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
Drawings
1. The drawings are objected to because
a. The drawings are not clear.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
2. 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.
Claim 4 is 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Regarding Claim 4, it is not clear if the cooling water circulation pump has one inlet that is in communication with the air cooled heat exchanger and the closed cooling tower, or the claim requires two different and separate cooling water circulation pump, for examining purposes, Examiner asserts that the claim requires two pumps.
Regarding claim 4, it is not clear if the IT equipment cooling section has two outlet that communicates with the inlet of the closed cooling tower and the inlet of the air cooled heat exchanger or just one outlet, For examining purposes Examiner asserts that the IT equipment cooling section has two separate outlets.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 5-9 depends on claim 4, therefore rejected for the same reason.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
3. In the event that 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 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.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Slessman et al. US2016/0324036.
Per claim 1 Slessman et al. teaches a container liquid-cooled data center (see fig.3-4; “Title”), comprising a power transformation and distribution and fire control section (312, see fig.3-4; [0040], [0123]), an IT equipment cooling section (412, see fig.4), and a cooling device section ([0126], “the top portion including 342”); the power transformation and distribution and fire control section is configured to supply power to the IT equipment cooling section and the cooling device section ([0126]-[0127]); the IT equipment cooling section is connected to the cooling device section through a pipeline ([0033]); and the cooling device section is configured to collect heat generated by the IT equipment cooling section and dissipate the heat to outside, thereby forming a cooling cycle ([0041], [0079]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. In the event that 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 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.
Claim(s) 2-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Slessman et al. US2016/0324036 in view of Campbell et al. US20120024501.
Per claim 2 Slessman et al. teaches the container liquid-cooled data center according to claim 1,
Slessman et al. does not explicitly teach wherein the IT equipment cooling section comprises a plurality of server cluster chassis, each of the plurality of server cluster chassis is internally provided with a cooling liquid circulation system comprising a cooling liquid heat exchange distribution unit and a pipeline, an inlet of the cooling liquid heat exchange distribution unit is communicated with the server cluster chassis through the pipeline, and an outlet of the cooling liquid heat exchange distribution unit is communicated with the cooling device section through the pipeline.
Campbell et al. however discloses wherein the IT equipment cooling section comprises a plurality of server cluster chassis (see fig.7; [0051], “one or more”), each of the plurality of server cluster chassis is internally provided with a cooling liquid circulation system (737, see fig.7) comprising a cooling liquid heat exchange distribution unit (745, 750, 752 & 760, see fig.7; [0052]) and a pipeline, an inlet of the cooling liquid heat exchange distribution unit is communicated with the server cluster chassis through the pipeline (see fig.7), and an outlet of the cooling liquid heat exchange distribution unit is communicated with a cooling device section (see fig.7, “floor section”) through the pipeline (see fig.7).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have a liquid circulation system as taught by Campbell et al. in the container liquid cooled data center of Slessman et al., because it enables effective cooling of the servers, thus ensuring proper heat dissipation and cooling of the Data center.
Per claim 3 Slessman et al. in view of Campbell et al. teaches the container liquid-cooled data center according to claim 2, wherein the cooling liquid heat exchange distribution unit (745, 750, 752 & 760) comprises a cooling liquid heat exchanger (752), a cooling liquid circulation pump (744), a cooling liquid supply pipeline, and a cooling liquid return pipeline (see fig.7); an end of the cooling liquid return pipeline is communicated with the server cluster chassis, and other end of the cooling liquid return pipeline is communicated with an inlet of the cooling liquid heat exchanger (see fig.7); an inlet of the cooling liquid circulation pump is communicated with an outlet of the cooling liquid heat exchanger (see fig.7), and an outlet of the cooling liquid circulation pump is communicated with an end of the cooling liquid supply pipeline; and other end of the cooling liquid supply pipeline is communicated with the server cluster chassis (see fig.7).
Allowable Subject matter
5. Claims 4-9 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 4, includes allowable subject matter because of the container liquid-cooled data center according to claim 1, wherein the cooling device section comprises a closed cooling tower, an air-cooled heat exchanger, and a cooling water circulation pump; the closed cooling tower is a plate-type cross-flow structure, a water inlet of the closed cooling tower is communicated with a water outlet of the IT equipment cooling section, and a water outlet of the closed cooling tower is communicated with an inlet of the cooling water circulation pump; a water inlet of the air-cooled heat exchanger is communicated with the water outlet of the IT equipment cooling section, and a water outlet of the air-cooled heat exchanger is communicated with the inlet of the cooling water circulation pump; and an outlet of the cooling water circulation pump is communicated with a water inlet of the IT equipment cooling section.
Claims 5-9, depends on claim 4 therefore allowable for the same reason.
Email Communication
6. Applicant is encouraged to authorize the Examiner to communicate via email by filing form PTO/SB/439 either via USPS, Central Fax, or EFS-Web. See MPEP 502.01, 502, 502.05.
Conclusion
7. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Phillips US9247659 discloses a datacenter comprising: a slab comprising a floor of the datacenter; one or more heat-generating electronic components disposed above the slab; an air conditioning system comprising: an air inlet, an evaporative cooling system downstream of and in fluid communication with the air inlet, and an air outlet directing air over the one or more heat-generating electronic component.
Prieur US2012/0073840 discloses a fire suppression control system.
Applicants are directed to consider additional pertinent prior are included on the Notice of References Cited (PTOL 892) attached herewith. The Examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record within the body of this action 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. Applicant, in preparing the response, should consider fully the entire reference 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL A MATEY whose telephone number is (571)270-5648. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8-5 EST.
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 5712723740. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL A MATEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
