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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-15, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Regarding Claim(s) 1 and 15; in respective lines 8-9 and 10-11, asserts “a testing arrangement…to determine a presence of the channelized cooling liquid…that indicates a leak” is asserted without presenting any particular structural manner to accomplish testing, determining and indication of a leak, and thus it appears communication between one of varying sensor types or capacitive elements etc, controller/processor/CPU and an alarm/display/responsive element or action etc. which tests a particular liquid characteristic, indicia or density etc is required to actually accomplish the limitation. The office hereby notes that the limitation reads on more than one plausible claim construction which may define different inventive structures; whereas a testing arrangement alone cannot test, determine and indicate, and further when considered alone does not include or exclude any particular mechanical, electrical and/or computing attributes to achieve the same and/or to distinguish between the respective densities of channelized cooling liquid and immersion cooling liquid which may be ‘tested’ by a liquid conductivity sensor, detecting hydrostatic pressure or differential pressure of the liquids and/or indirectly via a pH sensor etc. Going further, determining requires the controller/CPU to receive communication of a sensed value to make a determination of the presence of the channelized liquid relative to the immersion liquid and to subsequently communicate a indication thereof which may be an audible alarm or an electrical display or some responsive action including shutdown or change in cooling parameters, each defining varying inventions.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-15 is hereby deemed as allowed, assuming 112(b) rejections are overcome.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance, wherein the inventive structure is defined by the underlined claim construction, and the combination of bolded limitations thereof is not found in the prior art:
Regarding Claim 1; A hybrid cooling system that cools an electronic device, the electronic device including a heat-generating component, the hybrid cooling system comprising: a container that contains a dielectric immersion cooling liquid, the electronic device being, at least in part, immersed in the dielectric immersion cooling liquid; a liquid cooling block through which a channelized cooling liquid is conveyed, the liquid cooling block in thermal contact with the heat-generating component, the channelized cooling liquid having a density that is higher than a density of the dielectric immersion cooling liquid; and a testing arrangement disposed in a bottom portion of the container to determine a presence of the channelized cooling liquid in the bottom portion of the container that indicates a leak of the channelized cooling liquid into the dielectric immersion cooling liquid.
Regarding Claim 15; A hybrid cooling system that cools an electronic device, the electronic device including a heat-generating component, the hybrid cooling system comprising: a container adapted and configured to receive a dielectric immersion cooling liquid so that the electronic device is, at least in part, immersed in the dielectric immersion cooling liquid when the dielectric immersion liquid is present in the container; a liquid cooling block adapted and configured to circulate a channelized cooling liquid, the liquid cooling block in thermal contact with the heat-generating component, the channelized cooling liquid having a density that is higher than a density of the dielectric immersion cooling liquid; and a testing arrangement disposed in a bottom portion of the container to determine a presence of the channelized cooling liquid in the bottom portion of the container that indicates a leak of the channelized cooling liquid into the dielectric immersion cooling liquid.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 12035508 B2
Enright; John David et al.
Fig. 6
US 20230065253 A1
Heydari; Ali
Fig.’s 1-3
US 20230040828 A1
Gao; Tianyi
Fig.’s 3 and 6
US 20170181326 A1
SHELNUTT; AUSTIN MICHAEL et al.
Fig.’s 1 and 8
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to COURTNEY SMITH whose telephone number is (571)272-9094. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5p.
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, Jayprakash Gandhi can be reached at 571-272-3740. 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.
/COURTNEY L SMITH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2835