DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-3 & 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over F.Wen et al. (“Machine Learning Glove Using Self-Powered Conductive Superhydrophobic Triboelectric Textile for Gesture Recognition in VR/AR Applications”, Adv. Sci. 2020, 7, 2000261, pp.1-15) in view of Park et al. (KR 2020-006359) & Obayashi et al. (US 4,686,135).
Regarding claim 1, Wen generally teaches the invention of a wearable bend sensor triboelectricity apparatus for a hand (i.e., a glove with textile triboelectric sensors; abstract; Sec.5; p.6-8) having a first finger, a second finger, a third finger, and a fourth finger (i.e., index-little fingers) comprising:
a glove worn over the first (index) finger of the hand (Figs.6a,7a&8a);
a first (index) bend sensor (i.e., index finger TENG sensor with output voltage dependent on index finger bend; Fig.5b) operably connected to said glove over the first finger and having a first continuous length to extend from adjacent a tip of the first finger to a palm area of the hand (see, e.g., Figs.7a(ii)-7a(iii) & 8a(VI)-(VII)&(IX)), wherein said first bend sensor includes a first finger first triboelectricity material (i.e., layer of superhydrophobic textile + Ecoflex working as negative triboelectrification layer), a first finger second first finger first triboelectricity material (layer of superhydrophobic textile working as positive triboelectrification layer), and a first finger air gap (distance ‘d’ between layers) between said first finger first triboelectricity material and first finger second triboelectricity material (Fig.1(c)),
a second bend sensor (middle finger TENG sensor with output voltage dependent on middle finger bend; Fig.5b) operably connected to said glove over the second finger and having a second continuous length to extend from adjacent a tip of the second finger to a palm area of the hand (see, e.g., Figs.7a(ii)-7a(iii) & 8a(VI)-(VII)&(IX)), wherein said second bend sensor includes a second finger first triboelectricity material (superhydrophobic textile + Ecoflex), a second finger second triboelectricity material (superhydrophobic textile), and a second finger air gap (distance ‘d’ between layers) between said second finger first triboelectricity material and said second finger second triboelectricity material (Fig.1(c));
a third bend sensor (ring finger TENG sensor with output voltage dependent on ring finger bend; Fig.5b) operably connected to said glove over the third finger and having a third continuous length to extend from adjacent a tip of the third finger to the palm area (see, e.g., Figs.7a(ii)-7a(iii) & 8a(VI)-(VII)&(IX)), wherein said third bend sensor includes a third finger first triboelectricity material (superhydrophobic textile + Ecoflex), a third finger second triboelectricity material (superhydrophobic textile), and a third finger air gap (distance ‘d’ between layers) between said third finger first triboelectricity material and said third finger second triboelectricity material (Fig.1(c)); and
a fourth bend sensor (little finger TENG sensor with output voltage dependent on little finger bend; Fig.5b) operably connected to said glove over the fourth finger and having a third continuous length to extend from adjacent a tip of the fourth finger to the palm area (see, e.g., Figs.7a(ii)-7a(iii) & 8a(VI)-(VII)&(IX)), wherein said fourth bend sensor includes a fourth finger first triboelectricity material (superhydrophobic textile + Ecoflex), a fourth finger second triboelectricity material (superhydrophobic textile), and a fourth finger air gap (distance ‘d’ between layers) between said fourth finger first triboelectricity material and said fourth finger second triboelectricity material (Fig.1(c)).
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In Wen, the first-fourth finger air gaps of the respective first-fourth TENG sensors are not “artificial” in that they do not include “a non-conductive, non-energy generating, flat, planar, sheet-like material having a uniform thickness across a length thereof, and a predetermined porosity with a plurality of distinct pores and a predetermined compressibility, with a length extending fully between the first finger first and second triboelectricity materials; and wherein the first finger artificial air gap prevents contact between the first finger first and second triboelectricity materials; wherein said first finger artificial air gap is made of Polydimethyl-siloxane material with silica beads.”
