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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 8, lines 5-6: “the mesh lines” should be changed to –mesh lines--. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 1-7 and 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kodani et al. (US PGPub 2016/0202823) in view of Yang et al. (US PGPub 2019/0115916), Iwanami et al. (WO 2012/147987) and Teranishi et al. (US PGPub 2014/0218335).
Regarding claim 1, Kodani discloses an electronic apparatus (fig. 1, touch input device 1), comprising:
a pyroelectric layer (figs. 2-7, pyroelectric material 26 and pyroelectrical material 27) comprising a plurality of pyroelectric blocks in an array (fig. 7 and [0099], “In the above embodiment, one first pyroelectric material 26 and one second pyroelectric material 27 are placed in one touch panel 2; however, one touch panel 2 may be configured to have a plurality of pyroelectric material pairs 30 each comprising a pair of a first pyroelectric material 26 and a second pyroelectric material 27 that are adjacent to each other, as shown in FIG. 7”), configured to detect thermal radiation ([0100], “when a heating element, such as a human finger, approaches or touches the touch panel 2 to thereby cause a temperature change in part of the touch panel 2, the influence of pyroelectric noise due to the temperature change can be cancelled in each pyroelectric material pair 30. Therefore, the resistance to pyroelectric noise can be further increased.” and [0098], “the touch panel 2 can accurately detect press pressure applied to the first pyroelectric material 26 or the second pyroelectric material 27”);
a first electrode layer ([0091] and fig. 3, “The upper conductive layer 25 and the lower conductive layer 28 can be, for example, ITO electrodes or tin oxide electrodes, as with the transparent electrodes E1 and E2” where the E1 is the first electrode layer) comprising a plurality of first electrodes (fig. 3, Ea1 and Ea2), a respective first electrode of the plurality of first electrodes electrically connected to multiple pyroelectric blocks (fig. 3, Va shows connection between pyroelectric materials 26 and 27);
a second electrode layer ([0091] and fig. 3, “The upper conductive layer 25 and the lower conductive layer 28 can be, for example, ITO electrodes or tin oxide electrodes, as with the transparent electrodes E1 and E2” where the E2 is the second electrode layer) comprising a plurality of second electrodes (fig. 3, Eb1 and Eb2), a respective second electrode of the plurality of second electrodes electrically connected to multiple pyroelectric blocks (fig. 3, Vb shows connection between pyroelectric materials 26 and 27); and
a first circuit (fig. 1, signal processing unit 3) configured to receive a first signal transmitted from the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes, and configured to detect a ([0054], “the touch panel 2 comprises a pyroelectric material. A voltage signal SV generated by the pyroelectric material is input into the signal processing unit 3. The pressure detecting unit 5 detects press pressure applied to the touch panel 2 based on the voltage signal SV”);
wherein the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes cross over each other forming a plurality of intersections (Kodani: fig. 19, [0147], “Similar to the piezoelectric element structure 2Ba, the piezoelectric element structure 2B′ comprises an upper conductive layer 25, a first pyroelectric material 26, a second pyroelectric material 27, and a lower conductive layer 28”); and
the plurality of pyroelectric blocks are in the plurality of intersections, respectively, and between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer (Kodani: fig. 19, [0147], “Similar to the piezoelectric element structure 2Ba, the piezoelectric element structure 2B′ comprises an upper conductive layer 25, a first pyroelectric material 26, a second pyroelectric material 27, and a lower conductive layer 28”).
