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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 9/2/2026 has been entered.
Claim Objections
The amendment to the claims filed on 9/2/2026 does not comply with the requirements of 37 CFR 1.121(c) because amendments were made without proper markings such as underlines and strikethroughs. Please include proper marking for further amendments.
Amendments to the claims filed on or after July 30, 2003 must comply with which states:
(c) Claims. Amendments to a claim must be made by rewriting the entire claim with all changes (e.g., additions and deletions) as indicated in this subsection, except when the claim is being canceled. Each amendment document that includes a change to an existing claim, cancellation of an existing claim or addition of a new claim, must include a complete listing of all claims ever presented, including the text of all pending and withdrawn claims, in the application. The claim listing, including the text of the claims, in the amendment document will serve to replace all prior versions of the claims, in the application. In the claim listing, the status of every claim must be indicated after its claim number by using one of the following identifiers in a parenthetical expression: (Original), (Currently amended), (Canceled), (Withdrawn), (Previously presented), (New), and (Not entered).
(1) Claim listing. All of the claims presented in a claim listing shall be presented in ascending numerical order. Consecutive claims having the same status of “canceled” or “not entered” may be aggregated into one statement (e.g., Claims 1–5 (canceled)). The claim listing shall commence on a separate sheet of the amendment document and the sheet(s) that contain the text of any part of the claims shall not contain any other part of the amendment.
(2) When claim text with markings is required. All claims being currently amended in an amendment paper shall be presented in the claim listing, indicate a status of “currently amended,” and be submitted with markings to indicate the changes that have been made relative to the immediate prior version of the claims. The text of any added subject matter must be shown by underlining the added text. The text of any deleted matter must be shown by strike-through except that double brackets placed before and after the deleted characters may be used to show deletion of five or fewer consecutive characters. The text of any deleted subject matter must be shown by being placed within double brackets if strike-through cannot be easily perceived. Only claims having the status of “currently amended,” or “withdrawn” if also being amended, shall include markings. If a withdrawn claim is currently amended, its status in the claim listing may be identified as “withdrawn—currently amended.”
(3) When claim text in clean version is required. The text of all pending claims not being currently amended shall be presented in the claim listing in clean version, i.e., without any markings in the presentation of text. The presentation of a clean version of any claim having the status of “original,” “withdrawn” or “previously presented” will constitute an assertion that it has not been changed relative to the immediate prior version, except to omit markings that may have been present in the immediate prior version of the claims of the status of “withdrawn” or “previously presented.” Any claim added by amendment must be indicated with the status of “new” and presented in clean version, i.e., without any underlining.
(4) When claim text shall not be presented; canceling a claim.
(i) No claim text shall be presented for any claim in the claim listing with the status of “canceled” or “not entered.”
(ii) Cancellation of a claim shall be effected by an instruction to cancel a particular claim number. Identifying the status of a claim in the claim listing as “canceled” will constitute an instruction to cancel the claim.
(5) Reinstatement of previously canceled claim. A claim which was previously canceled may be reinstated only by adding the claim as a “new” claim with a new claim number.
Withdrawn Allowable Subject Matter
The indicated allowability of original claims 6, 10-12, 17-21 filed 8/13/2023 are withdrawn in view of the newly discovered reference(s) to Sabick (US 2006/0098836). Rejections based on the newly cited reference(s) follow.
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.
Claim 7 and 13-15 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 7 recites the limitation "opposite the first end, of the housing”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The limitation was not preceded by any recitation of a first end.
Claim 7 also recites “an elastic boot.” There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The limitation was preceded by a first elastic boot. It is unclear if “an elastic boot” is referring to another elastic boot or said first elastic boot.
Claim 13 recites “the support structure.” There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The limitation was not preceded by any recitation of a support structure.
Claim 14 recites “a support structure.” There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The limitation was preceded by “the support structure,” it is unclear if “a support structure is referring to “the support structure” or another “support structure.”
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-7, 10-14, 16-17, and 19-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sabick (US 20060098836) in view of Houcek (US 2020/0213787).
