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
1. The amendment filed July 23, 2025 has been entered. Claims 1-15 remain pending in the application with Claims 1, I 0, and 11 are currently amended, Claim 2 is canceled, Claims 3-9 and 12-15 are kept original.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
2. 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.
3. Claims 1, 10, and 12-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ji et al., (WIPO Pub. No. WO 2018/170946 A1, hereinafter "Ji'946") in view of Lin et al. (Chinese Pub. No. CN 218352723 U, hereinafter "Lin'723").
Regarding Claim 1, Ji'946 teaches a sounding unit (moving magnet loudspeaker, Fig. 1, Para. [0034]), comprising a plurality of voice coils (two voice coils 34, Fig. 1, Para. [0034]);
wherein the plurality of voice coils are sequentially arranged in a horizontal direction (Fig. 1 show voice coils 34 sequentially arranged in a horizontal direction) and in direct contact with each other (two voice coils 34 are in contact with each other, Fig. 1, Para. [0034]), and current directions of adjacent voice coils at contact positions are opposite (the directions of the currents passing through the two voice coils 34 are opposite, Para. [0047]);
each of the voice coils has a corresponding magnet (driving magnets 24a, Figs. 2 and 5, Para. [0047]), and polarities of the magnetic respectively corresponding to the adjacent voice coils are opposite (the polarities of the two driving magnets 24a are opposite, Fig. 5, Para. [0047]).
Ji'946 fails to explicitly teach each of the voice coils has a corresponding magnet steel, and polarities of the magnetic steels respectively corresponding to the adjacent voice coils are opposite.
However, Lin'723 teaches voice coil (voice coil 6, Fig. 1, Para. [0051]) with corresponding magnet steel (magnetic circuit assembly comprising magnetic steel 22, 3, Fig. 1, Para. [0050]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the sounding unit (as taught by Ji'946) to include the magnet steel (as taught by Lin'723). Doing so enables increased magnetic flux, which boosts the voice coil's force and sensitivity.
Regarding Claim 10, Ji'946 in view of Lin'723 teaches wherein the magnet steel comprises a central magnet steel (Lin'723, central magnetic steel 22, Fig. 1, Para. [0050]);
the central magnet steel corresponding to each of the voice coils is provided inside a hollow space surrounded by the voice coil (Ji'946, central magnet 24b is provided inside a hollow space surrounded by voice coil 34, Fig. 3, Para. [0042]);
adjacent voice coils each have a central magnet steel of opposite polarity (Ji'946, the polarities of the two central magnets 24a are opposite, Fig. 5, Para. [0047]).
Regarding Claim 12, Ji'946 in view of Lin'723 teaches wherein the number of voice coils is two (Ji'946, coils 34, Fig. 1).
Regarding Claim 13, Ji'946 in view of Lin'723 teaches further comprising a basin frame (Ji'946, basin frame 30, Fig. 1, Para. [0034]); the plurality of voice coils are provided in the basin frame and sequentially arranged along a short axis of the basin frame (Ji'946, Fig. 1 show voice coil 34 sequentially arranged along a short axis of the basin frame).
Regarding Claim 14, Ji'946 in view of Lin'723 teaches a loudspeaker, comprising the sounding unit according to claim 1 (Ji'946, moving magnet loudspeaker, Fig. 1, Para. [0034]).
Regarding Claim 15, it is rejected similarly as Claim 14.
4. Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ji et al., (WIPO Pub. No. WO 2018/170946 A1, hereinafter "Ji'946") in view of Lin et al. (Chinese Pub. No. CN 218352723 U, hereinafter "Lin'723"), and further in view of Xu et al. (Chinese Pub. No. CN 206821000 U, hereinafter "Xu").
Regarding Claim 3, Ji'946 in view of Lin'723 fails to explicitly teach wherein the plurality of voice coils are electrically and sequentially connected and have two output leads.
However, Xu teaches wherein the plurality of voice coils are electrically and sequentially connected and have two output leads (one of the leads of the first voice coil 1 and one of the leads of the second voice coil 2 are connected together through the first connecting wire 3, so that the first voice coil 1 and the second voice coil 2 are connected in series. The other lead wires of the first voice coil 1 and the second voice coil 2 are respectively led out through the second connecting wire 10, Fig. 2, Para. [0034]).
