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) 1-4, 6-8, 13-14, and 16-26 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 § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 13, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Thomason et al., US Publication 2011/0091051 A1 in view of Tang CN 203675293 U in further view of Lachor US Patent 6,720,892 B1.
With regards to Claims 1 and 13, Thomason discloses: A portable computing device (FIG 1, shows a laptop) comprising:
a keyboard (FIG 1, 218) comprising a key (220; Paragraph [0049])
an acoustic transducer (FIG 5, 310 - speaker)
a sound port (FIG 5, 308)
wherein the sound port (308 - chamber) is configured to allow sound generated by the acoustic transducer (310 - speaker) to propagate (350 – emitting audio signals) via the sound port (308) to an environment external relative to the cavity and the keyboard (FIG 1 and Paragraph [0059 & 0073]).
wherein the sound that is propagated (FIG 2, 350) improves performance of the speakers (310) in the portable computing device (Paragraph [0052]).
Thomason fails to explicitly disclose: wherein the key comprises an enclosure defining a cavity wherein the acoustic transducer is located within the cavity, and
an acoustic transducer (FIG 2, 3 - transducer),
Tang discloses: a keyboard comprising a key (FIG 1, shows keyboard with alphanumeric keys); and
an acoustic transducer (FIG 2, 3 - transducer),
wherein the key (FIG 2, 21) comprises an enclosure (22, 23, 24) defining wherein the acoustic transducer is located within the cavity (FIG 2, shows where the transducer 3 is below the key cap 22), and
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the application to have used the teaching of a keyboard comprising a key; and an acoustic transducer, wherein the key comprises an enclosure defining wherein the acoustic transducer is located within the cavity in Thomason’s invention as taught by Tang’s invention.
The motivation for doing this would have been in order to include a speaker within a keyboard without increasing the volume and has good sound effect (Tang Paragraph [0005])
Thomason in view of Tang fails to explicitly teach: a cavity and a sound port,
wherein the sound port is configured to allow sound generated by the acoustic transducer to propagate via the sound port to an environment external relative to the cavity and the keyboard.
Lachor discloses: a key (FIG 1, 30) having a cavity (32)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the application to have used the teachings of a key having a cavity in Thomason’s modified invention as taught by Lachor’s invention.
The motivation would have yielded predictable result in protecting the transducer by providing sufficient accommodation.
With regards to Claim 3, Tang discloses:
wherein the key is a first key (FIG 1, one or more alphanumeric key and space bar),
wherein the keyboard (FIG 1, 2) further comprises a plurality of keys (FIG 1, shows a QWERTY keyboard) including the first key (any modifier key such as ALT, SHIFT, CTRL, Etc.), a second key (one or more alphanumeric key and space bar) that is separate and distinct from the first key (FIG 1, clearly shows that these keys are separate and distinct from each other based on size, labeling and function), and one or more additional keys (FIG 1, any one or more of the function keys F1 – F12)
wherein the acoustic transducer is a first acoustic transducer (FIG 2, 3),
wherein
wherein the second key (one or more alphanumeric key and space bar) comprises a second enclosure (22, 23, 24) defining a second cavity (FIG 2, shows where the transducer 3 is below the key cap 22) and
wherein the second acoustic transducer (speaker array under a plurality of keys) is located within the second cavity (FIG 2, shows where the transducer 3 is below the key cap 22), and
wherein the first key (one or more alphanumeric key and space bar) is located on a left portion of the keyboard (FIG 1, shows this feature), and the second key (one or more alphanumeric key and space bar) is located on a right portion of the keyboard (FIG 1, shows this feature), and
wherein each of the first key (modifier key such as ALT, SHIFT, CTRL, Etc.) and the second key (one or more alphanumeric key and space bar) has a surface area that is larger than an average surface area of the one or more additional keys (Function keys F1 – F12; FIG 1, clearly shows that the first and second keys are larger than that of the one or more additional keys).
Tang fails to disclose: wherein the portable computing device
a second cavity and a second sound port,
Thomason discloses: wherein the portable computing device (FIG 2, 200 - laptop) and a second sound port (FIG 5, 308)
Lachor discloses: a second cavity (FIG 1, 32)
With regards to Claim 19, Thomason discloses: wherein the key (alphanumeric keys and space bar) is formed integrally (Paragraph [0020] - the structural design of the keyboard assembly and its integration into the housing of the portable component device; see also Paragraph [0056]).
With regards to Claim 26, Thomason discloses: wherein the first key (modifier keys) is formed integrally, and wherein the second key (alpha numeric) is formed integrally (Paragraph [0020] - the structural design of the keyboard assembly and its integration into the housing of the portable component device; see also Paragraph [0056]).
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Thomason et al., US Publication 2011/0091051 A1 in view of Tang CN 203675293 U in further view of Lachor US Patent 6,720,892 B1 in further view of Murray et al., US Publication 2006/009378 A1.
