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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The IDS filed on 05/09/2023 has been considered and made of record.
Oath/Declaration
The oath/declaration filed on 05/09/2023 is acceptable.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-5, 9-11, 13-18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Berk et al. [US 2014/0002980].
Regarding claim 1, Berk et al., disclose an apparatus (figures 1-3) comprising:
a standalone rigid body (200 or 300, figures 2-3) to at least partially cover a plurality of dual inline memory modules (210, figure 2; or 310, figure 3);
a plurality of grooves (320, figures 2-3) in a bottom of the standalone rigid body, each of the plurality of grooves to receive a top edge of one of the plurality of DIMMs (a top edge of each DIMM connected to a bottom of each groove, figures 2-3); and
one or more fasteners (240, figure 2) to secure the standalone rigid body over the plurality of DIMMs.
Regarding claim 2, Berk et al. disclose wherein the one or more fasteners comprise: a latch proximate to each of four corners of the standalone rigid body (240, figure 2).
Regarding claim 3, Berk et al., disclose wherein the standalone rigid body includes four sides (the rigid body 230 has a rectangular shape, figure 2) including two sides parallel to the plurality of DIMMs and two sides perpendicular to the plurality of DIMMs.
Regarding claim 4, Berk et al., disclose wherein the standalone rigid body includes a solid top (figures 2-3).
Regarding claim 5, Berk et al., disclose the standalone rigid body includes an opening (two opposite openings of the standalone rigid body exposed partially covered plurality of DIMMs 210 or 310, figures 2-3) between opposing sides of the standalone rigid body to expose the partially covered plurality of DIMMs.
Regarding claim 9, Berk et al., further disclose wherein the one or more fasteners include one or more of: latches, screws, and snap attachment mechanisms (240, figures 2-3).
Regarding claim 10, Berk et al., further disclose wherein the standalone rigid body has a width to at least partially cover at least two DIMMs (210/310, figures 2-3).
Regarding claim 11, Berk et al., further disclose wherein the standalone rigid body has a width to cover three or more DIMMs (figures 2-3).
Regarding claim 13, Berk et al., further disclose one or more additional rigid bodies, each of the one or more additional rigid bodies to at least partially cover the same or a different plurality of DIMMs of an array of DIMMs (there are two rigid bodies 230 and 330 are used within an electronic device; then, one additional rigid bodies is used in the electronic device, figures 1-3).
Regarding claim 14, Berk et al., disclose an apparatus (figures 1-3) comprising:
a plurality of dual inline memory modules (210 DIMMs, figure 2; 310, figure 3); and
a standalone DIMM cover (200 or 300, figures 2-3) including:
a rigid body (230, figure 2 or 332 & 330, figure 3) having a length to at least partially cover two or more DIMMs (210, figure 2; or 310, figure 3);
a plurality of grooves (320, figures 2-3) in a bottom of the rigid body to receive top edges of the two or more DIMMs (a top edge of each DIMM connected to a bottom of each groove, figures 2-3); and
one or more fasteners (240, figure 2) to secure the rigid body over two or more DIMMs (figures 2-3).
Regarding claim 15, Berk et al., disclose wherein the rigid body includes four corners (the rigid body 230 or 330 has a rectangular shape, figures 2-3).
Regarding claim 16, Berk et al. disclose wherein the one or more fasteners comprise: a latch at each of four corners of the rigid body (240, figure 2).
Regarding claim 17, Berk et al., further disclose wherein the rigid body includes four sides (the rigid body 230 or 330 has a rectangular shape, figures 2-3), including two sides parallel to the plurality of DIMMs and two sides perpendicular to the plurality of DIMMs (figures 2-3).
Regarding claim 18, Berk et al., disclose a system (figures 1-3) comprising:
a motherboard (260/360, figures 2-3) including a plurality of dual inline memory modules slots (280/380, figures 2-3); and
a standalone DIMM cover (200 or 300, figures 2-3) including:
a rigid body (230, figure 2 or 332 & 330, figure 3) having a length to at least partially cover two or more DIMMs (210, figure 2; or 310, figure 3);
a plurality of grooves (320, figures 2-3) in a bottom of the rigid body to receive top edges of the two or more DIMMs (a top edge of each DIMM connected to a bottom of each groove, figures 2-3); and
one or more fasteners (240, figure 2) to secure the rigid body over two or more DIMMs (figures 2-3).
