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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on a Chinese patent application 202311323585.6 filed in China on October 12, 2023.
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 1 – 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over a Korean patent document Lee Dong Gyu (KR 20050032350 A), herein “Lee.” in view of Spica (PG Pub. No. 20210026425), herein “Spica.”
Regarding claim 1,
Lee teaches an adaptive temperature control system, including: (Page 3, Par. 4: “maintain a constant temperature inside the system.” Page 3, Par. 1: “internal temperature of the system within a certain range.”)
a computing component; (Page 2, Par. 3: “…various electronic devices or communication devices radiate heat by various devices installed therein.”)
an internal heat sink coupled to the computing component; a thermal-electric chiller (TEC) in thermal communication with the internal heat sink; an external heat sink including a casing surrounding the computing component, the internal heat sink, and the TEC; (Page 3, Par. 7: “one or more Elements (10) having a cold side insulator, a hot side insulator, and a semiconductor grid plated with a conductive material on both sides, and having a heat exchange relationship. ) And 21and 22 for releasing the heat when heated to high temperatures due to heat lost due to component loss, and external air through the supply holes, thereby providing thermoelectric cooling (TEC). External fan 30 through which the device 10 passes and discharged through the discharge hole to the outside, and internal air through the 20a and 20b and the thermoelectric cooling device 10. It consists of an internal fan 40.” Page 3, Par. 8: “…method of attaching a heat sink to both plates of the thermoelectric cooling device…” Examiner’s Note – The figure below depicts annotations of Lee figure 2 showing the Thermal Electric Cooling element(s), (item 10), that is/are thermally coupled to internal heat sink 22 and external heat sink 21. Although Lee does not label the heat sinks as internal or external, they are associated with internal (40) and external (30) fans which are described in Lee.)
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a sensor configured to detect a temperature of the computing component; (Page 3, Par. 4: “a temperature is sensed using a temperature sensor (not shown) installed on one side of the inside of the enclosure 70…”)
Lee also teaches the element of: in response to determining that the temperature of the computing component is greater than the first threshold: adjusting a temperature control mode of the TEC such that heat transferred from the computing component to the TEC through the internal heat sink is transferred to the external heat sink by the TEC. (Page 3, Par. 4: “First, a temperature is sensed using a temperature sensor (not shown) installed on one side of the inside of the enclosure 70, and when the detected temperature rises above a preset temperature, a fan for internal air discharge or external and / or external air. A suction fan (not shown) is operated to exchange heat through a heat plate (not shown) of the heat exchanger 72 to maintain a constant temperature inside the system.)
Lee may implicitly teach, but does not explicitly teach a processor comparing a temperature to a threshold and then controlling a TEC thereafter. However, Spica does teach a processor (processor 112) having access to memory media storing instructions (memory 119, Par. 0024) executable by the processor to perform operations, comprising: (Par. 0024)
comparing the temperature of the computing component to a first threshold; (Par. 0052: “…the event includes the memory sub-system temperature, to determine whether the initial event information associated with the event that corresponds to the temperature of the memory sub-system satisfies the initial threshold condition, processing logic compares the indication (e.g., raw temperature values) of the sub-system temperature of the memory sub-system to a sub-system temperature threshold condition.” See also Par. 0053, 0054, 0055, 0056, 0065 – 0068, 0079, and 0080.)
determining, based on the comparing, that the temperature of the computing component is greater than a first threshold; (Spica Claim 5: “..wherein to determine whether the initial event information associated with the event that corresponds to the temperature of the memory sub-system satisfies the initial threshold condition, the processing device is to: compare the indication of the sub-system temperature of the memory sub-system to a sub-system temperature threshold condition; and determine whether the sub-system temperature of the memory sub-system meets or exceeds the sub-system temperature threshold condition in view of the comparison.” Spica Claim 1: “…and responsive to determining that the initial event information associated with the event that corresponds to the temperature of the memory sub-system satisfies the initial threshold condition, cause a thermoelectric component (TEC) that is coupled to a plurality of memory components of the memory sub-system to change from an inactive state to an active state by decreasing a temperature at a bottom surface of the TEC that is coupled to the plurality memory components of the memory sub-system as a temperature at a top surface of the TEC increases.” See Abstract and Par. 0016 and paragraphs 0052 – 0058.)
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined a thermo-electric cooling system and method of a conventional thermoelectric cooling (TEC) coupled with an external and internal heat sink associated with fans and using a sensor in the system to determine if the temperature is above a preset limit as in Lee with a computing device that has a processor to compare the temperature to a threshold temperature and activate or deactivate a TEC as in Spica in order to decide whether to use a use a thermal cooling system or dynamic frequency scaling of the processor and thus save power consumption for the electronic device. (Par. 0015).
Regarding claim 2,
The previously cited reference(s) teach the limitations of claim 1 which claim 2 depends. Spica also teaches that wherein the operations further include: determining, based on the comparing, that the temperature of the computing component is less than a second threshold; in response to determining that the temperature of the computing component is less than the second threshold: adjusting the temperature control mode of the TEC to a second mode such that heat transferred from the external heat sink to the TEC is transferred by the TEC through the internal heat sink to the computing component. (Par. 0069: “In other embodiments, to the temperature of the memory sub-system satisfies the additional threshold condition, processing logic can determine whether an amount of time has elapsed since changing the TEC from an inactive state to an active state (e.g., elapsed time exceeds a time threshold condition). Responsive to determining that receiving an indication the memory operation with respect to the memory sub-system has completed or a threshold amount of time has elapsed, processing logic determines the that the subsequent event information satisfies the second threshold condition. Responsive to not receiving an indication that the memory operation with respect to the memory sub-system has completed or a threshold amount of time has not elapsed, processing logic determines that the subsequent event information does not satisfy the additional threshold condition.” Examiner’s Note – Claim 2 elements may be rejected under MPEP 2144.04(VI)(B) – Duplication of Parts – wherein claim 2 teaches a second threshold and a second mode where “…mere duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced.”)
