DETAILED ACTION
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 Amendment
The Amendment filed 01/28/2026 has been entered. Claims 1 – 20 remain pending in the application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks filed 01/28/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1, 11, and 20 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsushima in view of Rembach and Fujimoto have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Matsushima, Rembach, and Takahashi.
Please see the new grounds of rejection below for further details.
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 of this title, 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, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsushima et al. (U.S. Patent No. 7,903,407) in view of Rembach (U.S. Patent No. 8,537,536) and Takahashi et al. (U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2013/0283837).
Regarding Claim 1, Matsushima shows (Figure 4):
A data center (data center illustrated in Figure 4), comprising:
information technology racks (100) holding information technology equipment (110);
at least one air conditioning unit (220) configured to provide cool air (cool air supplied to 200, as illustrated by air flow arrows in Figure 4) to a cold aisle (cold aisle formed by 4 and 1, as illustrated by air flow arrows in Figure 4) which enters an inlet side (the left side of 100, as illustrated in Figure 4) of the information technology racks (100); and
an economizer (410) comprises an internal heat exchanger (the part of 410 in 400, as illustrated in Figure 4) and an external heat exchanger (the part of 410 in 400’, as illustrated in Figure 4), wherein the economizer (410) is activated (by operating fan 430’; “By the operation of the duct fan 430’, external air flow inside the ceiling air duct 400’ at the external air side”, Col. 6, lines 10-12) to increase a transfer of heat/cooling (“introducing external air into the ceiling air duct, and performing heat exchange between exhaust air of the electronic apparatus and external air by the heat exchanger provided in the duct”, Col. 3, lines 25-29) between an internal environment (the interior of the data center, as illustrated in Figure 4) of the data center (data center illustrated in Figure 4) and an external environment (the environment external to the data center, on the right side of 500, as illustrated in Figure 4), wherein
the external environment (the environment external to the data center, on the right side of 500, as illustrated in Figure 4) has a condition (outside air temperature) and
the exhaust air (warmed exhaust air exiting the right side of the 100 and flowing into 3 and 400, as illustrated by the air flow arrows in Figure 4) in a hot aisle (hot aisle on the exhaust side of 100 formed by 2, 3, 400, as illustrated in Figure 4) of the data center (data center illustrated in Figure 4) which exits an outlet side (the right side of 100, as illustrated in Figure 4) of the information technology racks (100) has a temperature (the warm exhaust air temperature).
It is noted the economizer (410) is activated by operation of a fan (430’). “By the operation of the duct fan 430’, external air flow inside the ceiling air duct 400’ at the external air side”, Col. 6, lines 10-12. “By heat exchange with the external air, the temperature of the air entering the air conditioner 220 lowers, and therefore, cooling load in the air conditioner 220 reduces, whereby energy is saved”, Col. 6, lines 36-39. One of ordinary skill understands that without operating fan 430’, there is no external air flow through the air duct 400’. Accordingly, there is no return air heat exchange if fan 430’ is not operating.
Further, “by heat exchange with external air, the temperature of the air entering the air conditioner 220 lowers, and therefore, cooling load in the air condition 220 reduces, whereby energy is saved”, Col. 6, lines 36-39.
However, Matsushima lacks showing the data center is an edge container, and the economizer is activated in response to a reading of an external environmental condition being below the temperature of exhaust air.
In the same field of endeavor of data centers, Rembach teaches (Figures 1 and 5):
It is known in the data center (10) art for a data center to be installed within (“data center 10 can be installed within a transportable container 74, such as shipping container for easy transport by land or sea”, Col. 8, lines 40-42) an edge container (74) and contain a cooling system (72).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the data center and cooling system shown by Matsushima to be installed within an edge container, as taught by Rembach, to provide a rapidly deployable data center that can be easily transported by land or sea.
