DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(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.
Claims 1-3 and 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jeong et al (US 2021/0030359 A1) [cited by applicant].
Regarding claim 1, Jeong et al disclose a sensor assembly (a wearable electronic device 100, para55) comprising one or more biometric sensor circuits coupled to the printed circuit board (a circuit for obtaining biometric information disposed on the printed circuit board 430, para82, figs4,10); a cover 410 having one or more electrodes 1010 disposed on an outer side of the cover (figs4,10, paras58,84-85) coupled to one or more electrical traces 460,470 disposed on an inner side of the cover, the one or more electrical traces electrically coupled to the one or more biometric sensor circuits (via pcb 430); and an antenna 350,355 electrically coupled to the one or more electrodes (paras50-51).
Jeong et al also disclose one or more electrical traces are electrically coupled to the one or more biometric sensor circuits by one or more conductive foam pads, one or more spring clips, one or more pogo-pins, or combinations thereof (para82, fig9) the one or more biometric sensor circuits comprise an electrocardiogram (ECG) circuitry, wherein the one or more biometric sensor circuits comprise a photoplethysmography (PPG) circuitry (para 89).
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 4-6 and 9-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Jeong et al (US 2021/0030359 A1) [cited by applicant].
Jeong et al had been discussed but fail to teach one or more electrical traces are electrically coupled to the one or more biometric sensor circuits by one or more conductive foam pads comprise a foam material, a flexible printed circuit board, spring clips and antenna tuning circuits, wireless charging device and filter. However, Jeong et al also teach one or more electrical traces are electrically coupled to the one or more biometric sensor circuits by one or more conductive foam pads, one or more spring clips, one or more pogo-pins, or combinations thereof (para82, fig9). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skilled in the art to provide Jeong et al with one or more electrical traces are electrically coupled to the one or more biometric sensor circuits by one or more conductive foam pads comprise a foam material, a flexible printed circuit board, spring clips and antenna tuning circuits, wireless charging device and filter, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a well-known design options of the elements for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skilled in the art at the time the invention was made to have the one or more electrodes comprise stainless steel, aluminum, or a chromium and silver composite material and the antenna comprises copper, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material of the elements be varied for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The patents to Park, Shamsoddini and Barak are cited as of interested and illustrated a similar structure to a sensor assembly.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THO GIA PHAN whose telephone number is (571)272-1826. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F (8-430).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dimary Lopez can be reached on (571) 270-7893. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
/THO G PHAN/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845
Prosecution Insights