RESPONSE TO ARGUMENTS

Patent owner's remarks/arguments, see pages 14-41, sections IV to XI of the Response, and as evidenced by the declarations under 37 CFR § 1.132 of Mr. Mark Gurries (Gurries dec. - Exhibit 1), filed 05/17/2012 with respect to the rejections of claims as recited in the final Office action mailed 04/02/2012 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Particularly, Patent owner's arguments, see id., the Response pages 28-41, and as evidenced by Gurries dec., see id., pages 10-21 items 18-47, have specifically pointed out that the amended claims, each recites control circuitry which includes a microprocessor (21) coupled to switch circuitry, which includes multiple transistors (MOSFETs 64, 65, and 66, and QP2B) configured to enable supply of electrical power to the receiving socket (28/30) coupled to the flash memory (29), and the at least one of the microphone element (20) and the speaker (36) during record and playback functional operations; and which is not taught or suggested by the cited prior art of Kimura, Sharp, Sudoh, and Elbert, either alone or in combination. That the Examiner agrees.

Therefore, the rejections of claims have been withdrawn.

ALLOWABLE SUBJECT MATTER Claims 2-5, 18, and 23-34 are patentable.

STATEMENTNT OF REASONS FOR PATENTABILITY AND/OR CONFIRMATION The following is an examiner's statement of reasons for patentability and/or confirmation of the claims found patentable in this reexamination proceeding: