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 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 1, 2, 6, 12, 13, and 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Panecki et al. (US 2017/0093453) considered with Cao et al. (WO 2020/177318, in view of the English Language Translation).
Regarding claims 1 and 12, Panecki discloses an earbud charging cradle 4705 configured to receive an earbud 4710 capable of wireless communication, and an earbud connection method that uses a cradle 4705 on which at least one earbud 4710 is configured to be placed and charged, (see figs. 1-3 and 47-49, for example) comprising: a placement unit (e.g., cavities 110a, 110b) configured to accommodate the earbud 4710, and configured to charge the earbud 4710 (see para. 0119, regarding “earbuds 202a, 202b can be positioned within case 204 (e.g., within an interior space or cavity of the case defined by a housing or an insert within the housing) where they can be conveniently stored and charged”); a sensing unit (e.g., earbud detector 215) configured to sense placement of the earbud 4710 on the placement unit (see para. 0124, regarding “earbud detector 215 includes one or more sensors that detect when one or both of earbuds 202a, 202b are placed within case 204”); a communication unit (e.g., wireless radio 217) configured to perform communication with the earbud 4710 placed on the placement unit (see para. 0131, regarding “case 204 can include a wireless radio 217 that enables the case to transmit and receive data communications with earbuds… [W]ireless radio 217 can be used to initiate a pairing sequence between earbuds 202a, 202b and a host device”); an input unit (e.g., wireless pairing button 4725) configured to receive a user’s input; an output unit (e.g., indicator lights) configured to output an alert associated with a connected device 4715 (see para. 0273, regarding “intermediate device 4705 may include one or more indicator lights to notify a user that it has sent a pairing signal to headphones 4710”, which is to be paired with device 4715); and a processor (e.g., case processor 210) configured to execute a connection mode (e.g., pairing mode) that controls a connection to a device 4715 when the placement of the earbud 4710 on the placement unit is sensed by the sensing unit 215 (see para. 0136, regarding “pair of earbuds 202a, 202b can be required to be within the case (e.g., within cavities 110a, 110b as shown in FIG. 1) while entering the pairing mode…”; see also, fig. 49, step 4910). During the connection (pairing) mode, the processor 210 transmits to the earbud 4710 a control signal through the communication unit 217 for connecting the earbud 4710 to a matched device 4715 corresponding to an input received in the input unit 4725 (see fig. 49, step 4905, 4915) and, in response to the input received in the input unit 4725, outputs to the output unit (e.g., indicator lights) an alert signal indicating a connected state (e.g., pairing state) of the earbud 4710 which contains information about the device 4715 (e.g., alert signal output to indicator lights indicates that the earbud 4710 has been sent a pairing signal to pair with the device 4715; see para. 0273).
Regarding claim 16, Panecki discloses an earbud connection system (see figs. 1-3 and 47-49, for example) comprising: a pair of earbuds 4710 configured to provide associated audio by performing wireless communication with a device 4715; and a charging cradle 4705 on which the pair of earbuds 4710 are configured to be placed and charged. The charging cradle 4705 executes a connection mode (e.g., pairing mode) that controls a connection to the device 4715 when a placement of one earbud of the pair of earbuds is sensed (see fig. 49, step 4910), and transmits to the one earbud a control signal for connecting an other earbud to a matched device 4715 corresponding to a received input (see fig. 49, steps 4905, 4915). The other earbud transmits to the matched device 4715 a connection signal corresponding to the control signal (see fig. 49, step 4930), and determines a connection based on a response signal received from the matched device 4715 (see fig. 49, step 4935).
