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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`PO. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 2231371450
`
`15/633,272
`
`06/26/2017
`
`Kenichi SHINDO
`
`20296.0105USW1
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`9058
`
`53148
`
`759°
`
`(Mg/2°”
`
`HAMRE, SCHUMANN, MUELLER & LARSON RC.
`45 South Seventh Street
`Suite 2700
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`MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55402-1683
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`CHOWDHURY' ROCKSHANAD
`
`ART UNIT
`2835
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`PAPER NUMBER
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`NOTIFICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`04/18/2019
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`ELECTRONIC
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`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
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`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
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`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above—indicated "Notification Date" to the
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`following e—mail address(es):
`PTOMail@hsml.eom
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`0/7709 A0170” Summary
`
`Application No.
`15/633,272
`Examiner
`ROCKSHANA D CHOWDHURY
`
`Applicant(s)
`SHINDO et al.
`Art Unit
`2835
`
`AIA (FITF) Status
`Yes
`
`- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet wit/7 the correspondence address -
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLY IS SET TO EXPIRE g MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available under the provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply be timely filed after SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing
`date of this communication.
`|f NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133).
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, even if timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
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`1). Responsive to communication(s) filed on 1/30/2019.
`[:1 A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
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`2a)D This action is FINAL.
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`2b)
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`This action is non-final.
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`3)[:] An election was made by the applicant in response to a restriction requirement set forth during the interview on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
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`4)[:] Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Expat/7e Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
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`Disposition of Claims*
`5)
`Claim(s)
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`1—2 and 4—5 is/are pending in the application.
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`5a) Of the above claim(s)
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`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
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`E] Claim(s)
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`is/are allowed.
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`Claim(s) 1—2 and 4—5 is/are rejected.
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`[:1 Claim(s) _ is/are objected to.
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`) ) ) )
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`6 7
`
`8
`
`
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`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement
`[j Claim(s)
`9
`* If any claims have been determined aflowabie. you may be eligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
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`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
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`http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPeredback@uspto.gov.
`
`Application Papers
`10)[:] The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`
`11)[:] The drawing(s) filed on
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`is/are: a)D accepted or b)l:] objected to by the Examiner.
`
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12):] Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
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`a)D All
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`b)I:l Some**
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`c)C] None of the:
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`1.[:] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
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`2.[:] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`
`3.[:] Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`
`** See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
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`Attachment(s)
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`1)
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`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
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`2) D Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date_
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3) C] Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`4) CI Other-
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`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
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`Office Action Summary
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`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20190408
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/633,272
`Art Unit: 2835
`
`Page 2
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`Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the
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`first inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
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`Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1. 1 14
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`A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in
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`37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is
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`eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR
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`1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been
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`withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 1/30/2019 has
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`been entered.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness
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`rejections set forth in this Office action:
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`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. Patentabiiity shall not be
`negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/633,272
`Art Unit: 2835
`
`Page 3
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`Claims 1-2 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Um
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`et al (US Patent No. 6115882 and Um hereinafter) in view of Wang et al (US Pub
`
`No. 2010/0301717 A1 and Wang hereinafter)
`
`Regarding claim 1I Urn dieeieees eh eieetrehic device eemerisihg:
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`a first hetisihg (14} provided with a dispiey;
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`e seeehd heueihg (t 2) previded with an operating pertieh (keyboard); and
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`a hinge (56) that cehheets a first side on a reer et the first hetisihg in e iehgth
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`diteetieh arid a rear at the seeehct heusihg retetive te the iehgth dia‘eetieh,
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`the titet heueihg ehd the eeeehd housihg heihg are cepehie et reietive tetetieh
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`(eet 4, tines 1044), and e teg (40} metihted en the secehd side and temevahty
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`heused in the recess {50, €333.23? and eehtigured se that when
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`the ieg pretrtides reeawerd (fig. 4) tree“: the seeehct side,
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`~ $2.57! Whtfih $.15?
