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
Claims 1-20 are presented for examination.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The actual filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/applying-online/eterminal-disclaimer.
Claims 1, 3, and 12-15 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-2, 4-5, and 17-18 of U.S. Patent No. 12086001. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because both claim the same invention of controlling temperature within a server rack of a data center utilizing a model that models how the temperature within the server rack respond to changes in one or more IT parameters and predicts a future value of the temperature within the server rack at a future time based on the model and further controls a cooling equipment the predicted future value of the temperature within the server rack at the future time exceeds a temperature threshold. A comparison between independent claim 17 of US Patent 12086001 and independent claim 1 of the current application is provided below for an example.
US Patent 12086001
Current Application 18793680
Claim 17. A system for controlling a temperature within one or more server racks of a data center, wherein the data center includes a plurality of server racks with each server rack hosting one or more servers, the data center including environment control equipment for controlling the temperature within one or more of the plurality of server racks of the data center, the system comprising:
a memory for storing a model that models how one or more of environmental conditions within at least one of the plurality of server racks responds to changes in one or more IT parameters representative of a server load on one or more servers within the corresponding server rack;
a controller operatively coupled to the memory, the controller configured to:
receive one or more IT parameters representative of the server load on one or more servers within at least one of the plurality of server racks;
predict a future value of one or more environmental conditions within one or more of the plurality of server racks based at least in part on the model and the one or more IT parameters; and
proactively control at least some of the environment control equipment of the data center based at least in part on the predicted future value of one or more of the environmental conditions within the one or more server racks such that the predicted future value of one or more of the environmental conditions within the one or more server racks remains below a corresponding threshold value.
Claim 1. A method for proactively controlling temperature within a server rack of a data center, wherein the server rack hosts one or more servers, the data center including cooling equipment for controlling the temperature within the server rack, the method comprising:
storing a model that models how the temperature within the server rack respond to changes in one or more IT parameters representative of a server load on one or more servers within the server rack; receiving one or more sensed temperatures within the server rack;
receiving one or more IT parameters representative of the server load on one or more servers within the server rack;
predicting a future value of the temperature within the server rack at a future time based at least in part on the model, one or more of the received IT parameters representative of the server load on one or more servers within the server rack, and one or more of the received sensed temperatures within the server rack; and when the predicted future value of the temperature within the server rack at the future time exceeds a predetermined upper temperature threshold, proactively controlling at least some of the cooling equipment of the data center based at least in part on the predicted future value of the temperature within the server rack at the future time such that the temperature within the server rack remains below the predetermined upper temperature threshold at the future time.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Claim 1 recites a limitation of “a predetermined upper temperature threshold” which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. Examiner searched the detailed description, but he was unable to find the support for claimed limitation.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the enablement requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention.
Claim 1 recites a limitation of “a predetermined upper temperature threshold” which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention. Examiner searched the detailed description, but he was unable to find the support for claimed limitation.
Therefore, the examiner submits that it would require undue experimentation to make and/or use the claimed limitation.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-7, 9-10, 12-13, and 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Le Goff et al (US Pub. 2020/03795291; hereinafter Le).
