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 annular grooves recited in claim 3 (the “s” at the end of the phrase “the annular grooves” imply a plurality of grooves) 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 Objections
Claims 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: the period (.) at the end of the term “staggered” in line 12 should be deleted. The claim(s) must be in one sentence form only. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. Claim 3 recites the phrase “wherein the grooves (220) are a plurality of discontinuous grooves or annular grooves”. The phrase “annular grooves” implies a plurality of annular grooves. However, the drawing only shows a single annual groove. Claim 3 also recites “when the grooves are the annular grooves, widths and depths of the annular grooves are matched with widths and lengths of the fasteners (210)”. If the widths and lengths of the fasteners matches the annular grooves, it appears as if the fastener must also be annular. However, the drawing do not show annular fasteners and it is unclear from the specification how the fasteners are annular.
Claims 2-6 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.
Regarding claim 2, it is unclear if the “at least two fasteners” is the same as the plurality of fasteners recited in claim 1, line 8.
Regarding claim 3,
Regarding claim 4, it is unclear if the phrase “two ends of the fastener” (singular) is the same as the “each fastener” recited in claim 4 or the “plurality of fasteners” recited in claim 1, line 8.
Regarding claim 6, it is unclear if the phrase “inner side edge of the decorative surface” is the same as the inner side of the decorative surface frame recited in claim 1, lines 8-9.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 1 is allowed.
Claims 2-6 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20050012758 to Christou is the closest prior art. Christou teaches a digital picture frame comprising a comprising a bottom shell (rear cover 22), a liquid crystal display panel (display screen 2 can be a color LCD screen; ¶0032); a touch panel (TP) (touch panel, ¶0042); a surface shell (front bezel 1) assembled with the bottom shell (rear cover 22); a removable decorative surface frame (interchangeable frame 28; ¶ 35-36 and 39 and figure 8) that wraps around an edge of the surface shell (1) and an edge of the surface shell (front bezel 1) is arranged on an outer side of the surface shell (1) through a fastening mechanism (interchangeable frame 28 has clips 33 which lock into the grooves 34 located on the front bezel 1; ¶0036 and 0039 and figure 8); the fastening mechanism comprises a plurality of fasteners (clips 33) fixedly connected to an outer edge side of the decorative surface frame (28); the fasteners (33) are fastened with grooves (grooves 34) provided in an outer edge side of the surface shell.
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Christou does not teach the following: a touch panel mounted on a surface of the liquid crystal display panel; a surface shell assembled with the bottom shell is arranged outside the touch panel; a plurality of fasteners fixedly connected to an inner edge side of the decorative surface frame (Christou teach fasteners 33 are fixed to an outer edge of the decorative surface frame); the fasteners are fastened with grooves provided in an outer edge side of the bottom shell (Christou teach fasteners are fastened with grooves on the outer edge of the surface shell); an inner bottom side of the decorative surface frame is fixedly connected with a plurality of rabbets; the rabbets and the fasteners are staggered; and wherein when the decorative surface frame is assembled with the bottom shell, an inner side of the decorative surface frame is tightly adhered to the outer side of the bottom shell; and the rabbets are pressed into sunken grooves formed by assembling of the surface shell and the bottom shell.
US 20090316056 to Rosencwaig teaches a digital picture frame comprising a bottom shell, a LCD panel, a touch screen and a visual frame border 24.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CASSANDRA DAVIS whose telephone number is (571)272-6642. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jonathan Liu can be reached at 571-272-8227. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CASSANDRA DAVIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3631
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