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 § 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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lu et al. (CN 107300479 A – hereafter “Lu”) in view of Ghetzler (US 5,942,682 A – hereafter “Ghetzler”) in further view of Shi et al. (US 2024/0302222 A1 – hereafter “Shi”.
As per claim 1, Lu teaches the following:
A thermal resistance measurement result uniformization device for a heat dissipation module, comprising: (see Fig 1., "summary of the invention," para starting with "A heat pipe radiator for SVG characteristic test platform")
a control unit (3) for storing an executable thermal resistance measurement logic (see pg. 7, 2nd para starting with "control loop of the first controllable source 41..." and line stating "the lower computer 32 respectively connected with the DC/DC controller 34 and frequency converter 33 control loop, and receiving and processing a temperature measuring module 12");
a wind tunnel (2) having a casing (constant temperature air duct 1) , a wind tunnel blower (controllable fan 20) and a flow rate measurement unit (air volume computation module/air quantity metering module 22) , the wind tunnel blower being electrically connected to the control unit and controlled by the control unit to drive movement of air inside the wind tunnel, and the flow rate measurement unit being electrically connected to the control unit to sense a flow rate of the air inside the wind tunnel, with the flow rate being kept invariable by the wind tunnel blower (see pg. 5, 1st para starting with "As shown in FIG. 1, the SVG heat pipe radiator characteristic test platform...");
a heater (heating and temperature measuring module 13) being disposed at the casing of the wind tunnel, having a heating block adapted to be attached to a heat dissipation module under test positioned on a path of the movement of the air through the wind tunnel , and being electrically connected to the control unit to be controlled by the control unit to heat the heat dissipation module under test, and the heater has a fixed heating power for heating the heat dissipation module under test (see pg. 6, 4th para starting with "In the embodiment, the controllable voltage regulation unit 4 comprises a first controllable source 41 and second controllable voltage stabilizing source 42");
a heating sensor (heating and temperature measuring module 13) disposed at the heating block and electrically connected to the control unit to sense a temperature of the heating block, allowing its sensing result to be read by the control unit (see control unit 3, heating and temperature measuring module 13, pg. 5, 3rd para starting with "As shown in FIG. 2, the heating and temperature measuring module 13 of the surface is provided...");
and an environment sensor (ambient temperature sensor 35) electrically connected to the control unit to sense ambient temperature, relative humidity and atmospheric pressure outside the wind tunnel, allowing its sensing result to be read by the control unit (see pg. 7, 2nd para starting with "control loop of the first controllable source 41" and specifically line starting with "In this embodiment, control unit 3 further comprises an ambient temperature sensor 35");
However, Lu does not teach or suggest that a forced convection coefficient at standard temperature and pressure of the heat dissipation module under test is known, nor does it teach thermal resistance measurement logic that defines a mathematical relationship between thermal resistance and a forced convection coefficient, including equations for calculating the forced convection coefficient and thermal resistance or calculating converted thermal resistance according to such equations. Lu also does not disclose defining variables corresponding to thermal resistance, forced convection coefficient, forced convection coefficient at standard temperature and pressure, heater power, heat dissipation area of the heat dissipation module under test, temperature sensed by the heating sensor, temperature sensed by the environment sensor, or converted thermal resistance, nor is it disclosed that the control unit executes the thermal resistance measurement logic to obtain converted thermal resistance of the heat dissipation module under test.
However, Ghetzler teaches determining a forced convection heat transfer coefficient using explicit mathematical relationships between heat transfer, temperature differences, fluid properties, and geometric parameters. In particular, Ghetzler discloses calculating a convective heat transfer coefficient based on known physical models and equations that relate heat transfer coefficient values to parameters such as thermal conductivity, fluid flow characteristics, temperature differences, and dimensionless criteria (e.g. Reynolds, Prandtl, and Grashof numbers), thereby providing explicit equations for quantifying forced convection heat transfer under defined conditions (see col. 9, lines 1 - 45).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application to modify Lu with Ghetzler’s applied known forced convection heat transfer coefficients and corresponding thermal resistance under defined test conditions in order to reliably quantify heat transfer and ensure repeatable results .
Lu in view of Ghetzler teaches a thermal resistance measurement result uniformization device for a heat dissipation module, but the combined teachings fail to disclose the execution of such equations within a control unit to obtain a converted thermal resistance of a heat dissipation module under test.
Shi however, teaches an electronic device including one or more processors and a memory storing program instructions, when executed by the processors, cause execution of the temperature measurement method, thereby implementing calculation logic within a processor-based control unit to perform the mathematical operations (see para [0081] – [0084]).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application to modify Lu in view of Ghetzler in further view of Shi to implement the forced convection heat transfer and thermal resistance equations within a processor-based control unit, as taught by Shi, so that the mathematical operations required by Ghetzler are executed by stored program instructions, thereby automating calculation of converted thermal resistance and improving accuracy and repeatability of the thermal resistance measurement.
Regarding claim 2, the claim recites “The thermal resistance measurement result uniformization device for a heat dissipation module according to claim 1, wherein the forced convection coefficient at standard temperature and pressure is obtained by performing measurement on the heat dissipation module under test at an ambient temperature of 20°C, a relative humidity of 50%, and an atmospheric pressure of 1 atm.”
Lu teaches determining thermal characteristics of a heat dissipation module under forced convection conditions using a wind tunnel and controllable fan while detecting environmental temperature via an ambient temperature sensor connected to a control unit, thereby performing measurement under ambient conditions (see pg. 3, paragraph 7; pg. 7, paragraph starting with “control loop of the first controllable source” line starting with “In this embodiment, control unit 3 further comprises an ambient temperature sensor 35”)
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application to modify Lu in view of Ghetzler in further view of Shi to perform such measurements under standard ambient laboratory conditions such as an ambient temperature of 20°C, a relative humidity of 50%, and an atmospheric pressure of 1 atm, in order to normalize the forced convection coefficient and ensure repeatable and comparable thermal resistance measurement results.
Regarding claim 3, the claim recites “The thermal resistance measurement result uniformization device for a heat dissipation module according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is a computer.”
Lu teaches that the control unit is a computer, as Lu discloses that the control unit 3 comprises an upper computer 31 and a lower computer 32, thereby teaching that control unit includes a computer.
Regarding claim 4, the claim recites “The thermal resistance measurement result uniformization device for a heat dissipation module according to claim 1, wherein the environment sensor is not inside the wind tunnel. “
Lu teaches that the environment sensor is not inside wind tunnel, as shown in Fig.1, where the ambient temperature sensor 35 is disposed outside the wind tunnel and constant temperature air passage and is electrically connected to the control unit 3, rather than being located within the wind tunnel.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Manuel Castellon whose telephone number is (571)272-4575. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm.
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, John Breene can be reached at 571-272-4107. 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.
/MANUEL SALVADOR CASTELLON JR/Examiner, Art Unit 2855
/JOHN E BREENE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2855