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 .
Examiner’s Comments
The claimed ring is drawn to any supporting structure, noting the supporting figure 3a is not drawn to any particular shape.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Zhao (US 20220321999 A1).
As per claim 1, Zhao discloses a loudspeaker, comprising:
a plurality of sound-generating units (piezoelectric actuators in fig. 10),
wherein the plurality of sound-generating units are arranged at intervals along a first direction (fig. 10), and
each of the plurality of sound-generating units vibrates along the first direction (fig. 10); and
a shell configured to accommodate and support the plurality of sound-generating units (Frame fig. 10),
wherein the shell is provided with a plurality of sound outlet holes (apertures fig. 10),
the shell and the plurality of sound-generating units form a plurality of acoustic cavities (volumes per fig. 10), and
each of the plurality of acoustic cavities is acoustically coupled to at least one of the plurality of sound outlet holes on the shell (fig. 10),
each of the plurality of sound-generating units includes a vibration diaphragm (853, fig. 8B) and a driving structure (851) provided on the vibration diaphragm (the actuators in fig. 10).
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 following claims 2,9,10,11,13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao (US 20220321999 A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Ye (US 20230209268 A1).
As per claim 2, Zhao discloses the loudspeaker of claim 1,
the driving structure includes a piezoelectric driving structure (per the claim 1 rejection),
but does not disclose
the shell includes a plurality of fixing rings, and each of the plurality of fixing rings fixes the vibration diaphragm of one of the plurality of sound-generating units; and
the piezoelectric driving structure is connected to one of the plurality of fixing rings through an elastic structure, and
the elastic structure is symmetrical with respect to a long axis or a short axis of the piezoelectric driving structure.
Ye discloses piezo electric transducers and teaches that piezo transducers can comprise fixing rings to fix diaphragms (para 84, via the cited members also shown in fig. 3),
the piezoelectric driving structure is connected to one of the plurality of fixing rings through an elastic structure (either of the elastic members per para 84),
the elastic structure is symmetrical with respect to a long axis or a short axis of the piezoelectric driving structure (as shown in fig. 3).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time of filing to implement the well known piezo transducer type for the piezo speakers of Zhao cited in the claim 1 rejection for the purpose of providing the adhesive interface to connect the piezo transducer to the diaphragm/vibration member.
As per claim 9, the loudspeaker of claim 1, wherein the shell includes a plurality of fixing rings, each of the plurality of fixing rings fixes one of the plurality of sound-generating units, respectively, two sound outlet holes are opened on a peripheral side of each of the plurality of fixing rings, and the two sound outlet holes are coupled to acoustic cavities on opposite sides of one sound-generating unit, respectively (per fig. 10 and the claim 2 rejection).
As per claim 10, the loudspeaker of claim 9, wherein the shell includes a front shell and a rear shell, the front shell and an adjacent sound-generating unit of the front shell form a first acoustic cavity, the rear shell and an adjacent sound- generating unit of the rear shell forms a second acoustic cavity, two adjacent sound-generating units form a third acoustic cavity, a thickness of the first acoustic cavity or the second acoustic cavity along the first direction is less than a thickness of the third acoustic cavity along the first direction (per fig. 10).
As per claim 11, Zhao discloses the loudspeaker of claim 10, noting the same figure in fig. 10, as disclosed by applicant in support of the claims. It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art that the frame and the cavities as shown in fig. 10 could be implemented in varying sizes and proportions as a matter of design choice, including:
wherein a height of each of the first acoustic cavity and the second acoustic cavity along the first direction is greater than or equal to 150 um, a height of the third acoustic cavity along the first direction is greater than or equal to 300 um, a height of each of sound outlet holes corresponding to the first acoustic cavity and the second acoustic cavity along the first direction is greater than or equal to 50 um, and a height of a sound outlet hole corresponding to the third acoustic cavity along the first direction is greater than or equal to 100 um.
As per claim 13, the loudspeaker of claim 2, wherein the piezoelectric driving structure includes a piezoelectric material (Zhao fig. 8a), Where it would be obvious to design the piezo material to the application as a matter of design choice, including a Young's modulus of the piezoelectric material is in a range of 30 GPa to 100 GPa.
The following claims 5,12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao (US 20220321999 A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Stoppel et al (US 20230209268 A1).
