DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claim 1 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. Claim 1 recites “a microphone configured to mute external sound.” The recited claim language is not clear because a microphone is a sound sensing device and does not alone preform muting external sound. The claim fails to clarify how the external sound is muted and how the microphone accomplishes such muting. Therefore, it is unclear how the recited microphone preformed muting external sound.
Claims 2-16 are rejected because they depend of rejected claim 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 1-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by U.S Patent No. 10,540,955 B1 to Milani et al. (hereinafter “Milani”).
Regarding claim 1, Milani teaches a TWS (true wireless speaker) (Fig. 4 loudspeaker 202a/202b is a wireless speaker), comprising: a dynamic driver configured to emit woofer sound (Fig.4 element 402 and column 6, lines 8-20; a low-frequency driver 402 emits low frequency sound); a planar speaker configured to emit tweeter sound (Fig.4 element 402 and column 6, lines 8-20; a high-frequency driver 404 emits high frequency sound); and a microphone configured to mute external sound (Abstract and column 5, lines 40-54; an error microphone is disposed near the loudspeaker and receives sound output by both drivers as well as noise. An estimation of the secondary path between the drivers and the microphone is determined, and playback audio is applied to the estimation. The output of the estimation is subtracted from the output of the microphone to determine anti-noise. This anti-noise is used to modify audio data sent to the first, low-frequency driver; the audio data is sent directly to the second, high-frequency driver).
Regarding claim 2, Milani teaches the TWS of claim 1, wherein the planer speaker is disposed in front of a woofer diaphragm of the dynamic driver, so that the woofer sound is emitted through the planar speaker, and the microphone is disposed adjacent to the planar speaker at a location that does not interfere with a sound emission portion of a housing of the TWS (Fig. 4 and column 6, lines 8-20; loudspeaker 202a/202b includes a low-frequency driver 402 and a high-frequency driver 404. As mentioned above the drivers 402/404 may be balanced-armature drivers. The low-frequency driver 402 is larger than the high-frequency driver 404 to thereby accommodate the outputting of lower frequencies. The low-frequency driver 402 and a high-frequency driver 404 may, however, be the same size, and they may output different frequencies based at least in part on different geometries, components, and/or circuitry. The internal microphones 205a/205b may be disposed in or near the loudspeakers 202a/202c).
Regarding claim 3, Milani teaches the TWS of claim 1, wherein the planer speaker is mounted on a separation plate having a woofer sound passage in front of a woofer diaphragm of the dynamic driver, emission paths of the woofer sound and the tweeter sound are separated from each other, and the microphone is disposed at a location that does not interfere with a sound emission portion of a housing of the TWS (Fig. 4 and column 6, lines 8-20; loudspeaker 202a/202b includes a low-frequency driver 402 and a high-frequency driver 404. As mentioned above the drivers 402/404 may be balanced-armature drivers. The low-frequency driver 402 is larger than the high-frequency driver 404 to thereby accommodate the outputting of lower frequencies. The low-frequency driver 402 and a high-frequency driver 404 may, however, be the same size, and they may output different frequencies based at least in part on different geometries, components, and/or circuitry. The internal microphones 205a/205b may be disposed in or near the loudspeakers 202a/202c).
Regarding claim 4, Milani teaches the TWS of claim 1, wherein the planer speaker is mounted at a location that covers a part of an inlet of a sound emission portion of a housing of the TWS, the microphone is mounted to cover another part of the inlet of the sound emission portion, and the woofer sound is emitted to an outside through an empty space between the planar speaker and the microphone (Fig.4 element 402 and column 6, lines 8-20; a high-frequency driver 404 emits high frequency sound); and a microphone configured to mute external sound (Abstract and column 5, lines 40-54; an error microphone is disposed near the loudspeaker and receives sound output by both drivers as well as noise. An estimation of the secondary path between the drivers and the microphone is determined, and playback audio is applied to the estimation. The output of the estimation is subtracted from the output of the microphone to determine anti-noise. This anti-noise is used to modify audio data sent to the first, low-frequency driver; the audio data is sent directly to the second, high-frequency driver).
Regarding claim 5, Milani teaches the TWS of claim 1, wherein the planer speaker is airtightly mounted on an inner surface of the sound emission portion, the microphone is mounted at a location that does not interfere with the sound emission portion, a tweeter sound passage hole and a woofer sound passage hole are formed in the planar speaker, and woofer vibration sound is emitted through the woofer sound passage hole and tweeter vibration sound is emitted through the tweeter sound passage hole (Fig.4 and column 6, lines 8-20; loudspeaker 202a/202b according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The loudspeaker 202a/202b includes a low-frequency driver 402 and a high-frequency driver 404. As mentioned above the drivers 402/404 may be balanced-armature drivers. In some embodiments, the low-frequency driver 402 is larger than the high-frequency driver 404 to thereby accommodate the outputting of lower frequencies. The low-frequency driver 402 and a high-frequency driver 404 may, however, be the same size, and they may output different frequencies based at least in part on different geometries, components, and/or circuitry. The internal microphones 205a/205b may be disposed in or near the loudspeakers 202a/202c).