As per claim 1, Le discloses a method for proactively controlling temperature within a server rack of a data center, wherein the server rack hosts one or more servers, the data center including cooling equipment for controlling the temperature within the server rack [Abstract; Fig. 1, 3, 5, 6A-7B; para 0101, 0006, 0037; dynamically detecting a change of a condition of the datacenter 110; dynamically detecting a measurement data collection problem; comparing the latest measurements 314 to fixed thresholds; control the temperature of the processor in a rack; action controller 535 being configured to cause the given server (400) to apply the corrective action selected from increasing a heat transfer rate of a cooling system for the given server (400)], the method comprising:
storing a model that models how the temperature within the server rack respond to changes in one or more IT parameters representative of a server load on one or more servers within the server rack [Abstract; Fig. 1, 3, 5, 6A-7B; para 0014-0018; construction of a prediction model based on accumulated measurements stored in the database];
receiving one or more sensed temperatures within the server rack [para 0004, 0021, 0103, 0114, 0126; monitoring temperatures within the server rack (i.e., datacenter)];
receiving one or more IT parameters representative of the server load on one or more servers within the server rack [Abstract; Fig. 1, 3, 5, 6A-7B; para 0004; “One particular parameter of the servers of a datacenter that may be monitored is the temperature of its processors.”; “Other parameters of the servers of a datacenter that may be monitored …”; para 0090; “… data in the form of measurements related to an operational parameters of a server in a datacenter is collected …”; para 0103; “Other sensors may also be present to provide measurements of various operational parameters of the server 400 …”; para 0105];
predicting a future value of the temperature within the server rack at a future time based at least in part on the model, one or more of the received IT parameters representative of the server load on one or more servers within the server rack, and one or more of the received sensed temperatures within the server rack [Abstract; Fig. 1, 3, 5, 6A-7B; para 0014-0018, 0097-0101, 0116, 0120-0120; a prediction model]; and
when the predicted future value of the temperature within the server rack at the future time exceeds a predetermined upper temperature threshold, proactively controlling at least some of the cooling equipment of the data center based at least in part on the predicted future value of the temperature within the server rack at the future time such that the temperature within the server rack remains below the predetermined upper temperature threshold at the future time [Abstract; Fig. 1, 3, 5, 6A-7B; “A corrective action is taken if the latest measurement does not comply with the prediction model for the server.”; para 0006, 0101, 0126; dynamically detecting a change of a condition of the datacenter; comparing the latest measurements to fixed thresholds; “… operation 670 may comprise sub-operation 672 in which a heat transfer rate of a cooling system for the given server 400 is increased if the temperature of the processor of the given server 400 is found to exceed a range defined by the prediction model …”; Fig. 14-15; para 0142-0143; temperature curve exceeding the upper range curve; para 0017, 0035, 0056, 0108, 0176; “taking a corrective action in if the temperature of a processor (410) of the server (400) exceeds the static temperature threshold.”; para 0125; “Examples of the corrective actions that may be taken comprise one or more of reducing a processing speed of the given server 400, reducing a processing power of the given server 400, reducing a traffic load directed to the given server 400, transferring a virtual machine from the given server 400 to another server, increasing a heat transfer rate of a cooling system for the given server 400, and/or reducing a period for collecting and storing the measurements received from the serve 400.”; para 0137; “A modest number of servers 400 report temperatures that are in an overheating range 930. The evaluator 530 of FIG. 5 is expected to invoke the action controller 535 to take a corrective action and/or the operator console 550 to issue an alert.”].
As per claim 12, Le discloses a method for controlling one or more environmental conditions within a server rack of a data center, wherein the server rack hosts one or more servers, the data center including environment control equipment for controlling one or more environmental conditions within the server rack [Abstract; Fig. 1, 3, 5, 6A-7B; para 0101, 0006, 0037; dynamically detecting a change of a condition of the datacenter 110; dynamically detecting a measurement data collection problem; comparing the latest measurements 314 to fixed thresholds; control the temperature of the processor in a rack; action controller 535 being configured to cause the given server (400) to apply the corrective action selected from increasing a heat transfer rate of a cooling system for the given server (400)], the method comprising:
storing a model that models how each of one or more of the environmental conditions within the server rack respond to changes in one or more of IT parameters representative of a server load on one or more servers within the server rack [Abstract; Fig. 1, 3, 5, 6A-7B; para 0014-0018; construction of a prediction model based on accumulated measurements stored in the database];
