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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-10 and 17-20 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.
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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
Claims 1-6 and 11-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sprague et al. (PGPUB 20150319546) in view of Hosaka et al. (PBPUB 20180098147).
Regarding claim 1, Sprague discloses a speaker, comprising:
a core housing (at least Fig. 2C where a speaker is shown within a housing), including a main housing; and
a wire configured to electrically connect the earphone core with a control circuit outside the core housing (Fig. 4B shows left and right speakers connected to an MCU via wires).
Sprague does not disclose a baffle component, wherein the baffle component is located inside the main housing and connected to the main housing to divide an inner space of the main housing into a first accommodation space and a second accommodation space;
an earphone core disposed in the first accommodation space and configured to generate sounds based on an audio signal; and
wherein the wire, starting from the first accommodation space and passing through the second accommodation space, is further connected with the control circuit, and the second accommodation space is filled with sealant.
Hosaka discloses an earphone speaker comprising a baffle component (top portion of 26), wherein the baffle component is located inside the main housing and connected to the main housing to divide an inner space of the main housing into a first accommodation space and a second accommodation space (Fig. 10 where the surfaces 24 and 27 define a first accommodation space and the cylinder shape of 26 defines a second accommodation space);
an earphone core disposed in the first accommodation space and configured to generate sounds based on an audio signal (Fig. 10, 24); and
wherein the wire, starting from the first accommodation space and passing through the second accommodation space, is further connected with the control circuit, and the second accommodation space is filled with sealant (Fig. 10 where the wires pass through 26 from 24 and are sealed with a filler [0060]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art as of the effective filing date of the invention to combine Sprague and Hosaka such that the speaker was configured to include first and second accommodation spaces and the second accommodation space being filled with sealant motivated by reducing the size of the device ([0061]).
Regarding claim 2, modified Sprague discloses wherein the core housing is further disposed with a connection hole in flow communication with an outer end surface of the core housing, and the second accommodation space is disposed near the connection hole (Fig. 10 of Hosaka shows the core within a hole and in communication with the outer housing via various connections, such as wires and supporting structures, and the accommodation space is near the connection hole).
Regarding claim 3, modified Sprague discloses wherein the main housing includes a peripheral side wall and a bottom end wall connected to one end surface of the peripheral side wall, and the peripheral side wall and the bottom end wall enclose the inner space of the main housing (Fig. 10 of Hosaka where 32-33 define walls enclosing the inner space).
Regarding claim 4, modified Sprague discloses wherein the baffle component is disposed near the connection hole and includes a side baffle with both ends connected to the peripheral side wall and a bottom baffle spaced from the bottom end wall and connected to the peripheral side wall and the side baffle, respectively; and the bottom baffle is disposed with a wiring hole (Fig. 10, where the top of 26 is connected to the left and right sides of the entire speaker structure and spaced from a bottom end that also attaches to the left and right sides to form a wiring hole).
Regarding claim 5, modified Sprague discloses wherein the baffle component includes an inner baffle configured to divide the second accommodation space into two sub-accommodation spaces and divide the wiring hole into two portions, and one of the two portions of the wiring hole is in flow communication with one of the two sub-accommodation spaces (Fig. 10 shows two baffle components, where the second 26 is not labeled, such that there are two sub-spaces and two wiring holes).
Regarding claim 6, modified Sprague discloses wherein the second accommodation space is smaller than the first accommodation space (Fig. 10).
Regarding claim 11, Sprague discloses a glasses, wherein the glasses include:
a glasses rim (Fig. 2A/B where 204, 206, 215-217 form a rim);
a glasses temple (208 and 210), the glasses temple accommodating a control circuit or a battery (218, 220 or 230);
a rotating shaft (212 or 214 held by screws, [0137]), the rotating shaft being configured to connect the glasses rim and the glasses temple, so that the glasses rim and the glasses temple are able to relatively rotate around the rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft being disposed with a rotating shaft wiring channel along an axial direction ([0138] where the hinges accommodate wiring);
a connection wire, the connection wire passing through the rotating shaft wiring channel and extending to the glasses rim and the glasses temple (Fig. 2N-9 shows a connecting wire extending along both arms and through the rims), respectively;
a speaker ([0089]), including:
a core housing (at least Fig. 2C where a speaker is shown within a housing), including a main housing;
a wire configured to electrically connect the earphone core with a control circuit outside the core housing (Fig. 4B shows left and right speakers connected to an MCU via wires); and
wherein the rotating shaft is fixedly connected to one of the glasses rim and the glasses temple, and rotatably connected to another of the glasses rim and the glasses temple, such that the glasses rim and the glasses temple are able to rotate relative to each other about the rotating shaft ([0135], Fig. 2A where the screw, [0137], is a rotatable shaft that allows hinge 214 to facilitate rotation of arms 208/210).
