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 § 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 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as unpatentable over Lee et al. (US 20210200503).
Regarding claim 1, Lee discloses a display device comprising:
a display unit including a flat panel that displays an image (e.g., the display apparatus 100 of Lee includes a flat panel 110, see fig. 1 and paragraphs [0066] and [0255]);
an output unit (e.g., any of the piezo elements/vibrating elements etc..) that is arranged on a back surface of the flat panel and outputs sound by driving of a plurality of vibration exciters that vibrates the flat panel (see paragraphs [0111] and [0163] and [0179]); and
an output control unit that performs control to output sound from the output unit (it is inherent that there is an output control unit to control each of the vibration generating devices that drives section 771 or 772 or 780 shown in fig. 13E, see paragraphs [0111] and [0163] and [0179]), wherein
the vibration exciters include a plurality of vibrating elements in a vibration generating module that can produce different sound bands at designated rear regions ([0163], fig. 13E). Although Lee does not show in the embodiment as shown in fig. 13E where two of the vibrating elements are piezo elements that produce high sound range and one vibrating element produces a middle sound range. However, Lee discloses the vibration generating module can include multiple vibrating devices to produce sound ranges spanning middle, high, and low bands ([0167]). Lee also teaches that the exciters could employ piezo elements and/or vibrating elements (see [0111]. Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to implement the claimed arrangement of two high-band vibration devices using piezo elements and one mid-band device using a vibrating element since it is just one of the options that is available for Lee to optimize the audio output for the users. The modified device of Lee as mentioned above inherently has part of the mid-band signal from the vibrating element redistributed to the high-band signals from the two piezo elements since when a mid-sound band signal is output next to a high sound band signal, it can lead to a redistribution of sound frequencies.
Regarding claims 2-3, Lee does not disclose the output control unit changes/widens a frequency band of the part of the signal distributed to the piezo elements according to the output value of the signal to be output from the vibrating element. However, official notice is taken that applying an equalizer to derive different audio output signals is well known in the art and having the ability to adjust the Q factor of an equalizer which inherently narrows or widens a frequency band of a signal is also well known in the art. Thus it would have been obvious that such well known equalizer with adjustable Q factor have been applied to the output control unit of Lee so that desired audio output signals could have been provided to users (i.e., using known technique to yield predictable results: e.g., dynamically increasing the bandwidth is a routine and predictable measure to enhance perceived audio output tailored to different users’ needs).
Regarding method claim 4, Lee as modified teaches the limitations for the similar reason as that of apparatus claim 1 since it contains similar limitations as claim 1.
Regarding claim 5, Lee as modified teaches the limitations for the similar reason as that of apparatus claim 1 including that the method was carried out by a program executed by a computer because Lee discloses that the display apparatus can be a TV which can have a LCD/LED flat panel display (see paragraphs [0066] and [0255]) and thus it is inherent that the method is carried out by a program executed by a computer since that is how a typical TV with a flat panel display works .
Response to Arguments
Applicant argues, through a conclusory statement, that claims 1–5 are allowable because the cited prior art, Lee, does not teach or suggest the quoted limitation "the output control unit controls each of signals to be output from the piezo elements and a signal to be output from the vibrating element, and distributes a part of the signal to be output from the vibrating element to the piezo elements according to an output value of the signal to be output from the vibrating element”. But applicant does not identify any specific error in the prior art rejections of pending claims 1–5 as set forth in the last Office Action.
The Office disagrees and maintains that the above quoted limitation is not patently distinct from the cited prior art Lee as clearly pointed out in the rejection above: although cited prior art Lee does not show in the embodiment as shown in fig. 13E where two of the vibrating elements are piezo elements that produce high sound range and one vibrating element produces a middle sound range, Lee discloses the vibration generating module can include multiple vibrating devices to produce sound ranges spanning middle, high, and low bands ([0167]). Lee also teaches that the exciters could employ piezo elements and/or vibrating elements (see [0111]). Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to implement the claimed arrangement of two high-band vibration devices using piezo elements and one mid-band device using a vibrating element since it is just one of the options that is available for Lee to optimize the audio output for the users. The modified device of Lee as mentioned above inherently has part of the mid-band signal from the vibrating element redistributed to the high-band signals from the two piezo elements since when a mid-sound band signal is output next to a high sound band signal, it can lead to a redistribution of sound frequencies.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Conclusion
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/VIVIAN C CHIN/
Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2695
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