CTNF 18/146,311 CTNF 101514 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. This action is in response to the applicant’s communication filed on 12/23/2022 Claims 1-22 are pending Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA) 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. 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-23-aia AIA The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows: 1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art. 2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue. 3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art. 4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. USPGPUB 2021/0321533 A1 (hereinafter Chen) in view of Cruz et al. USPGPUB 2017/0130734 A1 (hereinafter Cruz) . Regarding claim 1 , Chen teaches a fan assembly (Par. [0009], “The centrifugal heat dissipation fan includes a housing and an impeller”) comprising: a fan housing comprising an intake and a side vent (Par. [0009], “The housing has at least one inlet disposed along an axis and at least one first outlet and a second outlet located in different radial directions” – first and second outlets located in different radial directions is interpreted as side vents). Chen does not explicitly teach a variable-speed fan disposed in the fan housing; and a vent cover disposed over the side vent, wherein the vent cover is operable to open in response to a speed of the variable-speed fan passing a threshold. However, Cruz teaches a variable-speed fan disposed in a fan housing (Par. [0021], “The fan speed controller may configure a fan speed which correlates with the tachometer value”; Par. [0024], “fan rotor 127 may be enclosed by a fan casing 126”); and a vent cover, wherein the vent cover is operable to open in response to a speed of the variable-speed fan passing a threshold (Par. [0024], “recirculation flap 110 may be attached to the fan casing 126 at a pivot 128”; Par. [0021], “The recirculation flap controller may arrange the set of recirculation flaps in an open position when the tachometer value exceeds a threshold and in a closed position when the tachometer value does not exceed the threshold.” – recirculation flap is interpreted as a vent cover). Chen and Cruz are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor and contain functional similarities. They both relate to fan driven airflow systems. Therefore, at the time of effective filing date, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the above heat dissipation fan with side vents, as taught by Chen, and incorporate a vent cover that opens when the fan speed exceeds a threshold, and closes the vent cover when the fan speed is lower than a threshold, as taught by Cruz. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to improve “performance or efficiency”, as suggested by Cruz (Par. [0023]) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. USPGPUB 2021/0321533 A1 (hereinafter Chen) in view of Cruz et al. USPGPUB 2017/0130734 A1 (hereinafter Cruz), and further in view of Tam et al. US 6,705,833 B2 (hereinafter Tam) . Regarding claim 2 , the combination of Chen and Cruz teaches all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above. Chen and Cruz do not explicitly teach wherein the vent cover is composed of fabric. However, Tam teaches wherein the vent cover is composed of fabric (Col 2. line 66 - Col. 3, line 17, “The valve preferably includes a plurality of valves variously referred to as doors, flaps, flappers, valves, or louvers 312-314. Positive airflow from the blower causes the flaps or louvers 312-314 to flex open such that exhaust air may exit … Any number of materials may be selected for the valve 300 including a variety of plastics, rubber, silicon rubber, elastomers, or even coated fabrics … The flapper material is sufficiently resilient to retain the louver substantially closed when its associated blower is not active” – flapper/louver portion of the valve, corresponds to the vent cover, which may be composed of coated fabric.). Chen, Cruz, and Tam are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor and contain functional similarities. They all relate to fan driven airflow systems. Therefore, at the time of effective filing date, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the above heat dissipation fan with covered side vents, as taught by Chen and Cruz, and incorporate a fabric vent cover, as taught by Tam. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to improve airflow responsiveness by reducing the force needed to move the cover open under airflow while maintaining a resilient cover structure suitable for returning toward the closed position when airflow is insufficient, as suggested by Tam (Col. 3, lines 14-16) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. USPGPUB 2021/0321533 A1 (hereinafter Chen) in view of Cruz et al. USPGPUB 2017/0130734 A1 (hereinafter Cruz) and Tam et al. US 6,705,833 B2 (hereinafter Tam), and further in view of Gifford et al. US 2011/0294414 A1 (hereinafter Gifford) . Regarding claim 3 , the combination of Chen, Cruz, and Tam teaches all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above. Chen, Cruz, and Tam do not explicitly teach wherein the vent cover is adhered to the fan housing. However, Gifford teaches wherein the vent cover is adhered to the fan housing (Claim 1, “an adhesive vent over an aperture in a surface, the adhesive vent having at least one edge and an air permeable venting region, an adhesive region having adhesive disposed thereon surrounding the air permeable venting region”). Chen, Cruz, Tam, and Gifford are analogous art because they contain functional similarities. They all relate to airflow control through vents or apertures and to structures for controlling or securing airflow through openings. Therefore, at the time of effective filing date, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the above heat dissipation fan with covered side vents, as taught by Chen, Cruz, and Tam, and incorporate a vent cover adhered to the fan housing, as taught by Gifford. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to reduce leakage paths around the vent and maintain proper placement over the aperture, as suggested by Gifford (Par. [0002]) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. USPGPUB 2021/0321533 A1 (hereinafter Chen) in view of Cruz et al. USPGPUB 2017/0130734 A1 (hereinafter Cruz), and further in view of Chou USPGPUB 2009/0262499 A1 (hereinafter Chou) . Regarding claim 4 , the combination of Chen and Cruz teaches all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above. Chen and Cruz do not explicitly teach one or more torsion springs, wherein the one or more torsion springs apply a force to keep the vent cover closed while the speed of the variable-speed fan is below the threshold. However, Chou teaches one or more torsion springs, wherein the one or more torsion springs apply a force to keep the vent cover closed while the speed of a fan is below a threshold (Par. [0018] “When the fans 402 are in operation, the air flows blown out by the fans 402 overcomes the forces of the torsion springs 406 to rotate the leaves 408 and open the exits; when the fans 402 are idle, the torsion springs 406 will keep the leaves 408 in positions to close the exits.” – The fan pressure must overcome the force of the torsion sprints in order for the vent covers to open.). Chen, Cruz, and Chou are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor and contain functional similarities. They all relate to fan driven airflow systems. Therefore, at the time of effective filing date, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the above heat dissipation fan with covered side vents, as taught by Chen and Cruz, and incorporate torsion springs to keep vent cover closed until the pressure from a fan overcomes the force of the springs, as taught by Chou. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to prevent hot air from flowing back into the fan, as suggested by Chou (Par. [0015]) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. USPGPUB 2021/0321533 A1 (hereinafter Chen) in view of Cruz et al. USPGPUB 2017/0130734 A1 (hereinafter Cruz) and Chou USPGPUB 2009/0262499 A1 (hereinafter Chou), and further in view of Carlson USPGPUB 2004/0261867 A1 (hereinafter Carlson) . Regarding claim 5 , the combination of Chen, Cruz, and Chou teaches all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above. Chen, Cruz, and Chou do not explicitly teach wherein the vent cover is composed of mylar. However, Carlson teaches wherein the vent cover is composed of mylar (Par. [0004], “When the air pressure inside the vehicle is less than the outside air pressure, the vent flap is in a closed condition overlying the vent plate and closing the vent openings, to block flow of outside air into the vehicle”; Par. [0005], “The vent flap is made from Mylar”). Chen, Cruz, Chou, and Carlson are analogous art because they contain functional similarities. They all relate to airflow control systems. Therefore, at the time of effective filing date, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the above heat dissipation fan with spring-based side vent covers, as taught by Chen, Cruz, and Chou, and incorporate a mylar vent cover, as taught by Carlson. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to improve blocking the flow of outside air into the inside of the system, as suggested by Carlson (Par [0017]) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. USPGPUB 2021/0321533 A1 (hereinafter Chen) in view of Cruz et al. USPGPUB 2017/0130734 A1 (hereinafter Cruz), and further in view of Kalman US 2,981,172 (hereinafter Kalman) . Regarding claim 6 , the combination of Chen and Cruz teaches all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above. Chen and Cruz do not explicitly teach one or more magnets disposed along an edge of the side vent, wherein the vent cover is magnetic, wherein the one or more magnets apply a force to keep the vent cover closed while the speed of the variable-speed fan is below the threshold. However, Kalman teaches one or more magnets disposed along an edge of the side vent (Col. 2, lines 4-6, “A magnet 21 is secured to the upper end of the support portion 20 of the bracket 19, adjacent the underside of the damper blades 14, 15”), wherein the vent cover is magnetic (Col. 2, lines 12-15, “A metallic disk of magnetically attractable material is illustrated at 24 and is secured to the underside of the damper blades 14, 15 in position to be contacted by the magnets 21.” – damper blade with the magnetically attractable disk is interpreted as the vent cover), wherein the one or more magnets apply a force to keep the vent cover closed while the speed of the variable-speed fan is below the threshold (Col. 2, lines 18-25, “the magnetic attraction of the magnets 21 for the disks 24 is such that minor changes in air pressure, as well as minor currents of air in the conduit 11, will not be effective to vibrate or open the damper blades 14, 15 until air pressure exerted by the fan 12 is brought to bear on the underside of the damper blades 14, 15.”). Chen, Cruz, and Kalman are analogous art because they contain functional similarities. They all relate to airflow control systems. Therefore, at the time of effective filing date, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the heat dissipation fan with side vent covers, as taught by Chen and Cruz, and incorporate a magnetically retained vent cover, wherein magnets apply a force to keep the vent cover closed while the speed of the variable-speed fan is below a threshold, as taught by Kalman. