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 .
Claim Objections
Claims 14 and 19 are objected to because of the following:
In claim 14, on line 4, “and” should be changed to --or-- for consistency with the specification.
In claim 19, on line 4, “and” should be changed to --or-- for consistency with the specification. Appropriate correction is required.
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 (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 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, 3 and 24-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Salvatti (US 2018/0091902).
Regarding claim 1, Salvatti teaches a speaker or microspeaker (100, figure 1, paragraphs [0002]-[0023]) comprising a frame (104) defining a space (paragraphs [0024]-[0025], figure 1), a coil (114) positioned in the space such that the frame extends around a perimeter of the coil (paragraph [0026], figure 1), and a suspension (106, 118, figure 1) suspending the coil (114) within the space relative to the frame (104, paragraph [0026], figure 1), wherein the suspension (106, 118, figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9) is coupled to the frame (104) and to the coil (114) and allows the coil to vibrate in an axial direction during operation of the microspeaker (paragraph [0025], figure 1), and wherein the suspension (106, 118) comprises a liquid metal polymer material (paragraphs [0025], [0028], [0034] and [0046]).
Regarding claim 3, Salvatti teaches the suspension (106, 118) that is formed from liquid metal particles embedded in a polymer matrix (paragraphs [0028] and [0034]).
Regarding claims 24-25, Salvatti teaches a mobile device or a wearable device comprising the microspeaker as claimed (paragraphs [0002] and [0023], figures 10-11).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 2, 5-8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 17-19 and 22-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Salvatti (US 2018/0091902) in view of Majidi (US 2020/0328007).
Regarding claim 2, Salvatti does not specifically disclose that a power density of the microspeaker is 0.8 milliwatts per cubic millimeter or greater as claimed. However, Salvatti does not restrict to any types, any sizes, and/or any parameters for the microspeaker; it therefore would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to provide any types, any sizes, and/or any power density for the microspeaker of Salvatti such as providing the power density of the microspeaker is 0.8 milliwatts per cubic millimeter or greater depending on the applications and providing a better performance to the system.
Regarding claim 5, Salvatti teaches the liquid metal polymer material (106, 118, paragraphs [0025], [0028] and [0046]). Salvatti does not specifically disclose that the liquid metal polymer material is prestressed in a radial direction extending from the coil towards the frame. However, Salvatti does show the suspension (106, 118) extending from the coil towards the frame (figure 1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to provide any shape and/or any configuration for the liquid metal polymer material of the suspension in the system of Salvatti such as providing the liquid metal polymer material that is prestressed in a radial direction extending from the coil towards the frame depending on the applications and the desired frequency characteristics in the system.
Regarding claims 6-8, Salvatti teaches the suspension (106, 118, figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9) including one or more liquid metal material (paragraphs [0028] and [0046]-[0047]). Salvatti does not specifically disclose the suspension including one or more liquid metal channels extending radially from the coil toward the frame and including at least one fluid diode that directs a flow of liquid metal in the direction as claimed. However, Salvatti does not restrict to any shape, configuration and/or pattern for the liquid metal material (paragraph [0028]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to provide any shape, configuration and/or pattern for the liquid metal material in the system of Salvatti such as providing the suspension including one or more liquid metal channels extending radially from the coil toward the frame and including at least one fluid diode that directs a flow of liquid metal in the direction from the coil toward the frame depending on the types of the loudspeaker, applications and/or the desired frequency characteristics in the system.
Regarding claim 10, Salvatti does not specifically disclose the thickness of the suspension (106, 118, figures 1, 2, 3, 4) as claimed. However, Salvatti does not restrict any sizes, any dimensions and/or any thickness for the suspension (106, 118).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to provide any thickness for the suspension in the system of Salvatti such as providing a thickness of the suspension in the axial direction is 0.2 millimeters or less depending on the applications and the desired frequency characteristics in the system.
Regarding claim 11, Salvatti teaches the suspension (106, 118, figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9) including one or more liquid metal material (paragraphs [0028] and [0046]-[0047]). Salvatti does not specifically disclose a volume fraction of liquid metal particles as claimed. However, Salvatti does not restrict to any configuration and/or any pattern for the liquid metal material (paragraph [0028]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to provide any configuration and/or any pattern for the liquid metal material in the system of Salvatti such as providing a volume fraction of liquid metal particles in the suspension that is ten percent or greater and fifty percent or less for an alternate choice depending on the applications and the desired frequency characteristics in the system.
