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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1-10, 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yang et al. (USPN 2016/0166161-Cited by the Applicant).
Regarding claim 1, Yang et al. discloses a smart ring manufacturing method comprising: an outer cover unit processing process of processing and manufacturing an outer cover unit having a ring shape of a smart ring and accommodating a sensor/communication module (figure 1); a sensor/communication module manufacturing process of manufacturing the sensor/communication module including a sensor module for sensing a biological signal of a smart ring user ([0009], [0033]); an outer cover unit and sensor/communication module assembly manufacturing process of forming a ring-shaped outer cover unit and sensor/communication module assembly by accommodating the sensor/communication module in a ring- shaped inside of the outer cover unit (figure 1, [0009], [0033]); an inner molded unit processing process of creating an inner molded unit having a hole of a predetermined shape, into which a smart ring user's finger is inserted, inside the ring-shaped outer cover unit and sensor/communication module assembly (figure 1); a sensing window forming process of forming a sensing window, which is an area that passes a signal or light needed for the sensor module to sense biological signals of the smart ring user, on an inner surface of the inner molded unit, wherein in the inner molded unit processing process, the inner molded unit is created by filling a molding member in an entire inner area of the ring-shaped assembly, and cutting a hole of a predetermined shape at a center of the filled molding member ([0019], [0026]).
Regarding claim 2, Yang et al. discloses the molding member of the inner molded unit is a thermosetting plastic of a transparent material ([0029]).
Regarding claim 3, Yang et al. discloses in the outer cover unit processing process, the outer cover unit is processed to include: an outer cover body having a ring shape; an upper flange provided on a top of the outer cover body; and a lower flange provided on a bottom of the outer cover body, and a ring-shaped accommodation space surrounded by inner surfaces of the outer cover body, the upper flange, and the lower flange is formed ([0019], [0026]).
Regarding claim 4, Yang et al. discloses in the sensor/communication module manufacturing process, the sensor/communication module is manufactured in a ring shape that can be accommodated in correspondence to the ring-shaped accommodation space by combining components of the sensor/communication module ([0019]-[0021]).
Regarding claim 5, Yang et al. discloses the inner molded unit processing process includes: a molding member injection/curing process of injecting and curing the molding member in the entire inner area of the ring- shaped assembly of the outer cover unit and the sensor/communication module and removing the molding device; a horizontal cutting process of cutting a molding member protrusion unit protruding from at least one among top and bottom surfaces of the ring-shaped assembly of the sensor/communication module filled with the cured molding member in the entire inner area; and a vertical cutting process of processing a hole of a predetermined shape at a center of the molding member filled in the ring-shaped assembly of the sensor/communication module filled with the molding member in the entire inner area without having a protrusion. See ([0019]-[0021])
Regarding claim 6, Yang et al. discloses a rounding unit processing process of forming a rounding unit by rounding at least one among a top and a bottom of the molded unit body of the inner molded unit. See ([0019]-[0021])
Regarding claim 7, Yang et al. discloses in the sensing window forming process, a sensing window, which is a transparent or translucent area that passes a signal or light needed for an area corresponding to a position of the sensor module to sense biological signals, is formed by performing transparency-adjusted clear coating on an entire inner surface of the inner molded unit. See ([0019]-[0021])
Regarding claim 8, Yang et al. discloses in the sensing window forming process, a sensing window, which is an area that passes a signal or light needed for an area corresponding to a clear-coated sensor module to sense biological signals, is formed by performing transparency- adjusted clear coating in an area corresponding to the position of the sensor module of the inner molded unit. See ([0019]-[0021])
Regarding claim 9, Yang et al. discloses the sensing window forming process includes: a masking process of attaching a masking member to an area of the smart ring to be processed, on which clear coating will not be performed; a primer coating process of forming a primer layer by applying a primer coating solution to the inner surface of the inner molded unit, on which clear coating will be performed; a process of forming a clear coating layer by applying a transparency-adjusted clear coating solution to a dried primer layer; and a drying and masking removal process of drying the clear coating layer and removing the masking member. See ([0019]-[0021])
Regarding claim 10, Yang et al. discloses the molding device includes: an outer lower frame; an inner lower frame coupled to a top of the outer lower frame, into which a lower portion of the assembly of the outer cover unit and the sensor/communication module is inserted and coupled; an inner upper frame disposed on a top of the inner lower frame, into which an upper portion of the assembly of the outer cover unit and the sensor/communication module is inserted and coupled, and provided as an injection passage for the molding member; and an outer upper frame disposed on a top of the inner upper frame to fix the inner upper frame not to be spaced or separated, and the outer cover unit includes a position guide for guiding the outer cover body at a set position of the molding device, wherein a first position guide protrusion is provided on an outer wall of the inner lower frame on the same vertical line as that of the position guide and a second position guide protrusion, and the second position guide protrusion is provided on an outer wall of the inner upper frame on the same vertical line as that of the position guide and the first position guide protrusion, in the molding member injection/curing process, coupling positions of the outer cover unit, the inner lower frame , and the inner upper frame are guided using the position guide, the first position guide protrusion and the second position guide protrusion. See ([0019]-[0021])
Regarding claim 21, Yang et al. discloses the sensing window forming process includes: a masking process of attaching a masking member to an area of the smart ring to be processed, on which clear coating will not be performed; a primer coating process of forming a primer layer by applying a primer coating solution to the inner surface of the inner molded unit, on which clear coating will be performed; a process of forming a clear coating layer by applying a transparency-adjusted clear coating solution to a dried primer layer; and a drying and masking removal process of drying the clear coating layer and removing the masking member. See ([0019]-[0021])
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARJAN FARDANESH whose telephone number is (571)270-5508. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00-17:00.
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/MARJAN FARDANESH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3791