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
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 11-16 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 11 recites: “comprising a bow assembly including: a crossbar with one or more side wings coupled to the mounting bracket, wherein the electronic display interface is coupled to the crossbar by a display attachment bracket.”
Looking at the specification, the display attachment bracket is “45” and the crossbar is “90” and the electronic display interface is not numbered. However, Claim 1 defines the electronic display interface as being “configured to support one or more electronic devices.”
The issue is how these components are arranged in Claim 11. Effectively Claim 11 reads: wherein the electronic display interface [that is configured to hold more than one electronic display] is coupled to the crossbar (90) by a display attachment bracket (45). This is unclear because the figures and specification do not appear to show any electronic display interface that is configured to hold more than one display, where that electronic display interface is coupled to the crossbar (90) by display attachment bracket (45).
It is suggested that Applicant 1) review the terms used for the limitations; 2) ensure each of those terms has a reference character; and 3) ensure that the resulting structure formed by the claimed terms is supported and shown in the specification and figures. It is acknowledged that Applicant is permitted to be their own lexicographer and additionally the claimed terms do not need to literally match the terms recited in the specification. However, when claimed limitations do not match the terms recited in the specification, clarity can become an issue, as it has here. Appropriate correction or clarification is required.
The remaining dependent claims are rejected by virtue of their dependencies.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4 and 9-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US Patent No. 8,826,831 to Hazzard et al. (Hazzard).
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Regarding Claim 1: Hazzard discloses an electronic display mounting system comprising: a support column (See Annotated Fig. A); an electronic display interface (See Annotated Fig. A) configured to support one or more electronic displays; a mounting bracket (See Annotated Fig. A) connected to the electronic display interface and movably coupled to the support column to adjust a height of the electronic display interface with respect to the support column; and a device holding block (See Annotated Fig. A) configured to support one or more portable electronic devices at least partially thereon, the device holding block coupleable to the mounting bracket, the device holding block comprising: a first surface (See Annotated Fig. A) and a second surface (See Annotated Fig. A) opposite the first surface; and a coupling assembly (See Annotated Fig. A) connected to the second surface, the coupling assembly (See Annotated Fig. A) configured to couple the device holding block to the mounting bracket.
Regarding Claim 2: Hazzard discloses an electronic display mounting system of claim 1, wherein the coupling assembly (See Annotated Fig. A) comprises: an attachment bracket (See Annotated Fig. A) releasably coupleable to the mounting bracket (See Annotated Fig. A).
Regarding Claim 4: Hazzard discloses an electronic display mounting system of claim 1, wherein the device holding block comprises a shelf (See Annotated Fig. A) extending from the first surface (See Annotated Fig. A) away from the second surface (See Annotated Fig. A) and the coupling assembly (See Annotated Fig. A).
Regarding Claim 9: Hazzard discloses an electronic display mounting system of claim 1, comprising a base (See Annotated Fig. A) connected to the support column (See Annotated Fig. A), the base (See Annotated Fig. A) adapted to engage a horizontal support surface to support the electronic display mounting system.
Regarding Claim 10: Hazzard discloses an electronic display mounting system of claim 1, comprising a wall mounting interface (See Col. 21, lines 34-35) connected to the support column, the wall mounting interface adapted to couple the electronic display mounting system to a vertical support surface.
Regarding Claim 11: Hazzard discloses an electronic display mounting system of claim 1, comprising a bow assembly (See Annotated Fig. A) including: a crossbar (See Annotated Fig. A) with one or more side wings (See Annotated Fig. A) coupled to the mounting bracket, wherein the electronic display interface is coupled to the crossbar by a display attachment bracket (See Annotated Fig. A).
Regarding Claim 12: Hazzard discloses an electronic display mounting system of claim 11, wherein the display attachment bracket is releasably coupled to the crossbar by . . . a lever (See Annotated Fig. A)--.
Claim(s) 1-3, 9 and 11-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US Patent No. 10,180,209 to Bowman et al. (Bowman).
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Regarding Claim 1: Bowman discloses an electronic display mounting system comprising: a support column (See Annotated Fig. B); an electronic display interface (See Annotated Fig. B) configured to support one or more electronic displays; a mounting bracket (See Annotated Fig. A) connected to the electronic display interface and movably coupled to the support column to adjust a height of the electronic display interface with respect to the support column; and a device holding block (See Annotated Fig. B) configured to support one or more portable electronic devices at least partially thereon, the device holding block coupleable to the mounting bracket, the device holding block comprising: a first surface (See Annotated Fig. B) and a second surface (See Annotated Fig. B) opposite the first surface; and a coupling assembly (See Annotated Fig. B) connected to the second surface, the coupling assembly (See Annotated Fig. B) configured to couple the device holding block to the mounting bracket.
