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 Amendment
The Office Action is responsive to amendments filed for application 18/337,407 filed on 10/11/2025.
Please note claims 1-6 and 8-10 remain in the application.
In response to the amendments filed to claims 1-6 and 8-10, the previous rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C 112(b) has been withdrawn.
In response to the amendment filed to the title, the previous objection to the specification has been withdrawn.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 10/11/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant’s first argument, page 7, second paragraph, regarding rejections to claim 1, argues that Li fails to disclose wherein the first diaphragm vibrates to generate a first sound signal opposite to a phase of the second sound signal. In ¶[0011] of Li et al (hereinafter Li Y), China Patent Publication CN112118339 (Previously cited), Li Y discloses wherein the phase of a call sound signal (emitted by a first sound-emitting unit (comprising a first diaphragm)) and the phase of a cancellation sound signal (emitted by a second sound-emitting unit (comprising a second diaphragm)) are opposite. Additionally, as the second diaphragm vibrates to generate a second sound signal opposite to a phase of the first sound signal, the first diaphragm inherently vibrates to generate a first sound signal opposite to the phase of the second sound signal.
Moreover, it is noted that, barring structures or methods to prevent transmission of sound (e.g. physical dampeners or insulators, neither of which are claimed by the applicant, or relied upon in the disclosure of Li Y), some amount of both sound signals will resonate within the housing, causing sound leakage inside the housing (including within the first and second sounding holes), resulting in mutual interference between the first and second sound signals at these locations. As the first and second sound signals of both the current application and Li Y are opposite in phase, this interference will result in cancellation within the first and second sounding holes.
Applicant’s remaining arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 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.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in China on 10/21/2033. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the CN202211295250.3 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Drawings
Figures 1-6 are objected to because shown components are not clearly identified in the figure. Elements critical to the understanding of the invention should also be identified via written legend (See 37 CFR 1.84 (o)). Such a legend may, for example, be placed alongside the figures as presented, identifying elements by name and number (e.g. 112 – Second Sounding Hole).
New corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in this application. Applicant is advised to employ the services of a competent patent draftsperson outside the Office, as the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office no longer prepares new drawings. The corrected drawings are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The requirement for corrected drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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) 1-6 and 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al (hereinafter Li Y), China Patent Publication CN112118339 (Previously cited) in view of Li et al (hereinafter Li J), US-PG-PUB No. 2021/11014742 (Previously cited).
Regarding claim 1, Li Y discloses an electronic device (Shown in Fig. 23, electronic device (100).....¶[0207], line 1), comprising:
a housing (Housing (180).....¶[0207], line 1), and
a receiver (A sound emitting device (receiver) disposed between sound channels (190A) and (190B).....¶[0207], lines 13-14);
wherein the housing is fixedly mounted within the electronic device (The screen (150) and back cover (170) of the electronic device are fixed to the housing (180) on its top and bottom extremity, therefore fixedly mounting the housing within them.....¶[0207], lines 4-5); a first cavity (Sound channels 190A and 190B comprise a sound cavity.....¶[0207], lines 11-14) and a second cavity are defined in the housing (A second cavity is visible in Fig. 23, to the left of first cavity, between the indicators (150) and (170)); the first cavity is communicated with the second cavity (The first and second cavity are shown as connected (communicated) in Fig. 23); a first sounding hole ((109A).....¶[0207], line 15) and a second sounding hole ((109B).....¶[0207], line 15) are respectively defined on two opposite walls of the first cavity (Shown in Fig. 23, sound(ing) holes (109A) and (109B) are positioned on the top and bottom walls of the first cavity); the first sounding hole and the second sounding hole are communicated with outside (In Fig. 23, sound holes (109A) and (109B) are visibly communicating the first sound cavity with outside of the housing);
wherein the receiver is installed in the first cavity (Previously established.....¶[0207], lines 13-14); the receiver comprises a first sounding unit (A first sound emitting unit (sounding unit) is comprised of a first diaphragm group (10), first voice coil (20), and magnetic conductive plates (50, 66).....¶[0207], lines 19-20, ¶[0209], lines 1-3) and a second sounding unit (A second sound emitting unit (sounding unit) is comprised of a second diaphragm group (30), second voice coil (40), and second magnetic conductive plates (55, 62).....¶[0207], lines 20-21, ¶[0209], lines 1-3);