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to reduce cost, improve ease of operation, and effectively secure the damper blades in a closed position, as suggested by Kalman (Col. 1, lines 31-33) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 7-8, and 11-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. USPGPUB 2021/0321533 A1 (hereinafter Chen) in view of Cruz et al. USPGPUB 2017/0130734 A1 (hereinafter Cruz), and further in view of Yao et al. US 7,796,385 B2 (hereinafter Yao) . Regarding claim 7, the combination of Chen and Cruz teaches all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above. Chen further teaches wherein the fan housing further comprises a primary vent (Par. [0008], “The housing has at least one inlet disposed along an axis and at least one first outlet and a second outlet located in different radial directions” – Chen teaches multiple vents, where one could be considered a primary vent). Chen and Cruz do not explicitly teach wherein airflow through the primary vent is directed to a heat sink, wherein the heat sink is thermally coupled to a processor of a compute device. However, Yao teaches wherein airflow through the primary vent is directed to a heat sink, wherein the heat sink is thermally coupled to a processor of a compute device (Col. 2, lines 27-30, “The heat sink 13 for CPU is encased by the second portion 23 of the airflow guide 20, thereby assisting heat dissipation of the CPU.” – The airflow guide and fan direct airflow to the heat sink because the heat sink for the CPU is encased by the airflow guide to assist CPU heat dissipation; Col. 1, lines 34-42, “A heat sink 13 attached on a CPU chip (not shown) is mounted on a motherboard 12 in the chassis 10” – heat sink being attached on a CPU chip is interpreted as thermally coupled.). Chen, Cruz, and Yao are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor. They all relate to heat dissipation systems using fan generated airflow. Therefore, at the time of effective filing date, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the above heat dissipation fan with vent covers, as taught by Chen and Cruz, and incorporate directing airflow from a vent towards a processor heat sink, as taught by Yao. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to improve heat dissipating efficiency, as suggested by Yao (Col. 1, lines 15-17). Regarding claim 8 , the combination of Chen, Cruz, and Yao teaches all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above. Yao further teaches the compute device, the heat sink, and the processor (Fig. 1, Col. 1, lines 34-42, “computer enclosure includes a chassis 10 and a heat dissipating assembly … A heat sink 13 attached on a CPU chip (not shown) is mounted on a motherboard 12 in the chassis 10” – computer enclosure/chassis is interpreted as compute device and the CPU chip is interpreted as the processor.). Regarding claim 11 , the combination of Chen and Cruz teaches all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above. Chen and Cruz do not explicitly teach a fan channel module comprises an intake, wherein the fan channel module comprises one or more vent channels, wherein the fan channel module is attached to the fan housing, wherein the intake of the fan channel module is aligned to the side vent of the fan housing. However, Yao teaches a fan channel module comprises an intake (Col. 1, lines 37-54, “The heat dissipating assembly includes an airflow guide 20 and a fan 40 … The airflow guide 20 includes a first portion 21 separated from a second portion 23. The first portion 21 includes a mounting panel 211 removably fixed to the first fixing panel 41 of the fan 40. An airflow opening 212 is defined in the mounting panel 211 to facilitate airflow from and to the fan 40” – airflow guide corresponds to the claimed fan channel module because it is an airflow-directing structure attached to the fan housing), wherein the fan channel module comprises one or more vent channels (Col. 2, lines 25-27, “The airflow passage 218 of the first portion 21 of the airflow guide 20 communicates with the vents 151 of the side panel 15” – airflow passage corresponds to the vent channel because it is a passage/channel in the airflow guide for conducting airflow from the airflow opening toward an outlet/vent.), wherein the fan channel module is attached to the fan housing (Col. 2, lines 17-21, “A plurality of mounting members 70 is inserted in the mounting holes 213 of the first portion 21 and the first fixing holes 411 of the fan 40, thereby securing the first portion 21 of the airflow guide 21 to the first fixing panel 41 of the fan 40” ), wherein the intake of the fan channel module is aligned to the side vent of the fan housing (Claim 12, “an airflow opening aligned with the first side of the fan is defined in the mounting panel; an airflow passage surrounded by the encasing panels communicates with the airflow opening and the vent of the chassis”). Chen, Cruz, and Yao are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor. They all relate to heat dissipation systems using fan generated airflow. Therefore, at the time of effective filing date, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the above heat dissipation fan with covered side vents, as taught by Chen and Cruz, and incorporate aligning an airflow guide to Chen’s side vent, as taught by Yao. