Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Amendment
The amendments to claims 1, 8, and 15 are acknowledged.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 2/3/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding Claims 1, Bushnell discloses all of the limitations following the amendments made to the claim under the broadest reasonable interpretation of the claimed limitations. Specifically, the conductive coil extending from the input member at least partially into the magnetic field is met by Bushnell by the coil attached to and extending from the shaft of the input member into the magnetic field [fig. 5] [col. 12 line 55 – col. 13 line 3].
Regarding Claim 8, Bushnell discloses all of the limitations following the amendments made to the claim under the broadest reasonable interpretation of the claimed limitations. Specifically, the coil assembly includes the shaft [col. 12 line 55 – col. 13 line 3], which extends from the bottom of the input member [fig. 5 ].
Regarding Claims 15, the disclosure of Bushnell and the obvious combination it presents between its embodiments discloses all of the limitations following the amendments made to the claim under the broadest reasonable interpretation of the claimed limitations. Specifically, a person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize from the description of the function of the coil connected to the shaft of the input member [col. 12 line 55 – col. 13 line 3] and the drawing thereof [fig .5] that the coil is rigidly connected to the shaft in order to move the shaft and therefore the input member when the coil moves.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bushnell et al. (US 10585480 B1, hereinafter “Bushnell”).
Regarding Claim 1, Bushnell discloses an electronic watch [col. 2 lines 1-2] [figs. 3 and 5] (the embodiment of figure 5 is the embodiment which covers the limitations of claim 1, but references are directed towards figure 3 and its description because they are provided with greater detail while the embodiment of figure 5 is very similar and includes the same elements as figure 3 but with the coil coupled to the input member and movable instead of the magnet) comprising:
a housing member (102) defining a hole along a side surface of the housing member;
a haptic button (200) comprising:
an input member (108) positioned at least partially within the hole and defining an input surface (surface of 108) [fig. 3, fig. 5];
a magnet (300) configured to generate a magnetic field [col. 9 line 51 – col. 10 line 5] [col. 12 line 55 – col. 13 line 3]; and
a conductive coil (304) coupled to the input member [fig. 5], the conductive coil extending from the input member at least partially into the magnetic field [fig. 5] [col. 12 line 55 – col. 13 line 3] (coil is coupled to the shaft of the input member and extends from it into the magnetic field); and
a processing unit (202) configured to cause an electrical current to pass through the conductive coil [col. 10 lines 6-17] [col. 12 line 55 – col. 13 line 3], thereby moving the input member along a translation direction perpendicular to the input surface to produce a haptic output [col. 10 lines 6-17] [col. 12 line 55 – col. 13 line 3].
Regarding Claim 2, Bushnell discloses the electronic watch of claim 1, and further discloses wherein:
the magnet (300) defines an internal structure [fig. 3]; and
the electronic watch further comprises a compliant member (318) defining a portion positioned between the input member and the internal structure [fig. 3] and configured to deform in response to a force input applied to the input member [col. 10 lines 49-54].
Regarding Claim 3, Bushnell discloses the electronic watch of claim 2, and further discloses wherein:
the portion of the compliant member is a first portion (318); and
the compliant member further defines a second portion (320) defining a periphery of the haptic button [fig. 3] and in contact with a surface of the hole [fig. 3], thereby defining a seal between the haptic button and the housing member [fig. 3] [col. 11 lines 29-46] (material of compliant member such as foam or silicon in combination with structure shown in fig. 3 and described forms the equivalent to a seal).
Regarding Claim 4, Bushnell discloses the electronic watch of claim 1, and further discloses wherein:
the electronic watch further comprises:
a display (104); and
a transparent cover over the display [col. 7 lines 18-30] and coupled to the housing member [fig. 1];
the processing unit is further configured to detect a force input applied to the input member [col. 10 lines 6-17]; and
the haptic output is produced in response to the detection of the force input [col. 10 lines 6-17].
Regarding Claim 5, Bushnell discloses the electronic watch of claim 4, and further discloses wherein:
the input member is configured to move in response to the force input [col. 8 lines 51-64], thereby causing the conductive coil to move within the magnetic field to induce an electrical signal in the conductive coil [col. 10 lines 6-17] [col. 12 line 55 – col. 13 line 3]; and
the processing unit is configured to:
detect the electrical signal [col. 10 lines 6-17]; and
in accordance with the electrical signal satisfying a condition [col. 11 lines 4-13], initiate the haptic output [col. 12 line 55 – col. 13 line 3].
