Details
Claims 1, 3-11 and 13-15 are pending.
Claims 1, 3-11 and 13-15 are rejected.
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.
Claims 1, 3-11 and 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pandya et al (Pub. No.: US 2019/0101870 A1) in view of Trapero et al (Patent. No.: US 11.156,965 B1).
As per claim 1, Pandya discloses a wearable electronic device configured to be wearable around a user's wrist (Pandya, Fig 4A, 4C, 4D, 9C, paragraph 0053, wherein “FIGS. 2A-2C show an example of an electronic watch 200 that incorporates a set of electrodes. The watch 200 may be an example of the wearable electronic device 100 or 110 described with reference to FIG. 1A or 1B. The watch 200 may include a watch body 202 and a watch band 204”), the wearable electronic device comprising: - a housing comprising a front surface (Pandya, Fig 2A, 4C, paragraph 0053-0054, wherein “The watch body 202 may include a housing 206. The housing 206 may include a front side housing member 206a that faces away from a user's skin when the watch 200 is worn by a user (see FIG. 2A)”), a rear surface opposite to the front surface (Pandya, Fig 2C, 4C, paragraph 0054, wherein “a back side housing member 206b (or rear cover) that faces toward the user's skin (see FIG. 2C)”), and a side surface surrounding at least a part between the front surface and the rear surface and formed by a side bezel structure, wherein the side bezel structure comprises a recess structure (Pandya, Fig 2A-2C, Fig 4B, 4C paragraph 0054, wherein “The watch body 202 may include a housing 206. The housing 206 may include a front side housing member 206a that faces away from a user's skin when the watch 200 is worn by a user (see FIG. 2A), and a back side housing member 206b (or rear cover) that faces toward the user's skin (see FIG. 2C)”); - a battery disposed in the housing (Pandya, paragraph 0098, wherein “The magnet 446 may inductively couple to a battery charger used for charging a battery included within the watch body”);- a main printed circuit board disposed in the housing (Pandya, paragraph 0097, wherein “The processing subsystem 444 may include a substrate 456 (e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB)) that is attached to the optical sensor subsystem 416, and thereby to the carrier 404, via the conductive structures 454 and/or additional adhesive between the substrates 452, 456 of the optical sensor subsystem 416 and the processing subsystem 444”); and - a sensor module (Pandya, paragraph 0041, wherein “In various embodiments, the input devices 102 may include any suitable components for detecting inputs. Examples of input devices 102 include audio sensors (e.g., microphones), optical or visual sensors (e.g., cameras, visible light sensors, or invisible light sensors), proximity sensors, touch sensors, force sensors, mechanical devices (e.g., crowns, switches, buttons, or keys), vibration sensors, orientation sensors, motion sensors (e.g., accelerometers or velocity sensors), location sensors (e.g., global positioning system (GPS) devices), thermal sensors, communication devices (e.g., wired or wireless communication devices), resistive sensors, magnetic sensors, electroactive polymers (EAPs), strain gauges, electrodes, and so on, or some combination thereof”) at least partially disposed in the recess structure (Pandya, Fig 4C, paragraph 0060, wherein “A first sensor 226 within the housing 206 may sense aspects of shaft movement such as direction of rotation, speed of rotation, rotational acceleration, or angular position of the shaft 224. In some embodiments, the first sensor 226 may be an optical sensor positioned adjacent the shaft 224, such that light 227 is emitted onto, and reflected from, the shaft 224. Light 227 may be reflected from the shaft by a pattern of surface features (such as scallops, grooves, indentation, projections, or the like) or by byproducts of machining the shaft, such as bumps, scratches, irregularities, and so on. The pattern and speed of light 227 reflected onto the optical sensor 226 maybe used to determine a direction and/or speed of rotation of the shaft 224. In other embodiments, different sensors may be used to detection direction and/or speed of rotation of the shaft 224, including mechanical sensors, electrical sensors, capacitive sensors, brush contacts, magnetic sensors, and so on”; Paragraph 0061, wherein “second sensor 228 within the housing 