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 .
Claim Interpretation
In the claims, a “plate-like antenna” is one whose width and length are greater than its thickness ([0024] of Applicant’s specification).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-4, 6, 10, and 14 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gutschenritter et al. (US 20130181873).
Regarding claim 1, Gutschenritter teaches (Figs. 2A-2D) a timepiece module (Fig. 1, title) comprising: a circuit board (214) having a first surface (214); a plate-like antenna (212) extending in a direction to be away from the first surface of the circuit board; and a metal member (216) entirely disposed outside a first region that extends from a plate surface of the antenna outward in a normal direction of the antenna (R1 below) and outside a second region that coincides with the antenna in plan view viewed from above the first surface (R2 below).
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Regarding claim 2, Gutschenritter teaches (Figs. 2A-2D) the timepiece module according to claim 1, wherein the metal member (216) includes a fixing member (236) that fixes a plurality of structures (214, 240) overlapping one another in the plan view, the plurality of structures including the circuit board (214), and wherein the fixing member includes a planar part (239) in a direction along the circuit board and a fitting part (236) fitted to a lateral surface of at least one of the plurality of structures.
Regarding claim 3, Glutschenritter teaches (Figs. 2A-2D) the timepiece module according to claim 1, wherein the metal member (216) includes a fixing member (236) that fixes a plurality of structures (214, 240) overlapping one another in the plan view, the plurality of structures including the circuit board (214), and wherein the fixing member includes a planar part (239) that spreads parallel to the circuit board (Fig. 2D).
Regarding claim 4, Gutschenritter teaches the timepiece module according to claim 1, wherein the metal member is entirely disposed outside a third region defined by extending the antenna parallel to the first surface and the plate surface of the antenna (R3 in above image).
Regarding claims 6, 10, and 14, Gutschenritter teaches (Fig. 1) an electronic timepiece (Fig. 1 and title) comprising: the timepiece module according to respective claims 1-3 ([0025]); and a case (102) that houses the timepiece module.
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.
Claims 5 and 7-9, 11-13, and 15-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gutschenritter et al. (US 20130181873) in view of Nakajima (US 20180284700).
Regarding claim 5, Gutschenritter discloses the timepiece module according to claim 1.
Gutschenritter does not show a battery that is disposed above the first surface of the circuit board, wherein the metal member includes at least one electronic component that is disposed above the first surface, and wherein the at least one electronic component is disposed, in plan view, outside a fourth region between the antenna and the battery.
Nakajima teaches (Figs. 4-5, 7) a battery (24) disposed above a first surface of a circuit board (724), wherein at least one electronic component (76) is disposed above the first surface and outside a fourth region between an antenna (40) and the battery in plan view (R4 below).
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It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined Nakajima’s battery and electronic component with Gutschenritter’s circuit board such that the electronic component is disposed above the first surface and outside a fourth region between the antenna and the battery in plan view. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this combination as a known and predictable arrangement for organizing watch components that maximizes space efficiency and promotes antenna communication.
Regarding claims 7, 11, and 15, Gutschenritter discloses the electronic timepiece according to claims 6, 10, and 14, respectively, wherein the case includes a bezel (Fig. 1, structure surrounding 104 and at the top of 102) having an opening (104) and a case body (102) that covers at least a side of the timepiece module (the module 218 is inside the case body).
Gutschenritter does not show the bezel being made of metal and disposed entirely outside the second region.
Nakajima teaches (Figs. 3-4) a bezel (11 and 112) made of metal ([0066]) disposed entirely outside a second region that coincides with an antenna in plan view viewed from above the first surface (Fig. 3).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have substituted Gutschenritter’s bezel for Nakajima’s metal. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this substitution to achieve the predictable result of obtaining a watch made from a premium material that has improved aesthetics but does not interfere with antenna communication.
Regarding claims 9, 13, and 17, Gutschenritter discloses the electronic timepiece according to claims 6, 10, and 14, respectively.
Gutschenritter does not show the case including an interior cover that supports at least the timepiece module, and wherein the interior cover is partly disposed along an outer surface of the timepiece module, made of metal, and entirely disposed outside the second region.
Nakajima teaches (Fig. 7) a case including an interior cover (92) that supports a timepiece module (724), wherein the interior cover is party disposed along an outer surface of the timepiece module (Figs. 4-7), made of metal ([0076]), and entirely disposed outside a second region that coincides with an antenna in plan view viewed from above the first surface (922, Figs. 4 and 7, and [0083]).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined Nakajima’s interior cover with Gutschenritter’s case and module. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this combination to protect components of the watch from magnetic interference ([0076] of Nakajima).
Claims 8, 12, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gutschenritter in view of Nakajima as applied to claims 7, 11, and 15, and further in view of Hirayama (US 20120075964).
Regarding claims 8, 12, and 16, Gutschenritter discloses the electronic timepiece according to claims 7, 11, and 15, respectively, wherein the case body (102 in Fig. 1) is made of plastic, non-conductive, or non-metal material ([0015]) at least party disposed in the first region (the case body encloses the module, so at least part of the case body must overlap with the first region).
The combination of Gutschenritter and Nakajima does not show the case body being made of resin.
Hirayama teaches a case body of a watch being made of resin (abstract, [0010]).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have constructed Gutschenritter’s case body out of resin. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this material choice to protect the watch from impact damage ([0010] of Hirayama) and reduce manufacturing costs ([0011] of Hirayama).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Iijima (US 20150109172) teaches a watch with a built in antenna (title).
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/MATTHEW DANIEL HWANG/ Examiner, Art Unit 2833
/EDWIN A. LEON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2833