The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1, 2, 4-6, 8-11, 15, 16, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Giustina (US 2014/0233772) considered with So et al. (CN111580771, in view of the English language translation).
Giustina discloses a rotatable display panel (see figures 2a and 2b, for example), comprising: a display panel having a rectangular shape; a plurality of speakers 1-4 provided at an edge of the display panel; a panel rotation detector (e.g., a proximity sensor or an accelerometer; see para. 0019) configured to detect a rotation state of the display panel; and an audio signal processor configured to, based on the display panel being disposed in a horizontal direction (fig. 2b) or in a vertical direction (fig. 2a), transmit a left audio signal to at least one speaker of the plurality of speakers positioned on a left side of the display (e.g., speakers 3 and 4 in horizontal direction of fig. 2b, and speakers 1 and 3 in vertical direction of fig. 2a), and transmit a right audio signal to at least one speaker of the plurality of speakers positioned on a right side of the display (e.g., speakers 1 and 2 in horizontal direction of fig. 2b, and speakers 2 and 4 in vertical direction of fig. 2a), and to not transmit a mixed audio signal to the plurality of speakers.
Giustina discloses the invention as claimed, but fails to specifically teach that the rotatable display further includes either: a rotating device provided on a rear surface of the display panel and configured to rotate the display panel; or a mixer provided in the audio signal processor, wherein, the audio signal processor is configured to control the mixer to mix the left audio signal and the right audio signal at a predetermined ratio based on an inclination amount of the display panel in response to the display panel being inclined, thereby generating the mixed audio signal, and to transmit the mixed audio signal to at least one speaker among the plurality of speakers.
Regarding the rotating device, So discloses a rectangular display panel 120 including a plurality of speakers 130 provided at an edge of the display panel 120, and further including a rotating device 110 provided on a rear surface of the display panel 120 and configured to rotate the display panel 120 (see figs. 2, 4, and 5, and translation, page 7, regarding “the motor 110 can be combined with the display 120 and transmit a rotating force in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction to rotate the display 120 in a specific direction”), in the same field of endeavor, for the purpose of rotating the display panel 120 with the motor 110 for hands free rotation of the display panel 120. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Giustina, in view of So, such that the rotatable display apparatus further includes a rotating device provided on a rear surface of the display panel and configured to rotate the display panel. A practitioner in the art would have been motivated to do this for the purpose of rotating the display panel with a motor for hands free rotation of the display panel.
Regarding the mixer, So further discloses that the display panel 120 further includes a mixer provided in an audio signal processor 140, wherein, the audio signal processor 140 is configured to control the mixer to mix all the audio signals (e.g., left channel, right channel, center channel, and bottom channel) at a predetermined ratio based on an inclination amount of the display panel 120 in response to the display panel 120 being inclined, thereby generating the mixed audio signal, and to transmit the mixed audio signal to at least one speaker among a plurality of speakers 130 (see figs. 8A-8B, specifically display orientation position (2), regarding a mono (mixed) channel being transmitted to all the speakers 130 when the display panel 120 is inclined a determined amount). See also, translation, page 15-16, regarding that “the processor 140 … may control the plurality of speakers so that an audio signal synthesized with a plurality of audio signals is output through the plurality of speakers 130 during the rotation of the display 120. Here, the audio signal obtained by synthesizing a plurality of audio signals may be an audio signal corresponding to a monophonic channel synthesized by superimposing [i.e., mixing at a predetermined ratio] the waveforms of the plurality of audio signals included in the plurality of audio channels.” So discloses that the display panel 120 further includes the mixer as claimed, in the same field of endeavor, for the purpose of gradually adjusting the audio signals (audio channels) output by the speakers 130 when the display panel 120 is rotated from the vertical orientation (1) to the horizontal orientation (3), or vice versa (see figs. 8A-8B). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to further modify Giustina, in further view of So, such that the display panel further includes a mixer provided in the audio signal processor, wherein, the audio signal processor is configured to control the mixer to mix the left audio signal and the right audio signal at a predetermined ratio based on an inclination amount of the display panel in response to the display panel being inclined, thereby generating the mixed audio signal, and to transmit the mixed audio signal to at least one speaker among the plurality of speakers (e.g., when in a tilt orientation, the mixed (mono) audio signal which is the left channel superimposed with the right channel of Giustina, is transmitted to all the speakers 1-4). A practitioner in the art would have been motivated to do this for the purpose of gradually adjusting the audio signals (left and right audio channels) output by the speakers 1-4 when the display panel is rotated from the vertical orientation (fig. 2a) to the horizontal orientation (fig. 2b), or vice versa.
Regarding claims 2 and 16, the mixer is further configured to determine a mixing ratio of the left audio signal and the right audio signal included in the mixed audio signal based on a rotation angle of the display panel. For example, So teaches that when the display is rotated to the position (2) of figure 8A, the mixer mixes the left audio signal and the right audio signal at a predetermined ratio to produce a ‘Mono Channel’ signal (see fig. 8B).
Regarding claims 4 and 18, the rotating device is configured to be driven by a motor 110. See So, translation, page 7, regarding “the motor 110 can rotate the display 120”.
Regarding claim 5, the plurality of speakers 1-4 are symmetrically provided at an upper portion and a lower portion of the display panel as claimed. See Giustina, fig. 2a, which teaches that speakers 1 and 2 are provided at an upper portion of display panel, and speakers 3 and 4 are provided at a lower portion of display panel. See also, Giustina, fig. 2b, which teaches that speakers 1 and 3 are provided at an upper portion of display panel, and speakers 2 and 4 are provided at a lower portion of display panel.
