UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
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`
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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
`www.uspto.gov
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`15/951,451
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`04/12/2018
`
`Kenichi SHINDO
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`PANDP0279US
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`1016
`
`MARK D. SARALINO (PAN)
`RENNER, OTTO, BOIS SELLE & SKLAR, LLP
`1621 EUCLID AVENUE
`19TH FLOOR
`CLEVELAND, OH 441 15
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`CH0WDHURY~ ROCKSHANA D
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`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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`09/25/2019
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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):
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`ipdoeket@rennerotto.eom
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`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
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`

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`0,7709 A0170” Summary
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`Application No.
`15/951,451
`Examiner
`ROCKSHANA D CHOWDHURY
`
`Applicant(s)
`SHINDO etal.
`Art Unit
`2835
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`AIA (FITF) Status
`Yes
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`- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet wit/7 the correspondence address -
`Period for Reply
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`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).
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`Status
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`1). Responsive to communication(s) filed on 09/18/2019.
`[: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*
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`5)
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`Claim(s) fl 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) fl is/are rejected.
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`[:1 Claim(s) _ is/are objected to.
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`) ) ) )
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`6 7
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`8
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`
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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.
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`Application Papers
`10)[:] The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
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`11)[:] The drawing(s) filed on
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`is/are: a)D accepted or b)l:] objected to by the Examiner.
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`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).
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`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.
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`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)).
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`** 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
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`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 20190919
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/951,451
`Art Unit: 2835
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`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
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`under the 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
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`forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this
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`application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set
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`forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action
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`has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on
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`09/18/2019 has 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.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/951,451
`Art Unit: 2835
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`Page 3
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`Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et
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`al. (US Pub No. 2012/0250272 A1 and Wang hereinafter) in view of Sheng et al (US
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`Patent No. 7789437 B2 and Sheng hereinafter)
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`Regarding claim 1I Wang discloses (figs 1-7) an electronic device comprising:
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`a casing (3) having an opening (27) that houses a connection terminal (25) inside; and
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`a terminal cover (5) that seals the opening such that the connection terminal is
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`not exposed,
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`wherein the terminal cover includes a lid (35) that seals the opening and a fixing part
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`(39) that fixes the terminal cover to the casing,
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`the lid includes a protrusion (37) and a cushion member (53), the cushion member
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`being mounted around the protrusion and having a surface lower than a surface of
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`the protrusion (53 is lower surface than 37),
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`the cushion member seals the opening by being in close contact with a member
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`provided around the opening (shows in fig. 6).
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`Wang does not explicitly disclose the protrusion comprises multiple recessed spaces
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`arranged in a 2 x 2 array and separated by orthogonal walls.
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`However, Sheng teaches (see annotated fig. 58 below) the protrusion comprises
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`multiple recessed spaces (52) arranged in a 2 x 2 array and separated by orthogonal
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`walls.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/951,451
`Art Unit: 2835
`
`Page 4
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`
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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 the multiple recessed spaces of Sheng to the
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`electronic device of Wang in order to provide limiting holes so as to limit the lid to slide
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`between the first position and the second position relative to the casing.
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`Regarding claim 2I Wang/Sheng discloses the electronic device according to claim 1.
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`Wang further teaches (figs. 1-7) wherein the protrusion is provided in a center of the lid
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`(37 is the center of the lid 35).
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/951,451
`Art Unit: 2835
`
`Page 5
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`Regarding claim 3: Wang/Sheng discloses the electronic device according to claim 1.
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`Wang further teaches (figs. 1-7) wherein at least a part of a contour of the protrusion is
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`formed in a rounded shape having no corners (37 has rounded shape contour).
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`Regarding claim 4: Wang/Sheng discloses the electronic device according to claim 1.
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`Wang further teaches (figs. 1-7) wherein the connection terminal is a terminal for
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`receiving electric power (29, fig. 4) from an outside of the electronic device.
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`Regarding claim 5: Wang/Sheng discloses the electronic device according to claim 1.
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`Wang further teaches (figs. 1-7) wherein the electronic device is any one of a notebook
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`type personal computer, a tablet terminal, a smartphone, a cell phone (mobile phone, 11
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`[0018]), and a digital camera.
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`Regarding claim 6, Wang discloses (figs 1-7) a terminal cover that covers a connection
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`terminal of an electronic device such that the connection terminal (25) is not exposed,
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`the terminal cover comprising:
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`a lid (35) that seals an opening (27) that houses the connection terminal, the opening
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`being formed in the electronic device; and
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`a fixing part (39) that fixes the terminal cover to the electronic device,
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`wherein the lid includes a protrusion (37) and a cushion member (53), the
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`cushion member being mounted around the protrusion and having a surface lower than
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`a surface of the protrusion(53 is lower surface than 37),
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/951,451
`Art Unit: 2835
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`Page 6
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`the cushion member seals the opening by being in close contact with a member
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`provided around the opening (shows in fig. 6).
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`Wang does not explicitly disclose the protrusion comprises multiple recessed spaces
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`arranged in a 2 x 2 array and separated by orthogonal walls.
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`However, Sheng teaches (see annotated fig. SB below) the protrusion comprises
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`multiple recessed spaces (52) arranged in a 2 x 2 array and separated by orthogonal
`
`walls.
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`
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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 the multiple recessed spaces of Sheng to the
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/951,451
`Art Unit: 2835
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`Page 7
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`electronic device of Wang in order to provide limiting holes so as to limit the lid to slide
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`between the first position and the second position relative to the casing.
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`Response to Arguments
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`Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1 and 6 have been considered but are
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`moot because the arguments do not apply to any of the references being used in the
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`current 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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`PM.
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`Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video
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`conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an
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`interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request
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`(AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/951,451
`Art Unit: 2835
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`Page 8
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
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`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.
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`ROCKSHANA D. CHOWDHURY
`
`Primary Examiner
`Art Unit 2835
`
`/ROCKSHANA D CHOWDHURY/
`
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2835
`
`