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 .
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-9, and 11-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miles et al. (US 20210026409) in view of Hasegawa (US 20210019390).
Regarding Claim 1, Miles et al. discloses a cradle for a mobile device, the cradle comprising: a cradle base defining a docking button indentation having an indentation perimeter, wherein the docking button indentation is configured to receive a docking button disposed on, or coupled to, a back surface of the mobile device or of a case containing the mobile device, the docking button having a lateral cross-sectional shape complementary to the indentation perimeter of the docking button indentation (base mount and case mount item 450 and 350 as show in Fig 1-3, Paragraphs 64 and 70) ; a plurality of electrical contacts configured for making contact with contacts on the mobile device or the case containing the mobile device (within base mount contains electrical contacts, Fig. 3, and Paragraphs 64, 71 and 77); and a latch coupled to the cradle base and manually moveable between a latched position and an unlatched position, wherein, in the latched position, the latch is configured to directly engage the docking button for retention of the mobile device on the cradle and, in the unlatched position, the latch is configured to disengage from, or not engage with, the docking button to permit loading or unloading of the mobile device on the cradle (latches, Paragraphs 71-74), however Miles et al. fails to explicitly disclose a bottom device receiver coupled to the cradle base and configured to receive a bottom portion of the mobile device or the case containing the mobile device, the bottom device receiver comprising the electrical contacts.
In an analogous art, Hasegawa discloses a bottom device receiver coupled to the cradle base and configured to receive a bottom portion of the mobile device or the case containing the mobile device, the bottom device receiver comprising the electrical contacts (Holder part holds bottom of device and contains electrical connectors, Paragraph 49 and Fig 4).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a bottom receiver coupled to the cradle base to receive a bottom portion of the mobile device with electrical contacts in order to accommodate mobile devices factory installed connection ports which are on the bottom of the device and to hold the device securely in place.
Regarding Claim 2, Miles et al. in view of Hasegawa discloses the bottom device receiver is configured to retain a bottom portion of the mobile device or the case (Hasegawa, paragraph 49 and Figure 4).
The motivation to combine is the same as that of claim 1 above.
Regarding Claim 3, Miles et al. further discloses a portion of the latch defines a portion of the indentation perimeter of the docking button indentation (Figure 3, Paragraphs 70-74).
Regarding Claim 4, Miles et al. further discloses the docking button indentation has a polygonal lateral cross-sectional shape (rectangle case and base mount, Paragraph 77).
Regarding Claim 5, Miles et al. further discloses the indentation perimeter of the docking button indentation has a polygonal shape (rectangle case and base mount, Paragraph 77).
Regarding Claim 6, Miles et al. further discloses the polygonal shape is selected from triangular, square, rectangular, rhomboidal, trapezoidal, pentagonal, hexagonal, octagonal, or decagonal (rectangle case and base mount, Paragraph 77).
Regarding Claim 7, Miles et al. further discloses a latch lock manually moveable between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein, in the locked position, the latch lock hinders the latch moving to the unlatched position and, in the unlocked position, the latch lock allows the latch to move between the latched position and the unlatched position (lock controlled latch actuator, Paragraphs 79 and 87).
Regarding Claim 8, Miles et al. further discloses the latch lock comprises a latch bar and a lock actuator coupled to the latch bar and configured to extend the latch bar when the latch lock is moved to the locked position and to retract the latch bar when the latch lock is moved to the unlocked position (fastener movement using solenoid actuators is the same as extending and retracting, Paragraph 79).
Regarding Claim 9, Miles et al. further discloses the latch lock further comprises a latch stop configured to engage a portion of the latch when the latch moves to the unlatched position to resist overbending the portion of the latch (latch goes to rest under the extending lip of notch, and cam ring moved outward to allow separation, Paragraph 82)
Regarding Claim 11, Miles et al. further discloses a kit for docking a mobile device, the kit comprising: a docking button configured for attachment to a back surface of the mobile device or of a case containing the mobile device (Fig. 2 and 3), the docking button having a lateral cross-sectional shape (Fig 3 shows a thickness thus the case mount would have a lateral cross-sectional shape); and a cradle configured for docking the mobile device, the cradle comprising a cradle base defining a docking button indentation having an indentation perimeter complementary to the lateral cross-sectional shape of the docking button (base mount and case mount item 450 and 350 as show in Fig 1-3, Paragraphs 64 and 70), a plurality of electrical contacts configured for making contact with contacts on the mobile device or the case containing the mobile device (within base mount contains electrical contacts, Fig. 3, and Paragraphs 64, 71 and 77); and a latch coupled to the cradle base and manually moveable between a latched position and an unlatched position, wherein, in the latched position, the latch is configured to directly engage the docking button for retention of the mobile device on the cradle and, in the unlatched position, the latch is configured to disengage from, or not engage with, the docking button to permit loading or unloading of the mobile device on the cradle (latches, Paragraphs 71-74), however Miles et al. fails to explicitly disclose a bottom device receiver coupled to the cradle base and configured to receive a bottom portion of the mobile device or the case containing the mobile device, the bottom device receiver comprising a plurality of electrical contacts configured for making contact with contacts on the mobile device or the case containing the mobile device.
In an analogous art, Hasegawa discloses a bottom device receiver coupled to the cradle base and configured to receive a bottom portion of the mobile device or the case containing the mobile device, the bottom device receiver comprising a plurality of electrical contacts configured for making contact with contacts on the mobile device or the case containing the mobile device (Holder part holds bottom of device and contains electrical connectors, Paragraph 49 and Fig 4).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a bottom device receiver coupled to the cradle base and configured to receive a bottom portion of the mobile device or the case containing the mobile device, the bottom device receiver comprising a plurality of electrical contacts configured for making contact with contacts on the mobile device or the case containing the mobile device in order to accommodate mobile devices factory installed connection ports which are on the bottom of the device and to hold the device securely in place.
