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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention II (Claims 11-19) and Species III (Fig. 3) in the reply filed on 4/2/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim Objections
Claim 11 is objected to because of the following informalities: claim 11 recites, “a power center configured to convert an input alternating current (AC) voltage… comprising: a tap off box configured to receive the input AC voltage…; an AC converter configured to receive the input AC voltage… and convert the input AC voltage into the output DC voltage”. Said recitation may cause confusion based upon the claim construction as it appears as though the claim scope is first recited in its entirety under the power center configured to recitation, and then further broken-down component by component. The examiner believes the claim would be more properly construed if rewritten as, “… a power center comprising: a tap off box configured to receive an input AC voltage from a first busway; an AC converter configured to receive the input AC voltage from the tap off box and convert the input AC voltage into the output DC voltage…”. Furthermore, the claim also recites, “a battery configured to: to storage…”. This appears to be a minor grammatical error, as said claim should read as, “a battery configured to: store the output…”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 13 is objected to because of the following informalities: claim 13 recites, “… the plurality servers…”. The examiner believes this is a minor typographical error and should read as, “the plurality of servers” (emphasis added). Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 19 is objected to because of the following informalities: claim 19 recites, “… the plurality of servers of the power center fails” (emphasis added). The examiner believes this is a minor typographical error and should read as, “the plurality of servers if the power center fails” (emphasis added). Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 11-13, 15-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Baldwin et al. (U.S. Patent Publication Number 2011/0148213) in view of Clerc et al. (U.S. Patent Publication Number 2025/0287547).
Regarding Claim 11:
Baldwin et al. discloses a power system (Fig. 1, power distribution system 100) comprising: a power center (Fig. 1, distribution panels 102, plurality of rectifiers 104, energy storage systems 108, servers, and their related discussion; see, at least, paragraph 0033) configured to convert an input alternating current (AC) voltage to an output direct current (DC) voltage (plurality of rectifiers 104 carrying out said functionality associated with the power center as discussed within paragraph 0033) comprising: a distribution panel configured to receive the input AC voltage from a first busway (Fig. 1, distribution panels 102 receiving AC input as shown, and their related discussion); an AC converter configured to receive the input AC voltage from the distribution panel and convert the input AC voltage into the output DC voltage (Fig. 1, distribution panels 102, plurality of rectifiers 104, and their related discussion; see, at least, paragraph 0033 which discloses the rectifiers 104 receive the input AC voltage from the distribution panels to convert the AC voltage into 250 volts DC to 600 volts DC); and a battery (Fig. 1, energy storage systems 108 and their related discussion) configured to: to store the output DC voltage (Fig. 1, energy storage systems 108 and their related discussion; see, at least, paragraph 0033 which discloses the energy storage systems 108 are connected to collector busses 106 for provision of the output DC voltage by rectifiers 104. See also paragraph 0043 which further highlights the energy storage systems 108 being utilized for bi-directional stabilization of the DC power pathway); and release an output DC voltage to a plurality of servers (Fig. 1, energy storage systems 108, collector busses 106, servers, and their related discussion; see, at least, paragraph 0033 which discloses the energy storage systems 108 may provide DC power to the collector busses 106, which is then fed to servers, or various downstream circuitry, through distribution bus 110). While Baldwin discloses a distribution panel, Baldwin fails to teach a tap off box.
However, Clerc et al. discloses a tap off box configured to receive the input AC voltage from a first busway (Fig. 2, tap-off boxes 208 and their related discussion; see, at least, Abstract, paragraphs 0001-0005, 0035, etc. which disclose one or more tap-off boxes 208 connected to the respective bus bars to receive power from the high-power conductors of the associated bus bars). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Baldwin to utilize a tap-off box for receiving and outputting an input AC voltage, as taught within Clerc, to facilitate efficient power distribution along various points within a power distribution system without interrupting the main power line.
Regarding Claim 12:
Modified Baldwin teaches the limitations of the preceding claim 11. Modified Baldwin, in further view of Baldwin, discloses wherein the input AC voltage is equal to or less than 600 V (see, at least, paragraph 0033 which discloses the input AC voltage is approximately 277 to 480 volts).
Regarding Claim 13:
Modified Baldwin teaches the limitations of the preceding claim 11. Modified Baldwin, in further view of Baldwin, discloses wherein the plurality of servers are powered by the output DC voltage from the battery without an intermediate DC to AC conversion step (see, at least, paragraph 0033 which discloses the DC power output from energy storage systems 108 is provided to collector busses 106 and further fed to distribution bus 110 to feed power “directly to servers”).
