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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claim Objections
Claim 2 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 2 is missing a period at the end. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 3 recites the limitations “A watch”, “an electronic horological movement” and “an external part component” which were already recited in Claim 1. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sekiguchi (CN 1328660A). Regarding Claim 1, Sekiguchi discloses an external part component of a watch comprising: a photovoltaic cell including an elementary solar cell (8) interposed between two electrodes (33; 36, 41), one of which is an upper electrode (36, 41) arranged over a face (31) of the elementary solar cell configured to be subjected to an incident light radiation, the upper electrode being formed by segments connected together and arranged according to a predetermined pattern (Fig. 3), the upper electrode including a peripheral portion (Fig. 3) arranged at the periphery of the face of the elementary solar cell, the segments extending within an area (Fig. 3) defined by the peripheral portion and being connected to the peripheral portion, the photovoltaic cell being configured to be electrically connected to an electronic horological movement (86); a dial (50) provided with an aperture (11) opposite which the photovoltaic cell is configured to be arranged; and a movable display (5, 6) interposed between the dial and the photovoltaic cell and being configured to be driven in motion by the horological movement so that at least one portion of its travel is visible through the aperture.
Regarding Claim 3, Sekiguchi discloses the watch including the electronic horological movement and the external part component, wherein the photovoltaic cell is fastened without any degree of freedom on a carrier structure (20) formed by a bridge or a plate of the horological movement.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 2 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Sekiguchi (CN 1328660A) in view of Kim et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0109861). Sekiguchi discloses, substantially, the claimed invention except for the display of a constellation, a lunar phase ,a sky vault or at least one representation of a moon.
Kim teaches a timepiece device (101) with a control unit (907) which can display a constellation, a lunar phase ,a sky vault or at least one representation of a moon (Paragraph 0293).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the component of Sekiguchi by including the display of a constellation, a lunar phase ,a sky vault or at least one representation of a moon as taught in Kim in order to provide the user with appealing astronomic features.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The cited prior art discloses watches, similar to Applicant’s claimed invention, having photovoltaic cells, electrodes dials and movable displays.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EDWIN A LEON whose telephone number is (571)272-2008. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10am-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Renee S Luebke can be reached on 5712722009. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EDWIN A. LEON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2833