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to improve directed airflow management by routing side-vent airflow through a defined channel to a desired cooling location, as suggested by Yao (Col. 2, lines 25-30). Regarding claim 12 , the combination of Chen, Cruz, and Yao teaches all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above. Yao further teaches wherein the fan channel module is removably attached to the fan housing (Col. 1, lines 50-52, “The first portion 21 includes a mounting panel 211 removably fixed to the first fixing panel 41 of the fan 40”) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 9-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. USPGPUB 2021/0321533 A1 (hereinafter Chen) in view of Cruz et al. USPGPUB 2017/0130734 A1 (hereinafter Cruz), and further in view of Byers et al. US 7,688,593 B2 (hereinafter Byers) . Regarding claim 9 , the combination of Chen and Cruz teaches all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above. Chen further teaches wherein a plurality of vent channels are defined in the fan housing (Par. [0020], “After the impeller 120 is assembled to the housing 110, at least one divergent channel p1 is formed”; Par. [0023], “the divergent channel P1 according to the embodiment is divided into a first channel P11, a second channel P12, and a third channel P13.”). Chen and Cruz do not explicitly teach a motor assembly comprising: a motor; and a vent barrier connected to the motor, wherein the motor is able to move the vent barrier to block or unblock one or more of the plurality of vent channels. However, Byers teaches a motor assembly (Col. 5, lines 26-27, “The worm gear 230 is in turn coupled to a miniature motor 240 (e.g., an electric motor).”) comprising: a motor (Col. 5, lines 26-27, “miniature motor 240 (e.g., an electric motor).”); and a vent barrier connected to the motor, wherein the motor is able to move the vent barrier to block or unblock one or more of the plurality of vent channels (Col. 5, lines 40-51, “when the control veins 210 are positioned perpendicular to the airflow direction, the airflow is largely blocked. However, when the control veins 210 are positioned parallel to the airflow direction, the airflow is maximized … position feedback (e.g., from the motor, from the control veins 210, or from the air sensors 250) may be used to choose a specific control vein 210 position” - The rotating airflow control veins 210 correspond to the claimed vent barrier because they are movable structures located in the airflow path that selectively obstruct or permit airflow.). Chen, Cruz, and Byers are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor. They all relate to heat dissipation systems using fan generated airflow. Therefore, at the time of effective filing date, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the above heat dissipation fan with side vent covers, as taught by Chen and Cruz, and incorporate a motor-driven servo damper/control-vein arrangement, such that the motor moves the control veins to selectively block or unblock one or more vent channels, as taught by Byers. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to improve heat dissipating efficiency, as suggested by Byers (Col. 1, lines 58-60). Regarding claim 10 , the combination of Chen, Cruz, and Byers teaches all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above. Byers further teaches wherein the vent barrier has a first configuration, a second configuration, and a third configuration (Col. 5, lines 21-47, “The servo damper 200, as shown in the top view and the front view, includes one or more rotating airflow control veins 210 … when the control veins 210 are positioned perpendicular to the airflow direction, the airflow is largely blocked. However, when the control veins 210 are positioned parallel to the airflow direction, the airflow is maximized”; Fig. 4, Col. 7, lines 19-30, “air paths 410-430 are each independently controlled by associated servo dampers 440-460.” – servo dampers/control vanes collectively form the vent barrier assembly, and each damper position is a configuration), wherein, in the first configuration, the vent barrier blocks a first vent channel of the plurality of vent channels and unblocks a second vent channel or a third vent channel of the plurality of vent channels (Col. 5, lines 21-47, “The servo damper 200, as shown in the top view and the front view, includes one or more rotating airflow control veins 210 … when the control veins 210 are positioned perpendicular to the airflow direction, the airflow is largely blocked. However, when the control veins 210 are positioned parallel to the airflow direction, the airflow is maximized”; Fig. 4, Col. 7, lines 19-30, “air paths 410-430 are each independently controlled by associated servo dampers 440-460.” – In the combined system, setting the damper for the first channel perpendicular while setting another channel’s damper parallel corresponds to the first configuration), wherein, in the second configuration, the vent barrier blocks the second vent channel of the plurality of vent channels and unblocks the first vent channel or the third vent channel (Col. 5, lines 21-47, “The servo damper 200, as shown in the top view and the front view, includes one or more rotating airflow control veins 210 … when the control veins 210 are positioned perpendicular to the airflow direction, the airflow is largely blocked. However, when the control veins 210 are positioned parallel to the airflow direction, the airflow is maximized”; Fig. 4, Col. 7, lines 19-30, “air paths 410-430 are each independently controlled by associated servo dampers 440-460.” – In the combined system, setting the damper for the second channel perpendicular while setting another channel’s damper parallel corresponds