While Kodani teaches detection of a touch input by detecting thermal radiation from a user’s finger using pyroelectric material to detect touch position, touch pressure, and series of touch positions and pressures, all as inputs ([0175]), it has been known that pyroelectric sensors can be used to detect a gesture input, which is a type of touch input comprising of a series of user touch/input points as a single input. In a similar field of endeavor of pyroelectric type sensors, Yang discloses the pyroelectric layer configured to detect thermal radiation from a gesture ([0025], “an example PIR sensor 200 having sensing circuitry 204 that includes a pair of sensing elements 208 (1) and 208 (2) composed of pyroelectric crystals, a material that generates a surface electric charge when exposed to heat in the form of IR radiation”); the first circuit configured to detect a gesture input on the electronic apparatus upon receiving the first signal ([0025], “Since pyroelectric-based PIR sensors are well-known in other fields, are inexpensive, and consume little power, basic components of these sensors are well-suited for use in IR sensor(s) 108 in some embodiments of IR-based gesture sensing and detection system 100”).
In view of the teachings of Kodani and Yang, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include in the pyroelectric sensor capable of detecting user gestures (detects position, pressure, and series of positions and pressures) in the system of Kodani, the known detection of gestures type of input as taught by Yang (Yang [0025]).
While the combination of Kodani and Yang teaches using pyroelectric material to detect touch and gesture, a plurality of sensor structures have been known including having a polarization layer the same thickness as a combined thickness of a first electrode layer and a pyroelectric layer. In a similar field of endeavor of sensor elements, Iwanami discloses a planarization layer (fig. 9, insulator 4) between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer (fig. 9, conductor 21 and conductor 5); and a thickness of the planarization layer is the same as a combined thickness of the first electrode layer and the pyroelectric layer (fig. 9, element 4 is as thick as element 2 and element 21 combined).
In view of the teachings of Kodani, Yang and Iwanami, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to implement the planarization layer dimension in an electronic apparatus of Kodani and Yang using a known dimension implementation such as taught by Kodani as a known alternative without unexpected results, such as for the purpose of substituting known structures based on availability of parts or materials having dimensions that would have still expected to work for the intended purposes in the electronic apparatus.
While the combination of Kodani, Yang and Iwanami discloses pyroelectric blocks in a matrix (Kodani: fig. 7), it has been known to have an orthographic projection of electrodes being a set size. In a similar field of endeavor of display devices, Teranishi discloses the respective first electrode is electrically connected to a row of multiple (fig. 3, Tx);
the respective second electrode is electrically connected to a column of multiple (fig. 3, Rx);
an orthographic projection of a ([0016], “a first width of the second electrode in the second direction is larger than a second width of the first electrode in the second direction, the third electrode includes a first expanding portion for expanding the area of the third electrode at the first intersection portion, and the area of the first expanding portion is adjusted such that the area of a portion of the third electrode overlapping with the second electrode approaches the area of a portion of the third electrode overlapping with the first electrode”).
In view of the teachings of Kodani, Yang, Iwanami and Teranishi, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include the overlapping of electrodes and the intersection portion, as taught by Teranishi, within the system of Kodani, Yang and Iwanami, for the purpose of the noise immunity of the detected capacitance can be prevented or inhibited from lowering on the driving electrode having a width different from the widths of the other driving electrodes (Teranishi: [0018]).