Regarding Claim 12, Miles et al. further discloses a mounting neck configured for disposition between the docking button and the mobile device or case (Fig 2 and 3 show a mounting point with a base for the case mount which is interpreted to be a mounting neck, Paragraphs 66-68).
Regarding Claim 13, Miles et al. further discloses a latch lock manually moveable between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein, in the locked position, the latch lock hinders the latch moving to the unlatched position and, in the unlocked position, the latch lock allows the latch to move between the latched position and the unlatched position (lock controlled latch actuator, Paragraph 79 and 87).
Regarding Claim 14, Miles et al. further discloses the latch lock comprises a latch bar and a lock actuator coupled to the latch bar and configured to extend the latch bar when the latch lock is moved to the locked position and to retract the latch bar when the latch lock is moved to the unlocked position (fastener movement using solenoid actuators is the same as extending and retracting, Paragraph 79).
Regarding Claim 15, Miles et al. further discloses the latch lock further comprises a latch stop configured to engage a portion of the latch when the latch moves to the unlatched position to resist overbending the portion of the latch (latch goes to rest under the extending lip of notch, and cam ring moved outward to allow separation, Paragraph 82).
Regarding Claim 16, Miles et al. further discloses a kit for docking a mobile device, the kit comprising: a case arrangement comprising a case configured for containing the mobile device (enclosure 120, Fig 1), the case comprising a back surface (back of enclosure, Fig. 2), and a docking button attached to the back surface of the case, the docking button having a lateral cross-sectional shape (Fig 3 shows a thickness thus the case mount would have a lateral cross-sectional shape); and a cradle configured for docking the mobile device, the cradle comprising a cradle base defining a docking button indentation having an indentation perimeter complementary to the lateral cross-sectional shape of the docking button (base mount and case mount item 450 and 350 as show in Fig 1-3, Paragraphs 64 and 70), a plurality of electrical contacts configured for making contact with contacts on the mobile device or the case containing the mobile device (within base mount contains electrical contacts, Fig. 3, and Paragraphs 64, 71 and 77); and a latch coupled to the cradle base and manually moveable between a latched position and an unlatched position, wherein, in the latched position, the latch is configured to directly engage the docking button for retention of the mobile device on the cradle and, in the unlatched position, the latch is configured to disengage from, or not engage with, the docking button to permit loading or unloading of the mobile device on the cradle (latches, Paragraphs 71-74), however Miles et al. fails to explicitly disclose a bottom device receiver coupled to the cradle base and configured to receive a bottom portion of the case containing the mobile device, the bottom device receiver comprising a plurality of electrical contacts configured for making contact with contacts on the mobile device or the case containing the mobile device.
In an analogous art, Hasegawa discloses a bottom device receiver coupled to the cradle base and configured to receive a bottom portion of the case containing the mobile device, the bottom device receiver comprising a plurality of electrical contacts configured for making contact with contacts on the mobile device or the case containing the mobile device (Holder part holds bottom of device and contains electrical connectors, Paragraph 49 and Fig 4).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a bottom device receiver coupled to the cradle base and configured to receive a bottom portion of the case containing the mobile device, the bottom device receiver comprising a plurality of electrical contacts configured for making contact with contacts on the mobile device or the case containing the mobile device in order to accommodate mobile devices factory installed connection ports which are on the bottom of the device and to hold the device securely in place.
Regarding Claim 17, Miles et al. further discloses a mounting neck disposed between the docking button and the case (Fig 2 and 3 show a mounting point with a base for the case mount which is interpreted to be a mounting neck, Paragraphs 66-68).
Regarding Claim 18, Miles et al. further discloses a latch lock manually moveable between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein, in the locked position, the latch lock hinders the latch moving to the unlatched position and, in the unlocked position, the latch lock allows the latch to move between the latched position and the unlatched position (lock controlled latch actuator, Paragraph 79 and 87).
Regarding Claim 19, Miles et al. further discloses the latch lock comprises a latch bar and a lock actuator coupled to the latch bar and configured to extend the latch bar when the latch lock is moved to the locked position and to retract the latch bar when the latch lock is moved to the unlocked position (fastener movement using solenoid actuators is the same as extending and retracting, Paragraph 79).
Regarding Claim 20, Miles et al. further discloses the latch lock further comprises a latch stop configured to engage a portion of the latch when the latch moves to the unlatched position to resist overbending the portion of the latch (latch goes to rest under the extending lip of notch, and cam ring moved outward to allow separation, Paragraph 82).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miles et al. (US 20210026409) in view of Hasegawa (US 20210019390) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Moock et al (US 20140362517).
Regarding Claim 10, Miles et al. further discloses the latch (Paragraphs 71-74) however Miles et al. fails to explicitly disclose the latch comprises a latch arm coupled to the cradle body, a handle coupled to the latch arm, and a latching lip coupled to the latch arm, wherein the latching lip is configured, in the latched position, to engage the docking button.
In an analogous art, Moock et al discloses a latch comprises a latch arm coupled to the cradle body (fig. 19, item 60 are latch arms, Paragraph 56) , a handle coupled to the latch arm (Paragraph 42 and 56), and a latching lip coupled to the latch arm, wherein the latching lip is configured, in the latched position, to engage the docking button (fingers extend and arm locked and handle 26 has a slot which is a lip to connect to dock item 50, Paragraph 50, 54, and 56).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the latch comprises a latch arm coupled to the cradle body, a handle coupled to the latch arm, and a latching lip coupled to the latch arm, wherein the latching lip is configured, in the latched position, to engage the docking button to allow for a secured device and to prevent theft (Paragraph 5 of Moock et al.).
Conclusion
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/STEVEN LIM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2688