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 § 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) 1-4, 8-11, 15-16 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (2013/0051595) in view of Li et al (2024/0276140 A1).
With respect to claim 1, Yang teaches speaker module (Figures 1-4, #20/30) for an information handling system (100), including: a speaker enclosure (defined by outer walls of spaces #110/120 within enclosure #10 – [0012]), including: a recessed portion (spaces #110/120 are both recessed within respective covers #11/12); a transducer (20), including: a top surface (top surface of #20); a bottom surface (bottom surface of #20) positioned opposite to the top surface; a perimeter surface (outer perimeter surface of #20) positioned between the top surface and the bottom surface; a rubber cap (30) including: a top side (top side of #30); a bottom side (bottom side of #30) positioned opposite to the top side; and a plurality of edges (defined by inner surfaces of recess #301 supporting perimeter surface of speaker #20, best seen in Figure 4) extending between the top side and the bottom side, wherein the plurality of edges (defined by inner surfaces of recess #301 supporting perimeter surface of speaker #20) define an inside perimeter of the rubber cap (30), wherein, the transducer (20) is coupled to the rubber cap (30) such that the rubber cap (30) surrounds the transducer (20) and the perimeter surface (outer perimeter surface of #20) of the transducer (20) is positioned against the plurality of edges defined by inner surfaces of recess #301 supporting perimeter surface of speaker #20, best seen in Figure 4) of the rubber cap (30), wherein, the transducer (20) is coupled to the speaker enclosure (11/110/12/120) such that the transducer (20) is positioned within the recessed portion (110/120) of the speaker enclosure (11/110/12/120) and the rubber cap (30) is positioned between the transducer (20) and the speaker enclosure (11/110/12/120), wherein the transducer (20) is coupled to the speaker enclosure (11/110/12/120) such that the transducer (20) lays in a first plane at a non-zero angle with respect to a second plane the speaker enclosure (11/110/12/120) lays in (angle of speaker #20 clearly seen relative to outer walls of spaces #110/120 within enclosure #10).
Yang fails to teach wherein the plurality of edges include a slot extending along the inside perimeter of the rubber cap, wherein, the transducer is coupled to the rubber cap such that the rubber cap surrounds the transducer and the perimeter surface of the transducer is positioned within the slot of the plurality of edges of the rubber cap.
Li teaches a similar speaker module (the loudspeaker module with a vibration-damping structure 10; FIG 1-3], 0025 lines 3-4) for an information handling system (the device (such as note computer, TV, screen, etc.), 0003 lines 4-10), including: a speaker enclosure (The box includes the upper case [12; FIG 2] and the lower case [14], 0025 lines 12-13), including: a recessed portion (the upper case [12; FIG 2] is provided with an opening [124] to set the speaker driver [16], 0025 lines 14-16); a transducer (a speaker driver [16; FIG 2,6,7], 0025 lines 8-10), including: a top surface (16; FIG 6,7); a bottom surface positioned opposite to the top surface (16; FIG 6,7); a perimeter surface (164) positioned between the top surface and the bottom surface (a fixing rib [164; FIG 6,7] projects from the fixing frame [162], 0026 lines 12-13); a cap (a vibration damping gasket [18; FIG 6,7], 0025 lines 9-11) including: a top side (18; FIG 6,7); a bottom side positioned opposite to the top side (18; FIG 6,7); and a plurality of edges extending between the top side and the bottom side (A-D, annotated figure 6), wherein the plurality of edges define an inside perimeter of the cap (gasket [18; FIG 6,7] is C-shaped, hollow, and has an inner space [184], 0031 lines 5-7) and include a slot (182) extending along the inside perimeter of the cap (the inner space [184; FIG 6,7] is connected with the groove [182], 0031 lines 5-10), wherein, the transducer is coupled to the cap such that the cap surrounds the transducer (16,18; FIG 6,7) and the perimeter surface (164) of the transducer is positioned within the slot (182) of the plurality of edges of the cap (the fixing rib [164; FIG 6,7] may be embedded into the groove [182], 0031 lines 5-12), wherein, the transducer is coupled to the speaker enclosure such that the transducer is positioned within the recessed portion of the speaker enclosure (16,18,12,14; FIG 3) and the cap is positioned between the transducer and the speaker (16,18,12,14; FIG 3).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the apparatus of Yang, with the apparatus of Li so as to provide an improved speaker retention and vibration damping structure by providing a perimeter surface in the form of fixing rib #164 on the speaker #16 embedded into the slot in the form of groove #182 for a whole annulus, which may achieve the best fixing and vibration-damping effect (see Li, [0026]-[0027]).
