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.
(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, 7 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(2) as being anticipated by Bicz (US Patent No. 5828627).
Regarding claims 1 and 19, Bice in Fig. 1 clearly shows an ultrasonic wave amplifier comprising a transducer (1) and a cavity structure (2) with an input opening, inner wall forming a cavity and an output opening, when a first axis (A) is defined as a line connecting a center of the input opening and a center of the output opening, a shape of the inner wall is formed such that an area of the cavity in a cross section perpendicular to the first axis varies with a position on the first axis.
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Regarding claim 7, Fig.1 shows wherein a size of the input opening is greater than or equal to a size of an output surface of the transducer (1).
Claims 1-10, 15, 16, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(2) as being anticipated by Abramov (US2022/0240888).
Regarding claims 1 and 19, Abramov for example in Fig. 2 Case (B) clearly shows an ultrasonic wave (claim 1 indicates the sound wave includes ultrasonic) amplifier ((amplifying or boosting the sound, see title or abstract)) comprising a transducer (e.g., the speaker shown on the left side of Fig. 2 Case (B)) and a cavity structure ( Fig. 2 Case (B)2 ) with an input opening (2.B5), inner wall forming a cavity (2.B41-2.B45) and an output opening (2.B6), when a first axis (for the purpose of clarification, an axis X is added to illustrate how the cavity structure reads on Abramov, see below figure) is defined as a line connecting a center of the input opening and a center of the output opening, a shape of the inner wall is formed such that an area of the cavity in a cross section perpendicular to the first axis varies with a position on the first axis.
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Regarding claims 2-6 and 20, the inner wall has a curved shape or Bezier curve (2.B43) and varies cross section depending on a distance from input opening (2.B5) in a direction of the first axis (added axis X).
Regarding claim 7, Fig. 2 Case (B) shows wherein a size of the input opening is greater than or equal to a size of an output surface of the transducer (speaker on the left the Fig. 2 Case (B) is less than the inlet 2.B5).
Regarding claim 8, Abramov in Fig. 1n (B) shows another embodiment of ultrasonic wave amplifier comprising a transducer (1N.B1) and a cavity structure (the horn waveguide) with an input opening and output opening where a shape of the inner wall is formed such that an area of the cavity in a cross section perpendicular to an axis (added red line for illustration) varies (1N.B4) with a position of
the axis. Fig. 1n (B) further includes an insertion structure (1N.B2, 1N.B3).
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Regarding claim 9, Abramov further shows the insertion structure (1N.B2, INB3) comprises a first surface facing (outer surface of 1N.B3 for example) the output opening, and a second surface (inner surface of 1N.B3 for example) facing the first surface and the input opening.
Regarding claim 10, Abramov further discloses the second surface has a shape that amplifies ultrasonic waves through constructive interference, and the first surface has a shape that guides the amplified ultrasonic waves toward the output opening (paragraph 0116).
Regarding claims 15 and 16, Fig. 1n (B) of Abramov shows the insertion structure has a shape having rotational symmetry of a predetermined angle with respect to the first axis, and the insertion structure and the inner wall have same symmetry with respect to the first axis.
Claims 1-7, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(2) as being anticipated by Suzuki et al, hereinafter Suzuki (US Pub No. 2025/0235895).
Regarding claims 1 and 19, Suzuki for example in Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 or 9 clearly shows an ultrasonic wave amplifier comprising a transducer (ultrasonic wave generation source 11) and a cavity structure (12, 13 in Figs. 3, 4-6 and 9) with an input opening (bottom opening of waveguide 12), inner wall forming a cavity (12, 13) and an output opening (top part of waveguide 13), when a first axis (A1) is defined as a line connecting a center of the input opening and a center of the output opening, a shape of the inner wall is formed such that an area of the cavity in a cross section perpendicular to the first axis varies with a position on the first axis (for better illustration, one version of Figs. 3,4, 5, 6 or 9) is included below)
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Regarding claims 2-6 and 20, the inner wall has a curved shape or Bezier curve (the inner wall of waveguide 12) and varies cross section depending on a distance from input opening in a direction of the first axis).
Regarding claim 7, Suzuki shows wherein a size of the input opening is greater (e.g., Figs 3, 7 or 8) than or equal (e.g., Fig 5 or 9) to a size of an output surface of the transducer.
