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 .
Claims 1-15 are currently pending and prosecuted.
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, 2, 8, 9, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim et al., US Patent Publication 2019/0369668, henceforth known as Kim.
Regarding Claim 1, Kim discloses an electronic device (Abstract; an electronic device) comprising:
a housing including a first housing and a second housing (Figure 3, 9, [0057-0087]; a flexible housing comprising of a first housing structure 510 and a second housing structure 520);
a display disposed on the first housing and the second housing (Figure 3, 9, [0057-0087]; a display 100 disposed on both first and second housing structures 510 and 520);
a hinge structure configured to connect the first housing and the second housing and including a first hinge, a second hinge, and a third hinge positioned between the first hinge and the second hinge (Figure 3, 9, 10, 11A, 14A, 14C, 21 and 22 [0081]; [0111-0122]; [0157-0163]; [0198-0203]; a hinge structures 300 are used to connect the first and second housing structures , that include three hinge structures as shown in Figures) ;
a battery disposed in the first housing (Figure 3, 9, 10, 11A, 14A, 14C, 21 and 22 [0081]; [0111-0122]; [0157-0163]; [0198-0203]; first battery 612 and a second battery 622 each within their own respective housing structures);
a board unit including a first circuit board disposed in the first housing and including a main area being at least partially positioned on an upper portion of the battery and having a second width and an extension area extending from the main area and having a first width shorter than the second width and a second circuit board disposed in the second housing (Figure 3, 9, 10, 11A, 14A, 14C, 21 and 22 [0081]; [0111-0122]; [0157-0163]; [0198-0203]; a first substrate 610 (first circuit board) is disposed in an housing structure and includes a “main area” being at least “partially positioned on an upper portion” of the first battery 612 and has a “second width” and an “extension area” extending form the “main area” and having a “first width” that is depicted as being shorter than the “first width. a second substrate 620 (second circuit board) is in the other of the housing structures);
a connecting structure configured to electrically connect the first circuit board and the second circuit board and including a first connection member being at least partially positioned between the first hinge and the third hinge and a second connection member being at least partially positioned between the second hinge and the third hinge (Figure 3, 9, 10, 11A, 14A, 14C, 21 and 22; [0081]; [0111-0122]; [0157-0163]; [0198-0203]; a wiring member (connecting structure) ) first wiring member 431 (first connector) and second wiring member 432 that connects the first substrate 610 and the second substrate 620 together. First wiring member is positioned between the “first hinge” and the “third hinge” ); and
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at least one electronic component positioned between the third hinge and the battery and disposed on the extension area (Figure 3, 9, 10, 11A, 14A, 14C, 21 and 22; [0081]; [0111-0122]; [0157-0163]; [0198-0203]; third connector 4321 is disposed between the batteries 612 and 622 and the “third hinge”).
Regarding Claim 2, Kim discloses wherein the extension area includes a first area being at least partially positioned between the third hinge and the battery and a second area positioned between the first area and the main area and including at least one connector (Figure 3, 9, 10, 11A, 14A, 14C, 21 and 22; [0081]; [0111-0122]; [0157-0163]; [0198-0203]; the examiner considers the “extension area” to comprise ofa “first area” that is between the “third hinge” and the first battery 612, and a “second area” that is between the “first area” and the “main area” that also includes the third connector 4321 ).
Regarding Claim 8, Kim discloses further comprising, a hinge cover configured to receive the first hinge, the second hinge, and the third hinge, wherein at least a portion of the extension area extends along the hinge cover (Figure 3, 9, 10, 11A, 14A, 14C, 21 and 22 [0081]; [0111-0122]; [0157-0163]; [0198-0203]; a hinge cover 530 with the hinge structures 300 disposed inside of it. The examiner considers the “extension area” extending parallel to the hinge cove 530 as “extends along the hinge cover”).
Regarding Claim 9, Kim discloses wherein the at least one electronic component includes at least one of a communication module or a speaker module (Figure 22; [0200-0203]; the substrate 600, which includes the first substrate 610, has a first speaker 642 mounted on the first substrate 610).
Regarding Claim 15, Kim discloses wherein the display includes a first display area disposed on the first housing, a second display area disposed on the second housing, and a folding area positioned between the first display area and the second display area (Figure 1, 3, 9, [0057-0087]; a display 100 has a first area on the “first housing” a second area on the “second housing” and a folding area 103 positioned between the first and second area).