With regards to Claim 2, Thomason modified invention fails to disclose: further comprising a grommet underneath the key, the grommet providing support and vibration reduction for the key and/or the acoustic transducer.
Murray discloses: further comprising a grommet (FIG 2A, 195 - grommet)
underneath the key (in combination with Tang’s prior art, FIG 2, shows that the speaker is underneath the key, therefore the grommet of Murray’s invention would fit over the speaker to provide a seal),
the grommet (195) providing support (FIG 2A, the speaker 150 fits into the grommet 195) and vibration reduction (the grommet made of a compressible material such as silicon rubber which is also known for reducing vibration) for the key and/or the acoustic transducer (Paragraph [0031]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the application to have used the teachings of a grommet underneath the key, the grommet providing support and vibration reduction for the key and/or the acoustic transducer in Thomason’s modified invention as taught by Murray’s invention.
The motivation for doing this would have been in order to provide a seal for the speaker.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Thomason et al., US Publication 2011/0091051 A1 in view of Tang CN 203675293 U in further view of Lachor US Patent 6,720,892 B1 in further view of Wu et al., US Publication 2015/0049023 A1.
With regards to Claim 4, Thomason discloses: wherein the key (218) comprises a top surface arranged to face towards a user of the portable computing device (laptop) in an operational condition of the portable computing device (FIG 2, shows keyboard facing the user), and wherein the sound port comprises one or more openings (FIG 3, 370 – exit port)
Thomason fails to disclose: one or more openings in the top surface of the key.
Wu discloses: one or more openings in the top surface of the key (FIG 5A, shows key 402(1) with opening on the top surface).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the application to have used the teachings of one or more openings in the top surface of the key in Thomason modified invention as taught by Wu’s invention.
The motivation for doing this would have been in order to propagate the sounds from the speaker clearer.
Claims 6 – 7, 14, 16 – 18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Thomason et al., US Publication 2011/0091051 A1 in view of Murray et al., US Publication 2006/009378 A1.
With regards to Claims 6 and 14, Thomason discloses: A portable computing device (FIG 1, shows laptop) comprising:
an acoustic transducer (FIG 1, 310), and
a keyboard (FIG 2, 218) comprising a key (FIG 2),
Thomason fails to disclose: a dedicated grommet that is dedicated to, and disposed underneath, the key, and
wherein the dedicated grommet provides support and vibration reduction for the acoustic transducer, the key, or a combination thereof.
Murray discloses: a dedicated grommet (FIG 2A, 195) that is dedicated to, and disposed underneath the key (in combination with Thomason’s invention, the grommet would fit over the speaker and both the grommet and the speaker would be disposed beneath the keys of the keyboard), and
wherein the dedicated grommet (195) provides support and vibration reduction for the acoustic transducer, the key, or a combination thereof (the grommet made of a compressible material such as silicon rubber which is also known for reducing vibration; see also Paragraph [0031]).
wherein the sound that is propagated improves performance of the speakers in the portable computing device (Paragraph [0031 & 0036] – the grommet improves the performance of the speaker because the grommet would reduce the vibration).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the application to have used the teachings of a dedicated grommet that is dedicated to, and disposed underneath, the key, and wherein the dedicated grommet provides support and vibration reduction for the acoustic transducer, the key, or a combination thereof in Thomason’s modified invention as taught by Murray’s invention.
The motivation for doing this would have been in order to provide a seal for the speaker.
With regards to Claim 7, Thomason discloses: wherein the key (FIG 3, 368) comprises a sound port (308) that is configured to allow sound generated by the acoustic transducer (310 – speaker) to propagate via the sound port (308 – chamber & 370 – mesh vent) to an environment external relative to the keyboard (FIGS 2 & 3).
With regards to Claim 16, Thomason discloses:
placing a second acoustic transducer (Paragraph [0059] – teaches of audio sources with chambers) in or underneath a second key (FIG 3, shows transducer 310 under key 368) of the keyboard of the portable computing device (FIG 2, shows a plurality of keys on the keyboard), the second key (the second key is the modifier keys on the keyboard such as CTRL, ALT, etc.) is separate and distinct from the key (alphanumeric keys);
generating, with the second acoustic transducer (FIG 3, 368), second sound (FIG 2, shows audio signals being emitted from a plurality of keys),
wherein the second sound (FIG 2, shows 350 audio signals) that is propagated further improves performance of the speakers in the portable computing device (Paragraph [0052]).
Thomason fails to disclose: placing a second dedicated grommet that is underneath, and dedicated to, the second key to support the second acoustic transducer; and
wherein the second dedicated grommet provides vibration reduction for the second acoustic transducer, the second key, or a combination thereof.
Murray discloses: placing a second dedicated grommet (FIG 2A, 195) that is underneath, and dedicated to, the second key (in combination with Thomason’s invention of the speaker being under the keys) to support the second acoustic transducer (Paragraph [0031]); and
wherein the second dedicated grommet (195) provides vibration reduction for the second acoustic transducer, the second key, or a combination thereof (Paragraph [0031 & 0036] – the grommet improves the performance of the speaker because the grommet would reduce the vibration).
