The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
The specification 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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 24 and 25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 24 is indefinite on line 3 because there is no clear antecedent basis for “the voice coil”. Which of the first and second voice coils is one referring to here?
Claim 25 is indefinite on line 3 and on line 4 because there is no clear antecedent basis for “the voice coil”. Which of the first and second voice coils is one referring to here?
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, 5, 11, 14, and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Cho et al. (US 10,743,097).
Regarding claim 1, Cho discloses an electronic device (see figures 1-9), comprising: a casing 500; and a speaker 100. The speaker 100 comprises: a housing 160 comprising an inner cavity (see fig. 1, for example); a magnetic circuit component 110, 110’ in the inner cavity and comprising a first part 110, a second part 110’, and a magnetic gap 400 that is formed between the first part 110 and the second part 110’, wherein the magnetic gap 400 extends in a length direction X of the speaker 100; and a vibration component comprising: a first diaphragm 140; a second diaphragm 140’, wherein the first diaphragm 140 and the second diaphragm 140’ are respectively located on two opposite sides of the magnetic circuit component 110, 110’ (see fig. 1, for example), and wherein the first diaphragm 140 and the second diaphragm 140’ comprise respective circumferential edges that are coupled to the housing 160 (see fig. 1, for example); a first connecting piece and a second connecting piece (see fig. 1, as labeled below); and a voice coil 200 inside the magnetic gap 400, wherein the voice coil 200 comprises two opposite sides that are respectively coupled to the first diaphragm 140 by the first connecting piece and to the second diaphragm 140’ by the second connecting piece (see fig. 1, labeled below);
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wherein the voice coil 200 comprises a first side part 151 and a second side part 152 that are disposed opposite to each other (see fig. 4, for example), wherein the first side part 151 and the second side part 152 are parallel to a central axis of the voice coil 200 (e.g., a longitudinal axis passing through a central point of the voice coil 200 which is perpendicular to a lateral axis represented by dotted line in fig. 4), wherein the first side part 151 is coupled to the first diaphragm 140 by the first connecting piece and the second side part 152 is coupled to the second diaphragm 140’ by the second connecting piece (see fig.1, labeled above, and fig. 4, for example).
Regarding claim 3, wherein the first connecting piece is coupled to the first side part 151 and the first diaphragm 140, and wherein the second connecting piece is coupled to the second side part 152 and the second diaphragm 140’. See fig.1, labeled above, and fig. 4, for example.
Regarding claims 5 and 22, wherein the first part 110 and the second part 110’ are spaced from each other by the magnetic gap 400, and wherein the first part 110 and the second part 110’ are magnetic. See fig. 1, for example.
Regarding claim 11, the electronic device comprises a plurality of voice coils 200, 200’ that are arranged in the length direction X of the speaker 100. See figs. 6 and 7, for example.
Regarding claim 14, the first diaphragm 140 and the second diaphragm 140’ are symmetrically disposed relative to the magnetic circuit component 110, 110’. See fig. 1, for example.
Claims 1, 3, 5, 14, and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang et al. (US 2021/0274289).
Regarding claim 1, Wang discloses an electronic device 100 (see figures 1-20), comprising: a casing 110; and a speaker 200. The speaker 200 comprises: a housing 7, 8, 9 comprising an inner cavity (see fig. 4, for example); a magnetic circuit component 32, 33 in the inner cavity and comprising a first part 32, a second part 33, and a magnetic gap 36 that is formed between the first part 32 and the second part 33, wherein the magnetic gap 36 extends in a length direction of the speaker 200; and a vibration component comprising: a first diaphragm 11; a second diaphragm 21a, wherein the first diaphragm 11 and the second diaphragm 21a are respectively located on two opposite sides of the magnetic circuit component 32, 33 (see fig. 4, for example), and wherein the first diaphragm 11 and the second diaphragm 21a comprise respective circumferential edges (e.g., 213a) that are coupled to the housing 7, 8, 9 (see fig. 7, for example); a first connecting piece (e.g., glue) and a second connecting piece (e.g., glue; see para. 0058, regarding “the connection between the bobbin voice coil 12 and the first diaphragm 11 or the second diaphragm (21a, 21b) may be glue bonding…”); and a voice coil 12 inside the magnetic gap 36, wherein the voice coil 12 comprises two opposite sides that are respectively coupled to the first diaphragm 11 by the first connecting piece (e.g., glue) and to the second diaphragm 21a by the second connecting piece (e.g., glue; see fig. 4, for example), wherein the voice coil 12 comprises a first side part 123 and a second side part 124 that are disposed opposite to each other (see fig. 10, for example), wherein the first side part 123 and the second side part 124 are parallel to a central axis of the voice coil 12 (e.g., a lateral axis passing through a central point of the voice coil 12 which is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis passing through the central point; see fig. 10, for example), wherein the first side part 123 is coupled to the first diaphragm 11 by the first connecting piece (e.g., glue) and the second side part 124 is coupled to the second diaphragm 21a by the second connecting piece (e.g., glue; see figs. 4 and 10, for example).