Regarding claim 6, the plurality of speakers 1-4 comprises: a first speaker 1 provided in an upper surface of the display panel 120; a second speaker 2 provided in the upper surface of the display panel; a third speaker 3 provided in a lower surface of the display panel; and a fourth speaker 4 is provided in the lower surface of the display panel 120. See Giustina, fig. 2a, for example.
Regarding claim 8, the plurality of speakers 1-4 comprises: a first speaker 3 provided in a left surface of the display panel; a second speaker 4 provided in the left surface of the display panel; a third speaker 1 provided in a right surface of the display panel; and a fourth speaker 2 provided in the right surface of the display panel. See Giustina, fig. 2b, for example.
Regarding claim 9, it would have been obvious in further view of So, fig. 8A, to modify Giustina such that the speaker configuration is as claimed. Specifically, figure 2a of Giustina could be modified such that a speaker (or pair of speakers) are provided on each of a left surface, a right surface, an upper surface, and a lower surface of the display panel as taught in So, fig. 8A. The motivation being to provide the plurality of speakers on all sides of the display panel to provide a more symmetrical presentation of sound relative to the display panel.
Regarding claim 10, when the display panel of fig. 2a of So is inclined 30 degrees clockwise, for example, the plurality of speakers 1-4 are asymmetrically provided at an upper portion and a lower portion of the display panel as claimed. Specifically, at 30 degrees clockwise, the speakers 1-4 are asymmetrical relative to a direction parallel to the direction of gravity (or down direction).
Regarding claim 11, the plurality of speakers comprises: a left speaker 3 provided in a left surface of the display panel; a right speaker 1 provided in a right surface of the display panel; and two lower speakers 2 and 4 provided in a lower surface of the display panel.
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Giustina (US 2014/0233772) and So et al. (CN111580771, in view of the English language translation), as applied to claim 1 above, in further view of Phang et al. (US 2014/0333671).
Giustina, as modified and applied to claim 1 above, discloses the invention as claimed, but fails to specifically teach that the display panel is divided into at least two screens and that the audio signal processor is further configured to transmit audio signals to the plurality of speakers to correspond to the at least two screens. Phang discloses a rotatable display apparatus including a display panel that is divided into at least two screens when the display panel is rotated into a vertical position (see fig. 5, for example), wherein when the display panel is in the vertical direction and displays at least two screens “the audio outputter 240 may output a sound of a content which is displayed on one of a plurality of screens, …[wherein] the audio outputter 240 may select a screen to be outputted through a speaker … according to a user setting” (para. 0082), in the same field of endeavor, for the purpose of enabling a user to display at least two screens when the display panel is rotated into the vertical position and selectively output sound through speakers of the display panel that correspond to one of the at least two screens which is selected by the user.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to further modify Giustina, in view of Phang, such that the display panel is divided into at least two screens and that the audio signal processor is further configured to transmit audio signals to the plurality of speakers to correspond to the at least two screens. A practitioner in the art would have been motivated to do this for the purpose of enabling a user to display at least two screens when the display panel is rotated into the vertical position and selectively output sound through the plurality of speakers that correspond to one of the at least two screens which is selected by the user.
Claims 3, 7, 12, 13, and 17 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.
Applicant's arguments filed August 7, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The applicant argues that because “the claims involve mixing the left audio signal with the right audio signal … [and since] the system of [So] is using a four channel audio configuration, with a center channel C, a left channel L, a right channel R and a bottom channel B … there is no situation described in So where the left channel signal is mixed with the right channel signal”. The examiner respectfully disagrees.
Specifically, the primary reference of Giustina discloses transmitting a left audio signal to speakers positioned on a left side of the display (e.g., speakers 3 and 4 in horizontal direction of fig. 2b, and speakers 1 and 3 in vertical direction of fig. 2a), and transmitting a right audio signal to speakers positioned on a right side of the display (e.g., speakers 1 and 2 in horizontal direction of fig. 2b, and speakers 2 and 4 in vertical direction of fig. 2a), and to not transmit a mixed audio signal to the plurality of speakers in either the horizontal direction, the vertical direction, or any inclination position of the display between the horizontal direction and the vertical direction. So, on the other hand, discloses that when the display is at an inclination position between the horizontal direction and the vertical direction (see fig. 8A, position (2), for example), then all the audio channels are superimposed (mixed) together and the mixed audio signal is transmitted to all the speakers (see fig. 8B, position (2), regarding “Mono Channel”).
As explained in the rejection above, it would have been obvious to modify Giustina, in view of So, such that the display panel includes a mixer provided in the audio signal processor, wherein, the audio signal processor is configured to control the mixer to mix the left audio signal and the right audio signal at a predetermined ratio based on an inclination amount of the display panel in response to the display panel being inclined, thereby generating the mixed audio signal, and to transmit the mixed audio signal to at least one speaker among the plurality of speakers (e.g., when in a tilt orientation, the mixed (mono) audio signal which is the left channel superimposed with the right channel of Giustina, is transmitted to all the speakers 1-4). A practitioner in the art would have been motivated to do this for the purpose of gradually adjusting the audio signals (left and right audio channels) output by the speakers 1-4 when the display panel is rotated from the vertical orientation (fig. 2a) to the horizontal orientation (fig. 2b), or vice versa.
Accordingly, the rejections are deemed to be correct and are maintained.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL W HUBER whose telephone number is (571)272-7588.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Duc Nguyen, can be reached at telephone number 571-272-7503. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PAUL W HUBER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2691
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October 14, 2026