With regards to Claim 17, Thomason discloses: wherein the acoustic transducer is one or more first acoustic transducers (FIG 3, 310 – transducers under alphanumeric keys), wherein the second acoustic transducer is one or more second acoustic transducers (FIG 3, 310 – transducers under modifier keys),
Thomason fails to disclose: wherein the dedicated grommet is one or more first dedicated grommets, and wherein the second dedicated grommet is one or more second dedicated grommets.
Murray discloses: wherein the dedicated grommet (FIG 2A, 195) is one or more first dedicated grommets (when combined with Thomason invention having a plurality of speakers under the alphanumeric keys), and wherein the second dedicated grommet (195) is one or more second dedicated grommets (when combined with Thomason invention having a plurality of speakers under the modifier keys).
With regards to Claim 18, Thomason discloses: wherein the keyboard (FIG 2, 218) includes the key (FIG 2, alphanumeric and space bar), the second key (modifier keys), and one or more additional keys (function keys),
wherein the key is located on a left portion of the keyboard and the second key is located on a right portion of the keyboard (QWERTY keyboard shows that there is alphanumeric keys and modifier keys to both the left and the right of the keyboard), and
wherein each of the key and the second key has a surface area that is larger than an average surface area of the one or more additional keys on the keyboard (FIG 2, QWERTY keyboard shows that alphanumeric keys, space bar and modifier keys are usually larger in surface areas than the function keys F1 – F12).
With regards to Claim 20, Thomason discloses: wherein the key (alphanumeric keys and space bar) is formed integrally, and wherein the second key (modifier keys) is formed integrally (Paragraph [0020] - the structural design of the keyboard assembly and its integration into the housing of the portable component device; see also Paragraph [0056]).
Claim(s) 8 & 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Thomason et al., US Publication 2011/0091051 A1 in view of Murray et al., US Publication 2006/009378 A1 in view of Lachor US Patent 6,720,892 B1 in further view of Tang CN 203675293 U.
With regards to Claim 8, Thomason discloses: wherein the key comprises an enclosure defining a cavity, and wherein the acoustic transducer is located within the cavity.
Lachor discloses: wherein the key (FIG 1, 30) comprises an enclosure (38) defining a cavity (32),
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the application to have used the teachings of wherein the key comprises an enclosure defining a cavity, and wherein the acoustic transducer is located within the cavity in Thomason’s modified invention as taught by Lachor’s invention.
The motivation would have yielded predictable result in protecting the transducer by providing sufficient accommodation.
Tang discloses: an enclosure (22, 23, 24) wherein the acoustic transducer is located within the cavity (FIG 2, shows where the transducer 3 is below the key cap 22).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the application to have used the teaching of wherein the key comprises an enclosure defining a cavity, and wherein the acoustic transducer is located within the cavity in Thomason’s invention as taught by Tang’s invention.
The motivation for doing this would have been in order to include a speaker within a keyboard without increasing the volume and has good sound effect (Tang Paragraph [0005])
With regards to Claim 21, Thomason discloses: wherein the key (alphanumeric keys and space bar) is formed integrally (Paragraph [0020] - the structural design of the keyboard assembly and its integration into the housing of the portable component device; see also Paragraph [0056]).
Claim(s) 22 - 25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Thomason et al., US Publication 2011/0091051 A1 in view of Tang CN 203675293 U in further view of Lachor US Patent 6,720,892 B1 in further view of Weffer US Patent 7,155,025 B1.
With regards to Claim 22, Thomason fails to disclose: wherein the acoustic transducer is a tweeter.
Weffer discloses: wherein the acoustic transducer is a tweeter (FIG 2, 26; Column 5, lines 1 - 3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to person having ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the application to include the teachings of the acoustic transducer is a tweeter in Thomason’s invention as taught by Weffer’s invention.
The motivation for doing this would have been in order to enhance the wearer’s listening experience (Weffer Column 1, lines 39 – 41).
With regards to Claim 23, Thomason fails to disclose: wherein the acoustic transducer is a full range acoustic transducer.
Weffer discloses: wherein the acoustic transducer is a full range acoustic transducer (FIG 2, 25; Column 5, lines 1 - 3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to person having ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the application to include the teachings of the acoustic transducer is a full range acoustic transducer in Thomason’s invention as taught by Weffer’s invention.
The motivation for doing this would have been in order to enhance the wearer’s listening experience (Weffer Column 1, lines 39 – 41).
With regards to Claim 24, Thomason discloses: wherein the key is a Shift key (FIG 1, QWERTY keyboard with SHIFT key).
With regards to Claim 25, Thomason discloses: wherein the key is an Enter key (FIG 1, QWERTY keyboard with SHIFT key).
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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/CAROLYN R EDWARDS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2692