DETAILED ACTION
Non-Final Rejection
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 .
Benefit of an Earlier Filing
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in Foreign Application No. (JP) 2021-181031 filed on 5th November, 2021.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/06/2025, and 05/01/2024 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The lengthy specification (more than 20 pages) has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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 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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102“(a)(1)” or “(a)(2)” or both as being anticipated by TANAKA (US 2020/0329742 A1).
Referring to Claim 1, TANAKA teaches a sound quality or quality control apparatus (Title) comprising:
at least one electrode ([0062]; Fig. 1: a pair of electrodes 13 and 14; [0069]-[0073]);
a controller ([0063]; Fig. 1: controller 10) configured to control at least one of a voltage value, a current value, a frequency, or a phase of voltage or current applied to the electrode ([0063]), wherein while an object is disposed to face the electrode, the object having liquid inside or on a surface and containing at least one of wood, leather, metal, an inorganic material, an organic material, an animal- or plant-derived material, or a composite material, at least one of a voltage value, a current value, a frequency, or a phase of the voltage or the current, having a DC component and/or an AC component to be applied to the electrode, is adjusted, and at least one of an electric field, a magnetic field, an electromagnetic field, electromagnetic waves, sound waves or ultrasonic waves generated by the electrode, is controlled to control a state of the liquid present inside or around the object that is disposed to face the electrode, so that a sound quality or quality of the object is controlled ([0063]; [0068]; [0098]; [0110]; [0152]; [0073]).
Referring to Claim 2, TANAKA teaches the sound quality or quality control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of controls is performed on the liquid present inside or on the surface of the object that is disposed to face the electrode ([0067]; [0110]-[0111]), the controls including:
(1) controlling in such a manner that the liquid turns into a state of reducing an interfacial tension of the liquid ([0097]-[0105]);
(2) controlling in such a manner that the liquid turns into a bonding state with a pearl-chain structure ([0097]-[0107]);
(3) controlling in such a manner that particles of the liquid are micronized ([0110]-[0113]);
(4) controlling arrangement of molecules of the liquid or particles of the liquid ([0097]-[0107]).
Referring to Claim 3, TANAKA teaches the sound quality or quality control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the interfacial tension of the liquid in controlling in such a manner that the liquid turns into a state of reducing an interfacial tension of the liquid includes at least one of an interfacial tension between the liquid and another liquid, an interfacial tension between the liquid and a gas, or an interfacial tension between the liquid and a solid ([0191]).
Referring to Claim 4, TANAKA teaches the sound quality or quality control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, with regard to the object that is disposed to face the electrode maintains, an effect of improving a property of the object is sustained for a predetermined period after the electric field, magnetic field, electromagnetic field, electromagnetic waves, sound waves, or ultrasonic waves generated by the electrode were removed ([0118]; [0125]-[0126]; [0134]).
Referring to Claim 5, TANAKA teaches the sound quality or quality control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electrode is disposed in a storage container of the material ([0073]; [0108]).
Referring to Claim 6, TANAKA teaches the sound quality or quality control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the object is an animal- or plant-derived material, the controller applies at least one of voltage or current having at least one component of a DC component or an AC component to the electrode to control at least one sound quality or quality into a predetermined state, the sound quality or quality including a characteristic of frequency of the object, a distortion rate, an SN ratio, a noise, a dynamic range, sustain, sound vibration, attack sound, slipperiness of a string, a tone, a balance of sounds, a balance of masses, a speed, a flow, maneuver, a resistance with water, a mechanical resistance, a friction resistance, a fuel efficiency, durability, a range, accuracy, directional stability, hitting efficiency, impact transmission characteristics, a force and rotation given to a ball, a directivity of ball hitting, a hitting speed, a flying distance, hitting sensation, a throw distance, a mechanical resistance, contact with a snow surface, rigidity, strength, a vibration characteristic, softness, hardness, a cushioning property, feel against one’s skin, aesthetic performance, a sugar content, an acidity, a hardness, an AGEs score, a sugar concentration, a cell concentration, smell, mouthfeel, freshness, a maturation degree, sliminess prevention, turbidity prevention, mold prevention, rust prevention, algae growth prevention, or cracking prevention, so as to control the sound quality or quality to be in a predetermined state ([0063]; [0068]; [0073]; [0098]; [0110]; [0126]; [0152]; [0162]).
Referring to Claim 7, TANAKA teaches the sound quality or quality control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of voltage or current is controlled to increase or decrease continuously or stepwise, or to be at a predetermined value ([0090]; [0105]; [0110]).
Referring to Claim 8, TANAKA teaches the sound quality or quality control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is connected to at least any of a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet terminal, a mobile terminal, or a PC ([0074]).
Referring to Claim 9, TANAKA teaches the sound quality or quality control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
the controller is connected to a management server to be able to communicate therewith ([0095]-[0096]);
the management server performs at least one of updating or performing maintenance of a program of the controller, surveying or monitoring a use status of the controller, collecting or analyzing position information or environmental information on the controller, collecting or analyzing improvement request information from the controller, performing maintenance of the controller, collecting control information from the controller and/or information from a database, generating and providing learning model information for the controller, providing control information based on the learning model information, or providing control parameters of the controller ([0095]-[0096]; [0225]-[0226]).
Claim 10 is essentially the same as Claim 1 and refers to a sound quality or quality control method for the sound quality or quality control apparatus of Claim 1. Therefore Claim 10 is rejected for the same reasons as applied to Claim 1 above.
Claim 11 is essentially the same as Claim 10 and refers to a program wherein the controlling step in the sound quality or quality control method as set forth in claim 10 is executed by a computer ([0065]; Claim 55). Therefore Claim 11 is rejected for the same reasons as applied to Claim 10 above.
Examiner’s Note
Examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record in the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicant. However, any citation to specific, pages, columns, lines, or figures in the prior art references and any interpretation of the references should not be considered to be limiting in any way. A reference is relevant for all it contains and may be relied upon for all that it would have reasonably suggested to one having ordinary skill in the art. In re Heck, 699 F.2d 1331, 1332-33, 216 USPQ 1038, 1039 (Fed. Cir. 1983) (quoting In re Lemelson, 397 F.2d 1006, 1009, 158 USPQ 275, 277 (CCPA 1968)). Applicant, in preparing the response, should consider fully the entire reference as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AMIE M N'DURE whose telephone number is (571)272-6031. The examiner can normally be reached on 8AM-5:30PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Isam Alsomiri can be reached on 571-272-6970. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/AMIE M NDURE/Examiner, Art Unit 3645
/ISAM A ALSOMIRI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3645