(
(
E
a
K
)
*
1
T
1
-
1
T
2
)
]
where AF is an acceleration factor, R1 is a baseline relative humidity, R2 is the component humidity, E, is a baseline activation energy, K is the Boltzmann's constant, T1, is a baseline temperature, and T2, is the component temperature;
Storino teaches determining, in real-time, an acceleration factor for the component based on the component humidity and the component temperature (para [0028] FIG. 2E shows a table that can be stored in nonvolatile memory, containing "instantaneous" acceleration factors, as computed from input from each of the sensors. Fig. 1 para [0035] The sensors in sensor group 112 can all be different, monitoring different environmental conditions, such as temperature, humidity, voltage, and thermal cycle information) the sensors collect the temperature and humidity of the component 100 and determine the acceleration factor in real time or instantaneously.
using Arrehnius-peck model or equation in paragraphs [007] to [0013] (temperature-humidity acceleration factor)
A
F
=
R
H
t
R
h
u
n
*
[
e
^
(
(
E
a
K
)
*
1
T
u
-
1
T
t
)
]
Where AF is temperature-humidity acceleration factor, RHt is a relative humidity of test (i.e., component), RHu is a nominal use relative humidity (i.e., baseline), Ea is activation energy, K Boltzmann’ constant, Tu is baseline temperature and Tt is component temperature.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the invention to have incorporated Storino into Asmussen for the purpose of accurate determination of acceleration factor of a component in an information handling system using an Arrhenius-peck equation taught be Storino.
Claims 10 and 16 are rejected as claim 1 having same claim limitations.
Claim(s) 2 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the combination of Asmussen, Vichare, Webster and Storino in view of Hamann et al. (US 20130265064 A1) herein after “Hamann”
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Asmussen, Vichare Webster and Storino teach the method of claim 1, however the combination does not clearly teach further comprising: determining that a moisture level in a volume between a sensor measuring ambient humidity data and the component is unchanged, wherein the determination is made before determining the component humidity
Hamann teaches determining that a moisture level in a volume between a sensor measuring ambient humidity data and the component is unchanged (para [0037] In a further embodiment, to maintain a constant relative humidity level within the device, the humidity sensor device 22 is controlled in real-time to achieve a set air moisture level) Herein the moisture level or humidity level within the structure (i.e., is viewed to be space between the sensor and a device or component) is maintained at a desired humidity level (i.e., constant or unchanged) , wherein the determination is made before determining the component humidity (para [0037] …A controller 32C receives real-time output sensor signals either via hard-wired or wireless communication from the humidity sensor device 22 and generates a feedback control signal 45 to activate a humidifier element 60 which may be a humidifier or like device to raise the moisture level in the ambient air to a desired set condition….). Examiner views after a desired (i.e., constant) set humidity, the humidity sensor device 22 measures the humidity of the component or within the structure 12.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the invention to have incorporated Hamann into Asmussen for the purpose of determining a humidity level between a structure and a humidity senor and adjust the humidity level by measuring the humidity level by the humidity sensor.
Claim 11 is rejected as claim 2 above having same claim limitation/element.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Cercueil et al. (US 20130231872 A1) discusses method and device for monitoring ageing
of electric equipment.
Hershey et al. (US 20020161457 A1) discusses estimating time To Failure Acceleration
Factor.
Campbell et al. (US 20110290448 A1) discusses cooling of an electronics rack(s) of a
data center, including rack-mounted assemblages of individual electronics units, such as rack-mounted computer server units.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHARAD TIMILSINA whose telephone number is (571)272-7104. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00-5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Catherine Rastovski can be reached at 571-270-0349. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SHARAD TIMILSINA/Examiner, Art Unit 2863
/Catherine T. Rastovski/Supervisory Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2863