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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of species I (claims 1-17 and 21-23) is acknowledged.
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.
Claims 12-17 and 21-23 are 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 12 reciting “a wristwatch” to merely include an antenna, a housing, a display and a canted coil spring is indefinite, since it’s unclear how the wristwatch is obtained absent any wearable strap or band.
The spec. discloses, e.g., in ¶ [0034] of the printed publication:
[0034] Device 10 may, if desired, be coupled to a strap such as strap 16. Strap 16 may be used to hold device 10 against a user's wrist (as an example). Strap 16 may sometimes be referred to herein as wrist strap 16. In the example of FIG. 1, wrist strap 16 is connected to opposing sides of device 10. Conductive housing sidewalls 12W may include attachment structures for securing wrist strap 16 to housing 12 (e.g., lugs or other attachment mechanisms that configure housing 12 to receive wrist strap 16).
Hence, it appears that wrist strap 16 is an essential feature, absent which the recited invention cannot operate as its intended purpose, which is to function as a radiating wristwatch.
Claim 12 reciting “an antenna; a conductive housing that forms at least part of the antenna” are indefinite, since a) it’s unclear how an antenna is formed absent any feed element and/or ground element, and b) it’s not understood how the “conductive housing forms at least a part of the antenna”. In other words, how is the antenna fed? How is it grounded in the wristwatch?
In view of the aforementioned, scope of claim 12 cannot be ascertained.
Claims 13-17 are rejected for depending therefrom.
Nevertheless, the spec. discloses, e.g., in the printed publication:
[0081] Once canted coil spring 90 has been disposed within recess 78, display 14 may then be mounted to conductive turret 12T, as shown by arrow 88. When mounted to conductive turret 12T, conductive display structures 70 in display 14 may press laterally outwards against canted coil spring 90 within recess 78. Canted coil spring 90 may contact both conductive turret 12T and conductive display structures 70 around an entire periphery of display 14. This may form an electrical connection between conductive turret 12T and conductive display structures 70 around the entire periphery of display 14.
[0082] In this way, when device 10 is fully assembled, canted coil spring 90, conductive display structures 70, and conductive turret 12T may collectively form a single electrical structure (e.g., a unitary conductive structure) that forms patch element 66 of antenna 40. When pressed into recess 78 by display 14, canted coil spring 90 may exert a spring force against both conductive turret 12T and conductive display structures 70.
As such, it is respectfully suggested to amend “an antenna; a conductive housing that forms at least part of the antenna” as --an antenna; a conductive housing including a conductive turret that forms a part of the antenna--, thereby clearly reading on the spec. and Fig. 5 of the invention.
Claim 21 reciting “an antenna radiator that includes the canted coil spring, the conductive structures in the display, and a portion of the conductive housing” is indefinite, since it’s unclear how the antenna radiator merely includes the canted coil spring, the conductive structures and a portion of the conductive housing. It’s NOT understood how an antenna radiator is obtained absent any feed and/or ground structure. It other words, how is the antenna radiator fed or excited, and how is it grounded?
Claims 22-23 are rejected for depending therefrom.
There should be a clear recitation of interrelated structure in order to provide a complete and operable wristwatch (electronic device).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over “Zhou” (US 20190081396) in view of “Pandya” (US 20190103688).
Claim 12: As best understood, Zhou discloses a wristwatch comprising:
an antenna 40 (Fig. 5);
a conductive housing 16 that forms at least part of the antenna (¶ 55);
a display (302-308, Fig. 7) mounted to the conductive housing 16 and having conductive structures 306-308 (¶ 68); and
a coil spring 338 that electrically couples conductive structures 306-308 to the conductive housing 320 (see Fig. 7 and ¶ 70).
Zhou fails to expressly teach the coil spring being a canted coil spring.
However, Zhou teaches in ¶ 81, “Spring 338 (or another desired conductive structure) may electrically connect conductive support plate 320 to display plate 306. Display plate 306 may have one or more grooves to receive a portion of conductive structure 338. Spring 338 may help ensure a reliable electrical connection between conductive housing structure 320 and display plate 306. The example of a spring electrically connecting conductive housing structure 320 and display plate 306 is merely illustrative, and other conductive structures such as a bracket, clip, spring, pin, screw, solder, weld, conductive adhesive, wire, metal strip, or a combination of these may be used to electrically connect conductive housing structure 320 to display plate 306.”
Pandya discloses a canted coil spring 725 (Fig. 7) and teaches in ¶ 49, “Coil spring 725 can be a canted coil spring or other suitable spring.”
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify Zhou’s invention such that the coil spring is a canted coil spring, in order to use a desired spring type for effective electrical connection.
Claim 13: Zhou teaches the wristwatch of claim 12, wherein the canted coil spring forms at least part of the antenna (see Fig. 7 of Zhou).
Claim 21 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pandya (cited above).
Claim 21: As best understood, Pandya discloses an electronic device comprising:
a conductive housing 730 (Fig. 7A);
a display (714, 720) mounted to the conductive housing (¶ 48);
a canted coil spring 725 (¶ 49); and
an antenna radiator (712, 714, 720, 730) that includes the canted coil spring 725, the conductive structures (714, 720) in the display, and a portion 730 of the conductive housing (see Fig. 7A).
Pandya fails to expressly teach the canted coil spring electrically couples conductive structures in the display to the conductive housing.
However, Pandya teaches “The display includes an antenna component.” (Abstract)
Pandya further in ¶ 49, “A direct electrical connection between the first and second components is provided by the plug connector 720 when second portion 721 extends into the receptacle connector 737 and into contact with the coil spring 725. ... Because casing 730 is unconstrained within outer casing 744, residual stresses are removed or reduced. An antenna feed signal of antenna 712 can be routed via the electrical connection provided by the plug connector 720 between the first and second components.”
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to use Pandya’s invention such that the canted coil spring electrically couples conductive structures in the display to the conductive housing, in order to facilitate wireless communication using the display.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-11 are allowed.
Claims 14-17 and 22-23 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include 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:
Regarding claim 1, none of the prior art shows, teaches or fairly suggests the features of “wherein the conductive bridge couples the conductive turret to the conductive sidewalls across the slot; a display mounted to the conductive turret and having conductive structures; a canted coil spring that couples the conductive structures in the display to the conductive turret; and an antenna having a patch element formed from the conductive turret, the canted coil spring, and the conductive structures and having an antenna ground that includes the conductive sidewalls.”
Claims 2-11 depend therefrom.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Baba (US 11520295)
Akiyama (US 9335743)
Vazquez (US 10862216)
Ruaro (US 10355344)
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/HASAN ISLAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845