Regarding Claim 15:
Modified Baldwin teaches the limitations of the preceding claim 11. While Baldwin discloses feeding power to various equipment, Modified Baldwin fails to teach wherein the power center delivers power to a cooling distribution unit.
However, Clerc discloses wherein the power center delivers power to a cooling distribution unit (Fig. 2, barrels with cooling fluid immersion system 250, and their related discussion; see, at least, paragraphs 0028-0035, etc. which disclose the utilization of a cooling distribution unit, read on by the cooling fluid immersion system 250, as well as the tap-off boxes 208 being connected to the respective equipment with requisite cabling such as cables 214 as shown). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Modified Baldwin to incorporate a cooling distribution unit, as taught within Clerc, so as to operate the respective data center in a proper manner, as the incorporation of cooling units within data centers play a critical role in maintaining optimal operating conditions for servers and network equipment by managing temperature, humidity, etc. thereby improving overall efficiency, performance, and reliability.
Regarding Claim 16:
Modified Baldwin teaches the limitations of the preceding claim 15. The cooling system of Clerc is shown as being powered via power cables 210, via a power source. Such data center cooling systems are conventionally powered by AC facility power, as would have been understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. However, Baldwin teaches distributing DC power via a DC bus to downstream components. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to power the cooling system using the DC bus Baldwin as an alternative to conventional AC power, since DC power distribution in data centers is known to provide efficiency and integration advantages. Accordingly, the cooling system would have been capable of being powered by either AC or DC power depending on system design considerations. Furthermore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to deliver AC voltage as providing either AC voltage or DC voltage to a respective load would have been obvious to try as there is a finite number of voltages capable of being provided (AC or DC) both yielding predictable results. Stated another way, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that electrical loads in data center environments, including cooling systems, may be powered using a limited number of well-known power distribution schemes, including AC power and DC power. These approaches were both well understood in the art and represent a finite set of identified, predictable solutions for delivering electrical power to such loads. Supplying power from an AC or DC source would have been obvious to try and would have yielded predictable results.
Regarding Claim 17:
Modified Baldwin teaches the limitations of the preceding claim 15. Modified Baldwin, in further view of Baldwin, discloses wherein the power comprises a DC voltage (see, at least, paragraph 0033 which discloses DC power from the distribution bus 110 is delivered to equipment attached. That is, the respective cooling distribution unit, as taught within Clerc, would be receiving DC power from the distribution bus 110, as a downstream component).
Regarding Claim 18:
Modified Baldwin teaches the limitations of the preceding claim 13. Modified Baldwin, in further view of Baldwin, discloses comprising the first busway (Fig. 1, busway provided into distribution panels 102/tap-off boxes 208 of Clerc, and their related discussion).
Regarding Claim 19:
Modified Baldwin teaches the limitations of the preceding claim 13. Modified Baldwin, in further view of Baldwin, discloses further comprising a backup power center electrically couplable to the plurality of servers (Fig. 1, second iteration of distribution panels 102, plurality of rectifiers 104, energy storage systems 108 as shown, and their related discussion), wherein the backup power center supplies a backup voltage to the plurality of servers if the power center fails (Fig. 1, second iteration of distribution panels 102, plurality of rectifiers 104, energy storage systems 108 as shown, and their related discussion; the second iteration capable of supplying voltage to the respective busway 116 to be delivered to the servers or downstream components as necessary, thereby enabling a redundant power system architecture, as further highlighted within Fig. 2 and discussed throughout the application).
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Baldwin et al. (U.S. Patent Publication Number 2011/0148213) in view of Clerc et al. (U.S. Patent Publication Number 2025/0287547) and in further view of Liu et al. (U.S. Patent Publication 2022/0368219).
Regarding Claim 14:
Modified Baldwin teaches the limitations of the preceding claim 11. Modified Baldwin fails to teach wherein the AC converter comprises a solid-state transformer.
However, Liu et al. discloses the AC converter comprises a solid-state transformer (Fig. 6, power module 100-1 comprising cells 10 which form an SST, and its related discussion; see, at least, paragraphs 0003-0004, 0053-0054, etc. which disclose it is well-known in the art for an AC converter to comprise an SST, which are commonly used as a one-way power system for data centers.). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Modified Baldwin to realize the AC converter as comprising a solid-state transformer, as taught within Liu, as the utilization of a solid-state transformer provides a small volume and light weight as well as facilitating a one-way power system (see, at least, paragraphs 0003-0004).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSEPH N INGE whose telephone number is (571)270-7705. The examiner can normally be reached 10:00-4:00 EST.
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/JOSEPH N INGE/ Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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