Regarding claim 20, Berk et al., disclose wherein the rigid body includes four corners (the rigid body 230 or 330 has a rectangular shape, figures 2-3).
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.
Claims 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Berk et al., in view of Roscoe et al. [US 2003/0007335].
Regarding claim 6, Berk et al., disclose the claimed invention except for wherein the standalone rigid body includes a frame including the opening at its middle.
Roscoe et al. disclose a system for electronic apparatus (200/300, figure 1-12) comprising at least one memory cover (264, figures 9-10), wherein the at least one memory cover includes a frame including at least one opening at its middle (288, figures 9-10).
It would have been to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to add at least opening at its middle of the standalone rigid body of Berk et al., as suggested by Roscoe et al., in order to increase heat dissipation from a plurality of DIMMS.
Regarding claim 7, Berk et al., disclose the claimed invention except for wherein the standalone rigid body includes a plurality of openings between opposing sides of the standalone rigid body; and one or more supports extending along an axis perpendicular to a length of the plurality of DIMMs.
Roscoe et al., further disclose a plurality of openings (288, figures 9-10) between opposing sides of the memory cover; and at least two supports (two elongated supports are attached to both sides of the memory cover, figures 9-10) extending along an axis perpendicular to a length of the plurality of DIMMs.
It would have been to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to add one or more support on a standalone rigid body of Berk et al., as suggested by Roscoe et al., in order to provide a strengthening of the memory cover of an electronic device.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Berk et al., in view of Cambell et al. [US 2010/0252234].
Regarding claim 12, Berk et al., disclose the claimed invention except for a dummy DIMM to occupy a DIMM slot and corresponding groove of the plurality of grooves.
Cambell et al., disclose a memory apparatus (1120, figures 9-11) comprising a plurality of DIMMs (990, figures 9-11) mounted on a mother board (405, figures 9-11), at least one dummy DIMM (992, figure 10) is mounted on the mother board.
It would have been to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to use dummy DIMM to insert into an empty DIMM slot in an apparatus of Berk et al., as suggested by Cambell et al., in order to support a DIMM cover and detect any empty slots on a motherboard.
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Berk et al., in view of Roscoe et al. [US 2003/0007335].
Regarding claim 19, Berk et al., disclose the claimed invention except for a plurality of 2U DIMMs.
It would have been obvious matter of design choice to use a plurality of 2U DIMMs, instead of using a plurality of standard DIMMs, in an apparatus of Berk et al., in order to improve memory bandwidth and capacity in a 2U server, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the dimensions or proportion of a component. A change in dimension of proportion is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In Gardner v. TEC System, Inc., 725 F .2d 1338, 220 USPQ 777 (Fed. Cir. 1984).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 8 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The claim 8 discloses the combination features of “wherein the standalone rigid body includes a plurality of openings between opposing sides of the standalone rigid body; and one or more supports extending along one or more axes, including one or more of a first axis perpendicular to a length of the plurality of DIMMs, a second axis parallel to the length of the plurality of DIMMs, and a third axis diagonal relative to the length of the plurality of DIMMs.” These features, in conjunction with other features, as claimed in the claim 1, were neither found to be disclosed, nor suggested by the prior art of records.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Salmonson et al. [US 2006/0250772] disclose liquid DIMM cooler;333
Li [US 2006/0221573] discloses heat sink for multiple semiconductor modules;
Roesner et al. [US 2009/0027852] disclose airflow redirection device;
Gelfond et al. [US 2009/0141434] disclose computer memory socket particulate management system; and
Shaw et al., [US 2018/0062287] disclose system and method for retaining memory modules.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Hung S. Bui whose telephone number is (571)272-2102. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 8am-5pm.
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/HUNG S. BUI/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2841
/HUNG S. BUI/Primary Examiner, 2841/2800
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