receiving one or more environmental conditions within the server rack [para 0004, 0021, 0103, 0114, 0126; monitoring temperatures within the server rack (i.e., datacenter)];
receiving one or more IT parameters representative of the server load on one or more servers within the server rack [Abstract; Fig. 1, 3, 5, 6A-7B; para 0004; “One particular parameter of the servers of a datacenter that may be monitored is the temperature of its processors.”; “Other parameters of the servers of a datacenter that may be monitored …”; para 0090; “… data in the form of measurements related to an operational parameters of a server in a datacenter is collected …”; para 0103; “Other sensors may also be present to provide measurements of various operational parameters of the server 400 …”; para 0105];
predicting a future value of one or more environmental conditions within the server rack at a future time based at least in part on the model, the one or more received IT parameters representative of the server load on one or more servers within the server rack, and each of the one or more received environmental conditions within the server rack [Abstract; Fig. 1, 3, 5, 6A-7B; para 0014-0018, 0097-0101, 0116, 0120-0120; a prediction model]; and
when the predicted future value of one or more of the environmental conditions within the server rack at the future time goes beyond a corresponding threshold, proactively controlling at least some of the environment control equipment of the data center based at least in part on the predicted future value of the one or more environmental conditions within the server rack at the future time such that the one or more of the environmental conditions within the server rack do not go beyond the corresponding threshold at the future time [Abstract; Fig. 1, 3, 5, 6A-7B; “A corrective action is taken if the latest measurement does not comply with the prediction model for the server.”; para 0006, 0101, 0126; dynamically detecting a change of a condition of the datacenter; comparing the latest measurements to fixed thresholds; “… operation 670 may comprise sub-operation 672 in which a heat transfer rate of a cooling system for the given server 400 is increased if the temperature of the processor of the given server 400 is found to exceed a range defined by the prediction model …”; Fig. 14-15; para 0142-0143; temperature curve exceeding the upper range curve; para 0017, 0035, 0056, 0108, 0176; “taking a corrective action in if the temperature of a processor (410) of the server (400) exceeds the static temperature threshold.”; para 0125; “Examples of the corrective actions that may be taken comprise one or more of reducing a processing speed of the given server 400, reducing a processing power of the given server 400, reducing a traffic load directed to the given server 400, transferring a virtual machine from the given server 400 to another server, increasing a heat transfer rate of a cooling system for the given server 400, and/or reducing a period for collecting and storing the measurements received from the serve 400.”; para 0137; “A modest number of servers 400 report temperatures that are in an overheating range 930. The evaluator 530 of FIG. 5 is expected to invoke the action controller 535 to take a corrective action and/or the operator console 550 to issue an alert.”].
As per claim 19, Le disclose a system for controlling a temperature within one or more server racks of a data center, wherein the data center includes a plurality of server racks with each server rack hosting one or more servers, the data center including environment control equipment for controlling the temperature within one or more of the plurality of server racks of the data center [Abstract; Fig. 1, 3, 5, 6A-7B; para 0101, 0006, 0037; dynamically detecting a change of a condition of the datacenter 110; dynamically detecting a measurement data collection problem; comparing the latest measurements 314 to fixed thresholds; control the temperature of the processor in a rack; action controller 535 being configured to cause the given server (400) to apply the corrective action selected from increasing a heat transfer rate of a cooling system for the given server (400)], the system comprising:
a memory for storing a model that models how one or more of environmental conditions within at least one of the plurality of server racks responds to changes in one or more IT parameters representative of a server load on one or more servers [Fig. 4; memory 420; para 0103; Abstract; Fig. 1, 3, 5, 6A-7B; para 0014-0018; construction of a prediction model based on accumulated measurements stored in the database];
a controller operatively coupled to the memory [Fig. 5; para 0037; an action controller], the controller configured to:
receive one or more IT parameters representative of the server load on one or more servers within at least one of the plurality of server racks [Abstract; Fig. 1, 3, 5, 6A-7B; para 0004; “One particular parameter of the servers of a datacenter that may be monitored is the temperature of its processors.”; “Other parameters of the servers of a datacenter that may be monitored …”; para 0090; “… data in the form of measurements related to an operational parameters of a server in a datacenter is collected …”; para 0103; “Other sensors may also be present to provide measurements of various operational parameters of the server 400 …”; para 0105];