With respect to claim 2, Li teaches wherein the plurality of edges further define an outside perimeter of the rubber cap (A'-D', annotated figure 6), the recessed portion of the speaker enclosure includes a plurality of walls (12, 124; FIG 3), and transducer is coupled to the speaker enclosure such that the transducer is positioned within the recessed portion of the speaker enclosure (16; 124; FIG 3) and the outside perimeter of the rubber cap is in contact with the plurality of walls of the recessed portion to position the rubber cap between the transducer and the speaker enclosure (12,124,18; FIG 3).
With respect to claim 3, Li teaches wherein the transducer further includes a diaphragm (16; FIG 7), wherein the top side of the rubber cap includes an egress (18; FIG 7), and wherein the transducer is coupled to the rubber cap such that the diaphragm of the transducer is positioned within the egress of the top side of the rubber cap (16, 18; FIG 7).
With respect to claim 4, Li teaches wherein the transducer is coupled to the speaker enclosure such that the transducer is positioned within the recessed portion of the speaker enclosure (12,124,16; FIG 3) and the outside perimeter of the rubber cap is in contact with the plurality of walls of the recessed portion to position the rubber cap between the transducer and the speaker (12,124,18; FIG 3) to dampen vibrations of the speaker enclosure that are generated by the transducer ([0025] lines 3-4).
With respect to claim 8, Li teaches wherein the rubber cap further includes molding springs positioned within the edges of the rubber cap (184; FIG 5,7; 0031 lines 5-7) to apply an elastic force of the rubber cap against the transducer (the shape of the rubber cap provides a spring force that acts on the transducer to hold it in place).
With respect to claim 9, Yang teaches speaker module (Figures 1-4, #20/30) for an information handling system (100), including: a speaker enclosure (defined by outer walls of spaces #110/120 within enclosure #10 – [0012]), including: a recessed portion (spaces #110/120 are both recessed within respective covers #11/12), the recessed portion including a plurality of walls (defined by walls forming and delimiting spaces #110/120); a transducer (20), including: a top surface (top surface of #20); a bottom surface (bottom surface of #20) positioned opposite to the top surface; a perimeter surface (outer perimeter surface of #20) positioned between the top surface and the bottom surface; a rubber cap (30) including: a top side (top side of #30); a bottom side (bottom side of #30) positioned opposite to the top side; and a plurality of edges (defined by inner surfaces of recess #301 supporting perimeter surface of speaker #20, best seen in Figure 4) extending between the top side and the bottom side, wherein a first edge (defined by one of the curved edge surfaces facing one of the curved perimeter surface edges of speaker #20) of the plurality of edges is opposite to a third edge (defined by other of the curved edge surfaces facing other of the curved perimeter surface edges of speaker #20) of the plurality of edges, and a second edge (defined by one of the long straight edge surfaces facing one of the long straight perimeter surface edges of speaker #20) of the plurality of edges is opposite to a fourth edge (defined by other of the long straight edge surfaces facing other of the long straight perimeter surface edges of speaker #20) of the plurality of edges, wherein the plurality of edges (defined by inner surfaces of recess #301 supporting perimeter surface of speaker #20) define an inside perimeter of the rubber cap (30), wherein, the transducer (20) is coupled to the rubber cap (30) such that the rubber cap (30) surrounds the transducer (20) and the perimeter surface (outer perimeter surface of #20) of the transducer (20) is positioned against the plurality of edges defined by inner surfaces of recess #301 supporting perimeter surface of speaker #20, best seen in Figure 4) of the rubber cap (30), wherein, the transducer (20) is coupled to the speaker enclosure (11/110/12/120) such that the transducer (20) is positioned within the recessed portion (110/120) of the speaker enclosure (11/110/12/120) and the outside perimeter of the rubber cap (30) is in contact with the plurality of walls of the recessed portion (defined by walls forming and delimiting spaces #110/120) to position the rubber cap (30) between the transducer (20) and the speaker enclosure (11/110/12/120), wherein the transducer (20) is coupled to the speaker enclosure (11/110/12/120) such that the transducer (20) lays in a first plane at a non-zero angle with respect to a second plane the speaker enclosure (11/110/12/120) lays in (angle of speaker #20 clearly seen relative to outer walls of spaces #110/120 within enclosure #10).