Panecki discloses the invention as claimed, but fails to specifically teach that in response to connection of the earbud 4710 to the matched device 4715 through the earbud 4710, a signal corresponding to the connection is sent to the cradle 4705 and an alert signal is output to the output unit (indicator lights) indicating a connected state of the earbud 4710, which contains information about the connected device 4715. Cao discloses a handle control device which is wirelessly connected to a VR head-mounted display headset, wherein the handle control device includes an output unit (e.g., indicator light), in the analogous art of wireless devices which include an indicator light indicating a connection status of the wireless devices, for the purpose of indicating to a user that the handle control device is pairing with the headset, e.g., indicator light flashing blue, and further indicating to the user that the handle control device is connected to the headset, e.g., indicator light is solid blue, (see ELT, page 5, regarding “the status indicator shows the usage of the handle device; … flashing blue, indicating that the handle is pairing with the headset; blue, indicating that the handle has been paired with the headset [and] the headset is connected”).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Panecki, in view of Cao, such that in response to connection of the earbud 4710 to the matched device 4715 through the earbud 4710, a signal corresponding to the connection is sent to the cradle 4705 and an alert signal (e.g., solid colored blue light) is output to the output unit indicating a connected state of the earbud 4710, which contains information about the connected device 4715. A practitioner in the art would have been motivated to do this for the purpose of indicating to the user that the earbud 4710 is in the process of pairing with the device 4715 (e.g., flashing blue light) and further indicating to the user that the earbud 4710 has been paired and connected with the device 4715 (e.g., solid blue light).
Regarding claim 2, the matched device 4715 corresponding to the received input (at step 4905 of fig. 49) is selected from among index-assigned devices that are among connection-target devices registered with the earbud 4710. See Panecki, para. 0269, regarding “memory 4860 [of the earbud 4710] can store a connection history for companion host devices such as host device 4715, with which headphones 4710 have previously paired. The connection history can include data for automatically pairing headphones 4710 with the companion host device without having to configure a connection between the headphones and the companion host device (e.g., enter a password, exchange shared secrets, etc.)”.
Regarding claim 6, the output unit comprises: a plurality of light-emitting (LED) modules (e.g., LED indicator lights; see para. 0135, 0273). In response to the connection of the earbud 4710 to the matched device 4715 through the earbud 4710 (see fig. 49, step 4935), the processor controls a first LED module to be in a turned-on state (e.g., solid blue light indicating that the earbud 4710 has been paired and connected with the device 4715), and controls the output unit to output a display (e.g., solid blue light) indicating the connected matched device 4715 while the first LED module is in the turned-on state.
Regarding claim 13, after the transmitting to the at least one earbud 4710 the control signal: enabling a first light-emitting diode (LED) module (e.g., LED indicator lights; see para. 0135, 0273) included in the cradle 4705 to be in a turned-on state; and displaying on the first LED module a color (e.g., blue) indicating an index corresponding to the matched device 4715 for which a connection between the at least one earbud 4710 and the matched device 4715 is intended.
Regarding clam 17, the alert signal is displayed on a display including a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LED) modules (e.g., LED indicator lights; see para. 0135, 0273). A color of at least one LED module of the plurality of LED modules indicates the matched device 4715 from among a plurality of devices. For example, when the indicator light is a solid blue color, the light indicates that the matched device 4715 is connected. Note also, that the matched device 4715 can be one device of a plurality of devices (see para. 0269, regarding memory storing history of a plurality of host devices).
Regarding claim 18, when the other earbud is attempting to connect to the matched device 4715, an LED module of the plurality of LED modules intermittently flashes to indicate that the connection to the matched device 4715 has not yet been established (e.g., flashing blue light indicating to the user that the earbud 4710 is in the process of pairing with the device 4715).
Regarding claim 19, the charging cradle 4705 includes an input unit 4725 configured to receive the received input. A user inputs the input into the input unit 4725 to indicate which device from a plurality of devices is the matched device 4715 (e.g., user presses button 4725 to pair with device 4715).
Regarding claim 20, a most recently used device by a user is the matched device 4715. Note this is the case if the matched device is the only device of the user.
Claims 3-5, 7-11, 14, and 15 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Rhee et al. discloses an earbud and cradle for the earbud.
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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February 1, 2026