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 § 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.
Claims 2-4 and 10 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.
Claims 2-4 refer to “the forward/rearward vibration damper.” There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Applicant likely meant to refer to “the forward/backward vibration damper” introduced in claim 1.
Claim 10 to refers to “the cover.” There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. It is unclear whether Applicant intended to refer to “the front cover” or “the rear cover.” Based on the Drawings provided, Examiner believes that Applicant likely meant to refer to “the rear cover.”
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Powertip (DE 202023103404 U1).
Regarding claim 1, Powertip teaches a haptic display (see Abstract) for a vehicle (see pg. 2, paragraph 3) comprising:
a front cover having a front surface (first support element 30 including first fixing part 31);
a display panel (display 10) attached to the front surface (from pg. 5, paragraph 1: “[A] first support element 30 … is attached to the rear side 12 of the display 10.”; see also Fig. 8);
an oscillation actuator (actuator 20) attached to the display panel (10; from pg. 4, paragraph 5: “The actuator 20 is installed in the display 10.”);
a main bracket (second support element 40 including second fixing part 41) positioned behind the front cover (30) and spaced apart from the oscillation actuator (20) and the front cover (30);
a forward/backward vibration damper (one of the four vibration dampers 50 shown in Fig. 10) installed between the main bracket (40) and the front cover (30) to dampen vibrations between the front cover (30) and the main bracket (40) in a forward/backward direction (The vibration dampers 50 are made of a resilient material [see pg. 5, paragraph 2] and spaced apart from first support element 30 and second support element 40 by first fixing part 31 and second fixing part 41, respectively, creating a buffer space S wherein the vibration dampers 50 can move in the forward/backward direction [see annotated Fig. 8 below]);
an upward/downward vibration damper (another one of the four vibration dampers 50 shown in Fig. 10) installed between the main bracket (40) and the front cover (30) to dampen vibrations between the front cover (30) and the main bracket (40) in an upward/downward direction (Note the structure of the vibration dampers 50 shown below in annotated Fig. 10. It includes two arms capable of bending in an upward/downward direction as well as two arms capable of bending in a direction parallel to the surface of the display); and
a rear cover (outer cap 70) fixed to the main bracket (40) and configured to surround the main bracket (40) behind the front cover (30; see Figs. 9-10).
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Regarding claim 2, Powertip teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated above. In light of the above-mentioned 112(b) issue, Powertip further teaches the haptic display according to claim 1, wherein the forward/backward vibration damper (50) comprises:
a fixing portion (second locking part 52) attached to the main bracket (41);
a damping portion (arms of 50) integrally formed with the fixing portion (52), the damping portion (arms of 50) being positioned between the fixing portion (52) and the front cover (30) and comprising a layer made only of a vibration insulator material (from pg. 5, paragraph 2: “The vibration damper 50 is made of resilient material such as, but not limited to, rubber, metal, polymer such as a washer, sheet metal, or other polymer construction.”); and
a bonding material (first locking part 51 or first bolt 61) configured to bond the damping portion (arms of 50) to the front cover (31).
Regarding claim 8, Powertip teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated above
Powertip further teaches the haptic display according to claim 1, wherein the rear cover (70) is spaced apart from the front cover (30) when attached to the main bracket (40).
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 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 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Powertip as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Chen et al. (US 2016/0297376 A1), hereinafter Chen.
Regarding claim 4, in light of the above-mentioned 112(b) issue, Powertip teaches all of
the limitations of claim 2 as stated above. Powertip further teaches the haptic display according to claim 2, wherein:
the main bracket (40) includes a damper fixing groove (the rectangular recesses on second support element 40 in which vibration dampers 50 are disposed; see Fig. 10) configured to receive the fixing portion (52) of the forward/backward vibration damper (50);
the damping fixing groove (rectangular recesses on 40 in which 50 is disposed) includes a rotation preventing protrusion (41) configured to limit rotation of the fixing portion (52) of the forward/backward vibration damper (50) with respect to the main bracket (40; second locking part 52 is fixed to second fixing part 41, thus limiting rotation of vibration damper 50 with respect to second support element 40).