Regarding claim 3, wherein the first connecting piece is coupled to the first side part 123 and the first diaphragm 11, and wherein the second connecting piece is coupled to the second side part 124 and the second diaphragm 21a. See para. 0058, regarding “the connection between the bobbin voice coil 12 and the first diaphragm 11 or the second diaphragm (21a, 21b) may be glue bonding…”
Regarding claims 5 and 22, wherein the first part 32 and the second part 33 that are spaced from each other by the magnetic gap 36, and wherein the first part 32 and the second part 33 are magnetic. See fig. 7, for example.
Regarding claim 14, the first diaphragm 11 and the second diaphragm 21a are symmetrically disposed relative to the magnetic circuit component 32, 33. See fig. 4, for example.
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 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cho et al. (US 10,743,097), as applied to claim 1 above, in further view of Saiki et al. (US 2011/0044489).
Cho discloses the invention as claimed, but fails to specifically teach that the magnetic circuit component 110, 110’ further comprises a magnetic fluid, wherein the magnetic fluid fills the magnetic gap 400 and wraps at least a part of the voice coil 200 (see fig. 1, for example). Saiki discloses an electronic speaker device (see figs. 1(b) and 2(b), for examples) including a magnetic circuit component including a magnetic gap, a diaphragm, a voice coil inside the magnetic gap, and a magnetic fluid 17/27, wherein the magnetic fluid 17/27 fills the magnetic gap and wraps at least a part of the voice coil, in the same field of endeavor, for the purpose of preventing burnout of the voice coil (see para. 0016).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Cho, in view of Saiki, such that the magnetic circuit component 110, 110’ further comprises a magnetic fluid, wherein the magnetic fluid fills the magnetic gap 400 and wraps at least a part of the voice coil 200. A practitioner in the art would have been motivated to do this for the purpose of preventing burnout of the voice coil 12 during operation of the electronic device.
Claims 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cho et al. (US 10,743,097), as applied to claim 1 above, in further view of Ueda et al. (US 2007/0274543).
Cho discloses the invention as claimed, including that the first diaphragm 140 or the second diaphragm 140’ includes a surface which is close to the voice coil 200 (see fig. 1, for example), but fails to specifically teach that the vibration component further includes a connection line on the surface and that the connection line is electrically coupled to the voice coil 200. Ueda discloses an electronic speaker device including a diaphragm bonded to a voice coil, and a magnetic circuit, wherein the voice coil is inserted into a magnetic gap of the magnetic circuit, wherein “lead wires of this voice coil are adhesively attached to the back face of the diaphragm, and the ends of the lead wires are electrically connected to a terminal plate (power supply terminal) provided on the outside of the diaphragm”, in the same field of endeavor, for the purpose of electrically connecting the voice coil to an external signal source to produce sound by the diaphragm (see para. 0002).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Cho, in view of Ueda, such that the vibration component further includes a connection line on a surface of the first diaphragm 140 or the second diaphragm 140’ and that the connection line is electrically coupled to the voice coil 200. A practitioner in the art would have been motivated to do this for the purpose of electrically connecting the voice coil to an external signal source to produce sound by the first diaphragm or the second diaphragm.
Claims 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cho et al. (US 10,743,097), as applied to claim 1 above, in further view of Chiba et al. (US 2007/0081692).
Cho discloses the invention as claimed, including that the casing 500 (see fig. 9, for example), comprises a mounting space, wherein the speaker 100 is mounted in the mounting space and separates the mounting space into a first cavity (e.g., the first cavity having arrow S1 therein) and a second cavity (e.g., the second cavity having arrow S2 therein), but fails to specifically teach that a sound outlet is configured to interact with the mounting space, wherein the first cavity is configured to interact with the sound outlet, and that the housing of the speaker 100 further includes an opening hole on a side wall of the housing, wherein the opening hole is configured to interact with the inner cavity and the second cavity. Chiba discloses an electronic speaker device (see figures 3-5, for example) including a housing comprising an inner cavity S1, a magnetic circuit component in the inner cavity and including a magnetic gap, a diaphragm, and a voice coil inside the magnetic gap, wherein the housing includes an opening hole 4a on a side wall of the housing, wherein the opening hole 4a is configured to interact with the inner cavity S1 and an external space, in the same field of endeavor, for the purpose of preventing the pressure in the speaker device from becoming too high and further to allow the diaphragm to move smoothly (see para. 0056-0058).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Cho, in view of Chiba, such that the housing of the speaker 100 further includes an opening hole on a side wall of the housing, wherein the opening hole is configured to interact with the inner cavity and the second cavity. A practitioner in the art would have been motivated to do this for the purpose of preventing the pressure in the electronic speaker device from becoming too high and further to allow the diaphragm to move smoothly. Furthermore, although the covers of the casing 500 in fig. 9 do not include an outlet hole as claimed, it would have been obvious to include an outlet hole in the covers of the casing 500 to facilitate sound transmission out of the casing 500 (see fig. 3 of Chiba, for example, which teaches sound outlet holes 7a for such a purpose).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (US 2021/0274289), as applied to claim 1 above, in further view of Saiki et al. (US 2011/0044489).
