DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. 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
2. Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I claims 1-9 in the reply filed on 03/29/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
6. This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
7. Claim(s) 1-5 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu (US 20180270900 A1) in view of LIM (US 20250181150 A1) and Szini (US 20140192845 A1).
For claim 1. Zhu discloses An electronic device (Abstract) comprising: a housing; first and second displays ([0016]) at a first side of the housing; a cover layer at a second side of the housing opposite the first side ([0019], figures 1 and 10, front cover); a first antenna overlapping the peripheral region of the cover layer ([0019], [0020], figures 1 and 10, antennas 122 and 124); a second antenna overlapping the peripheral region of the cover layer ([0019], [0020], figures 1 and 10, antennas 122 and 124); a transceiver ([0020]); and a signal interface ([0020]) coupled to the transceiver over a first radio-frequency transmission line, coupled to the first antenna over a second radio-frequency transmission line, and coupled to the second antenna over a third radio-frequency transmission line, wherein the transceiver is configured to concurrently transmit a stream of wireless data over the first and second antennas ([0020]).
Zhu fails to mention a third display overlapping a central region of the cover layer and configured to display images through the central region of the cover layer, the cover layer having a peripheral region surrounding the central region.
This teaching is disclosed by LIM (figures 2-3, 6, [0040], [0056], [0059], head mounted display (HMD) including front cover with a peripheral region, and external display 230 with cover for shielding light emitting diodes (LEDs)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the selection techniques taught by LIM into the art of Zhu as to improve user experience.
Zhu and LIM fail to mention a signal splitter.
This teaching is disclosed by Szini ([0042]-[0045], splitter 226, transceiver 222, first antenna 202 and second antenna 204).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the selection techniques taught by Szini into the art of Zhu as modified by LIM as to improve signal by using spatial diversity.
For claim 2. Zhu in combination with LIM and Szini substantially teaches the electronic device of claim 1, Zhu discloses wherein the cover layer has a first corner and a second corner, the third display has a third corner and a fourth corner, the first antenna is interposed between the first corner and the third corner, and the second antenna is interposed between the second corner and the fourth corner (Zhu’s device in figures 1 and 10 as modified by LIM (figure 6) the display 230 integrated into Zhu’s device, the antennas 122 and 124 located between the corner of the display and the corner of the cover).
For claim 3. Zhu in combination with LIM and Szini substantially teaches the electronic device of claim 1, Zhu discloses wherein the housing has a top side and a bottom side opposite the top side, the top and bottom sides extend from the first side to the second side, and at least part of the first antenna and at least part of the second antenna are interposed between the third display and the bottom side of the electronic device (Zhu’s device in figures 1 and 10 as modified by LIM (figure 6) the display 230 integrated into Zhu’s device).
For claim 4. Zhu in combination with LIM and Szini substantially teaches the electronic device of claim 3, Zhu discloses wherein the housing has a third side, a fourth side opposite the third side, and a longitudinal axis extending from the third side to the fourth side, the first and second antennas being tilted at non-parallel and non-perpendicular angles with respect to the longitudinal axis (figures 1, 7-8 and 10, antennas 122, 124 with curved radiating surface).
For claim 5. Zhu in combination with LIM and Szini substantially teaches the electronic device of claim 3, Zhu discloses wherein the housing has a third side and a fourth side opposite the third side, the third and fourth sides extend from the first side to the second side, and the first and second antennas are tilted at non-parallel and non-perpendicular angles with respect to the third and fourth sides (figures 1, 7-8 and 10, antennas 122, 124 with curved radiating surface).
For claim 7. Zhu in combination with LIM and Szini substantially teaches the electronic device of claim 1, Szini discloses further comprising a phase shifter disposed on the second radio-frequency transmission line ([0042]-[0045], figure 2).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the selection techniques taught by Szini into the art of Zhu as modified by LIM and Szini as to improve signal by using spatial diversity.
8. Claim(s) 1, 21 and 23-30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Maric (US 20210333823 A1) in view of Szini (US 20140192845 A1).
For claim 1. Maric discloses An electronic device comprising: a housing; first and second displays at a first side of the housing (figure 1, [0029], displays 14); a cover layer at a second side of the housing opposite the first side (figure 5, [0051], display cover layer e.g. a layer of glass); a third display (figures 5 and 6, [0053], display pixel array 14M) overlapping a central region of the cover layer and configured to display images through the central region of the cover layer, the cover layer having a peripheral region surrounding the central region (figure 6); a first antenna overlapping the peripheral region of the cover layer ([0044], [0050], antennas 60); a second antenna overlapping the peripheral region of the cover layer ([0044], [0050], antennas 60); a transceiver ([0057], [0058]); and a signal interface coupled to the transceiver over a first radio-frequency transmission line, coupled to the first antenna over a second radio-frequency transmission line, and coupled to the second antenna over a third radio-frequency transmission line, wherein the transceiver is configured to concurrently transmit a stream of wireless data over the first and second antennas ([0060]-[0062]).
Maric fails to mention a signal splitter.
This teaching is disclosed by Szini ([0042]-[0045], splitter 226, transceiver 222, first antenna 202 and second antenna 204).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the selection techniques taught by Szini into the art of Maric as to improve signal by using spatial diversity, and/or splitting signal for beam steering with phased antenna arrays.
