DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
The Art Unit location of your application in the PTO has changed. To aid in correlating any papers for this application, all further correspondence regarding this application should be directed to Group Art Unit 2691.
This communication is responsive to the claims filed 04/16/2024.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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 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.
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 1-2 and 6-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yang (U. S. Pat. App. Pub. No. – 2005/0207606).
Regarding claim 1, Yang discloses a speaker module (1), comprising: a speaker housing (10); a first sounding unit (21); and a second sounding unit (23); wherein an accommodating cavity (within 10) is defined in the speaker housing, the accommodating cavity comprises a first space and a second space (Fig. 2C/D); the first sounding unit is fixed in the accommodating cavity, the first sounding unit divides the first space into a first rear sound cavity (back cavity of 21) and a first front sound cavity (front cavity of 21), a first speaker hole (32) is defined on a first surface of the speaker housing, the first front sound cavity is communicated with an exterior of the speaker housing through the first speaker hole (Figs. 2C/D); and the second sounding unit is fixed in the accommodating cavity, the second sounding unit divides the second space into a second rear sound cavity (back cavity of 23) and a second front sound cavity (front cavity of 23), a second speaker hole (32) is defined on the first surface of the speaker housing, and the second front sound cavity is communicated with the exterior of the speaker housing through the second speaker hole (Figs. 2C/D) as claimed.
Regarding claim 2, Yang further discloses the speaker module, wherein both the first speaker hole and the second speaker hole extend in a first direction, a projection of the first speaker hole (319a) in a second direction falls within the second speaker (315b/c) hole , the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction (Fig. 3).
Regarding claims 6-7, Yang further discloses the speaker module, wherein the first sounding unit (21) is configured to receive a first frequency band signal, the second sounding unit (22, 23) is configured to receive a second frequency band signal, and a frequency of the first frequency band signal is different a frequency of the second frequency band signal (Figs 2C/D); and the frequency of the first frequency band signal is greater than the frequency of the second frequency band signal as claimed inherently.
Regarding claim 8, Yang further discloses the speaker module, wherein the first rear sound cavity and the second rear sound cavity are combined into an integrated rear sound cavity (Figs. 3-7A).
Regarding claim 9, Yang further discloses the speaker module, wherein the speaker housing (311) comprises a first sub-housing (317) and a second sub-housing (331), the first sub-housing is covered with the second sub-housing (Fig. 5A), the first sounding unit (315a) is disposed in the first sub-housing, and the second sounding unit (315c) is disposed in the second sub-housing.
Regarding claim 10, Yang further discloses the speaker module, wherein a smart headset, comprising: the speaker module (Fig. 2A) as claimed.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103(a) 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.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Yang (U. S. Pat. App. Pub. No. – 2005/0207606).
Regarding claim 3, Yang may not specially teach that the first speaker hole and the second speaker hole are rectangular structures or slotted structures as claimed. Since providing suitable speaker grille with desirable openings for a speaker device is very well known in the art (Official Notice), and Yang does suggest for modification ([0079]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to be motivated to provide suitable speaker grille with desirable openings, such as rectangular or circular openings, for the speaker module taught by Yang, in order to provide desirable protection and transmit acoustic output for the speaker module.
Claims 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Yang (U. S. Pat. App. Pub. No. – 2005/0207606) in view of Mei et al. (U. S. Pat. App. Pub. No. – 2011/0158440) and YOU et al. (U. S. Pat. App. Pub. No. – 2004/0109576).
Regarding claims 4-5, Yang may not specially teach that at least one balance hole is defined on the speaker housing as claimed. But Mei et al. disclose a similar structured speaker module (Fig. 13), comprising at least one balance hole (1006c) defined on a speaker housing (1006); and YOU et al. also disclose a similar structured speaker module (Fig. 4), comprising balance holes on a speaker housing ([0034]). Furthermore, Yang does suggest for modification ([0079]), and it therefore, would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to be motivated to provide suitable venting or balance hole(s) on the housing of the speaker module taught by Yang, in order to provide desirable protection for the speaker module.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SUHAN NI whose telephone number is (571)272-7505. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday from 10:00 am to 6:30 pm.
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/SUHAN NI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2691