Regarding claim 1, Sabick teaches An ear-worn hearing device comprising: a housing comprising an end portion configured for at least partial insertion into a user's ear (Sabick figure 2, nozzle 40 and ¶0032, “earphone 5 can be configured for use in either the right or the left ear”), the housing comprising an opening at the end portion (Sabick figure 2 and ¶0038, “Sounds exit the nozzle 40 by passing through the cylinder 41”); an electrical circuit disposed in the housing (Sabick figure 3, flex circuit 50);a transducer assembly disposed in the housing (Sabick figure 3, driver 30), the transducer assembly comprising: an acoustic transducer and an open portion from which sound is emitted (Sabick figure 2 and ¶0037, “driver 30 has a driver body 31 and includes a sound port 35 that extends from the driver body 31”);electrical contacts removably coupled electrically to corresponding contacts of the electrical circuit (Sabick figure 2 and ¶0039, “To provide the power and signal to the driver 30, conductors 2 and 3 may be connected to the back of driver 30 at the two solder pads 37”); and a retention structure removably coupled mechanically to the housing (Sabick figure 5 and ¶0047, “When the nut 110 is tightened, which may be done by hand” ¶0049, “nut 110 has certain benefits that will be discussed below, other types of fasteners, such as clips that include one or more fingers configured to releasably engage a crevice, may also be used” ¶0056 “if the nut 110 is to be removed by hand it should not be secured too tightly”); and a vibration isolator (Sabick figure 5 and ¶0043, “To absorb forces that might be exerted on the driver 30 if the earphone 5 is, for example, dropped, a vibration isolator may be provided and a boot 90 is an embodiment of such a vibration isolator”), coupled to the transducer assembly (Sabick figure 5, driver 30 and boot 90) and comprising an acoustic passage coupled to the open portion of the acoustic transducer (Sabick figure 5 and ¶0044), the vibration isolator comprising a first elastic (Sabick ¶0074, “the boot 90 can stretch slightly when being installed on the driver 30”) boot comprising a passage coupling the open portion of the acoustic transducer to the opening of the housing (Sabick figure 5 and ¶0044, “The sealing surface 92 interfaces with the sealing surface 48 on the nozzle 40 to provide an acoustic seal between the boot 90 and the nozzle 40”), and the vibration isolator comprising an elastic barb (Sabick figures 5-6, sealing surface 92), wherein the elastic (Sabick ¶0074, “the boot 90 can stretch slightly when being installed on the driver 30”) barb is engageable with a portion of the housing when the transducer assembly is assembled with the housing (Sabick figures 2 and 5, ¶0044, “The sealing surface 92 interfaces with the sealing surface 48 on the nozzle 40 to provide an acoustic seal between the boot 90 and the nozzle 40”), however does not explicitly teach an acoustic transducer comprising a motor-actuated diaphragm, electrical contacts removably coupled electrically to corresponding contacts of the electrical circuit and a retention structure removably coupled mechanically to the housing.
Houcek teaches an acoustic transducer comprising a motor-actuated diaphragm (Houcek figures 4-5, and ¶0032, “the sound-producing electroacoustic transducer is a dynamic speaker having a conventional motor and diaphragm as is known generally. In other embodiments, other known or future sound-producing electroacoustic device may be used alternatively,” dynamic speakers are motor-actuated because they use an electromagnetic motor to vibrate a cone and produce sound), electrical contacts removably coupled electrically to corresponding contacts of the electrical circuit (Houcek ¶0033) and a retention structure removably coupled mechanically to the housing (Houcek figure 3, apertures 208, 302).
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 use the known technique of Houcek to improve the known hearing device of Sabick to achieve the predictable result of easily accessing the internal components of the hearing device.
Regarding claim 2, Sabick in view of Houcek teaches a support structure mechanically coupled to the acoustic transducer, wherein the open portion of the acoustic transducer is acoustically coupled with an opening of the support structure (Sabick figure 5 and ¶0044, “The sealing surface 92 interfaces with the sealing surface 48 on the nozzle 40 to provide an acoustic seal between the boot 90 and the nozzle 40,” or retainer 100).
Regarding claim 3, Sabick in view of Houcek teaches the vibration isolator coupling the acoustic transducer to the support structure (Sabick figure 5 and ¶0044, “The sealing surface 92 interfaces with the sealing surface 48 on the nozzle 40 to provide an acoustic seal between the boot 90 and the nozzle 40,” or retainer 100 are both connected to boot 90).
Regarding claim 5, Sabick in view of Houcek teaches the support structure comprising a plate defining the opening (Sabick figure 5, sealing surface 48), and the vibration isolator comprising the first elastic boot comprising a passage coupling the open portion of the acoustic transducer to opening of the plate (Sabick ¶0057, “The sealing surface 48 is thus placed in an interference fit condition with the sealing surface 91 of the boot 90”).
Regarding claim 6, Sabick in view of Houcek teaches the vibration isolator comprising a resilient tube member configured for receiving the open portion of the acoustic transducer (Sabick figure 5, and ¶0057, “The sound port 35 of the driver 30 may be inserted into the boot 90. In an embodiment, the fit between the sound port 35 of the driver 30 and the boot 90 may be a snug, acoustically tight interface”).
