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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Status of Application
This Office Action is a response to Applicant’s communication (or preliminary’s amendment) filed on 11/11/2024. In virtue of this communication, claims 1-20 are currently presented in the instant application.
Priority
Acknowledgement is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d). Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 11/11/2024, 02/04/2025 and 01/08/2026 in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is considered by the examiner.
If applicant is aware of any prior art or any other co-pending application not already of record, he/she is reminded of his/her duty under 37 CFR 1.97 to disclose the same.
Drawings
The drawing submitted on 11/11/2024 is accepted as part of the formal application.
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 1-20 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1,
The recitation “and/or” in line 15 is considered vague because it’s not clear that what is included or excluded by the claim language. Clarification is required.
Regarding claim 16,
The recitation “and/or” in line 12 is considered vague because it’s not clear that what is included or excluded by the claim language. Clarification is required.
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:
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.
Claims 1, 7-9, 11, 14 and 16, as best understood, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al (US 20240186681), hereinafter Kim.
Regarding claim 1,
Kim discloses an electronic device (a mobile communication device 100, Fig 1A) comprising:
a display (a display 120, Fig 1A);
a rear cover (a rear surface plate 112, Fig 1B);
a side member (a first conductive portion 230, Fig 4; paragraph [0053]) surrounding a space between the display and the rear cover (Fig 1A), wherein the side member comprises a groove (a slot 250, Fig 4);
a side key (a first conductive member 220, Fig 4) disposed in the groove and comprising a conductive portion (a conductive portion 2201, Fig 4);
a wireless communication circuit (a wireless communication circuit 210, Fig 2);
at least one processor (a communication processor of a communication module 1590; paragraph [0154]); and
a first conductive connection member (a protrusion 231, Fig 4),
wherein the wireless communication circuit is configured to:
feed power to a first portion of the side member (a portion 230b, Fig 4; “the wireless communication circuit 210 feeds power to the protrusion 231 to transmit and receive a wireless signal through at least part of the first conductive portion 230, the second conductive portion 240, or the conductive member 220” paragraph [0160]) surrounding an edge of the groove through the first conductive connection member electrically connecting the at least one processor to the side key; and
transmit and/or receive radio frequency (RF) signals in a specific frequency band, based on an electrical path (an electrical path formed along the periphery of the first slot path 251, Fig 4; paragraph [0078]) formed in the first portion and the conductive portion (paragraph [0160]).
Kim does not explicitly teach the protrusion 231 (the first conductive connection member) electrically connecting the at least one processor to the side key.
However, Kim teaches the wireless communication circuit 210 may feed power to a feeding point 231-1 of the protrusion 231 to transmit and receive a wireless signal through at least part of the conductive member 220 (paragraphs [0076] and [0160]), and the communication processor supports wireless communications (paragraph [0154]). This teaching is result effect in order to perform wireless communications.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a first conductive connection member electrically connecting at least one processor to a side key in Kim, in order to provide various wireless communications for various services.
[AltContent: textbox (Kim (US 20240186681))]
PNG
media_image1.png
528
668
media_image1.png
Greyscale
[AltContent: textbox (Kim (US 20240186681))]
PNG
media_image2.png
618
612
media_image2.png
Greyscale
[AltContent: textbox (2201)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Kim (US 20240186681))]
PNG
media_image3.png
728
546
media_image3.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 7,
Kim as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Kim teaches the side key further comprises a non-conductive portion (a dielectric portion fills the slot 250; paragraph [0064) disposed along an edge of the conductive portion, and wherein the non-conductive portion is disposed between the conductive portion of the side key and the first portion of the side member (Fig 4).
Regarding claim 8,
Kim as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Kim teaches a support member (a connection portion 221, Fig 4) comprising a conductive material, wherein the support member contacts a rear face of the side key, and fixes the side key into the groove (Fig 4; paragraph [0062]).
Regarding claim 9,
Kim as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Kim teaches the side member (the side surface member 113, Fig 1B) comprises a conductive material (paragraph [0045]) and forms at least a portion of a side face of the electronic device in a seamless loop shape (Fig 1B), and wherein the first portion and the side key form a portion of the side face of the electronic device without steps (Fig 4).
Regarding claim 11,
Kim as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Kim teaches the electrical path is formed at an edge of the first portion (Fig 4; paragraph [0078]) and an edge of the conductive portion (Fig 4; paragraph [0078]), and wherein the edge of the first portion is spaced apart from and electromagnetically connected to the edge of the conductive portion (Fig 4).
Regarding claim 14,
Kim as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Kim does not explicitly teach the first conductive connection member comprises at least one of a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), a printed circuit board, a portion of a touch panel comprised in the side key, or a flexible RF cable (FRC).
