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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments submitted on 01/16/2026 with respect to claims 1-11 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The Non-final office action sent on 10/17/2025 has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made below in the office action.
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.
Claims 1-10 and 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US Patent No. 6142593 A and Kim hereinafter) in view of Ko et al (US Patent No. 8649182 B2 and Ko hereinafter)
Regarding Claim 1, Kim discloses (figs. 1-17 and annotated figs) a port replicator on which an electronic device is placed, the port replicator comprising: a body (30) on which the electronic device (10) is placed; and a fixing component(40 and 40’) including a base (42) disposed in the body and a side wall (43) extending from the base in a direction intersecting the body and supporting an outer surface of the electronic device (works as a guide rail for the device). Kim does not specifically disclose wherein the fixing component is configured to change a position of the side wall by being disposed with an orientation of the base changed. However, Ko teaches (figs. 1-14) wherein the fixing component (3) is configured to change a position (by rotation) of the side wall (331) by being disposed with an orientation of the base (31) changed (shows in figs 9-13). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the fixing component to change a position of the side wall of Ko to device of Kim in order to enhance the flexibility of the body for fastening electronic devices having different sizes (Ko and col 6, lines 35-40)
Regarding Claim 2, Kim/Ko discloses the port replicator according to Claim 1. Kim further teaches wherein the outer surface of the electronic device includes a first outer surface (FS) and a second outer surface (SS) opposed to the first outer surface, and the fixing component includes a first fixing component (FC) that is disposed along the first outer surface and supports the first outer surface, and a second fixing component (SC) that is disposed along the second outer surface and supports the second outer surface.
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Regarding Claim 3, Kim/Ko discloses the port replicator according to Claim 2. Kim further teaches wherein the first fixing component is opposed to the second fixing component.
Regarding Claim 4, Kim/Ko discloses the port replicator according to Claim 1. Kim further teaches wherein the base has a rectangular shape having a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction in plan view, and the side wall is disposed on one end side in the lateral direction along the longitudinal direction (fig.4).
Regarding Claim 5, Kim/Ko discloses the port replicator according to Claim 1. Kim further teaches wherein the body includes a recess (50) in which the base is disposed, and a shape of the recess corresponds to an outer shape of the base in a plan view (fig.4).
Regarding Claim 6, Kim/Ko discloses the port replicator according to Claim 5. Kim further teaches wherein the recess has a rectangular shape in plan view (fig.4).
Regarding Claim 7, Kim/Ko discloses the port replicator according to Claim 1. Kim further teaches wherein the side wall includes a plurality of walls extending in different directions (see annotated fig above).
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Regarding Claim 8, Kim/Ko discloses the port replicator according to Claim 7. Kim further teaches wherein the plurality of walls are disposed in a polygonal shape in plan view (see annotated fig above).
Regarding Claim 9, Kim/Ko discloses the port replicator according to Claim 8. Kim further teaches wherein the plurality of walls are four walls, and the four walls are disposed in a quadrangular shape in plan view (see annotated fig above).
Regarding Claim 10, Kim/Ko discloses the port replicator according to Claim 1. Kim further teaches wherein the body includes a support (see annotated fig above) that extends in a direction intersecting an extending direction of the side wall that supports the outer surface of the electronic device and supports the outer surface of the electronic device (see fig.4).
Regarding Claim 12, Kim/Ko discloses the port replicator according to Claim 1. Ko further teaches wherein the change of the orientation of the base is a rotation of the base relative to the body (shows in figs 9-13).It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the rotatable fixing components of Ko to device of Kim in order to enhance the flexibility of the body for fastening electronic devices having different sizes (Ko, col 6, lines 35-40)
Regarding Claim 13, Kim/Ko discloses the port replicator according to Claim 12. Ko further teaches wherein the rotation of the base relative to the body is in increments of 180 degrees. (shows in figs 9-13).It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the 180 degrees rotatable fixing components of Ko to device of Kim in order to enhance the flexibility of the body for fastening electronic devices having different sizes (Ko, col 6, lines 35-40)
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al in view of Ko et al and further in view of Stacey et al (US Pub No. 2009/0294617 A1 and Stacey hereinafter)
Regarding Claim 11, Kim/Ko discloses the port replicator according to Claim 3. Kim further discloses wherein the first fixing component includes a first base disposed in the body and a first side wall extending from the first base and supporting the first outer surface, the second fixing component includes a second base disposed in the body and a second side wall extending from the second base and supporting the second outer surface (see annotated figs above) but fails to disclose the fixing component is configured to change a distance between the first side wall and the second side wall by being disposed with orientations of the first base and the second base changed. However, Stacey teaches (figs 1-4) the fixing component (103a-b) is configured to change a distance (changed by rack 203) between the first side wall and the second side wall by being disposed with orientations of the first base and the second base changed. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Stacey as claimed above to device of Kim/Ko in order to provide various different users who may have different location preferences, and also allows for great flexibility (Stacey, [0029])
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Claims 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al in view of Ko et al and further in view of Kimura et al (US Pub No. 7108530 B2 and Kimura hereinafter)
Regarding Claim 14, Kim/Ko discloses the port replicator according to Claim 12, but fails to disclose wherein the rotation of the base relative to the body is in increments of 90 degrees. However, Kimura teaches (fig.10) wherein the rotation of the base (17) relative to the body (11) is in increments of 90 degrees. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the 180 degrees rotatable fixing components of Kimura to device of Kim/Ko in order to provide a structure requires a large additional space suitable for an irregular shape (Kimura, and col 4, lines 50-55).
Regarding Claim 15, Kim/Ko/Kimura discloses the port replicator according to Claim 14. Kim teaches various sizes (at least two size wide wise ) of portable devices . Ko teaches various sizes (at least two size length wise ) of portable devices and Kimura teaches different shapes of portable devices wherein the rotation of the base makes the fixing component capable of accommodating electronic devices (figs 9-10) of four different external sizes. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the 180 degrees rotatable fixing components of Kimura to device of Kim/Ko in order to provide different structures to accommodate different electronic devices of sizes and shapes (Kimura, and col 4, lines 50-55).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROCKSHANA D CHOWDHURY whose telephone number is (571)272-1602. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 8 AM - 4:30 PM ET.
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/ROCKSHANA D CHOWDHURY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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