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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The IDS filed on 05/23/2025; 07/22/2025; and 03/04/2026 have been considered and made of record.
Oath/Declaration
The oath/declaration filed on 05/23/2025 is acceptable.
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 1-4, 7, 13-15 and 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hood, III et al., [US 6,058,009].
Regarding claim 1, Hood, III et al., disclose a portable electronic device (10, figures 1-2) comprising:
a housing (12, figures 1-2) partitioned into a component enclosure portion (12, figures 1-2) and a module bay portion (40, figures 1-2), the housing comprising a border (a periphery of the bottom housing 12, figures 1-2) surrounding the component enclosure portion and the module bay portion;
a heat-generating component (16, figures 1-2) disposed within the component enclosure portion of the housing; and
a heat-dissipation arrangement (30, figures 1-2) disposed within the component enclosure portion of the housing, the heat-dissipation arrangement comprising a thermal transfer body (30, figures 1-2) in thermal contact with the heat-generating component,
a primary thermal conveyance duct (32, figures 1-2) extending from the thermal transfer body with a portion of the primary thermal conveyance duct running alongside an edge (an alongside hinge, figures 1-2) of the component enclosure portion away from the module bay portion, wherein the housing comprises at least one primary air vent (36, figures 1-2) along a first segment of the border of the housing (an alongside hinge, figures 1-2) corresponding to said edge of the component enclosure portion, and
an auxiliary thermal conveyance duct (48, figures 1-2) extending from the thermal transfer body with a portion of the auxiliary thermal conveyance duct lining a section of the component enclosure portion bordering a first edge of the module bay portion (a right side of a module housing 42, figures 1-2),
wherein the housing comprises an auxiliary air vent (38, figures 1-2) along a second segment of the border of the housing (a right side wall of the bottom housing 12, figures 1-2) corresponding to an edge of the section of the component enclosure portion opposite the first edge of the module bay portion in a manner such that the portion of the auxiliary thermal conveyance duct lies between the first edge of the module bay portion and the auxiliary air vent along the second segment of the border of the housing (the right side wall of the module housing 42 is parallel to the right side of the bottom enclosure 12, figures 1-2).
Regarding claim 2, Hood, III et al., disclose wherein the first segment of the border comprises a portion of a first side wall of the housing that is opposite the module bay portion (figures 1-2).
Regarding claim 3, Hood, III et al., further disclose wherein the second segment of the border comprises a portion of a second side wall of the housing (a right side wall of the bottom housing 12, figure 1-2) that is substantially perpendicular to the first side wall (the hinge side, figures 1-2); and wherein the auxiliary air vent (38, figures 1-2) is along a distal end region of the portion of the second side wall with respect to the first side wall (the hinge side wall, figures 1-2).
Regarding claim 4, (Original) The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising: at least one primary fan unit (46, figures 1-2) disposed within the component enclosure portion, wherein the housing further comprises at least one primary air inlet port (38, figures 1-2) at the component enclosure portion; wherein the primary fan unit is disposed in a manner so as to be capable of drawing in air via the at least one primary air inlet port and directing the air toward the at least one primary air vent (36, figures 1-2); and wherein the portion of the primary thermal conveyance duct (32, figures 1-2) lies between the at least one primary fan unit (46, figures 1-2) and the at least one primary air vent (36, figures 1-2).
Regarding claim 7, Hood, III et al., further disclose wherein the housing further comprises at least one opening fluidly (12a, or 42, figures 1-2) connecting an interior space of the component enclosure portion and a receptacle space (40, figures 1-2) of the module bay portion.
Regarding claim 13, Hood, III et al., disclose a portable electronic device (10, figures 1-2) comprising:
a housing (12, figures 1-2) partitioned into a component enclosure portion (12, figures 1-2) for housing an electronic component (a plurality of electronic components disposed within the housing, figures 1-2) and a module bay portion (40, figures 1-2) configured to removably receive a module (42, figures 1-2), the housing comprising a border (a periphery of the bottom housing 12, figures 1-2) surrounding the component enclosure portion and the module bay portion (40, figures 1-2),
wherein the housing comprises at least one air vent (36, figures 1-2) along a segment of the border of the housing (an alongside hinge, figures 1-2) corresponding to an edge of the component enclosure portion opposite an edge of the module bay portion,
wherein the housing comprises a partitioning formation (a boundary space is between the bay module 40 and other components within the base housing, figures 1-2) serving as a boundary between the component enclosure portion and the module bay portion, wherein the housing comprises a plurality of openings (42a/12a, figures 1-2) at the partitioning formation for air transfer between the component enclosure portion and the module bay portion, wherein at least one of the pluralities of the openings is aligned with the at least one air vent (figures 1-2); and
a power connection arrangement (52, figures 1-2) at the partitioning formation, wherein the power connection arrangement is connectable to the module for power transfer between the electronic component in the component enclosure portion and the module when the module is removably received in the module bay portion (figures 1-2).
Regarding claim 14, Hood, III et al., further disclose wherein the module comprises a power source module (44, figures 1-2) or a fan carriage module (fan case enclosed a fan 46, figures 1-2), wherein the power source module and the fan carriage module is interchangeable with one another such that either may be removably received in the module bay portion at any one time, and wherein the power connection arrangement is configured to be connectable to the power source module when the power source module is removably received in the module bay portion and connectable to the fan carriage module when the fan carriage module is removably received in the module bay portion (figure 1).
