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 § 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 4, 7-8, 14-15, and 18 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 4 recites the limitations “the vertical direction” in line 5 and “the upper end section” in line 6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim.
The term “an opposite side from the main substrate” in claim 7 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “an opposite side from the main substrate” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. An opposite side of what? Or do you intend to recite “an opposite side of the main substrate” (with respect to the first direction)?
Claim 8 is rejected because it depends on claim 7.
Claim 14 recites the limitation “the horizontal direction” in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 15 recites the limitation “the vertical direction” in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
The term “side by side” in claim 18 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “side by side” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. Does this mean that the power supply adapter and the main substrate must be close each other? If so, how close? Must they be touching? Or does this mean that they are next to each other with nothing else in between?
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.
Claims 1-6, 9, and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent No. 6,053,410 (hereinafter “Wike”).
Regarding claim 1, Wike discloses a relay device (retail terminal 10) comprising:
a plurality of types of connectors (video connector 28, printer connector 32, keyboard connector 34, scanner connector 36, external speaker connector 38, cash drawer connector 412, and customer display monitor connector 414) to which external electronic devices are connected (external display monitor 74, printer 76, keyboard 78, scanner device 80, external speaker assembly 82, cash drawer 508, and customer display monitor 510);
a control section (main board assembly 48) that controls communication between the electronic devices (see col. 7, lines 1-20);
a power supply section (power supply 50) that supplies power input from outside to the control section and to an electronic device that is connected to a connector via at least one of the connectors (see col. 7, lines 24-30);
a main substrate (main controller board 22) on which the control section and at least one of the connectors are provided (see col. 7, lines 1-8 and Figs. 4 and 6); and
a communication substrate (LAN card 66) that is connected to the main substrate (see col. 7, lines 63-67 and Fig. 6) and that has a communication section that performs wireless communication (see col. 8, lines 54-58), wherein
the connector is arranged at one end section of the main substrate (see Fig. 4 showing the connectors arranged at a bottom-right section of main controller board 22) and
the communication substrate is arranged at another end section side, which is a side opposite from the one end section in a first direction over a flat surface of the main substrate (see Fig. 4 showing LAN card 66 arranged at a top-left section of main controller board 22).
Regarding claim 2, Wike discloses all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated above. Wike
further discloses that when a printing device as the electronic device is connected to any of the connectors, the control section transmits a signal for controlling the printing device to the printing device (see col. 9, line 62 – col. 10, line 3).
Regarding claim 3, Wike discloses all of the limitations of claim 2 as stated above. Wike further discloses that when the printing device is connected to any of the connectors, the control section causes the power supply section to supply power that enables drive of the printing device to the printing device via the connector (see col. 7, lines 24-30 and col. 9, line 62 – col. 10, line 3).
Regarding claim 4, Wike discloses all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated above. Wike further discloses
a case (housing 40 and cover 70) that accommodates the main substrate and the communication substrate inside (see col. 6, lines 43-51 and Figs. 1-5), wherein
when the case is installed so that a second direction that intersects the first direction is along a vertical direction, the communication substrate is arranged inside the case so that it is located at an upper end section of the case (see Figs. 1-5).
Regarding claim 5, Wike discloses all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated above. Wike
further discloses that a flat surface of the communication substrate is arranged to intersect with the first direction (see annotated Fig. 4 below).
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Regarding claim 6, Wike discloses all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated above. Wike
further discloses that the main substrate and the communication substrate are arranged to overlap in the first direction (see Figs. 4-5; a bottom portion of LAN card 66 overlaps with main controller board 22 in the first direction).
Regarding claim 9, Wike discloses all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated above. Wike
further discloses
a sub-substrate (point-of-sale card 410) on which at least one of the connectors is provided (see col. 7, lines 8-20), wherein
a flat surface of the sub-substrate is arranged to face the main substrate (see Fig. 4) and
the sub-substrate and the main substrate are arranged to overlap in a third direction that intersects the flat surface of the main substrate (see Figs. 4, 6-7, and 10-11).
Regarding claim 17, Wike discloses all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated above.
Wike further discloses
a case (40 and housing 272) that accommodates the main substrate inside (see Fig. 28),
a power supply adapter (power supply 270) into which a power supply cord (source power cable 558) is configured to be inserted and removed, and
a power supply adapter cable (intermediate power cable 556) that connects the power supply adapter and the main substrate (see col. 22, lines 46-53 and Fig. 6), wherein
the power supply adapter and the power supply adapter cable are accommodated inside the case (see col. 22, line 54 – col. 23, line 6).
Regarding claim 18, Wike discloses all of the limitations of claim 17 as stated above.
Wike further discloses that the power supply adapter and the main substrate are arranged side by side (see Figs. 28-37).
