US 9482632

US Patent 9482632, titled "Abnormality detection device," was filed on September 4, 2013, and issued on November 1, 2016. [cite: The full patent text confirms these dates] The sole inventor listed is Jun Yokoyama. [cite: The full patent text confirms this] The original assignee was NEC Corp, with ownership subsequently transferring through NEC Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. and IP WAVE PTE LTD. The current assignee is Cloud Byte LLC, as of a June 27, 2024 assignment. [cite: The full patent text confirms this]

Abstract:
The patent describes an abnormality detection device that uses an estimating unit to determine an upper limit of possible temperatures in a specific location of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) equipment. This estimation is based on the ICT equipment's operational status (detected by an operational status detecting unit) and the intake air temperature (detected by an intake-air temperature sensor), assuming an appropriate quantity of intake air. A determining unit then detects an abnormality if the actual temperature sensed at that predetermined position exceeds the estimated upper limit. [cite: The full patent text confirms this]

Independent Claims Overview:

• Claim 1 (Abnormality Detection Device): This claim defines an abnormality detection device for ICT equipment that includes a cooling fan. The device incorporates a hardware processor with two main components:

  1. An estimating unit that calculates an upper limit for expected temperatures at a specific point within the ICT equipment, assuming optimal air intake. This calculation is based on the detected operational status of the equipment and the temperature of the intake air, both of which also influence the cooling fan's rotation speed.
  2. A determining unit that identifies an abnormality if the actual temperature detected at that specific point goes beyond the upper limit estimated by the estimating unit. [cite: The full patent text confirms this]

• Claim 8 (Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Equipment): This claim describes the ICT equipment itself, which contains a cooling fan and incorporates the abnormality detection functionality. It comprises:

  1. An operational status detecting unit to monitor the equipment's operational state.
  2. An intake-air temperature sensor to measure the temperature of the air entering the equipment.
  3. An equipment temperature sensor to detect the temperature at a specific internal location.
  4. A hardware processor that includes another operational status detecting unit (reiterated in the claim), an estimating unit, and a determining unit. The estimating unit determines an upper limit for expected temperatures at a specific internal location, considering appropriate air intake, based on the detected operational status and intake air temperature (which also influences the cooling fan's rotation speed). The determining unit flags an abnormality if the actual temperature from the equipment temperature sensor exceeds this estimated upper limit. [cite: The full patent text confirms this]

• Claim 9 (Abnormality Detection Method): This claim outlines a method for detecting abnormalities in ICT equipment with a cooling fan. The method involves:

  1. Detecting both the operational status and the intake air temperature of the ICT equipment.
  2. Using an estimating unit to calculate an upper limit of possible temperatures at a specific location within the equipment, assuming adequate air intake, based on the detected operational status and intake air temperature.
  3. Determining the rotation speed of the cooling fan based on the detected operational status and intake air temperature.
  4. Using a determining unit to identify an abnormality if the actual temperature detected at the specific location surpasses the estimated upper limit. [cite: The full patent text confirms this]

CAFC 2026 Dockets:
As of April 26, 2026, there are no explicit dockets found for US patent 9482632 in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) for the year 2026 in the provided search results. While the patent has been involved in PTAB and District Court litigation (including one case filed in the Eastern District of Texas in 2026: 2:26-cv-00150, and another in 2024: 2:24-cv-00637), this does not indicate an active CAFC docket in 2026 based on the provided information.