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.
Claims 1, 2, 8, 11, 12, 16, and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Taylor et al. (US 4451710).
With respect to claim 1, Taylor et al. disclose an audio speaker system (Figs 2-3) comprising: an amplifier (Fig 3), wherein a positive input terminal of the amplifier is configured to be coupled to a first reference voltage node (Fig 3, applied voltage V); and a piezo diaphragm (item 1) comprising: a metal plate (column 2, lines 54-63); a first piezo film attached to the metal plate (portion of item 1 associated with the drive element), wherein the first piezo film is configured to function as a speaker during operation of the audio speaker system (column 3, lines 46-63, wherein a “drive element” of an acoustic system is a speaker); and a second piezo film (portion of item 1 associated with the sense element) attached to the metal plate and spaced apart from the first piezo film (Fig 2, column 3, lines 54-63), wherein the second piezo film is configured to function as a microphone during operation of the audio speaker system (column 3, lines 46-63, wherein a “sense element” of an acoustic system is a microphone), wherein an output terminal of the amplifier is coupled to the first piezo film (Fig 3), and wherein a negative input terminal of the amplifier is coupled to the second piezo film (Fig 3).
With respect to claim 2, Taylor et al. discloses the audio speaker system of claim 1, wherein during operation of the audio speaker system, the microphone formed by the second piezo film is kinetically coupled to the speaker formed by the first piezo film (Figs 1-2, column 3, lines 46-63, wherein the drive and sense elements being formed on the same diaphragm are kinetically coupled).
With respect to claim 8, Taylor et al. discloses the audio speaker system of claim 1. The language “wherein the audio speaker system has a frequency response within a frequency band between 1 KHz and 20 KHz, wherein an amplitude variation of the frequency response within the frequency band is smaller than 3dB” is functional language that states operational states of the device and does not include any structural features that would further limit the claimed apparatus.
With respect to claim 11, Taylor et al. discloses an audio speaker system (Figs 2-3) comprising: a piezo diaphragm (item 1) comprising: a metal plate (column 3, lines 54-63); a first piezo film (portion of item 1 associated with the drive element) attached to the metal plate (Fig 3, column 3, lines 46-63); and a second piezo film (portion of item 1 associated with the sense element) attached to the metal plate (Fig 3, column 3, lines 46-63), wherein the second piezo film is at least partially surrounded by the first piezo film and is spaced apart from the first piezo film (Fig 3); and an amplifier (Fig 3), wherein an output terminal of the amplifier is coupled to the first piezo film, wherein a negative input terminal of the amplifier is coupled to the second piezo film (Fig 3), and wherein a positive input terminal of the amplifier is configured to be coupled to a first reference voltage node (Fig 3).
With respect to claim 12, Taylor et al. discloses the audio speaker system of claim 11, wherein during operation of the audio speaker system, the first piezo film is configured to convert a first electric signal at the output terminal of the amplifier into motion of the first piezo film (Fig 3, column 3, lines 46-63), the second piezo film is configured to be kinetically coupled to the first piezo film and configured to convert motion of the second piezo film into a second electric signal (Fig 3, column 3, lines 46-63, wherein the drive and sense elements being formed on the same diaphragm are kinetically coupled).
With respect to claim 16, Taylor et al. discloses the audio speaker system of claim 11/. The language “wherein the piezo diaphragm has a frequency response in a frequency band between 1 KHz and 20 KHz during operation of the audio speaker system, wherein a maximum variation in an amplitude of the frequency response is less than 3 dB in the frequency band” is functional language that states operational states of the device and does not include any structural features that would further limit the claimed apparatus.
With respect to claim 17, Taylor et al. discloses a method of playing an audio signal (Figs 2-3) using a piezo diaphragm (item 1), the method comprising: receiving the audio signal at a positive input terminal of an amplifier or a negative input terminal of the amplifier (Fig 3); supplying a reference voltage (signal V) to the positive input terminal of the amplifier (Fig 3); sending an output signal of the amplifier to a first piezo film of the piezo diaphragm (Fig 3), wherein the first piezo film is configured to convert the output signal of the amplifier into motion of the first piezo film (Fig 3, column 3, lines 46-63); kinetically coupling the first piezo film to a second piezo film of the piezo diaphragm (Fig 3, column 3, lines 46-63, wherein the drive and sense elements being formed on the same diaphragm are kinetically coupled), wherein the second piezo film is configured to convert motion of second piezo film into an electrical signal (Fig 3, column 3, lines 46-63); and feeding the electrical signal back to the negative input terminal of the amplifier (Fig 3).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-7, 9, 10, 13-17, and 18-20 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter.
The prior art does not disclose or suggest “a first resistor and a second resistor coupled in series between the second piezo film and a second reference voltage node, wherein the negative input terminal of the amplifier is coupled to a first node between the first resistor and the second resistor” in combination with the remaining elements of claim 3.
The prior art does not disclose or suggest “an audio pre-amplifier coupled between an input terminal of the audio speaker system and the positive input terminal of the amplifier” in combination with the remaining elements of claim 9.
The prior art does not disclose or suggest “wherein the second piezo film is coupled to a voltage divider comprising a first resistor and a second resistor coupled in series, wherein a first node between the first resistor and the second resistor is coupled to the negative input terminal of the amplifier” in combination with the remaining elements of claim 13.
The prior art does not disclose or suggest “wherein feeding the electrical signal back comprises: generating a scaled version of the electrical signal using a voltage divider; and sending the scaled version of the electrical signal to the negative input terminal of the amplifier” in combination with the remaining elements of claim 18.
The prior art does not disclose or suggest “wherein receiving the audio signal comprises receiving the audio signal at a first node, wherein a capacitor and a resistor are coupled in series between the first node and the negative input terminal of the amplifier” in combination with the remaining elements of claim 19.
The prior art does not disclose or suggest “wherein receiving the audio signal comprises receiving the audio signal at a first node, wherein a capacitor is coupled between the first node and the positive input terminal of the amplifier, wherein supplying the reference voltage comprises supplying the reference voltage to a second node, wherein a resistor is coupled between the second node and the positive input terminal of the amplifier” in combination with the remaining elements of claim 20.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Derek John Rosenau whose telephone number is (571)272-8932. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 7 am to 5:30 pm Central Time.
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/DEREK J ROSENAU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837