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Kodani, Yang, Iwanami and Teranishi further discloses further comprising a non-transitory memory (Yang: [0030], “Memory 132 can be any type(s) of suitable machine memory, such as cache, RAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, and/or EEPROM, among others. Machine memory can also be another type of machine memory, such as a static or removable storage disk, static or removable solid-state memory, and/or any other type of persistent hardware-based memory. Fundamentally, there is no limitation on the type(s) of memory other than it be embodied in hardware”) comprising a first database (Yang: [0030], “memory 132 in operative communication with the processor and containing machine-executable instructions 136 for, among other things, executing algorithms and associated tasked for detecting the occurrence of each micro gesture that a user performs within gesture-sensing region 104”) configured to store data on a distribution pattern of heat generated by the electronic apparatus in operation over the pyroelectric layer (Yang: [0031], “Machine-executable instructions 136 also include machine-executable instructions for performing a gesture-detection algorithm 148 trained to distinguish occurrences of differing micro gestures from one another based on the feature(s) that feature-extraction algorithm 144 extracts from gesture-response signal 112D.”).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Kodani, Yang, Iwanami and Teranishi further discloses further comprising a second circuit (Yang: fig. 2, amplifier 244) configured to convert the first signal into a second signal by canceling a noise in the first signal contributed by the heat generated by the electronic apparatus in operation over the pyroelectric layer (Yang: [0026], “Sensing elements 208 (1) and 208 (2) are also electrically connected to a differential amplifier 240 to cancel common-mode noise caused by environmental temperature change, vibration, and sunlight, since these simultaneously affect both sensing elements. The output of the differential amplifier 240 is a gesture-response signal 244”).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Kodani, Yang, Iwanami and Teranishi further discloses further comprising a non-transitory memory (Yang: [0030], “Memory 132 can be any type(s) of suitable machine memory, such as cache, RAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, and/or EEPROM, among others. Machine memory can also be another type of machine memory, such as a static or removable storage disk, static or removable solid-state memory, and/or any other type of persistent hardware-based memory. Fundamentally, there is no limitation on the type(s) of memory other than it be embodied in hardware”) comprising a second database (Yang: [0030], “memory 132 in operative communication with the processor and containing machine-executable instructions 136 for, among other things, executing algorithms and associated tasked for detecting the occurrence of each micro gesture that a user performs within gesture-sensing region 104”) configured to store data on correspondence between a plurality of gesture inputs and a plurality of commands (Yang: [0031], “Machine-executable instructions 136 also include machine-executable instructions for performing a gesture-detection algorithm 148 trained to distinguish occurrences of differing micro gestures from one another based on the feature(s) that feature-extraction algorithm 144 extracts from gesture-response signal 112D.” and [0032], “Such a control-gesture set would typically represent at least the micro gestures that will be used to control one or more controllable devices (collective represented as controllable device 152 ). Each controllable device 152 may be any suitable device capable of being controlled via gestural input”).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Kodani, Yang, Iwanami and Teranishi further discloses further comprising a second circuit configured to generate a command signal based on the correspondence and upon detection of the gesture input, and drive the electronic apparatus to perform an operation based on a command corresponding to the gesture input (Yang: [0086], “In this example, the user could draw a circle on their index finger with their thumb as a shortcut to launch the video player app. This way, the user doing this did not need to browse an app list on the smartwatch to find the video player app. Unlike existing video players on smartwatches, wherein the control panel can occlude the screen content, the present example allows the user to using thumb-tip gestures to control the video. For example, the user could rub their finger with their thumb to play or pause the video (FIG. 11). Drawing a question mark showed the information of the video, such as title and year.” also refer to fig. 7 which shows gestures).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Kodani, Yang, Iwanami and Teranishi further discloses wherein the operation comprises activating a virtual object displayed on a display panel (Yang: [0033], “For example, if the particular control gesture corresponds to pressing a virtual button, then each controllable device 152 responds to the corresponding indication in the manner it has been programmed to respond to a pressing of a virtual button”).
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Kodani, Yang, Iwanami and Teranishi further discloses further comprising a display panel configured to display an image in a display area (Kodani: [0175], “The touch panel of the present invention can be used in electronic devices, such as touch panel displays (touch panel monitors) of mobile phones (e.g., smartphones), personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablet PCs, ATMs, automatic ticket vending machines, digitizers, touchpads, car navigation systems, and FA (factory automation) equipment. The electronic devices allow operation and movement based on the touch position, touch pressure, or both”);
wherein the plurality of pyroelectric blocks are at least partially in the display area (Kodani: where the touch panel includes the touch panel display and the touch panel has the pyroelectric blocks as discussed in claim 1 above).
