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 .
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) 1-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yuan et al (US Pub No. 2023/0247352, hereinafter Yuan).
Regarding claim 1, Yuan teaches a bone conduction microphone (Abstract & fig. 9, bone conduction microphone), comprising: a substrate (Fig. 9, base structure 810) having a cavity with two end openings (Fig. 9, openings above and below acoustic transducer unit 820); a backplate disposed above the substrate (Fig. 7, lead structure 7200 above base structure 710); a vibration structure disposed between the backplate and the substrate (Fig. 9, acoustic transducer unit 820), comprising a diaphragm disposed between the backplate and the substrate and arranged at intervals with the backplate and the substrate respectively (Fig. 9, acoustic transducer unit 820 between base structure 810 and upper opening) and a mass block suspended by the diaphragm and inserted into the cavity through one end opening of the cavity (Fig. 9, mass element 840 suspended from acoustic transducer 820 and inside base structure 810 cavity); and a limiter for limiting a maximum displacement of the vibration structure (¶ [0213], limiting structure).
Regarding claim 2, Yuan teaches the bone conduction microphone as described in claim 1, wherein the limiter is a first protrusion arranged on a side of the backplate facing the diaphragm for limiting the maximum displacement of the vibration structure towards the backplate (¶ [0213], limiting structure may be located above laminated structure and set opposite to the laminated structure).
Regarding claim 3, Yuan teaches the bone conduction microphone as described in claim 1, wherein the limiter is a second protrusion arranged on a side of the diaphragm facing the backplate for limiting the maximum displacement of the vibration structure towards the backplate (¶ [0213], limiting structure may be located above laminated structure).
Regarding claim 4, Yuan teaches the bone conduction microphone as described in claim 1, wherein the limiter is a third protrusion arranged on a side of the mass block away from the diaphragm for limiting the maximum displacement of the vibration structure away from the backplate (¶ [0213], the limiting structure and mass units may be arranged at intervals).
Regarding claim 5, Yuan teaches the bone conduction microphone as described in claim 1 further comprising a mounting plate, wherein the substrate is mounted on the mounting plate, and the mounting plate covers another end opening of the cavity (¶ [0102], base structure may be fixedly connected to an inner wall of the housing); the limiter is a fourth protrusion disposed in the cavity and arranged on a side of the mounting plate facing the vibration structure, the fourth protrusion faces and is spaced apart from the mass block for limiting the maximum displacement of the vibration structure away from the backplate (¶ [0213], limiting structure may be located in hollow position of base structure).
Regarding claim 6, Yuan teaches the bone conduction microphone as described in claim 1 further comprising a mounting plate, wherein the substrate is mounted on the mounting plate, and the mounting plate covers another end opening of the cavity (¶ [0102], base structure may be fixedly connected to an inner wall of the housing); the diaphragm, the substrate and the mounting plate together form a sealed space, the limiter is the sealed space for limiting the maximum displacement of the vibration structure away from the backplate (Fig. 9, bone conduction microphone having sealed space below acoustic transducer unit 820).
Regarding claim 7, Yuan teaches the bone conduction microphone as described in claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a main body part forming the cavity and a sub part disposed in the cavity and arranged at intervals with the main body part, at least part of the mass block is formed by the sub part (Fig. 9, base structure 810 including support arms 830 and mass element 840).
Regarding claim 8, Yuan teaches the bone conduction microphone as described in claim 7, wherein a side of the sub part away from the diaphragm is provided with a fifth protrusion, the limiter is the fifth protrusion for limiting the maximum displacement of the vibration structure away from the backplate (Fig. 9 & ¶ [0195], elastic layer of support arms 830).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Zhou et al (US Pub No. 2022/0248136) teaches a bone conduction microphone having a spring-mass damping system.
Asnes et al (US Patent No. 9020174) teaches a bone conduction hearing aid device having contact stops positioned to limit undesired movement.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TYLER LIEBGOTT whose telephone number is (703)756-1818. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 10-6:30 EST.
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/T.M.L./Examiner, Art Unit 2694
/FAN S TSANG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2694
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