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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 03/25/2026 has been entered.
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, 2, 4, 5, 7-11, 13, 14, and 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Feng et al. [Feng hereinafter, CN211995446] in view of Lisseman et al. [Lisseman hereinafter, US 2018/0194369].
In regard to claims 1 and 10, Feng discloses [in Figs. 1-10] a touch panel switch system for a steering wheel, characterized by comprising an upper assembly [1], a lower assembly [2], and a suspension assembly [202] ;the upper assembly comprising a top cover [13] and an inner support [11], the top cover and the inner support being fixedly connected to each other; the lower assembly comprising a housing [20] and a bottom cover [21], the top cover and the housing being movably connected to each other, the housing being fixedly connected to the bottom cover; and the suspension assembly being connected between the upper assembly and the lower assembly, the suspension assembly effecting a trigger stroke in a Z direction between the upper assembly [1] and the lower assembly [2], wherein the trigger stroke corresponds to a displacement of the upper assembly [1] relative to the lower assembly [2] that is configured to be converted into an input of a force value. Feng does not disclose a trigger stroke being at micron scale. Lisseman teaches [in Fig. 8] a trigger stroke being at micron scale [measured by 140]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to provide a trigger stroke at micron scale in order to actuate the system as desired.
In regard to claim 2, Feng discloses [in Figs. 1-10] the touch panel switch system according to claim 1, wherein the lower assembly further comprises a printed circuit board [3] provided between the inner support and the bottom cover; a pressure sensor [5] being mounted on the printed circuit board; and a mounting column [114] extending downwards from the inner support, and being used to press the pressure sensor. Feng does not disclose a micron-scale pressure sensor. Lisseman teaches [in Fig. 8] a micron-scale pressure sensor [140]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to provide a micron-scale pressure sensor in order to actuate the system as desired.
In regard to claim 4, Feng discloses [in Figs. 1-10] the touch panel switch system according to claim 1, wherein the suspension assembly is mounted between the inner support and the housing.
In regard to claims 5 and 7, Feng discloses [in Figs. 1-10] the touch panel switch system according to claim 4, wherein the suspension assembly comprises an elastic member [202c] and an elastic jaw [202d], the elastic jaw extending downwards from a lower surface of the inner support, and the elastic member being connected between the elastic jaw and the housing, wherein the elastic jaw (34) comprises an inverted mushroom head structure, and the shape of the elastic member matches the shape of the mushroom head structure.
In regard to claims 8 and 9, Feng discloses [in Figs. 1-10] the touch panel switch system according to claim 4 , wherein the suspension assembly comprises a first elastic holding member [202e], a second elastic holding member [202f], and an elastic member [202b], the first elastic holding member being connected to the inner support, the second elastic holding member being connected to the housing, and the elastic member being connected between the first elastic holding member and the second elastic holding member. Feng does not disclose that the elastic member is made of solid rubber or hollow rubber. Lisseman teaches [in par. 0111] that the elastic member is made of rubber. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to provide a rubber elastic member, 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
In regard to claims 11 and 13, Feng discloses [in Figs. 1-10] the steering wheel according to claim 10, wherein the lower assembly further comprises a printed circuit board [3] provided between the inner support and the bottom cover; a pressure sensor [5] being mounted on the printed circuit board; and a mounting column [114] extending downwards from the inner support, and being used to press the pressure sensor, wherein the suspension assembly is mounted between the inner support and the housing. Feng does not disclose a micron-scale pressure sensor. Lisseman teaches [in Fig. 8] a micron-scale pressure sensor [140]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to provide a micron-scale pressure sensor in order to actuate the system as desired.
In regard to claims 14 and 16, Feng discloses [in Figs. 1-10] the steering wheel according to claim 13, wherein the suspension assembly comprises an elastic member [202c] and an elastic jaw [202d], the elastic jaw extending downwards from a lower surface of the inner support, and the elastic member being connected between the elastic jaw and the housing, wherein the elastic jaw comprises an inverted mushroom head structure, and the shape of the elastic member matches the shape of the mushroom head structure.
