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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Embodiment 1, corresponding to Figures 1-5b and claims 1-14 and 18-20 in the reply filed on 03/30/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim Objections
Claim 9 is objected to because “contact” on line 2 should be changed to “electrical contact”.
Claim 14 is objected to because “the printed circuit” on line 5 lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 18 is objected to because “the electrical contacts” on line 6 lacks antecedent basis.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-4, 7, 8, 14, 18 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Casparian et al. [Casparian hereinafter, US 9,246,487].
In regard to claim 1, Casparian discloses [in Figs. 2 and 3A] an electronics assembly of a computer peripheral device, comprising: a mechanical support layer [212]; a membrane layer [210] coupled with the mechanical support layer [212], the membrane layer [210] comprising a printed trace [212] on at least one surface of the membrane layer [210]; and an electrical contact [231] that is coupled with the mechanical support layer [212] and that sandwiches the membrane layer [210] between the mechanical support layer [212] and the electrical contact [231], the electrical contact [231] being electrically coupled with the printed trace [232].
In regard to claim 2, Casparian discloses [in Figs. 2 and 3A] the electronics assembly of a computer peripheral device of claim 1, wherein: the membrane layer [210] is positioned on a downward-facing surface of the mechanical support layer [212, when the device is upside down].
In regard to claim 3, Casparian discloses [in Figs. 2 and 3A] the electronics assembly of a computer peripheral device of claim 1, wherein: the membrane layer [21] is positioned on an upward-facing surface of the mechanical support layer [212].
In regard to claim 4, Casparian discloses [in Figs. 2 and 3A] the electronics assembly of a computer peripheral device of claim 1, further comprising: an additional printed trace [236] on at least one a second surface of the additional membrane layer [210].
In regard to claim 7, Casparian discloses [in Figs. 2 and 3A] the electronics assembly of a computer peripheral device of claim 1, further comprising: a keyboard switch [216] electrically coupled with the electrical contact [231].
In regard to claim 8, Casparian discloses [in Figs. 2 and 3A] an electronics assembly of a computer peripheral device, comprising: a mechanical support layer [212]; a first membrane layer [206] coupled with the mechanical support layer [212], the first membrane layer [206] comprising a first trace [234] that is printed on at least one surface of the first membrane layer [206]; a second membrane layer [210] coupled with the mechanical support layer [212], the second membrane layer [210] comprising a second trace [232] that is printed on at least one surface of the second membrane layer [210]; and an electrical contact [216] that is coupled with the mechanical support layer [212] and that sandwiches one or both of the first membrane layer [206] and the second membrane layer [210] between the mechanical support layer [212] and the electrical contact [216], the electrical contact [216] being electrically coupled with one or both of the first trace [234] and the second trace [232].
In regard to claim 14, Casparian discloses [in Figs. 2 and 3A] an electronics assembly of a computer peripheral device, comprising: a mechanical support layer [212]; a membrane layer [210] coupled with the mechanical support layer [212], the membrane layer [210] comprising a printed trace [232] on at least one surface of the membrane layer [210], the printed trace [232] comprising a keyboard matrix; an electrical contact [231] that is coupled with the mechanical support layer [212] and that sandwiches the membrane layer [210] between the mechanical support [212] layer and the electrical contact [231], the electrical contact [231] being electrically coupled with the printed trace [232]; and a plurality of switches [216, one shown] coupled with the mechanical support layer [212], wherein a switch closed signal for at least one of the plurality of switches is transmitted using the electrical contact [231] and the printed trace [232].
In regard to claim 18, Casparian discloses [in Figs. 2 and 3A] the electronics assembly of a computer peripheral device of claim 14, wherein: the electrical contact [231] is electrically coupled with the printed trace [232]; each of the plurality of switches [216] comprises a mechanical switch; and each mechanical switch is mounted on the mechanical support layer [212] and is electrically coupled with the electrical contact [231].
In regard to claim 19, Casparian discloses [in Figs. 2 and 3A] the electronics assembly of a computer peripheral device of claim 14, further comprising: a plurality of sockets [opening in 208, one shown for 216] coupled with the mechanical support layer [212], wherein a portion of each switch [216] is received within a respective one of the plurality of sockets.
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.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Casparian et al. [Casparian hereinafter, US 9,246,487] in view of Peterson et al. [Peterson hereinafter, US 2014/0224633]. Casparian discloses [in Figs. 2 and 3A] the electronics assembly of a computer peripheral device of claim 1. Casparian does not disclose that the printed trace is printed using conductive ink. Peterson teaches [in Fig. 7A and par. 0052] a printed trace is printed using conductive ink. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use conductive ink for the printed trace, since 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. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Casparian et al. [Casparian hereinafter, US 9,246,487] in view of Niu [US 9,012,795]. Casparian discloses [in Figs. 2 and 3A] the electronics assembly of a computer peripheral device of claim 1. Casparian does not disclose that the membrane layer is flexible and made of a polymer or PET. Niu teaches [in Fig. 6 and col. 7, lines 8-11] that the membrane layer [250] is flexible and made of a polymer or PET. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use polymer or PET for the membrane layer, since 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. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 6, 9-11 and 20 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. The objection to claim 9 must also be properly addressed.
In regard to claim 5, in combination with other limitations, an additional membrane layer disposed on an opposite surface of the mechanical support layer as the membrane layer is neither disclosed nor suggested by the prior art.
In regard to claim 9, in combination with other limitations, the electrical contact inserted into the socket such that a terminal of the electrical contact sandwiches the one or both of the first membrane layer and the second membrane layer between the mechanical support layer and the electrical contact is neither disclosed nor suggested by the prior art.
In regard to claim 20, in combination with other limitations, the mechanical support layer defining the plurality of sockets is neither disclosed nor suggested by the prior art.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LHEIREN MAE A CAROC whose telephone number is (571)272-2730. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm.
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/LHEIREN MAE A CAROC/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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