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
1. The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 4/07/2026 and is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. According, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the Examiner.
Priority2. Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in European Patent Office No. 14195549.2, filed on 11/28/2014.
Request for Continued Examination
3. A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after allowance or after an Office action under Ex Parte Quayle, 25 USPQ 74, 453 O.G. 213 (Comm'r Pat. 1935). Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, prosecution in this application has been reopened pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on November 3, 2014 has been entered.
Examiner Notes
4. Examiner cites particular paragraphs, columns and line numbers in the references as applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that, in preparing responses, the applicant fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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.
6. Claims are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wolff (US. Pub. 2018/0259573; hereinafter “Wolff”) in view of Wolff (KR20200027608 cited from IDS 4/7/2026; hereinafter “Wolff608”).
Regarding claim 1, Wolff discloses, in Figs. 1-11, an apparatus for housing a device under test (DUT) during testing (a test chamber apparatus or housing apparatus 300 for housing an electronic device under test (DUT) 220. See Fig. 1 and abstract), the apparatus comprising: a single housing (as shown in Fig. 1, the housing apparatus 300 comprises a housing structure for housing a test execution module 100 and a device interface board (DIB) 200, wherein the DIB 200 including an adaptor socket 210 for insertion of the DUT 220) operable to receive a DUT a double-width DUT; or a single-width DUT and a DUT adapter (at least in paragraph [0029]: the adaptor socket 210 of the DIB 200 is designed to adapt various form factor DUTs); and wherein the single housing (300) comprises upper receiving features and lower receiving features (as shown in Figs. 6-11, upper air guide portions 650 of the housing structure 300 is considered as equivalent to upper receiving features and lower air guide portions 650 of the housing structure 300 is considered as equivalent to lower receiving features); and the DUT adapter (210) comprising an upper member and a lower member (as shown in Figs. 7-8, the adapter socket 210 having an upper portion and a lower portion), wherein the upper member and the lower member are operable to be received by the upper receiving features and the lower receiving features of the single housing, respectively, to secure the DUT adapter to the single housing (as shown in Figs. 6-8, the upper portion of the adaptor socket 210 engaged with the upper air guide portion 650 of the housing structure 300 and the lower portion of the adaptor socket 210 engaged with the lower air guide portion 650 of the housing structure 300. The DUT fits into the adapter socket 210 when the adapter socket is secured in the housing structure 300), wherein the single housing (300) is operable to be received by a device interface board (DIB) of a test system to test either the double-width DUT or the single-width DUT (a load board 211 in Fig. 2 is considered as equivalent to a device interface board. The load board 211 electrically and physically interfaces with the test execution module 100 to support communication of power, instructions, signals, data, test results, and information between the DUT 220 and the test execution module 100. See [0029]), and wherein the single housing (300) is operable to receive cold air from a cooling system (a dual fan cooling system in Fig. 6 comprising a top fan 240c and a bottom fan 230c) of the test system and direct the cold air over surfaces of a DUT housed therein for cooling (para [0041]: “the volume and speed of the vertical ambient air flow 290c due to the top fan 240c and bottom fan 230c are factors in determining the range of temperatures in which the vertical ambient air flow 290c is sufficient to cool the DUTs 220 during testing.”).
Wolff does not explicitly specifying that a single housing operable to receive a double width DUT and operable to receive single-width DUT and a DUT adapter.
Wolff608 discloses a system for automated handling of different form factor device under test in test cell, comprising a single housing operable to receive a double width DUT and operable to receive single-width DUT and a DUT adapter (a DUT interface board (DIB) 400 includes a plurality of DUTs 420 using a custom connector having a size for the DUT 420. A primitive 410 interfaces with the DIB 400, the primitive includes an enclosure 450 in which various electronic devices are all accommodated inside, see paragraph [0034]. Different types of DUTs 420 have different size, shape and form factors, see [0050]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the single housing in the system Wolff by having a single housing operable to receive a double width DUT and operable to receive single-width DUT and a DUT adapter, as taught by Wolff608 in order to meet the system design and specification requirement.
Regarding claim 2 and similarly claim 15, taking claim 2 as an example, Wolff and Wolff608 disclose the apparatus of claim 1, Wolff further teaches wherein the single housing is further operable to receive the double-width DUT without use of an adapter (the socket 210 of the DIB 200 can accommodate various form factor DUTs, see [0029]).