206 may sense aspects of shaft movement such as translation or direction of translation. In some embodiments, the second sensor 228 may be a tactile switch, optical sensor, magnetic sensor, capacitive sensor or the like positioned at an end of the shaft 224”;Paragraph 0062, wherein “A third sensor 230 within the housing 206 may sense when a user is touching the crown 210, or may sense signals (e.g., a heart rhythm) received by the crown 210 when a user touches the crown 210”), wherein the sensor module comprises:- a board (Pandya, Fig 4C item 456, paragraph 0097, wherein the processing subsystem 444 may include a substrate 456 (e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB)) that is attached to the optical sensor subsystem 416, and thereby to the carrier 404, via the conductive structures 454 and/or additional adhesive between the substrates 452, 456 of the optical sensor subsystem 416 and the processing subsystem 444); - a biometric recognition sensor disposed on the board (Pandya, Fig 4C item 416, paragraph 0051, 0085, 0098, wherein the electrode(s) on the exterior surface of the carrier may be positioned at the periphery of the carrier, or otherwise positioned to enable an optical sensor subsystem to emit and receive light through the carrier. The light may be emitted into, and reflected from, a user's skin to determine other biological parameters of the user, such as a heart rate, blood pressure, pulse, blood oxygenation, glucose level, and so on. The optical sensor subsystem 416 may be, for example, an optical heart rate sensor) (Pandya, Fig 4C items 440. 442, paragraph 0096, wherein “The sensor subsystem 416 may be attached to the carrier 404 by one or more adhesives 440/442, such as pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs) or heat-activated films (HAFs). In some cases, the set of light emitters may be centrally attached on the substrate 452, and a first wall may be attached to (e.g., formed on or bonded to) an underside of the substrate 452 surrounding the set of light emitters. The first wall may be attached to the interior surface 406 of the carrier 404 using a first adhesive 440. The set of light receivers may be attached on the substrate 452 around the set of light emitters, between the first wall and a second wall attached to (e.g., formed on or bonded to) the underside of the substrate 452. The second wall may be attached to the interior surface 406 of the carrier 404 using a second ring of adhesive 442”; As shown by Fig 4C, the adhesives 440/442 surrounds the biometric recognition sensor (item 416) wherein the adhesives 440/442 are considered a form of sealers since they are pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs) or heat-activated films (HAFs) ), and - a biosignal sensing electrode (Pandya, Fig 4C items: 412, 416, Fig 9C item 938) spaced apart from the biometric recognition sensor (Pandya, Fig 4D, Fig 9C), and configured to detect a bioelectrical signal wherein the biosignal sensing electrode is electrically connected to the board (Pandya, Fig 4A-4D, paragraph 0101, wherein FIG. 4D also shows a flex circuit 460, surrounding the sensor subsystem 416, which may provide electrical connections between the electrodes 412, 414 and the sensor subsystem 416 while also providing a ground that operates as an electrical noise mitigation barrier (or E-shield) between the sensor subsystem 416 and the electrodes 412, 414. The electrodes 412, 414 may be connected to the electrical contacts 462, 464, which electrical contacts 462, 464 are on the interior surface of the carrier 404 and connected to both traces in the flex circuit 460 and the electrodes 412, 414) and at least partially exposed outside of the housing (Pandya, Fig 4A-4C, paragraph 0098, wherein the substrate 456 of the processing subsystem 444 may have a hole 458 therein, and the magnet 446 may be aligned with the hole 458 and abutted to (or attached to) the substrate 452. In some cases, the magnet 446 may be adhesively bonded to the substrate 452 of the optical sensor subsystem 416. The magnet 446 may inductively couple to a battery charger used for charging a battery included within the watch body, which battery may power components of the watch including the components of the optical sensor subsystem 416 and the processing subsystem 444); and- a flexible printed circuit board electrically connected to the board and configured to electrically connect the