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 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-6 and 21-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ye, Jaehun et al. (EP4231664A2 filed December 21, 2022.), hereinafter “Ye Jaehun.”
As to Claim 1, Ye Jaehun teaches a sound apparatus (a sound apparatus for providing sound. See at least abstract, page 2, lines 1-2), comprising: a vibration member having a plate shape (passive vibration member 100. See at least Figure 2, 7); and a plurality of vibration devices (first vibration portion 210 of an embodiment of the disclosure may include a first active vibration member 211, and second vibration portion 230 including active member 231 and 232, where the second vibration member is attached to the first vibration member by and adhesive 220. See at least Figure 2, 7 page 3 lines 6-9 and page 9, [0005]) disposed at a surface of the vibration member (passive vibration member 100). Ye Jaehun teaches the first vibration portion 210 disposed on the rear faces 100a of the passive vibration member 100. See at least page 11. lines 6-9) to vibrate based on a driving signal input thereto (the passive vibration member 100 vibrates based on the driving of the vibration apparatus. See at least page 8, [0010]- [0011]), wherein each of the plurality of vibration devices has a rectangular shape (the first active vibration member 211 may have rectangular or square shape as shown on Figures 8-10 and page 11 [0005]) and is disposed to be rotation-symmetric (active vibration members 231 and 232 of the second vibration portion 230 may be inclined or rotated from the first active vibration member 211 of the first vibration portion 210. See at least Figures 2, 8 and page 22, [0003]), and wherein a short side of one of the plurality of vibration devices (first vibration device 210 and second vibration 230) is opposite to a long side of another vibration device (Figures 9 vibration devices 210 and 230.)
As to Claim 2, Ye Jaehun teaches the limitations of Claim 1 and wherein the plurality of vibration devices are driven by a common driving circuit, he vibration device may vibrate (or displace or drive) based on a driving signal input thereto (as the vibration device may vibrate (or displace or drive) as contraction and expansion are alternately repeated based on a piezoelectric effect (or a piezoelectric characteristic) according to a driving signal applied from the outside. The driving signal may be an alternating current (AC) signal such as a sound signal, a vibration driving signal, or a voice signal, or the like. The vibration device of the first active vibration member 211 may vibrate (or displace or drive) based on a first driving signal input thereto. The vibration device of each of the active vibration member 231 and the active vibration member 232 may vibrate (or displace or drive) together based on a second driving signal input thereto. See at least page 12, [0006]).
As to Claim 3, Ye Jaehun teaches the limitations of Claim 1 and wherein the plurality of vibration devices are attached on the vibration member by an adhesive member (first vibration portion 210 of an embodiment of the disclosure may include a first active vibration member 211, and second vibration portion 230 including active member 231 and 232, where the second vibration member is attached to the first vibration member by and adhesive 220. See at least Figure 2, 7 page 3 lines 6-9 and page 9, [0005])
As to Claim 4, Ye Jaehun teaches the limitations of Claim 1 and further comprising a mass member disposed at least a portion of the plurality of vibration devices (the vibration apparatus may further comprise a mass member at the first active vibration member. See at least page 6 lines 13-14. Also, see Figure 7 mass member 260.)
As to Claim 5, Ye Jaehun teaches the limitations of Claim 4 and further comprising an elastic member disposed between the mass member and the plurality of vibration devices (the mass member 260 may be disposed or attached at a rear center portion or a front center portion of the first active vibration device 211. See at least page 21 lines 12-15. Further the mass member 260 may be embedded in each of first and second adhesive members 221 and 222. The first and second adhesive members 221 and 222 may be disposed to wholly surround the mass member 260. Even in this case, the mass member 260 may act as a mass (or mass body) which increases a mass (or weight) of each of the active vibration member 211, the 2-1.sup.st active vibration member 231, and the 2-2.sup.nd active vibration member 232 to decrease a lowest resonance frequency (or lowest natural frequency) of the active vibration member 211.See at least page 21 [0007].
As to Claim 6, Ye Jaehun teaches the limitations of Claim 4 and wherein the mass member has a circular shape and is disposed over the plurality of vibration devices, the mass member 260 may have circular pillar shape. See at least page 21, lines 13-15.