Regarding claim 7, Sabick in view of Houcek teaches the vibration isolator further comprising an elastic boot coupled to a second end, opposite the first end, of the housing (Sabick figure 4, and ¶0058 support 80).
Regarding claim 10, Sabick teaches An ear-worn hearing device comprising: a housing comprising an end portion configured for at least partial insertion into a user's ear (Sabick figure 2, nozzle 40 and ¶0032, “earphone 5 can be configured for use in either the right or the left ear”), the housing comprising an opening at the end portion (Sabick figure 2 and ¶0038, “Sounds exit the nozzle 40 by passing through the cylinder 41”); an electrical circuit disposed in the housing (Sabick figure 3, flex circuit 50); a transducer assembly disposed in the housing, the transducer assembly (Sabick figure 3, driver 30) comprising: an acoustic transducer and an open portion from which sound is emitted (Sabick figure 2 and ¶0037, “driver 30 has a driver body 31 and includes a sound port 35 that extends from the driver body 31”);electrical contacts removably coupled electrically to corresponding contacts of the electrical circuit (Sabick figure 2 and ¶0039, “To provide the power and signal to the driver 30, conductors 2 and 3 may be connected to the back of driver 30 at the two solder pads 37”); and a retention structure removably coupled mechanically to the housing (Sabick figure 5 and ¶0047, “When the nut 110 is tightened, which may be done by hand” ¶0049, “nut 110 has certain benefits that will be discussed below, other types of fasteners, such as clips that include one or more fingers configured to releasably engage a crevice, may also be used” ¶0056 “if the nut 110 is to be removed by hand it should not be secured too tightly”); and a vibration isolator (Sabick figure 5 and ¶0043, “To absorb forces that might be exerted on the driver 30 if the earphone 5 is, for example, dropped, a vibration isolator may be provided and a boot 90 is an embodiment of such a vibration isolator”), coupled to the transducer assembly (Sabick figure 5, driver 30 and boot 90) and comprising an acoustic passage coupled to the open portion of the acoustic transducer (Sabick figure 5 and ¶0044), a support structure mechanically coupled to the acoustic transducer (Sabick figures 2 and 4, lip 42 of the nozzle 40), wherein the open portion of the acoustic transducer is acoustically coupled with an opening of the support structure (Sabick figure 5 and ¶0044, “The sealing surface 92 interfaces with the sealing surface 48 on the nozzle 40 to provide an acoustic seal between the boot 90 and the nozzle 40,” or retainer 100), the vibration isolator coupling the acoustic transducer to the support structure (Sabick figure 5 and ¶0044, “The sealing surface 92 interfaces with the sealing surface 48 on the nozzle 40 to provide an acoustic seal between the boot 90 and the nozzle 40,” or retainer 100 are both connected to boot 90), a secondary housing portion containing the acoustic transducer and the vibration isolator (Sabick figure 5, cover 20, and retainer 100 surrounds the transducer 30 and boot 90), the support structure comprising an end of the secondary housing defining the opening (Sabick figure 4, lip 42 is engaged with the end of boot 90, and retainer 100 to form the opening), and the vibration isolator comprising an elastic (Sabick ¶0074, “the boot 90 can stretch slightly when being installed on the driver 30”) boot comprising a passage coupling the open portion of the acoustic transducer to the opening of the secondary housing (Sabick figure 5 and ¶0044, “The sealing surface 92 interfaces with the sealing surface 48 on the nozzle 40 to provide an acoustic seal between the boot 90 and the nozzle 40,” or retainer 100), however does not explicitly teach an acoustic transducer comprising a motor-actuated diaphragm, electrical contacts removably coupled electrically to corresponding contacts of the electrical circuit and a retention structure removably coupled mechanically to the housing.
Houcek teaches an acoustic transducer comprising a motor-actuated diaphragm (Houcek figures 4-5, and ¶0032, “the sound-producing electroacoustic transducer is a dynamic speaker having a conventional motor and diaphragm as is known generally. In other embodiments, other known or future sound-producing electroacoustic device may be used alternatively,” dynamic speakers are motor-actuated because they use an electromagnetic motor to vibrate a cone and produce sound), electrical contacts removably coupled electrically to corresponding contacts of the electrical circuit (Houcek ¶0033) and a retention structure removably coupled mechanically to the housing (Houcek figure 3, apertures 208, 302).
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 use the known technique of Houcek to improve the known hearing device of Sabick to achieve the predictable result of easily accessing the internal components of the hearing device.
Regarding claim 11, Sabick in view of Houcek teaches the retention structure comprising a flexible member on the secondary housing, wherein the flexible member is engageable with a portion of the housing when the transducer assembly is assembled with the ear- worn hearing device (Sabick figure 4, flex relief 70).