Sprague does not disclose a baffle component, wherein the baffle component is located inside the main housing and connected to the main housing to divide an inner space of the main housing into a first accommodation space and a second accommodation space;
an earphone core disposed in the first accommodation space and configured to generate sounds based on an audio signal; and
wherein the wire, starting from the first accommodation space and passing through the second accommodation space, is further connected with the control circuit, and the second accommodation space is filled with sealant.
Hosaka discloses an earphone speaker comprising a baffle component (top portion of 26), wherein the baffle component is located inside the main housing and connected to the main housing to divide an inner space of the main housing into a first accommodation space and a second accommodation space (Fig. 10 where the surfaces 24 and 27 define a first accommodation space and the cylinder shape of 26 defines a second accommodation space);
an earphone core disposed in the first accommodation space and configured to generate sounds based on an audio signal (Fig. 10, 24); and
wherein the wire, starting from the first accommodation space and passing through the second accommodation space, is further connected with the control circuit, and the second accommodation space is filled with sealant (Fig. 10 where the wires pass through 26 from 24 and are sealed with a filler [0060]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art as of the effective filing date of the invention to combine Sprague and Hosaka such that the speaker was configured to include first and second accommodation spaces and the second accommodation space being filled with sealant motivated by reducing the size of the device ([0061]).
Regarding claim 12, modified Sprague discloses wherein the core housing is further disposed with a connection hole in flow communication with an outer end surface of the core housing, and the second accommodation space is disposed near the connection hole (Fig. 10 of Hosaka shows the core within a hole and in communication with the outer housing via various connections, such as wires and supporting structures, and the accommodation space is near the connection hole).
Regarding claim 13, modified Sprague discloses wherein the main housing includes a peripheral side wall and a bottom end wall connected to one end surface of the peripheral side wall, and the peripheral side wall and the bottom end wall enclose the inner space of the main housing (Fig. 10 of Hosaka where 32-33 define walls enclosing the inner space).
Regarding claim 14, modified Sprague discloses wherein the baffle component is disposed near the connection hole and includes a side baffle with both ends connected to the peripheral side wall and a bottom baffle spaced from the bottom end wall and connected to the peripheral side wall and the side baffle, respectively; and the bottom baffle is disposed with a wiring hole (Fig. 10, where the top of 26 is connected to the left and right sides of the entire speaker structure and spaced from a bottom end that also attaches to the left and right sides to form a wiring hole).
Regarding claim 15, modified Sprague discloses wherein the baffle component includes an inner baffle configured to divide the second accommodation space into two sub-accommodation spaces and divide the wiring hole into two portions, and one of the two portions of the wiring hole is in flow communication with one of the two sub-accommodation spaces (Fig. 10 shows two baffle components, where the second 26 is not labeled, such that there are two sub-spaces and two wiring holes).
Regarding claim 16, modified Sprague discloses wherein the second accommodation space is smaller than the first accommodation space (Fig. 10).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 4/12/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant’s remarks on pages 15-16 state that 26 of Hosaka does not meet the requirements the claimed baffle. The office respectfully disagrees. Merriam-Webster defines a baffle as:
baffle
noun
: a device (such as a plate, wall, or screen) to deflect, check, or regulate flow or passage (as of a fluid, light, or sound).
The hole, 26, is formed to allow passage of a wire ([0060]) and then filled to deflect air or water from entering the interior space, like a plate. Therefore, 26 satisfies the requirements to be described as a baffle. Further, 26 is shown in Fig. 10 to divide the space into a first and second accommodation space via a plurality of reasonable interpretations. 26 reaches into the interior in Fig. 10 and space to the left and right of 26 could be understood to be two different spaces. Further, 26 accommodates the wire, as described in [0060], into a space and provides access to said wire into the internal space. The applicant has not provided any limitations on the baffle or the accommodation spaces to disallow such an interpretation.
Applicant argues on page 17 that the language of “accommodate” implies “entirely contained”, the office respectfully disagrees. There is no definition provided in the specification or Merriam-Webster to suggest that the use of accommodate would require it to be entirely contained.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRAVIS S FISSEL whose telephone number is (313)446-6573. The examiner can normally be reached on 9AM-5PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Stephone Allen can be reached on (571) 272-2434. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TRAVIS S FISSEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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