Regarding claim 15, Kodani discloses a method of detecting a (fig. 1, touch input device 1),
wherein the electronic apparatus comprises:
a pyroelectric layer (figs. 2-7, pyroelectric material 26 and pyroelectrical material 27) comprising a plurality of pyroelectric blocks in an array (fig. 7 and [0099], “In the above embodiment, one first pyroelectric material 26 and one second pyroelectric material 27 are placed in one touch panel 2; however, one touch panel 2 may be configured to have a plurality of pyroelectric material pairs 30 each comprising a pair of a first pyroelectric material 26 and a second pyroelectric material 27 that are adjacent to each other, as shown in FIG. 7”);
a first electrode layer ([0091] and fig. 3, “The upper conductive layer 25 and the lower conductive layer 28 can be, for example, ITO electrodes or tin oxide electrodes, as with the transparent electrodes E1 and E2” where the E1 is the first electrode layer) comprising a plurality of first electrodes (fig. 3, Ea1 and Ea2), a respective first electrode of the plurality of first electrodes electrically connected to multiple pyroelectric blocks (fig. 3, Va shows connection between pyroelectric materials 26 and 27);
a second electrode layer ([0091] and fig. 3, “The upper conductive layer 25 and the lower conductive layer 28 can be, for example, ITO electrodes or tin oxide electrodes, as with the transparent electrodes E1 and E2” where the E2 is the second electrode layer) comprising a plurality of second electrodes (fig. 3, Eb1 and Eb2), a respective second electrode of the plurality of second electrodes electrically connected to multiple pyroelectric blocks (fig. 3, Vb shows connection between pyroelectric materials 26 and 27); and
a first circuit (fig. 1, signal processing unit 3) connected to the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes ([0054], “the touch panel 2 comprises a pyroelectric material. A voltage signal SV generated by the pyroelectric material is input into the signal processing unit 3. The pressure detecting unit 5 detects press pressure applied to the touch panel 2 based on the voltage signal SV”);
wherein the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes cross over each other forming a plurality of intersections (Kodani: fig. 19, [0147], “Similar to the piezoelectric element structure 2Ba, the piezoelectric element structure 2B′ comprises an upper conductive layer 25, a first pyroelectric material 26, a second pyroelectric material 27, and a lower conductive layer 28”); and
the plurality of pyroelectric blocks are in the plurality of intersections, respectively, and between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer (Kodani: fig. 19, [0147], “Similar to the piezoelectric element structure 2Ba, the piezoelectric element structure 2B′ comprises an upper conductive layer 25, a first pyroelectric material 26, a second pyroelectric material 27, and a lower conductive layer 28”);
the method comprises:
detecting thermal radiation from ([0054], “The touch panel 2 is configured to be able to detect a touch position and press pressure applied during the touch operation. The signal processing unit 3 comprises a position detecting unit 4 for detecting a touch position on the touch panel 2, and a pressure detecting unit 5 for detecting press pressure applied to the touch panel 2”);
receiving, by the first circuit, a first signal from the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes ([0054], “the touch panel 2 comprises a pyroelectric material. A voltage signal SV generated by the pyroelectric material is input into the signal processing unit 3”); and
detecting the ([0054], “The pressure detecting unit 5 detects press pressure applied to the touch panel 2 based on the voltage signal SV”).
While Kodani teaches detection of a pressure input, where it is known that pyroelectric sensors can be used to detect a gesture input. In a similar field of endeavor of pyroelectric type sensors, Yang discloses a method of detecting a gesture input comprising: detecting thermal radiation from a gesture by the pyroelectric layer ([0025], “an example PIR sensor 200 having sensing circuitry 204 that includes a pair of sensing elements 208 (1) and 208 (2) composed of pyroelectric crystals, a material that generates a surface electric charge when exposed to heat in the form of IR radiation”); detecting the gesture input on the electronic apparatus upon receiving the first signal ([0025], “Since pyroelectric-based PIR sensors are well-known in other fields, are inexpensive, and consume little power, basic components of these sensors are well-suited for use in IR sensor(s) 108 in some embodiments of IR-based gesture sensing and detection system 100”).
