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 .
Amendment
Receipt is acknowledged of the amendment filed on 09/04/2025.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 09/04/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to the applicant’s arguments, that “the applied combination is predicated on hindsight reconstruction rather than a teaching or suggesting in the prior art, and fails to disclose or suggest the features of “a first electrically-conductive elastic body disposed on a first face of the first base member, the first electrically-conductive elastic body having elasticity, the first face facing the second face member”, the examiner respectfully disagrees. The examiner respectfully submits that Muriura teaches a first electrically-conductive elastic body (i.e., one of the first conductive members 11a and 11b) (see Fig. 2), the first electrically-conductive elastic body having elasticity (i.e., first conductive member 11 has elasticity and conductivity, and functions as an electrode. Elasticity means a property of locally deforming an object by external force and returning the shape of the object back to its original shape when the force is removed) (see Column 5, line 41, to Column 6, line 7). So, in response to the “hindsight reconstruction” statement, the examiner respectfully submits that such “reconstruction” is proper due to the direct teaching from the primary reference. Although Muriura does not directly or implicitly teach the outer layers (a.k.a. the first base member and the second base member), Muriura as modified by Sleeman teaches a capacitive sensor positioned between two outer layers (i.e., panel 110 and support member 140) for transferring the applied forces to the sensor and for providing additional support and protection to the sensor. Thus, the examiner respectfully submits that the combination of Muriura and Sleeman teaches all the limitations of the currently amended independent claim and is clearly not based on hindsight reconstruction.
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 and 5-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moriura et al. (Pat. No. US 10,908,034) (hereafter Moriura) in view of Sleeman (Pat. No. US 8,621,942) (hereafter Sleeman).
Regarding claim 1, Moriura teaches a load sensor comprising:
a first electrically-conductive elastic body (i.e., one of the first conductive members 11a and 11b) (see Fig. 2), the first electrically-conductive elastic body having elasticity (i.e., first conductive member 11 has elasticity and conductivity, and functions as an electrode. Elasticity means a property of locally deforming an object by external force and returning the shape of the object back to its original shape when the force is removed) (see Column 5, line 41, to Column 6, line 7);
a wire member that is electrically conductive and disposed between the second base member and the first electrically-conductive elastic body (i.e., second conductive member 12) (see Fig. 2); and
a dielectric body disposed between the first electrically-conductive elastic body and the wire member (i.e., dielectric body 13) (see Fig. 2) such that the dielectric body is in contact with at least one of the first electrically-conductive elastic body and the wire member in association with an increase in a load applied to the first base member and the second base member (i.e., first conductive member 11 may have elasticity for increasing the area of the contact region between first conductive member 11 and dielectric body 13 due to the pressing force applied to the pressure-sensitive part) (see Column 5, line 41, to Column 6, line 7),
wherein a permittivity of the dielectric body changes along a contact surface direction (i.e., measures a variation in electrostatic capacitance between the terminals based on a variation in an area of a contact region to thereby measure pressing force without deforming dielectric body 13, and thus, enables measurement of a relatively wide range of pressing force with a relatively simple structure) (see Column 13, line 45, to Column 16, line 7) in which a contact area of the dielectric body increases as the applied load increases (i.e., electrostatic capacitance C [pF] between first conductive member 11 and second conductive member 12 varies. Electrostatic capacitance C [pF] and pressing force F [N] to be applied to the pressure-sensitive part are represented by following (Equation 1) and (Equation 2), respectively, and detector 2A detects pressing force F) (see Column 4, line 35, to Column 6, line 45), such that a form of change in capacitance between the first electrically-conductive elastic body and the wire member associated with a change in the applied load becomes close to that of a straight line (i.e., linearity of sensitivity can be designed, whereby the pressure-sensitive element can be highly sensitive with linearity. The linearity herein means that the value of pressing force is proportional to the measured value of electrostatic capacitance. If the pressure-sensitive element has linearity, the value of pressing force can be obtained with high accuracy) (see Column 31, lines 25-31); but does not explicitly teach that a first base member and a second base member disposed to face each other and that the first face of the first base facing the second base member.
Regarding the first and the second base, Sleeman teaches
a first base member (i.e., front panel 110) (see Fig. 1) and a second base member disposed to face each other (i.e., support member 140) (see Fig. 1);
a first electrically-conductive elastic body disposed on a first face of the first base member (i.e., first electrode 115) (see Fig. 1), the first face facing the second base member (see Fig. 1)
a wire member that is electrically conductive and disposed between the second base member and the first electrically-conductive elastic body (i.e., second electrode 130) (see Fig. 1). In view of the teaching of Sleeman, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have added the first and the second base in order to protect and insulate the conductive members without interfering with the sensor’s performance.
Regarding claim 5, Moriura teaches that the dielectric body has a thickness that changes along the contact surface direction (i.e., electrostatic capacitance C between the first conductive member 11 and second conductive member 12 varies indirectly with the thickness of the dielectric body d) (see Column 4, line 35, to Column 6, line 45).
Regarding claim 6, Moriura teaches that the dielectric body covers a surface of the wire member (i.e., dielectric body 13 at least partially covers the surface of first conductive member 11 or second conductive member 12) (see Column 9, line 48, to Column 10, line 4).