Regarding claim 15, Hood, III et al., further disclose the power source module (44, figures 1-2) removably received in the module bay portion, wherein, with the power source module fitted in the module bay portion, the power source module is configured to supply power to the electronic component in the component enclosure portion via the power connection arrangement (52, figures 1-2).
Regarding claim 18, Hood, III et al., disclose wherein the first sub-set of the plurality of the openings (38, figures 1-2) are at a first segment of the partitioning formation (a right side of the bay portion 40, figures 1-2) and a second sub-set of the plurality of the openings (42a, figures 1-2) are at a second segment of the partitioning formation (a front face of the bay portion, figures 1-2) that is adjacent to the first segment; and wherein the first segment and the second segment of the partitioning formation are non-parallel to each other (the first segment is perpendicular to the second segment of the partitioning formation 40, figures 1-2).
Regarding claim 19, Hood, III et al., further disclose wherein the first segment and the second segment of the partitioning formation are substantially perpendicular to each other (figures 1-2).
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 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hood, III et al., in view of Honge et al. [US 2006/0002081].
Regarding claim 5, Hood, III et al., disclose the claimed invention except for wherein the at least one primary air inlet port is at a segment of a base of the housing.
Hongo et al., disclose a portable computer (figures 1-6) comprising a base housing (4, figure 6), wherein a segment of the base housing includes a plurality of air inlet ports (5, figure 6).
It would have been to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to set a primary air inlet on a base of the housing of electronic device of Hood, III et al., as suggested by Hongo et al., in order to provide a maximize cooling efficiency from the bottom base of the device housing.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6, 8-12, 16-17 and 20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The claim 6 discloses the combination features of “wherein the heat-dissipation arrangement further comprises a further auxiliary thermal conveyance duct extending from the thermal transfer body with a portion of the further auxiliary thermal conveyance duct lining a further section of the component enclosure portion bordering a second edge of the module bay portion that is opposite the first edge of the module bay portion, wherein the module bay portion is interposed between the section and the further section of the component enclosure portion, wherein the housing further comprises a further auxiliary air vent along a third segment of the border of the housing corresponding to an edge of the further section of the component enclosure portion opposite the second edge of the module bay portion in a manner such that the portion of the further auxiliary thermal conveyance duct lies between the second edge of the module bay portion and the further auxiliary air vent along the third segment of the border of the housing.” These features, in conjunction with other features, as claimed in the claim 1, were neither found to be disclosed, nor suggested by the prior art of records.
The claim 8 discloses the combination features of “wherein the housing comprises a plurality of the openings; wherein a first sub-set of the plurality of the openings is along the first edge of the module bay portion opposite the auxiliary air vent; and wherein a second sub-set of the plurality of the openings is along an edge of the module bay portion that is substantially perpendicular to the first edge of the module bay portion.” These features, in conjunction with other features, as claimed in the combination features of the claims 7 and 1, were neither found to be disclosed, nor suggested by the prior art of records. Claims 9-12 depend on the allowed claim 8.
The claim 16 discloses the combination features of “the fan carriage module removably received in the module bay portion, wherein the fan carriage module comprises a plurality of fan units housed within a casing of the fan carriage module; wherein the fan carriage module comprises at least one module-carriage-primary-aperture and at least one module-carriage-secondary-aperture in the casing; wherein, with the fan carriage module fitted in the module bay portion, (i) the at least one module-carriage-primary-aperture of the fan carriage module is aligned with one or more of the plurality of the openings of the housing and (ii) the plurality of fan units of the fan carriage module are capable of drawing air via the at least one module-carriage-secondary-aperture of the casing of the fan carriage module and directing the air through the at least one module-carriage-primary-aperture of the fan carriage module and the one or more of the plurality of the openings of the housing into the component enclosure portion of the housing; wherein, with the fan carriage module fitted in the module bay portion, the fan carriage module is configured to draw power from the electronic component in the component enclosure portion via the power connection arrangement.” These features, in conjunction with other features, as claimed in the combination features of the claims 14 and 13, were neither found to be disclosed, nor suggested by the prior art of records. Claim 17 depends on the allowed claim 16.
The claim 20 discloses the combination features of “wherein a third sub-set of the plurality of the openings are at a third segment of the partitioning formation adjacent to the second segment of the partitioning formation such that the second segment lies between the first segment and the third segment of the partitioning formation; wherein the first segment and the third segment of the partitioning formation are substantially parallel with each other.” These features, in conjunction with other features, as claimed in the combination features of the claims 18 and 13, were neither found to be disclosed, nor suggested by the prior art of records.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Hood, III et al. [US 6,038,128] disclose computer and computer/docking assembly;
Beitelmal et al. [US 6,525,936] disclose air jet cooling arrangement for electronic system; and
Takamatsu et al. [US 2004/0042171] disclose electronic apparatus.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Hung S. Bui whose telephone number is (571)272-2102. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 8am-5pm.
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, Allen L. Parker can be reached on (303) 297-4722. 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.
/HUNG S. BUI/Primary Patent Examiner, 2841/2800
