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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, “the coupling member is disposed between the first sound generating structure and a periphery portion, which is adjacent to a short side, of the second sound generating structure and is not disposed between the first sound generating structure and a periphery portion, which is adjacent to a long side, of the second sound generating structure.” recited in Claim 2;
“the coupling member is disposed between the first vibration member and a periphery portion, which is adjacent to a short side, of the second vibration member and is not disposed between the first vibration member and a periphery portion, which is adjacent to a long side, of the second vibration member.” recited in Claim 4;
must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
3. 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 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.
4. 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.
5. Claims 1, 3, 5 and 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fujise et al. (Hereinafter Fujise) US-PG-PUB No. 2012/0057730.
Regarding claim 1, Fujise teaches
A sound apparatus (Fig. 8 shows a piezoelectric acoustic transducer 3), comprising:
a first sound generating structure (Fig. 8 shows a first piezoelectric diaphragm 44);
a second sound generating structure (Fig. 8 shows a second piezoelectric diaphragm 14) spaced apart from the first sound generating structure (i.e. first piezoelectric diaphragm 44) as shown in Fig. 8;
a coupling member (Fig. 8 shows an upper frame 77) partially provided between the first sound generating structure (i.e. first piezoelectric diaphragm 44) and the second sound generating structure (i.e. second piezoelectric diaphragm 14) as shown in Fig. 8; and
a connection member (Fig. 8 shows a lower frame 81) disposed along a rear periphery portion of the first sound generating structure (i.e. first piezoelectric diaphragm 44) as shown in Fig. 8.
Regarding claim 3, Fujise teaches
The sound apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first sound generating structure (i.e. first piezoelectric diaphragm 44) comprises: a first vibration member (Fig. 8 shows a board 45); and a first vibration apparatus (Fig. 8 shows piezoelectric elements 46 and 47) coupled to the first vibration member (i.e. board 45) and configured to vibrate the first vibration member (i.e. board 45) as shown in Fig. 9A, wherein the second sound generating structure (i.e. second piezoelectric diaphragm 14) comprises: a second vibration member (Fig. 8 shows a board 15); and a second vibration apparatus (Fig. 8 shows piezoelectric elements 16 and 17) coupled to the second vibration member (i.e. board 15) and configured to vibrate the second vibration member (i.e. board 15) as shown in Fig. 9A, and wherein the coupling member (i.e. upper frame 77) is partially provided between the first vibration member (i.e. board 45) and the second vibration member (i.e. board 15) as shown in Fig. 8.
Regarding claim 5, Fujise teaches
The sound apparatus of claim 3, further comprising: a first air gap between the first vibration member (i.e. board 45) and a periphery portion as shown in Fig. 8, which is adjacent to a first long side, of the second vibration member (i.e. board 15) as shown in Fig. 8; and a second air gap between the first vibration member (i.e. board 45) and a periphery portion as shown in Fig. 8, which is adjacent to a second long side, of the second vibration member (i.e. board 15) as shown in Fig. 8.
Regarding claim 7, Fujise teaches
The sound apparatus of claim 3, wherein each of the first vibration member (i.e. board 45) and the second vibration member (i.e. board 15) comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface as shown in Fig. 8, wherein the first vibration apparatus (i.e. piezoelectric elements 46 and 47) comprises one or more vibration generators coupled to one or more of the first surface and the second surface of the first vibration member (i.e. board 45) as shown in Fig. 8, and wherein the second vibration apparatus (i.e. piezoelectric elements 16 and 17) comprises one or more vibration generators coupled to one or more of the first surface and the second surface of the second vibration member (i.e. board 15) as shown in Fig. 8.
Regarding claim 8, Fujise teaches
The sound apparatus of claim 7, wherein the one or more vibration generators of each of the first vibration apparatus (i.e. piezoelectric elements 46 and 47) and the second vibration apparatus (i.e. piezoelectric elements 16 and 17) comprises: a vibration part including a piezoelectric material (Typically, the piezoelectric element has a structure in which a printed wiring formed on a surface of the board and a flat plate electrode interpose therebetween a piezoelectric member…..Para. [0017], Lines 7-10); a first electrode part at a first surface of the vibration part (Typically, the piezoelectric element has a structure in which a printed wiring formed on a surface of the board and a flat plate electrode interpose therebetween a piezoelectric member…..Para. [0017], Lines 7-10); and a second electrode part at a second surface different from the first surface of the vibration part as shown Fig. 8. Note: Para. [0044], Lines 1-4 and Para. [0065], Lines 7-11 considered pertinent.