Powertip further teaches that the fixing portion (52) of the forward/backward vibration damper (50) is coupled with an assembling screw (second bolt 62) extending through the main bracket (40), but lacks the specific teaching that the fixing portion of the forward/backward vibration damper includes a female thread.
Chen teaches fixing portions of vibration dampers that include female threads (from paragraph 0004: “In addition, there is another vibration dampening means in conventional arts, in this means, post-shaped rubber dampers with female threads at both ends are provided between a supporting structure and the display terminal to dampen the vibration.”)
Powertip and Chen are considered to be analogous art because they are in the same field of endeavor as the claimed invention. Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the effective filing date of the present application, to include a female thread on the second locking part 52 of the vibration dampers 50 to better secure the vibration dampers 50 to the second support element 40.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Powertip as applied to claim 8 above, and further in view of Bae et al. (US 2013/0342484 A1), hereinafter Bae.
Regarding claim 9, Powertip teaches all of the limitations of claim 8 as stated above. Powertip lacks the teaching that the rear cover includes a first forward/rearward restraint protrusion and the main bracket includes a second forward/rearward restraint protrusion which cooperate to restrain forward/rearward movement of the rear cover and the main bracket with respect to each other; and one of the first forward/rearward restraint protrusion and the second forward/rearward restraint protrusion includes at least one linear contact protrusion to form a linear contact state together with the other one of the first forward/rearward restraint protrusion and the second forward/rearward restraint protrusion.
Bae teaches a haptic display device (electronic device 100) comprising a first forward/rearward restraint protrusion (first locking plate 151) and a second forward/rearward restraint protrusion (second locking plate 152) which cooperate to restrain forward/rearward movement (up/down direction in Figs. 1-2) of a panel (120) with respect to a display bracket (110). The first forward/rearward restrain protrusion (151) includes a linear contact protrusion (elastic body 153) to form a linear contact state together with the second forward/rearward restraint protrusion (152).
Bae is analogous art because it is in the same field of endeavor as the claimed invention. Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the effective filing date of the present application, to modify the device of Powertip to include a first forward/rearward restraint protrusion on the outer cap 70 and a second forward/rearward restrain protrusion on the second support element 40, with a linear contact protrusion on one of the restraint protrusions to form a linear contact state between the two forward/rearward restraint protrusions. Doing so would help limit forward/rearward vibration between second support element 40 and outer cap 70.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 5-7, and 10 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, as well as fixing any 112(b) issues.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 3, the prior art neither teaches nor suggests “a plurality of damping slits is formed in the main bracket that overlap one another in a radial direction about a portion of the main bracket to which the fixing portions of the forward/backward vibration damper is attached.”
Regarding claim 5, the prior art neither teaches nor suggests that “the upward/downward vibration damper comprises a floating member having a lower flange formed of a vibration insulator material and having an upper surface on which the front cover is supported, and an upper flange having a lower surface via supported on the main bracket.” Claims 6-7 depend, either directly or indirectly, on claim 5 and would be allowable for at least the reason stated above.
Regarding claim 10, the prior art neither teaches nor suggests a “first parallel-direction restraint protrusion comprises an outer arc-shaped restraint portion configured to receive and confine the second parallel-direction restraint protrusion and a guide portion that extends downwardly from the restraint portion and is configured to guide the second parallel-direction restraint protrusion into the guide portion; the second parallel-direction restraint protrusion comprises an inner arc-shaped restraint portion configured to be received in the outer arc-shaped restraint portion; and the inner arc-shaped restraint portion includes a plurality of linear contact protrusions configured to form a linear contact state together with the outer arc-shaped restraint portion.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROSS TERRY MULARSKI whose telephone number is (571)272-0284. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm EST.
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/R.T.M./Examiner, Art Unit 2841
/ANTHONY M HAUGHTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841