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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/02/2025 has been considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1-6, 10-14, 16 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mack et al. (US 2016/0252727).
Regarding claim 1, Mack discloses, a wearable device (Figs. 1-6B), comprising:
an electronic component (Para. 0051-0052, 0059 and see 400, 500, 600 and see annotated Fig. 6A); and
a battery unit (see annotated Fig. 6B below) for providing power (Para. 0052 and see 642, 644) to the electronic component, the battery unit comprising:
a printed circuit board substrate (640); and
at least one surface-mounted device battery (Para. 0059 and see annotated Fig. 6B below; note the battery is mounted on the bottom (distal) surface of the PCB 640) coupled to the printed circuit board substrate.
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Regarding claim 2, Mack discloses, the printed circuit board substrate is a flexible printed circuit board substrate (Para. 0052 and see 640).
Regarding claim 3, Mack discloses, the electronic component comprises a near-eye display (Para. 0026-0028 and 200, 400).
Regarding claim 4, Mack discloses, the near-eye display comprises a glasses display (Para. 0026-0028, 0039 and see 100).
Regarding claim 5, Mack discloses, the battery unit is positioned within a temple arm of the glasses (Para. 0056-0059 and see 300, 320, 600).
Regarding claim 6, Mack discloses, the near-eye display comprises a virtual-reality headset display (Para. 0026-0028 and see 100).
Regarding claim 10, Mack discloses, the battery unit further comprises one or more other electrical components coupled to the printed circuit board substrate (Para. 0051-0052, 0059 and see Figs. 6A-B).
Regarding claim 11, Mack discloses, at least one of the one or more other electrical components is surface mounted to the printed circuit board substrate (Para. 0051-0052, 0059 and see annotated Figs. 6A-B above).
Regarding claim 12, Mack discloses, the one or more other electrical components comprise at least one of: a battery controller; a power management device; a memory device; a processor; a communication device; a logic device; a graphics controller; a chipset; an application-specific integrated circuit; or a system-on-chip (SoC) device (Para. 0051-0052, 0059 and see annotated Figs. 6A-B above).
Regarding claim 13, Mack discloses, each surface-mounted device battery of the at least one surface-mounted device battery has a shape that fits in a square about 20 mm by 20 mm or less (Para. 0051-0052, 0059 and see annotated Figs. 6A-B above).
Regarding claim 14, Mack discloses, an artificial-reality eyeglasses device (Figs. 1-6B), comprising:
near-eye displays (200, 400) for presenting images (see “Image Light” of Figs. 2A-D and associated text) to eyes of a user (Para. 0026-0027);
temple arms (Para. 0056-0059 and see 300, 320, 600) for supporting the near-eye displays on a head of the user; and
a battery unit (see annotated Fig. 6B below) for providing power (Para. 0052 and see 642, 644) to the near-eye displays, the battery unit positioned within at least one temple arm of the temple arms (See Figs. 5A-6B), wherein the battery unit comprises:
a printed circuit board substrate (640); and
at least one surface-mounted device battery (Para. 0059 and see annotated Fig. 6B below; note the battery is mounted on the bottom (distal) surface of the PCB 640) coupled to the printed circuit board substrate.
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Regarding claim 16, Mack discloses, each surface-mounted device battery of the at least one surface-mounted device battery has a shape that fits in a square about 20 mm by 20 mm or less (Para. 0051-0052, 0059 and see annotated Figs. 6A-B above).
Regarding claim 18, Mack discloses, the battery unit further comprises one or more other electrical components surface-mounted to the printed circuit board substrate (Para. 0051-0052, 0059 and see annotated Figs. 6A-B above).
Regarding claim 19, Mack discloses, the printed circuit board substrate comprises a rigid or semi-rigid printed circuit board substrate (Para. 0052, 0062 and see 640).