predict a future value of one or more environmental conditions within one or more of the plurality of server racks at a future time based at least in part on the model and the one or more IT parameters [Abstract; Fig. 1, 3, 5, 6A-7B; para 0014-0018, 0097-0101, 0116, 0120-0120; a prediction model]; and
when the predicted future value of one or more environmental conditions within one or more of the plurality of server racks at the future time goes beyond a corresponding threshold, proactively control at least some of the environment control equipment of the data center such that the one or more of the environmental conditions within the one or more of the plurality of server racks do not go beyond the corresponding threshold at the future time [Abstract; Fig. 1, 3, 5, 6A-7B; “A corrective action is taken if the latest measurement does not comply with the prediction model for the server.”; para 0006, 0101, 0126; dynamically detecting a change of a condition of the datacenter; comparing the latest measurements to fixed thresholds; “… operation 670 may comprise sub-operation 672 in which a heat transfer rate of a cooling system for the given server 400 is increased if the temperature of the processor of the given server 400 is found to exceed a range defined by the prediction model …”; Fig. 14-15; para 0142-0143; temperature curve exceeding the upper range curve; para 0017, 0035, 0056, 0108, 0176; “taking a corrective action in if the temperature of a processor (410) of the server (400) exceeds the static temperature threshold.”; para 0125; “Examples of the corrective actions that may be taken comprise one or more of reducing a processing speed of the given server 400, reducing a processing power of the given server 400, reducing a traffic load directed to the given server 400, transferring a virtual machine from the given server 400 to another server, increasing a heat transfer rate of a cooling system for the given server 400, and/or reducing a period for collecting and storing the measurements received from the serve 400.”; para 0137; “A modest number of servers 400 report temperatures that are in an overheating range 930. The evaluator 530 of FIG. 5 is expected to invoke the action controller 535 to take a corrective action and/or the operator console 550 to issue an alert.”].
As per claim2, Le discloses wherein when the predicted future value of the temperature within the server rack at the future time falls below a predetermined lower temperature threshold, proactively controlling at least some of the cooling equipment of the data center based at least in part on the predicted future value of the temperature within the server rack at the future time such that the temperature within the server rack remains above the predetermined lower temperature threshold at the future time [para 0017, 0035, 0056, 0108, 0176; “taking a corrective action in if the temperature of a processor (410) of the server (400) exceeds the static temperature threshold.”; para 0125; “Examples of the corrective actions that may be taken comprise one or more of reducing a processing speed of the given server 400, reducing a processing power of the given server 400, reducing a traffic load directed to the given server 400, transferring a virtual machine from the given server 400 to another server, increasing a heat transfer rate of a cooling system for the given server 400, and/or reducing a period for collecting and storing the measurements received from the serve 400.”].
As per claims 3, 15, and 20, Le discloses wherein the one or more IT parameters comprises one or more of a CPU utilization parameter of a corresponding server, a CPU fan speed parameter of a corresponding server, an I/O throughput of a corresponding server, a memory access rate of a corresponding server, and a disk access rate of a corresponding server [Abstract; Fig. 1, 3, 5, 6A-7B; para 0004; “One particular parameter of the servers of a datacenter that may be monitored is the temperature of its processors.”; “Other parameters of the servers of a datacenter that may be monitored …”; para 0090; “… data in the form of measurements related to an operational parameters of a server in a datacenter is collected …”; para 0103; “Other sensors may also be present to provide measurements of various operational parameters of the server 400 …”; para 0105; para 0126; “… starting one or more fans, and/or increasing a fan speed, …”; para 0103; “A server 400 comprises a processor or a plurality of cooperating processors (one processor 410 is shown for simplicity), one or more memory devices (one memory device 420 is shown for simplicity), a board management controller (BMC) 430, an input/output (I/O) interface 440, and one or more sensors, for example a processor temperature sensor 450, a supply voltage sensor 470, a power consumption sensor 480, and a processor load sensor 460.”].
As per claims 4 and 16, Le discloses wherein the one or more IT parameters comprises one or more of a server temperature and a server power draw provided by a corresponding server [Abstract; Fig. 1, 3, 5, 6A-7B; para 0004; “One particular parameter of the servers of a datacenter that may be monitored is the temperature of its processors.”; para 0021, 0037; “… reducing a processing power of the server (400), …”; Fig. 4; para 0103; a power consumption sensor 480].