Regarding claim 9, Fujise teaches
The sound apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first vibration apparatus (i.e. piezoelectric elements 46 and 47) comprises a first vibration generator and a second vibration generator overlapping each other with the first vibration member (i.e. board 45) therebetween as shown in Fig. 8, and wherein the second vibration apparatus (i.e. piezoelectric elements 16 and 17) comprises a third vibration generator and a fourth vibration generator overlapping each other with the second vibration member (i.e. board 15) therebetween as shown in Fig. 8.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
6. 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 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.
7. 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 of this title, 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.
8. Claims 14 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Azima et al. US-PAT No. 6,332,029 (Hereinafter Azima) in view of Fujise et al. (Hereinafter Fujise) US-PG-PUB No. 2012/0057730.
Regarding claim 14, Azima teaches
A vehicular apparatus (Fig. 39 shows an automobile door 140), comprising:
an interior material (Figs. 39 and 40 show a door lining 104) exposed at an interior space as shown in Fig. 39; and
at least one or more sound generating apparatuses (Figs. 39 and 40 show a loudspeaker 81) coupled to the interior material (i.e. door lining 104) and configured to output a sound to the interior space as shown in Fig. 39, and wherein the interior material (i.e. door lining 104) is coupled to the connection member (Figs. 39 and 40 show a generally rectangular thin area 2) of the sound apparatus (i.e. loudspeaker 81) as shown in Fig. 40.
Azima does not explicitly teach that the at least one or more sound generating apparatuses comprise a sound apparatus including: a first sound generating structure; a second sound generating structure spaced apart from the first sound generating structure; a coupling member partially provided between the first sound generating structure and the second sound generating structure; and a connection member disposed along a rear periphery portion of the first sound generating structure.
Fujise teaches a sound apparatus (Fig. 8 shows a piezoelectric acoustic transducer 3), comprising: a first sound generating structure (Fig. 8 shows a first piezoelectric diaphragm 44); a second sound generating structure (Fig. 8 shows a second piezoelectric diaphragm 14) spaced apart from the first sound generating structure (i.e. first piezoelectric diaphragm 44) as shown in Fig. 8; a coupling member (Fig. 8 shows an upper frame 77) partially provided between the first sound generating structure (i.e. first piezoelectric diaphragm 44) and the second sound generating structure (i.e. second piezoelectric diaphragm 14) as shown in Fig. 8; and a connection member (Fig. 8shows a lower frame 81) disposed along a rear periphery portion of the first sound generating structure (i.e. first piezoelectric diaphragm 44) as shown in Fig. 8.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the application was effectively filed to modify the sound apparatus of Azima to include the sound apparatus features, as taught by Fujise. The modification is to enhances a sound characteristic of the sound apparatus. The modification allows a vibration generating unit to be configured as one part of the vehicular apparatus.
Regarding claim 20, the combination of Azima and Fujise teach all the features with respect to claim 14 as outlined above. Fujise teaches that the interior material comprises one or more materials of plastic (Col. 41, Lines 30-31).
Allowable Subject Matter
9. Regarding claims 2, 4, 6 and 10-19 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
10. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Sashida et al. US-PG-PUB No. 2007/0013270, Piezoelectric Vibrator, Fig. 3(A) shows a piezoelectric vibrator 50 of the present embodiment is so constructed that both ends of the piezoelectric vibrating plates 16 and 24 are supported by pillars 52 and 54 such that the piezoelectric vibrating plates 16 and 24 are substantially parallel to the main surface of an enclosure 12.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANGELICA M MCKINNEY whose telephone number is (571)270-3321. The examiner can normally be reached 7AM-3PM EST M-F. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ANGELICA M MCKINNEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2694
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