board to the main printed circuit board (Pandya, Fig 4A-4C, paragraph 0097, wherein “In some cases, the processing subsystem 444 may be attached to another structure within the watch body, and may be electrically connected to the conductive structures 454 of the optical sensor subsystem 416 by a flex circuit or other conductors”;paragraph 0101, wherein “FIG. 4B also shows a flex circuit 460, surrounding the sensor subsystem 416, which may provide electrical connections between the electrodes 412, 414 and the sensor subsystem 416”;paragraph 0116, wherein “In some cases, a flex circuit, other flexible conductor, or other conductive element may be soldered or otherwise electrically connected to the electrical contact 908, to enable a signal to be received from or applied to the electrode 900”), and - wherein the biosignal sensing electrode surrounds the sealing member (Pandya, Fig 4C-4D, paragraph 412, 414, wherein “In some cases, the first and second electrodes 412, 414 may be arc-shaped (e.g., semi-circle-shaped), and may be positioned around a central opening 418 and concentric ring of openings 420 formed in the masks 422. The first and second electrodes 412, 414 may extend to the edge of the carrier 404, and in some cases may wrap around the perimeter of the carrier 404 to the interior surface 406 of the carrier 404, or be connected to conductive vias formed in the carrier 404, or otherwise be electrically connected to elements within the watch body 202 that receive a signal sensed by one or both of the first and second electrodes 412, 414”; As shown by Fig 4C and 4D, the biosignal sensing electrode item 412/414 surrounds the sensor subsystem 416 and thus it surrounds the sealing member surrounding the sensor subsystem 416)
Pandya does not explicitly disclose wherein the biometric recognition sensor is configured to detect fingerprint information. However, Trapero discloses wherein the biometric recognition sensor is configured to detect fingerprint information (Trapero, col10 lines: 22-26, wherein “the side touch track 220 includes additional functionality, such as a biometric sensor (e.g., to enable fingerprint recognition), ECG measurements, or a flashlight mode (e.g., the side touch track 220 integrates light emitters for illuminating a dark environment)”).
Therefore, it would have it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate Trapero teachings into Pandya to achieve the claimed limitations because this would have provided a way to easily allow to authenticate the user using his/her fingerprint without having to remember passwords which improve the security and the user experience and satisfaction.
As per claim 3, claim 1 is incorporated and Pandya further discloses wherein a connector mounted on the flexible printed circuit board (Pandya, Fig 4A-4C, paragraph 0101, wherein FIG. 4B also shows a flex circuit 460, surrounding the sensor subsystem 416, which may provide electrical connections between the electrodes 412, 414 and the sensor subsystem 416 while also providing a ground that operates as an electrical noise mitigation barrier (or E-shield) between the sensor subsystem 416 and the electrodes 412, 414. The electrodes 412, 414 may be connected to the electrical contacts 462, 464, which electrical contacts 462, 464 are on the interior surface of the carrier 404 and connected to both traces in the flex circuit 460 and the electrodes 412, 414);
As per claim 4, claim 1 is incorporated and Pandya further discloses wherein the biosignal sensing electrode forms at least a part of a first surface of the sensor module, a third surface of the sensor module opposite to the first surface, and a second surface of the sensor module around at least a part between the first surface and the third surface (Pandya, Fig 9C, paragraph 0121-0122, In FIG. 9C, the electrode 938 may be a metallic arc-shaped element positioned between a carrier 940 and another housing member 942 of an electronic device. In some embodiments, the electrode 938 may be a singular metallic ring-shaped electrode (e.g., one electrode). In these embodiments, a peripheral band of a surface of the carrier 940 that is interior to the wearable electronic device (e.g., an interior surface 944 of the carrier 940) may be attached to a recessed ledge 946 in the electrode 938 (e.g., with the carrier 940 overlapping the electrode 938), and the electrode 938 may be attached to a recessed ledge 950 