In the same field of endeavor of data centers, Takahashi teaches (Figure 14):
It is known in the data center (data center illustrated in Figure 14) art that an economizer (air to air heat exchanger 220) is only effective in lowering the temperature of the exhaust air in a state in which the temperature of the outdoor air (an external environmental condition) is below the temperature of the return air/warm air (“the indoor air is cooled by the outdoor air to decrease the temperature of the indoor air/warm return air essentially only when the temperature of the indoor air/warm return air is less than the temperature of the outdoor air. Therefore, in a state in which the temperature of the outdoor air is low, as in the winter, the effect of cooling the indoor air/warm return air with the heat exchanger 221 is high and, therefore, the energy saving effect in the air conditioner 210 is high. Meanwhile, in the summer, the effect of cooling the indoor air with the heat exchanger 221 is small, or no effect is obtained, or even the reverse effect can be obtained”, Paragraph 0023).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the data center with an economizer designed to save energy shown by Matsushima to activate the economizer only when the external environmental condition (outside air temperature) is below the temperature of exhaust air, which is when there is an energy saving effect on the air conditioner, as taught by Takahashi, to prevent increasing the energy required by the air conditioner when the external environmental condition (outside air temperature) is above the temperature of the exhaust air. When the external environmental condition (outside air temperature) is above the temperature of the exhaust air, the effect of cooling the exhaust/return air with the economizer is small, or no effect is obtained, or even the reverse effect can be obtained, thereby increasing the energy usage of the data center.
In order to implement this economizer activation control, one of ordinary skill in the art would use readings from an outdoor air temperature sensor and an exhaust air/warm return air temperature sensor to determine if the activation parameter that the outside air temperature is below the temperature of the exhaust air is satisfied (thereby activating fan 430’) or not satisfied (thereby deactivating fan 430’).
Regarding Claim 2, the combination of Matsushima (Figure 4), Rembach (Figures 1 and 5), and Takahashi (Figure 14) teaches:
The environmental condition (Takahashi: outside air temperature) is temperature.
Regarding Claim 6, the combination of Matsushima (Figure 4), Rembach (Figures 1 and 5), and Takahashi (Figure 14) teaches:
An aisle separator (Matsushima: 2) configured to ensure (Matsushima: as illustrated in Figure 4) that the cold aisle (Matsushima: cold aisle formed by 4 and 1, as illustrated by air flow arrows in Figure 4) is separated from the hot aisle (Matsushima: hot aisle on the exhaust side of 100 formed by 2, 3, 400, as illustrated in Figure 4) of the edge container (Fujimoto: 74).
Regarding Claim 7, the combination of Matsushima (Figure 4), Rembach (Figures 1 and 5), and Takahashi (Figure 14) teaches:
The hot aisle (Matsushima: hot aisle on the exhaust side of 100 formed by 2, 3, 400, as illustrated in Figure 4) is a chamber (Matsushima: as illustrated in Figure 4, the hot aisle is a chamber) for hot air (Matsushima: exhaust air exiting the right side of 100) exiting the information technology racks (Matsushima: 100).
Regarding Claim 8, Matsushima shows (Figure 4):
A plenum separator (as illustrated in Figure 4, there is a walled plenum separator in which 330 is located that separates the racks 100 from 220) configured to separate airflow (hot airflow exhausted from the right side of 100 into 400 via 3, as illustrated in Figure 4) exhausted from the information technology racks (100) and airflow (airflow exiting 430, as illustrated by the air flow arrows in Figure 4) exhausted to an air conditioning unit plenum (plenum in which the air exits 440 into, as illustrated by air flow arrows in Figure 4) before entering the at least one air conditioning unit (220).
Regarding Claim 9, the combination of Matsushima (Figure 4), Rembach (Figures 1 and 5), and Takahashi (Figure 14) teaches:
The heat (Matsushima: heat produced by 110 and carried by the warm exhaust air flow exiting 100) is transferred from the internal environment (Matsushima: the interior of the data center, as illustrated in Figure 4) of the edge container (Fujimoto: 74) to the external environment (Matsushima: the environment external to the data center, on the right side of 500, as illustrated in Figure 4) via the economizer (Matsushima: 410).
