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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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(s) 1-5 and 12-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al, CN 216852306, in view of Ji et al, CN 217643651.
Wang et al disclose a charging box comprising: earphones 100 and a charging box 200; the earphone 100 includes a main body 110 (core module), a battery portion 120 and an elastic connecting portion 130 (the hook structure); the charging box includes a first housing assembly 210 which includes the main body 211 and a support plate 212; a profiling groove 213 disposed in the support plate 212 for accommodating the earphones 100 (figs. 3, 5); a first profiling region 2131 accommodates the main body 110; a second profiling region 2132 accommodates battery portion 120; a third profiling rejoin 2133 accommodates elastic connecting portion 130 (figs. 3-6, 16-17).
Want et al fail to disclose wherein a projection of the first profiling groove region in a first reference direction and a projection of the second profiling groove region in the first reference direction overlap, and a projection of the first profiling groove region in a second reference direction and a projection of the second profiling groove region in the second reference direction overlap, the first reference direction being perpendicular to the second reference direction.
Ji et al discloses an earphone comportment comprising: two profiling grooves for accommodating two earphone 100; the two profiling grooves are arranged in a mirror image configuration; Ji et al disclose similar structural relationship between earphone components and the profiling regions; spacing L between the third profiling regions of the two grooves first decreases and then increases, demonstrating special arrangement of the hook receiving portions of the two grooves (fig. 5).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing data of the claimed invention to arrange the profiling regions of Wang et al according to the compact, mirror image special arrangement taught by Ji et al and to select the relative positioning of the main body and hooking receiving regions such that their occupied dimensions overlap along mutually perpendicular planar direction. Such modification would reduce the dimensions of the charging case while retaining profiling regions conforming to the three dimensional ear hook geometry. Therefore, it would have been an obvious extension as taught by the prior art.
Regarding claim 2, in addition to the rejection of claim 1, wang et al disclose that the profiling groove 213 follows the three dimensional curved earphone structure and divides the groove among main body region 2131, battery region 2132, and the elastic region 2133 (figs. 3-6). And Ji et al disclose controlling the planar configuration of the corresponding hook receiving regions, including the spacing L that decreases and then increases (fig. 5). Wang et al in view of Ji et al render the claim obvious.
Regarding claims 3-4, in addition to the rejection of claim 1 above, Wang et al disclose establishing opposite first and second side edges 21211/21212 and places the various profiling regions relative to those edges; the first profiling region 2131 is near the first side edge and the second profiling region 2132 near the side edge, with the curve third profiling region 2133 connecting them (fig. 3). Wang et al in view of Ji et al render the claims obvious.
Regarding claim 5, in addition to the rejection of claim 1 above, Wang et al disclose two earphones corresponding to the left and right ears and a charging box configured to receive them. Ji et al disclose two profiling grooves 213 for accommodating two earphones 100 with the two mirror profiling grooves arrange in mirror image. Wang et al in view of Ji et al render the claim obvious.
Regarding claim 12, in addition to the rejection of claim 1 above, Wang et al disclose a charging box 200 including a first housing assembly 210, a circuit board 230, a battery 240, and an adapter assembly 250, the circuit board 230 and the battery 240 are disposed in accommodating 214 of the lower housing assembly; a first and second feeding electrodes 232/233 having positive and negative terminals; detection electrode 234 (figs. 1-2; 12-13). Wang et al in view of Ji et al render the claim obvious.
Regarding claims 13, in addition to the rejection of claim above, Wang et al disclose 3 separate electrodes with their position, the physically space electrode positions define three vertices, which meets the claimed limitation. Wang et al in view of Ji et al render the claim obvious.
Regarding claim 14, in addition to the rejection of claim 1 above, although Wang et al disclose an elastic portion 130, but fails to specifically a separate rigid portion position between main body and the elastic connecting portion. However, providing a rigid transition portion between the flexible ear hook and the electronic core would have been a known mechanical design technique for providing structural attachment stability. Wang et al in view of Ji et al render the claim obvious.
Regarding claim 15, in addition to the rejection of claim 1 above, wang et al disclose two sets of magnet mounting grooves 21251 and 21252 in the support plate 212 to cause the earphone to conform to and remain seated in the profiling groove. Wang et al in view of Ji et al render the claim obvious.
Regarding claims 16, in addition to the rejection of claim 1 above, Wang et al disclose that the first housing assembly pivotally connected to the second housing assembly (fig. 2); the disclosure of the profiling grooves, and the housing assembly establishes corporation of the upper and lower housing assemblies in the closed states.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-11 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The applicant teaches a charging case for at least one earphone which includes a core module, a hook structure connected to the core module, a lower housing assembly with at least one profiling groove, each of the at least one profiling groove including a first profiling groove region corresponding to the core module and a second profiling groove region corresponding to the hook structure, wherein a projection of the first profiling groove region in a first reference direction and a projection of the second profiling groove region in the first reference direction overlap, wherein the at least one profiling groove includes two profiling grooves, and the at least one earphone includes two earphones, wherein second profiling groove regions of the two profiling grooves are disposed intersecting with each other, such that when the two profiling grooves accommodate the two earphones, respectively, hook structures of the two earphones overlap with each other or wherein the charging case further includes a shaft mechanism connecting the upper housing assembly and the lower housing assembly, wherein the shaft mechanism is configured to open or close the charging case, the shaft mechanism includes a lower fixing seat integrally molded with the lower housing assembly, an upper fixing seat integrally molded with the upper housing assembly, and a shaft. These limitations in conjunction with other limitations in the claims were not shown by the prior art of record.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Zheng et al, US Pub. 2024/0031724, disclose an earphone.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL ST CYR whose telephone number is (571)272-2407. The examiner can normally be reached M to F 8:00-8:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Pham Thomas can be reached at 571-272-3689. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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DANIEL ST CYR
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2876
/DANIEL ST CYR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