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 6 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al., US Patent Publication 2019/0369668, in further view of Lin et al., US Patent Publication 2019/0250676, henceforth known as Lin,
Regarding Claim 6, Kim doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein the third hinge includes a first spiral rotating member connected to the first housing, a second spiral rotating member connected to the second housing, and a slide member configured to receive at least a portion of the first spiral rotating member and at least a portion of the second spiral rotating member.
Lin et al., US Patent Publication 2019/0250676, discloses a hinge module comprising of a first rotating shaft 131, a second rotating shaft 132, a sliding member 135 and a bracket. The bracket includes member A1 and A2, where member A1 is assembled to the first body 110 of foldable electronic device, and the member A2 is assembled to the second body 120 of the foldable electronic device. The examiner considers the first rotating 131 and the member A1 to be a “first spiral rotating member”, the second rotating member 132 and member A2 to be the “second spiral roating member”, and sliding member 135 to be the “slide member” as it is coupled to the first rotating shaft 131 and the second rotating shaft 132 simultaneously (Abstract; Figures 1, 2A-2C; [0025-0030];).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the disclosure of Kim to further include the teachings of Lin in order to provide wherein the third hinge includes a first spiral rotating member connected to the first housing, a second spiral rotating member connected to the second housing, and a slide member configured to receive at least a portion of the first spiral rotating member and at least a portion of the second spiral rotating member. The motivation to combine these analogous arts is because Lin discloses a hinge module for a foldable electronic device in which a sliding member is coupled to dual shafts to achieve synchronous rotation and torque members are distributed at two opposite sides of the sliding member to achieves stress dispersion (Lin: [0005];).
Regarding Claim 14, Kim doesn’t wherein the third hinge is configured to rotate the second housing by substantially the same angle as an angle at which the first housing is rotated.
Lin et al., US Patent Publication 2019/0250676, discloses a hinge module comprising of a first rotating shaft 131, a second rotating shaft 132, a sliding member 135 and a bracket. The bracket includes member A1 and A2, where member A1 is assembled to the first body 110 of foldable electronic device, and the member A2 is assembled to the second body 120 of the foldable electronic device. The examiner considers the first rotating 131 and the member A1 to be a “first spiral rotating member”, the second rotating member 132 and member A2 to be the “second spiral roating member”, and sliding member 135 to be the “slide member” as it is coupled to the first rotating shaft 131 and the second rotating shaft 132 simultaneously. The first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are rotated synchronously via the sliding member to achieve synchronous rotation (rotate the second housing by substantially the same angle as an angle at which the first housing is rotated) (Abstract; Figures 1, 2A-2C; [0005]; [0025-0030];).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the disclosure of Kim to further include the teachings of Lin in order to provide wherein the third hinge is configured to rotate the second housing by substantially the same angle as an angle at which the first housing is rotated. The motivation to combine these analogous arts is because Lin discloses a hinge module for a foldable electronic device in which a sliding member is coupled to dual shafts to achieve synchronous rotation and torque members are distributed at two opposite sides of the sliding member to achieves stress dispersion (Lin: [0005];).
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al., US Patent Publication 2019/0369668, in further view of Kim et al., US Patent Publication 2020/0169816, henceforth known as Kim ‘816,
Regarding Claim 12, Kim doesn’t explicitly disclose further comprising a shielding member including at least one of a first shielding member configured to surround at least a portion of the communication module or a second shielding member configured to surround at least a portion of the speaker module.
However, Kim et al., US Patent Publication 2020/0169816, discloses a speaker 505 that a magnetic shield structure 508, that is depicted, as shown in Figure 5, that is surrounds a portion of it (Figure 5; [0072];).
It would have bene obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the disclosure of Kim to further include the teachings of Kim ‘816 in order to provide a shielding member including at least one of a first shielding member configured to surround at least a portion of the communication module or a second shielding member configured to surround at least a portion of the speaker module. The motivation to combine these arts is because Kim ‘816 teaches using the magnetic shield structure in order to prevent damage or malfunction in the device due to magnetism, and can improve shielding the magnetism of the speaker and increasing the magnetic flux density at the same time (Kim ‘816: [0027-0028];).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, and 13 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 PATRICK F MARINELLI whose telephone number is (571)270-3383. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday: 8:00AM - 5:00PM PST.
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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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/PATRICK F MARINELLI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2699
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