DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. 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 Amendment
2. In response to the amendment filed 04 May 2026, claims 1-20 remain pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Claims 1, 2, 4-8, 10, 11, 13-16, 18 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Williams et al. (US 2013/0342704 A1) in view of Chen et al. (US 2022/0225541 A1).
Regarding claims 1, 8 and 15, Williams discloses a mobile teaching system comprising:
a sealable composite housing (enclosed case – Par. 106) containing:
a computing device (processor and operating system – Par’s. 100-101) in communication with a memory device (see e.g. Par. 122); and one or more of:
a projection device (projector 108) in communication with the computing device (Par. 46); and
one or more of:
a removable storage device or a network device, in communication with the computing device, providing access to data comprising an offline digital library for presenting to students through the projection device (Par’s. 40-41); and
a rechargeable power supply in communication with the computing device (Par. 48) (as per claim 1),
a mobile teaching device, comprising:
a display device (e.g. touch screen – Par’s. 67-69);
a user interface (Par. 42);
one or more processors in communication with the display and the user interface (Par. 37); and
memory, wherein the display device, the user interface, the one or mor processors, and the memory are at least in part contained within a sealable container (enclosed case – Par. 106), the memory storing computer-executable instructions that, if executed, cause the one or more processors to:
obtain, by the mobile teaching device, data comprising a digital library for presenting to students via the display device (Par. 40 – educational material from internet) via a removable storage device (storage device may be removable – Par. 7);
receive one or more instructions to configure the data for display via the user interface; and responsive to receiving the one or more instructions, display the data through the display device (Par’s. 122-123) (as per claim 8), and
a mobile teaching system, comprising:
a projection device (Par. 37);
a user interface (Par. 42);
one or more processors in communication with the projection device and the user interface (Par’s. 100-101); and
memory, wherein the projection device, the user interface, the one or more processors, and the memory are at least in part contained within a sealable container (Par. 106), the memory storing computer-executable instructions that, if executed, cause the one or more processors to:
obtain, by the mobile teaching system, data for presenting to students via the projection device (Par. 40);
receive one or more instructions to present the data via the projection device via the user interface; and responsive to receiving the one or more instructions, present the data via the projection device (Par’s. 122-123) (as per claim 15).
Williams does not appear to explicitly disclose a heat sink assembly in proximity to at least the computing device, wherein the heat sink assembly is configured to dissipate heat without a fan (as per claim 1), the sealable container is water tight, and comprises a heat sink assembly mounted within and forming part of the watertight sealable container (as per claim 8), and the sealable container is watertight and comprises a heat sink assembly mounted within the container in proximity to at least the one or more processors (as per claim 15). However, Chen discloses providing a sealable container for electronic and computer components (see abstract), wherein the container is watertight and is composed of heat sink assemblies in proximity to the computer components that dissipate heat without a fan (see e.g. Par’s. 33, 39-40, Fig. 4B – top and bottom housing components 412 and 414, including heat spreaders, thermal pads and spaced fins configured to dissipate heat without a fan). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the teachings of Williams by utilizing the sealable container of Chen for Williams’ components. Such a modification would involve combining prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results of keeping William’s components cool and watertight.
Regarding claims 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, 16 and 18, Williams further discloses the network device supports a wireless connection with an external computing device to access the data comprising the offline digital library (Par’s. 56-57) (as per claim 2),
a moveable solar collecting device in communication with the rechargeable power supply (Par. 48, 53) (as per claim 4),
the computing device comprises at least one of a microprocessor or a microcomputer (Par. 57, Fig. 3) (as per claim 6),
a user interface at least in part disposed on an outward facing surface of the composite container in communication with the computing device to configure display of the data through the projection device (Par’s. 122-123) (as per claim 7),
the display device comprises a projection device (Par. 37) (as per claim 10),
the user interface comprises one or more physical buttons (e.g. 506 – Par. 85) (as per claim 11),
the memory stores additional computer-executable instructions that, if executed, further cause the one or more processors to: obtain additional data for presenting to the students via one
one or more of a rechargeable power source or a connection device to an external power source (Par. 48) (as per claim 14),
the memory stores additional computer-executable instructions that, if executed, further cause the one or more processors to: obtain the data from a removable storage device (Par. 7) (as per claim 16), and
the user interface comprises one or more of a touch screen or physical buttons (Par. 85) (as per claim 18).
Regarding claims 5, 13 and 19, Chen as discussed above further discloses the heat sink assembly is mounted within the sealable composite housing and wherein the sealable composite housing is watertight (as per claim 5), and the assembly dissipates heat without a fan (as per claims 13 and 19) (see Par’s. 33, 39-40, Fig. 4B). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the teachings of Williams by providing the sealable container of Chen for Williams’ components, with the motivation being the same as that set forth in the rejection of claims 1, 8 and 15, above.
6. Claims 3, 9, 12, 17, 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Williams et al. (US 2013/0342704 A1) in view of Chen et al. (US 2022/0225541 A1), and further in view of Sehbai et al. (US 2019/0325769 A1).
Regarding claims 3, 9, 12, 17 and 20, the combination of Williams and Chen does not appear to explicitly disclose the network device comprises a device that generates a hotspot or local area network to communicate the data to one or more student computing devices (as per claim 3), the memory stores additional computer-executable instructions that, if executed, further cause the one or more processors to: transmit the data via a restricted network connection to one or more student computing devices (as per claim 9), or more of a wired connection or wireless network connection with a mobile computing device (as per claim 12), the memory stores additional computer-executable instructions that, if executed, further cause the one or more processors to: obtain the data via a wireless communication link with a mobile device (as per claim 17), and the memory stores additional computer-executable instructions that, if executed, further cause the one or more processors to: transmit the data to one or more student computing devices via a restricted communication link (as per claim 20).
However, Sehbai discloses a similar housing device for providing standalone educational lessons (see abstract) that connects to student devices via secure network (Par. 72) to provide data to the devices (Par. 117), and obtains additional data from a mobile device (e.g. computer 20) to provide to the students (see Par. 116). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the combination of Williams and Chen by obtaining additional data from a mobile device for delivery to the students, and delivering data to students devices via secure local network, as taught by Sehbai, to obtain predictable results of enhancing the variety of educational materials available to the students.
Response to Arguments
7. Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 8 and 15 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
8. Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
9. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PETER EGLOFF whose telephone number is (571) 270-3548. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday Eastern.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Xuan Thai, can be reached at 571-272-7147. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Peter R Egloff/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715
Prosecution Insights