Regarding claim 19, Wike discloses all of the limitations of claim 17 as stated above. Wike further discloses that the power supply adapter and the main substrate are arranged to overlap vertically (as shown in Fig. 28, main controller board 22 sits above and overlaps power supply 270 in a direction that can be considered vertical).
Regarding claim 20, Wike discloses a POS system, comprising:
the relay device according to claim 1 (see claim 1 rejection above);
a POS terminal (customer display monitor 510), and
a POS peripheral device (cash drawer 508).
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.
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.
Claims 10-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wike as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of U.S. Pub. No. 2019/0258299 A1 (hereinafter “Joo”).
Regarding claim 10, Wike discloses all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated above. Wike further discloses a case (40 and 70) that accommodates the main substrate and the communication substrate inside (see col. 6, lines 43-51 and Figs. 1-5). Wike, however, fails to disclose the claimed cover and holding member.
Joo discloses
a cover (protection cover 100) that is attached to an opening section (receiving space 34) provided in a case (front cover 30) so as to be openable and closable (see ¶ 0051), and that, in a closed state, covers at least a part of a front surface of the case and closes at least a part of the opening section (see Figs. 3 and 5-6)
a holding member (holder body 550 and holder ribs 552) that covers at least a part of the opening section from an inner side of the case and that holds the cover at a position in the closed state (see ¶¶ 0077 and 0087 and Fig. 6).
Joo is considered to be analogous art because it is pertinent to the problem faced by the
inventor of preventing the intrusion of foreign matter such as dirt or dust (see ¶ 0092 of the present application). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the effective filing date of the present application, to modify the device disclosed in Wike to include the above-described cover and holding member. Providing a similarly structured cover and holding member could be used to protect the electrical connectors from water, dust, and other types of foreign matter (see Joo, ¶ 0029).
Regarding claim 11, Wike in view of Joo teaches all of the limitations of claim 10 as stated above. Wike in view of Joo further teaches that
the cover is provided on one side surface of the case,
Note: It has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 181 F.2d 1019, 86 USPQ 70 (CCPA 1950). Therefore, placing the electrical connectors and Joo’s cover structure on a side surface of the cover would be an obvious modification for one of ordinary skill in the art.
the case is provided with an attachment section (Joo: hinge bracket 310 and shaft support 330) to which the cover is attached (Joo: see ¶ 0059), and
the cover pivots around the attachment section as a pivot shaft in a direction that intersects the one side surface of the case to open and close (Joo: see ¶ 0062 and Figs. 3-4).
Regarding claim 12, Wike in view of Joo teaches all of the limitations of claim 11 as
stated above. Wike in view of Joo further teaches that when one end section of the cover is pressed, the other end section of the cover pivots in a direction away from the device main body and the cover enters an opened state (Joo: see ¶ 0089 and Figs. 3-4).
Regarding claim 13, Wike in view of Joo teaches all of the limitations of claim 12 as stated above. Wike in view of Joo further teaches a pivoting stop section that is provided inside the case and that, when the cover is in the opened state, stops pivoting of the cover by contact by one end section of the cover that enters inside the case through the opening section (Joo: see Fig. 4 showing how protection cover 100 is restricted from further rotation due to contact with the inner wall of receiving space 34).
Regarding claim 14, Wike in view of Joo teaches all of the limitations of claim 11 as stated above. Wike in view of Joo further teaches that when the case is installed, a longitudinal direction of the attachment section extends in the horizontal direction (Joo: see Fig. 5 showing shaft support 330 extending in “the horizontal direction”).
Regarding claim 15, Wike in view of Joo teaches all of the limitations of claim 10 as stated above. Wike in view of Joo further teaches that the case is installed so that a long side of one side surface formed in a rectangular shape extends along the vertical direction (Joo: see Figs. 3 and 5-6).
Regarding claim 16, Wike in view of Joo teaches all of the limitations of claim 10 as stated above. Wiki in view of Joo further teaches that the cover covers an operation section (Joo: components 70 and 90) provided on the front surface of the case (Joo: see Fig. 3).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-8 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Regarding claim 7, as best understood in light of the above-mentioned 112(b) issue, the prior art neither teaches nor suggests the specific structural arrangement characterized as follows: arranging the display substrate at an opposite side of the main substrate (with respect to the first direction) with the communication substrate interposed between the main substrate and the display substrate, the display substrate and the communication substrate overlapping in the first direction, and a flat surface (i.e. the main or primary surface; the side surfaces of Wike’s display screen 20 could be considered to intersect with the first direction) of the display substrate intersecting with the first direction.
Claim 8 depends on claim 7 and would therefore be allowable for at least the reasons stated above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROSS TERRY MULARSKI whose telephone number is (571)272-0284. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm EST.
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/R.T.M./Examiner, Art Unit 2841 /IMANI N HAYMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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