As per claim 5, Zhao discloses the loudspeaker of claim 1,
the driving structure includes a piezoelectric driving structure (per the claim 1 rejection),
but does not disclose,
wherein the driving structure includes a planar coil and one or more magnets arranged within the shell,
wherein the one or more magnets are disposed on a side of the vibration diaphragm back away from the planar coil; or
magnets in the one or more magnets are disposed on two sides of the vibration diaphragm along the first direction, respectively, and the planar coil is disposed between two magnets of the magnets;
or the one or more magnets include a disconnect-type magnet, and the disconnect-type magnet at least partially overlaps with a projection region of the planar coil along the first direction
or the one or more magnets are disposed on a side of the vibration diaphragm back away from the planar coil; or magnets in the one or more magnets are disposed on two sides of the vibration diaphragm alonq the first direction, respectively, and the planar coil is disposed between two magnets of the magnets; or the one or more magnets include a disconnect-type magnet, and the disconnect-type magnet at least partially overlaps with a projection region of the planar coil along the first direction.
Stoppel teaches the use of magnets and planar coils to be used in piezo transducers (para. 7,8) for the purpose that the coil can be applied to soft polymer or directly to the membrane.
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time of filing to implement the particular type of transducer as the transducers of Zhao Fig. 10 for the purpose of compatibility with multiple types of materials.
When implemented in Zhao the piezo transducers comprise a magnet wherein the one or more magnets are disposed on a side of the vibration diaphragm back away from the planar coil (since the coil/membrane move in the magnetic field of the magnet) (further noting multiple transducers with multiple magnets when implemented in the fig. of Zhao fig. 10.
6-8. (Cancelled).
As per claim 12, the loudspeaker of claim 9, wherein the shell includes a front shell and a rear shell, at least two electrodes are arranged on each of the plurality of fixing rings, the at least two electrodes on each of the plurality of fixing rings are connected to the front shell or the rear shell through corresponding conduction electrodes, respectively (Zhao para 69 electrodes).\
The following claims 14,15,17,18,20-20-24,26,27,30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao (US 20220321999 A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Smyth et al (US 11871674 B1).
As per claim 14, Zhao and Ye discloses the loudspeaker of claim 2 and the loudspeaker of claim 13, but do not specify wherein the piezoelectric driving structure includes a sintered piezoelectric ceramic, and a neutral layer of the sound-generating unit is located within the piezoelectric driving structure.
Smyth discloses piezo transducers and teaches that they can comprise sintered piezoelectric ceramic (para 23), and a neutral layer of the sound-generating unit is located within (para 58).
As per claim 15, the loudspeaker of claim 14, wherein the piezoelectric driving structure includes a first piezoelectric layer, a second piezoelectric layer, a first electrode layer, a second electrode layer, and a third
electrode layer, and along the first direction, the first electrode layer, the first piezoelectric layer, the second electrode layer, the second piezoelectric layer, and the third electrode layer are arranged sequentially (Zhao Fig. 5);
[[and]]wherein a polarization direction of the first piezoelectric layer is the same as a polarization direction of the second piezoelectric layer, and a first voltage of the first electrode layer and a third voltage of the third electrode layer both are greater than or both are less than a second voltage of the second electrode layer; or
the polarization direction of the first piezoelectric layer is opposite to the polarization direction of the second piezoelectric layer, and the first voltage of the first electrode layer, the second voltage of the second electrode layer, and the third voltage of the third electrode layer decrease sequentially or increase sequentially.
(Smyth teaches multiple polarizations and refractive indexes are contemplated where it would be obvious to design the polarization od the regions and the voltage levels of the electrodes as a matter of design choice for the particular application.)
16. (Cancelled).
As per claim 17, The loudspeaker of claim 13, wherein the piezoelectric driving structure includes a MEMS piezoelectric ceramic, and a neutral layer of the sound-generating unit is located outside the piezoelectric driving structure.(per the claim 14 rejection).
