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 § 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.
Claims 1, 4-5, 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Pak (KR20120135978A “Pak” hereinafter).
Regarding claim 1, Pak discloses: an accessory device, comprising:
a first section (12, fig. 1) comprising a first magnet (first instance of 13b, fig. 1); and
a second section (11, fig. 1) rotationally coupled (through 10, fig. 2) with the first section (fig. 3), the second section comprising a set of magnets (14, fig. 2), wherein:
in response to a first folded configuration (see ‘SFC’ in annotated fig. 3 below) of the first section, the first magnet magnetically couples with the set of magnets at a first location (see ‘1P’ in annotated fig. 3 below) and the first section positions the second section at a first angle (see ‘1A’ in annotated fig. 3 below), and
in response to a second folded configuration (see ‘SFC’ in annotated fig. 3 below) of the first section, the first magnet magnetically couples with the set of magnets at a second location (see ‘1P’ in annotated fig. 3 below) and the first section positions the second section at a second angle (see ‘2A’ in annotated fig. 3 below).
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Regarding claim 4, Pak discloses the limitations of claim 1, and Pak further discloses:
wherein the first section comprises:
a first segment (see annotated fig. 2 below);
a second segment (see annotated fig. 2 below) rotationally coupled with the first segment (through 15, fig. 2); and
a third segment (see annotated fig. 2 below) rotationally coupled (through 16, fig. 2) with the second segment, wherein the first magnet is positioned in the third segment (fig. 4).
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Regarding claim 5, Pak discloses the limitations of claim 4, and Pak further discloses:
wherein:
the second segment comprises a first area (see annotated fig. 2 below), and
the second segment comprises a second area less than the first area (see annotated fig. 2 below).
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Regarding claim 17, Pak discloses: an accessory device, comprising:
a first section (12) comprising a first magnet (13b) configured to generate a first magnetic field (claim 1, ¶25); and
a second section (11) rotationally coupled with the first section (fig. 3), the second comprising a second magnet (13a, 14), wherein:
in response to the first section and the second section covering an electronic device (100, fig. 4b), the first magnet and the second magnet combine to generate a first magnetic flux (from magnetic attraction between the inner surfaces of 13a and 13b) in a first direction, and
in response to the second section positioned between the electronic device and the first section (fig. 4c), the first magnet and the second magnet combine to generate a second magnetic flux (from magnetic attraction between the outer surface of 13a, and inner surface of 14) in a second direction different from first direction (as disclosed upon examination of figs. 4b-4c, where magnet 13B makes contact with its inner and outer surfaces in opposing direction).
Regarding claim 18, Pak discloses the limitations of claim 17, and Pak further discloses:
wherein:
the first section comprises a first segment and a second segment (see annotated fig. 2 below) rotationally coupled with the first segment (fig. 3), and
the first magnet is positioned in the first section (fig. 2).
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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:
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 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pak, in view of Hu (CN214207461U; “Hu”, hereinafter).
Regarding claim 2, Pak discloses the limitations of claim 1, but does not explicitly teach: wherein the set of magnets comprises a row of magnets.
However, Hu discloses:
a back plate (4, i.e. second section, figs. 1-3) comprises a set of magnets (6) comprising a row of magnets (fig. 3) magnetically coupled to a first magnet (11, fig. 4) of a first section (2, figs. 1 and 4).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the set of magnet of Pak with Hu’s teaching, such that the set of magnets comprises a row of magnets, in order to provide at a plurality of viewing angles when the accessory device is coupled to an electronic device such as a tablet computer (¶20).
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pak, in view of Hu (CN214207461U; “Hu”, hereinafter), and further in view of Zhu et al (US 20200089276; “Zhu”, hereinafter).
Regarding claim 3, Pak in view of Hu discloses the limitations of claim 2, but does not explicitly teach:
wherein the row of magnets comprises a second magnet configured to magnetically repel the first magnet.
However, Zhu teaches:
a row of magnets (640a, 640b, fig. 14) comprises a second magnet (640b) configured to magnetically repel a first magnet (540a, fig. 14).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the row of magnets of Pak as modified by Hu, with the second magnet of Zhu, such that the row of magnets comprises a second magnet configured to magnetically repel the first magnet, in order to provide an additional force that retains the positional relationship between the first section and the second section at a predetermined angle (¶[0095]).
Claims 9, 15-16 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pak, in view of Zhu et al (US 20200089276; “Zhu”, hereinafter).
Regarding claim 9, Pak teaches: an accessory device, comprising:
a first section (12) comprising a plurality of segments (see annotated fig. 2 below), the plurality of segments comprising a first segment that includes a first magnet (first instance of 13b); and
a second section (11) rotationally coupled with the first section (fig. 3) and providing a receiving surface for an electronic device (figs. 4a-4b), the second section comprising a second magnet (14),
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in response to the plurality of segments positioning the second section at a first angle (see ‘1A’ annotated fig. 3 below) and a second angle (see ‘2A’ annotated fig. 3 below), the first magnet is configured to magnetically couple with the second magnet (fig. 3).
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Pak does not explicitly teach:
the second section comprising a third magnet, wherein:
in response to the plurality of segments positioning the second section at a second angle different from the first angle, the third magnet is configured to magnetically repel the first magnet.
