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.
Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jianping (US 2006/0228683).
Regarding claim 1, as broadly claimed, Jainping shows a device comprising a handheld housing (60, figures 1, 2, 3, paragraph [0041]), an extension extending from the handheld housing (note the spherical extension extending from the housing, figures 1, 2, 3 and paragraph [0041]), wherein the extension has an interior side defining a closed shape, a battery, wherein the handheld housing houses the battery (paragraphs [0018] and [0042]), and a microphone (30, 31) disposed along the interior side (figures 1-3, paragraph [0040]-[0041]), wherein the battery is configured to power the microphone (paragraphs [0018] and [0042]).
Regarding claim 2, Jainping teaches the handheld housing that has a compartment (60, 61) configured to store an accessory (the memory care 13).
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.
Claims 1-2, as interpreted in a different manner, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jianping (US 2006/0228683) in view of Kaiser (US 11,683,625).
Regarding claim 1, as interpreted in a different manner, Jainping shows a device comprising a handheld housing (60, figures 1, 2, 3, paragraph [0041]), an extension extending from the handheld housing (note the extension with the spherical extension extending from the housing, figures 1, 2, 3 and paragraph [0041]), wherein the extension has an interior side defining a closed shape, a battery, wherein the handheld housing houses the battery (paragraphs [0018] and [0042]), and a microphone (30, 31) disposed along the interior side of the handheld housing (figures 1-3, paragraph [0040]-[0041]), wherein the battery is configured to power the microphone (paragraphs [0018] and [0042]).
Jainping does not specifically disclose that the microphone (30, 31) is disposed along the interior side of the extension extending from the housing. However, providing a microphone disposed along the interior side of the extension extending from the housing is known in the art.
Kaiser teaches a microphone disposed along the interior side of the extension extending from the housing (102, 104, 106, 110, figures 1A, 1B, 1C, 2, col. 5, lines 20-40 in Kaiser).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to provide a microphone disposed along the interior side of the extension extending from the housing, as taught by Kaiser, in the device of Jainping for better receiving sound to the system.
Regarding claim 2, Jainping teaches the handheld housing that has a compartment (60, 61) configured to store an accessory (the memory care 13).
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jianping (US 2006/0228683) in view of Kaiser (US 11,683,625) and further in view of Shaffer (US 2015/0245127).
Jianping in view of Kaiser does not specifically teach that the battery charges the accessory when the accessory is stored in the housing as claimed. However, providing a battery charging the accessory when the accessory is stored in the housing is known in the art.
Shaffer teaches an electronic device including a housing and a battery charging an accessory (note the accessory or the rechargeable earbuds 34, 35) when the accessory is stored in the housing (11, 12, note the earbud batteries 39, 27, figures 3A-3D and 4, and paragraphs [0040], [0042] and [0057]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to provide the battery charging the accessory when the accessory is stored in the housing, as taught by Shaffer, in the system of Jianping in view of Kaiser for better charging and providing power to the accessory.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jianping (US 2006/0228683) in view of Kaiser (US 11,683,625) and/or Harooni (US 10,108,083).
Jainping does not specifically teach a light source disposed along the interior side, wherein the battery is configured to power the light source such that the light source is activatable when the microphone is receiving a sound from a user talking or singing into the microphone as claimed. However, providing a light source disposed to a microphone device is known in the art.
Kaiser and/or Harooni teaches a light source disposed along the interior side of the extension (126, figures 1A, 1B, 2; col. 5, lines 41-67 through col. 6, lines 1-63 in Kaiser; and 120, 222, 620, figures 1a, 1b, 1c, 6 and see the text for the figures in Harooni), wherein the battery is configured to power the light source such that the light source is activatable when the microphone is receiving a sound from a user talking or singing into the microphone (figures 1A, 1B, 2; col. 5, lines 41-67 through col. 6, lines 1-63 in Kaiser; and 120, 222, 620, figures 1a, 1b, 1c, 6, and see the text for the figures in Harooni.
Since Kaiser and/or Harooni does not restrict to any location for the light source on the housing or the extension of the housing (note col. 5, lines 56-61 in Kaiser and figures 1a and 6 in Harooni); it therefore would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to provide a light source disposed in any location on the housing such as providing the light source disposed along the interior side of the extension, wherein the battery is configured to power the light source such that the light source is activatable when the microphone is receiving a sound from a user talking or singing into the microphone, as taught by Kaiser and/or Harooni, in the system of Jianping for better providing a light source allowing the user to know when the microphone is receiving a sound or active.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lee (US 6,025,553) teaches a portable music performance device comprising a hand-held device (70), wherein the device comprises a microphone portion (71), a controller portion (72) and a transmitter portion (73).
Cheng (US 8,243,974) teaches a wireless microphone including a grip that includes a barrel, wherein the barrel includes a barrel body that is configured with a battery receiving space and that has one side formed with a cutout for access to the battery receiving space.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HUYEN D LE whose telephone number is (571) 272-7502. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30 am-6:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Duc Nguyen can be reached at (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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/HUYEN D LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2694 HL
September 9, 2026