Regarding Claim 11, Matsushima shows (Figure 4):
A method (method illustrated by air flow arrows in Figure 4) for transferring heat (heat produced by 110 and carried by the warm exhaust air flow exiting 100) between an internal environment (the interior of the data center, as illustrated in Figure 4) of a data center (data center illustrated in Figure 4) an external environment (the environment external to the data center, on the right side of 500, as illustrated in Figure 4), comprising:
activating (operating, via energizing 430’) an economizer (410) of the data center (data center illustrated in Figure 4) to increase a transfer (in such a configuration, the indoor air which is warmed to about 50 to 60 degree C by cooling the electronics rack 100 exchanges heat with the external air at about 0 to 30 degree C, by passing through the heat exchanger 410 from the exhaust air opening 3 to be cooled to about 40 degree C”, Col. 5, lines 4-15) of heating or cooling (“introducing external air into the ceiling air duct, and performing heat exchange between exhaust air of the electronic apparatus and external air by the heat exchanger provided in the duct”, Col. 3, lines 25-29) between the internal environment (the interior of the data center, as illustrated in Figure 4) of the data center (data center illustrated in Figure 4) and the external environment (the environment external to the data center, on the right side of 500, as illustrated in Figure 4), wherein
the external environment (the environment external to the data center, on the right side of 500, as illustrated in Figure 4) has a condition (outside air temperature) and
the exhaust air (warmed exhaust air exiting the right side of the 100 and flowing into 3 and 400, as illustrated by the air flow arrows in Figure 4) in a hot aisle (hot aisle on the exhaust side of 100 formed by 2, 3, 400, as illustrated in Figure 4) of the data center (data center illustrated in Figure 4) which exits an outlet side (the right side of 100, as illustrated in Figure 4) of the information technology racks (100) has a temperature (the exhaust air temperature).
It is noted the economizer (410) is activated by operation of a fan (430’). “By the operation of the duct fan 430’, external air flow inside the ceiling air duct 400’ at the external air side”, Col. 6, lines 10-12. “By heat exchange with the external air, the temperature of the air entering the air conditioner 220 lowers, and therefore, cooling load in the air conditioner 220 reduces, whereby energy is saved”, Col. 6, lines 36-39. One of ordinary skill understands that without operating fan 430’, there is no external air flow through the air duct 400’. Accordingly, there is no return air heat exchange if fan 430’ is not operating.
Further, “by heat exchange with external air, the temperature of the air entering the air conditioner 220 lowers, and therefore, cooling load in the air condition 220 reduces, whereby energy is saved”, Col. 6, lines 36-39.
However, Matsushima lacks showing the data center is an edge container, extracting a reading of the external environmental condition, and the activating is in response to the read environmental condition being below a temperature of exhaust air.
In the same field of endeavor of data centers, Rembach teaches (Figures 1 and 5):
It is known in the data center (10) art for a data center to be installed within (“data center 10 can be installed within a transportable container 74, such as shipping container for easy transport by land or sea”, Col. 8, lines 40-42) an edge container (74) and contain a cooling system (72).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the data center and cooling system shown by Matsushima to be installed within an edge container, as taught by Rembach, to provide a rapidly deployable data center that can be easily transported by land or sea.
In the same field of endeavor of data centers, Takahashi teaches (Figure 14):
It is known in the data center (data center illustrated in Figure 14) art that an economizer (air to air heat exchanger 220) is only effective in lowering the temperature of the exhaust air in a state in which the temperature of the outdoor air (an external environmental condition) is below the temperature of the return air/warm air (“the indoor air is cooled by the outdoor air to decrease the temperature of the indoor air/warm return air essentially only when the temperature of the indoor air/warm return air is less than the temperature of the outdoor air. Therefore, in a state in which the temperature of the outdoor air is low, as in the winter, the effect of cooling the indoor air/warm return air with the heat exchanger 221 is high and, therefore, the energy saving effect in the air conditioner 210 is high. Meanwhile, in the summer, the effect of cooling the indoor air with the heat exchanger 221 is small, or no effect is obtained, or even the reverse effect can be obtained”, Paragraph 0023).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the data center with an economizer designed to save energy and its associated method shown by Matsushima to activate the economizer only when the external environmental condition (outside air temperature) is below the temperature of exhaust air, which is when there is an energy saving effect on the air conditioner, as taught by Takahashi, to prevent increasing the energy required by the air conditioner when the external environmental condition (outside air temperature) is above the temperature of the exhaust air. When the external environmental condition (outside air temperature) is above the temperature of the exhaust air, the effect of cooling the exhaust/return air with the economizer is small, or no effect is obtained, or even the reverse effect can be obtained, thereby increasing the energy usage of the data center.
In order to implement this economizer activation control, one of ordinary skill in the art would use readings from an outdoor air temperature sensor and an exhaust air/warm return air temperature sensor to determine if the activation parameter that the outside air temperature is below the temperature of the exhaust air is satisfied (thereby activating fan 430’) or not satisfied (thereby deactivating fan 430’).