in the housing member 942 (e.g., with the electrode 938 overlapping the housing member 942). In other embodiments, the electrode 938 may be arc-shaped and may be one of two or more arc-shaped electrodes between the carrier 940 and the housing member 942. In these embodiments, a peripheral band of the interior surface of the carrier 940 may be attached to recessed ledges 946 in multiple arc-shaped electrodes 938 (e.g., with the carrier 940 overlapping the electrodes 938), and each of the arc-shaped electrodes 938 may be attached to the recessed ledge 950 in the housing member 942 (e.g., with the electrodes 938 overlapping the housing member 942). In some cases, the multiple arc-shaped electrodes 938 may be electrically isolated from each other by flexible seals or gaskets, or by rigid separators (e.g., rigid extensions of the housing member 942, which rigid extensions may include extensions of the recessed ledge 950 to which the electrodes 938 are attached. In some cases, the electrode 938 may be attached to the housing member 942 before the carrier 940 is attached to the electrode 938);
As per claim 5, claim 1 is incorporated and Trapero further disclose wherein the sensor module further comprises a fingerprint sensing circuit (Trapero, col10 lines: 22-26, wherein “the side touch track 220 includes additional functionality, such as a biometric sensor (e.g., to enable fingerprint recognition), ECG measurements, or a flashlight mode (e.g., the side touch track 220 integrates light emitters for illuminating a dark environment)”);
As per claim 6, claim 1 is incorporated and Pandya further discloses wherein the sensor module further comprises a first area overlapping with the biometric recognition sensor and a second area in which the biosignal sensing electrode is disposed (Pandya, Fig 4C-4D);
As per claim 7, claim 1 is incorporated and Pandya further discloses wherein the sensor module further comprises an ultrasonic transceiver configured to transmit or receive ultrasonic waves (Pandya, paragraph 0278, wherein the wearable electronic device 2500 may also include one or more sensors 2525 positioned almost anywhere on the wearable electronic device 2500. The sensor(s) 2525 can be configured to sense one or more type of parameters, such as but not limited to, pressure, light, touch, heat, movement, relative motion, biometric data (e.g., biological parameters), and so on. For example, the sensor(s) 2525 may include a heat sensor, a position sensor, a light or optical sensor, an accelerometer, a pressure transducer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, a health monitoring sensor, and so on. Additionally, the one or more sensors 2525 can utilize any suitable sensing technology, including, but not limited to, capacitive, ultrasonic, resistive, optical, ultrasound, piezoelectric, and thermal sensing technology);
As per claim 8, claim 1 is incorporated and Pandya further discloses wherein the sensor module further comprises a shielding member disposed under the board, wherein the shielding member is configured to reduce propagation, into the wearable electronic device, of ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic transceiver (Pandya, paragraph 0098-0099, wherein the magnetic shield 448 may abut (or be attached to) the magnet 446. In some cases, the magnetic shield 448 may be adhesively bonded to the magnet 446. The magnetic shield 448 may direct magnetic flux associated with the magnet 446 toward and out the carrier 404 to improve inductive battery charging performance for a battery included within the watch body 202);
As per claim 9, claim 1 is incorporated and Pandya further discloses a second sealing member disposed between the sensor module and the housing (Pandya, paragraph 0123-0124, wherein an adhesive, seal, gasket, or filler may fill a gap between the carrier 940 and the electrode 938 or a gap between the electrode 938 and the housing member 942);
As per claim 10, claim 1 is incorporated and Pandya further discloses wherein the sensor module further comprises a color layer disposed on the sealing member (Pandya, Fig 4C-4D, paragraph 0092, wherein the interior or exterior surface 406, 408 of the carrier 404 may have a mask 422 thereon (e.g., an ink mask or dark mask, and in some cases a plurality of masks). The mask 422 may define an opening 418 (e.g., a first opening or central opening) that allows light of at least one wavelength to pass through the carrier 404, and the lens 436 may be aligned with the opening 418);
