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 .
Claims 1-18 are presented for examination. Claims 8-14 are withdrawn from consideration.
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-7 and 15-18 in the reply filed on 11/14/25 is acknowledged.
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly
indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 6/29/23 was considered by the examiner. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
6. 35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
7. Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101. Specifically, independent claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to a judicial exception (i.e., a law of nature, a natural phenomenon, or an abstract idea) without significantly more.
Regarding Claim 15:
Step 1: Is the claim to a process, machine, manufacture or composition of matter?
Yes, the claim is directed to a method.
Step 2A Prong 1: Does the claim recite an abstract idea, law of nature, or natural phenomenon?
The limitations “evaluating a power outage condition of the electronics
cabinet”, etc. The limitations above, as drafted, is a process or function that, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance of the limitation in the mind but for the recitation of generic computer components. This process is a mental process as described in MPEP 2106.04(a)(2)(III), because the recited processing is simple enough to be practically performed in the human mind.
Step 2A Prong 2: Does the claim recite additional elements that integrate the judicial exception into a practical application?
The claim further recites “selecting between a high temperature mode and a low temperature mode of a two-phase cooling loop based on the evaluation of the power outage condition” which are directed to insignificant extra‐solution activities, specifically mere data processing, and necessary outputting. These additional elements are recited at a high level of generality and are thus insignificant extra‐solution activities. When viewed individually or on combination, these additional elements do not integrate the recited judicial exception into a practical application.
Step 2B: Do the limitations add elements amounting to significantly more than the judicial exception?
No, the limitations do not add elements amounting to significantly more than the judicial exception. As recited above, the additional elements “wherein the low temperature mode has a setpoint that is set to a low setpoint setting, and
wherein the high temperature mode has the setpoint set to a high temperature setting” amount to insignificant extra‐solution activities, specifically mere data processing, and necessary outputting. These additional elements, when considered separately or in combination, are well‐understood, routine and conventional activities in the field (as shown in the court case, mere data gathering is considered routine and conventional activities. See In re Meyers, 688 F.2d 789, 794; 215 USPQ 193, 196‐97 (CCPA 1982)) and do not add inventive concept into the claim.
Therefore, claim 15 is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more, and is not patent eligible.
8. Examiner's note: To qualify as a § 101 statutory process, the claim should positively recite the particular machine to which it is tied, for example by identifying the apparatus that accomplishes the method steps, or positively recite the subject matter that is being transformed, for example by identifying the material that is being changed to a different state.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
9. 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.
10. Claims 1, 4-6 and 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Unton (Unton), US publication no. 2022/0154980 in view of Barbato (Barbato), US publication no. 2016/0381826.
As per clam 1, Unton discloses a cooling system for an electronics cabinet [figure 3], comprising:
a heat exchanger positioned to remove heat from the electronics cabinet, wherein delivery air within the electronics cabinet flows adjacent to at least one electronic component such that the delivery air removes heat from the electronic component prior to reaching the heat exchanger [para 48, 49]; a two-phase cooling loop configured to cool the delivery air to a setpoint [figure 3; para 14, 25, 48], the two-phase cooling loop comprising:
a pump configured to circulate a working fluid through a cooling loop, the heat exchanger including a portion of the cooling loop; and a condenser configured to remove heat from the working fluid in a location outside the electronics cabinet [figure 4; para 27, 56-57]; and a controller having circuitry configured to operate at least one of the pump or the condenser of the two-phase cooling loop [figure 9; para 25, 50, 76],
Unton fails to disclose the cooling system includes a high temperature
mode where the setpoint is set to a high setpoint setting, wherein the cooling system includes a low temperature mode where the setpoint is set to a low setpoint setting,
and wherein the controller is configured to select between the high temperature mode and the low temperature mode based on an evaluation of a power outage.
Barbato discloses the cooling system includes a high temperature mode where the setpoint is set to a high setpoint setting [emergency delivery temperature] [para 87], wherein the cooling system includes a low temperature mode where the setpoint is set to a low setpoint setting [normal operating state] [para 90], and wherein the controller is configured to select between the high temperature mode and the low temperature mode [establishing an emergency delivery temperature] based on an evaluation of a power outage [figure 2; para 71, 77-79, 85-98].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at time the invention to combine the teachings of Unton and Barbato because they both disclose a cooling system, the specify teachings of Barbato stated above would have further enhanced the performance and functionality of Unton system to obtain predictable results by allowing to selecting different temperature setpoint.
Unton teaches
[0049] The heat exchanger system 302 may be upstream of the pumping system 304, and/or one or more of the heat load structures 108. The heat exchanger system 302 may cool a cooling fluid used to cool the heat load structures 108 via the cooling circuit 114. The pumping system 304 may be upstream of the heat load structures 108 and pump the cooling fluid cooled by the heat exchanger system 302 to the heat load structures 108.