Regarding Claim 6, Bushnell discloses the electronic watch of claim 1, further comprising an internal structure (314) coupled to the input member [col. 10 lines 18-25] and defining a retention feature configured to receive a fastener (322, 324) for attaching the haptic button to the housing member [col. 10 lines 26-34].
Regarding Claim 7, Bushnell discloses the electronic watch of claim 1, and further discloses wherein:
the conductive coil is fixed to an interior surface of the input member [fig. 5] [col. 12 line 55 – col. 13 line 3] (fixed to shaft surface which is an interior surface of the input member).
Regarding Claim 8, Bushnell discloses a portable electronic device [abstract] comprising:
a housing member (102);
a display (104);
a transparent cover over the display [col. 7 lines 18-30] and coupled to the housing member [fig. 1]; and
an input device (108) configured to receive an input and produce a haptic output [col. 10 lines 6-17], the input device positioned at least partially in a hole defined through a side of the housing member and comprising [figs. 3]:
an internal structure (306) comprising a magnet (300) [fig. 3] configured to generate a magnetic field [col. 9 line 51 – col. 10 line 5];
an input member (108) having a top side defining an input surface of the input device (top/outer surface of 108) [fig. 3] and a bottom side opposite the top side;
a compliant member (318) positioned between the input member and the internal structure [fig. 3] and configured to deform in response to the input and in response to the haptic output [col. 10 lines 49-61]; and
a conductive coil (304) extending from the bottom side of the input member [fig. 5] [col. 12 line 55 – col. 13 line 3] (coil assembly includes/coupled to shaft, which extends from the bottom of the input member) and configured to interact with the magnetic field [col. 9 line 51 – col. 10 line 5] [col. 12 line 55 – col. 13 line 3] to move the input member relative to the internal structure to produce the haptic output [col. 10 lines 6-17].
Regarding Claim 9, Bushnell discloses the portable electronic device of claim 8, and further discloses wherein the compliant member (318) attaches the input member to the internal structure [fig. 3].
Regarding Claim 10, Bushnell discloses the portable electronic device of claim 8, and further discloses wherein:
the input is a translational input [col. 5 lines 46 – col. 6 line 3]; and
the input member moves relative to the internal structure along a translation direction perpendicular to the input surface in response to the translational input [fig. 3] [col. 8 lines 51-64].
Regarding Claim 11, Bushnell discloses the portable electronic device of claim 10, and further discloses wherein moving the input member relative to the internal structure to produce the haptic output comprises moving the input member along the translation direction [fig. 3] [col. 8 lines 51-64].
Regarding Claim 12, Bushnell discloses the portable electronic device of claim 8, and further discloses wherein the portable electronic device is configured to:
detect a characteristic of the input (movement of a given distance) [col. 10 lines 6-17]; and
in accordance with the characteristic of the input satisfying a condition, supply an electrical current to the conductive coil to produce a force on the input member to produce the haptic output [col. 10 lines 6-17].
Regarding Claim 13, Bushnell discloses the portable electronic device of claim 12, and further discloses and further discloses the portable electronic device of claim 12, and further discloses wherein detecting the characteristic of the input comprises detecting an electrical signal induced in the conductive coil (input device signal) due to the conductive coil moving in the magnetic field [col. 10 lines 6-17].
Regarding Claim 14, Bushnell discloses the portable electronic device of claim 12, and further discloses wherein the characteristic of the input is at least one of a force of the input or a translation distance of the input (movement of a given distance) [col. 10 lines 6-17], (translational) [fig. 3] [col. 8 lines 51-64].
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
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. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 15, 16, and 19-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bushnell et al. (US 10585480 B1, hereinafter “Bushnell”).
Regarding Claim 15, Bushnell a wearable electronic device [fig. 4] [col. 11 line 65 – col. 12 line 2, fig. 4 also including the details of the haptic engine 200 shown in fig. 3] comprising:
a housing (102);
a touch-sensitive display (104) [col. 7 lines 18-30] coupled to the housing and configured to receive a touch input and provide a graphical output [col. 7 lines 18-30]; and
a crown (200) positioned along a side of the housing [fig. 3] and comprising:
a body structure (314) [fig. 3];
a cap (106) [fig. 4] structure coupled to the body structure and defining an exterior end surface of the crown [fig. 4];
a magnet (300) configured to generate a magnetic field [col. 9 line 51 – col. 10 line 5]; and
a coil (304) configured to interact with the magnetic field to impart a force on the cap structure [col. 9 line 51 – col. 10 line 5], thereby moving the cap structure relative to the body structure to produce a haptic output [col. 10 lines 6-17].
