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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-21 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. Claims 1 and 15 recite the opened side of the second space comprises a rear side of the mobile electronic device. The Specification fails to support this limitation. According to the Specification, the opened side of the second space (Specification Fig. 13 Item 23) is covered by a sealing member (Specification Fig. 13 Item 27)
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.
Claims 1-3 and 18-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tashiro (JP 2014011742) in view of Kang (US 20130288104).
In regards to claim 1, Tashiro discloses a mobile electronic device (Tashiro Fig. 1, 2 Item 1) comprising:
a first component (Tashiro Fig. 1 Item 7);
a second component (Tashiro Fig. 1, 2 Item 9);
a first space arranged to accommodate the first component (Tashiro Fig. 1 Item 7 note: this reads on space around item 7);
a second space (Tashiro Fig. 1 Item 12) arranged adjacent to the first space to accommodate the second component and communicate with outside of the mobile electronic device in a first direction (Tashiro Fig. 1, 2, 4), and having a side opened in a second direction (Tashiro Fig. 1 the item 18 side) perpendicular to the first direction;
a housing (Tashiro Fig. 1 Item 4) comprising an isolation part (Tashiro Fig. 1 Item 11) for isolating the first space and the second space; and
a sealing member (Tashiro Fig. 1 Item 18) arranged on the opened side of the second space,
Tashiro fails to teach the isolation part comprises a first isolation part formed of a metal material and a second isolation part coupled to the first isolation part and formed of an injection material. However, Kang discloses the isolation part comprises a first isolation part formed of a metal material (Kang Fig. Item 20B paragraph 0009) and a second isolation part coupled to the first isolation part and formed of an injection material (Kang Fig. Item 20A or 20C paragraph 0009). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use Kang’s layers in Tashiro’s device for supporting different device shapes (Kang paragraph 0012, 0013).
In regards to claim 2, Tashiro in view of Kang discloses a mobile electronic device as described above. Tashiro in view of Kang further discloses the second isolation part is arranged in the second space formed by an internal frame (Tashiro Fig. 1 Item 11, 12 note: the isolation part 11 and the space 12 are internal).
In regards to claim 3, Tashiro in view of Kang discloses a mobile electronic device as described above. Tashiro in view of Kang further discloses the second isolation part is formed to be bent and extended to a bottom of the second space ((Tashiro Fig. 1 Item 11, 12 note: this reads on the bottom portion of item 11 near item 14a).
In regards to claim 18, Tashiro in view of Kang discloses a mobile electronic device as described above. Tashiro in view of Kang further discloses the second component is accommodated by the second space, the second component is removable from the second space in the first direction (Tashiro Fig. 1, 4 note: Item 4 appears to be removable).
In regards to claim 19, Tashiro in view of Kang discloses a mobile electronic device as described above. Tashiro in view of Kang further discloses the second component is insertable into the second space in a third direction that is opposite the first direction so as to be accommodated by the second space (Tashiro Fig. 2 note: this reads on direction opposite to item 10).
In regards to claim 20, Tashiro in view of Kang discloses a mobile electronic device as described above. Tashiro in view of Kang further discloses the second isolation part is formed to accommodate a shape of the second component (Tashiro Fig. 1,2 and 4).
In regards to claim 21, Tashiro in view of Kang discloses a mobile electronic device as described above. Tashiro in view of Kang further discloses a surface area of the first isolation part coupled to the second isolation part is increased by performance of a surface treatment (Kang paragraph 0009, 0020).
Claims 4, 5, 7-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tashiro in view of Kang as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Choi (KR 20190054384).
In regards to claim 4, Tashiro in view of Kang discloses a mobile electronic device as described above. Tashiro in view of Kang fails to teach the housing comprises: an internal frame formed of the metal material to form the first space and the second space; and a support frame formed of the injection material to support the internal frame. However, Choi discloses an internal frame formed of the metal material to form the first space and the second space; and a support frame formed of the injection material to support the internal frame (Choi Fig. 8 paragraph 0073). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use Choi’s frame in Tashiro in view of Kang’s device for improving appearance and durability (Choi paragraph 0004).
In regards to claim 5, Tashiro in view of Kang discloses a mobile electronic device as described above. Tashiro in view of Kang further discloses the metal material comprises a first metal material, and wherein the housing further comprises an external frame coupled to the internal frame to form an appearance of the mobile electronic device, and formed of a second metal material different from the first metal material (Choi paragraph 0034, 37).
In regards to claim 7, Tashiro in view of Kang discloses a mobile electronic device as described above. Tashiro in view of Kang further discloses the first metal material comprises at least one of aluminum (Al) (Choi paragraph 0064), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) or an alloy thereof, and wherein the second metal material comprises at least one of Al, stainless steel (SUS), titanium (Ti), Mg or an alloy (Choi paragraph 0064) thereof.
In regards to claim 8, Tashiro in view of Kang and Choi discloses a mobile electronic device as described above. Tashiro in view of Kang and Choi further discloses the injection material comprises a thermoplastic resin and an inorganic substance (Choi paragraph 0055).
In regards to claim 9, Tashiro in view of Kang and Choi discloses a mobile electronic device as described above. Tashiro in view of Kang and Choi further discloses the external frame comprises a passageway part arranged to connect the second space with the outside of the mobile electronic device (Tashiro Fig. 5, 6 note: item 12 is connected to the outside of the mobile electronic device).
In regards to claim 10, Tashiro in view of Kang and Choi discloses a mobile electronic device as described above. Tashiro in view of Kang and Choi further discloses the support frame (Choi Fig. 2 item 290) is interposed between the internal frame (Choi Fig. 2 item 210B) and the external frame (Choi Fig. 2 item 210B).
In regards to claim 11, Tashiro in view of Kang and Choi discloses a mobile electronic device as described above. Tashiro in view of Kang and Choi further discloses the housing further comprises a waterproof tape attached between the internal frame and the external frame (Tashiro paragraph 0025).
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tashiro in view of Kang as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Kang (US 20170083121 short Kang 121).
In regards to claim 12, Tashiro in view of Kang discloses a mobile electronic device as described above. Tashiro further discloses the first component comprises a battery (Tashiro Fig. 1 item 6), Tashiro in view of Kang fails to teach the second component comprises an input pen, and wherein the second space comprises a pen accommodation part configured to accommodate the input pen. However, Kang 121 discloses the first component comprises a battery, wherein the second component comprises an input pen, and wherein the second space comprises a pen accommodation part configured to accommodate the input pen (Kang 121 Abstract Fig. 1-3). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use Kang’s pen in Tashiro in view of Kang’s device for waterproofing an input pen (Kang 121 abstract)
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tashiro in view of Kang as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Evans (US 20170126937).
In regards to claim 13, Tashiro in view of Kang discloses a mobile electronic device as described above. Tashiro in view of Kang fails to teach the second component comprises at least one of a side key, a fingerprint recognition key, or a slide camera. However, Evans discloses the second component comprises at least one of a side key, a fingerprint recognition key, or a slide camera (Evans Fig. 1 paragraph 0018). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use Evans’ camera in Tashiro in view of Kang’s device for maximizing the size of the display area associated with the mobile device by various camera placements (Evans paragraph 0004).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6 and 14 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.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/HSINCHUN LIAO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2641