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 .
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 subject matter of claims 9-10 (the first component to form an accommodating cavity, and the accommodating cavity is used for fixing a second component, the first component is a circuit board, and the second component is a camera), 12 (the housing), and 20 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.
(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 1-3, 5, 8-9, 11-14, 16, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Zhao (US 2023/0022192).
Regarding claim 1, Zhao teaches the following:
a fixing member (100, as shown in figure 1), wherein a cross section of the fixing member is annular (as shown in figures 1), and a side wall of the fixing member (120, figures 2-3 and 8) comprises at least one first area (the bottom half containing 202, figures 1);
at least one first radiation slot (210, figures 2-3 and 8) is arranged in the first area, and an extension direction of the first radiation slot is consistent with a rotation direction of the fixing member (as shown in figures 1-3 and 8); and
the fixing member is electrically connectable with a feed source (which 300 is connected to, figures 2-3 and 8) to radiate wireless signals.
Regarding claim 2, Zhao as referred in claim 1 teaches the following:
wherein the first radiation slot extends through the side wall of the fixing member (“The slot 210 refers to a through-hole penetrating through the side wall of the side frame 120”, paragraph [0049]).
Regarding claim 3, Zhao as referred in claim 2 teaches the following:
wherein at least one second radiation slot (220, figures 2-3 and 8) is arranged in the first area, the second radiation slot extends through the side wall of the fixing member (“The opening 220 also needs to penetrate through the side wall of the side frame 120”, paragraph [0049]), and an extension direction of the second radiation slot intersects with the rotation direction of the fixing member (as shown in figures 1-3 and 8); and
the first radiation slot is in communication with the second radiation slot (as shown in figures 1-3 and 8, paragraphs [0049] and [0051]).
Regarding claim 5, Zhao as referred in claim 1 teaches the following:
wherein the fixing member further comprises a feed point (300, figures 2-3 and 8) and a ground point (element 400, figure 3A);
the feed point is used for electrical connection with the feed source to access a radio frequency signal (inherent from a feed point); and
the ground point is used for grounding (inherent from a ground point).
Regarding claim 8, Zhao as referred in claim 5 teaches the following:
wherein the side wall of the fixing member comprises N first areas (the bottom half of 120 containing 202 being one area, and the top half of 120 containing 201, figures 1);
N ground points is arranged on the fixing member (when both 201 and 202 are like the antenna as shown in figure 3A, there would be two ground points 300);
in the rotation direction of the fixing member, the first areas and the ground points are arranged at intervals (as shown in figure 1); and
wherein N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2 (as explained above, N is equal to 2).
Regarding claim 9, Zhao as referred in claim 1 teaches the following:
wherein the fixing member is used for fitting with a first component (600, figures 1) to form an accommodating cavity (as shown in figure 1B), and the accommodating cavity is used for fixing a second component (“the PCB board of the device system”, paragraph [0070]).
Regarding claim 11, Zhao teaches the following:
an antenna system, wherein the antenna system comprises a fixing member (100, as shown in figure 1) and a feed source (which 300 is connected to, figures 2-3 and 8);
the fixing member is electrically connected with the feed source to radiate wireless signals, wherein a cross section of the fixing member is annular (as shown in figures 1), and a side wall of the fixing member (120, figures 2-3 and 8) comprises at least one first area (the bottom half containing 202, figures 1);
at least one first radiation slot (210, figures 2-3 and 8) is arranged in the first area, and an extension direction of the first radiation slot is consistent with a rotation direction of the fixing member (as shown in figures 1-3 and 8).
Regarding claim 12, Zhao teaches the following:
an electronic device (figures 1), wherein the electronic device comprises a housing (the combination of elements 110 and 600, figures 1) and a fixing member (120, figures 1-3 and 8); and
the fixing member is installed on the housing, wherein a cross section of the fixing member is annular (as shown in figures 1), and a side wall of the fixing member comprises at least one first area (the bottom half containing 202, figures 1);
at least one first radiation slot is arranged in the first area (210, figures 2-3 and 8), and an extension direction of the first radiation slot is consistent with a rotation direction of the fixing member (as shown in figures 1-3 and 8); and
the fixing member is electrically connectable with a feed source (which 300 is connected to, figures 2-3 and 8) to radiate wireless signals.
Regarding claim 13, Zhao as referred in claim 11 teaches the following:
wherein the first radiation slot extends through the side wall of the fixing member (“The slot 210 refers to a through-hole penetrating through the side wall of the side frame 120”, paragraph [0049]).
Regarding claim 14, Zhao as referred in claim 13 teaches the following:
wherein at least one second radiation slot (220, figures 2-3 and 8) is arranged in the first area, the second radiation slot extends through the side wall of the fixing member (“The opening 220 also needs to penetrate through the side wall of the side frame 120”, paragraph [0049]), and an extension direction of the second radiation slot intersects with the rotation direction of the fixing member (as shown in figures 1-3 and 8); and
the first radiation slot is in communication with the second radiation slot (as shown in figures 1-3 and 8, paragraphs [0049] and [0051]).
Regarding claim 16, Zhao as referred in claim 11 teaches the following:
wherein the fixing member further comprises a feed point (300, figures 2-3 and 8) and a ground point (element 400, figure 3A);
the feed point is used for electrical connection with the feed source to access a radio frequency signal (inherent from a feed point); and
the ground point is used for grounding (inherent from a ground point).