As per claim 18, the loudspeaker of claim 17, wherein the piezoelectric driving structure includes a first piezoelectric layer, a second piezoelectric layer, a first electrode layer, a second electrode layer, and a third electrode layer, and along the first direction, the first electrode layer, the first piezoelectric layer, the second electrode layer, the second piezoelectric layer, and the third electrode layer are arranged sequentially; (as per claim 15 rejection)
[[ and]] wherein
a polarization direction of the first piezoelectric layer is opposite to a polarization direction of the second piezoelectric layer, and a first voltage of the first electrode layer and a third voltage of the third electrode layer both are greater than or both are less than a second voltage of the second electrode layer; or the polarization direction of the first piezoelectric laver is the same as the polarization direction of the second piezoelectric layer, and the first voltage of the first electrode layer, the second voltage of the second electrode layer, and the third voltage of the third electrode layer decrease sequentially or increase sequentially.(per the claim 15 rejection)
19. (Cancelled)
As per claim 20, the loudspeaker of claim 15, wherein a first driving voltage of the first piezoelectric layer is a difference between the first voltage and the second voltage, a second driving voltage of the second piezoelectric layer is a difference between the second voltage and the third voltage, and an absolute value of the first driving voltage and an absolute value of the second driving voltage are both not higher than 5 V. (noting the 3 electrodes in figs 8a, and also per para 69 of Zhao, where each electrode has a different voltage and it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time of filing, to design the voltages per design choice).
As per claim 21, the loudspeaker of claim 14, wherein the vibration diaphragm includes a piezoelectric covering region with a piezoelectric non-covering region, and a ratio of a first area of the piezoelectric covering region to an overhanging area of the sound-generating unit is greater than or equal to 0.4 (as per Zhao fig. 8a).
As per claim 22, the loudspeaker of claim 17, wherein it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to implement varying amounts of supporting sections 812 to support the membrane/ vibration diaphragm as a matter of design choice to tune and design the frequency response of the speaker, including:
Where the membrane includes a piezoelectric covering region and a piezoelectric non-covering region, and a ratio of a second area of the piezoelectric non-covering region to an overhanging area of the sound-generating unit is less than 0.65.
As per claim 23, the loudspeaker of claim 1, wherein the vibration diaphragm or the driving structure has a long-axis direction and a short-axis direction, and each of the plurality of sound-generating units further includes a mass block arranged along the long-axis direction or the short-axis direction, a dimension of the mass block along the long-axis direction or along the short-axis direction is smaller than a dimension of the piezoelectric driving structure (as taught by the structure in Ye Figs. 2,3 noting mass blocks 571 and 561).
As per claim 24, Zhao discloses an acoustic output device and that the speakers can cover different frequency changes, comprising a low- frequency unit and a high-frequency unit (per para 44), wherein the low-frequency unit includes the loudspeaker of claim 1, An intersection point of frequency response curves of the low-frequency unit and the high-frequency unit is in a range of 300 Hz to 1000 Hz. Where it would be obvious to one skilled in the art as a matter of design choice to move the crossover frequency to within the audible range when designing a speaker).
25. (Cancelled).
As per claim 26, the acoustic output device of claim 24, wherein the high- frequency unit operates at least within a frequency range having the intersection point as a lower boundary (per the well known concept of designing a crossover frequency as a matter of design choice).
As per claim 27, the acoustic output device of claim 24, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time of filing to move the speakers about the cabinet as a matter of design choice for the purpose of producing a desired acoustic response. Where such embodiments include:
wherein the acoustic output device has a height direction parallel to the first direction and a thickness direction perpendicular to the first direction,
the low-frequency unit and the high-frequency unit are arranged in parallel along the height direction, and the low-frequency unit is arranged below the high- frequency unit; or the low-frequency unit and the high-frequency unit are arranged in parallel along the thickness direction, and the high-frequency unit is arranged on a side of the acoustic output device closer to a user.
As per claim 30, the loudspeaker of claim 1, wherein along the first direction, two adjacent sound-generating units among the plurality of sound-generating units, which share one acoustic cavity among the plurality of acoustic cavities, vibrate in opposite directions, and the acoustic cavity shared by the two sound- generating units is acoustically coupled to one of the plurality of sound outlet holes (as shown in fig. 10 of Zhao).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEXANDER KRZYSTAN whose telephone number is 571-272-7498, and whose email address is alexander.krzystan@uspto.gov
The examiner can usually be reached on m-f 7:30-4:00 est.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone or email are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Carolyn Edwards can be reached on (571) 270-7136.
The fax phone numbers for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned are 571-273-8300 for regular communications and 571-273-8300 for After Final communications.
/ALEXANDER KRZYSTAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2653
Examiner Alexander Krzystan
September 3, 2026
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