the first sounding unit, and the second sounding unit are sequentially stacked (Shown in Fig. 23, the components of both sounding units as defined above (10, 20, 50, 66, 55, 62, 30, 40) are arranged in a stack of two transducers facing opposite directions) ; the first sounding unit comprising a first diaphragm (First diaphragm group (10)) and a partially shared first magnetic circuit system (First magnetic conductive plates (50, 66), first voice coil (20), and shared inner and outer magnets (60, 64) form the first magnetic circuit system.....¶[0209], lines 1-3); the second sounding unit comprising a second diaphragm (Second diaphragm group (30)) and a partially shared second magnetic circuit system (Second magnetic conductive plates (55, 62), second voice coil (40), and shared inner and outer magnets (60, 64) form the second magnetic circuit system.....¶[0209], lines 1-3); the first diaphragm is disposed opposite to the second diaphragm (Shown in Fig. 23, first diaphragm group (10) is provided to upper sound channel (190A), while second diaphragm group (30) is provided to the opposite-facing lower sound channel (190B)); the first magnetic circuit system is directly fixed to one side of the shared inner and outer magnets (Shown in Fig. 23, the previously listed elements of the first magnetic system are provided to the top side of the shared central magnets (60, 64)), and the second magnetic circuit system is directly fixed to the other side of the shared inner and outer magnets (Shown in Fig. 23, the previously listed elements of the second magnetic system are provided to the bottom side of the shared central magnets (60, 64)); the first diaphragm faces the first sounding hole (Shown in Fig. 23, first diaphragm group (10) faces sounding hole (190A).....¶[0207], lines 24-26), the second diaphragm faces the second sounding hole (Shown in Fig. 23, second diaphragm group (30) faces sounding hole (190B).....¶[0207], lines 26-28);
when the electronic device is configured such that the second sounding hole serves as an earpiece (Shown in Fig. 15, second sounding hole (106) is connected to earpiece (1323).....¶[0181], lines 13), the second diaphragm vibrates to generate a second sound signal (The diaphragm of the second piece (1323) vibrates to generate a cancellation (second) sound signal.....¶[0181], lines 23-24), which is emitted through the second sounding hole (¶[0181], line 26), while, the first diaphragm vibrates (The first diaphragm of first earpiece (1313) vibrates…..¶[0181], lines 19-20) to generate a first sound signal (A call audio signal.....¶[0181], lines 19-20) opposite to a phase of the second sound signal (The phases of the cancellation (second) and call audio (first) sound signals may be opposite.....¶[0128], lines 1-2) so as to cancel the second sound signal
(A cancellation effect occurs at all places where sound is met with a sound of same amplitude and opposite phase. As sound travels from earpiece to earpiece (either through internal resonance of the first and second cavities, resulting in both signals leaking out of the first and second sounding hole, or externally through the outside environment of the device, resulting in both signals leaking into the first and second sounding hole), portions of the second sound signal arriving at and emanating from the first sounding hole with will be superimposed with, and canceled by, the anti-phase portions of said second sound signal contained within the first sound signal) emanating from the first sounding hole (Sounds is cancelled at all positions where a leaked sound and cancellation sound interact, including the first sounding hole.....¶[0127], lines 4-6);
when the electronic device is configured such that the first sounding hole serves as the earpiece, the first diaphragm vibrates to generate a second sound signal, which is emitted through the first sounding hole, while, the second diaphragm vibrates to generate the second sound signal opposite to a phase of the first sound signal so as to cancel the first sound signal emanating from the second sounding hole (As the device of Li Y is symmetrical as shown in Figs. 23 and 15, with earpieces disposed on both sides of the device as previously stated in ¶[0181], lines 13 and 23-24, it follows that the sound cancellation effect described immediately above where the second sounding hole serves as the earpiece works in both directions, as in order for a first sound signal generated by a first diaphragm to be opposite in phase to a second sound signal generated by a second diaphragm, the second signal is also opposite in phase to the first signal, and will cancel the first sound signal emanating from the second sound hole).
Li Y fails to explicitly disclose wherein the first and second sounding units are separated by a partition plate, said plate being sequentially stacked between the first and second sounding units, as well as wherein the first and second sounding units are comprised of fully distinct first and second magnetic circuits, instead disclosing wherein the units are separated by a permanent magnet, which serves as shared element of the first and second magnetic circuits.
Li J teaches a speaker module (analogous to the receiver of Li Y) for an electronic device wherein, as shown in Fig. 1, first and second sounding units are provided with separate magnetic circuits (Shown in Fig. 1 are first and second speakers (sounding units) (2) and (3), which are physically separate moving-coil type speakers, each provided with their own magnets, diaphragms, and voice coils.....¶[0035], lines 1-4) and are separated by a partition plate (The two speakers may be provided to opposite ends of a plate-like bracket (1).....¶[0045], lines 1-3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Li Y by Li J to provide the benefit of a better sound cancellation effect with a shorter sound channel structure (Li J, ¶[0032], lines 32-35). Such modification would make obvious the features wherein the receiver comprises a partition plate, stacked sequentially between the first and second sounding units, and wherein each sounding unit is provided with its own magnetic circuit.
Regarding claim 2, the electronic device of claim 1 is taught, as explained above, by the combination of Li Y and Li J.
Li Y additionally teaches wherein along a thickness direction of the receiver, a projection of the first sounding hole completely coincides with a projection of the second sounding hole (Visible in Fig. 23, sounding holes 109 A and B fully overlap in the Y direction of the receiver).
Regarding claim 3, the electronic device of claim 1 is taught, as explained above, by the combination of Li Y and Li J.
