enpan's Patent & Linux practice: 散熱器侵權討論與分析

2014年10月14日星期二

散熱器侵權討論與分析 - Asetek v. AVC案例討論

散熱器訴訟討論

丹麥電腦散熱器廠商Asetek A/S擁有水冷技術專利US8240362（362專利）與US8245764（764專利），在2013年對幾間散熱製造商提告，被告侵權物比如Cooler Master的「Seidon 120M, 120XL,及 240M」、Coolit Systems的「ECO II and ECO III」。之後到了今年（2014年5月）也以相同專利對國內散熱產業大廠奇鋐（AVC）在美國Virginia Eastern District Court提告，認為產品「Liqmax 120、K7、K9」侵權。

特別的是，從找尋資料的過程中，發現在2007年奇鋐曾經與Asetek公司簽署過技術授權合約，奇鋐獲得Asetek技術後製作散熱器，兩個公司在當時報導是有深厚的合作關係（http://www.tornado-insider.com/press/presses.asp?pressid=9251）。

被告的奇鋐於是提出專利無效的確認之訴（declaratory），於2014年9月30日提出兩件專利的無效與不侵權主張（http://litigation.maxval-ip.com/Attachments/CM%201%2014-cv-01293_vaed.pdf），專利產業資訊室整理了其中訴訟對照：http://iknow.stpi.narl.org.tw/Post/Read.aspx?PostID=10203

奇鋐代工產品「Liqmax 120」

（照片來源：Amazon）

US8240362（362專利）
揭露一種電腦散熱系統，特別是針對CPU散熱，其中有個用以轉換熱能的水冷庫，有個接觸CPU的熱交換介面（heat exchanging interface），可使得CPU所散出的熱轉換到水冷系統中。

專利範圍Claim 1包括具有熱交換介面、水冷庫與幫浦的組合，其中描述了這些元件的交互作用，很容易瞭解：
1. A cooling system for a computer system processing unit, comprising:

an integrated element including a heat exchanging interface, a reservoir, and a pump, wherein

the reservoir is configured to receive a cooling liquid from outside the reservoir through an inlet and pass the cooling liquid to the outside through an outlet, the reservoir including an upper chamber and a lower chamber, the upper chamber and the lower chamber being vertically displaced chambers that are separated from each other by at least a horizontal wall and fluidly coupled together by a plurality of substantially circular passages, at least one of the plurality of substantially circular passages being positioned on the horizontal wall, a boundary wall of the lower chamber being formed by the heat exchanging interface;

the heat exchanging interface is adapted to provide separable thermal contact between the processing unit and the cooling liquid such that heat is dissipated from the processing unit to the cooling liquid as the cooling liquid passes through the lower chamber of the reservoir; and

the pump is adapted to direct the cooling liquid through the upper chamber and the lower chamber of the reservoir, the pump including a motor having a rotor, a stator and an impeller having a plurality of curved blades, the impeller being positioned within the reservoir;

a heat radiator spaced apart from the integrated element, the heat radiator being fluidly coupled to the outlet and the inlet of the reservoir, the heat radiator being configured to circulate the cooling liquid therethrough and exhaust heat from the cooling liquid; and

a fan configured to direct air through the heat radiator, the fan being driven by a motor separate from the motor of the pump.

US8245764（764專利）
揭露一種電腦水冷系統，發明與362專利接近。

權利範圍Claim 1強調了一個雙面的底架（chassis），裝載了循環水的幫浦（pump），幫浦的推動器（impeller）載於底架的上方，而推動器的定片（stator）載於底架上方而與冷水區隔。
1. A cooling system for a heat-generating component, comprising:

a double-sided chassis adapted to mount a pump configured to circulate a cooling liquid, the pump comprising a stator and an impeller, the impeller being positioned on the underside of the chassis and the stator being positioned on the upper side of the chassis and isolated from the cooling liquid;

a reservoir adapted to pass the cooling liquid therethrough, the reservoir including:

a pump chamber including the impeller and formed below the chassis, the pump chamber being defined by at least an impeller cover having one or more passages for the cooling liquid to pass through;

a thermal exchange chamber formed below the pump chamber and vertically spaced apart from the pump chamber, the pump chamber and the thermal exchange chamber being separate chambers that are fluidly coupled together by the one or more passages; and

a heat-exchanging interface, the heat-exchanging interface forming a boundary wall of the thermal exchange chamber, and configured to be placed in thermal contact with a surface of the heat-generating component; and

a heat radiator fluidly coupled to the reservoir and configured to dissipate heat from the cooling liquid.

分析：
362專利所界定的水冷系統中，主要元件為「heat exchanging interface」、「reservoir」與「pump」的組合，其中冷水庫有上腔與下腔，裝載出入口流動的冷卻液，熱交換介面與CPU接觸，透過熱交換介面與CPU散的熱進行熱交換；幫浦有轉子、定片與推動器，推動器有幾個葉片，至於冷水庫內，幫浦帶動冷卻液，將冷卻液帶動於上腔與下腔之間。外部有散熱片（heat radiator，11）與風扇（10），這一部分就是一般冷卻風扇。