`- eateries seats
`
`
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/633,272
`Art Unit: 2835
`
`Page 4
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`the tee ie eehtighred te eueeert the eeeehd hedeihg by abutting a eurteee en
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`which the eieetrehie device rests (see anneteted fig? abet/e), at a ieeetien
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`reerwerd of the eeeehd heusihgq with a hettem of the seeehd hetieihg et the reer
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`spaced trerh the surface eh which the eieetrehie device reete (eee enheteted fig?
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`eheve}.
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`Um deee net exeiieitiy wherein the eeeehd heueihg hes a recess suhstantieiiy
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`centered in a seeehd side thet ie a reer eide at the seeehd housing reietive te the
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`iehgth direetiehi
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`Hewever, Wehg teaches; ttige. HE) whereih the eeeertei hetisirig has; a reeeee
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`{12) substantiatiy centered in a seeend side that is a rear eide ei the seeend
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`hetieihg reietive te the tehgth dii‘eetieh (fig, 28).
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`it weiiici have heeh ehviehe te ehe ei ei'ciihary sidii in the art hetere the etieetive fitting
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`date of the etaiihed inventien te combine the recess at the second hedeihg et Wahg to
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`the eteetrehie device at Urri in erder te previde eeeee inside the heeeihg te retreetebiy
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`dispersed the hendie in the heeeing a‘i‘td sprihge trerh the eeehihg.
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`Regarding claim 2I tjrhIWehg dieeieeee the eieetrehie device eeeerdihg te
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`eieirn t. Wang teeehee (tige. t-B) wherein the ieg ineieeee: e redehepee teg
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`member (155, fig. 3); and 3 pair ei iirtit members (153, 154) which eeiiheete the
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`i'edueheeed ieg member end the recess of the eeeehd side of the seeehd hetieihg
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`to each ether" whereih the pair et iihk members is eehneeted, eh we end ei eeeh
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`ei the heir et tint: hierrihere, te the reeeee et the eeeertei eide oi the eeeehd
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`heiieihg ee 35 te he i'etetahte with a predetermined eeeee termed between the
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/633,272
`Art Unit: 2835
`
`Page 5
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`pair oi iihk members; in e ienger directien at the eeeehd eide ef the eeeertd
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`heueihg (fig. 3 ehowe that 153 and 154 is rotatabie with a predetermined space
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`formed between the pair at fink members in e ienger directien within the greet/e
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`tee).
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`Regarding claim 5: Unt;Wang discloses the eiectrehie device according te eiaim “i. Um
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`teeehee wherein the ieg previdee e hendie eehfigured te be gripped by a user for
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`carrying the eieetronie device (eat 3, Ethee 2325).
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`Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Um et al in
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`view of Wang et al and further in view of Staats et al. (US Pub No. 2011/0222238
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`A1 and Staats hereinafter)
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`Regarding Claim 4: Umeeiig discloses the electronic device according to claim 1.
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`Urn/Wang does not explicitly disclose the first housing is a tablet computer configured to
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`be detachable from the hinge.
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`However, Staats further teaches the first housing is a tablet computer (101, fig.4)
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`configured to be detachable (fig. 8) from the hinge (130 and 128).
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`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing
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`date of the claimed invention to combine a tablet computer configured to be detachable
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`from the hinge of Staats to the electronic device of UmiWang in order to provide a
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`counterbalance armature that used as a handle to carry the slate tablet computer when
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`it is housed in the slate tablet computer housing.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/633,272
`Art Unit: 2835
`
`Page 6
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`Response to Arguments
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`Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1 has been considered but are moot
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`because the arguments do not apply to any of the references being used in the current
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`rejection.
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`Conclusion
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to ROCKSHANA D CHOWDHURY whose telephone
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`number is (571)272-1602. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 8 AM - 4:30
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`
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`
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`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
`
`supervisor, JINHEE LEE can be reached on 571-272—1977. The fax phone number for
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`the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the
`
`Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for
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`published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/633,272
`Art Unit: 2835
`
`Page 7
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`Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only.
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`
`/ROCKSHANA D CHOWDHURY/
`
`Examiner, Art Unit 2835
`
`