In view of the teachings of Kodani and Yang, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include the pyroelectric sensor capable of detecting user gestures in the system of Kodani, as a substitute type of input where a single point input and a gesture input are known, for the purpose of using pyroelectric sensors which are well-known, inexpensive and consume little power in order to perform gesture sensing and detection (Yang [0025]).
While the combination of Kodani and Yang teaches using pyroelectric material to detect touch and gesture, a plurality of sensor structures have been known including having a polarization layer the same thickness ad a first electrode layer and a pyroelectric layer. In a similar field of endeavor of sensor elements, Iwanami discloses a planarization layer (fig. 9, insulator 4) between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer (fig. 9, conductor 21 and conductor 5); and a thickness of the planarization layer is the same as a combined thickness of the first electrode layer and the pyroelectric layer (fig. 9, element 4 is as thick as element 2 and element 21).
In view of the teachings of Kodani, Yang and Iwanami, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include the structure of Iwanami in the sensor of Kodani and Yang, for the purpose of substituting known structures based on availability of parts or materials.
While the combination of Kodani, Yang and Iwanami discloses pyroelectric blocks in a matrix (Kodani: fig. 7), it has been known to have an orthographic projection of electrodes being a set size. In a similar field of endeavor of display devices, Teranishi discloses the respective first electrode is electrically connected to a row of multiple (fig. 3, Tx);
the respective second electrode is electrically connected to a column of multiple (fig. 3, Rx);
an orthographic projection of a ([0016], “a first width of the second electrode in the second direction is larger than a second width of the first electrode in the second direction, the third electrode includes a first expanding portion for expanding the area of the third electrode at the first intersection portion, and the area of the first expanding portion is adjusted such that the area of a portion of the third electrode overlapping with the second electrode approaches the area of a portion of the third electrode overlapping with the first electrode”).
In view of the teachings of Kodani, Yang, Iwanami and Teranishi, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include the overlapping of electrodes and the intersection portion, as taught by Teranishi, within the system of Kodani, Yang and Iwanami, for the purpose of the noise immunity of the detected capacitance can be prevented or inhibited from lowering on the driving electrode having a width different from the widths of the other driving electrodes (Teranishi: [0018]).
Claims 16-20 are method claims drawn to the apparatus of claims 2-6 respectively and are therefore interpreted and rejected based on similar reasoning.
Claims 11-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kodani, Yang, Iwanami and Teranishi further in view of Ramstein et al. (US PGPub 2014/0139436).
Regarding claim 11, while the combination of Kodani, Yang, Iwanami and Teranishi discloses wherein the pyroelectric layer, the first electrode layer, and the second electrode layer are integrated into a structure (Kodani: fig. 19 and [0147], “the piezoelectric element structure 2B′ comprises an upper conductive layer 25, a first pyroelectric material 26, a second pyroelectric material 27, and a lower conductive layer 28. Further, the piezoelectric element structure 2B′ comprises four pressure-sensitive adhesive layers or adhesive layers Fa1, Fa2, Fb1, and Fb2, and two protective layers 31 and 32”), it has been known that the structure could be a support structure. In a similar field of endeavor of sensor systems, Ramstein discloses further comprising wherein the structure is a support structure on a side opposite to a light emitting side of the display panel ([0027], “one or more of the EMP actuators of a haptic system may be attached to a substrate, which may be provided above or underneath a surface of a touch-sensing device”).
In view of the teachings of Kodani, Yang, Iwanami, Teranishi and Ramstein, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include the support of Ramstein in the system of Kodani, Yang, Iwanami and Teranishi, for the purpose of providing stability.
