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 .
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(s) 10-24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LO (US 20180211071)
LO discloses
10. A method for detecting an object (card having substrate 310) on a capacitive touch sensor (246) of an operating terminal, the object having an identifier via which detectable information is provided, the method comprising:
executing an location-independent recognition algorithm in the evaluation unit, said location-independent recognition algorithm learning the object detection based on geometric relationships within the touch sensor data and storing detected objects (par. 29-36; LO is silent to learning algorithm; however, this is considered an obvious extension of LO’s teachings since the detection can be repeated in a learning process; see par. 88: “reader executes a correction algorithm stored in its processor to determine whether a detected location on the touchscreen is false”); and
executing the location-independent recognition algorithm to ascertain a characteristic relationship of touch points to each other such that the identifier or detectable information is detected and identified at any location on the touch sensor based on the characteristic relationship (par. 29-36, 60-68);
wherein the identifier comprises a marking produced from a conductive material, the marking having shapes which are connected by a connecting line, the object being placed on the touch sensor such that the marking lies flat on the touch sensor, the touch sensor thereby detecting the shapes as touch points, and arrangement of the shapes and therewith detected touch points reproducing the information (see Figs. 3-6) and
wherein the location-independent recognition algorithm determines characteristic relationships comprising relative distances and angular relationships forming the geometric relationships between the touch points to enable recognition of the identifier at any arbitrary location on the touch sensor independent of absolute positioning coordinates, without determining a location or orientation of the object relative to the touch sensor, and without computing absolute touch coordinate values for recognition
(par. 41-42, 56-58, 84-86, 103: open and closed states of each switch at specific time sequence represent different conductive patterns each corresponds to a unique identification; each pattern is also determined whether it has an expected shape, i.e. triangle or square; thus, the relationships that are based on relative distances and angular separations among the touch points are determined based on the open/close states of the switches, and not requiring the orientation of the object and touch coordinates being absolute; moreover, when the object with conductive point associated with a card (par. 24) is brought anywhere close to the touchscreen, the locations of the conductive points from which capacitance changes being detected are determined; consequently, location of the object relative to the touch sensor and the absolute touch coordinate values are not determined. Instead, the dynamic locations of the changes in capacitance in the touch screen are determined; furthermore, this interpretation is consistent with the current specification which states:
par. 42: The touch sensor TS now sends touch sensor data TSD, which contains the information ID, to an evaluation unit KI via the touch controller TC. The evaluation unit KI can detect the information ID, which is contained in the first object 01, based on the detected touch points TP1, TP2, TP3 or its touch coordinates Xi, y1, x2 , Y2, X3, y3;
par. 43: whereby it is possible that the identifier or its detectable information ID can be detected based on the characteristic relationship R1, R2, R3 at any location on the touch sensor TS;
[0049] To achieve reliable detection of a pattern, it is necessary to make it possible for the users to freely scan a conductive pattern without having to localize the conductive color wheel pattern in a particular x- and y-coordinate of the multi-touch screen. An artificial neural network can be used for this to make it possible to detect a plurality of patterns in any x- and y-coordinate.
[0079] Next, the algorithm AG is executed to ascertain a characteristic relationship R of the touch points Xi, y 1 , x2 , y2, x3 , y 3 to each other such that the identifier or detectable information ID based on the characteristic relationship R1, R2, R3 at any location on the touch sensor TS is detectable, as indicated in step 620).
11.10, wherein the objects have one contact point respectively, said contact point being touched by part of a human hand of an operator when the object is laid flat on the touch sensor (Figs. 3-6, par. 29-36, 60-68)
12.10, the operating terminal is configured to manage a user detection and to evaluate the detection of an object as an authentication of a user (par. 41).
13.11, wherein the operating terminal is configured to manage a user detection and to evaluate the detection of an object as an authentication of a user (par. 41).
14.10, wherein the operating terminal is configured to manage a product ascertainment and the detection of the object is utilized to ascertain a product; and wherein the detected information is evaluated as a product code (par. 28, 130-132).
15.11, wherein the operating terminal is configured to manage a product ascertainment and the detection of the object is utilized to ascertain a product; and wherein the detected information is evaluated as a product code (par. 28, 130-132).
16.12, wherein the operating terminal is configured to manage a product ascertainment and the detection of the object is utilized to ascertain a product; and wherein the detected information is evaluated as a product code (par. 28, 130-132).
17.10, wherein a conductive ink serves as the conductive material of the marking (par. 65)
Re claim 18-24, see discussion regarding claims above.
19.18, wherein the objects have one contact point respectively, said contact point being touched by part of a human hand of an operator when the object is laid flat on the touch sensor (par. 29-32, 131)
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that LO does not disclose the claimed invention directed to an algorithm that does not rely on absolute x/y coordinates, and recognition is based on invariant geometric relationships (relative distance and angular relationships).
However, as discussed above, it is believed that LO still meet the current claim limitations.
For these reasons, the previous rejection(s) is/are respectfully maintained.
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 THIEN T. MAI whose telephone number is (571)272-8283. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F, 8-5pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner' s supervisor, Steve S. Paik can be reached at (571)272-2404. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Thien T Mai/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2887
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