Claims 17 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by JP7288562 (hereinafter JP ‘562)
JP ‘562 discloses an electronic device comprising: an ultrasonic wave cell array (title, Figs 1, 2, 9), comprising a plurality of ultrasonic wave cells (Figs. 1, 2 or 9); and a processor (e.g., 500, Figs. 12, 14, or 18) configured to control the plurality of ultrasonic wave cells, wherein each of the plurality of ultrasonic wave cells comprises: a transducer (piezoelectric elements) configured to generate sound waves; and a cavity structure (126, 128 and 119) configured to amplify the sound waves generated by the transducer, the cavity structure comprises: an input opening through which the sound waves generated by the transducer are input; an inner wall forming a cavity in which the sound waves input through the input opening resonate; and an output opening through which the amplified sound waves are output, and when a first axis is defined as a line connecting a center of the input opening and a center of the output opening, a shape of the inner wall is formed such that an area of the cavity in a cross section perpendicular to the first axis varies (sections 126, 128 and 129 varies along the axis line), with a position on the first axis (Fig. 3 or Fig. 6).
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Regarding claim 18, JP ‘562 further comprising a display device (700) configured to display an image (e.g., displaying position information) according to image information, wherein the processor (500) is further configured to control (e.g., burst wave period, burst wave drive voltage, azimuth angle, etc.) the plurality of ultrasonic wave cells according to the image information of the display device (see Fig. 11 and pages 22 and 23 of the translation).
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 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Abramov (US2022/0240888) in view of Magalotti (US Pub No. 2008/0128199).
Regarding claim 11, while Abramov does not disclose a distance between the first surface and the second surface decreases from a central portion to a periphery of the insertion structure, Magalotti teaches such (Fig. 2, Fig. 3). In addition, Magalotti in paragraph 0032 further discloses that the insertion structure can have different kind of shapes: for example the structure may be provided having a circular, elliptical or diamond shaped section. As both Abramov and Magolotti are from the same field of endeavor, it would have been obvious to an artisan before the effective filing date of the instant application to form the insertion structure of Abramov with the teaching of Magalotti in order to have desirable acoustic or wave propagating effect (0034 and 0035).
Claims 12 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Abramov (US2022/0240888) in view of Bicz (US Patent No. 5828627).
Regarding claim 12, although the embodiment disclosed in claim 8 above does not disclose a constant section (first region). Abramov in other embodiments teaches the cavity structure can have various sections including a constant region (e.g., Figs. 1b, Fig. 1c). In addition, Bicz, from the same field of endeavor, teaches a cavity structure or wave guide where a section (3) of which is constant. Based on this teaching, it would have been obvious to an artisan before the effective filing date of the instant application to form the cavity structure of Abramove with a constant section in order to have desired gaussian intensity distribution (Col. 3, lines 9-16 and col. 1, line 65 6o column 2, line 63 of Bicz).
Regarding claim 13, Abramove in other embodiments teaches the cavity structure can have a second region with a cross section decreases toward the output opening. By the way of examples (see highlighted green section from the Figs of Abramove.
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Based on these teaching, it would have been obvious to an artisan before the effective filing date of the instant application in order to yield desirable sound intensity or sound wave propagating behavior.
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Abramov (US2022/0240888) in view of Bicz (US Patent No. 5828627) as applied to claim 12 above, and further in view of Shie et al. hereinafter Shie (Pub No. US2024/0388824) or Clark et al hereinafter Clark (Pub. No. US2021/0127199.
The combination of Abramove and Bicz further includes a shape formed by rotating an exponential curve (Fig. 2 Case (B).
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To further illustrate such well known waveguide or sound cavity structure, Chie and Clark are added to show such well known structure. See below from Chie and Clark.
Fig. 4 of Shie (See highlighted green section)
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Fig. 6 of Clark (see highlighted green section):
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Based on either teaching or Shie or Clark, it would have been obvious to an artisan before the effective filing date of the instant application to form the cavity structure of the modified structure of Abramov of Bicz to have desirable sound intensity or sound wave propagating behavior.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Higgins (US 11,540,036) is cited to show a cavity structure (Fig. 2).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JASON CHAN whose telephone number is (571)272-3022. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Thursday from 8:00AM to 5PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kindred Alford can be reached at telephone number 571-272-4037. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JASON CHAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2619