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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Invention I – claims 1-3 in the reply filed on 7/7/2026 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claims 4-17 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 7/7/2026.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication 2024/0272527 A1 to Wong et al.
With respect to claim 1 Wong discloses, in Fig. 1A-52, an electronic apparatus (100) comprising: a tightening member including a first screw engagement portion (500) and a first lock portion (600); wherein the electronic apparatus is configured to allow for attachment and detachment of an accessory apparatus (paragraph 129), which includes a rotation locking member having a second lock portion that rotates around a central axis of the tightening member and that engages with the first lock portion (paragraph 91; where protrusions 137 allow for an accessory to connect in a friction based manner around the hole in a manner that is known in the art at this time for GoPro accessories), and wherein the tightening member is positioned coaxially with the first screw engagement portion and is provided outside the first screw engagement portion but inside the electronic apparatus (Fig. 6).
With respect to claim 2 Wong discloses, in Fig. 1A-52, the electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an exterior member (600) that forms part of an appearance surface of the electronic apparatus (Fig. 4); and a mount member (500) that is fixed to the exterior member (paragraph 134 and Fig. 6), wherein the first screw engagement portion is formed on the exterior member (Fig. 11; where threaded hole 662 can be seen), and wherein the first lock portion is formed by extending from the mount member toward a center of the first screw engagement portion (Fig. 6; where portions of the interconnect mechanism 600 can be seen at the periphery of the recess and therefore can be interpreted as extending towards the center).
With respect to claim 3 Wong discloses, in Fig. 1A-52, the electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a screw engagement member (500) on which the first screw engagement portion is formed (Fig. 6), wherein the first lock portion (600) is formed by extending from the screw engagement member toward a position outside a center of the first screw engagement portion (Fig. 6; where the dotted line extending out could be interpreted as extending outside a center of the first screw engagement portion).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL M PASIEWICZ whose telephone number is (571)272-5516. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 AM - 5:30 PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, George Eng can be reached at (571)272-7495. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANIEL M PASIEWICZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2699
July 20, 2026
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