Regarding claim 7, Moriura teaches that the load sensor further comprises a second electrically-conductive elastic body is disposed on a second face of the second base member (i.e., the other one of the first conductive members 11a and 11b) (see Fig. 2), the second electrically-conductive elastic body having elasticity (i.e., first conductive member 11 has elasticity and conductivity, and functions as an electrode. Elasticity means a property of locally deforming an object by external force and returning the shape of the object back to its original shape when the force is removed) (see Column 5, line 41, to Column 6, line 7), the second face facing the first base member (see Fig. 2), the dielectric body is disposed between the second electrically- conductive elastic body and the wire member (i.e., dielectric 13) (see Fig. 2), and the permittivity of the dielectric body changes along the contact surface direction in which the contact area of the dielectric body increases in association with the increase in the load applied to the first base member and the second base member (i.e., measures a variation in electrostatic capacitance between the terminals based on a variation in an area of a contact region to thereby measure pressing force without deforming dielectric body 13, and thus, enables measurement of a relatively wide range of pressing force with a relatively simple structure) (see Column 13, line 45, to Column 16, line 7), such that a form of change in capacitance between the first electrically-conductive elastic body and the wire member and between the second electrically-conductive elastic body and the wire member associated with the change in the applied load becomes close to that of the straight line (i.e., linearity of sensitivity can be designed, whereby the pressure-sensitive element can be highly sensitive with linearity. The linearity herein means that the value of pressing force is proportional to the measured value of electrostatic capacitance. If the pressure-sensitive element has linearity, the value of pressing force can be obtained with high accuracy) (see Column 31, lines 25-31).
Claims 2-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moriura et al. (Pat. No. US 10,908,034) (hereafter Moriura) in view of Sleeman (Pat. No. US 8,621,942) (hereafter Sleeman) and in further view of Kim et al. (Pat. No. US 11,029,220) (hereafter Kim)
Regarding claim 2, Moriua as modified by Sleeman as disclosed above does not directly or implicitly teach that the dielectric body includes different materials along the contact surface direction, and a change in material composition of the dielectric body causes the change in the permittivity of the dielectric body along the contact surface direction.
Regarding the materials of the dielectric, Kim teaches that the dielectric body includes different materials along the contact surface direction, and a change in material composition of the dielectric body causes the change in the permittivity of the dielectric body along the contact surface direction (i.e., the first and second functional layers 20a and 20b may be dielectric layers having a dielectric constant. In this case, when a pressure is applied to the pressure sensing element, capacitance between the first electrode patterns 10a, 10b, 10c, and 10d and the second electrode patterns 30a, 30, 30c, and 30d varies according to a change in the thicknesses of the first and second functional layers 20a and 20b) (see Column 7, lines 44-65). In view of the teaching of Kim, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have used laminated layers of dielectric having thicknesses linearly vary according to a pressure in order to improve the sensor’s accuracy. Furthermore, it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice (see MPEP 2144.07).
Regarding claim 3, Moriura as modified by Sleeman as disclosed above does not directly or implicitly teach that the first dielectric body includes a plurality laminated dielectric body layers, and a change in a number of the laminated dielectric body layers along the contact surface direction causes the change in the permittivity of the dielectric body along the contact surface direction.
Regarding the laminated layers, Kim teaches that the first dielectric body includes a plurality laminated dielectric body layers, and a change in a number of the laminated dielectric body layers along the contact surface direction causes the change in the permittivity of the dielectric body along the contact surface direction (i.e., the first and second functional layers 20a and 20b may be dielectric layers having a dielectric constant. In this case, when a pressure is applied to the pressure sensing element, capacitance between the first electrode patterns 10a, 10b, 10c, and 10d and the second electrode patterns 30a, 30, 30c, and 30d varies according to a change in the thicknesses of the first and second functional layers 20a and 20b) (see Column 7, lines 44-65). In view of the teaching of Kim, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have used laminated layers of dielectric having thicknesses linearly vary according to a pressure in order to improve the sensor’s accuracy. Furthermore, it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice (see MPEP 2144.07).
Regarding claim 4, Moriura as modified by Sleeman as disclosed above does not directly or implicitly teach that compared with a permittivity of the dielectric body in a vicinity of a first position sandwiched between the first electrically-conductive elastic body and the wire member in an initial state before the load is applied to the first and second base members, a permittivity of the dielectric body is higher in a vicinity of a second position located away from the first position along the contact surface direction.
Regarding the permittivity of the dielectric, Kim teaches that compared with a permittivity of the dielectric body in a vicinity of a first position sandwiched between the first electrically-conductive elastic body and the wire member in an initial state before the load is applied to the first and second base members, a permittivity of the dielectric body is higher in a vicinity of a second position located away from the first position along the contact surface direction (i.e., the first and second functional layers 20a and 20b may be dielectric layers having a dielectric constant. In this case, when a pressure is applied to the pressure sensing element, capacitance between the first electrode patterns 10a, 10b, 10c, and 10d and the second electrode patterns 30a, 30, 30c, and 30d varies according to a change in the thicknesses of the first and second functional layers 20a and 20b) (see Column 7, lines 44-65). In view of the teaching of Kim, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have used laminated layers of dielectric having thicknesses linearly vary according to a pressure in order to improve the sensor’s accuracy. Furthermore, it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice (see MPEP 2144.07).
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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRAN M. TRAN whose telephone number is (571)270-0307. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 11:30am - 7:00pm.
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/Tran M. Tran/Examiner, Art Unit 2855