As to Claim 21, Ye Jaehun teaches the limitations of Claim 1 and wherein the vibration member includes at least one material of a metal, resin, glass, wood, rubber, plastic, fiber, cloth, paper, leather, or carbon, Ye Jaehun teaches the passive vibration member may be a display panel including a display area having a plurality of pixels to implement an image, or may comprise one or more materials of wood, rubber, plastic, flexible glass, fiber, cloth, paper, metal, carbon, a mirror, and leather. See at least page 6 lines 16-19. Ye Jaehun further teaches wherein the vibration member is at least one of a display panel including a pixel configured to display an image, a screen panel on which an image is to be projected from a display apparatus, a lighting panel, a light emitting diode lighting panel, an organic light emitting lighting panel, an inorganic light emitting lighting panel, a signage panel, a vehicular interior material, a vehicular glass window, a vehicular exterior material, a vehicular seat interior material, a vehicular ceiling material, a building ceiling material, a building interior material, a building glass window, an aircraft interior material, an aircraft glass window, and a mirror, as the display apparatus may include a display panel including a plurality of pixels which implement a black/white or color image and a driving part for driving the display panel. For example, the display panel may be an organic light-emitting display panel, a light-emitting diode display panel, an electrophoresis display panel, an electro-wetting display panel, a micro light-emitting diode display panel, or a quantum dot light-emitting display panel, or the like, but embodiments of the disclosure are not limited thereto. For example, in the organic light-emitting display panel, a pixel may include an organic light-emitting device such as an organic light-emitting layer or the like, and the pixel may be a subpixel which implements any one of a plurality of colors configuring a color image. set device (or a set apparatus) or a set electronic device such as a notebook computer, a TV, a computer monitor, an equipment apparatus including an automotive apparatus or another type apparatus for vehicles, or a mobile electronic device such as a smartphone, or an electronic pad, or the like which is a complete product (or a final product) including a display panel such as an organic light-emitting display panel, a liquid crystal display panel, or the like. See at least page 8, [0008]- [0009].
As to Claim 22, Ye Jaehun teaches the limitations of Claim 1 and, wherein the vibration member is a display panel of a display apparatus, wherein the display panel includes an image display surface on which an image is displayed, the display panel may be an organic light-emitting display panel, a light-emitting diode display panel, an electrophoresis display panel, an electro-wetting display panel, a micro light-emitting diode display panel, or a quantum dot light-emitting display panel, or the like, but embodiments of the disclosure are not limited thereto. For example, in the organic light-emitting display panel, a pixel may include an organic light-emitting device such as an organic light-emitting layer or the like, See at least page 8, [0008] and a rear surface opposite to the image display surface, and wherein vibrations of the plurality of vibration devices are transferred to the rear surface of the display panel(The passive vibration member 100 of an embodiment of the disclosure may be a display panel including a display area (or a screen) having a plurality of pixels which implement a black/white or color image. Thus, the passive vibration member 100 may generate one or more of a vibration and a sound based on driving of the vibration apparatus 200. See at least page 8, [0012] and page 9, [0001]. For example, the passive vibration member 100 may vibrate based on a vibration of the vibration apparatus 200 while a display area is displaying an image, and thus, may generate or output a sound synchronized with the image displayed on the display area. See at least page 8, [0008].
As to Claim 23, Ye Jaehun teaches the limitations of Claim 22, and wherein the display panel vibrates based on vibrations generated by one or more of the plurality of vibration devices, and wherein a sound is output from an image displayed on the display panel, the passive vibration member 100 may vibrate based on a vibration of the vibration apparatus 200 while a display area is displaying an image, and thus, may generate or output a sound synchronized with the image displayed on the display area. See at least page 8, [0008].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-20 are 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.
The independent Claim 24, identifies a uniquely distinct feature of “…wherein each of the first to fourth vibration devices has a rectangular shape and is disposed to be rotationally symmetrical at a rotation angle of 90 degree with respect to a symmetric central point, and wherein a short side of one vibration devices is close to a long side of a neighboring vibration device.”
Claims 24-26 are allowed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SUNITA JOSHI whose telephone number is (571)270-7227. The examiner can normally be reached 8-3.
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/SUNITA JOSHI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2691