As per claims 5 and 17, Le discloses wherein the one or more IT parameters comprises a CPU utilization parameter of a corresponding server [Fig. 4; para 0103; a processor load sensor 460].
As per claims 6 and 18, Le discloses wherein the one or more IT parameters comprises an I/O throughput of a corresponding server [para 0103; “Other sensors may also be present to provide measurements of various operational parameters of the server 400 and, in particular, of the processor 410, of the memory device 420 and/or of the I/O interface 440. The processor 410, the memory device 420, the BMC 430, the I/O interface 440 and at least some of the sensors 450, 460, 470 and/or 480 may be mounted on a motherboard (not shown).”].
As per claim 7, Le discloses wherein: the server rack includes a power supply that provides power to one or more of the servers in the server rack, the power supply providing a measure of electrical power provided by the power supply to the one or more servers in the server rack [para 0004; “Another factor that may impact the temperature and lifetime of a particular processor includes a supply voltage, particularly when the supply voltage lies outside of the recommended supply voltage range for the processor.”; para 0103; a supply voltage sensor 470; para 0133; a power supply voltage for the rack room]; the model is configured to model how the temperature within the server rack respond to changes in the measure of electrical power provided by the power supply to the one or more servers in the server rack [Abstract; Fig. 1, 3, 5, 6A-7B; para 0014-0018; construction of a prediction model based on accumulated measurements stored in the database]; receiving the measure of electrical power provided by the power supply to the one or more servers in the server rack [para 0004, 0103, 0133; supply voltage sensor]; predicting the future value of the temperature within the server rack at the future time based at least in part on the model, one or more of the received IT parameters representative of the server load on one or more servers within the server rack, the one or more of the received sensed temperatures within the server rack, and the measure of electrical power provided by the power supply to the one or more servers in the server rack [Abstract; Fig. 1, 3, 5, 6A-7B; para 0014-0018; prediction model]; and when the predicted future value of the temperature within the server rack at the future time exceeds a predetermined upper temperature threshold, proactively controlling at least some of the cooling equipment of the data center based at least in part on the predicted future value of the temperature within the server rack at the future time such that the temperature within the server rack is controlled to be at or below the predetermined upper temperature threshold at the future time [Abstract; Fig. 1, 3, 5, 6A-7B; “A corrective action is taken if the latest measurement does not comply with the prediction model for the server.”; para 0006, 0101, 0126; dynamically detecting a change of a condition of the datacenter; comparing the latest measurements to fixed thresholds; “… operation 670 may comprise sub-operation 672 in which a heat transfer rate of a cooling system for the given server 400 is increased if the temperature of the processor of the given server 400 is found to exceed a range defined by the prediction model …”; Fig. 14-15; para 0142-0143; temperature curve exceeding the upper range curve; para 0017, 0035, 0056, 0108, 0176; “taking a corrective action in if the temperature of a processor (410) of the server (400) exceeds the static temperature threshold.”; para 0125; “Examples of the corrective actions that may be taken comprise one or more of reducing a processing speed of the given server 400, reducing a processing power of the given server 400, reducing a traffic load directed to the given server 400, transferring a virtual machine from the given server 400 to another server, increasing a heat transfer rate of a cooling system for the given server 400, and/or reducing a period for collecting and storing the measurements received from the serve 400.”; para 0137; “A modest number of servers 400 report temperatures that are in an overheating range 930. The evaluator 530 of FIG. 5 is expected to invoke the action controller 535 to take a corrective action and/or the operator console 550 to issue an alert.”].
As per claim 9, Le discloses where the model comprises an Artificial Intelligence (AI) model [Abstract; Fig. 5; para 0015; a machine learning system (525)].
As per claim 10, Le discloses wherein the predicted future value of the temperature within the server rack at the future time is compared to a corresponding sensed temperature within the server rack at the future time in order to provide feedback for training the Artificial Intelligence (AI) model [para 0018, 0098-0099; “… using the new measurement to update the prediction model.”].