Regarding claim 12, Sabick in view of Houcek teaches a gasket disposed between the acoustic transducer and a portion of the secondary housing, wherein the gasket forms a debris barrier when the transducer assembly is assembled with the housing (Sabick figure 15, debris filter 39).
Regarding claim 13, Sabick teaches A transducer assembly configured for removable assembly with an ear-worn hearing device housing that extends at least partially into a user's ear (Sabick figure 2, nozzle 40 and ¶0032, “earphone 5 can be configured for use in either the right or the left ear”), the transducer assembly comprising: an acoustic transducer and an open portion from which sound is emitted (Sabick figure 2 and ¶0037, “driver 30 has a driver body 31 and includes a sound port 35 that extends from the driver body 31”);a retention structure configured to retain the transducer assembly in a cavity of an ear-worn hearing device housing when the transducer assembly is assembled with the ear-worn hearing device housing (Sabick figure 5 and ¶0047, “When the nut 110 is tightened, which may be done by hand” ¶0049, “nut 110 has certain benefits that will be discussed below, other types of fasteners, such as clips that include one or more fingers configured to releasably engage a crevice, may also be used” ¶0056 “if the nut 110 is to be removed by hand it should not be secured too tightly”); and a vibration isolator (Sabick figure 5 and ¶0043, “To absorb forces that might be exerted on the driver 30 if the earphone 5 is, for example, dropped, a vibration isolator may be provided and a boot 90 is an embodiment of such a vibration isolator”), coupled to the transducer assembly (Sabick figure 5, driver 30 and boot 90) and comprising an acoustic passage coupled to the open portion of the acoustic transducer (Sabick figure 5 and ¶0044), the acoustic transducer comprising a housing defining the open portion on a first end (Sabick figure 2 and ¶0037, “driver 30 has a driver body 31 and includes a sound port 35 that extends from the driver body 31”), the support structure comprising a plate defining the opening (Sabick figure 5, sealing surface 48), and the vibration isolator comprising a first elastic (Sabick ¶0074, “the boot 90 can stretch slightly when being installed on the driver 30”) boot comprising a passage coupling the open portion of the acoustic transducer to the opening of the plate (Sabick ¶0057, “The sealing surface 48 is thus placed in an interference fit condition with the sealing surface 91 of the boot 90”), and the retention structure comprising an elastic (Sabick ¶0074, “the boot 90 can stretch slightly when being installed on the driver 30”) barb on the vibration isolator (Sabick figures 5-6, sealing surface 92), wherein the elastic barb is engageable with a portion of the ear-worn hearing device housing when the transducer assembly is assembled with the ear-worn hearing device housing (Sabick figures 2 and 5, ¶0044, “The sealing surface 92 interfaces with the sealing surface 48 on the nozzle 40 to provide an acoustic seal between the boot 90 and the nozzle 40”), however does not explicitly teach an acoustic transducer comprising a motor-actuated diaphragm, and a retention structure configured to retain the transducer assembly in a cavity.
Houcek teaches an acoustic transducer comprising a motor-actuated diaphragm (Houcek figures 4-5, and ¶0032, “the sound-producing electroacoustic transducer is a dynamic speaker having a conventional motor and diaphragm as is known generally. In other embodiments, other known or future sound-producing electroacoustic device may be used alternatively,” dynamic speakers are motor-actuated because they use an electromagnetic motor to vibrate a cone and produce sound) and a retention structure configured to retain the transducer assembly in a cavity (Houcek figure 3, apertures 208, 302).
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 use the known technique of Houcek to improve the known hearing device of Sabick to achieve the predictable result of easily accessing the internal components of the hearing device.
Regarding claim 14, Sabick in view of Houcek teaches a support structure mechanically coupled to the acoustic transducer, the open portion of the acoustic transducer acoustically coupled with an opening of the support structure (Houcek figures 2-3, and ¶0018, “a nozzle 120 having a sound port 110 acoustically coupled to an acoustic output of the receiver”), and the vibration isolator coupling the acoustic transducer to the support structure (Sabick figure 5 and ¶0044, “The sealing surface 92 interfaces with the sealing surface 48 on the nozzle 40 to provide an acoustic seal between the boot 90 and the nozzle 40,” or retainer 100 are both connected to boot 90), and an extraction feature on the support structure, wherein the transducer assembly can be removed from the ear-worn hearing device housing via the extraction feature (Houcek figure 3, apertures 208, 302).