However, Zhu teaches:
a section of an accessory device (400, fig. 14) comprising a second magnet (640a, fig. 14) and a third magnet (640b) configured to magnetically repel a first magnet (540a, fig. 14).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the second section of Pak, and include the third magnet of Zhu adjacent to the distal end of the second magnet proximate element 13b, such that in response to the plurality of segments positioning the second section at a second angle different from the first angle, the third magnet is configured to magnetically repel the first magnet, in order to provide an additional force that retains the positional relationship between the first section and the second section at a predetermined angle (¶[0095]).
Regarding claim 15, Pak in view of Zhu teaches the limitations of claim 9, and Pak further teaches:
wherein:
the first angle defines a first end angle (see annotated fig. 3 below), and
the third magnet magnetically repelling the first magnet provides an indication (movement restriction of the first section relative to the second section, to avoid substantially parallel alignment between said first and second section) of the first end angle.
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Regarding claim 16, Pak in view of Zhu teaches the limitations of claim 9, and Pak further teaches:
the plurality of segments further comprises a second segment and a third segment, and
the second segment and the third segment are positioned between the first segment and the second section (annotated fig. 2 below teaches the limitations of this claim).
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Regarding claim 20, Pak discloses the limitations of claim 17, but does not explicitly teach:
wherein the first magnet forms part of a Halbach array of magnets.
However, Zhu teaches:
An accessory device (200, fig. 6) comprising a first magnet (244a) forms part of a Halbach array (244a-244d, fig. 6) of magnets (¶[0071]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the first magnet of Pak with Zhu’s teaching, such that the first magnet forms part of a Halbach array of magnets, in order to provide an additive or increased external magnetic field at one location, while providing a resultant decreased external magnetic field at another location (¶[0071]).
Claims 10-11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pak, in view of Zhu et al (US 20200089276; “Zhu”, hereinafter), and further in view of in view of Hu (CN214207461U; “Hu”, hereinafter).
Regarding claim 10, Pak in view of Zhu teaches the limitations of claim 9, and Pak further teaches:
wherein:
the first segment further comprises a fourth magnet (first instance of 13b).
Pak does not explicitly disclose:
the second section comprises a set of magnets configured to magnetically couple with the fourth magnet to position the second section at the first angle and a third angle.
However, Hu discloses:
a back plate (4, i.e. second section, figs. 1-3) comprises a set of magnets (6) comprising a row of magnets (fig. 3) to magnetically couple to a magnet (i.e. fourth magnet 11, fig. 4) of a first segment (9, figs. 5-6), to position the second section at a plurality of angles, including at least 5 different angles (figs. 1-3, ¶20).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the accessory device of Pak with Hu’s teaching, such that the second section comprises a set of magnets configured to magnetically couple with the fourth magnet to position the second section at the first angle and a third angle, in order to provide at a plurality of viewing angles when the accessory device is coupled to an electronic device such as a tablet computer (¶20).
Regarding claim 11, Pak in view of Zhu and Hu teaches the limitations of claim 10, and Hu further teaches:
wherein the set of magnets comprises a row of magnets (fig. 3) that supports a plurality of angles of the second section between the first angle and the third angle (¶20).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-8, 12-14, 19 are 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.
Regarding claim 6, the prior art of record taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest,
in combination with other limitations recited in claim 1, a combination of limitations that teaches: further comprising: a second magnet positioned in the first section; and
a third magnet and a fourth magnet, the third magnet and the fourth magnet positioned in the second section and separate from the set of magnets, wherein: the second magnet is configured to magnetically couple with the third magnet in response to the first section positioning the second section at the first angle, and the second magnet is configured to magnetically couple with the fourth magnet in response to the first section positioning the second section at the second angle. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Claims 7-8 are objected to by virtue of dependency to claim 6.
Regarding claim 12, the prior art of record taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest,
in combination with other limitations recited in claims 9-10, a combination of limitations that teaches:
the set of magnets comprises a fifth magnet, the first segment comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, in response to the first surface engaged with the second section, the fourth magnet is configured to magnetically couple with the fifth magnet, and in response to the second surface engaged with the second section, the fifth magnet is configured to magnetically repel the fourth magnet. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding claim 13, the prior art of record taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest,
in combination with other limitations recited in claim 9, a combination of limitations that teaches: wherein the first magnet comprises: a first magnetic portion having a first magnetic flux; a second magnetic portion having a second magnetic flux different from the first magnetic flux; and a third magnetic portion having a third magnetic flux different from the first magnetic flux and different from the second magnetic flux.
Claim 14 is objected to by virtue of dependency to claim 13.
Regarding claim 19, the prior art of record taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest,
in combination with other limitations recited in claim 17, a combination of limitations that teaches: wherein: the first magnet comprises a first magnetic portion and a second magnetic portion,
the first magnetic portion and the second magnetic portion define a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, and magnetic flux from the first magnet is directed toward the first surface and the second surface. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is:
US 8474609 B1 Electronic Device Case. This invention relates generally to a magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach at least two objects together in a preferred configuration without fasteners and without external intervention.
US 20170322593 A1 Cover. This invention generally relates to a cover including a first plate, a second plate, an input device, a connecting base and a plurality of fixing components. The cover can change between a plurality of states. The states of the cover are kept via the fixing components.
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/ALLEN L PARKER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841
/P.K./Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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