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 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, 3-6, 10-12, 14, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sahyoun (US 2016/0353198).
Regarding claims 1, 6, and 11, Sahyoun discloses a loudspeaker system (see figs. 9 and 10, for example), comprising: a loudspeaker cabinet 181; at least one speaker driver (see fig. 10, for example, and para. 0079, regarding “an acoustic enclosure 180 for two speakers and a PARM 181 mounted in the enclosure 180”); and a passive radiator module 181 disposed in the loudspeaker cabinet 181, the passive radiator module 181 comprising a cavity 144 and two passive radiators (see figures 4A-4L, for example), the cavity 144 (e.g., exterior frame wall) comprising an upper surface, a lower surface and at least one opening 143, and the at least one opening 143 positioned between the upper surface and the lower surface (see fig. 4C, which illustrates the cavity 144); and two passive radiators disposed on the upper surface and the lower surface of the cavity 144 respectively, each of the two passive radiators comprising a hang edge (see fig. 4E, which illustrates a hang edge on outer circumferential edge of element 137), a surrounding part 137 and a diaphragm 139 (e.g., vibratory element), the surrounding part 137 surrounding the diaphragm 139, and the surrounding part 137 positioned between the hang edge and the diaphragm 139 (see fig. 4E, for example), wherein each of the upper surface and the lower surface comprise a hollow part (see fig. 4E, which illustrates that the upper surface including a circular hollow part which includes ribs 139b disposed therein), the hang edge of any one of the two passive radiators is connected to a corresponding one of the upper surface and the lower surface (see figs. 4C and 4E, for example), and the diaphragm 139 of the any one of the two passive radiators is positioned in the hollow part of the corresponding one of the upper surface and the lower surface (see figs. 4C and 4E, for example).
Regarding claims 3 and 10, an aspect ratio of the surround part 137 is 1:1. The surrounding part 137 is in the shape of a circle, which has an aspect ratio of 1:1, meaning its width equals its height (or horizontal diameter equals vertical diameter).
Regarding clams 4 and 12, the at least one opening is a single opening 143, and the single opening is positioned on one side of the cavity 144. See fig. 4C, for example.
Regarding claims 5 and 14, the at least one opening is a pair of openings 170, 17A, and the pair of openings is symmetrically positioned on opposite sides of the cavity. See figs. 8-8A, for example.
Regarding clam 15, the at least one speaker driver comprises two speaker drivers respectively disposed on opposite sides of the passive radiator module 181. See fig. 10, 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 2 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sahyoun (US 2016/0353198), as applied to claim 1 and claim 6 above, in further view of Ohura (US 2016/0316298).
Sahyoun discloses the invention as claimed, including that each of the two passive radiators include a hang edge (see fig. 4E, which illustrates a hang edge on outer circumferential edge of element 137), but fails to specifically teach that a surface of the hang edge has at least one reinforcement rib. Ohura discloses a passive radiator (see figs. 14 and 15, for example) including a hang edge 204, a surrounding part 203 and a diaphragm 202, wherein a surface of the hang edge 204 has at least one reinforcement rib 301, 304, in the same field of endeavor, for the purpose of “prevent[ing], for example, deformation or vibration in an oblique direction of the passive radiator caused by unnecessary minute vibration, and can prevent or reduce distortion in low-frequency response” (see para. 0077-0080).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Sahyoun, in view of Ohura, such that a surface of the hang edge has at least one reinforcement rib. A practitioner in the art would have been motivated to do this for the purpose of preventing deformation or vibration of the passive radiator caused by unnecessary minute vibration, and can prevent or reduce distortion in low-frequency response.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sahyoun (US 2016/0353198), as applied to claim 6 above.
Sahyoun discloses the invention as claimed, including that the passive radiator module 181 is disposed across an intermediate region of the loudspeaker cabinet 181, and the at least one speaker driver comprises two speaker drivers respectively disposed on opposite sides of the passive radiator module 181 (see fig. 10, for example), but fails to specifically teach that the at least one opening is a pair of openings, and the pair of openings is symmetrically positioned on opposite sides of the cavity in the fig. 10 embodiment. However, Sahyoun discloses in different embodiments of the invention that the at least one opening of the cavity is a pair of openings, and the pair of openings is symmetrically positioned on opposite sides of the cavity (see figs. 8, 8A, and 9, for example). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Sahyoun (embodiment of fig. 10), in view of Sahyoun (embodiments of figs. 8, 8A, and 9), such that the at least one opening is a pair of openings, and the pair of openings is symmetrically positioned on opposite sides of the cavity. A practitioner in the art would have been motivated to do this for the purpose of utilizing the passive radiator module having the two openings as taught in the embodiments of figs. 8, 8A, and 9, in the loudspeaker cabinet 181 as taught in the embodiment of fig. 10.
Claims 8 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sahyoun (US 2016/0353198), as applied to claim 6 and claim 11 above.
Sahyoun discloses the invention as claimed, including that the passive radiator module is horizontally disposed on an inner side of the loudspeaker cabinet, and the at least one speaker driver is disposed on another inner side of the loudspeaker cabinet (see fig. 9, for example), but fails to specifically teach that the at least one opening is a single opening, and the single opening is positioned on one side of the cavity in the fig. 9 embodiment. However, Sahyoun discloses in different embodiments of the invention that the at least one opening of the cavity is a single cavity, and the single opening is positioned on one side of the cavity (see figs. 4A-4L and 10, for example). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Sahyoun (embodiment of fig. 9), in view of Sahyoun (embodiments of figs. 4A-4L and 10), such that the at least one opening is a single opening, and the single opening is positioned on one side of the cavity. A practitioner in the art would have been motivated to do this for the purpose of utilizing the passive radiator module having the single opening as taught in the embodiments of figs. 4A-4L and 10, in the loudspeaker cabinet as taught in the embodiment of fig. 9.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The references cited on the PTO-892 each disclose a passive radiator module.
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
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January 7, 2026