As per claim 11, claim 1 is incorporated and Pandya further discloses an insulation structure disposed between the sensor module and the housing and surrounding at least a part of the sensor module (Pandya, paragraph 0123-0124, wherein an adhesive, seal, gasket, or filler may fill a gap between the carrier 940 and the electrode 938 or a gap between the electrode 938 and the housing member 942);
As per claim 13, claim 1 is incorporated and Pandya further wherein the sensor module further comprises a first surface exposed outside of the wearable electronic device, and wherein the housing further comprises a protection area forming at least a part of the side surface and located higher than the first surface of the sensor module (Pandya, Fig 9C, paragraph 0121-0122, In FIG. 9C, the electrode 938 may be a metallic arc-shaped element positioned between a carrier 940 and another housing member 942 of an electronic device. In some embodiments, the electrode 938 may be a singular metallic ring-shaped electrode (e.g., one electrode). In these embodiments, a peripheral band of a surface of the carrier 940 that is interior to the wearable electronic device (e.g., an interior surface 944 of the carrier 940) may be attached to a recessed ledge 946 in the electrode 938 (e.g., with the carrier 940 overlapping the electrode 938), and the electrode 938 may be attached to a recessed ledge 950 in the housing member 942 (e.g., with the electrode 938 overlapping the housing member 942). In other embodiments, the electrode 938 may be arc-shaped and may be one of two or more arc-shaped electrodes between the carrier 940 and the housing member 942. In these embodiments, a peripheral band of the interior surface of the carrier 940 may be attached to recessed ledges 946 in multiple arc-shaped electrodes 938 (e.g., with the carrier 940 overlapping the electrodes 938), and each of the arc-shaped electrodes 938 may be attached to the recessed ledge 950 in the housing member 942 (e.g., with the electrodes 938 overlapping the housing member 942). In some cases, the multiple arc-shaped electrodes 938 may be electrically isolated from each other by flexible seals or gaskets, or by rigid separators (e.g., rigid extensions of the housing member 942, which rigid extensions may include extensions of the recessed ledge 950 to which the electrodes 938 are attached. In some cases, the electrode 938 may be attached to the housing member 942 before the carrier 940 is attached to the electrode 938);
As per claim 14, claim 1 is incorporated and Pandya further at least one fastening member detachably connected to the housing (Pandya, paragraph 0123-0124, wherein an adhesive, seal, gasket, or filler may fill a gap between the carrier 940 and the electrode 938 or a gap between the electrode 938 and the housing member 942);
As per claim 15, claim 1 is incorporated and Pandya further at least one electrode structure disposed on the housing and spaced apart from the biosignal sensing electrode (Pandya, paragraph 0121, wherein in FIG. 9C, the electrode 938 may be a metallic arc-shaped element positioned between a carrier 940 and another housing member 942 of an electronic device. In some embodiments, the electrode 938 may be a singular metallic ring-shaped electrode (e.g., one electrode). In these embodiments, a peripheral band of a surface of the carrier 940 that is interior to the wearable electronic device (e.g., an interior surface 944 of the carrier 940) may be attached to a recessed ledge 946 in the electrode 938 (e.g., with the carrier 940 overlapping the electrode 938), and the electrode 938 may be attached to a recessed ledge 950 in the housing member 942 (e.g., with the electrode 938 overlapping the housing member 942). In other embodiments, the electrode 938 may be arc-shaped and may be one of two or more arc-shaped electrodes between the carrier 940 and the housing member 942);
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed on 11/14/2025 have been considered but are now moot in lights of the new mappings.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HAMZA N ALGIBHAH whose telephone number is (571)270-7212. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30 am - 3:30 pm.
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/HAMZA N ALGIBHAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2441