DETAILED ACTION
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
This is in response to the amendments/arguments filed on 12/11/25. Claims 1 – 20 are pending in the current application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 1 – 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) as being anticipated by Garrett et al. (U.S. 10,810,905).
Regarding claim 1, Garrett discloses an interactive computerized toy, (fig. 1), comprising a multi-face structure, wherein each face points to a different direction, wherein each face comprises a plurality of touch points, (fig. 3, part 110), wherein each touch point comprises an LED, (“The UI outputs 155 may include various indicators such as light emitting diodes (LEDs)”, col. 5, lines 5 – 6), and a conductive-metal component, (“The conducting regions 420 may include metal or other appropriate materials”, col. 7, lines 11 – 13), and wherein the plurality of touch points is configured to generate a plurality of touch detect parameters, (“The position sensor 150 may include various components that are able to detect a position and/or movement of a face associated with the panel module”, col. 4, lines 51 – 53), an audio out device configured to produce audio by a loudspeaker, (“audible outputs such as speakers”, col. 5, line 7), a computation device configured to receive the plurality of touch detect parameters and to generate LEDs control signals for the LEDs in the plurality of touch points based on the received plurality of touch-detect parameters, (“The UI outputs may provide feedback to a user such that the user is able to solve the puzzle (or move to a state that is closer to a solution). Such feedback may include, for instance, lighted indication of a next move (e.g., a “best” move), indication of multiple possible moves, etc.”, col. 5, lines 10 – 15), and to generate an audio control signal to the audio out device based on the received plurality of touch-detect parameters, (“The UI outputs 155 may include various indicators such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), haptic feedback elements (e.g., vibrating elements), audible outputs such as speakers, etc. One exemplary embodiment that includes two LED indicators (related to clockwise and counterclockwise movement) on each face is described in further detail below. The UI outputs may provide feedback to a user such that the user is able to solve the puzzle”, col. 5, lines 5 – 12).
Regarding claims 2 and 13, Garrett discloses an accelerometer configured to measure acceleration parameters of the interactive cube- shaped computerized toy, wherein the computation device is further configured to receive the acceleration parameters and to further generate the LEDs control signals for the plurality of LEDs in the plurality of touch points based on the received acceleration parameters and to further generate the audio control signal to the audio out device based on the received acceleration parameters, (“The position sensor 180 may include various position sensing elements (e.g., accelerometers) that may be utilized to determine a relative position of the cube puzzle itself and/or sub-elements thereof”, col. 5, lines 49 – 53).
Regarding claims 3 and 14, Garrett discloses a magnetometer configured to measure magnetic-field parameters for the interactive computerized toy, wherein the computation device is further configured to receive the measured magnetic-field parameters and to further generate the LEDs control signals for the plurality of LEDs in the plurality of touch points based on the received magnetic-field parameters and to further generate the audio control signal to the audio out device based on the received magnetic-field parameters, (“three-dimensional magnetometer position”, col. 5, lines 55 – 56).
Regarding claim 4, Garrett discloses a gyroscope configured to measure angular-velocity parameters for the interactive computerized toy, wherein the computation device is further configured to receive the measured angular-velocity parameters and to further generate the LEDs control signals for the plurality of LEDs in the plurality of touch points based on the received angular-velocity parameters and to further generate the audio control signal to the audio out device based on the received angular-velocity parameters, (“gyroscopes that may be able to determine the position of the puzzle solve”, col. 9, lines 64 – 66).
Regarding claims 5 and 15, Garrett discloses wherein the generating of the plurality of touch-detect parameters is based on a touch-detect setup-information, wherein the generating of the LEDs control signals for the plurality of LEDs on the multi-face structure is further based on an LEDs control setup-information and wherein the generating of the audio control signal to the audio out device is further based on an audio control setup-information, (“The UI inputs 160 may include elements such as buttons, touch screens, etc. One exemplary embodiment includes a pushbutton associated with each face”, col. 5, lines 16 – 18).
Regarding claims 6 and 16, Garrett discloses wherein the measuring of the acceleration parameters is based on an accelerometer setup-information, wherein the generating of the LEDs control signals for the plurality of LEDs on the multi-face structure is further based on an LEDs control setup-information and wherein the generating of the audio control signal to the audio out device is further based on an audio control setup-information, (“The position sensor 180 may include various position sensing elements (e.g., accelerometers) that may be utilized to determine a relative position of the cube puzzle itself and/or sub-elements thereof”, col. 5, lines 49 – 53).
Regarding claims 7 – 10 and 17 - 20, Garrett discloses a radio component configured to communicate with a handheld device to receive the touch-detect setup-information and at least one of the LEDs control setup-information and the audio control setup-information, (“Audio processor 2640 may process and/or generate audio data and/or instructions. The audio processor may be able to receive audio data from an input device 2630 such as a microphone. The audio processor 2640 may be able to provide audio data to output devices 2640 such as a set of speakers. The audio data may include digital information and/or analog signals. The audio processor 2640 may be able to analyze and/or otherwise evaluate audio data (e.g., by determining qualities such as signal to noise ratio, dynamic range, etc.). In addition, the audio processor may perform various audio processing functions (e.g., equalization, compression, etc.)”, col. 14, lines 42 – 53).
Regarding claim 11, Garrett discloses wherein at least one of the conductive-metal component in the plurality of touch points is a metal ring and wherein the generating of the plurality of touch detect parameters is based on measuring time of a voltage change on the metal ring, (“The conducting regions 420 may include metal or other appropriate materials”, col. 7, lines 11 – 12 and fig. 5, parts 520 and 530).
Regarding claim 12, Garrett discloses a method for generating control signals in an interactive computerized toy, (fig. 1), comprising a multi-face structure, wherein each face points to a different direction, wherein each face comprises a plurality of touch points, (fig. 3, part 110), wherein each touch point comprises an LED, (“The UI outputs 155 may include various indicators such as light emitting diodes (LEDs)”, col. 5, lines 5 – 6), and a conductive-metal component, (“The conducting regions 420 may include metal or other appropriate materials”, col. 7, lines 11 – 13), and wherein the plurality of touch points is configured to generate a plurality of touch detect parameters, (“The position sensor 150 may include various components that are able to detect a position and/or movement of a face associated with the panel module”, col. 4, lines 51 – 53), an audio out device configured to produce audio by a loudspeaker, (“audible outputs such as speakers”, col. 5, line 7), a computation device configured to receive the plurality of touch detect parameters and to generate LEDs control signals for the LEDs in the plurality of touch points based on the received plurality of touch-detect parameters, (“The UI outputs may provide feedback to a user such that the user is able to solve the puzzle (or move to a state that is closer to a solution). Such feedback may include, for instance, lighted indication of a next move (e.g., a “best” move), indication of multiple possible moves, etc.”, col. 5, lines 10 – 15), and to generate an audio control signal to the audio out device based on the received plurality of touch-detect parameters, (“The UI outputs 155 may include various indicators such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), haptic feedback elements (e.g., vibrating elements), audible outputs such as speakers, etc. One exemplary embodiment that includes two LED indicators (related to clockwise and counterclockwise movement) on each face is described in further detail below. The UI outputs may provide feedback to a user such that the user is able to solve the puzzle”, col. 5, lines 5 – 12).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the 101 rejection of claims 1 – 20 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the 101 rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Garrett as cited above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIC M THOMAS whose telephone number is (571)272-1699. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00am - 5:00pm.
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/E.M.T/ Examiner, Art Unit 3715
/DAVID L LEWIS/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3715