FINAL REJECTION
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 Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 8/25/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
With respect to the claims 1-8, 10-16, and 18-20, the applicant argues that (remarks, pages 7-9):
“Thus, in Schediwy the first electrode 308 and the second electrode 310 define a variable capacitance. The electrodes in a capacitance touch sensor are designed to be close, but not touch, to allow for a detectable change in capacitance when force is applied to the first electrode 310. In contrast, amended claim | recites “‘a sensor aligned with the sensor plate such that a first force applied to the first surface of the plate causes the cushion to directly contact and apply a second force to the sensor.
Furthermore, to reject the element of “a sensor aligned with the sensor plate such that a first force applied to the first surface of the plate causes the cushion to directly contact and apply a second force to the sensor,” the Office Action cited to paragraphs 38 and 39 of Schediwy.”
“These paragraphs describe that the second electrode 310 moves relative to the first electrode 308. However, nothing in these paragraphs appears to disclose that the first electrode 308 and the second electrode 310 are placed in direct contact. Thus, Schediwy fails to disclose all the elements of amended claim 1.
With respect to claims 10 and 18, Applicant respectfully traverses these rejections for at least the reason that the Office Action fails to present a prima facie case that claims 10 and 18 are anticipated. Claim 10 recites “a sensor aligned with the sensor plate such that a first force applied to the plate causes the actuation structure to directly contact and apply a second force to the sensor.” Claim 18 recites “, each of the plurality of sensor plates including an actuation structure that directly contacts and applies a second force to one of the sensors in response to the first force being applied to the plate.” For at least the same reasons as discussed above with respect to claim 1, Schediwy fails to disclose all the elements of claims 10 and 18.”
The examiner respectfully disagrees.
Schediwy teaches an input device 716 that combines a proximity sensor with a plurality of force sensors (a plurality of the input devices 300) that uses both the proximity sensor and the force sensors to provide an interface for the electronic system, and where the input device 716 has a processing system 719, a sensing region 718 and four force sensors 720 implemented proximate the sensing region 718, and where one or more force sensors may be provided within the perimeter of the sensing region 718 (the input device of 300 is provided as the one or more force sensors within the perimeter 718 and 720, paragraph 58). Further, during operation, one or more voltage gradients are created across the layers. Pressing the flexible first layer may deflect it sufficiently to create electrical contact between the layers (interpreted as the electrodes 308 and 310, of the input device 300, contacting each other), resulting in voltage outputs reflective of the point(s) of contact between the layers. These voltage outputs may be used to determine positional information (paragraph 65).
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.
Claim(s) 1-8, 10-16, and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Schediwy et al. U.S. Patent Application Publication 2012/0274599.
With respect to claims 1-3, 10, 15, and 18, Schediwy teaches a force measuring system (input device 300, figures 3A-3C) comprising: a plate (transmission element 312); a sensor plate (third electrode 311) including: a first surface coupled to the plate (third electrode 311 is coupled to the transmission element, figures 3A-3C); a second surface opposite the first surface (figures 3A-3C); an actuation structure coupled to the second surface (piezoelectric material 304 coupled to the third electrode 311, paragraphs 38-39, figures 3A-3C); and a cushion coupled to the actuation structure (second electrode 310 couple to the piezoelectric material 304, figures 3A-3C), the actuation structure and the cushion extending away from the second surface of the sensor plate (figures 3A-3C); and a sensor (first electrode 308) aligned with the sensor plate such that a first force applied to the first surface of the plate causes the cushion to contact and apply a second force to the sensor (paragraphs 38-39, figures 3A-3C). Further, Schediwy teaches wherein the sensor is configured to output a sensor signal (the determined force information from the force sensors, paragraphs 60 and 85) in response to the sensor plate contacting and applying the second force to the sensor (paragraphs 60 and 85) and obtaining sensor data from a plurality of sensors in response to a first force applied to a plate (paragraph 58), the system further comprising a computing system (processing system 719) coupled to the sensor (figure 7) and configured to: receive the sensor signal (paragraphs 60 and 85), determining a location on the plate receiving the first force based on the sensor data and the distribution of the sensors within the plate (positional information is determined of the sensed object, paragraphs 57-59); and determining a magnitude of the first force based on the sensor data and the location of the first force applied to the plate (force information is determined of the sensed object, paragraphs 57-59).
With respect to claims 4, 11, and 19, Schediwy teaches wherein the first force (arrows 132, figure 1E) has a direction non-parallel to a normal of the first surface of the plate in a location where the first force is applied to the plate (figure 1E).
With respect to claims 5 and 12, Schediwy teaches wherein a portion of the first surface of the plate has a non-planar surface profile (circular shape of the electrodes and attached structures, figure 1B).
With respect to claims 6 and 13, Schediwy teaches wherein a surface profile of the first surface is different than the surface profile of the second surface (the attached structures may be shaped differentially, paragraphs 52 and 54).
With respect to claims 7 and 14, Schediwy teaches a support (first substrate 302) configured to support the sensor (figures 3A-3C) ; and a plate stand (spacing element 306) coupled between the support and the sensor plate (figures 3A-3C), the plate stand including material configured to compression when the first force is applied to the first surface to allow the actuation structure to directly contact the sensor (the material of the spacing element is interpreted as being “configured to compression” as it may be integral with the piezoelectric layer (paragraph 47).
With respect to claims 8 and 16, Schediwy teaches wherein the sensor plate includes a plurality of actuation structures that include the actuation structure (plurality of force sensors therefore there is a plurality of the input devices 300, paragraph 58), each of the plurality of actuation structures coupled to the second surface and extending away from the second surface of the sensor plate (same structural configuration of the input device 300 figures 3A-3C), wherein when the first force is applied to the first surface at least one of the plurality of actuation structures directly contacts the sensor (interpreted as input force that would be applied to the input device 300, figure 1E).
With respect to claim 20, Schediwy teaches obtaining coefficients associated with the distribution of the sensors within the plate (interpreted as historical data regarding positional information, paragraph 75); wherein the location on the plate receiving the first force is determined based on the coefficients and force magnitudes from the sensor data from each of the plurality of sensors (paragraph 75).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9 and 17 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 FREDDIE KIRKLAND III whose telephone number is (571)272-2232. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-5pm.
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FREDDIE KIRKLAND III
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2855
/Freddie Kirkland III/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855 11/19/2025