Li Y additionally teaches wherein a positioning frame is disposed in the housing (Identified in the annotated Fig. 23, below); a first (upper) end of the positioning frame is connected to an inner wall of the housing (The right side of the frame is connected to housing (180)); a second end of the positioning frame is extended along the housing to divide an interior of the housing into the first cavity and the second cavity (The left end of the frame divides the first cavity and second cavity) communicated with the first cavity; and
a first positioning hole defined in the positioning frame (The four sections of the positioning frame identified each have a notched corner. When combined, all notched sections form a set of holes for positioning the receiver, the upper notches forming a first hole, the lower notches forming a second hole), the first positioning hole is communicated with the outside through the first sounding hole (The first positioning hole is disposed in the center of the first cavity, and is communicated to both sound holes (109A, 109B) via said cavity); a first end of the receiver is embeddable in the first positioning hole (The receiver (including its upper (first) end) is placed (embedded) in the hole using the notched corners to align it); the first diaphragm disposed on the first end of the receiver (Upper (first) diaphragm group (10) is disposed on the upper (first) end of the receiver)).
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Li Y, Fig. 23 (Frame Annotation)
Regarding claim 4, the electronic device of claim 3 is taught, as explained above, by the combination of Li Y and Li J.
Li Y additionally teaches wherein a limiting step is disposed on an inner wall of the first positioning hole; in a process of embedding the receiver into the first positioning hole, the receiver abuts against the limiting step (Shown in Fig. 23, the notched corners previously indicated in the rejection of claim 3 also serve as a limiting step which the receiver can be seen abutting against).
Regarding claim 5, the electronic device of claim 3 is taught, as explained above, by the combination of Li Y and Li J.
Li Y additionally teaches, as shown in Fig. 23, wherein the housing comprising a base (180), a first covering piece (170), and a second covering piece (150); the positioning frame is disposed in the base (the frame is central to the housing base (180); the first covering piece covers an opening defined on one end of the base and is connected with the base (first covering piece (170) connects to base (180) to close and define the lower portion of the first cavity); the first covering piece defines a second positioning hole (The lower notches indicated in annotated Fig. 23 form a second positioning hole used to position the receiver); the second diaphragm is disposed on second end of the receiver (Lower (second) diaphragm group (30) is disposed on the lower (second) end of the receiver); the second covering piece covers the first positioning hole (Upper (second) covering piece closes and defines the upper portion of the first cavity, covering the first (upper) positioning hole) and is connected with the first covering piece (The two pieces are connected at the right side of the figure, as well as the left side through housing (180)); the second sounding hole is defined on the second covering piece (First and second sounding holes (109B and 109A) are provided respectively to first and second covering pieces (170) and (150)); the second positioning hole is connected with the outside through the second sounding hole (The second positioning hole is disposed in the first cavity, which is connected with outside the housing through the second sounding hole).
Regarding claim 6, the electronic device of claim 5 is taught, as explained above, by the combination of Li Y and Li J.
Li Y additionally teaches (shown in the annotated Fig. 23 above) wherein the housing further comprises a supporting frame; a first end of the supporting frame is connected to one side, away from the base, of the first covering piece (The supporting frame is extends from (and is connected to) the first (lower) covering piece (170)); a second end of the supporting frame is extended in a direction away from the base (The upper half (second end) of the supporting frame extends between (away from) the central base (180) and second (upper) covering piece (150)); the second covering piece is connected with the second end (The second end extends from the second covering piece, therefore connecting them), away from the first covering piece of the supporting frame (The second covering piece is on the opposite side of (away from) the housing from the first covering piece); a hollow portion of the supporting frame is opposite to the second positioning hole (The sides of the supporting frame assist in defining the first cavity with the hollow portion between them, thus being opposite to both positioning holes on both top and bottom sides of the housing).
Regarding claim 8 the electronic device of claim 1 is taught, as explained above, by the combination of Li Y and Li J.
Li Y additionally teaches wherein the first sounding hole is a circular hole (shown in Fig. 15, first and second sounding holes (104, 106) are circular).
Regarding claim 9 the electronic device of claim 1 is taught, as explained above, by the combination of Li Y and Li J.
Li Y additionally teaches wherein a third cavity communicated with the first cavity is defined in the housing (Shown in Fig. 23, annotated below, a third cavity is shown to the right of the first cavity), and the first cavity is disposed between the second cavity and the third cavity (The second cavity is left of the first cavity, placing the first cavity between the other two).
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Li Y, Fig. 23 (Cavity and Wall Annotation)
Regarding claim 10 the electronic device of claim 9 is taught, as explained above, by the combination of Li Y and Li J.
Li Y additionally teaches, as indicated in the annotated Fig. 23 above, wherein the first cavity comprises a first bottom wall; the second cavity comprises a second bottom wall; the third cavity comprises a third bottom wall; the first sounding hole is defined on the first bottom wall; a first end of the first bottom wall is connected with the second bottom wall; a second end of the first bottom wall is bent towards the housing, and is connected with the third bottom wall.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Qin et al, US-PG-PUB No. 2026/0046552 teaches a dual receiver structure for an electronic device, wherein the output of one receiver phase-cancels the output of the other.
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 SEAN RINEHART whose telephone number is (571)272-2778. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10-6 6:00 PM ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Fan Tsang can be reached on (571) 272-7547. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SEAN M RINEHART/Examiner, Art Unit 2694
/FAN S TSANG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2694