Regarding claim 4, Wolff and Wolff608 disclose the apparatus of claim 1, Wolff further teaches wherein the cooling system comprises a plurality of fans (240c and 230c in Fig. 6) and a plurality of cooling channels (aerodynamic shaped separators 670 in Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 5, Wolff and Wolff608 disclose the apparatus of claim 4, Wolff further teaches wherein the DUT comprises a temperature sensor (305 in Fig. 3), and wherein the DUT is operable to be cooled by the cooling system according to a measurement of the temperature sensor (para [0028]: “the test execution module 100 controls the cooling of the DUTs 220 by receiving input signals from temperature sensors 305 in the vicinity of the DUTs 220 and by adjusting the rotational speeds of the appropriate bottom fan 230a-230d and top fan 240a-240d”).
Regarding claim 8, Wolff and Wolff608 disclose the apparatus of claim 1, Wolff further teaches wherein the DUT comprises a solid state drive (SSD) (see para [0025]).
Regarding claim 14, Wolff discloses , in Figs. 1-11, an apparatus for housing a device under test (DUT) during testing (a test chamber apparatus or housing apparatus 300 for housing an electronic device under test (DUT) 220. See Fig. 1 and abstract), the apparatus comprising: a single housing (as shown in Fig. 1, the housing apparatus 300 comprises a housing structure for housing a test execution module 100 and a device interface board (DIB) 200, wherein the DIB 200 including an adaptor socket 210 for insertion of the DUT 220) operable to receive a first form factor DUT or operable to receive a second form factor DUT and a DUT adapter (at least in paragraph [0029]: the adaptor socket 210 of the DIB 200 is designed to adapt various form factor DUTs); and wherein the housing (300) comprising upper receiving features and lower receiving features (as shown in Figs. 6-11, upper air guide portions 650 of the housing structure 300 is considered as equivalent to upper receiving features and lower air guide portions 650 of the housing structure 300 is considered as equivalent to lower receiving features); and the DUT adapter (210) comprising an upper member and a lower member (as shown in Figs. 7-8, the adapter socket 210 having an upper portion and a lower portion), wherein the upper member and the lower member are operable to be received by the upper receiving features and the lower receiving features of the housing, respectively, to secure the DUT adapter to the housing (as shown in Figs. 6-8, the upper portion of the adaptor socket 210 engaged with the upper air guide portion 650 of the housing structure 300 and the lower portion of the adaptor socket 210 engaged with the lower air guide portion 650 of the housing structure 300. The DUT fits into the adapter socket 210 when the adapter socket is secured in the housing structure 300), wherein the housing is operable to be received by a device interface board (DIB) of a test system to test either the first form factor DUT or the second form factor DUT (a load board 211 in Fig. 2 is considered as equivalent to a device interface board. The load board 211 electrically and physically interfaces with the test execution module 100 to support communication of power, instructions, signals, data, test results, and information between the DUT 220 and the test execution module 100. See [0029]), and wherein the housing is operable to receive cold air from a cooling system (a dual fan cooling system in Fig. 6 comprising a top fan 240c and a bottom fan 230c) of the test system and direct the cold air over surfaces of a DUT housed therein for cooling (para [0041]: “the volume and speed of the vertical ambient air flow 290c due to the top fan 240c and bottom fan 230c are factors in determining the range of temperatures in which the vertical ambient air flow 290c is sufficient to cool the DUTs 220 during testing.”).
Wolff does not explicitly specify that a single housing operable to receive a first form factor and operable to receive a second form factor and a DUT adapter.
Wolff608 discloses a system for automated handling of different form factor device under test in test cell, comprising a single housing operable to receive a first form factor and operable to receive a second form factor and a DUT adapter (a DUT interface board (DIB) 400 includes a plurality of DUTs 420 using a custom connector having a size for the DUT 420. A primitive 410 interfaces with the DIB 400, the primitive includes an enclosure 450 in which various electronic devices are all accommodated inside, see paragraph [0034]. Different types of DUTs 420 have different size, shape and form factors, see [0050]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the single housing in the system Wolff by having a single housing operable to receive a first form factor and operable to receive a second form factor and a DUT adapter, as taught by Wolff608 in order to meet the system design and specification requirement.
Regarding claim 17, Wolff and Wolff608 disclose the apparatus of claim 14, Wolff further teaches wherein the first form factor DUT comprises a double-width form factor, and wherein the second form factor DUT comprises a single-width form factor width (see [0029]).
