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 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 1,3 and 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Howes (9,185,480).
Regarding claim 1, Howes discloses an electronic device (See fig. 1 and Abstract), comprising: a housing (See fig. 1), wherein a sound intake hole 112 is provided on the housing, and the housing comprises an inner cavity; and a microphone 114 and a balance valve 126 are arranged inside the housing, wherein the microphone is in communication with the sound intake hole through a first sound guide channel (i.e. vertical sound path from the sound intake hole 112 to the microphone 114), the balance valve (See fig. 1 and col. 3 line 65 to col. 4 line 55) is in communication with the sound intake hole through a second sound guide channel (i.e. horizontal sound path from the sound intake hole 112 to the balance valve), and the balance valve is located at a junction of the inner cavity and the second sound guide channel; and the first sound guide channel is in communication with the second sound guide channel (See fig. 1 and col. 2 line 56 to col. 3 line 23).
Regarding claim 3, Howes discloses as cited in claim 1. Howes further discloses a placement groove (i.e. inner case 116) in communication with the microphone inner hole is further provided on the housing, and the microphone 114 is placed in the placement groove (See fig. 1).
Regarding claim 8, Howes discloses as cited in claim 1. Howes further discloses the first sound guide channel (i.e. vertical sound path from the sound intake hole 112 to the microphone 114) and the second sound guide channel (i.e. horizontal sound path from the sound intake hole 112 to the balance valve) form a fork shape, and an angle exists between a central axis of the first sound guide channel and a central axis of the second sound guide channel (See fig. 1).
Regarding claim 9, Howes discloses as cited in claim 1. Howes further discloses the balance valve 126 is in communication with the second sound guide channel through a balance valve inner hole 128, and the balance valve is located on an end of the balance valve inner hole 128 that is close to the inside of the electronic device (See fig. 1).
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 4-5 and 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Howes (9,185,480) in view of Tanaka (8,861,764).
Regarding claims 4-5 and 6-7, Howes discloses as cited in claims 1 and 3. However, Howes does not explicitly mention that a shielding component is arranged along a whole side wall inside the placement groove (i.e. case) or first and second sealing components are arranged on side walls of the first and second sound guide channels respectively, wherein sealing components are an integrally formed member. Since Tanaka does suggest that a shielding component 43 is arranged along a whole inside side wall of the placement groove (i.e. case 121 for example) or first and second sealing components 43 are arranged on side walls of the first and second sound guide channels {22, 23 and 24 for example) respectively, wherein sealing components are an integrally formed member (i.e. a coating layer) (See fig. 14 and col. 19 line 17 to col. 20 line 9); therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to apply sealing components, as suggested by Tanaka, to the Howes’ device, for the advantage of preventing the entrance of the solder as well as enhancing the resistance to external electromagnetic fields (to prevent the entrance of external electromagnetic field noise) as suggested by Tanaka.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Howes (9,185,480) in view of Abe (9,253,297).
Regarding claim 2, Howes discloses as cited in claim 1. Howes further discloses the microphone is in communication with the first sound guide channel through a microphone inner hole (See fig. 1). However, Howes does not explicitly mention that a dustproof component is arranged inside the microphone inner hole. Since the use of dustproof component to cover a sound-collecting opening of microphone is well known in the art as suggested by Abe (See figs. 4-7 and col. 8 lines 38-45); therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to arrange dustproof component, as suggested by Abe, inside the microphone inner hole of the Howes’ device to cover it, for the advantage of preventing a foreign matter, such as dust and water, from entering into the sound transducer through the sound-collecting opening. Thereby, it is possible to ensure the microphone performance while reducing the noise generation and failure.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Howes (9,185,480).
Regarding claim 10, Howes discloses as cited in claim 1. However, Howes does not explicitly mention that a cross-sectional area of the balance valve is greater than or equal to 0.5 mm2 and less than or equal to 10 mm2. Since arranging/constructing a cross-sectional area of the balance valve is greater than or equal to 0.5 mm2 and less than or equal to 10 mm2 is merely a design choice depending on the size of an electronic device such as mobile phone; therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to arrange as such, for the advantage of providing a higher degree of freedom in constructing/arranging balance valve for the electronic device.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
See PTO-892 for a listing of cited prior arts of record.
Conclusion
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/TUAN A TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2648