Yang fails to teach wherein the plurality of edges include a slot extending along the inside perimeter of the rubber cap, wherein, the transducer is coupled to the rubber cap such that the rubber cap surrounds the transducer and the perimeter surface of the transducer is positioned within the slot of the plurality of edges of the rubber cap.
Li teaches a similar speaker module (the loudspeaker module with a vibration-damping structure 10; FIG 1-3], 0025 lines 3-4) for an information handling system (the device (such as note computer, TV, screen, etc.), 0003 lines 4-10), including: a speaker enclosure (The box includes the upper case [12; FIG 2] and the lower case [14], 0025 lines 12-13), including: a recessed portion (the upper case [12; FIG 2] is provided with an opening [124] to set the speaker driver [16], 0025 lines 14-16), the recessed portion including a plurality of walls (A-D, A'-D', annotated figure 6); a transducer (a speaker driver [16; FIG 2,6,7], 0025 lines 8-10), including: a top surface (16; FIG 6,7); a bottom surface positioned opposite to the top surface (16; FIG 6,7); a perimeter surface (164) positioned between the top surface and the bottom surface (a fixing rib [164; FIG 6,7] projects from the fixing frame [162], 0026 lines 12-13); a cap (a vibration damping gasket [18; FIG 6,7], 0025 lines 9-11) including: a top side (18; FIG 6,7); a bottom side positioned opposite to the top side (18; FIG 6,7); and a plurality of edges extending between the top side and the bottom side (A-D, annotated figure 6), wherein a first edge of the plurality of edges is opposite to a third edge of the plurality of edges (A,B, annotated figure 6), and a second edge of the plurality of edges is opposite to a fourth edge of the plurality of edges (C,D, annotated figure 6), wherein the plurality of edges define an inside perimeter of the cap ([18, 184; FIG 6,7], 0031 lines 5-7) and include a slot extending along the inside perimeter of the cap ([18, 182, 184; FIG 6,7], 0031 lines 5-10), wherein, the transducer is coupled to the cap such that the cap surrounds the transducer (16,18; FIG 6,7) and the perimeter surface (164) of the transducer is positioned within the slot (182) of the plurality of edges of the cap (the fixing rib [164; FIG 6,7] may be embedded into the groove [182], 0031 lines 5-12), wherein the transducer is coupled to the speaker enclosure such that the transducer is positioned within the recessed portion of the speaker enclosure (16,18,12,14; FIG 3) and the outside perimeter of the cap is in contact with the plurality of walls of the recessed portion to position the cap between the transducer and the speaker enclosure (16,18,12,14; FIG 3).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the apparatus of Yang, with the apparatus of Li so as to provide an improved speaker retention and vibration damping structure by providing a perimeter surface in the form of fixing rib #164 on the speaker #16 embedded into the slot in the form of groove #182 for a whole annulus, which may achieve the best fixing and vibration-damping effect (see Li, [0026]-[0027]).
With respect to claim 10, Li teaches wherein the transducer further includes a diaphragm (16; FIG 7), wherein the top side of the rubber cap includes an egress (18; FIG 7), and wherein the transducer is coupled to the rubber cap such that the diaphragm of the transducer is positioned within the egress of the top side of the rubber cap (16, 18; FIG 7).
With respect to claim 11, Li teaches wherein the transducer is coupled to the speaker enclosure such that the transducer is positioned within the recessed portion of the speaker enclosure (12,124,16; FIG 3) and the outside perimeter of the rubber cap is in contact with the plurality of walls of the recessed portion to position the rubber cap between the transducer and the speaker (12,124,18; FIG 3) to dampen vibrations of the speaker enclosure that are generated by the transducer ([0025] lines 3-4).