As per claim 13, Le discloses wherein the one or more environmental conditions comprises temperature within the server rack [Abstract; Fig. 1, 3, 5, 6A-7B; para 0004; “One particular parameter of the servers of a datacenter that may be monitored is the temperature of its processors.”].
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 8, 11, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Le Goff et al (US Pub. 2020/03795291; hereinafter Le) in view of Ahmed et al (US Pub. 2010/00766071; hereinafter Ahmed).
As per claims 8 and 14, Le discloses the invention substantially. Le does not specifically disclose regarding humidity within the server rack. However, Ahmed (in the same field of endeavor, i.e., data center cooling) discloses that it is well known in the art to control humidity of racks of a data center is important to avoid any equipment corrosion [para 0002-0003, 0031-0032]. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the cited references as both are directed to control an environment condition of a data center with several server racks.
As per claim 11, Ahmed discloses wherein the cooling equipment includes one or more CRAC units and/or one or more CRAH units [para 0003, 0039; computer room air conditioning unit (“CRACs”)].
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US-20130166241 discloses computer applications, analytics and optimization, and more particularly to thermal management for facilities such as data centers.
US-20120120603 discloses a data center comprising a cooling apparatus comprising a temperature sensor for monitoring a coolant temperature associated with the at least one cooling unit, the at least one controller being coupled to the temperature sensor, and responding to the coolant temperature exceeding a defined threshold by transitioning the cooling apparatus from the normal-mode, parallel flow of system coolant through the at least one electronic subsystem and the air-to-liquid heat exchanger to the failure-mode, serial flow of system coolant from the at least one electronic subsystem to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger.
US-20040141542 discloses controlling the temperature in a data center includes receiving sensory data corresponding to a temperature from a subsystem in a data center, processing the sensory data by a first agent in a hierarchy of agents to determine if the subsystems in the data center is operating within a predetermined temperature range, adjusting a delivery rate for a cooling fluid using the first agent to keep the temperature range of the subsystem within the predetermined temperature range.
N. WO-2018122635 discloses a method and a system for regulating temperature in a data center wherein a plurality of control models are associated with an actuator for controlling the temperature of the data center.
O. WO-2013095516 discloses a variety of techniques that can be used for computing airflows and temperatures, one combination of which is to use algebraic models for airflow prediction and then a temperature model which focuses on the primary airflow streams of interest in the data center - those associated with the inlet and outlet of each rack and cooler.
P. CN-113133277 discloses the temperature control method of container data center in the invention, according to the container outer environment temperature, dynamic change of channel air supply temperature and heat exchange threshold temperature, realizing the organic combination of air conditioner compressor refrigeration cycle and heat exchange natural cycle, using heat exchange temperature control model air conditioner temperature control model heat exchange temperature control and air conditioner temperature control mixing model the three model of the dynamic operation, under the condition of long heat exchange operation time, reduces the operation time of the air conditioner compressor, can reach the purpose of saving energy and reducing consumption. at the same time, based on return air temperature index and the device air inlet temperature in the container, dynamically adjusting the fan rotating speed and/or refrigeration amount, which can make the output air flow dynamic matching device demand air flow rate, the fan operation efficiency is high, it can ensure the normal radiation of the device.
Q. CN-110068105 discloses a method, the method comprising: receiving with at least one equipment machine frame and at least one cooling provider data center related to the input data, the input data including data center architecture information, building data. and operation data, by the computing device at least partially based on input data and a set of energy balance and heat exchange equation data center to generate a model, the one set of energy balance and heat exchange equation considering the increasing by the at least one equipment rack and removal of heat by at least one cooling provider. and a thermal mass of the at least one equipment rack of the thermal mass and the at least one cooling provider, the model is configured to predict during a transient event in the data center at least one of temperature, and a temperature control display device to display at least one of the predicted.
Conclusion
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/SURESH SURYAWANSHI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2116
1 Prior art cited by applicant in submitted information discloser statement.
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