to the second configuration), wherein, in the third configuration, the vent barrier blocks the third vent channel of the plurality of vent channels and unblocks the first vent channel or the second vent channel (Col. 5, lines 21-47, “The servo damper 200, as shown in the top view and the front view, includes one or more rotating airflow control veins 210 … when the control veins 210 are positioned perpendicular to the airflow direction, the airflow is largely blocked. However, when the control veins 210 are positioned parallel to the airflow direction, the airflow is maximized”; Fig. 4, Col. 7, lines 19-30, “air paths 410-430 are each independently controlled by associated servo dampers 440-460.” – In the combined system, setting the damper for the third channel perpendicular while setting another channel’s damper parallel corresponds to the third configuration) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. USPGPUB 2021/0321533 A1 (hereinafter Chen) in view of Cruz et al. USPGPUB 2017/0130734 A1 (hereinafter Cruz), and further in view of Robillard et al. US 9,506,821 B1 (hereinafter Robillard) . Regarding claim 13 , the combination of Chen and Cruz teaches all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above. Chen and Cruz teach the fan assembly of claim 1, but do not explicitly teach a compute device comprising: a processor; a memory coupled to the processor; and one or more computer-readable media comprising a plurality of instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: monitor a temperature of one or more component of the compute device; determine to open the vent cover based on the monitored temperature of the one or more components; and increase a speed of the variable-speed fan to open the vent cover in response to the determination to open the vent cover. However, Robillard teaches a compute device (Col. 3, lines 1-6, “Computer process 12 may be executed (in whole or in part) by computer 16 (e.g., a single server computer, a plurality of server computers, a general purpose computer, a laptop computer, or a notebook computer). Device process 14 may be executed (in whole or in part) by embedded device 18”) comprising: the fan assembly of claim 1; a processor (Col. 3, lines 14-15, “embedded device 18 may include but are not limited to a microprocessor and memory”); a memory coupled to the processor (Col. 3, lines 14-15, “embedded device 18 may include but are not limited to a microprocessor and memory”); and one or more computer-readable media comprising a plurality of instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor (Col. 2, lines 4-6, “a computer program product resides on a computer readable medium and has a plurality of instructions stored on it”) to: monitor a temperature of one or more component of the compute device (Col. 4, lines 65-67, “the temperature being monitored is the temperature of the exhaust airflow via a temperature sensor positioned proximate exhaust fan 226”); determine to open the vent cover based on the monitored temperature of the one or more components (Col. 2, lines 15-17, “fan speed for the computing device is controlled based at least in part upon the approximated ambient air temperature and the workload factor” – if ambient air temperature is too high, the fan speed should be increased enough to open the vent covers taught by Chou); and increase a speed of the variable-speed fan to open the vent cover in response to the determination to open the vent cover (Col. 7, lines 3-16, “a low approximated ambient air temperature 206 in combination with a low workload factor 207 may result in one or more of the fans (e.g., fan 226, fan 228, microprocessor cooling fans (not shown) and memory system cooling fans (not shown)) being set to a lowest fan speed (to provide minimum cooling) via fan control signal 211. Conversely, a high approximated ambient air temperature 206 in combination with a high workload factor 207 may result in one or more of the fans (e.g., fan 226, fan 228, microprocessor cooling fans (not shown) and memory system cooling fans (not shown)) being set to a highest fan speed (to provide maximum cooling) via fan control signal 211” –Increasing the fan speed from a low speed to a high speed to provide maximum cooling causes the vent cover to open) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. USPGPUB 2021/0321533 A1 (hereinafter Chen) in view of Byers et al. US 7,688,593 B2 (hereinafter Byers) . Regarding claim 14, Chen teaches a fan assembly (Par. [0009], “The centrifugal heat dissipation fan includes a housing and an impeller”) comprising: a fan housing comprising an intake and a plurality of vent channels ( Par. [0020], “After the impeller 120 is assembled to the housing 110, at least one divergent channel p1 is formed”; Par. [0023], “the divergent channel P1 according to the embodiment is divided into a first channel P11, a second channel P12, and a third channel P13.”); a fan disposed in the fan housing ( Par. [0009] “The impeller is disposed in the housing along the axis” – impeller is interpreted as a fan) . Chen does not explicitly teach a motor assembly comprising: a motor; and a vent barrier connected to the motor, wherein the motor is operable to move the vent barrier to block or unblock one or more of the plurality of vent channels. However, Byers teaches a motor assembly (Col. 5, lines 26-27, “The worm gear 230 is in turn coupled to a miniature motor 240 (e.g., an electric motor).”) comprising: a motor (Col. 5, lines 26-27, “a miniature motor 240 (e.g., an electric motor).”); and a vent barrier connected to the motor, wherein the motor is operable to move the vent barrier to block or unblock one or more of the plurality of vent