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 .
Election/Restrictions
In response to the applicant’s arguments to the restriction requirement between Groups I & II the examiner agrees and has withdrawn the previous restriction requirement.
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.
Claim(s) 1-9 and 18-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Liang (PG Pub 20230292058).
Considering claim 1, Liang (Figure 8) teaches an air pulse generating device, comprising: a film structure comprising a flap pair, wherein the flap pair comprises a first flap (101) and a second flap (103 + paragraph 0049) opposite to each other; wherein the flap pair operates at an ultrasonic frequency, such that the air pulse generating device produces a plurality of air pulses at an ultrasonic pulse rate (paragraph 0055); wherein the flap pair possess an initial deflection difference or exhibits an average displacement difference between the first flap and the second flap (paragraphs 0060-0067); wherein during a first phase, the first flap initially deflects toward a first direction (paragraph 0058) wherein during a second phase, the second flap initially deflects towards the first direction (paragraphs 0058-0067).
Considering claim 2, Liang (Figure 8) teaches wherein during the first phase, the first flap (101) initially deflects toward the first direction and the second flap (103 + paragraph 0049) initially deflects toward a second direction (paragraph 0058); wherein during the second phase, the first flap initially deflects toward the second direction and the second flap initially deflects toward the first direction (paragraph 0058); wherein the first direction and the second direction are opposite to each other (paragraph 0058).
Considering claim 3, Liang teaches wherein the air pulse generating device alternates between the first phase and the second phase (paragraphs 0058-0067).
Considering claim 4, Liang teaches wherein a driving circuit and the air pulse generating device (paragraph 0067).
Considering claim 5, Liang (Figure 8) teaches a driving circuit, configured to drive an air pulse generating device, the driving circuit comprising: a raw valve driving signal generator, configured to generate a first raw valve driving signal (S101 + paragraphs 0060) and a second raw valve driving signal (S103 + paragraphs 0060-0067); wherein the air pulse generating device comprises a flap pair, and the flap pair comprises a first flap (101) and a second flap (103 + paragraph 0049); wherein the driving circuit generates a first valve driving signal (S101 + paragraphs 0060-0067) according to the first raw valve driving signal to drive the first flap and generates a second valve driving signal (S103 + paragraph 0060-0067) according to the second raw valve driving signal to drive the second flap (paragraphs 0060-0067); wherein the flap pair is driven to possess an initial deflection difference or exhibits an average displacement difference between the first flap and the second flap (paragraphs 0062-0066); wherein during a first phase, the first flap initially deflects toward a first direction (paragraphs 0062-0066) and wherein during a second phase, the second flap initially deflects toward the first direction (paragraphs 0062-0066).
Considering claim 6, Liang (Figure 8) teaches wherein the air pulse generating device alternates between the first phase and the second phase (paragraphs 0062-0066).
Considering claim 7, Liang teaches wherein during the first phase, the first valve driving signal comprises a bias voltage (paragraphs 0065 + 0094); wherein during the second phase, the second valve driving signal comprises the bias voltage (paragraphs 0065 + 0094).
Considering claim 8, Liang teaches wherein during the first phase, the first flap initially deflects toward the first direction and the second flap initially deflects toward a second direction (paragraph 0058); wherein during the second phase, the first flap initially deflects towards the second direction and the second flap initially deflects towards the first direction; wherein the first direction and the second direction are opposite to each other (paragraph 0058).
Considering claim 9, Liang teaches wherein during the first phase, the first valve driving signal comprises a first bias voltage (paragraphs 0065 + 0094) and the second valve driving signal comprises a second bias voltage (paragraphs 0065 + 0094); wherein during a second phase, the first valve driving signal comprises the second bias voltage and the second valve driving signal comprises the first bias voltage (paragraphs 0065 + 0094).
Considering claim 18, Liang (Figure 8) teaches an air pulse generating method, applied for an air pulse generating system comprising a driving circuit and an air pulse generating device (paragraphs 0060-0067), wherein the air pulse generating device comprises a first flap (101) and a second flap (103 + paragraph 0049), the air pulse generating method comprising: driving the first flap to initially deflect toward a first direction during a first phase and driving the second flap to initially deflect toward the first direction during a second phase (paragraphs 0062-0066); wherein the flap pair operates at an ultrasonic frequency, such that the air pulse generating device produces a plurality of air pulses at an ultrasonic pulse rate (paragraph 0059).
Considering claim 19, Liang (Figure 8) teaches wherein the first flap (101) is driven by a first valve driving signal (S101 + paragraphs 0060-0067) and the second flap (103) is driven by a second valve driving signal (S103 + paragraphs 0060-0067), the step of driving the first flap to initially deflect toward the first direction during the first phase and driving the second flap to initially deflect toward the first direction during the second phase comprises (paragraph 0058): applying a bias voltage on the first valve driving signal during the first phase (paragraph 0065) and applying the bias voltage on the second valve driving signal during the second phase (paragraphs 0065 + 0094).
Considering claim 20, Liang (Figure 8) teaches during the first phase, driving the first flap (101) to initially deflect toward the first direction and driving the second flap (103 + paragraph 0058) to initially deflect toward a second direction; during the second phase, driving the first flap to initially deflect toward the second direction and driving the second flap to initially deflect toward the first direction (paragraphs 0060-0067); wherein the first direction and the second direction are opposite to each other (paragraphs 0060-0067).
Considering claim 21, Liang (Figure 8) teaches wherein the first flap is driven by a first valve driving signal and the second flap is driven by a second valve driving signal (paragraphs 0060-0067), the air pulse generating method comprising: applying a first bias voltage on the first valve driving signal and applying a second bias voltage on the second valve driving signal during the first phase (paragraphs 0060-0067); and applying the second bias voltage on the first voltage on the first valve driving signal and applying the first bias voltage on the second valve driving signal during the second phase (paragraphs 0060-0067).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-17 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Considering claim 10, the examiner cannot find proper motivation to combine any prior art. Furthermore, the prior art does not teach a deflection circuit, configured to add a bias voltage to a first raw valve driving signal or a second raw valve driving signal.
Furthermore, claims 11-17, which depend upon claim 10, would also be allowable if they depended up an independent and allowable claim.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRYAN P GORDON whose telephone number is (571)272-5394. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dedei K Hammond can be reached at 571-270-7938. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRYAN P GORDON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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