With respect to claim 15, Li teaches wherein the rubber cap further includes molding springs positioned within the edges of the rubber cap (184; FIG 5,7; 0031 lines 5-7) to apply an elastic force of the rubber cap against the transducer (the shape of the rubber cap provides a spring force that acts on the transducer to hold it in place).
With respect to claim 16, Yang teaches speaker module (Figures 1-4, #20/30) for an information handling system (100), including: a speaker enclosure (defined by outer walls of spaces #110/120 within enclosure #10 – [0012]), including: a recessed portion (spaces #110/120 are both recessed within respective covers #11/12), the recessed portion including a plurality of walls (defined by walls forming and delimiting spaces #110/120); a transducer (20), including: a top surface (top surface of #20); a bottom surface (bottom surface of #20) positioned opposite to the top surface; a perimeter surface (outer perimeter surface of #20) positioned between the top surface and the bottom surface; a rubber cap (30) including: a top side (top side of #30); a bottom side (bottom side of #30) positioned opposite to the top side; and a plurality of edges (defined by inner surfaces of recess #301 supporting perimeter surface of speaker #20, best seen in Figure 4) extending between the top side and the bottom side, wherein a first edge (defined by one of the curved edge surfaces facing one of the curved perimeter surface edges of speaker #20) of the plurality of edges is opposite to a third edge (defined by other of the curved edge surfaces facing other of the curved perimeter surface edges of speaker #20) of the plurality of edges, and a second edge (defined by one of the long straight edge surfaces facing one of the long straight perimeter surface edges of speaker #20) of the plurality of edges is opposite to a fourth edge (defined by other of the long straight edge surfaces facing other of the long straight perimeter surface edges of speaker #20) of the plurality of edges, wherein the plurality of edges (defined by inner surfaces of recess #301 supporting perimeter surface of speaker #20) define an inside perimeter of the rubber cap (30), wherein, the transducer (20) is coupled to the rubber cap (30) such that the rubber cap (30) surrounds the transducer (20) and the perimeter surface (outer perimeter surface of #20) of the transducer (20) is positioned against the plurality of edges defined by inner surfaces of recess #301 supporting perimeter surface of speaker #20, best seen in Figure 4) of the rubber cap (30), wherein, the transducer (20) is coupled to the speaker enclosure (11/110/12/120) such that the transducer (20) is positioned within the recessed portion (110/120) of the speaker enclosure (11/110/12/120) and the outside perimeter of the rubber cap (30) is in contact with the plurality of walls of the recessed portion (defined by walls forming and delimiting spaces #110/120) to position the rubber cap (30) between the transducer (20) and the speaker enclosure (11/110/12/120), wherein the transducer (20) is coupled to the speaker enclosure (11/110/12/120) such that the transducer (20) lays in a first plane at a non-zero angle with respect to a second plane the speaker enclosure (11/110/12/120) lays in (angle of speaker #20 clearly seen relative to outer walls of spaces #110/120 within enclosure #10).
Yang fails to teach wherein the transducer includes a diaphragm; wherein the rubber cap top side includes and egress; the plurality of edges include a slot extending along the inside perimeter of the rubber cap, wherein, the transducer is coupled to the rubber cap such that the rubber cap surrounds the transducer and the perimeter surface of the transducer is positioned within the slot of the plurality of edges of the rubber cap, and ii) the diaphragm of the transducer is positioned within the egress of the top side of the rubber cap; and wherein the rubber cap is positioned between the transducer and the speaker enclosure to dampen vibrations of the speaker enclosure that are generated by the transducer.