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 sounding unit (as taught by Ji'946 in view of Lin'723) to include voice coils electrically and sequentially connected (as taught by Xu). Doing so will eliminate the need for additional FPCB to connect the two voice coils, which can reduce the weight of the entire vibration system and improve the sensitivity of the vibration system (Xu Para. [0041]).
5. Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ji et al., (WIPO Pub. No. WO 2018/170946 A1, hereinafter "Ji'946") in view of Lin et al. (Chinese Pub. No. CN 218352723 U, hereinafter "Lin'723") in view of Xu et al. (Chinese Pub. No. CN 206821000 U, hereinafter "Xu"), and further in view of Lin et al. (Chinese Pub. No. CN 112153536 A, hereinafter "Lin'536").
Regarding Claim 4, Ji'946 in view of Lin'723, and further in view of Xu fails to explicitly teach wherein the two output leads are centrosymmetric with respect to a central point of the plurality of voice coils.
However, Lin'536 teaches wherein the two output leads are centrosymmetric with respect to a central point of the plurality of voice coils (the two leads 22 are symmetrically arranged. The symmetrical arrangement of the two leads 22 includes two situations, the first situation is that the two leads 22 are axially symmetrical; the second situation is that the two leads 22 are center-symmetrical, Figs. 1, 3 and 4, Para. [0062]).
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 sounding unit (as taught by Ji'946 in view of Lin'723, and further in view of Xu) to include centrosymmetric output leads (as taught by Lin'536). Doing so can well balance the force on the body, so that the voice coil can offset the pulling force of the leads on the body, thereby improving the polarization of the voice coil, the breakage of the leads, the open circuit of the leads and the like (Lin'536 Para. [0062]).
6. Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ji et al., (WIPO Pub. No. WO 2018/170946 A1, hereinafter "Ji'946") in view of Lin et al. (Chinese Pub. No. CN 218352723 U, hereinafter "Lin'723") in view of Xu et al. (Chinese Pub. No. CN 206821000 U, hereinafter "Xu"), and further in view of Ji et al., (WIPO Pub. No. WO 2018/170945 A1, hereinafter "Ji'945").
Regarding Claim 5, Ji'946 in view of Lin'723, and further in view of Xu fails to explicitly teach wherein the plurality of voice coils are connected in parallel or in series.
However, Ji'945 teaches wherein the plurality of voice coils are connected in parallel or in series (the voice coil 34 can be connected in series or in parallel, Para. [0052]).
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 sounding unit (as taught by Ji'946 in view of Lin'723, and further in view of Xu) to include voice coils are connected in parallel or in series (as taught by Ji'945). Doing so, coils connected in parallel can lower the total impedance allowing for the amplifier to deliver more power.
7. Claims 6-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ji et al., (WIPO Pub. No. WO 2018/170946 A1, hereinafter "Ji'946") in view of Lin et al. (Chinese Pub. No. CN 218352723 U, hereinafter "Lin'723") in view of Xu et al. (Chinese Pub. No. CN 206821000 U, hereinafter "Xu") in view of Ji et al., (WIPO Pub. No. WO 2018/170945 A1, hereinafter "Ji'945"), and further in view of Jiang et al. (Chinese Pub. No. CN 115119115 A, hereinafter "Jiang").
Regarding Claim 6, Ji'946 in view of Lin'723 in view of Xu, and further in view of Ji'945 fails to explicitly teach further comprising a damper;
the plurality of voice coils are connected in parallel or in series via the damper.