channels (Fig. 2, Col. 5, lines 21-23, “The servo damper 200, as shown in the top view and the front view, includes one or more rotating airflow control veins 210.”; Col. 5, lines 40-51, “when the control veins 210 are positioned perpendicular to the airflow direction, the airflow is largely blocked. However, when the control veins 210 are positioned parallel to the airflow direction, the airflow is maximized … position feedback (e.g., from the motor, from the control veins 210, or from the air sensors 250) may be used to choose a specific control vein 210 position”- The rotating airflow control veins 210 correspond to the claimed vent barrier because they are movable structures located in the airflow path that selectively obstruct or permit airflow.). Chen and Byers are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor and contain functional similarities. They both relate to heat dissipation systems using fan generated airflow. Therefore, at the time of effective filing date, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the above fan inside a fan housing with an intake and a plurality of vent channels, as taught by Chen, and incorporate a motor-driven servo damper/control-vein arrangement, such that the motor moves the control veins to selectively block or unblock one or more vent channels, as taught by Byers. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to improve heat dissipating efficiency, as suggested by Byers (Col. 1, lines 58-60). Regarding claim 15 , the combination of Chen and Byers teaches all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above. Byers further teaches wherein the vent barrier has a first configuration, a second configuration, and a third configuration (Col. 5, lines 21-47, “The servo damper 200, as shown in the top view and the front view, includes one or more rotating airflow control veins 210 … when the control veins 210 are positioned perpendicular to the airflow direction, the airflow is largely blocked. However, when the control veins 210 are positioned parallel to the airflow direction, the airflow is maximized”; Fig. 4, Col. 7, lines 19-30, “air paths 410-430 are each independently controlled by associated servo dampers 440-460.” – servo dampers/control vanes collectively form the vent barrier assembly, and each damper position is a configuration), wherein, in the first configuration, the vent barrier blocks a first vent channel of the plurality of vent channels and unblocks a second vent channel or a third vent channel of the plurality of vent channels (Col. 5, lines 21-47, “The servo damper 200, as shown in the top view and the front view, includes one or more rotating airflow control veins 210 … when the control veins 210 are positioned perpendicular to the airflow direction, the airflow is largely blocked. However, when the control veins 210 are positioned parallel to the airflow direction, the airflow is maximized”; Fig. 4, Col. 7, lines 19-30, “air paths 410-430 are each independently controlled by associated servo dampers 440-460.” – In the combined system, setting the damper for the first channel perpendicular while setting another channel’s damper parallel corresponds to the first configuration), wherein, in the second configuration, the vent barrier blocks the second vent channel of the plurality of vent channels and unblocks the first vent channel or the third vent channel (Col. 5, lines 21-47, “The servo damper 200, as shown in the top view and the front view, includes one or more rotating airflow control veins 210 … when the control veins 210 are positioned perpendicular to the airflow direction, the airflow is largely blocked. However, when the control veins 210 are positioned parallel to the airflow direction, the airflow is maximized”; Fig. 4, Col. 7, lines 19-30, “air paths 410-430 are each independently controlled by associated servo dampers 440-460.” – In the combined system, setting the damper for the second channel perpendicular while setting another channel’s damper parallel corresponds to the second configuration), wherein, in the third configuration, the vent barrier blocks the third vent channel of the plurality of vent channels and unblocks the first vent channel or the second vent channel (Col. 5, lines 21-47, “The servo damper 200, as shown in the top view and the front view, includes one or more rotating airflow control veins 210 … when the control veins 210 are positioned perpendicular to the airflow direction, the airflow is largely blocked. However, when the control veins 210 are positioned parallel to the airflow direction, the airflow is maximized”; Fig. 4, Col. 7, lines 19-30, “air paths 410-430 are each independently controlled by associated servo dampers 440-460.” – In the combined system, setting the damper for the third channel perpendicular while setting another channel’s damper parallel corresponds to the third configuration) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 16-17, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. USPGPUB 2021/0321533 A1 (hereinafter Chen) in view of Byers et al. US 7,688,593 B2 (hereinafter Byers), and further in view of Yao et al. US 7,796,385 B2 (hereinafter Yao) . Regarding claim 16 , the combination of Chen and Byers teaches all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above. Chen further teaches wherein the fan housing further comprises a primary vent (Par. [0008], “The housing has at least one inlet disposed along an axis and at least one first outlet and a second outlet located in different radial directions” – Chen teaches multiple vents, where one could be considered a primary vent). Chen and Byers do not explicitly teach wherein airflow through the primary vent