Regarding Claim 12, the combination of Matsushima (Figure 4), Rembach (Figures 1 and 5), and Takahashi (Figure 14) teaches:
Determining (via the control system of the data center) a cumulative environmental operation range of equipment (it is inherent a control system would be loaded with the operation range of any equipment it is serving or controlling, in order to determine and optimize the operation parameters of the system and equipment) within the edge container (Rembach: 74), wherein the equipment comprises information technology equipment (Matsushima: 110), at least one air conditioning unit (Matsushima: 220), and the economizer (Matsushima: 410) of the edge container (Rembach: 74).
Regarding Claim 13, the combination of Matsushima (Figure 4), Rembach (Figures 1 and 5), and Takahashi (Figure 14) teaches:
The environmental condition (Takahashi: outside air temperature) is temperature.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsushima et al. (U.S. Patent No. 7,903,407), Rembach (U.S. Patent No. 8,537,536), and Takahashi et al. (U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2013/0283837), as recited in Claim 1 above, further in view of Ballantine et al. (U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2020/0303761).
Regarding Claim 10, the combination of Matsushima (Figure 4), Rembach (Figures 1 and 5), and Takahashi (Figure 14) teaches:
External air (Matsushima: outside air) flow through the external heat exchanger (Matsushima: the part of 410 in 400’, as illustrated in Figure 4), cooler external air removes heat from (in such a configuration, the indoor air which is warmed to about 50 to 60 degree C by cooling the electronics rack 100 exchanges heat with the external air at about 0 to 30 degree C, by passing through the heat exchanger 410 from the exhaust air opening 3 to be cooled to about 40 degree C”, Col. 5, lines 4-15) the hot aisle (Matsushima: hot aisle on the exhaust side of 100 formed by 2, 3, 400, as illustrated in Figure 4) of the edge container (Rembach: 74).
However, Matsushima lacks showing the heat exchanger comprises fins.
In the same field of endeavor of data centers, Ballantine teaches (Figure 1):
It is known in the data center art for a heat exchanger (5) to include a fin (11) so that “the heat transferred from the fin 11 from air in the first portion 4 may be carried away by the cooling air”, Paragraph 0050.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the heat exchanger shown by Matsushima to include a fin to transfer heat from the interior heat exchanger to the external heat exchanger, as taught by Ballantine, to increase the efficiency of the heat exchanger.
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsushima et al. (U.S. Patent No. 7,903,407), Rembach (U.S. Patent No. 8,537,536), and Takahashi et al. (U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2013/0283837), as recited in Claim 11 above, further in view of Dagley et al. (U.S. Patent No. 9,907,214).
Regarding Claim 14, the combination of Matsushima (Figure 4), Rembach (Figures 1 and 5), and Takahashi (Figure 14) teaches:
The possibility (Takahashi: “Meanwhile, in the summer, the effect of cooling the indoor air with the heat exchanger 221 is small, or no effect is obtained, or even the reverse effect can be obtained”, Paragraph 0023) that the read external environmental condition (Matsushima: outside air temperature) not being below the temperature (the exhaust air temperature) of the exhaust air (Matsushima: warmed exhaust air exiting the right side of the 100 and flowing into 3 and 400, as illustrated by the air flow arrows in Figure 4) in the hot aisle (Matsushima: hot aisle on the exhaust side of 100 formed by 2, 3, 400, as illustrated in Figure 4) of the edge container (Rembach: 74) which exits the outlet side (Matsushima: the right side of 100) of the information technology racks (Matsushima: 100).
However, the combination lacks showing the step of deactivating the economizer to reduce a transfer of heat between the internal environment and the external environment in response to such possibility.
In the same field of endeavor of data centers, Dagley teaches (Figure 1):
It Is known in the data center (10) art to deactivate the economizer to reduce a transfer of heat between the internal environment and the external environment (first stage cooling mode includes only operating the energy recovery wheel, the second stage cooling mode in which both the energy recovery wheel and the refrigeration circuit are operated, and a third stage cooling mode in which the energy recovery wheel is inactive and the refrigeration circuit is operating, as recited in Col. 7, lines 31-47).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the method taught by Matsushima, Rembach, and Takahashi to include the step of deactivating the economizer to reduce a transfer of heat between the internal environment and the external environment in response to such possibility, as taught by Dagley, to further optimize the efficiency of the data center by only operating the required equipment of the cooling system based on the conditions.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsushima et al. (U.S. Patent No. 7,903,407) in view of Rembach (U.S. Patent No. 8,537,536), Takahashi et al. (U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2013/0283837), and Fujimoto et al. (U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2013/0098597).