However, Jiang teaches a damper (the voice coil assembly 11 includes at least two voice coils, each of which is fixed to a frame 113. The frame 113 plays a role in fixing and connecting the voice coil, Figs. 1 and 5, Para. 0080]; the sound generating device further comprises a conductive member 3, which is connected to the frame113 to fix the voice coil assembly 11, Figs. 1 and 5, Para. [0089]; frame 113 with the connected conductive member 3 acts as a damper);
the plurality of voice coils are connected in parallel or in series via the damper (two voice coils may be connected in series or in parallel, Figs. 1 and 5, Para. [0042]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the sounding unit (as taught by Ji'946 in view of Lin'723 in view of Xu, and further in view of Ji'945) to include the damper (as taught by Jiang). Doing so, the position of the damper can be adjusted so that the voice coil is placed in an area with dense magnetic flux lines and makes the structure of the sound-generating device more compact (Jiang Paras. [0083], [0084] and [0091]).
Regarding Claim 7, Ji'946 in view of Lin'723 in view of Xu, in view of Ji'945, and further in view of Jiang teaches the damper has a pad adapted to each of the voice coils (Jiang, the conductive member 3 includes a first fixing portion 31, a second fixing portion 32 and an elastic portion 33, wherein the first fixing portion 31, the second fixing portion 32 and the elastic portion 33 may be integrally formed, Para. [0094]; during the fixing process, the second fixing part 32 is connected to the bottom plate 1134 of the frame 113, corresponding pads are arranged on the first and second fixing parts 32, and the lead wires led out from each voice coil are electrically connected to the corresponding pads, Para. [0095]);
each of the voice coils corresponds to two of the pads (Jiang, during the fixing process, the second fixing part 32 is connected to the bottom plate 1134 of the frame 113, corresponding pads are arranged on the first and second fixing parts 32, and the lead wires led out from each voice coil are electrically connected to the corresponding pads, Para. [0095]); and each of the voice coils is connected in parallel or in series with the other voice coils via two of the corresponding pads (Jiang, two voice coils may be connected in series or in parallel, Figs. 1 and 5, Para. [0042]; during the fixing process, the second fixing part 32 is connected to the bottom plate 1134 of the frame 113, corresponding pads are arranged on the first and second fixing parts 32, and the lead wires led out from each voice coil are electrically connected to the corresponding pads, Para. [0095]).
Regarding Claim 8, Ji'946 in view of Lin'723 in view of Xu, in view of Ji'945, and further in view of Jiang teaches wherein the damper is arranged symmetrically (Jiang, Figs. 1 and 5 show damper arranged symmetrically).
Regarding Claim 9, Ji'946 in view of Lin'723 in view of Xu, in view of Ji'945, and further in view of Jiang teaches wherein the damper is integrally formed or split into a plurality of grouped arrangements based on the pad (Jiang, the conductive member 3 includes a first fixing portion 31 , a second fixing portion 32 and an elastic portion 33 , wherein the first fixing portion 31, the second fixing portion 32 and the elastic portion 33 may be integrally formed, Para. [0094]).
8. Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ji et al., (WIPO Pub. No. WO 2018/170946 A1, hereinafter "Ji'946") in view of Lin et al. (Chinese Pub. No. CN 218352723 U, hereinafter "Lin'723") in view of Lin et al. (Chinese Pub. No. CN 116233707 A, hereinafter "Lin'707"), and further in view of Ji et al., (WIPO Pub. No. WO 2018/170945 A1, hereinafter "Ji'945").
Regarding Claim 11, Ji'946 in view of Lin'723 teaches wherein the magnet steel further comprises a side magnet steel (Lin'723, side magnet steel 3, Fig. 1, Para. [0050]).
Ji'946 in view of Lin'723 fails to explicitly teach the side magnet steel corresponding to each of the voice coils is arranged to surround an outer periphery around the voice coil except for a side in contact with the adjacent voice coil;
the side magnet steel and the central magnet steel of each of the voice coils are opposite in polarity.
However, Lin'707 teaches the side magnet corresponding to each of the voice coils is arranged to surround an outer periphery around the voice coil except for a side in contact with the adjacent voice coil (the side magnet of magnetic circuit assembly 2 surrounds the outer periphery around the voice coil except for the side of the voice coil in contact, Fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the sounding unit (as taught by Ji'946 in view of Lin'723) to include the side magnet surrounding an outer periphery around the voice coil (as taught by Lin'707). Doing so creates a powerful and focused magnetic field leading to higher efficiency, increased force and sensitivity of the voice coil.