Regarding claim 3,
The previously cited reference(s) teach the limitations of claim 2 which claim 3 depends. Spica also teaches that wherein adjusting the temperature control mode includes adjusting a polarity of current provided to the TEC. (Par. 0032: “The surface that heats and the surface that cools depend on the polarity of the voltage potential applied to the TEC 218.” Examiner’s Note – Changing the polarity of the voltage reverses the direction of current flow, where I = V/R.)
Regarding claim 4,
The previously cited reference(s) teach the limitations of claim 2 which claim 4 depends. Spica also teaches that the operations further include: determining, based on the comparing, that the temperature of the computing component is less than the first threshold and greater than the second threshold; in response to determining that the temperature of the computing component is less than the first threshold and greater than the second threshold: adjusting a power state of the TEC to an off power state. (Par. 0069: “In other embodiments, to the temperature of the memory sub-system satisfies the additional threshold condition, processing logic can determine whether an amount of time has elapsed since changing the TEC from an inactive state to an active state (e.g., elapsed time exceeds a time threshold condition). Responsive to determining that receiving an indication the memory operation with respect to the memory sub-system has completed or a threshold amount of time has elapsed, processing logic determines the that the subsequent event information satisfies the second threshold condition. Responsive to not receiving an indication that the memory operation with respect to the memory sub-system has completed or a threshold amount of time has not elapsed, processing logic determines that the subsequent event information does not satisfy the additional threshold condition.” Par. 0070: “At operation 335, responsive to determining that the subsequent event information associated with the event that corresponds to the temperature of the memory sub-system satisfies the additional threshold condition, processing logic causes the TEC to change from the active state to the inactive state.”)
Regarding claim 5,
The previously cited reference(s) teach the limitations of claim 1 which claim 5 depends. Spica also teaches that the TEC is coupled to the internal heat sink. (Par. 0037: “…the bottom surface of heat sink 222 is coupled to the top surface 220A of TEC 218 to transfer thermal energy from TEC 218 to the heat sink 222.” See figures 2A and 2B. Examiner’s Note – This is also taught in Lee figure 2.)
Regarding claim 6,
The previously cited reference(s) teach the limitations of claim 5 which claim 6 depends. Lee also teaches that the TEC is coupled to the external heat sink. (See Lee figure 2 shown above.)
Regarding claim 7,
The previously cited reference(s) teach the limitations of claim 1 which claim 7 depends. Spica also teaches an additional internal heat sink in thermal communication with the internal heat sink, the additional internal heat sink spaced-apart from the internal heat sink, wherein the additional internal heat sink is coupled to the computing component. (Par. 0038: “In some embodiments, the liquid cooling heat sinks of the memory sub-system stack-ups 254 are optional elements.” Par. 0040: “For example, one or more of the liquid cooling heat sinks can be coupled together…”)
Regarding claim 8,
The previously cited reference(s) teach the limitations of claim 7 which claim 8 depends. Lee also teaches one or more heat pipes coupled between the additional internal heat sink and the internal heat sink, wherein the one or more heat pipes are in thermal communication between the additional heat sink and the internal heat sink. (Page 4, Par. 4: “Plates 110 and 120 of the thermoelectric cooling device 100 formed in consideration of the heat transfer area in the center of the heat exchanger are installed at the upper and lower ends, respectively, and the upper and lower plates of the plates 110 and120 are housed. The wall 500 is installed, and a plurality of heat pipes 210 and 220 are directly inserted into the centers of the plates 110 and 120, and the heat pipes 210are formed at one side of the heat pipes 210.” See Lee figures 2 and 3b.)
Regarding claim 9,
The previously cited reference(s) teach the limitations of claim 7 which claim 9 depends. Spica also teaches additional computing components in thermal communication with the internal heat sink, the additional components spaced-apart from the internal heat sink. (See Spica figure 2B showing additional memory sub-systems and figure 2A and figure 2B.)
Regarding claims 10 - 18, they are directed to an information handling system to implement the system or apparatuses set forth in claims 1 - 9. Lee and Spica teach the claimed system or apparatuses in claims 1 - 9. Spica also teaches the information handling system in paragraph 0013: “Overheating issues associated with memory subsystems can cause catastrophic failures, reduction in lifespans, as well as performance issues. For example, a personal computer, such as a laptop, can suffer from performance degradation related to the overheating of the personal computer's memory sub-system.” Therefore, Lee and Spica teach the information handling system in claims 10 – 18.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Youngblood et al. (US PG Pub. No. 20230248934) is on point with the instant application and teaches a computer system (800, Par. 0304) with thermoelectric control unit (figure 6, item 10) with external and internal heat sinks (Par. 0151).
Bisson et al. (US PG Pub. No. 20080239654) teaches an electronic device (152) that comprises a TEC (164) that is coupled to an external heat sink (166) and internal heat sink (162). See figure 13 and paragraphs 0078 and 0079.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHAD G ERDMAN whose telephone number is (571)270-0177. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 7am - 3pm or 4pm EST..
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/CHAD G ERDMAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2116
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