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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “wherein the electronic device is a laptop computer, the laptop computer comprises a housing. . and a keyboard, the middle plate is disposed in the housing, the keyboard and the speaker assembly are fastened to the middle plate. .” of Claim 19 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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) 1-6, 10-11, 18, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Garcia et al. (US 10631096 B1).
Regarding Claim 1, Garcia teaches: A speaker assembly (Fig. 11), comprising: a first speaker (1102,1104,1120,1122,1130A), comprising a first magnetic circuit assembly (1130A,1120,1122), a first voice coil (1104), and a first diaphragm assembly (1102), wherein the first magnetic circuit assembly comprises a first magnetically conductive yoke (1130A) and a first magnet (1120), the first diaphragm assembly and the first magnetically conductive yoke are enclosed to form first accommodation space, the first magnet and the first voice coil are located in the first accommodation space (as shown, formed by 1102, 1130A), and the first voice coil is disposed around the first magnet and connected to the first diaphragm assembly (as shown); and a second speaker (1110, 1112, 1124, 1126, 1130B), stacked with the first speaker in a reverse direction (see arrangement of elements 1130A, 1130B), wherein the second speaker comprises a second magnetic circuit assembly (1130B, 1124, 1126), a second voice coil (1112), and a second diaphragm assembly (1110), the second magnetic circuit assembly comprises a second magnetically conductive yoke and a second magnet, the second diaphragm assembly and the second magnetically conductive yoke are enclosed to form second accommodation space, the second magnet and the second voice coil are located in the second accommodation space, and the second voice coil is disposed around the second magnet and connected to the second diaphragm assembly (as shown with respect to elements 1110, 1112, 1124, 1130B); wherein a direction of a magnetic pole of a magnetic circuit of the first magnet is consistent with a direction of a magnetic pole of a magnetic circuit of the second magnet (Col. 3, ln 37-38; see also Fig. 2, elements 120, 124 and the magnetic poles indicated by “N” and “S”, respectively, in combination with Fig. 11).
Regarding Claim 2, Garcia teaches: wherein the first speaker further comprises a first center magnetic yoke (1122), and the first center magnetic yoke and the first magnetically conductive yoke jointly hold the first magnet (1122, 1130A with respect to 1120); and wherein the second speaker further comprises a second center magnetic yoke (1126), and the second center magnetic yoke and the second magnetically conductive yoke jointly hold the second magnet (1126, 1130B with respect to 1124).
Regarding Claim 3, Garcia teaches: wherein the first speaker further comprises a first support frame (1108), the first support frame is connected between the first diaphragm assembly and the first magnetically conductive yoke (as shown); and wherein the second speaker further comprises a second support frame (1108), and the second support frame is connected between the second diaphragm assembly and the second magnetically conductive yoke (as shown).
Regarding Claim 4, Garcia teaches: wherein the first magnetically conductive yoke, the first magnetic circuit assembly, the first voice coil, the first diaphragm assembly, the second magnetically conductive yoke, the second magnetic circuit assembly, the second voice coil, and the second diaphragm assembly are disposed in a same centerline (as shown in Figs. 8, 11).
Regarding Claim 5, Garcia teaches: wherein the first magnetically conductive yoke (1130A) comprises a first support portion and a first edge portion that is connected to the first support portion (i.e. bottom/sides of 1130A), the first edge portion and the first support portion are disposed at a first included angle, the first edge portion is disposed around the first magnet, the first magnet is connected to the first support portion, a first magnetic gap is formed between the first magnet and the first edge portion, and the first voice coil at least partially extends into the first magnetic gap (as shown, voice coil 1104 extends into magnetic gap formed between 1130A and 1120, 1122); and wherein the second magnetically conductive yoke (1130B) comprises a second support portion and a second edge portion that is connected to the second support portion (i.e. bottom/sides of 1130B), the second edge portion and the second support portion are disposed at a second included angle, the second edge portion is disposed around the second magnet, the second magnet is connected to the second support portion, a second magnetic gap is formed between the second magnet and the second edge portion, and the second voice coil at least partially extends into the second magnetic gap (as shown, voice coil 1112 extends into magnetic gap formed between 1130B and 1124, 1126).
