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 .
This office action is in response to applicant’s filing dated 11/12/2024, claims 1-20 are currently pending in the application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 16-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen (CN115395607A) hereinafter Chen.
Regarding claim 1, Chen teaches A charging case for an earphone (“Fig. 3 is a second perspective view of a charging case when it is opened according to an embodiment of the present application;” in Page 3, 4th Paragraph), wherein the earphone includes a core module and a hook structure connected to the core module (in Figs. 1 and 10 200 is the earphone, the end that penetrates into the charging case is the hook and the end that stays rested on the plate 1 in Fig. 2 is the core) , and the charging case includes a lower housing assembly (1 in Figs 1-10), the lower housing assembly disposed with a profiling groove for accommodating the earphone (“The slot 11 is used to accommodate earphones. For example, the slot 11 can be plugged and matched with the earphone to realize the storage of the earphone. At the same time, charge the headset through the charging box” in Page 5, Paragraph 8); wherein the lower housing assembly is disposed with a first electrode terminal exposed in the profiling groove (“When the earphone and the slot 11 are in the second relative position, the first charging terminal 2 and the second charging terminal 4 are used to abut against the charging ends of the earphone with different polarities” in Page 10, Paragraph 6), an extension direction of the first electrode terminal being inclined with respect to a thickness direction of the charging case (electrode 21 in Fig. 12 is inclined with respect to the thickness direction of charging case).
Regarding claim 2, Chen teaches the device of claim 1, Chen further teaches device further comprising wherein an included angle between the extension direction of the first electrode terminal and the thickness direction of the charging case is within a range of 10 degrees to 45 degrees (see element 21 in Fig. 12 and (“the first angle can be in the range of 0-90 °” in Page 6, paragraph 2).
Regarding claim 3, Chen teaches the device of claim 1, Chen further teaches device further comprising wherein the profiling groove includes a first profiling groove region corresponding to the core module (first shallow part of element 11 in Fig. 11 is for the end 122 of earphone 200 which represents the core) and a second profiling groove region corresponding to the hook structure (the hook-like end 122 of earphone 200 in Fig. 10 is in the deep part of groove 11), and the first electrode terminal is exposed in the second profiling groove region (terminal 2, in Fig. 15).
Regarding claim 16, Chen teaches the device of claim 1, Chen further teaches device further comprising wherein the charging further includes an upper housing assembly case (Fig. 3 shows how cover 5 is attached to lower shell 1) and a shaft mechanism connecting the upper housing assembly and the lower housing assembly (element 3 in Fig. 3), the shaft mechanism is configured to open or close the charging case (Movable plate 12 in Fig. 3), the shaft mechanism includes a lower fixing seat integrally molded with the lower housing assembly (11 in Fig. 3), an upper fixing seat integrally molded with the upper housing assembly (4 in Fig. 3), and a shaft (12 in Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 17, Chen teaches the device of claim 16, Chen further teaches device further comprising wherein the shaft mechanism (element 3 in Fig. 3) includes a reinforcement member connected to the lower fixing seat in Fig. 8 seats 11 is reinforced by additional walls visible in the drawing), a structural strength of the reinforcement member being larger than a structural strength of the lower fixing seat (it is evident from the cross section of the seat 11 in Fig. 8 and the cross section of the support walls that the walls are thicker).
Regarding claim 18, Chen teaches the device of claim 16, Chen further teaches device further comprising wherein the charging case further includes a position limiting mechanism configured to limit a rotation angle of the upper housing assembly with respect to the lower housing assembly when the charging case is in an open state (“the first angle can be in the range of 0-90 °” in Page 6, paragraph 2).
Regarding claim 19, Chen teaches the device of claim 18, Chen further teaches device further comprising wherein the position limiting mechanism includes a first position limiting member and a second position limiting member, the first position limiting member and the second position limiting member abut against each other when the upper housing assembly is rotated to a predetermined angle with respect to the lower housing assembly (“the first angle can be in the range of 0-90 °” in Page 6, paragraph 2).
Regarding claim 20, Chen teaches the device of claim 1, Chen further teaches device further comprising wherein the first electrode terminal includes a power supply positive terminal, a power supply negative terminal, and a detection terminal, wherein lines connecting each two of the power supply positive terminal, the power supply negative terminal, and the detection terminal form a triangle; or the power supply positive terminal, the power supply negative terminal, and the are spaced apart along a straight line and collinear (“the second charging terminal 4 can be electrically connected to the circuit board, and when the earphone is inserted into the slot 11, the first charging terminal 2 can be charged with the positive electrode on the earphone. The second charging terminal 4 can be abutted against the negative charging end of the earphone. Through the cooperation of the first charging terminal 2 and the second charging terminal 4, the charging box can be connected to the earphone. charging to ensure the battery life of the headset” in Page 10, Paragraph 7).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 4, 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (CN 115395607 A) hereinafter Chen in view of Wang et al (CN 216852306 U) hereinafter Wang
Regarding claim 4, Chen teaches the device of claim 3, Chen does not specifically disclose the device further comprising wherein the hook structure includes an elastic part and a rigid part connecting the elastic part and the core module, and a region of the first profiling groove region for accommodating the core module and a region of the second profiling groove region for accommodating the rigid part are inclined towards each other however,
Since it is known in the art as evidenced by Wang for a device to further comprise wherein the hook structure includes an elastic part and a rigid part connecting the elastic part and the core module, and a region of the first profiling groove region for accommodating the core module and a region of the second profiling groove region for accommodating the rigid part are inclined towards each other (“As shown in fig. 16, the earphone 100 includes a main body 110, a battery part 120, and an elastic connection part 130, and the elastic connection part 130 is used to connect the main body 110 and the battery part 120. As shown in fig. 17, the main body 110 of the earphone 100 is provided with a first power receiving electrode 141 on the side close to the human ear in the worn state, and the battery unit 120 is provided with a second power receiving electrode 142 on the side close to the human ear in the worn state” in Page , Paragraph and Figs. 16 and 1-3 for the grooves),
An ordinary skilled in the art would be motivated to modify the invention of Chen with the teachings of Wang for the benefit of minimizing the size of the case, therefore it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Chen with Wang.
Regarding claim 6, Chen as modified by Wang teaches the device of claim 4, Wang further teaches the device further comprising wherein the first electrode terminal is exposed at an end of the second profiling groove region near the first profiling groove region, and a depth of a region of the second profiling groove region for accommodating the rigid part gradually increases in a direction away from the first profiling groove region (“The charging case according to claim 6 , wherein the depth of a partial region of the third profiling area close to the first side edge is greater than the depth of the first profiling area, and the projection of the second circuit area on the bottom wall of the main box further overlaps with the projection of the first profiling area on the bottom wall of the main box” in Claim 9 and Fig. 6).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-15 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AMMAR T HAMID whose telephone number is (571)272-1953. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5, Eastern time.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Vivian Chin can be reached at (571) 272-7848. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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AMMAR T. HAMID
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2695
/AMMAR T HAMID/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2695
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