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 (LO, Figs. 8-12, par. 62, 70, 80, 93, 105: “the electric field at coordinates of the touchscreen that are adjacent to the conductive points is changed such that a pattern recognizer of the electronic device recognizes the pattern and determines the identification of the substrate. By way of example , the conductive points actuate a voltage drop or change in electrical current at points on the touchscreen that are at the conductive points. [0094] The conductive points that are connected with the coupling point form a pattern that represents an identification of the card . The pattern is changeable when one or more of the conductive points disconnect from the coupling point”. Furthermore, it is respectfully submitted that in LO, the “reader reads the patterns that are formed by conductive points on the cards and determines a location and an orientation of the card relative to the reader based on locations of three of the conductive points that form a triangular shape” (par. 85-88). This means that the card can be placed on the touch screen at any location and any orientation and the reader is responsible for determining the location and orientation of the card based on the detected locations of the conductive points yielding a unique identification. The identification is made unique by changing the pattern of conductive points using switches causing change in the electric field at the coordinates (par. 41, 44). Thus, the conductive points on the card are not fixed or absolute when the card is placed on the touch screen.)
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 fails to teach the limitation as currently amended which recites “location-independent 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”.
It is respectfully submitted that in LO, the “reader reads the patterns that are formed by conductive points on the cards and determines a location and an orientation of the card relative to the reader based on locations of three of the conductive points that form a triangular shape” (par. 87). This means that the card can be placed on the touch screen at any location and any orientation and the reader is responsible for determining the location and orientation of the card based on the detected locations of the conductive points yielding a unique identification. The identification is made unique by changing the pattern of conductive points using switches causing change in the electric field at the coordinates (par. 41, 44). Thus, the conductive points on the card are not fixed or absolute when the card is placed on the touch screen.
The current specification is similar to the teachings of LO in that the markings P1-P3 as well as the connecting lines VL are made of conductive ink to be sensed by the touch sensor. The current claims are not pointing out which entities, i.e. marking, touch points, … as being location-independent.
For these reasons, the previous rejection(s) is/are respectfully maintained.
Conclusion
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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