Regarding claim 20, Mack discloses, a method of forming an artificial-reality eyeglasses device (Figs. 1-6B), the method comprising:
operably connecting a battery unit (see annotated Fig. 6B below) to an electronic component (Para. 0051-0052, 0059 and see 400, 500, 600 and see annotated Fig. 6A) of the artificial-reality eyeglasses device, the battery unit including a printed circuit board substrate (640) and at least one surface-mounted device battery (Para. 0059 and see annotated Fig. 6B below; note the battery is mounted on the bottom (distal) surface of the PCB 640) coupled to the printed circuit board substrate; and
positioning the battery unit within a temple arm of the artificial-reality eyeglasses device (see 600 and Figs. 5A-6B and associated text).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mack et al. (US 2016/0252727) as applied to claim 1 above, in view of Kasar (US 2023/0324701).
Mack remains as applied to claim 1 above.
Mack does not disclose the battery unit is positioned within a head strap of the virtual-reality headset.
Kasar teaches, from the same field of endeavor that in a wearable device that it would have been desirable to make the battery unit is positioned within a head strap of the virtual-reality headset (Para. 0046, 0052 and 0073).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the battery unit is positioned within a head strap of the virtual-reality headset as taught by the wearable device of Kasar in the wearable device of Mack since Kasar teaches it is known to include this feature in a wearable device for the purpose of providing a wearable device that is efficiently powered and effectively secured to a user’s head.
Claims 8-9, 15 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mack et al. (US 2016/0252727) as applied to claims 1 and 14 above, in view of Sales et al. (US 9,910,298).
Mack remains as applied to claims 1 and 14 above.
Mack does not disclose the at least one surface-mounted device battery comprises a plurality of surface-mounted device batteries coupled to the printed circuit board.
Sales teaches, from the same field of endeavor that in a wearable device that it would have been desirable to make the at least one surface-mounted device battery comprises a plurality of surface-mounted device batteries coupled to the printed circuit board (Col. 5, lines 54-67, Col. 6, lines 1-3 and 134 of Fig. 1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the at least one surface-mounted device battery comprises a plurality of surface-mounted device batteries coupled to the printed circuit board as taught by the wearable device of Sales in the wearable device of Mack since Sales teaches it is known to include this feature in a wearable device for the purpose of providing a wearable device with extended run time and reduced charging time.
Regarding claim 9, Mack in view of Sales discloses and teaches as set forth above, and Sales further teaches, from the same field of endeavor that in a wearable device that it would have been desirable to make the surface-mounted device batteries are arranged in a line along a length of the printed circuit board substrate (Col. 5, lines 54-67, Col. 6, lines 1-3 and 134 of Fig. 1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the above mentioned limitations as taught by the wearable device of Sales in the wearable device of Mack since Sales teaches it is known to include this feature in a wearable device for the purpose of providing a wearable device with extended run time and reduced charging time.
Regarding claim 15, Mack in view of Sales discloses and teaches as set forth above, and Sales further teaches, from the same field of endeavor that in a wearable device that it would have been desirable to make the at least one surface-mounted device battery comprises a plurality of surface-mounted device batteries coupled to the printed circuit board (Col. 5, lines 54-67, Col. 6, lines 1-3 and 134 of Fig. 1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the above mentioned limitations as taught by the wearable device of Sales in the wearable device of Mack since Sales teaches it is known to include this feature in a wearable device for the purpose of providing a wearable device with extended run time and reduced charging time.
Regarding claim 17, Mack in view of Sales discloses and teaches as set forth above, and Sales further teaches, from the same field of endeavor that in a wearable device that it would have been desirable to make the plurality of surface-mounted device batteries are arranged longitudinally along the printed circuit board substrate in a line (Col. 5, lines 54-67, Col. 6, lines 1-3 and 134 of Fig. 1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the above mentioned limitations as taught by the wearable device of Sales in the wearable device of Mack since Sales teaches it is known to include this feature in a wearable device for the purpose of providing a wearable device with extended run time and reduced charging time.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Sonsino (US 2012/0176580), Howell et al. (US 2005/0230596) and Willey (US 2012/0262667) discloses a wearable device that includes an electronic component, a battery unit comprising a printed circuit board substrate and a surface-mounted device battery. Hillila (US 2011/0139163) discloses a wearable device with a battery unit positioned within a head strap of the wearable device.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAWAYNE A PINKNEY whose telephone number is (571)270-1305. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Pinping Sun can be reached at 571-270-1284. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DAWAYNE PINKNEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872 08/19/2026
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