Regarding claim 16, Sabick in view of Houcek teaches the vibration isolator comprising a resilient tube member configured for receiving the open portion of the acoustic transducer (Sabick figure 5, and ¶0057, “The sound port 35 of the driver 30 may be inserted into the boot 90. In an embodiment, the fit between the sound port 35 of the driver 30 and the boot 90 may be a snug, acoustically tight interface”).
Regarding claim 17, Sabick in view of Houcek teaches the vibration isolator comprising a resilient tube member configured for receiving the open portion of the acoustic transducer (Sabick figure 5, and ¶0057, “The sound port 35 of the driver 30 may be inserted into the boot 90. In an embodiment, the fit between the sound port 35 of the driver 30 and the boot 90 may be a snug, acoustically tight interface”).
Regarding claim 19, Sabick in view of Houcek teaches a secondary housing portion containing the acoustic transducer and the vibration isolator (Sabick figure 5, cover 20, and retainer 100 surrounds the transducer 30 and boot 90), the support structure comprising an end of the secondary housing defining the opening (Sabick figure 4, lip 42 is engaged with the end of boot 90, and retainer 100 to form the opening), and the vibration isolator comprising an elastic (Sabick ¶0074, “the boot 90 can stretch slightly when being installed on the driver 30”) boot comprising a passage coupling the open portion of the acoustic transducer to opening of the secondary housing (Sabick figure 5 and ¶0044, “The sealing surface 92 interfaces with the sealing surface 48 on the nozzle 40 to provide an acoustic seal between the boot 90 and the nozzle 40,” or retainer 100).
Regarding claim 20, Sabick in view of Houcek teaches the retention structure comprising a flexible member on the secondary housing, wherein the flexible member is engageable with a portion of the housing when the transducer assembly is assembled with the ear- worn hearing device (Sabick figure 4, flex relief 70).
Regarding claim 21, Sabick in view of Houcek teaches a gasket disposed between the acoustic transducer and a portion of the secondary housing, wherein the gasket forms a debris barrier when the transducer assembly is assembled with the ear-worn hearing device housing (Sabick figure 15, debris filter 39).
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sabick (US 20060098836) in view of Houcek (US 2020/0213787) in further view Bolsman (US 2018/0176678).
Regarding claim 4, Sabick in view of Houcek does not explicitly teach the vibration isolator comprising a compliant electrical connection.
Bolsman teaches the vibration isolator comprising a compliant electrical connection (Bolsman ¶0076).
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 use the known technique of Bolsman to improve the known ear-worn assembly of Sabick in view of Houcek to achieve the predictable result of improving the vibration dampening effect (Bolsman ¶0076).
Claim(s) 8-9 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sabick (US 20060098836) in view of Houcek (US 2020/0213787) in further view Bolsman (US 2018/0176678) in further view of Morris (US 2016/0366502).
Regarding claim 8, Sabick in view of Houcek in further view of Bolsman teaches the vibration isolator further comprising compliant electrical wires that electrically couple the acoustic transducer to the housing, the electrical wires coupled to a first side of an electrical connector assembly and the acoustic transducer coupled a second side of the electrical connector assembly (Bolsman ¶0178 and figure 9B), wherein the electrical connector assembly is removably connectable from the acoustic transducer (Houcek ¶0033), however does not explicitly teach the electrical connector assembly is removably connectable from the acoustic transducer.
Morris teaches the electrical connector assembly is removably connectable from the acoustic transducer (Morris Claim 7).
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 use the known technique of Morris to improve the known ear-worn assembly of Sabick in view of Houcek in further view of Bolsman to achieve the predictable result of an easier removably attached electrical connection.
Regarding claim 9, Sabick in view of Houcek in further view of Bolsman in further view of Morris teaches the electrical wires comprising spring fingers releasably coupled to the acoustic transducer (Morris Claim 7).
Regarding claim 15, Sabick in view of Houcek in further view of Bolsman in further view of Morris teaches the vibration isolator comprising a compliant electrical connection (Bolsman ¶0076) comprising spring fingers that are releasably coupled to the acoustic transducer (Morris Claim 7).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 18 is 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 the closest prior art either alone or in combination, fail to anticipate or render obvious, the claimed limitation of “the vibration isolator further comprising a second elastic boot coupled to a second end, opposite the first end, of the housing, the second elastic boot comprising a contact electrically connected to a contact on a terminal of the acoustic transducer” in combination with all other limitations in the claim(s) as defined by the applicant.
Response to Arguments and Remarks
Applicant amended the independent claims with limitations previously indicated as allowable. However, the allowability of the claims has been withdrawn in view of the newly found prior art Sabick. See rejection above.
Conclusion
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/NORMAN YU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2693