is directed to a heat sink, wherein the heat sink is thermally coupled to a processor of a compute device. However, Yao teaches wherein airflow through the primary vent is directed to a heat sink, wherein the heat sink is thermally coupled to a processor of a compute device (Col. 2, lines 27-30, “The heat sink 13 for CPU is encased by the second portion 23 of the airflow guide 20, thereby assisting heat dissipation of the CPU.” – The airflow guide and fan direct airflow to the heat sink because the heat sink for the CPU is encased by the airflow guide to assist CPU heat dissipation.). Chen, Byers, and Yao are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor. They all relate to heat dissipation systems using fan generated airflow. Therefore, at the time of effective filing date, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the above heat dissipation fan with side vent covers, as taught by Chen and Byers, and incorporate directing airflow from a vent towards a processor heat sink, as taught by Yao. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to improve heat dissipating efficiency, as suggested by Yao (Col. 1, lines 15-17). Regarding claim 17 , the combination of Chen, Byers, and Yao teaches all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above. Yao further teaches wherein airflow through the primary vent is directed to a heat sink, wherein the heat sink is thermally coupled to a processor of a compute device (Col. 2, lines 27-30, “The heat sink 13 for CPU is encased by the second portion 23 of the airflow guide 20, thereby assisting heat dissipation of the CPU.” – The airflow guide and fan direct airflow to the heat sink because the heat sink for the CPU is encased by the airflow guide to assist CPU heat dissipation.). Regarding claim 20 , the combination of Chen and Yao teaches all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above. Chen and Yao do not explicitly teach a motor assembly comprising: a motor; and a vent barrier connected to the motor, wherein the motor is operable to move the vent barrier to block or unblock one or more of the one or more vent channels. However, Byers teaches a motor assembly comprising: a motor (Col. 5, lines 26-27, “The worm gear 230 is in turn coupled to a miniature motor 240 (e.g., an electric motor).”); and a vent barrier connected to the motor, wherein the motor is operable to move the vent barrier to block or unblock one or more of the one or more vent channels (Col. 5, lines 40-51, “when the control veins 210 are positioned perpendicular to the airflow direction, the airflow is largely blocked. However, when the control veins 210 are positioned parallel to the airflow direction, the airflow is maximized … position feedback (e.g., from the motor, from the control veins 210, or from the air sensors 250) may be used to choose a specific control vein 210 position” - The rotating airflow control veins 210 correspond to the claimed vent barrier because they are movable structures located in the airflow path that selectively obstruct or permit airflow.). Chen, Yao, and Byers are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor. They all relate to heat dissipation systems using fan generated airflow. Therefore, at the time of effective filing date, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the above fan housing with an intake, side vent, and airflow guide, as taught by Chen and Yao, and incorporate a motor-driven servo damper/control-vein arrangement, such that the motor moves the control veins to selectively block or unblock one or more vent channels, as taught by Byers. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to improve heat dissipating efficiency, as suggested by Byers (Col. 1, lines 58-60) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 18-19, 21-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. USPGPUB 2021/0321533 A1 (hereinafter Chen) in view of Yao et al. US 7,796,385 B2 (hereinafter Yao) . Regarding claim 18, Chen teaches a fan assembly (Par. [0009], “The centrifugal heat dissipation fan includes a housing and an impeller”) comprising: a fan housing comprising an intake and a side vent (Par. [0009], “The housing has at least one inlet disposed along an axis and at least one first outlet and a second outlet located in different radial directions” – first and second outlets located in different radial directions is interpreted as side vents). Chen does not explicitly teach a fan channel module comprising an intake and one or more vent channels, wherein the fan channel module is attached to the fan housing, wherein the intake of the fan channel module is aligned to the side vent of the fan housing. However, Yao teaches a fan channel module comprising an intake (Col. 1, lines 37-54, “The heat dissipating assembly includes an airflow guide 20 and a fan 40 … The airflow guide 20 includes a first portion 21 separated from a second portion 23. The first portion 21 includes a mounting panel 211 removably fixed to the first fixing panel 41 of the fan 40. An airflow opening 212 is defined in the mounting panel 211 to facilitate airflow from and to the fan 40” – airflow guide corresponds to the claimed fan channel module because it is an airflow-directing structure attached to the fan housing) and one or more vent channels ( Col. 2, lines 25-27, “The airflow passage 218 of the first portion 21 of the airflow guide 20 communicates with the vents 151 of the side panel 15” – airflow passage corresponds to the vent channel because it is a passage/channel in the airflow guide for conducting airflow from the airflow opening toward an outlet/vent.) , wherein the fan channel module is attached to the fan housing (Col. 2, lines 17-21, “A