DETAILED ACTION
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
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 1-5, 7, 8, 10, and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ramones et al. (US 2020/0112792) herein Ramones.
Regarding claim 1, Ramones discloses a speaker device (speaker device 10, Figs. 1-7) comprising: a housing (housing 12, Figs. 1-7); a printed circuit board positioned within the housing (PCB 98 positioned within housing 12, Figs. 1-7); a speaker module, comprising a speaker driver, disposed within the housing oriented to face toward a front of the housing; and an internal structure (speaker module 32/34 comprising a speaker driver 58/60 disposed within the housing 12 oriented to face toward a front of the housing 12 and an internal structure of housing 12, Figs. 1-7), wherein: the speaker module is housed within the internal structure (speaker module 32/34 is housed within the internal structure, Figs. 1-7, [Abstract]); the internal structure comprises a front structural component and a rear structural component that differ from one another in one or more of material, density, thickness, or weight (internal structure 36 comprises a front structural component 66 and a rear structural component 68 which both differ in at least a density and thickness as seen in Figs. 5, 6); and the front structural component defines an aperture that conforms to the speaker driver of the speaker module (front structural component defines an aperture that conforms to the speaker driver 58/60 of the speaker module 32/34, Figs. 5, 6).
Regarding claim 2, Ramones discloses wherein the internal structure functions as a passive thermal-control structure (internal structure functions as a passive thermal-control structure as it allows cooling to occur, [0039], Figs. 6, 7).
Regarding claim 3, Ramones discloses wherein the internal structure is thermally coupled to one or more heat-dissipating components (internal structure thermally coupled to various heat-dissipating components (heat sink 118, 120, air flow channel 78), Figs. 5-7, [0036], [0038], [0039]).
Regarding claim 4, Ramones discloses wherein the one or more heat-dissipating components are attached with the printed circuit board (air flow channel 78 for cooling and heat sink 118 are attached with printed circuit board 98, Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 5, Ramones discloses wherein the internal structure comprises a thermal interface material that decreases thermal resistance between the one or more heat-dissipating components and the internal structure (air flow channel can be considered a thermal interface material that uses air to decrease thermal resistance between the heat sink 118, and the internal structure, Ramones: Fig. 6, [0039]).
Regarding claim 7, Ramones discloses wherein the rear structural component comprises a plurality of ribs (rear structural component 68 comprises a plurality of rib looking elements seen in Figs. 5, 6).
Regarding claim 8, Ramones discloses wherein the housing comprises including a front housing member and a rear housing member that are attached together (housing 12 a front housing member that is attached together to rear housing member 18, Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 10, Ramones discloses wherein a width of the speaker device is greater than a depth of the speaker device and a height of the speaker device being greater than the width of the speaker device (the speaker device 10 has a width greater than its depth and a height greater than its width as seen in Fig. 1)
Regarding claim 11, Ramones discloses wherein the internal structure provides structural support for a front housing member and a rear housing member (internal structure 36 provides structural support for front housing of housing 12 and rear housing member 18, Figs. 1-3), the front housing member and the rear housing member being part of the housing (front housing member of housing 12 and that is housing member 18 are a part of the housing 12, Fig. 1).
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.
Claim(s) 6, and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ramones et al. (US 2020/0112792) herein Ramones
Regarding claim 6, while Ramones does not specifically teach wherein the internal structure is diecast metal, Ramones does teach various internal components to be made of a cast metal (heat sink 118, 120 formed of a cast metal having high thermal conductivity, Ramones: [0038]), and it well known in the art to make internal structures of similar materials as other internal components.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the internal structure of Ramones to be made of diecast metal in order to better transfer heat away in heat dissipation (Ramones: [0038])
Regarding claim 9, Ramones discloses further comprising a base connected with the housing, wherein a height of the speaker device is double a diameter of the base (base 14 connected to housing 12, Ramones: Fig. 1), but lacks wherein a height of the device is double a diameter of the base. Nevertheless, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to have the height of a device to be double a diameter of its base, since applicant has not disclosed that such dimensions solves any stated problem or is for any particular purpose and it appears that the invention would perform equally well with the dimension ratio of Ramones.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Ramones to have wherein a height of the device is double a diameter of the base in order to satisfy a desired device shape.
Claim(s) 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ramones et al. (US 2020/0112792) herein Ramones in view of Magana et al. (US 20200304914) herein Mata Magana.
Regarding claim 12, Ramones discloses wherein the printed circuit board is coupled with integrated circuits comprising: one or more microphones, (printed circuit board 98 includes various electrical components 102 including a voice activated assistance (explicitly implying a microphone), [0038]), but lacks one or more light emitting diodes, and one or more sensors for detecting touch input.
Nevertheless, it is well known in the art for a printed circuit board to be coupled with integrated circuits comprising one or more light emitting diodes, one or more microphones and one or more sensors for detecting touch input as demonstrated by Mata Magana (PCB includes LEDs, and receive input from buttons (button may be a touch screen or the like, interpreted to meet sensor for detecting touch input), and microphones, Mata Magana: [0041], [0075]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the printed circuit board of Ramones to comprising one or more light emitting diodes, one or more microphones and one or more sensors for detecting touch input as demonstrated by Mata Magana in order to allow users to interact with the device (Mata Magana: [0001], [0044]).