However, Ji'945 teaches the side magnet and the central magnet of each of the voice coils are opposite in polarity ([for the side magnet], the upper end of the magnet 38 on the left side is an S pole, and the lower end is an N pole. The upper end of the magnet 38 on the right side is an N pole, and the lower end is an S pole, Para. [0057]; [for the central magnet], the central magnet 24 are opposite in polarity, Para. [0044]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the sounding unit (as taught by Ji'946 in view of Lin'723, and further in view of Lin'707) to include the side magnet steel and central magnet steel of each of voice coils opposite in polarity (as taught by Ji'945). Doing so creates a powerful and focused magnetic field leading to higher efficiency, increased force and sensitivity of the voice coil.
Response to Arguments
9. Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 10 and 11 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.
Applicant argues (see Applicant’s response, page 6), Ji'946 (WO2018170946) discloses contacting voice coils (Fig. 1, [0034]) but: Lacks magnet steel polarity optimization (amended Claim 1's key feature), Ji'946 discloses armature 36 in the center of the voice coil 34. Aims to "improve poor transient response" ([0004 ]), not sensitivity enhancement. Does not resolve Ji's structural conflict with magnet 38 installation. Amended Claim 1's "contact+ opposite polarity" enables closed magnetic paths (reducing flux leakage) and maximized B·L product in limited space, boosting sensitivity (Spec. [0056]). Ji'946 offers no teaching for this solution.
In response to applicant’s arguments, Ji’946 teaches voice coils in contact (two voice coils 34 are in contact with each other, Fig. 1, Para. [0034]); corresponding voice coil magnets with opposing polarity (the polarities of the two driving magnets 24a are opposite, Fig. 5, Para. [0047]). Li’723 teaches the use of magnetic steel (magnetic circuit assembly comprising magnetic steel 22, 3, Fig. 1, Para. [0050]).
In response to applicant's arguments against the references individually, one cannot show nonobviousness by attacking references individually where the rejections are based on combinations of references. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981); In re Merck & Co., 800 F.2d 1091, 231 USPQ 375 (Fed. Cir. 1986).
In response to applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., enables closed magnetic paths (reducing flux leakage) and maximized B·L product in limited space, boosting sensitivity) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993).
Independent Claim 1 and Claim 1 dependent Claims 10 and 12-15 are rejected on a new ground of rejection under U.S.C. 103 over "Ji'946" in view of Lin'723. Independent Claim 1 rejection under U.S.C. 103 is maintained. Independent Claim 1 dependent Claims 10 and 12-15 rejections under U.S.C. 103 are maintained.
Independent Claim 1 dependent Claims 3 is rejected on a new ground of rejection under U.S.C. 103 over Ji’946 in view of Lin’723, and further in view of Xu. Claim 3 rejection under U.S.C. 103 is maintained.
Independent Claim 1 dependent Claim 4 is rejected on a new ground of rejection under U.S.C. 103 over Ji’946 in view of Lin’723 in view of Xu, and further in view of Lin’536. Claim 4 rejection under U.S.C. 103 is maintained.
Independent Claim 1 dependent Claim 5 is rejected on a new ground of rejection under U.S.C. 103 over Ji’946 in view of Lin’723 in view of Xu, and further in view of Ji’945. Claim 5 rejection under U.S.C. 103 is maintained.
Independent Claim 1 dependent Claims 6-9 are rejected on a new ground of rejection under U.S.C. 103 over Ji’946 in view of Lin’723 in view of Xu in view of Ji’945, and further in view of Jiang. Claims 6-9 rejections under U.S.C. 103 are maintained.
Independent Claim 1 dependent Claim 11 is rejected on a new ground of rejection under U.S.C. 103 over Ji’946 in view of Lin’723 in view of Lin’707, and further in view of Ji’945. Claim 11 rejection under U.S.C. 103 is maintained.
Conclusion
10. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHIMEZIE E BEKEE whose telephone number is (571)272-0202. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7.30-5.
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/CHIMEZIE EZERIWE BEKEE/Examiner, Art Unit 2691
/DUC NGUYEN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2691