plurality of mounting members 70 is inserted in the mounting holes 213 of the first portion 21 and the first fixing holes 411 of the fan 40, thereby securing the first portion 21 of the airflow guide 21 to the first fixing panel 41 of the fan 40”) , wherein the intake of the fan channel module is aligned to the side vent of the fan housing (Claim 12, “an airflow opening aligned with the first side of the fan is defined in the mounting panel; an airflow passage surrounded by the encasing panels communicates with the airflow opening and the vent of the chassis”). Chen and Yao are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor. They both relate to heat dissipation systems using fan generated airflow. Therefore, at the time of effective filing date, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the above fan housing with an intake and side vent, as taught by Chen, and incorporate aligning an airflow guide to a side vent, as taught by Yao. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to improve directed airflow management by routing side-vent airflow through a defined channel to a desired cooling location, as suggested by Yao (Col. 2, lines 25-30). Regarding claim 19 , the combination of Chen and Yao teaches all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above. Yao further teaches wherein the fan channel module is removably attached to the fan housing (Col. 1, lines 50-52, “The first portion 21 includes a mounting panel 211 removably fixed to the first fixing panel 41 of the fan 40”). Regarding claim 21 , the combination of Chen and Yao teaches all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above. Chen further teaches wherein the fan housing further comprises a primary vent (Par. [0008], “The housing has at least one inlet disposed along an axis and at least one first outlet and a second outlet located in different radial directions” – Chen teaches multiple vents, where one could be considered a primary vent). Chen does not explicitly teach wherein airflow through the primary vent is directed to a heat sink, wherein the heat sink is thermally coupled to a processor of a compute device. However, Yao teaches wherein airflow through the primary vent is directed to a heat sink, wherein the heat sink is thermally coupled to a processor of a compute device (Col. 2, lines 27-30, “The heat sink 13 for CPU is encased by the second portion 23 of the airflow guide 20, thereby assisting heat dissipation of the CPU.” – The airflow guide and fan direct airflow to the heat sink because the heat sink for the CPU is encased by the airflow guide to assist CPU heat dissipation.). Regarding claim 22 , the combination of Chen and Yao teaches all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above. Yao further teaches the fan assembly of claim 21, further comprising the compute device, the heat sink, and the processor (Fig. 1, Col. 1, lines 34-42, “computer enclosure includes a chassis 10 and a heat dissipating assembly … A heat sink 13 attached on a CPU chip (not shown) is mounted on a motherboard 12 in the chassis 10” – computer enclosure/chassis is interpreted as compute device and the CPU chip is interpreted as the processor.). Citation of Pertinent Prior Art 07-96 AIA The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Gebke [USPGPUB 2006/0252365 A1] teaches a pliable air duct with pressure responsive discharge outlets. Adrian [USPGPUB 2019/0069440 A1] teaches an apparatus, system, and method for directing air in a storage system chassis . Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PETER XU whose telephone number is (571)272-0792. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5pm. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mohammad Ali can be reached at (571) 272-4105. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /PETER XU/ Examiner, Art Unit 2119 /MOHAMMAD ALI/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2119 Application/Control Number: 18/146,311 Page 2 Art Unit: 2119 Application/Control Number: 18/146,311 Page 3 Art Unit: 2119 Application/Control Number: 18/146,311 Page 4 Art Unit: 2119 Application/Control Number: 18/146,311 Page 5 Art Unit: 2119 Application/Control Number: 18/146,311 Page 6 Art Unit: 2119 Application/Control Number: 18/146,311 Page 7 Art Unit: 2119 Application/Control Number: 18/146,311 Page 8 Art Unit: 2119 Application/Control Number: 18/146,311 Page 9 Art Unit: 2119 Application/Control Number: 18/146,311 Page 10 Art Unit: 2119 Application/Control Number: 18/146,311 Page 11 Art Unit: 2119 Application/Control Number: 18/146,311 Page 12 Art Unit: 2119 Application/Control Number: 18/146,311 Page 13 Art Unit: 2119 Application/Control Number: 18/146,311 Page 14 Art Unit: 2119 Application/Control Number: 18/146,311 Page 15 Art Unit: 2119 Application/Control Number: 18/146,311 Page 16 Art Unit: 2119 Application/Control Number: 18/146,311 Page 17 Art Unit: 2119 Application/Control Number: 18/146,311 Page 18 Art Unit: 2119 Application/Control Number: 18/146,311 Page 19 Art Unit: 2119 Application/Control Number: 18/146,311 Page 20 Art Unit: 2119 Application/Control Number: 18/146,311 Page 21 Art Unit: 2119 Application/Control Number: 18/146,311 Page 22 Art Unit: 2119 Application/Control Number: 18/146,311 Page 23 Art Unit: 2119 Application/Control Number: 18/146,311 Page 24 Art Unit: 2119 Application/Control Number: 18/146,311 Page 25 Art Unit: 2119 Application/Control Number: 18/146,311 Page 26 Art Unit: 2119 Application/Control Number: 18/146,311 Page 27 Art Unit: 2119 Application/Control Number: 18/146,311 Page 28 Art Unit: 2119 Application/Control Number: 18/146,311 Page 29 Art Unit: 2119
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