Regarding claim 19, Wolff and Wolff608 disclose the apparatus of claim 14, Wolff further teaches wherein the upper member and the lower member are operable to be depressed to insert the DUT adapter into the housing (see Figs. 6-8).
Regarding claim 20, Wolff and Wolff608 disclose the apparatus of claim 14, Wolff further teaches wherein the upper member and the lower member are operable to be depressed to remove the DUT adapter from the housing (the DUT 220 is detached from the adaptor socket 210. See Figs. 6-8).
7. Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wolff in view of Wolff608 and further in view of Akers et al. (US. Pub. 2022/0128625; hereinafter “Akers”).
Regarding claim 3, Wolff and Wolff608 disclose the apparatus of claim 2, except for explicitly specifying that wherein the single-width DUT is approximately 7.5 mm wide, and wherein the double-width DUT is approximately 16.8 mm wide. Akers discloses an automated test system for testing electronic devices (DUT), wherein the DUT the single-width DUT is approximately 6 mm wide, and wherein the double-width DUT is approximately 10 mm wide (see [0105]). Akers does not explicitly specify that the single-width DUT is approximately 7.5 mm wide, and wherein the double-width DUT is approximately 16.8 mm wide. However selecting a thickness of the DUT at a particular width or thickness value on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the test system of Wolff and Wolff608 by having the single-width DUT with a thickness wide, for example 7.5 mm wide, and wherein the double-width DUT with a thickness wide, for example 16.8 mm wide as taught by Akers, in order to meet the system design and specification requirement.
8. Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wolff in view of Wolff608 and further in view of Stuart et al. (US. Pub. 2021/0263073; hereinafter “Stuart”).
Regarding claim 6, Wolff and Wolff608 disclose the apparatus of claim 1, except for explicitly specifying wherein the single housing and the DUT adapter comprise electrostatic discharge (ESD) materials.
Stuart discloses a probe adapter comprising a housing and the adapter can be made of electrostatic discharge (ESD) materials (see [0046] and Figs. 5-6).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the test system of Wolff and Wolff608 by having the housing and the DUT adapter comprise electrostatic discharge (ESD) materials as taught by Stuart, for purpose of reducing static electricity.
9. Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wolff in view of Wolff608 and further in view of Tamal et al. (US. Pub. 2020/0103283; hereinafter “Tamal”).
Regarding claim 7, Wolff and Wolff608 discloses the apparatus of claim 1, except for explicitly specifying wherein the housing and the DUT adapter are 3D printed.
Tamal discloses a 3D printing technique for constructing such as an enclosure (110 in Figs. 2A-B).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the test system of Wolff and Wolff608 by having the housing and the DUT adapter are 3D printed as taught by Tamal, in order to meet the system design and specification requirement.
10. Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wolff in view of Wolff608 and further in view of Skirmont et al. (US. Pub. 2024/0184732; hereinafter “Skirmont”).
Regarding claim 16, Wolff and Wolff608 disclose the apparatus of claim 14, except for explicitly specifying wherein the first form factor DUT comprises an E3.S 2T DUT, and wherein the second form factor DUT comprises an E3.S 1T DUT.
Skirmont discloses the first form factor DUT comprises an E3.S 2T DUT, and wherein the second form factor DUT comprises an E3.S 1T DUT (see [0055] and Figs. 7A-7F).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the test system of Wolff and Wolff608 by having the first form factor DUT comprises an E3.S 2T DUT, and wherein the second form factor DUT comprises an E3.S 1T DUT as taught by Skirmont, in order to meet the system design and specification requirement.
11. Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wolff. Regarding claim 18, Wolff and Wolff608 disclose the apparatus of claim 14, except for explicitly specifying wherein a front side of the housing is sealed to prevent air leaks.
However having a front side of the housing to be sealed to prevent air leaks is a known practice in the art and would simply be a matter of inventor design choice.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the housing in the test system of Wolff and Wolff608 by having a front side of the housing is sealed to prevent air leaks, in order to meet the system design and specification requirement.
Prior Art of Record
12. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Rogel et al. (U.S Pub. 20150355270) discloses a multi-configurable testing module for automated testing of a device (see specification for more details). Wolff (U.S Pub. 20190094295) discloses a device testing with heat pipe cooling assembly (see specification for more details).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THANG LE whose telephone number is (571)272-9349. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday thru Friday 7:30AM-5:00PM EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Huy Phan can be reached on (571) 272-7924. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/THANG X LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
4/25/2026
Prosecution Insights