DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to the application filed on June 11, 2024.
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 .
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because:
line 2: "magnetic connectors with asymmetric attach/detach mechanism" should be --magnetic connectors with an asymmetric attach/detach mechanism--; and
line 3: "electronic device disclose herein" should be --electronic device disclosed herein--.
A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Claim Objections
Claims 3 and 5 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 3, line 1: "the port include a" should be --the port includes a--;
Claim 5, line 2: "the second magnet compress the spring" should be --the second magnet compresses the spring--.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 1-2, 6-7 and 9-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lindberg, et al. (US-20070287302-A1).
With respect to Claim 1:
Lindberg discloses an electronic device comprising:
a port 30 having an opening to receive a connector 40 (Figs. 4-5);
a magnet array 32&37 associated with the port 30 (Fig. 4), the magnet array including:
a first magnet 32, and
a second magnet 37; and
a spring 61 to bias the first magnet or the second magnet 37 away from the opening (Figs. 4-5; [0029]).
With respect to Claim 2:
Lindberg discloses the electronic device of claim 1.
Lindberg also discloses wherein the first magnet 32 has a first polarization orientation (Fig. 4), and the second magnet 37 has a second polarization orientation different from the first polarization orientation (Figs. 4-5).
With respect to Claim 6:
Lindberg discloses a system comprising:
an electronic device including:
a port 30 having an opening (Fig. 4);
a magnet array 32&37 in the port 30 (Fig. 4), the magnet array including:
a first magnet 32, and
a second magnet 37; and
a spring 61 to bias the second magnet 37 away from the opening (Fig. 4; [0029]); and
a connector 40 removably couplable with the port 30 (Figs. 4-5).
With respect to Claim 7:
Lindberg discloses the system of claim 6.
Lindberg also discloses wherein the magnet array is a first magnet array, wherein the connector 40 comprises a second magnet array 42&44 (Figs. 4-5), wherein the second magnet array comprises a third magnet 42 and a fourth magnet 44 (Fig. 4), wherein the third magnet 42 is attracted to the first magnet 32 when the connector 40 is coupled to the port 30 (Figs. 4-5; [0031]), and wherein the fourth magnet 44 is attracted to the second magnet 37 when the connector 40 is coupled to the port 30 (Figs. 4-5; [0031]).
With respect to Claim 9:
Lindberg discloses the system of claim 7.
Lindberg also discloses wherein the spring 61 biases the second magnet 37 away from the fourth magnet 44 (Figs. 4-5; [0029], [0031]).
With respect to Claim 10:
Lindberg discloses the system of claim 7.
Lindberg also discloses wherein a force of the spring 61 is less than an attractive force between the second magnet 37 and the fourth magnet 44 when the connector 40 and the port 30 are coupled (Figs. 4-5; [0031]).
With respect to Claim 11:
Lindberg discloses the system of claim 7.
Lindberg also discloses wherein the first magnet 32 and the second magnet 37 comprise opposite polarization orientations (Figs. 4-5), and the third magnet 42 and the fourth magnet 44 comprise opposite polarization orientations (Fig. 4).
With respect to Claim 12:
Lindberg discloses the system of claim 6.
Lindberg also discloses wherein an attach force to couple the connector 40 to the port 30 is greater than a detach force to decouple the connector 40 from the port 30 (Figs. 4-5; [0031]).
With respect to Claim 13:
Lindberg discloses the system of claim 12.
Lindberg also discloses wherein the detach force is based on a stiffness of the spring 61 (inherent to springs; [0029], [0031]).
With respect to Claim 14:
Lindberg discloses the system of claim 6.
Lindberg also discloses wherein the first magnet 32 comprises a first polarization orientation (Fig. 4), and the second magnet 37 comprises a second polarization orientation different than the first polarization orientation (Fig. 4).
With respect to Claim 15:
Lindberg discloses the system of claim 6.
Lindberg also discloses wherein the second magnet 37 is movable (Figs. 4-5; [0031]).
With respect to Claim 16:
Lindberg discloses the system of claim 6.
Lindberg also discloses wherein the second magnet 37 is in a first position relative to the port 30 when the connector 40 is coupled to the port 30 (Fig. 5), and the second magnet 37 is in a second position relative to the port 30 when the connector 40 is detached from the port 30 (Fig. 4).
