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 .
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/13/2025 and 11/13/2025 was in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP §§ 706.02(l)(1) - 706.02(l)(3) for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/process/file/efs/guidance/eTD-info-I.jsp.
Claims 1-10 rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-3 and 6-12 of U.S. Patent No. 12394888. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because limitations of the current application are anticipated by limitations in the patent.
Current Application
PN US 12394888 B2
1. A wearable device, comprising a wearable body, wherein the wearable body comprises a cover, a screen component, an antenna bracket, a metal middle frame, a circuit board, and a bottom cover; the cover and the bottom cover are respectively connected to two sides of the metal middle frame; the screen component is connected to a side of the cover facing the bottom cover; the circuit board is located in a space enclosed by the metal middle frame, the screen component, and the bottom cover; the antenna bracket is disposed in an accommodating space that is jointly enclosed by an end of the screen component, an inner wall of the metal middle frame, and an inner wall of the cover; a first antenna is disposed on the antenna bracket and is connected to the circuit board by using a first feedpoint; and a second antenna is formed by the circuit board, the metal middle frame, and a slot between the circuit board and the metal middle frame.
2. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna bracket is fastened to the metal middle frame.
3. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna bracket comprises a bracket body and a cabling part, the bracket body is annular, the cabling part is disposed on a part of a length of the bracket body through protrusion, and a metal cable is disposed on the cabling part to form the first antenna.
4. The wearable device according to claim 1wherein the first antenna is a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) antenna or Bluetooth/Wireless Fidelity (BT/Wi-Fi) antenna.
5. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the first antenna is a metal cable plated on the antenna bracket.
6. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the first antenna is fed by using a spring plate.
8. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the circuit board is separately connected to a first ground point, a second ground point, and the metal middle frame by using a third feedpoint.
7. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the second antenna is a cell antenna and/or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) antenna.
9. The wearable device according to claim 8, wherein a third ground point is further disposed between the circuit board and the metal middle frame, and the third ground point is located between the third feedpoint and the second ground point.
10. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the first antenna comprises a first radiator disposed in the accommodating space, the first radiator is connected to the circuit board by the first feedpoint.
1. A wearable device, comprising a wearable body, wherein the wearable body comprises a cover, a screen component, an antenna bracket, a first antenna, a metal middle frame, a circuit board, and a bottom cover; the cover and the bottom cover are respectively connected to two sides of the metal middle frame, the screen component is connected to a side of the cover facing the bottom cover, and the circuit board is located in a space enclosed by the metal middle frame, the screen component, and the bottom cover; the antenna bracket is disposed in an accommodating space that is jointly enclosed by an end of the screen component, an inner wall of the metal middle frame, and an inner wall of the cover; the first antenna is disposed on the antenna bracket and comprises a first radiator and a second radiator, wherein the first radiator and the second radiator are disposed in the accommodating space at intervals, the first radiator is connected to the circuit board by a first feedpoint disposed on the first radiator, and the second radiator is connected to the circuit board by a second feedpoint disposed on the second radiator; and a second antenna is formed by the circuit board, the metal middle frame, and a slot between the circuit board and the metal middle frame.
2. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna bracket is fastened to at least one of the metal middle frame or the cover.
3. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna bracket comprises a bracket body and a cabling part, the bracket body is annular, the cabling part is disposed on a part of a length of the bracket body through protrusion, and a metal cable is disposed on the cabling part to form the first antenna.
6. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the first radiator is a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) antenna, the second radiator is a Bluetooth/Wireless Fidelity (BT/Wi-Fi) antenna.
7. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the first antenna is a metal cable plated on the antenna bracket, a metal piece built in the antenna bracket, a flexible printed circuit attached to the antenna bracket.
8. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the first antenna is fed by using a spring plate, a screw, or a metal sheet.
10. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the circuit board is separately connected to a first ground point, a second ground point, and the metal middle frame by using a third feedpoint.
11. The wearable device according to claim 10, wherein the second antenna is at least one of a cell antenna or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) antenna.
12. The wearable device according to claim 10, wherein a third ground point is disposed between the circuit board and the metal middle frame and located between the third feedpoint and the second ground point.
See claim 1
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Peng (WO 2021104158 A1) discloses a wearable device (figs 1-4), comprising a wearable body, wherein the wearable body comprises a cover (202), a screen component (114), an antenna bracket (fig 3), a first antenna (101), a middle frame and bottom cover (102), a circuit board (see 240); a second antenna (201).
By arranging the first antenna 101 on the frame 111 and the second antenna 102 on the back cover 112, there is a spatial height difference between the frame 111 and the back cover 112, and the space between the first antenna 101 and the second antenna 102 can be improved spatially. The isolation between the first antenna and the second antenna reduces the interference between the first antenna and the second antenna, and improves the antenna performance to solve the problem of interference between the antenna wearable electronic devices due to the small internal space of the wearable electronic device.
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Zhu (US 20200243952 A1) discloses a wearable device (figs 1-6), comprising a wearable body (fig 3), wherein the wearable body comprises a cover (126; fig 4a), a screen component (118), an antenna bracket (120 [0035]), a first antenna (106; fig 6), a middle frame and bottom cover (102), a circuit board (see means in fig 2).
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FIG. 6 illustrates a top view of an example antenna configuration. According to the example configuration in FIG. 6, the carrier 120 does not extend around the entire periphery of housing 102 and the inner trace 106 and outer trace 108 of the first antenna 104 are not touching. The second antenna 112 may be in proximity to the first antenna 104 along carrier 120. According to some examples, the second antenna 112 may have a shorter length than the first antenna 104. In other examples, the second antenna 112 may be the same length or longer than the first antenna 104.
Lepe (US 20180083342 A1) discloses a wearable device (fig 5), comprising a wearable body, wherein the wearable body comprises a cover (154), a screen component (152; fig 3; [0053]), an antenna bracket, a first antenna (120), a metal middle frame (112 ; fig 2 [0047]), a circuit board (124), and a bottom cover (122)
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Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Renan Luque whose telephone number is (571)270-1044. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30AM-5:30PM.
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, Alexander Taningco can be reached at (571) 272-8048. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RENAN LUQUE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845
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