Obviousness

Obviousness Analysis of U.S. Patent No. 11,871,174

To: File
From: Senior Patent Analyst
Date: May 10, 2026
Subject: Obviousness Analysis of U.S. Patent No. 11,871,174

An analysis of U.S. Patent No. 11,871,174 ("the '174 patent") has been conducted in light of prior art available before its priority date of December 12, 2018. This analysis suggests that the independent claims of the '174 patent would have been obvious to a Person Having Ordinary Skill in the Art (PHOSITA). The primary argument for obviousness rests on the combination of prior art that teaches audio-enabled eyewear with the well-established principle of using acoustic chambers to direct and enhance sound.

Key Elements of the '174 Patent Claims:

The independent claims of the '174 patent generally describe:

• Claim 1 & 9: An eyewear device with a temple containing a "personal projection micro speaker system" (PPMS). This system includes a speaker and an "acoustic chamber" formed by the internal surfaces of the temple. This chamber is designed to "concentrate" and "direct" sound through an "acoustic port" towards the user's ear.
• Claim 15: A wearable electronic device attachable to existing eyeglasses via a "temple interlock." This attachable module contains a similar PPMS with a speaker and an acoustic chamber to direct sound towards the user's ear.

The core inventive concept appears to be the use of the temple's internal volume as a structured acoustic chamber to create a "personal" and "directional" audio experience.

Prior Art and Motivation to Combine:

Several prior art references, when considered together, disclose all the essential elements of the '174 patent's claims and provide a clear motivation for their combination.

Primary References Disclosing Audio Eyewear:

• US Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0268016 A1 (Dashen), filed February 14, 2014, discloses audio eyewear with speakers located in the side frame members (temples). Crucially, Dashen describes that the speakers are "oriented to direct an audio port of the speaker...downwardly and rearwardly into the users ear." This teaching directly anticipates the concept of directing sound from the temple to the user's ear.
• Various other patents and products predating 2018 established the concept of integrating speakers and other electronics into eyewear temples. For instance, patents from companies like Oakley (now part of EssilorLuxottica) and IngenioSpec describe eyewear with embedded electronic components, including speakers and microphones. Commercial products like the early Bose Frames, though released later, were in development during this period and built upon this existing knowledge base of placing audio components in the temples of glasses.

Secondary References Disclosing Acoustic Principles:

The concept of using an enclosure or "chamber" to direct and shape sound from a speaker is a fundamental and well-understood principle in acoustics and audio engineering.

• General Knowledge in the Art: A PHOSITA would be well aware that the performance of any speaker is significantly influenced by its enclosure. The use of speaker cabinets, ports (in bass-reflex systems), and horn-like structures to direct and improve the efficiency of sound reproduction has been standard practice for many decades.
• WO 2014/163794 A2 (Trestain), filed April 2, 2014, although focused on a different form of "sound induction," explicitly teaches the use of an "acoustic duct" coupled to a speaker within an eyewear frame to "channel sound" to the user's ear. It even mentions that a "horn-shaped acoustic" duct can amplify the sound.

Obviousness Combination Argument:

A compelling case for obviousness can be made by combining the teachings of a primary reference like Dashen (US 2014/0268016 A1) with the established principles of acoustic engineering, as exemplified by Trestain (WO 2014/163794 A2) and general industry knowledge.

Argument for Claim 9 (Apparatus):

1. Starting Point: Dashen. A PHOSITA, tasked with designing audio eyewear, would start with a known concept like that in Dashen, which teaches placing speakers in the temples to direct sound toward the user's ear.
2. Problem to be Solved: The '174 patent aims to create a "personal projection" system, which implies improving sound quality and directionality while minimizing sound leakage to others. This is a known challenge in open-ear audio devices.
3. Motivation to Combine: A PHOSITA, seeking to improve the audio performance of the device in Dashen, would naturally turn to fundamental acoustic principles. The most common and direct way to control the output of a small speaker is to design an appropriate enclosure or acoustic chamber. The teachings of Trestain, which discloses using an "acoustic duct" within the eyewear frame to channel sound, would have made it obvious to shape the internal cavity of the temple itself to act as this duct or chamber.
4. Reasonable Expectation of Success: The principles of using enclosures and waveguides (like horns or ducts) to direct sound are predictable and well-documented. A PHOSITA would have a very high expectation that shaping the internal volume of the temple around the speaker would "concentrate" the acoustic energy and direct it through a port, thus achieving the "personal projection" effect claimed in the '174 patent. The specific internal shape (e.g., parabolic) described in the '174 patent is merely an application of well-known acoustic reflector principles.

Argument for Claim 1 (Method):

The method steps of Claim 1 directly correspond to the functions of the apparatus described in Claim 9. Therefore, if the apparatus of Claim 9 is deemed obvious, the method of using that apparatus for its intended purpose (generating, concentrating, and transmitting audio) would also be considered obvious.

Argument for Claim 15 (Wearable Electronic Device):

The concept of modular or attachable electronic components for eyewear was also known in the art prior to 2018.

• US Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0050668 A1 (Ingeniospec) discloses eyewear with connectors on the temple to which "removable electronic devices can be coupled."
• US Patent No. 9,864,211 B2 (Oakley), with a priority date well before 2018, explicitly covers "Systems and methods for removably coupling an electronic device to eyewear."

A PHOSITA, aware of the audio eyewear concept (from Dashen) and the concept of modular electronic attachments (from Ingeniospec or Oakley), would find it obvious to create a modular audio device. The motivation would be to allow users to add audio functionality to their existing, non-electronic glasses, thereby increasing market appeal and user convenience. Combining the directional audio system of Dashen with the modular attachment concept of Ingeniospec would directly lead to the device claimed in Claim 15.

Conclusion:

The '174 patent claims an invention that is a combination of known elements: (1) speakers in eyewear temples, (2) the use of an acoustic chamber to direct sound, and (3) modular electronic components for eyewear. The prior art, particularly the teachings of Dashen and Trestain, combined with fundamental principles of acoustic engineering, provided a clear roadmap and motivation for a PHOSITA to arrive at the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success. Therefore, the independent claims of US 11,871,174 appear to be invalid as obvious under 35 U.S.C. § 103.