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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
As required by M.P.E.P. 609, the applicant’s submissions of the Information Disclosure Statement dated 10/18/2024 is acknowledged by the examiner and the cited references have been considered in the examination of the claims now pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sasaki (20050271230) in view of Kuroda (20080285778).
Regarding claim 1, Sasaki discloses (see at least Fig 3, Fig 4, [0043]-[0051]) a sound screen (30) for a projector (13), comprising: a screen plate (34) including a base layer (31) which is hard ([0058], frame 32 is constituted by stiff material enough) which is formed on a surface of the base layer (Fig 7, [0056], array speaker body 31 is accommodated within the frame 32 in such a manner that the periphery thereof is surrounded by the frame 32; a back plate (36) formed on a rear surface of the screen plate (Fig 8, [0058], projection screen 20 is fixed by holding plates 36 at the peripheral portion of the frame 32); and an excitation device (20) which is formed on a rear surface of the back plate and vibrates ([0079], projection screen 20 is slightly vibrated) the back plate (Fig 8, [0059], holding plate 36 may be caused to have the same shape slightly larger than that of the frame 32 to hold or put four sides of the projection screen 20 between the holding plate 36 and the frame 32) but does not teach formed of a synthetic resin material and a reflective layer; and reflects an image incident on the surface. However, in a similar endeavor, Kuroda teaches formed of a synthetic resin material and a reflective layer (Fig 2, [0064], light-reflecting layer S2 is preferably formed of polyolefin resin, acryl resin, polyurethane resin in addition to the above-described polyvinyl chloride resin); and reflects an image incident on the surface (Fig 2, [0076], light-reflecting layer S2 only on one of the surfaces of the fibrous structure S0). It would have been obvious before the effective filing of the invention to modify the screen apparatus of Sasaki with the components of Kuroda for the purpose of improving the projection characteristics with a display device (Kuroda, [0063]).
Regarding claim 2, Sasaki in view of Kuroda discloses the invention as described within claim 1 and Sasaki further teaches further comprising: a profile (array speaker body 31) which is formed on the rear surface of the back plate (Fig 8, [0058], projection screen 20 is fixed by holding plates 36 at the peripheral portion of the frame 32), supports the back plate (Fig 8, [0058], projection screen 20 is extended and fixed to the frame 32), and protects the excitation device (Fig 8, [0058]); and an amp (50) which operates the excitation device on the basis of a sound signal input from an outside ([0068], control circuit 52 is supplied with an adjustment operation signal from the adjustment operation unit 53).
Regarding claim 3, Sasaki in view of Kuroda discloses the invention as described within claim 2 and Sasaki further teaches wherein: the sound signal includes at least two sound channels ([0064], plural speaker units 33 from audio signals of respective channels of the multi-channel surround system); and in the excitation device (20), at least two vibrators (Fig 9, vibration plates 34) provided to correspond to the sound channels are disposed ([0053], adjacent cabinets are connected to each other so that the array speaker body 31 is constituted) as a left-right symmetrical structure based on a virtual vertical center line formed in a center of the screen plate in a vertical direction (Fig 7, [0053], speaker units 33 are attached in a manner as described above are two-dimensionally arranged).
Regarding claim 4, Sasaki in view of Kuroda discloses the invention as described within claim 2 and Sasaki further teaches further comprising a sound-absorbing member (42) which is formed in at least one of an internal space defined by the profile (Fig 6) and the rear surface of the back plate and reduces a ringing phenomenon due to vibrations of the excitation device (Fig 6, [0051], sound absorption material 42 such as glass wool, etc. is filled or attached at the inside or a partial wall surface of the back pressure chamber).
Regarding claim 5, Sasaki in view of Kuroda discloses the invention as described within claim 4 and Sasaki further teaches further comprising a finishing panel for a sound absorption buffer which is formed on the rear surface (41a) of the back plate (Fig 6, [0051], sound absorption material 42 such as glass wool, etc. is filled or attached at the inside or a partial wall surface of the back pressure chamber), additionally reduces the ringing phenomenon due to the vibrations of the excitation device (Fig 7, [0057], plane surface consisting of end surfaces 41a of the plural cabinets 41, and end surface 32a of the sound wave radiation surface side of the array speaker 30 of the portion which forms the opening space 35 of the frame 32 are caused to flush with each other), and reduces noise or vibrations generated due to friction with a wall or impact ([0080], vibration is sufficiently suppressed by dumping effect).
Regarding claim 6, Sasaki in view of Kuroda discloses the invention as described with claim 1 and Kuroda further teaches wherein the reflective layer (light-reflecting layer S2) is modified ([0063], preferable to add inorganic particles (such as silica, alumina, zirconia, titan chloride, glass powder, calcium carbonate, barium sulfate) to the while polyvinyl chloride layer, because the reflecting power of the screen is increased, and the projecting characteristics are improved) to increase surface roughness ([0076], rough woven fabric). It would have been obvious before the effective filing of the invention to modify the screen apparatus of Sasaki with the components of Kuroda for the purpose of improving the projection characteristics with a display device (Kuroda, [0063]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-10 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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: with respect to the allowable subject matter, none of the prior art either alone or in combination disclose or teach of the claimed combination of limitations to warrant a rejection under 35 USC 102 or 103.
Specifically, with respect to dependent claim 7, the prior art of Sasaki taken either singly or in combination with any other prior art fails to suggest such a sound screen including the specific arrangement: “wherein the reflective layer is formed by coating one surface of the base layer with a paint including a bright material including an aluminum powder and a pearl pigment”. Claims 8-10 are allowable due to pendency on dependent claim 7.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Small (9664994), Ishihara (20070253051), and Azima (6389935) are examples of a display system incorporating acoustic devices.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Sharrief I Broome whose telephone number is (571)272-3454. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-5pm, EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ricky Mack can be reached at 571-272-2333. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Sharrief I. Broome
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2872
/SHARRIEF I BROOME/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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