Regarding Claim 20, Matsushima shows (Figure 4):
A method (method illustrated by air flow arrows in Figure 4) for transferring heat (heat produced by 110 and carried by the warm exhaust air flow exiting 100) between an internal environment (the interior of the data center, as illustrated in Figure 4) of a data center (data center illustrated in Figure 4) an external environment (the environment external to the data center, on the right side of 500, as illustrated in Figure 4), comprising:
activating (operating) an economizer (410) of the data center (data center illustrated in Figure 4) to increase a transfer (in such a configuration, the indoor air which is warmed to about 50 to 60 degree C by cooling the electronics rack 100 exchanges heat with the external air at about 0 to 30 degree C, by passing through the heat exchanger 410 from the exhaust air opening 3 to be cooled to about 40 degree C”, Col. 5, lines 4-15) of heating or cooling (“introducing external air into the ceiling air duct, and performing heat exchange between exhaust air of the electronic apparatus and external air by the heat exchanger provided in the duct”, Col. 3, lines 25-29) between the internal environment (the interior of the data center, as illustrated in Figure 4) of the data center (data center illustrated in Figure 4) and the external environment (the environment external to the data center, on the right side of 500, as illustrated in Figure 4), wherein
the external environment (the environment external to the data center, on the right side of 500, as illustrated in Figure 4) has a condition (outside air temperature) and
the exhaust air (warmed exhaust air exiting the right side of the 100 and flowing into 3 and 400, as illustrated by the air flow arrows in Figure 4) in a hot aisle (hot aisle on the exhaust side of 100 formed by 2, 3, 400, as illustrated in Figure 4) of the data center (data center illustrated in Figure 4) which exits an outlet side (the right side of 100, as illustrated in Figure 4) of the information technology racks (100) has a temperature (the exhaust air temperature).
Further, “in such a configuration, the indoor air which is warmed to about 50 to 60 degree C by cooling the electronics rack 100 exchanges heat with the external air at about 0 to 30 degree C, by passing through the heat exchanger 410 from the exhaust air opening 3 to be cooled to about 40 degree C, and thereafter is returned into the chamber from the ceiling blowout opening in the silencer 420. Finally, the air is cooled to about 15 to 20 degree C at which no condensation forms in the air conditioner 220. Thereafter, the air passes through the blowing in opening from below the floor level 210 from the air conditioning area at below the floor level 200, and flows into the electronics rack 100 again from the supplied air opening 4 in front cover 1”, Col. 5, lines 4-15.
However, Matsushima lacks showing the data center is an edge container, and the method is carried out by a computer program product comprising one or more computer readable storage medium having program code embedded therein, and the method includes extracting a reading of the external environmental condition, and the activating is in response to the read environmental condition being below a temperature of exhaust air.
In the same field of endeavor of data centers, Rembach teaches (Figures 1 and 5):
It is known in the data center (10) art for a data center to be installed within (“data center 10 can be installed within a transportable container 74, such as shipping container for easy transport by land or sea”, Col. 8, lines 40-42) an edge container (74) and contain a cooling system (72).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the data center and cooling system shown by Matsushima to be installed within an edge container, as taught by Rembach, to provide a rapidly deployable data center that can be easily transported by land or sea.
In the same field of endeavor of data centers, Takahashi teaches (Figure 14):
It is known in the data center (data center illustrated in Figure 14) art that an economizer (air to air heat exchanger 220) is only effective in lowering the temperature of the exhaust air in a state in which the temperature of the outdoor air (an external environmental condition) is below the temperature of the return air/warm air (“the indoor air is cooled by the outdoor air to decrease the temperature of the indoor air/warm return air essentially only when the temperature of the indoor air/warm return air is less than the temperature of the outdoor air. Therefore, in a state in which the temperature of the outdoor air is low, as in the winter, the effect of cooling the indoor air/warm return air with the heat exchanger 221 is high and, therefore, the energy saving effect in the air conditioner 210 is high. Meanwhile, in the summer, the effect of cooling the indoor air with the heat exchanger 221 is small, or no effect is obtained, or even the reverse effect can be obtained”, Paragraph 0023).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the data center with an economizer designed to save energy and its associated method shown by Matsushima to activate the economizer only when the external environmental condition (outside air temperature) is below the temperature of exhaust air, which is when there is an energy saving effect on the air conditioner, as taught by Takahashi, to prevent increasing the energy required by the air conditioner when the external environmental condition (outside air temperature) is above the temperature of the exhaust air. When the external environmental condition (outside air temperature) is above the temperature of the exhaust air, the effect of cooling the exhaust/return air with the economizer is small, or no effect is obtained, or even the reverse effect can be obtained, thereby increasing the energy usage of the data center.