Claim(s) 13-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mata Magana et al. (US 20200304914) herein Mata Magana in view of Ramones et al. (US 2020/0112792) herein Ramones.
Regarding claim 13, Mata Magana discloses a device (device 100, Mata Magana: Figs. 1-21) comprising: one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs illuminate light, Mata Magana: [0075], [0076]), one or more microphones (microphones, Mata Magana: [0051], [0075]), a housing (housing 612, Mata Magana: Fig. 6, [0073]); a printed circuit board positioned within the housing (PCB positioned in the housing, Mata Magana: [0075]), the printed circuit board being connect with the one or more light emitting diodes and the one or more microphones (PCB connected to LEDs and microphones, Mata Magana: [0075]); a speaker module, comprising a speaker driver (speaker module 604 with a speaker driver, Mata Magana: Figs. 1-7, 12, [0049], [0051], [0057], [0058]), disposed within the housing oriented to face toward a front of the housing (speaker module 604 has a driver withing the housing oriented to face toward a front of the housing 610, Mata Magana: Figs. 1,2, 5, 6, 7A, 7B); and an internal structure, wherein: the speaker module is housed within the internal structure (internal structure 610 with speaker module 604 housed within internal structure 610, Mata Magana: Fig. 6, 7A, 7B); but lacks wherein the internal structure comprises a front structural component and a rear structural component that differ from one another in one or more of material, density, thickness, or weight; and the front structural component defines an aperture that conforms to the speaker driver of the speaker module.
Nevertheless, it is well known in the art to have an internal structure of a device with a speaker module to comprise a front structural component and a rear structural component that differ from one another in one or more of material, density, thickness, or weight; and the front structural component defines an aperture that conforms to the speaker driver of the speaker module as suggested by Ramones (internal structure 36 comprises a front structural component 66 and a rear structural component 68 which both differ in at least a density and thickness as seen in Ramones: Figs. 5, 6 with front structural component defines an aperture that conforms to the speaker driver 58/60 of the speaker module 32/34).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the internal structure of Mata Magana to comprise a front structural component and a rear structural component that differ from one another in one or more of material, density, thickness, or weight; and the front structural component defines an aperture that conforms to the speaker driver of the speaker module as suggested by Ramones in order to more easily produce and assemble modular components during the manufacturing process.
Regarding claim 14, both Mata Magana and Ramones discloses wherein the internal structure functions as a passive thermal-control structure (internal structure 610 has heat dissipating elements 628, 630 for cooling, Mata Magana: Fig. 6, [0083], and internal structure thermally coupled to various heat-dissipating components (heat sink 118, 120, air flow channel 78), Ramones: Figs. 5-7, [0036], [0038], [0039]).
Regarding claim 15, both Mata Magana and Ramones discloses wherein the internal structure is thermally coupled to one or more heat-dissipating components (internal structure 610 has heat dissipating elements 628, 630 for cooling, Mata Magana: Fig. 6, [0083], and internal structure thermally coupled to various heat-dissipating components (heat sink 118, 120, air flow channel 78), Ramones: Figs. 5-7, [0036], [0038], [0039]).
Regarding claim 16, in the combination of Mata Magana and Ramones, Ramones discloses wherein the one or more heat-dissipating components are attached with the printed circuit board (air flow channel 78 for cooling and heat sink 118 are attached with printed circuit board 98, Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 17, in the combination of Mata Magana and Ramones, Ramones discloses wherein the internal structure comprises a thermal interface material that decreases thermal resistance between the one or more heat-dissipating components and the internal structure (air flow channel can be considered a thermal interface material that uses air to decrease thermal resistance between the heat sink 118, and the internal structure, Ramones: Fig. 6, [0039]).
Regarding claim 18, while Mata Magana and Ramones does not specifically teach wherein the internal structure is diecast metal, Ramones does teach various internal components to be made of a cast metal (heat sink 118, 120 formed of a cast metal having high thermal conductivity, Ramones: [0038]), and it well known in the art to make internal structures of similar materials as other internal components.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the internal structure of Mata Magana and Ramones to be made of diecast metal in order to better transfer heat away in heat dissipation (Ramones: [0038]).
Regarding claim 19, in the combination of Mata Magana and Ramones, Ramones discloses wherein the rear structural component comprises a plurality of ribs (rear structural component 68 comprises a plurality of rib looking elements seen in Figs. 5, 6).
Regarding claim 20, both Mata Magana and Ramones teach further comprising a base connected with the housing (base 104 connected to housing 106, Mata Magana: Fig. 1, base 14 connected to housing 12, Ramones: Fig. 1), but lack wherein a height of the device is double a diameter of the base. Nevertheless, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to have the height of a device to be double a diameter of its base, since applicant has not disclosed that such dimensions solves any stated problem or is for any particular purpose and it appears that the invention would perform equally well with the dimension ratio of Mata Magana and Ramones.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Mata Magana and Ramones to have wherein a height of the device is double a diameter of the base in order to satisfy a desired device shape.
Conclusion
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/SEAN H NGUYEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2691