Regarding Claim 6, Garcia teaches: wherein a width of the first magnetic gap is the same as a width of the second magnetic gap (as shown).
Regarding Claim 10, Garcia teaches: wherein the first speaker is spaced apart from the second speaker (as shown).
Regarding Claim 11, Garcia teaches: wherein the first speaker abuts against the second speaker (here, the language is broad to include that first and second speakers abut against each other via frame 1108).
Regarding Claim 18, the limitations presented are identical to those of Claim 1 above except for the introduction of ‘an electronic device.’ Claim 18 is rejected for the same reasons as above with respect to Claim 1.
Regarding Claim 20, Garcia teaches: wherein the first magnetically conductive yoke (1130A) comprises a first support portion and a first edge portion that is connected to the first support portion (i.e. bottom/sides of 1130A), the first edge portion and the first support portion are disposed at a first included angle, the first edge portion is disposed around the first magnet, the first magnet is connected to the first support portion, a first magnetic gap is formed between the first magnet and the first edge portion, and the first voice coil at least partially extends into the first magnetic gap (as shown, voice coil 1104 extends into magnetic gap formed between 1130A and 1120, 1122); and wherein the second magnetically conductive yoke (1130B) comprises a second support portion and a second edge portion that is connected to the second support portion (i.e. bottom/sides of 1130B), the second edge portion and the second support portion are disposed at a second included angle, the second edge portion is disposed around the second magnet, the second magnet is connected to the second support portion, a second magnetic gap is formed between the second magnet and the second edge portion, and the second voice coil at least partially extends into the second magnetic gap (as shown, voice coil 1112 extends into magnetic gap formed between 1130B and 1124, 1126).
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) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Garcia et al. (US 10631096 B1), in view of Shi et al. (US 20180020303 A1).
Regarding Claim 7, Garcia does not specifically teach: wherein the first magnet has four first side surfaces, the four first side surfaces are disposed around the first magnet, the first edge portion comprises four first sub-portions, the four first sub-portions are disposed around the first magnet and are spaced apart from each other, each first sub-portion is in parallel to one of the first side surfaces, and a first magnetic gap is formed between the first sub-portion and the corresponding first side surface; and wherein the second magnet has four first side surfaces, the four first side surfaces are disposed around the second magnet, the second edge portion comprises four second sub-portions, the four second sub-portions are disposed around the second magnet and are spaced apart from each other, each second sub-portion is in parallel to two of the first side surfaces, and a second magnetic gap is formed between the second sub-portion and the corresponding first side surface. That is, to make the magnetic assembly and the corresponding magnets rectangular and parallel. In a related field, Shi teaches to provide a rectangular magnetic assembly with parallel magnetic gaps and corresponding parallel magnetic elements (see Figs. 1-3). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Garcia which teaches the magnetic structure as above but not necessarily that it is rectangular, such as suggested by Shi. Motivation for doing so would lie in fitting the speaker assembly into a device which requires such a shape or for easing a manufacturing process.
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Garcia et al. (US 10631096 B1), in view of Yang (EP 4044621 A1, provided by Applicant).
Regarding Claim 19, Garcia does not teach: wherein the electronic device is a laptop computer, the laptop computer comprises a housing, a middle plate, and a keyboard, the middle plate is disposed in the housing, the keyboard and the speaker assembly are fastened to the middle plate, and the first speaker and the second speaker respectively output voices to a front surface and a back surface of the middle plate. In a related field, Yang teaches to mount a dual speaker assembly to a mounting plate of a keyboard such that the dual speaker assembly would output to both sides thereof (Fig. 1, 2, 4: elements 100 for receiving at least 21, 22 therein). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Garcia for insertion into a laptop computer with additional support structure of a middle plate within a keyboard assembly such as suggested by Yang. Motivation for doing so would lie in fitment of the speaker assembly to an electronic device, such as a laptop computer, for output of acoustic waves.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-9, 12-17 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW A EASON whose telephone number is (571)270-7230. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30AM-4PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Matthew Eason can be reached at (571) 270-7230. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MATTHEW A EASON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2624