For claim 21. Maric in combination with Szini substantially teaches the electronic device of claim 1, Maric discloses wherein the cover layer comprises glass and the stream of wireless data comprises packets organized according to a non-Bluetooth communications protocol ([0051], display cover layer e.g. a layer of glass; [0029]).
For claim 23. Maric discloses A head-mounted display device comprising: a housing; first and second displays at a first side of the housing (figure 1, [0029], displays 14); a cover glass at a second side of the housing opposite the first side (figure 5, [0051], display cover layer e.g. a layer of glass); a third display (figures 5 and 6, [0053], display pixel array 14M) overlapping a first region of the cover glass and configured to display images through the first region of the cover glass; a first antenna overlapping a second region of the cover glass ([0044], [0050], antennas 60); a second antenna overlapping the second region of the cover glass ([0044], [0050], antennas 60); a radio ([0057], [0058]); and a signal interface communicatively coupled to the radio over a first radio-frequency transmission line, communicatively coupled to the first antenna over a second radio-frequency transmission line, and communicatively coupled to the second antenna over a third radio-frequency transmission line, wherein the radio is configured to concurrently transmit a stream of wireless data using the first and second antennas ([0060]-[0062]).
Maric fails to mention a signal splitter.
This teaching is disclosed by Szini ([0042]-[0045], splitter 226, transceiver 222, first antenna 202 and second antenna 204).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the selection techniques taught by Szini into the art of Maric as to improve signal by using spatial diversity, and/or splitting signal for beam steering with phased antenna arrays.
For claim 24. Maric in combination with Szini substantially teaches the head-mounted display device of claim 23, Maric discloses wherein the images do not pass through the second region of the cover glass (figures 4-6).
For claim 25. Maric in combination with Szini substantially teaches the head-mounted display device of claim 23, Maric discloses wherein the first region comprises a central region of the cover glass, the second region of the cover glass extending along a periphery of the first region (figures 4-6).
For claim 26. Maric in combination with Szini substantially teaches the head-mounted display device of claim 23, Maric discloses further comprising: a phase shifter on the second radio-frequency transmission line, wherein the phase shifter is configured to shift a phase of the stream of wireless data on the second radio-frequency transmission line relative to a phase of the stream of wireless data on the third radio-frequency transmission line ([0060]-[0062], beam steering with phased antenna arrays).
For claim 27. Maric discloses A method of operating an electronic device, the method comprising: displaying, using first and second displays at a first side of the electronic device, first images (figure 1, [0029], displays 14); displaying, using a third display, second images through a central region of a cover layer at a second side of the electronic device opposite the first side (figures 5 and 6, [0053], display pixel array 14M); transmitting, using a transceiver, a stream of wireless data ([0060]-[0062]); concurrently transmitting, using a signal interface, the stream of wireless data to first and second antennas ([0060]-[0062]); transmitting, using the first antenna, the stream of wireless data through a peripheral region of the cover layer (figures 4-6, [0044], [0050], antennas 60); and transmitting, using the second antenna, the stream of wireless data through the peripheral region of the cover layer (figures 4-6, [0044], [0050], antennas 60).
Maric fails to mention a signal splitter.
This teaching is disclosed by Szini ([0042]-[0045], splitter 226, transceiver 222, first antenna 202 and second antenna 204).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the selection techniques taught by Szini into the art of Maric as to improve signal by using spatial diversity, and/or splitting signal for beam steering with phased antenna arrays.
For claim 28. Maric in combination with Szini substantially teaches the method of claim 27, Maric discloses further comprising: adjusting, using a phase shifter, a phase of the stream of wireless data transmitted to the first antenna ([0060]-[0062], beam steering with phased antenna arrays).
For claim 29. Maric in combination with Szini substantially teaches the method of claim 27, Maric discloses wherein the stream of wireless data comprises audio packets ([0022], [0038], [0039], [0086]).
For claim 30. Maric in combination with Szini substantially teaches the method of claim 29, Maric discloses wherein transmitting the stream of wireless data using the transceiver comprises transmitting the audio packets according to a non- Bluetooth communications protocol ([0022], [0038], [0039], [0086]).
9. Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Maric (US 20210333823 A1) in view of Szini (US 20140192845 A1) and Prest (US 8605008 B1).
For claim 6. Maric in combination with Szini substantially teaches the electronic device of claim 1, but fails to mention wherein the cover layer has a compound curvature.
This teaching is disclosed by Prest (figures 7A, 7B, column 1 line 52-column 2 line 28).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the selection techniques taught by Prest into the art of Maric as modified by Szini as to improve user experience.
Allowable Subject Matter
10. Claims 8-9 and 22 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims, because none of the references, either alone or in combination, discloses or renders obvious the claims 8-9 and 22.
Conclusion
Any response to this Office Action should be faxed to (571) 273-8300, submitted online via the USPTO's Electronic Filing System-Web (EFS-Web) (Registered eFilers only, Registered users of the USPTO's EFS-Web system may submit a response electronically through EFS-Web at https://efs.uspto.gov/TruePassSample/AuthenticateUserLocalEPF.html), or mailed to:
Commissioner for Patents
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Rui Meng Hu whose telephone number is 571-270-1105, email is ruimeng.hu@uspto.gov. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., EST.
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, Jinsong Hu can be reached on (571)272-3965. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Rui Meng Hu/
R.H./rh
May 12, 2026
/YUWEN PAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2649
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