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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the phrase “skeleton portion group”. It is unclear and not apparent from the wording of claim 1 what is meant by this phrase. Further, claim 1 recites “the membrane holder comprises a first holder portion and a skeleton portion group and a fixing portion. It is not clear how the first holder and skeleton portion group and fixing portion differ from each other, or what their scope is. Claim 1 further describes how the component is connected to another component, but not what each component actually is, resulting in a lack of clarity for claim 1. Claims 2-10 depend on claim 1 and therefore they have been rejected for the same reason.
Claim 1 recites “a membrane group”. It is not clear what is meant by the phrase “a membrane group”, or how a membrane group is distinguished from a membrane based on the wording of claim 1. The only relevant passage found in claim 1 describes that the membrane group is arranged around the circumference of the annular membrane. Claims 2-10 depend on claim 1 and therefore they have been rejected for the same reason.
Claim 1 recites phrase “phase ball assembly”. It is not clear from wording of claim 1 what is meant by this phrase. Paragraph 0068 of the specification and dependent claim 7 describes the phase ball assembly 42 as being composed of “…a combination of the mass ball 421 and the annular elastic rubber ring 422…” However, none of this details are included in claim 1. Claims 2-10 depend on claim 1 and therefore they have been rejected for the same reason.
Claim 1 recites “A vibration system…” It is not clear if the vibration system is the same as the speaker or loudspeaker system. Claims 2-10 depend on claim 1 and therefore they have been rejected for the same reason.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 1 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Claims 2-10 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The closest prior art(s):
SHI et al. (US 20120177245) discloses a multi-magnet speaker is disclosed. The multi-magnet speaker includes a frame defining a hollow space, a magnetic system defining a yoke and a plurality of magnetic gaps positioned in the hollow space, a diaphragm mounted on the frame and a plurality of coils attached to the bottom of the diaphragm. The diaphragm includes a plurality of vibrating membranes, each defining a dome part and an arcuate portion radially extending from the periphery of the dome part. Each of the coils is received in the corresponding magnetic gap to drive the corresponding vibrating membrane to vibrate. However, fails to disclose the subject matter as recited above in independent claim.
Chen (US 20230199395) discloses a speaker includes a frame, a vibration system, and a magnetic circuit system. The vibration system and the magnetic circuit system are respectively disposed on the frame. The vibration system includes a sound film, flexible circuit boards, a connecting rack, and a voice coil. The flexible circuit boards are disposed at intervals with the sound film. The connecting rack is connected with the sound film and the flexible circuit boards. The voice coil is fixed to the connecting rack. The voice coil includes a first voice coil and a second voice coil, and the second voice coil surrounds outside the first voice coil. The speaker of the present disclosure effectively solves the problem of supplying power to the first voice coil during the voice coil driving. The voice coil driving effectively improves the BL, provides a larger driving force, and improves sensitivity, so that performance of the speaker is better. However, fails to disclose the subject matter as recited above in independent claim.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANTIM G SHAH whose telephone number is (571)270-5214. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 7:30am-4pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ahmad Matar can be reached at 571-272-7488. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANTIM G SHAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2693
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