DETAILED ACTION
Priority
1. Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a) — (d), which papers have been placed of record in the file. Oath/Declaration
Oath/Declaration
2. Oath and declaration (Note: ADS filed on 9/27/2024 is accepted).
Information Disclosure Statement
3. The prior art documents submitted by application in the Information Disclosure Statement filed on 10/28/2024 and 6/25/2025 have all been considered and made of record ( note the attached copy of form PTO – 1449).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. 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.
Claim(s) 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Goertek Inc (CN 108 566 606A) in view of Tsao et al (2010/0034415A1)
Regarding claim 1, Goertek Inc discloses (figure 19 and 20 ) a device, comprising: a housing (110) ; and a speaker (transducer located in cavity 120) ; wherein the housing has mounting space, the speaker is fastened in the mounting space and divides the mounting space into a first space and a second space (140,130), and when the speaker works, a first sound wave is formed in the first space and a second sound wave is formed in the second space, wherein the second sound wave and the first sound wave have equal amplitudes and opposite phases (from figure 20 and in view that left and right diaphragms are joint by bobbin 122, see figure 4, it can assumed that waves fulfil the claimed condition); wherein the housing further has a first sound emitting hole and a second sound emitting hole (130,140) that are disposed opposite to each other, the first sound emitting hole communicates with the first space, and the second sound emitting hole communicates with the second space (figure 18 -20);
Tsao et al and third sound emitting hole and an inverter cavity, one end of the inverter cavity communicates with the second space, another end of the inverter cavity communicates with the third sound emitting hole, the inverter cavity is configured to form a third sound wave at the third sound emitting hole when the speaker works, a phase of the third sound wave is the same as a phase of the first sound wave, and the third sound wave is superposed with the first sound wave passing through the first sound emitting hole (paragraph 0015, sound emitting holes 216 and cavity 260 and 218).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention was made to provide teaching third sound emitting hole and an inverter cavity, one end of the inverter cavity communicates with the second space, another end of the inverter cavity communicates with the third sound emitting hole, the inverter cavity is configured to form a third sound wave at the third sound emitting hole when the speaker works, a phase of the third sound wave is the same as a phase of the first sound wave, and the third sound wave is superposed with the first sound wave passing through the first sound emitting hole in to the Goertek Inc discloses a device high quality sound effect as taught by Tsao et al.
Regarding claim 2, Goertek Inc discloses wherein a sound emitting direction of the third sound emitting hole is the same as a sound emitting direction of the first sound emitting hole (figures 18-20).
Regarding claim 3, Goertek Inc discloses wherein the third sound wave produces resonance in a frequency band range of 50 Hz to 200 Hz (figures 18-20).
Regarding claim 4, Goertek Inc discloses wherein: the speaker comprises a base (110) , a vibration assembly, and a magnetic circuit (figure 20) assembly; the base (110) has an inner cavity; the magnetic circuit assembly is disposed in the inner cavity, and the magnetic circuit assembly has a magnetic gap; the vibration assembly comprises a first diaphragm, a second diaphragm, and a voice coil (121) , wherein the first diaphragm and the second diaphragm are respectively located on two opposite sides of the magnetic circuit assembly, circumferential edges of the first diaphragm and the second diaphragm are connected to the base (figures 20,7,5,4,3) , the voice coil is located inside the magnetic gap, and two opposite sides of the voice coil are respectively connected to the first diaphragm and the second diaphragm (figure 4; top side of coil 120 is connected to diaphragm 11 and bottom side of coil 121 is connected over bobbin 122 to diaphragm 21a); and one of the first diaphragm or the second diaphragm faces the first space, and another of the first diaphragm or the second diaphragm faces the second space.
Regarding claim 5, combination of Goertek Inc in view of Tsao et al discloses the voice coil comprises a first side part and a second side part that are disposed opposite to each other, both the first side part and the second side part are parallel to a central axis of the voice coil, the first side part is connected to the first diaphragm, and the second side part is connected to the second diaphragm.
Allowable Subject Matter
5. Claims 6-18 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.
6. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: wherein the magnetic circuit assembly comprises a first part and a second part, both the first part and the second part are magnetic, the first part and the second part are spaced from each other, and the magnetic gap is formed between the first part and the second part and wherein the speaker comprises a base, a vibration assembly, a first magnetic circuit assembly, and a second magnetic circuit assembly, the base has an inner cavity, the vibration assembly is disposed in the inner cavity, and the first magnetic circuit assembly and the second magnetic circuit assembly are respectively located on two sides of the vibration assembly and are symmetrically disposed relative to the vibration assembly; wherein the vibration assembly comprises a diaphragm, a first voice coil, and a second voice coil, the diaphragm, the first voice coil, and the second voice coil are stacked in a first direction, the diaphragm comprises a first surface and a second surface that are disposed opposite to each other in the first direction, and the diaphragm divides the inner cavity into a first sound cavity and a second sound cavity; wherein the first voice coil is fastened to the first surface, and the second voice coil is fastened to the second surface; wherein the first magnetic circuit assembly and the second magnetic circuit assembly are respectively located in the first sound cavity and the second sound cavity; and wherein the first sound cavity communicates with the first space, and the second sound cavity communicates with the second space.
Conclusion
7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOHAMMED A HASAN whose telephone number is (571)272-2331. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH 6 AM -4 PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Bumsuk Won can be reached at 571-272-2713. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MOHAMMED A HASAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872 8/6/2026