In order to implement this economizer activation control, one of ordinary skill in the art would use readings from an outdoor air temperature sensor and an exhaust air/warm return air temperature sensor to determine if the activation parameter that the outside air temperature is below the temperature of the exhaust air is satisfied (thereby activating fan 430’) or not satisfied (thereby deactivating fan 430’).
In the same field of endeavor of data centers, Fujimoto teaches (Figures 1 and 2):
It is known in the data center art for a data center (data center illustrated in Figure 1) to have a computer program product for (control system illustrated in Figure 2) comprising one or more computer readable storage mediums (the memory of the control system that stores the program) having program code embedded therein comprising instructions for extracting a reading (via 251) of an external environmental condition (outside air temperature of 201) and reads a temperature (temperature of return air 207) of return air (207) exiting the racks (108), processes (via 300) the temperatures (via 301) and determines an operation mode (via 303) and controlling the cooling system accordingly (in 304).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the data center and associated method for transferring heat taught by the combination of Matsushima and Takahashi to include a computer program product that extracts a reading of the outside air temperature and exhaust air temperature and controls the system accordingly, as taught by Fujimoto, to automate the steps of the method to ensure proper cooling of the servers in the data center.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 4, 5, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19 are objected to as being dependent on 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.
Regarding Claim 3, the combination of Matsushima, Rembach, and Takahashi teaches the claimed invention except the economizer is configured to control an amount of heat transfer via folding up or down of fins of the external heat exchanger.
There is no teaching or suggestion in the prior art to modify the combination accordingly.
Claim 4 depends from Claim 3.
Regarding Claim 5, the combination of Matsushima, Rembach, and Takahashi teaches the claimed invention except the economizer is configured to control an amount of heat transfer via exposing or blocking fins of the internal heat exchanger.
There is no teaching or suggestion in the prior art to modify the combination accordingly.
Regarding Claim 15, the combination of Matsushima, Rembach, and Takahashi teaches the claimed invention except the economizer is configured to control an amount of heat transfer via folding up or down of fins of the external heat exchanger.
There is no teaching or suggestion in the prior art to modify the combination accordingly.
Claim 16 depends from Claim 15.
Regarding Claim 17, the combination of Matsushima, Rembach, and Takahashi teaches the claimed invention except the economizer is configured to control an amount of heat transfer via exposing or blocking fins of the internal heat exchanger.
There is no teaching or suggestion in the prior art to modify the combination accordingly.
Regarding Claim 18, the combination of Matsushima, Rembach, and Takahashi teaches the claimed invention except initializing a desired setpoint within operational limits of all equipment within the edge container and within an operational limit of a class of data center equipment; activating, if not previously activated, the economizer of the edge container in response to the reading of the external environmental condition not exceeding an air conditioning unit setpoint and in response to the reading of the external environmental condition not exceeding the desired setpoint; and setting the air conditioning unit setpoint to correspond to the desired setpoint in response to the reading of the external environmental condition not exceeding the desired setpoint.
There is no teaching or suggestion in the prior art to modify the combination accordingly.
Regarding Claim 19, the combination of Matsushima, Rembach, and Takahashi teaches the claimed invention except activating, if not previously activated, the economizer of the edge container in response to the reading of the external environmental condition being greater than an air conditioning unit setpoint and in response to the air conditioning unit setpoint not being greater than or equal to a maximum allowable operating condition of a cumulative operation range of equipment or class of data center equipment, whichever is lower; matching the air conditioning unit setpoint to the reading of the external environmental condition upon activating, if not previously activated, the economizer; and deactivating the economizer of the edge container in response to the reading of the external environmental condition equaling the air conditioning unit setpoint.
There is no teaching or suggestion in the prior art to modify the combination accordingly.
Conclusion
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/D. T./
Examiner, Art Unit 3762
/AVINASH A SAVANI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3762
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