[0050] The heat exchanger system 302 may be any combination of components that cools and/or condenses heated cooling fluid. The heat exchanger system 302 may include one or more condensers, gas coolers, and/or any other type of heat exchanger capable of cooling the cooling fluid. The heat exchanger system 302 components may be condensers, for example, air cooled or water cooled condensers. The condensers may use ambient air to cool the cooling fluid. The condensers may be exposed to ambient conditions of the cooling system 300. Additionally or alternatively, the heat
exchanger system 302 components may be any type of heat exchangers that cool the cooling fluid as it flows through the condensers. The heat exchangers may use ambient air to cool the cooling fluid. The heat exchange may be any form of one or more systems, mechanisms or devices that provide transfer of heat energy between different fluids. Example heat exchangers include a plate fin heat exchanger, a tube bank heat exchanger, a plate heat exchanger, a micro/mini channel heat exchanger, a printed circuit heat exchanger, a Marbond heat exchanger, and/or any other thermal transfer
system or device.
[0057] The pump 410 may be a liquid pump or any other device capable of pumping cooling fluid from the tank 408 to the heat load structures 108. The cooling fluid may flow from the heat exchanger system 102 to the tank 408. The pump 410 may pump the cooling fluid from the tank 408 to the accumulator and/or bypass valve 406.
Barbato discloses:
[0086] establishing an emergency maximum power value at which the conditioning unit 10 is adapted to operate in the event of an electrical emergency, i.e., in the event of an outage of the electric power supply from the grid 17, block 50,
[0087] establishing an emergency delivery temperature, higher than the rated delivery temperature, for the air flow entering a server room in the event of an electrical
emergency, block 51,
[0093] if the absorbed electric power is not greater than the value of the emergency maximum power, then the conditioning unit 10 operates by maintaining the rated
delivery temperature as a reference temperature for the delivery, and by operating in standard mode, block 57,
[0094] if the absorbed electric power is greater than the value of the emergency maximum power, then the conditioning unit 10 operates, based on the reading of the outside temperature and of the outside humidity of the incoming air flow 22, block 58, and on the reading of the temperature of the water entering the water evaporation cooling device 11, or entering the heat exchanger 38, block 59, then the conditioning unit 10 operates so as to optimize consumption of water and electric power, block 60;
As per claim 4, Unton discloses a vapor cycle system loop configured to selectively engage with the two-phase cooling loop [par 14, 25, 68].
As per claim 5, Unton discloses the vapor cycle system includes a compressor, and wherein power to the compressor is supplied via an external power source [para 68-70].
as per claim 6, Unton discloses that the controller is configured to operate the compressor, and select the high setpoint setting when the compressor is in operation [para 27, 48].
As to claims 15 and 17-18, claims 1 and 4-6 basically are the corresponding elements that are carried out the method of operating step in claims 15 and 17-18. Accordingly, claims 15 and 17-18 are rejected for the same reason as set forth in claims 1 and 4-6.
As per claim 16, Barbato discloses the electronics cabinet comprises an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) [para 66] that is electrically connected to at least one of a pump or a condenser [para 66] of the two-phase cooling loop, and wherein evaluating the power outage condition includes evaluating whether the UPS is capable of supplying power to operate the two-phase cooling loop [para 86-98].
Allowable Subject Matter
11. Claims 2, 3 and 7 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.
12. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art of records do not teach of evaluate whether the two-phase cooling loop is capable of maintaining a safe temperature level during the grid power outage in the high temperature mode, and adjust the two-phase cooling loop between the high
temperature mode and the low temperature mode when the controller determines that the two-phase cooling loop is not capable of maintaining a safe temperature level during the grid power outage in the high temperature mode in claim 2; evaluate whether the UPS is capable of supplying power to operate the two-phase cooling loop during the grid power outage; and adjust the two-phase cooling loop to the low setpoint setting in response to a determination that the control circuitry is not capable of supplying power to the two-phase cooling loop during the grid power outage in claim 3; and the controller
is configured to: determine a max-reliability temperature for the cooling system; and
adjust the setpoint of the two-phase cooling loop to the max-reliability temperature when the setpoint is higher than the max-reliability temperature, and when the controller determines that the two-phase cooling loop is capable of achieving the max-reliability temperature in claim 7.
13. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
Blair, US publication no. 2020/0386434, discloses a system for managing power consumption of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
a transfer switch configured to switch a power line supplying the HVAC system between a utility power source and a backup power source; control an operation of the HVAC system based on a capacity of the backup power source; and control an operation of
the HVAC system comprises modifying a setpoint of the HVAC system.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHUN CAO whose telephone number is (571)272-3664. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 7:00 am-3:30 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kamini Shah can be reached on 571-272-2279. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHUN CAO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2115