Li teaches a similar speaker module (the loudspeaker module with a vibration-damping structure 10; FIG 1-3], 0025 lines 3-4) for an information handling system (the device (such as note computer, TV, screen, etc.), 0003 lines 4-10), including: a speaker enclosure (The box includes the upper case [12; FIG 2] and the lower case [14], 0025 lines 12-13), including: a recessed portion (the upper case [12; FIG 2] is provided with an opening [124] to set the speaker driver [16], 0025 lines 14-16), the recessed portion including a plurality of walls (A-D, A'-D', annotated figure 6); a transducer (a speaker driver [16; FIG 2,6,7], 0025 lines 8-10), including: a top surface (16; FIG 6,7); a bottom surface positioned opposite to the top surface (16; FIG 6,7); a perimeter surface (164) positioned between the top surface and the bottom surface (a fixing rib [164; FIG 6,7] projects from the fixing frame [162], 0026 lines 12-13); a diaphragm ([16; FIG 6,7]); a cap (a vibration damping gasket [18; FIG 6,7], 0025 lines 9-11) including: a top side (18; FIG 6,7) including an egress (18; FIG 6,7); a bottom side positioned opposite to the top side (18; FIG 6,7); and a plurality of edges extending between the top side and the bottom side (A-D, annotated figure 6), wherein a first edge of the plurality of edges is opposite to a third edge of the plurality of edges (A,B, annotated figure 6), and a second edge of the plurality of edges is opposite to a fourth edge of the plurality of edges (C,D, annotated figure 6), wherein the plurality of edges define an inside perimeter of the cap ([18, 184; FIG 6,7], 0031 lines 5-7) and include a slot extending along the inside perimeter of the cap ([18, 182, 184; FIG 6,7], 0031 lines 5-10), wherein, the transducer is coupled to the cap such that i) the cap surrounds the transducer (16,18; FIG 6,7) and the perimeter surface of the transducer is positioned within the slot of the plurality of edges of the cap ([164, 182; FIG 6,7], 0031 lines 5-12), and ii) the diaphragm of the transducer is positioned within the egress of the top side of the cap (16,18,12,14; FIG 3), wherein, the transducer is coupled to the speaker enclosure such that the transducer is positioned within the recessed portion of the speaker enclosure (16,18,12,14; FIG 3) and the outside perimeter of the cap is in contact with the plurality of walls of the recessed portion to position the cap between the transducer and the speaker enclosure (16,18,12,14; FIG 3) to dampen vibrations of the speaker enclosure that are generated by the transducer (16,18,12,14; FIG 3).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the apparatus of Yang, with the apparatus of Li so as to provide an improved speaker retention and vibration damping structure by providing a perimeter surface in the form of fixing rib #164 on the speaker #16 embedded into the slot in the form of groove #182 for a whole annulus, which may achieve the best fixing and vibration-damping effect (see Li, [0026]-[0027]).
With respect to claim 20, Li teaches wherein the rubber cap further includes molding springs positioned within the edges of the rubber cap (184; FIG 5,7; 0031 lines 5-7) to apply an elastic force of the rubber cap against the transducer (the shape of the rubber cap provides a spring force that acts on the transducer to hold it in place).
Claims 6-7, 13-14 and 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (2013/0051595) in view of Li et al (2024/0276140 A1), as applied to claims 1, 9 and 16 above, and further in view of Massa (4,763,307).
With respect to claims 6, 13 and 18, Yang and Li teach the speaker module of claims 1, 9 and 16.
Yang and Li fail teach wherein the rubber cap further includes microinjections of a gas.
However, Massa, in the same field of endeavor, does teach wherein a rubber housing (flexible housing [16; FIG 1], col 4 lines 65-67) includes injections of gas (it is preferable to replace the air inside the sealed housing by an inert dry gas such as nitrogen, col 5 lines 15-22).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the apparatus of Yang as modified, with the apparatus of Massa to provide injections of nitrogen gas into the rubber element in order to prevent condensation or accumulation of moisture (Massa, col 5 lines 15-22).
Further, as the rubber element/gasket in the speaker module of Yang and Li is small, these injections would be microinjections simply as a matter of scale.
With respect to claims 7, 14 and 19, Massa teaches wherein the gas is nitrogen (Col. 5, Lines 15-22).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-4, 6-11, 13-16 and 18-20 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. The Examiner considers the obvious combination of Yang, Lin and Massa to teach all of the limitations as claimed by Applicant. Further, the new grounds of rejection is considered to be fully responsive to all arguments raised by Applicant.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JEREMY AUSTIN LUKS whose telephone number is (571)272-2707. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday (9:00-5:00).
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dedei Hammond can be reached at (571) 270-7938. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JEREMY A LUKS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
Prosecution Insights