In this embodiment shown in fig. 4 where the crown 106 is provided as the input member instead of the button 108 (but which also includes the details of the haptic engine 200 described in the embodiment of fig. 3 [col. 11 line 65 – col. 12 line 2]) Bushnell does not explicitly disclose that the coil is rigidly coupled to the cap structure.
In another embodiment shown in Fig. 5 Bushnell discloses that the coil 304 is the element coupled to the input member structure, which is the button 108 in this embodiment, instead of the magnet 300 being the element coupled to the input member structure like that shown in the embodiment of figs. 3-4 [fig. 5] [col. 12 line 55 – col. 13 line 3] (similar embodiment to figure 3 but with the coil being coupled to the input member and movable instead of the magnet). A person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize from the description of the function of the coil connected to the shaft of the input member [col. 12 line 55 – col. 13 line 3] and the drawing thereof [fig .5] that the coil is rigidly connected to the shaft in order to move the shaft and therefore the input member when the coil moves. The embodiment of Fig. 5 does also include most of the details of the previous embodiments [col. 12 line 55 – col. 13 line 3], however the explicit combination of the embodiment of fig. 4 for the input member being the crown 106 while the coil 304 is coupled to the input member instead of the magnet 300 is not provided.
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention there was a recognized problem in the art, how to implement a coil moving in a magnetic field created by a permanent magnet to provide haptic feedback in response of a force being applied to a button. In addressing this issue, Bushnell discloses two solutions: coupling the magnet to the input member so that it moves in response to input and moves the magnetic field which creates a current in the coil [fig. 3], or coupling the coil to the input member so that when it moves through the magnetic field of the fixed magnet it creates a current [fig. 5]. Essentially when combining a magnet creating a magnetic field and a coil to produce an electrical current for a haptic feedback there are two choices, keep one of the elements (magnet or coil) fixed and have the other move and vice versa.
Therefore, there had been a finite number of identified, predictable potential solutions to the recognized need or problem. Because of this, where the embodiment of fig. 4 shows only that the magnet 300 is the element coupled to the input member (like the embodiment of fig. 3 also), and not the coil 304, one of ordinary skill in the art could have pursued the known potential solutions with a reasonable expectation of success because it is already shown that it accomplishes the same goal and is one of two options for doing so making it entirely obvious to try making the embodiment of fig. 4 where the coil is instead coupled to the input member.
Regarding Claim 16, Bushnell discloses the wearable electronic device of claim 15, and further discloses wherein the body structure of the crown defines at least a portion of a peripheral exterior surface of the crown [fig. 5] (body structure 314 is part of the exterior in contact with housing 102).
Regarding Claim 19, Bushnell discloses the wearable electronic device of claim 15, and further discloses wherein:
the cap structure is coupled to the body structure via a compliant member (320); and
the compliant member deforms when the cap structure is moved relative to the body structure [col. 10 line 62 – col. 11 line 3].
Regarding Claim 20, Bushnell discloses the wearable electronic device of claim 19, and further discloses wherein:
the cap structure is configured to move relative to the body structure in response to a force input being applied to the cap structure, thereby causing the coil to move in the magnetic field (movement of a given distance) [col. 10 lines 6-17];
the wearable electronic device is configured to detect the force input based at least in part on a change in an electrical characteristic of the coil resulting from the coil moving in the magnetic field (input device signal) [col. 10 lines 6-17]; and
the haptic output is produced in response to detecting the force input [col. 10 lines 6-17].
Regarding Claim 21, Bushnell discloses the wearable electronic device of claim 19, and further discloses wherein the compliant member (320) spans a gap between the body structure and the cap structure and defines at least a portion of an exterior surface of the crown [fig. 3].
Regarding Claim 22, Bushnell discloses the wearable electronic device of claim 21, and further disclose wherein: the compliant member is a first compliant member (320); and the crown further comprises: a second compliant member (318) positioned between the cap structure and the magnet [fig. 3] and configured to deform when the cap structure is moved relative to the body structure [col. 10 lines 49-61].
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEVIN A JOHNSTON whose telephone number is (571)272-4353. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 10 a.m. - 7p.m. ET.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Renee Luebke can be reached at (571) 272-2009. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KEVIN ANDREW JOHNSTON/Examiner, Art Unit 2831
/EDWIN A. LEON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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