But Park teaches a triboelectrification generator usable in a sensor for detecting external force P and converting and generating electricity generated by the action of the external force into a signal (English translation, p.6; Figs.1-2) including a first triboelectricity material (first charge layer) 112 (e.g., positively charged nylon, quartz, silk, cotton, and aluminum) and a second triboelectricity material (second charge layer) 122 (e.g., negatively charged Teflon, silicone rubber, polyester, polyethylene terephthalate) separated by an artificial air gap (porous layer) 130 including a non-conductive (p.4, fourth-to-last paragraph), non-energy generating, flat, planar, sheet-like material having a uniform thickness across a length thereof, and a controlled porosity with a plurality of distinct pores and a predetermined compressibility, with a length extending fully between the first and second finger triboelectricity materials (English translation, p.4; all these properties are either explicitly disclosed or inherent to the non-conductive porous layer, which is non-conductive, non-energy generating, flat, planar, sheet-like with uniform thickness, extends between the triboelectric material layers and may comprise a polydimethylsiloxane; p.4, last paragraph to p.5, line 4). Further, Park’s non-conductive, polydimethylsiloxane artificial airgap/porous layer 130 lies between and separates the triboelectric materials 112 & 122 (Fig.1). Thus, Park’s first finger artificial airgap 130 prevents contact between the first finger first and second triboelectricity materials 112 & 122. The artificial airgap 130 physically separates the first electrode structure 110 and the second electrode structure 120. When pressed by an external force, the airgap 130 is compressed such that the first and second electrodes may “contact” each other in the sense of allowing electron transfer to occur without physical contact, thereby generating electricity and restoring shape upon release of the pressurization (abstract; English translation p.4, last two paragraphs).
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It would have been obvious before the effective filing date to provide the first-fourth TENG sensors of Wen with “artificial” air gaps comprising a non-conductive, non-energy generating, flat, planar, sheet-like material having a uniform thickness across a length thereof, and a predetermined porosity with a plurality of distinct pores and a predetermined compressibility wherein the first finger artificial air gap prevents contact between the first finger first and second triboelectricity materials and wherein said first finger artificial air gap is made of Polydimethylsiloxane material since Park teaches a triboelectric generator with a non-conductive artificial airgap comprising a non-conductive porous layer of polydimethylsiloxane material would have enabled triboelectric electricity generation in response to an external force and restoration of the shape of the generator upon release of the force.
Regarding the feature of “silica beads” in the polydimethylsiloxane material, the combination, in particular Park, does not appear to teach this.
But, Obayashi teaches a composite sheet material 1 comprising a silicone polymer layer 2 made of organo-polysiloxane resins including polydimethylsiloxane resins (c.2:56-65) and further including an additive of silica beads (silica particles) used as filler effective as reinforcing material for the silicone resin matrix (c.4:6-20; Fig.1).
Thus, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date to further provide silica beads in the first-fourth finger artificial air gap of the bend sensor triboelectricity apparatus of Wen & Park since Obayashi teaches an additive of silica beads was desirable as filler effective as reinforcing material for the polydimethylsiloxane resin.
Regarding claim 2, the combination reads on all the repeated limitations from claim 1, including the feature in Park of pressure P compressing artificial airgap/porous layer 130 (English machine translation, p.3; Figs.1-2).
Regarding claim 3, the combination reads on all the repeated limitations from claim 1, including the feature in Park of a non-conductive, artificial air gap (porous layer) 130 comprising a polydimethylsiloxane (p.4, fourth-to-last paragraph to p.5, line 4) and Obayashi teaching an additive of silica beads was desirable as filler effective as reinforcing material for the polydimethylsiloxane resin.
Regarding claim 13, Park teaches the non-conductive, artificial air gap (porous layer) 130 comprises a polydimethylsiloxane material (p.4, fourth-to-last paragraph to p.5, line 4) with manufactured pores (inherent to porous layer 130).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed 12 August 2025 with respect to claims 1-3 & 13 have been considered and are persuasive. However, these arguments are moot in view of the new ground of rejection. Regarding the amended features concerning the continuous length of the bend sensors which extends from adjacent a tip of the finger to the palm, it is noted that the textile triboelectric sensors on the fingers of Wen’s glove read on these features, as seen, e.g., in Figs.7a(ii)-7a(iv) & 8a(VI)-(VII) & (IX). Wen also teaches signal patterns for a “knuckle ball” gesture for throwing a ball are used in neural network training (p.9; Figs.6c&6e), thus implying detection of movement around the knuckles.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/BURTON S MULLINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834