With respect to Claim 17:
Lindberg discloses the system of claim 16.
Lindberg also discloses wherein the spring 61 moves the second magnet 37 toward the second position when the connector 40 and the port 30 are separated (Fig. 4; [0029], [0031]).
With respect to Claim 18:
Lindberg discloses the system of claim 6.
Lindberg also discloses wherein the connector 40 includes a third magnet 44 that is attracted to the second magnet 37, and attraction of the second magnet 37 and third magnet 44 compresses the spring 61 (Figs. 4-5; [0031]).
With respect to Claim 19:
Lindberg discloses the system of claim 6.
Lindberg also discloses wherein the connector 40 includes a ferromagnetic rod 42 that is attracted to the first magnet 32 (Figs. 4-5; [0027]) or the second magnet.
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 3-5 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lindberg, et al. (US-20070287302-A1) in view of Fritsch, et al. (US-5829987-A).
With respect to Claim 3:
Lindberg discloses the electronic device of claim 1.
Lindberg does not explicitly disclose wherein the port includes a plurality of contacts adjacent to the magnet array.
However, Fritsch teaches an electronic device comprising a switching mechanism 1 (connector) that couples to a tripping mechanism 2 (port); wherein the tripping mechanism 2 includes tripping magnets 17 (magnet array; first and second magnets) (Figs. 1-3); and wherein the port includes a plurality of contact pins 18 (contacts) adjacent to the tripping magnets 17 (Figs. 1-3).
Thus, Lindberg and Fritsch each disclose electronic devices that engage in coupling due to magnetic forces and spring forces. A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have recognized that the adjacent contacts of Fritsch could be combined with the connector part 30 of Lindberg because it would provide additional contacts for purposes separate from that of the contact ring 37. Furthermore, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been able to carry out the modification.
With respect to Claim 4:
Lindberg in view of Fritsch discloses the electronic device of claim 3.
Lindberg also discloses wherein the plurality of contacts support data transfer or power supply ([0024]: the cable [connects to a battery charger or earphones]; the contacts of Lindberg in view of Fritsch could be used for similar purposes).
With respect to Claim 5:
Lindberg discloses the electronic device of claim 1.
Lindberg does not explicitly disclose wherein a magnetic force associated with the first magnet or the second magnet compresses the spring when the connector is coupled to the port.
However, Fritsch teaches an electronic device comprising a switching mechanism 1 (connector) that couples to a tripping mechanism 2 (port); wherein the tripping mechanism 2 includes tripping magnets 17 (magnet array; first and second magnets) (Figs. 1-3); and wherein the tripping magnets 17 cause a spring 22 to compress when the switching mechanism 1 is coupled to the tripping mechanism 2 (Figs. 1-3).
Thus, Lindberg and Fritsch each disclose electronic devices that engage in coupling due to magnetic forces and spring forces. A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have recognized that the compressive spring of Fritsch could be combined with the spring contacts of Lindberg because it would allow for an alternative design that utilizes springs designed for compression rather than stretching. Furthermore, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been able to carry out the modification.
With respect to Claim 8:
Lindberg discloses the system of claim 7.
Lindberg does not explicitly disclose wherein the second magnet and the fourth magnet cause the spring to compress when the connector is coupled to the port.
However, Fritsch teaches an electronic device comprising a switching mechanism 1 (connector) that couples to a tripping mechanism 2 (port); wherein the tripping mechanism 2 includes tripping magnets 17 (magnet array; first and second magnets) (Figs. 1-3); and wherein the tripping magnets 17 cause a spring 22 to compress when the switching mechanism 1 is coupled to the tripping mechanism 2 (Figs. 1-3).
Thus, Lindberg and Fritsch each disclose electronic devices that engage in coupling due to magnetic forces and spring forces. A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have recognized that the compressive spring of Fritsch could be combined with the spring contacts of Lindberg because it would allow for an alternative design that utilizes springs designed for compression rather than stretching. Furthermore, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been able to carry out the modification.
Conclusion
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/AMARA ANDERSON/Examiner, Art Unit 2831 /ABDULLAH A RIYAMI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2831