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Kodani, Yang, Iwanami, Teranishi and Ramstein further discloses wherein the support structure comprises a flexible base substrate (Ramstein: [0027], “The substrate may be rigid or flexible”);
the first electrode layer is on a side of the flexible base substrate closer to the display panel (Kodani: fig. 19 and [0147], “the piezoelectric element structure 2B′ comprises an upper conductive layer 25”);
the pyroelectric layer is on a side of the first electrode layer away from the flexible base substrate (Kodani: fig. 19 and [0147], “the piezoelectric element structure 2B′ comprises an upper conductive layer 25, a first pyroelectric material 26, a second pyroelectric material 27”); and
the second electrode layer is on a side of the pyroelectric layer away from the first electrode layer (Kodani: fig. 19 and [0147], “the piezoelectric element structure 2B′ comprises an upper conductive layer 25, a first pyroelectric material 26, a second pyroelectric material 27, and a lower conductive layer 28”).
Regarding claim 13, the combination of Kodani, Yang, Iwanami, Teranishi and Ramstein further discloses wherein the flexible base substrate is a back film of the display panel (Ramstein: [0027], “The substrate may be a graphical display on a handheld device”); and
the pyroelectric layer, the first electrode layer, and the second electrode layer are between the back film and the display panel (Kodani: fig. 19 and [0147], “the piezoelectric element structure 2B′ comprises an upper conductive layer 25, a first pyroelectric material 26, a second pyroelectric material 27, and a lower conductive layer 28. Further, the piezoelectric element structure 2B′ comprises four pressure-sensitive adhesive layers or adhesive layers Fa1, Fa2, Fb1, and Fb2, and two protective layers 31 and 32”).
Regarding claim 14, the combination of Kodani, Yang, Iwanami, Teranishi and Ramstein further discloses wherein the support structure further comprises:
a metal support layer on a side of the second electrode layer away from the flexible base substrate (Ramstein: [0035], “the substrate may be bonded to the EMP sensor by thermal lamination. The force receiving surface may be provided on a compliant metal plate attached to one side of one of the EMP sensors”);
a foam layer on a side of the metal support layer away from the second electrode layer (Ramstein: [0095], “Suitable substrate materials include transparent materials such as glass, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polymethyl methacrylate, polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), opaque material such as molded plastic, or mixtures thereof” where it is known that polyethylene terephthalate is a known material for a foam layer); and
an adhesive layer on a side of the foam layer away from the metal support layer, adhering the support structure to the display panel (Kodani: [0147] and fig. 19, “The pressure-sensitive adhesive layers or adhesive layers Fa1, Fa2, Fb1, and Fb2 are provided, respectively, between the upper conductive layer 25 and the first pyroelectric material 26, between the lower conductive layer 28 and the first pyroelectric material 26, between the upper conductive layer 25 and the second pyroelectric material 27, and between the lower conductive layer 28 and the second pyroelectric material 27”).
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kodani, Yang, Iwanami and Teranishi further in view of Ramstein and Cambou (US PGPub 2016/0073042).
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Kodani, Yang, Iwanami and Teranishi further discloses further comprising a touch control structure;
wherein the pyroelectric layer, the first electrode layer, and the second electrode layer are on a side of the touch control structure away from the display panel (Yang teaches a known alternative of such placement: [0086], “Two example demo applications were implemented to showcase the use of the example instantiation of the IR-based gesture sensing and detection system on wearable devices. The first example application was a video player on a smartwatch. A smartwatch prototype was built using a 2″ thin-film transistor (TFT) display, a 3D printed case, and the example instantiation of the IR-based gesture sensing and detection system” and figs. 4 and 5).
While the combination of Kodani, Yang, Iwanami and Teranishi teaches a touch input display, various locations of touch control structures and display structures are known. In a similar field of endeavor of touch devices, Ramstein teaches a touch control structure on a light emitting side of the display panel ([0080], “Transparent EMP transducers can be used, for example, in conjunction with a display or touch surface (e.g., placed on top of the display or surface) without detriment to the performance of the display or touch surface”).