However, Kim teaches the wireless communication circuit 210 may transmit a RF signal to an electronic component electrically connected with a printed circuit board (paragraph [0050]), and the protrusion 231 (the first conductive connection member) is an electronic component which has a feeding point 231-1.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a first conductive connection member comprising at least one of a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), a printed circuit board, a portion of a touch panel comprised in the side key, or a flexible RF cable (FRC) in Kim as modified, in order to provide various wireless communications for various services.
Regarding claim 16,
Kim discloses an electronic device (a mobile communication device 100, Fig 1A) comprising:
a side member (a first conductive portion 230, Fig 4; paragraph [0053]) comprising a groove (a slot 250, Fig 4), wherein the side member forms a side face of the electronic device (Fig 1A);
a side key (a first conductive member 220, Fig 4) disposed in the groove, wherein the side key comprises a conductive portion (a conductive portion 2201, Fig 4);
a wireless communication circuit (a wireless communication circuit 210, Fig 2);
at least one processor (a communication processor of a communication module 1590; paragraph [0154]); and
a first conductive connection member (a protrusion 231, Fig 4,
wherein the wireless communication circuit is configured to:
feed power to a first portion of the side member (a portion 230b, Fig 4; “the wireless communication circuit 210 feeds power to the protrusion 231 to transmit and receive a wireless signal through at least part of the first conductive portion 230, the second conductive portion 240, or the conductive member 220” paragraph [0160]) surrounding an edge of the groove through the first conductive connection member, and
transmit and/or receive radio frequency (RF) signals in a specific frequency band, based on an electrical path (an electrical path formed along the periphery of the first slot path 251, Fig 4; paragraph [0078]) that is formed in the first portion and the conductive portion (paragraph [0160]).
Kim does not explicitly teach the protrusion 231 (the first conductive connection member) electrically connecting the at least one processor to the side key.
However, Kim teaches the wireless communication circuit 210 may feed power to a feeding point 231-1 of the protrusion 231 to transmit and receive a wireless signal through at least part of the conductive member 220 (paragraphs [0076] and [0160]), and the communication processor supports wireless communications (paragraph [0154]). This teaching is result effect in order to perform wireless communications.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a first conductive connection member electrically connecting at least one processor to a side key in Kim, in order to provide various wireless communications for various services.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-6, 10, 12-13, 15 and 17-20 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 2, prior art of record or most closely prior art fails to disclose, “a first protrusion extending from a portion of the side member adjacent to a first end of the groove, wherein the first protrusion extends in a direction from the first end toward a second end of the groove; and a second conductive connection member disposed between the first protrusion and the first conductive connection member, wherein the wireless communication circuit is further configured to feed power to the first portion through the first conductive connection member, the second conductive connection member, and the first protrusion, and wherein the second conductive connection member comprises at least one of a C-clip or a conductive gasket”.
Dependent claims 3-6 are considered to be allowable because of its/their dependency/dependencies on claim 2.
Regarding claim 10, prior art of record or most closely prior art fails to disclose, “a printed circuit board on which the wireless communication circuit and the at least one processor are disposed, wherein the first conductive connection member comprises a first portion connected to a connector of the printed circuit board, and a second portion forming a rear face of the side key, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to transmit a control signal to the side key through the first conductive connection member, or to receive a signal from the side key through the first conductive connection member”.
Regarding claim 12, prior art of record or most closely prior art fails to disclose, “a non-conductive member formed on an inner surface of the side member, wherein the non-conductive member comprises an opening at least partially overlapping the groove, and wherein the opening is for the side key to be entered in the groove”.
Dependent claim 13 is considered to be allowable because of its/their dependency/dependencies on claim 12.
Regarding claim 15, prior art of record or most closely prior art fails to disclose, “
the side key comprises a touch panel, and wherein the side key is configured to: identify a touch input of a user to the touch panel based on a pressure applied to the touch panel, and transmit, to the at least one processor, a signal indicating identification of touch input of the user”.
Regarding claim 17, prior art of record or most closely prior art fails to disclose, “a first protrusion extending from a portion of the side member adjacent to a first end of the groove, wherein the first protrusion extends in a direction from the first end toward a second end of the groove; and a second conductive connection member disposed between the first protrusion and the first conductive connection member, wherein the wireless communication circuit is further configured to feed power to the first portion through the first conductive connection member, the second conductive connection member, and the first protrusion, and wherein the second conductive connection member comprises at least one of a C-clip or a conductive gasket”.
Dependent claims 18-20 are considered to be allowable because of its/their dependency/dependencies on claim 17.
Conclusion
The Examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record within the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply.
Applicant, in preparing the response, should consider fully the entire reference aspotentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of thepassage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Hai Tran whose telephone number is (571) 270-7650. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8:00 am-5:00 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dimary Lopez can be reached on (571) 270-7893. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/HAI V TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845