In regard to claims 17 and 18, Feng discloses [in Figs. 1-10] the steering wheel according to claim 13, wherein the suspension assembly comprises a first elastic holding member [202e], a second elastic holding member [202f], and an elastic member [202b], the first elastic holding member being connected to the inner support, the second elastic holding member being connected to the housing, and the elastic member being connected between the first elastic holding member and the second elastic holding member. Feng does not disclose that the elastic member is made of solid rubber or hollow rubber. Lisseman teaches [in par. 0111] that the elastic member is made of rubber. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to provide a rubber elastic member, 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
In regard to claim 19, Feng discloses [in Figs. 1-10] the touch panel switch system according to claim 1, wherein the trigger stroke comprises a controlled displacement of the upper assembly [1] relative to the lower assembly [2] effected by the suspension assembly [202].
In regard to claim 20, Feng discloses [in Figs. 1-10] the touch panel switch system according to claim 1, wherein the trigger stroke is configured such that the displacement of the upper assembly [1] relative to the lower assembly [2] is converted into the force value.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 6, 12 and 15 remain 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 03/25/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In regard to amended claim 1 and with respect to Feng and Lisseman, Applicant argues that “The cited combination of Feng and Lisseman would, at most, yield a system in which a user applies force to a panel, and the resulting force (and possibly associated displacement) is detected with high sensitivity. However, the combination does not teach or suggest configuring a suspension assembly to effect a trigger stroke that is used as an input and converted into a force value. In Feng, displacement results from applied force. In Lisseman, force is directly sensed and processed. Neither reference, alone or in combination, teaches or suggests a system in which displacement between assemblies is used to generate the force input.” It is noted that amended claim 1 recites that “the trigger stroke corresponds to a displacement of the upper assembly relative to the lower assembly that is configured to be converted into an input of a force value.” It has been held that the recitation that an element is “configured to” perform a function is not a positive limitation but only requires the ability to so perform. It does not constitute a limitation in any patentable sense. In re Hutchinson, 69 USPQ 138.
In regard to claim 19, Applicant argues that “Feng does not disclose that the displacement is controlled or governed by the suspension structure itself. Instead, the extent of displacement varies with user-applied force and is not defined as a controlled displacement effected by the suspension assembly. Lisseman does not remedy this deficiency. Lisseman is directed to detecting force inputs and does not disclose or suggest a suspension assembly that effects a controlled displacement between assemblies. However, “control” is defined as “to exercise restraining or directing influence over” [www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/control]. Feng clearly discloses that the suspension assembly directs influence over and controls the displacement of the upper assembly relative to the lower assembly.
In regard to claim 20, Applicant argues that “Feng discloses that pressing the panel results in elastic deformation, which in turn causes a force to be applied to a pressure sensor. However, Feng does not disclose that the displacement itself is converted into the force value. Rather, the applied force causes both the deformation and the resulting sensor output. Similarly, Lisseman discloses detecting force applied to a surface and processing that force to determine a touch event. Lisseman treats force as the input signal and does not disclose converting a displacement into a force value. By contrast, claim 20 requires that the displacement associated with the trigger stroke is configured such that it is converted into the force value, thereby establishing a different causal relationship between displacement and force than in the cited references. Accordingly, the cited combination does not teach or suggest converting displacement into a force value as required by claim 20.” However, it is noted that new claim 20 recites that “the trigger stroke is configured such that the displacement of the upper assembly relative to the lower assembly is converted into the force value.” Similarly to claim 1 above, it has been held that the recitation that an element is “configured to” perform a function is not a positive limitation but only requires the ability to so perform. It does not constitute a limitation in any patentable sense. In re Hutchinson, 69 USPQ 138.
Conclusion
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/LHEIREN MAE A CAROC/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831