Wang discloses the invention as claimed, but fails to specifically teach that the magnetic circuit component 32, 33 further comprises a magnetic fluid, wherein the magnetic fluid fills the magnetic gap 36 and wraps at least a part of the voice coil 12 (see fig. 7, for example). Saiki discloses an electronic speaker device (see figs. 1(b) and 2(b), for examples) including a magnetic circuit component including a magnetic gap, a diaphragm, a voice coil inside the magnetic gap, and a magnetic fluid 17/27, wherein the magnetic fluid 17/27 fills the magnetic gap and wraps at least a part of the voice coil, in the same field of endeavor, for the purpose of preventing burnout of the voice coil (see para. 0016).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Wang, in view of Saiki, such that the magnetic circuit component 32, 33 further comprises a magnetic fluid, wherein the magnetic fluid fills the magnetic gap 36 and wraps at least a part of the voice coil 12. A practitioner in the art would have been motivated to do this for the purpose of preventing burnout of the voice coil 12 during operation of the electronic device.
Claims 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (US 2021/0274289), as applied to claim 1 above, in further view of Ueda et al. (US 2007/0274543).
Wang discloses the invention as claimed, including that the first diaphragm 11 or the second diaphragm 21a includes a surface which is close to the voice coil 12 (see fig. 4, for example), but fails to specifically teach that the vibration component further includes a connection line on the surface and that the connection line is electrically coupled to the voice coil 12. Ueda discloses an electronic speaker device including a diaphragm bonded to a voice coil, and a magnetic circuit, wherein the voice coil is inserted into a magnetic gap of the magnetic circuit, wherein “lead wires of this voice coil are adhesively attached to the back face of the diaphragm, and the ends of the lead wires are electrically connected to a terminal plate (power supply terminal) provided on the outside of the diaphragm”, in the same field of endeavor, for the purpose of electrically connecting the voice coil to an external signal source to produce sound by the diaphragm (see para. 0002).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Wang, in view of Ueda, such that the vibration component further includes a connection line on a surface of the first diaphragm 11 or the second diaphragm 21a and that the connection line is electrically coupled to the voice coil 12. A practitioner in the art would have been motivated to do this for the purpose of electrically connecting the voice coil to an external signal source to produce sound by the first diaphragm or the second diaphragm.
Claims 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (US 2021/0274289), as applied to claim 1 above, in further view of Chiba et al. (US 2007/0081692).
Wang discloses the invention as claimed, including that the casing 110 (see figs. 18-20, for example), comprises a mounting space 120, wherein the speaker 200 is mounted in the mounting space 120 and separates the mounting space 120 into a first cavity (e.g., the first cavity is located between sound hole 140 and the speaker 200 in the mounting space 120) and a second cavity (e.g., the second cavity is located between sound hole 130 and the speaker 200 in the mounting space 120), and a sound outlet (e.g., sound hole 140) configured to interact with the mounting space 120, wherein the first cavity is configured to interact with the sound outlet 140, but fails to specifically teach that the housing 7, 8, 9 of the speaker 200 further includes an opening hole on a side wall of the housing, wherein the opening hole is configured to interact with the inner cavity and the second cavity. Chiba discloses an electronic speaker device (see figures 3-5, for example) including a housing comprising an inner cavity S1, a magnetic circuit component in the inner cavity and including a magnetic gap, a diaphragm, and a voice coil inside the magnetic gap, wherein the housing includes an opening hole 4a on a side wall of the housing, wherein the opening hole 4a is configured to interact with the inner cavity S1 and an external space, in the same field of endeavor, for the purpose of preventing the pressure in the speaker device from becoming too high and further to allow the diaphragm to move smoothly (see para. 0056-0058).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Wang, in view of Chiba, such that the housing 7, 8, 9 of the speaker 200 further includes an opening hole on a side wall of the housing, wherein the opening hole is configured to interact with the inner cavity and the second cavity. A practitioner in the art would have been motivated to do this for the purpose of preventing the pressure in the electronic speaker device from becoming too high and further to allow the diaphragm to move smoothly.
Claim 12 is 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.
Claims 23, 26, and 27 are allowed.
Claims 24 and 25 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Applicant's arguments filed August 3, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The applicant argues that “because Cho only teaches a single plate, Cho does not teach two connection pieces, namely a first connection piece and a second connection piece, thus, describes a different structure.” The examiner respectfully disagrees. Cho discloses the invention as claimed. Specifically, Cho discloses a vibration component, as claimed, comprising: a first diaphragm 140; a second diaphragm 140’, wherein the first diaphragm 140 and the second diaphragm 140’ are respectively located on two opposite sides of the magnetic circuit component 110, 110’ (see fig. 1, for example), and wherein the first diaphragm 140 and the second diaphragm 140’ comprise respective circumferential edges that are coupled to the housing 160 (see fig. 1, for example); a first connecting piece and a second connecting piece (see fig. 1, as labeled below); and a voice coil 200 inside the magnetic gap 400, wherein the voice coil 200 comprises two opposite sides that are respectively coupled to the first diaphragm 140 by the first connecting piece and to the second diaphragm 140’ by the second connecting piece (see fig. 1, labeled below);
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wherein the voice coil 200 comprises a first side part 151 and a second side part 152 that are disposed opposite to each other (see fig. 4, for example), wherein the first side part 151 and the second side part 152 are parallel to a central axis of the voice coil 200 (e.g., a longitudinal axis passing through a central point of the voice coil 200 which is perpendicular to a lateral axis represented by dotted line in fig. 4), wherein the first side part 151 is coupled to the first diaphragm 140 by the first connecting piece and the second side part 152 is coupled to the second diaphragm 140’ by the second connecting piece (see fig.1, labeled above, and fig. 4, for example).
The applicant also argues that “while Wang has a bobbin voice coil 12 on an outer portion of a magnet 32, the bobbin voice coil 12 is not between a first part and a second part and that extends a length of the speaker”. The examiner respectfully disagrees. Wang discloses a magnetic circuit component 32, 33 in the inner cavity and comprising a first part 32, a second part 33, and a magnetic gap 36 that is formed between the first part 32 and the second part 33, wherein the magnetic gap 36 extends in a length direction of the speaker 200 as claimed.
The applicant further argues that “Wang also does not teach a voice coil comprises two opposite sides that are respectively coupled to the first diaphragm by the first connecting piece and to the second diaphragm by the second connection piece”. The examiner respectfully disagrees. Wang discloses a vibration component comprising: a first diaphragm 11; a second diaphragm 21a, wherein the first diaphragm 11 and the second diaphragm 21a are respectively located on two opposite sides of the magnetic circuit component 32, 33 (see fig. 4, for example); a first connecting piece (e.g., glue) and a second connecting piece (e.g., glue; see para. 0058, regarding “the connection between the bobbin voice coil 12 and the first diaphragm 11 or the second diaphragm (21a, 21b) may be glue bonding…”); and a voice coil 12 inside a magnetic gap, wherein the voice coil 12 comprises two opposite sides that are respectively coupled to the first diaphragm 11 by the first connecting piece (e.g., glue) and to the second diaphragm 21a by the second connecting piece (e.g., glue; see fig. 4, for example), as claimed.
The applicant further argues that in Wang, “the voice coil 12 is not in a magnetic gap formed between the first part and the second part of the magnetic circuit component, and the magnetic gap does not extend in a length direction of the speaker.” The examiner respectfully disagrees. As shown in figure 7, for example, the voice coil 12 is considered located in a magnetic gap 36 formed between the first part 32 and the second part 33 of the magnetic circuit component. Further, the magnetic gap 36 extends in a length direction of the speaker as claimed.
The applicant further argues that “Wang does not teach a first side part and a second side part that are disposed opposite to each other wherein the first side part and the second side part are parallel to a central axis of the voice coil because the connection piece is on a lateral portion and the connection points in Wang are not parallel to a central axis of the voice coil.” The examiner respectfully disagrees. Wang discloses that the voice coil 12 comprises a first side part 123 and a second side part 124 that are disposed opposite to each other (see fig. 10, for example), wherein the first side part 123 and the second side part 124 are parallel to a central axis of the voice coil 12 (e.g., a lateral axis passing through a central point of the voice coil 12 which is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis passing through the central point; see fig. 10, for example), wherein the first side part 123 is coupled to the first diaphragm 11 by the first connecting piece (e.g., glue) and the second side part 124 is coupled to the second diaphragm 21a by the second connecting piece (e.g., glue; see figs. 4 and 10, for example).
Accordingly, the rejections are deemed correct and are maintained.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL W HUBER whose telephone number is (571)272-7588.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Duc Nguyen, can be reached at telephone number 571-272-7503. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PAUL W HUBER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2691
pwh
September 28, 2026