Regarding claims 13-14, Salvatti shows an outer perimeter and an inner perimeter of the suspension (106, 118, figures 1, 2, 3, 4). Salvatti does not specifically disclose the outer perimeter and the inner perimeter of the suspension having the quadrilateral shapes and a distance between the outer perimeter and the inner perimeter defining the width of the suspension as claimed. However, Salvatti does not restrict any shapes, any dimensions and/or any configurations for the suspension (106, 118, figures 1, 4, paragraph [0035]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to provide any shapes, any dimensions and/or any configurations for the suspension in the system of Salvatti such as providing the outer perimeter and the inner perimeter of the suspension having the first and second quadrilateral shapes being concentric, and providing the distance between the outer perimeter and the inner perimeter defining the width of the suspension that is 2mm or less, or 1 mm or more depending on the applications and the desired frequency characteristics in the system.
Regarding claims 17-19, Salvatti shows the first and second quadrilateral shapes of the outer perimeter and the inner perimeter of the suspension (106, 118) having a rectangular shape (figure 4). Salvatti does not specifically disclose the first and second quadrilateral shapes of the outer perimeter and the inner perimeter of the suspension having a square shape, the length of each side of the first quadrilateral shape and/or a ratio as claimed. However, Salvatti does not restrict any shapes, any dimensions and/or any configurations for the suspension (106, 118, figures 1, 4, paragraph [0035]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to provide any shapes, any dimensions and/or any configurations for the suspension in the system of Salvatti such as providing the first and second quadrilateral shapes having a square shape, the length of each side of the first quadrilateral shape that is 16 mm or less and/or the first quadrilateral shape comprising a rectangular shape, wherein a ratio of a length of the rectangular to a width of the rectangular is 1.1 or more, or 2.0 or less for an alternate choice depending on the applications and the desired frequency characteristics in the system.
Regarding claims 22-23, Salvatti shows the shapes of the outer perimeter and the inner perimeter of the suspension (106, 118, figures 1, figure 4). Salvatti does not specifically disclose the shapes of the outer perimeter and the inner perimeter of the suspension having circular shapes, the outer perimeter and the inner perimeter of the suspension defining a first shape and a second shape as claimed. However, Salvatti does not restrict any shapes and/or any configurations for the suspension (106, 118, figures 1, 4, paragraph [0035]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to provide any shapes and/or any configurations for the suspension in the system of Salvatti such as providing the shapes of the outer perimeter and the inner perimeter of the suspension having first and second circular shapes being concentric, the outer perimeter of the suspension defining a first shape and the inner perimeter of the suspension defining a second shape with the opposing sides as claimed in claim 23, wherein the first and second shapes are concentric for an alternate choice depending on the applications and the desired frequency characteristics in the system.
Claims 26-27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Salvatti (US 2018/0091902) in view of Majidi (US 2020/0328007).
Regarding claims 26-27, Salvatti teaches the suspension (106, 118) comprising a liquid metal polymer material (paragraphs [0025], [0028] and [0046]). Salvatti does not specifically disclose the liquid metal polymer material comprising polydisperse liquid metal droplets and the liquid metal droplets having a statistically uniform spatial distribution in the suspension as claimed. However, providing a liquid metal polymer material comprising polydisperse liquid metal droplets embedded in an elastomer is known in the art.
Majidi et al. teaches a liquid metal embedded elastomer composite (101) comprising a silicone elastomer (102) embedded with a randomly distributed, polydisperse suspension of non-toxic, liquid phase eutectic gallium-indium microdroplets (103, paragraph [0024]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to provide any liquid metal polymer material in the system of Salvatti such as providing the liquid metal polymer material comprising polydisperse liquid metal droplets embedded in the elastomer, and the liquid metal droplets having a statistically uniform spatial distribution in the suspension for better providing the desirable electrical and thermal properties and an improved material to the suspension of the system.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Sahyoun (US 6,853,734) teaches a linearly compliant, flexible, resilient and flat speaker damper connected between the frame and the cone of the speaker with electrically conductive paths applied to the damper to conduct the signal to be applied to the voice coil of the speaker.
Huang et al. (US 11,240,604) teaches a planar speaker comprising a cone, and a surround attached to an outer edge of the cone, wherein the surround includes butyl rubber, polyether ether ketone (PEEK), or an organic thermoplastic polymer.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HUYEN D LE whose telephone number is (571) 272-7502. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30 am-6:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Fan Tsang can be reached at (571) 272-7547. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HUYEN D LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2694 HL
March 20, 2026