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 § 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 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, 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jiangxi (CN 205610929, provided by Applicant).
Regarding Claim 1, Jiangxi teaches: A speaker (Fig. 1), comprising: a diaphragm assembly (2), wherein the diaphragm assembly comprising a plurality of voice coils (voice coils 4); and a plurality of magnetic circuit assemblies (5, 6, 7), each comprising a plurality of first magnets (7) and a second magnet (5, 6 stacked together), the plurality of first magnets (7) disposed around the second magnet (7 disposed around stacked 5, 6), and a vent groove is disposed between two adjacent first magnets (an air passage is disposed between magnets 7), wherein each voice coil of the plurality of voice coils (4, two coils shown) corresponds to one of the plurality of magnetic circuit assemblies (each coil 4 corresponds to one magnet assembly) and is disposed between the second magnet (5, 6) and the plurality of first magnets (7) of its corresponding magnetic circuit assembly (as shown), and two adjacent magnetic circuit assemblies share a same first magnet (central magnet 7 shared by two adjacent magnetic assemblies).
Regarding Claim 17, Jiangxi teaches: An electronic device (Fig. 1), comprising: a housing (1, 11); and speaker mounted on the housing (Fig. 1, elements 2-10), where the speaker comprises: a diaphragm assembly (2), wherein the diaphragm assembly comprising a plurality of voice coils (voice coils 4); and a plurality of magnetic circuit assemblies (5, 6, 7), each comprising a plurality of first magnets (7) and a second magnet (5, 6 stacked together), the plurality of first magnets (7) disposed around the second magnet (7 disposed around stacked 5, 6), and a vent groove is disposed between two adjacent first magnets (an air passage is disposed between magnets 7), wherein each voice coil of the plurality of voice coils (4, two coils shown) corresponds to one of the plurality of magnetic circuit assemblies (each coil 4 corresponds to one magnet assembly) and is disposed between the second magnet (5, 6) and the plurality of first magnets (7) of its corresponding magnetic circuit assembly (as shown), and two adjacent magnetic circuit assemblies share a same first magnet (central magnet 7 shared by two adjacent magnetic assemblies).
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) 2-4, 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jiangxi (CN 205610929, provided by Applicant), in view of Goertek (CN 113099365, provided by Applicant).
Regarding Claim 2, Jiangxi does not teach: wherein a size of at least one voice coil is different from a size of a remaining voice coil. In a related field, Goertek teaches that voice coils of a multiple voice coil loudspeaker may be of different sizes to accommodate different size diaphragm portions (Figs. 1, 3: voice coils 32, 42, 43). Therefore, 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 the voice coil sizes of individual voice coils in the multi voice coil loudspeaker of Jiangxi such as taught by Goertek. Motivation for doing so would lie in adjusting different regions of a diaphragm to have different size bobbins and coils for achieving a desired frequency response.
Regarding Claim 3, Jiangxi as modified above does not teach: wherein the diaphragm assembly comprises three voice coils, and the voice coils are sequentially disposed along a length direction of the speaker; and along the length direction of the speaker, a size of a first voice coil located between a second voice coil and a third voice coil is larger than sizes of the second voice coil and third voice coil. However, Goertek further teaches: wherein the diaphragm assembly comprises three voice coils (42, 43), and the voice coils are sequentially disposed along a length direction of the speaker (as shown). Jiangxi, in view of Goertek, does not specifically teach: and along the length direction of the speaker, a size of a first voice coil located between a second voice coil and a third voice coil is larger than sizes of the second voice coil and third voice coil (42, 43 appear of similar size). However, 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 the voice coil sizes of individual voice coils in the multi voice coil loudspeaker. Motivation for doing so would lie in adjusting different regions of a diaphragm to have different size bobbins and coils for achieving a desired frequency response.
Regarding Claim 4, Jiangxi, in view of Goertek, teaches: wherein a size of at least one second magnet is directly proportional to a size of the voice coil of the second magnet's corresponding magnetic circuit assembly (as modified, the magnet would be sized accordingly as shown for example by sizes of magnets 205, 206, 204, 208 with respect to 42, 43 of Goertek).
Regarding Claim 18, Jiangxi does not teach: wherein a size of at least one voice coil is different from a size of a remaining voice coil. In a related field, Goertek teaches that voice coils of a multiple voice coil loudspeaker may be of different sizes to accommodate different size diaphragm portions (Figs. 1, 3: voice coils 32, 42, 43). Therefore, 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 the voice coil sizes of individual voice coils in the multi voice coil loudspeaker of Jiangxi such as taught by Goertek. Motivation for doing so would lie in adjusting different regions of a diaphragm to have different size bobbins and coils for achieving a desired frequency response.
Regarding Claim 19, Jiangxi as modified above does not teach: wherein the diaphragm assembly comprises three voice coils, and the voice coils are sequentially disposed along a length direction of the speaker; and along the length direction of the speaker, a size of a first voice coil located between a second voice coil and a third voice coil is larger than sizes of the second voice coil and third voice coil. However, Goertek further teaches: wherein the diaphragm assembly comprises three voice coils (42, 43), and the voice coils are sequentially disposed along a length direction of the speaker (as shown). Jiangxi, in view of Goertek, does not specifically teach: and along the length direction of the speaker, a size of a first voice coil located between a second voice coil and a third voice coil is larger than sizes of the second voice coil and third voice coil (42, 43 appear of similar size). However, 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 the voice coil sizes of individual voice coils in the multi voice coil loudspeaker. Motivation for doing so would lie in adjusting different regions of a diaphragm to have different size bobbins and coils for achieving a desired frequency response.
Regarding Claim 20, Jiangxi, in view of Goertek, teaches: wherein a size of at least one second magnet is directly proportional to a size of the voice coil of the second magnet's corresponding magnetic circuit assembly (as modified, the magnet would be sized accordingly as shown for example by sizes of magnets 205, 206, 204, 208 with respect to 42, 43 of Goertek).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-16 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: Claim 5 requires a basket component disposed in a circumferential direction of the speaker, wherein the basket component includes an exhaust groove disposed in an inner ring of the basket component in a length direction of the speaker, and the basket component is made of metal. This is best shown in Fig. 3 of Applicant’s disclosure. None of the prior art of record teach these limitations in combination with all of the limitations of Claim 1 from which Claim 5 depends.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 9788123 B2, US 20170245058 A1, US 8811651 B2, US 20110170736 A1, US 3665124 A each show various loudspeaker designs incorporating multiple voice coils for driving a diaphragm. 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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/MATTHEW A EASON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2624
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