Regarding Claim 2: Bowman discloses an electronic display mounting system of claim 1, wherein the coupling assembly (See Annotated Fig. B) comprises: an attachment bracket (See Annotated Fig. B) releasably coupleable to the mounting bracket (See Annotated Fig. B).
Regarding Claim 3: Bowman discloses an electronic display mounting system of claim 2, wherein the coupling assembly comprises: a tilt bracket (See Annotated Fig. B) connected to the second surface (See Annotated Fig. B), the tilt bracket pivotably (See Annotated Fig. B) connected to the attachment bracket (See Annotated Fig. B) to adjust an angle of the device holding block (See Annotated Fig. B) relative to the mounting bracket (See Annotated Fig. B).
Regarding Claim 9: Bowman discloses an electronic display mounting system of claim 1, comprising a base (See Annotated Fig. B) connected to the support column (See Annotated Fig. B), the base (See Annotated Fig. B) adapted to engage a horizontal support surface to support the electronic display mounting system.
Regarding Claim 11: Bowman discloses an electronic display mounting system of claim 1, comprising a bow assembly (See Annotated Fig. B) including: a crossbar (See Annotated Fig. B) with one or more side wings (See Annotated Fig. B) coupled to the mounting bracket, wherein the electronic display interface is coupled to the crossbar by a display attachment bracket (See Annotated Fig. B).
Regarding Claim 12: Bowman discloses an electronic display mounting system of claim 11, wherein the display attachment bracket is releasably coupled to the crossbar by . . . a latch (See Annotated Fig. B).
Regarding Claim 13: Bowman discloses an electronic display mounting system of claim 11, wherein the coupling assembly comprises: a tilt bracket (See Annotated Fig. B) connected to the second surface (See Annotated Fig. B), the tilt bracket (See Annotated Fig. B) pivotably connected to the crossbar (See Annotated Fig. B) to adjust an angle of the device holding block relative to the crossbar.
Regarding Claim 14: Bowman discloses an electronic display mounting system of claim 11, wherein the bow assembly comprises: a tilt assembly (See Annotated Fig. B) configured to be coupled to the display attachment bracket, the tilt assembly (See Annotated Fig. B) pivotably connected to the crossbar (See Annotated Fig. B) to adjust a bow angle of the one or more electronic displays relative to the crossbar.
Regarding Claim 15: Bowman discloses an electronic display mounting system of claim 14, wherein the display attachment bracket (See Annotated Fig. B) is removably coupled (See Annotated Fig. B) to the tilt assembly (See Annotated Fig. B) such that the electronic display interface can be detached from the electronic display mounting system.
Regarding Claim 16: Bowman discloses an electronic display mounting system of claim 11, comprising a second electronic display interface (See Annotated Fig. B) coupled to the bow assembly, the device holding block coupled to the bow assembly between (See Annotated Fig. B) the electronic display interface (See Annotated Fig. B) and the second electronic display interface (See Annotated Fig. B).
Claim(s) 17 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US Patent No. 9,204,723 to Floersch et al. (Floersch).
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Regarding Claim 17: Floersch discloses an electronic display mounting system comprising: a support column (See Annotated Fig. C); an electronic display interface (See Annotated Fig. C) configured to support one or more electronic displays; a mounting bracket (See Annotated Fig. C) connected to the electronic display interface (See Annotated Fig. C) and movably coupled to the support column (See Annotated Fig. C) to adjust a height of the electronic display interface with respect to the support column; and a device holding block (See Annotated Fig. C) configured to support one or more portable electronic devices at least partially thereon, the device holding block coupleable to the electronic display interface, the device holding block comprising: a first surface (See Annotated Fig. C) and second surface (See Annotated Fig. C) opposite the first surface; and a coupling assembly (See Annotated Fig. C) connected to the second surface, the coupling assembly (See Annotated Fig. C) configured to couple the device holding block to a side of the electronic display interface.
Regarding Claim 18: Floersch discloses an electronic display mounting system of claim 17, wherein the device holding block comprises a shelf (See Annotated Fig. C) extending from the first surface (See Annotated Fig. C) away from the second surface (See Annotated Fig. C) and the coupling assembly (See Annotated Fig. C).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-8, 19 and 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.
Reasons for Allowable Subject Matter
None of the cited prior art, considered alone or in combination, discloses or teaches a device holding block that comprises a storage compartment between the first and second surfaces.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. In addition to the references used in this rejection and those cited in the PTO-892, the following references are very relevant to the claimed invention: US 2010/0128423, 2009/0173847, 9746124.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERET C MCNICHOLS whose telephone number is (571)270-7363. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday: 9:00 - 5:00 (Eastern).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Terrell McKinnon can be reached at 571-272-4797. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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ERET C. MCNICHOLS
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3632
/ERET C MCNICHOLS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3632
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