In view of the teachings of Kodani, Yang, Iwanami, Teranishi and Ramstein, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to position a touch structure on a light emitting side of a display panel, as taught by Ramstein, in the system of Kodani, Yang, Iwanami and Teranishi, for the purpose of performing a known substitution with limitation possibilities where a touch screen would either be place above or below a display screen and would therefore not require undue experimentation.
While the combination of Kodani, Yang, Iwanami, Teranishi and Ramstein discloses a first and second electrode layer, it has been known to include mesh lines which the first and second electrodes cross over multiple times. In a similar field of endeavor of sensor devices, Cambou discloses a respective first electrode of the plurality of first electrodes crosses over the mesh lines multiple times; and a respective second electrode of the plurality of second electrodes crosse over the mesh lines multiple times ([0031], “Each pixel comprises a capacitance formed between an individual electrode of the pixel and an electrode common to all the pixels, the two electrodes being separated by a dielectric layer that is formed by the pyroelectric material. The array M1 thus comprises a mesh of rows and columns of pixel electrodes, and an elementary electric charge measuring circuit formed in the silicon of the chip, located under each pixel electrode and connected to this electrode”).
In view of the teachings of Kodani, Yang, Iwanami, Teranishi, Ramstein and Cambou, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include the structure of Cambou in the system of Kodani, Yang, Iwanami, Teranishi and Ramstein, for the purpose of improving flexibility and reliability.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kodani, Yang, Iwanami and Teranishi further in view of Kitchens et al. (US PGPub 2014/0354905).
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Kodani, Yang, Iwanami and Teranishi further discloses wherein the display area comprises a plurality of subpixel regions (Yang: [0086], “a video player on a smartwatch. A smartwatch prototype was built using a 2″ thin-film transistor (TFT) display”) and an inter-subpixel region (Yang: where a TFT display would include pixels and would inherently have space between pixels).
While the combination of Kodani, Yang, Iwanami and Teranishi discloses a plurality of subpixels, it has been known to place the pyroelectric blocks in an inter-subpixel region. In a similar field of endeavor of touch input devices, Kitchens discloses the plurality of pyroelectric blocks, the plurality of first electrodes, and the plurality of second electrodes are in the inter-subpixel region (fig. 14S, multifunction pixels including sensor 20C which may be an infrared sensor ([0030) and [0026], “The ultrasonic sensor, photoelectric sensor, infrared light sensor, pyroelectric infrared sensor, or capacitive sensor may be used to detect various gestures of hands or other objects that are near to or on the multifunctional pixel or display array. Further advantages may be achieved by using a combination of sensor types in some or all of the multifunctional pixels. For example, some of the multifunctional pixels in a sensor array may have an ultrasonic sensor, some may have a pyroelectric sensor, some may have a photoelectric sensor, some may have an infrared sensor, and some may have a capacitive sensor. Or, a multifunctional pixel may have two or more types of sensors. For example, the multifunctional pixel may include a display pixel, a photoelectric sensor for detecting optical or infrared light, an infrared sensor for detecting infrared or thermal energy, and an ultrasonic sensor for detecting ultrasonic or acoustic energy. The multifunctional pixel may include a display pixel, a photoelectric sensor, and an infrared sensor. The multifunctional pixel may include a display pixel, a photoelectric sensor, and a capacitive sensor. The multifunctional pixel may include a display pixel, an ultrasonic sensor, and a thermal sensor”).
In view of the teachings of Kodani, Yang, Iwanami, Teranishi and Kitchens, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include ethe pyroelectric blocks of Kitchens in the inter-subpixel region of Kodani, Yang, Iwanami and Teranishi, for the purpose of combining visual display technology with one or more sensors which offers advantages, such as the ability to provide touchscreen operation by use of a finger, stylus or other object positioned on or near the visual display, or to acquire fingerprint information from a finger placed on the display or other biometric information (Kitchens: [0024]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1 and 15 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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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/EJF/
/BENJAMIN C LEE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2629