Regarding claim 6, Milani teaches the TWS of claim 5, wherein sound flowing into the microphone enters through the woofer sound passage hole and is transmitted to the microphone (Fig.4 and column 6, lines 8-20; loudspeaker 202a/202b according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The loudspeaker 202a/202b includes a low-frequency driver 402 and a high-frequency driver 404. As mentioned above the drivers 402/404 may be balanced-armature drivers. In some embodiments, the low-frequency driver 402 is larger than the high-frequency driver 404 to thereby accommodate the outputting of lower frequencies. The low-frequency driver 402 and a high-frequency driver 404 may, however, be the same size, and they may output different frequencies based at least in part on different geometries, components, and/or circuitry. The internal microphones 205a/205b may be disposed in or near the loudspeakers 202a/202c).
Regarding claim 7, Milani teaches the TWS of claim 1, wherein the planar speaker includes a conductor, a magnet located on one side of the conductor, and a vibrator located on one side of the magnet (column 3, lines 15-31; A balanced-armature driver may include a coil of electric wire wrapped around an armature; the coil is disposed between two magnets, and changes in the current in the coil causes attraction).
Regarding claim 8, Milani teaches the TWS of claim 2, wherein the planar speaker includes a conductor, a magnet located on one side of the conductor, and a vibrator located on one side of the magnet (column 3, lines 15-31; A balanced-armature driver may include a coil of electric wire wrapped around an armature; the coil is disposed between two magnets, and changes in the current in the coil causes attraction).
Regarding claim 9, Milani teaches the TWS of claim 3, wherein the planar speaker includes a conductor, a magnet located on one side of the conductor, and a vibrator located on one side of the magnet (column 3, lines 15-31; A balanced-armature driver may include a coil of electric wire wrapped around an armature; the coil is disposed between two magnets, and changes in the current in the coil causes attraction).
Regarding claim 10, Milani teaches the TWS of claim 4, wherein the planar speaker includes a conductor, a magnet located on one side of the conductor, and a vibrator located on one side of the magnet (column 3, lines 15-31; A balanced-armature driver may include a coil of electric wire wrapped around an armature; the coil is disposed between two magnets, and changes in the current in the coil causes attraction).
Regarding claim 11, Milani teaches the TWS of claim 5, wherein the planar speaker includes a conductor, a magnet located on one side of the conductor, and a vibrator located on one side of the magnet (column 3, lines 15-31; A balanced-armature driver may include a coil of electric wire wrapped around an armature; the coil is disposed between two magnets, and changes in the current in the coil causes attraction).
Regarding claim 12, Milani teaches the TWS of claim 7, wherein a circuit replacing a voice coil is formed on the diaphragm (column 3, lines 24-31; a dynamic driver may include a diaphragm attached to a voice coil. When a current is applied to the voice coil, the voice coil moves between two magnets, thereby causing the diaphragm to move and produce sound).
Regarding claim 13, Milani teaches the TWS of claim 8, wherein a circuit replacing a voice coil is formed on the diaphragm (column 3, lines 24-31; a dynamic driver may include a diaphragm attached to a voice coil. When a current is applied to the voice coil, the voice coil moves between two magnets, thereby causing the diaphragm to move and produce sound).
Regarding claim 14, Milani teaches the TWS of claim 9, wherein a circuit replacing a voice coil is formed on the diaphragm (column 3, lines 24-31; a dynamic driver may include a diaphragm attached to a voice coil. When a current is applied to the voice coil, the voice coil moves between two magnets, thereby causing the diaphragm to move and produce sound).
Regarding claim 15, Milani teaches the TWS of claim 10, wherein a circuit replacing a voice coil is formed on the diaphragm (column 3, lines 24-31; a dynamic driver may include a diaphragm attached to a voice coil. When a current is applied to the voice coil, the voice coil moves between two magnets, thereby causing the diaphragm to move and produce sound).
Regarding claim 16, Milani teaches the TWS of claim 11, wherein a circuit replacing a voice coil is formed on the diaphragm (column 3, lines 24-31; a dynamic driver may include a diaphragm attached to a voice coil. When a current is applied to the voice coil, the voice coil moves between two magnets, thereby causing the diaphragm to move and produce sound).
Conclusion
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AKELAW TESHALE
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2694
/AKELAW TESHALE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2694