Regarding claim 19, Zhao as referred in claim 16 teaches the following:
wherein the side wall of the fixing member comprises N first areas (the bottom half of 120 containing 202 being one area, and the top half of 120 containing 201, figures 1);
N ground points is arranged on the fixing member (when both 201 and 202 are like the antenna as shown in figure 3A, there would be two ground points 300);
in the rotation direction of the fixing member, the first areas and the ground points are arranged at intervals (as shown in figure 1); and
wherein N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2 (as explained above, N is equal to 2).
Regarding claim 20, Zhao as referred in claim 11 teaches the following:
wherein the fixing member is used for fitting with a first component (600, figures 1) to form an accommodating cavity (as shown in figure 1B), and the accommodating cavity is used for fixing a second component (“the PCB board of the device system”, paragraph [0070]).
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 4 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao (US 2023/0022192) in view of Li et al. (CN 210245725, hereby referred as Li).
Regarding claim 4, Zhao as referred in claim 3 teaches the fixing member with the exception for the following:
wherein at least two first radiation slots are arranged in the first area; and any two adjacent first radiation slots are in communication through the second radiation slot.
Li suggests the teachings of wherein at least two first radiation slots (21 and 22, figures 1-3) are arranged in the first area; and any two adjacent first radiation slots are in communication through the second radiation slot (23, figures 1-3).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have at least two first radiation slots are arranged in the first area of Zhao and for any two adjacent first radiation slots are in communication through the second radiation slot as suggested by the teachings of Li in order to provide an additional frequency band for the fixing member to communicate in.
Regarding claim 15, Zhao as referred in claim 14 teaches the antenna system with the exception for the following:
wherein at least two first radiation slots are arranged in the first area; and any two adjacent first radiation slots are in communication through the second radiation slot.
Li suggests the teachings of wherein at least two first radiation slots (21 and 22, figures 1-3) are arranged in the first area; and any two adjacent first radiation slots are in communication through the second radiation slot (23, figures 1-3).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have at least two first radiation slots are arranged in the first area of Zhao and for any two adjacent first radiation slots are in communication through the second radiation slot as suggested by the teachings of Li in order to provide an additional frequency band for the fixing member to communicate in.
Claims 6-7 and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao (US 2023/0022192) in view of Ai et al. (CN 10823407, hereby referred as Ai).
Regarding claim 6, Zhao as referred in claim 5 teaches the fixing member with the exception for the following:
wherein the feed point is electrically connected with at least two feed sources through a single-pole multi-throw switch.
Ai suggests the teachings of wherein the feed point is electrically connected with at least two feed sources (RF1 and RF2, figure 4) through a single-pole multi-throw switch (SW1, figure 4).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have the feed point of Zhao to be electrically connected with at least two feed sources through a single-pole multi-throw switch, in addition to having a matching network, as suggested by the teachings of Ai which could be used to allow the two feed sources to be fed to the radiator so that it could allow the fixing member to radiate in multiple frequency bands.
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Zhao and Ai as referred in claim 6 teaches the following:
wherein the feed point is electrically connected with the single-pole multi-throw switch (Ai, SW1, figure 4) through a tuner (Ai, MC1 and MC2, figure 4).
Regarding claim 17, Zhao as referred in claim 16 teaches the antenna system with the exception for the following:
wherein the feed point is electrically connected with at least two feed sources through a single-pole multi-throw switch.
Ai suggests the teachings of wherein the feed point is electrically connected with at least two feed sources (RF1 and RF2, figure 4) through a single-pole multi-throw switch (SW1, figure 4).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have the feed point of Zhao to be electrically connected with at least two feed sources through a single-pole multi-throw switch, in addition to having a matching network, as suggested by the teachings of Ai which could be used to allow the two feed sources to be fed to the radiator so that it could allow the fixing member to radiate in multiple frequency bands.
Regarding claim 18, the combination of Zhao and Ai as referred in claim 17 teaches the following:
wherein the feed point is electrically connected with the single-pole multi-throw switch (Ai, SW1, figure 4) through a tuner (Ai, MC1 and MC2, figure 4).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao (US 2023/0022192) in view of Russell et al. (US 2015/0349410, hereby referred as Russel).
Regarding claim 10, Zhao as referred in claim 9 teaches the fixing member with the exception for the following:
wherein the first component is a circuit board, and the second component is a camera.
However, Zhao does teach that there is a circuit board (“the PCB board of the device system”, paragraph [0070]).
Russel suggests the teachings of wherein the fixing member is used for fitting with a first component (206, figure 2) to form an accommodating cavity (as shown in figure 2), and the accommodating cavity is used for fixing a second component (“a camera”, paragraph [0024]), wherein the first component is a circuit board (206, figure 2), and the second component is a camera (“a camera”, paragraph [0024]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have the first component of Zhao to be a circuit board, and the second component is a camera as suggested by the teachings of Russell in order to allow the device that the fixing member is apart of to be able to capture still images or video media content (paragraph [0024]), which is desired in wrist worn device such as the one in Zhao and Russell.
Additional Comments
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The rejection made in the International Search Report using Azad et al. (US 11158952) could also be made with the current claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AB SALAM ALKASSIM JR whose telephone number is (571)270-0449. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday.
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/AB SALAM ALKASSIM JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845
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