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)(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.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 5-17, and 19-26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Choi (US 20180343512).
Regarding claim 1, Choi teaches an apparatus for outputting a sound, comprising: a plate (display panel 100, [0075]); one or more sound generating modules configured to vibrate the plate (sound generating device 200, figs 2A & 2B, [0080]); and a rear cover at a rear surface of the plate (rear structure (supporting member) 300 may support at least one of the rear and side (lateral) surfaces of the display panel 10, [0131]), wherein the one or more sound generating modules comprise: a supporting frame at the rear cover (first module frame 210 and second module frame 210’, fig 2B, [0063]); a vibration transfer member between the plate and the supporting frame (insulation member 500); a vibration device at the supporting frame to vibrate the vibration transfer member (coil 260 and magnet 220, [0062], figs 2A & 2B); and a connection member between the vibration transfer member and the supporting frame (external frame 240 extends from the periphery of an upper end of the second module frame 210′ to the display panel 100, [0070, fig 2B; it also connects to bobbin 240 of sound generating device 200, figs 2A & 2B, [0080]).
Regarding claim 3, Choi teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vibration transfer member is connected to the rear surface of the plate (100 & 550, fig 2B).
Regarding claim 5, Choi teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connection member is between the vibration transfer member and a periphery of the supporting frame spaced apart from the vibration device (240 between 210 and 550, fig 2B).
Regarding claim 6, Choi teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more sound generating modules further comprise an integration member disposed between the vibration device and the supporting frame (damper 270, [0070], fig 2B).
Regarding claim 7, Choi teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vibration device comprises: a base plate at the supporting frame (210, fig 2B); a bobbin on the base plate (bobbin 250, [0071]); a magnet inside or outside the bobbin (magnet 220, [0080]); a coil wound around the bobbin (coil 260, [0108]); an edge frame at an outer portion of the base plate (210’, fig 2B); and a damper connected between the edge frame and the bobbin (damper 270, [0070], fig 2B).
Regarding claim 8, Choi teaches the apparatus of claim 7, wherein the bobbin is configured to vibrate the vibration transfer member (fig 2B).
Regarding claim 9, Choi teaches the apparatus of claim 7, wherein the bobbin has one of a circular shape (bobbin may be cylinder shape, [0071]), an oval shape, an elliptical shape, a rectangular shape with rounded corners, and non-circular curved shape having a width different from its height.
Regarding claim 10, Choi teaches the apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a heat diffusion member (air gap 501, [0074], fig 2B) between the vibration transfer member and the plate (insulating member 500 provides the air gap 501 between the display panel 100 and the heat-emission space 280 so that it may be possible to prevent the heat transfer from the heat-emission space 280 to the display panel 100, [0074], fig 2B).
Regarding claim 11, Choi teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connection member comprises one or more of a bent portion and a protrusion portion toward the vibration device (protrusion 240, fig 2B).
Regarding claim 12, Choi teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vibration device comprises a plurality of vibration devices at the supporting frame (1600 and 1600’, fig 9C), and wherein the one or more sound generating modules further comprise a partition between the plurality of vibration devices (700, [0126], fig 9C).
Regarding claim 13, Choi teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rear cover comprises one or more accommodating parts, and the one or more sound generating modules are accommodated into the one or more accommodating parts (hole in 300, fig 2B).
Regarding claim 14, Choi teaches the apparatus of claim 13, further comprising: one or more covers covering the one or more accommodating parts into which the one or more sound generating modules are not accommodated (rear cover 300 where no holes are made, fig 2B; the would-be holes are covered).
Regarding claim 15, Choi teaches the apparatus of claim 13, wherein the rear cover comprises: a first rear cover including the one or more accommodating parts (hole in 300, fig 8); and a second rear cover at a rear surface of the first rear cover (214, fig 8).
Regarding claim 16, Choi teaches the apparatus of claim 15, wherein the supporting frame is accommodated into the one or more accommodating parts of the first rear cover (hole in 300, fig 2B).
Regarding claim 17, Choi teaches the apparatus of claim 16, wherein the supporting frame comprises: a border portion under the connection member (210’, fig 8); and a receiving part accommodated into the one or more accommodating parts of the first rear cover and disposed at the second rear cover to protrude from a portion other than the border portion to the rear cover (214, fig 8).
Regarding claim 19, Choi teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rear cover comprises a groove overlapping the one or more sound generating modules (hole in 300, fig 2B).
Regarding claim 20, Choi teaches the apparatus of claim 19, wherein the one or more sound generating modules are accommodated into the groove of the rear cover (installed in groove, fig 2B).
Regarding claim 21, Choi teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the vibration device further comprises a hollow portion (heat-emission space 280, [0074]); and the supporting frame comprises a groove overlapping the vibration device (210, fig 2B).
Regarding claim 22, Choi teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plate is configured to display an image, output a sound, or output a sound associated with the image (image and sound, [0010]).
Regarding claim 23, Choi teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plate comprises a display panel configured to display an image, output a sound, or output a sound associated with the image (image and sound, [0010]).
Regarding claim 24, Choi teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plate comprises one of a glass, a wood, a plastic, and a metal (plate-shaped member of metal, glass, or plastic material over the rear surface or entire surface of the display panel 100, [0055]).
Regarding claim 25, Choi teaches the apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a partition configured to surround the one or more sound generating modules (700, fig 9C).
Regarding claim 26, Choi teaches the apparatus of claim 25, wherein the partition, the supporting frame and the one or more sound generating modules are modularized as one element (700’ and 700, fig 9C).
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.
All assertions made herein with respect to obviousness shall be understood to mean obvious at the time the application was effectively filed unless otherwise stated. Moreover, any assertions of obviousness shall be understood to be assertions that something would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art unless otherwise stated.
Claim(s) 2 is is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi.
Regarding claim 2, Choi teaches the apparatus of claim 1.
Although Choi does not teach wherein the vibration transfer member and the connection member are configured with different materials, paragraph [0097] discloses that the insulation member can be many different materials, and it is common sense that the external frame 240 material could be kept constant (whichever material is utilized) while one chooses alternate disclosed materials for the insulation member and so it would have been obvious to one of ordinary as common sense in interpreting the explicit disclosure.
Claim(s) 4 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi and Ahn (US 20150341714).
Regarding claim 4, Choi teaches the apparatus of claim 1.
Although Choi does not teach wherein a rear surface of the sound generating module is covered by the rear cover, Ahn teaches a display speaker assembly covered by a rear cover (Ahn, fig 2) and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to implement since doing so is the use of a known technique to improve a similar system in the same way.
Regarding claim 18, Choi teaches the apparatus of claim 1.
Although Choi does not teach wherein the vibration device comprises a piezoelectric composite or a piezoelectric material, Ahn teaches a piezo electric element (Ahn, [0024]) for the speaker and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to implement since doing so is the use of a known technique to improve a similar system in the same way.
Conclusion
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/KILE O BLAIR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2691
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