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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: element 6 optical switch assembly. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Interpretation
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are: “first light-emitting unit” in claim 1, “optical imaging assembly” in claim 1, “second light-emitting unit” in claim 1, “imaging unit” in claim 4, “a collimating unit” in claim 5 .
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Recitation being interpreted under 35 USC 112f
Claim including initial recitation
Corresponding structure described in specification
Specification reference locations for described structure
first light-emitting unit
1
Light-emitting diode (LED)
[0022]
optical imaging assembly
1
Imaging unit and lens array
[0023]
second light-emitting unit
1
LED
[0025]
imaging unit
4
Preset/default pattern corresponding to shape of the three-dimensional optical image
[0023]
a collimating unit
5
Fresnel lens
[0024]
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 and 4-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lai (US 20220335745) in view of Fan (US 20200184246).
With respect to claim 1, Lai contactless button (Non-contact key), comprising:
a substrate (305);
a frame body (500), wherein a side of the frame body away from the substrate is provided with an opening (see for example Fig. 7 side below finger);
a first light-emitting unit (311), accommodated in the frame body;
an optical imaging assembly (300), arranged in the frame body and covering the first light-emitting unit, wherein the optical imaging assembly is adapted to convert a first light beam provided by the first light-emitting unit into a three-dimensional optical image (see floating image paragraph 0041) projected from the opening; and
an optical switch assembly, comprising a second light-emitting unit (212) and an optical trigger switch (214), wherein the optical trigger switch is adapted to generate a manipulation signal (sensing output and performing operations paragraph 0046-0048) when sensing a second light beam generated by the second light-emitting unit, one of the second light-emitting unit and the optical trigger switch is mounted and (paragraph 0050) located in the frame body and faces the opening, and the one of the second light-emitting unit and the optical trigger switch is mounted on the frame body and positioned next to the opening and faces the opening.
Lai teaches the use of a substrate and frame; however, does not teach the mounting of the frame on the substrate. Fan teaches the known use of a frame (H: Fig. 3) mounted on a substrate (P). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify Lai to try the use of mounting the frame to a substrate for the benefit of increased modularity and repairability.
With respect to claim 4, Lai teaches the optical imaging assembly comprises: an imaging unit (330), facing the substrate and comprising a preset pattern; and a lens array (340), arranged on a side of the imaging unit away from the substrate, wherein the first light beam passes through the imaging unit and the lens array to form the three-dimensional optical image.
With respect to claim 5, Lai teaches the optical imaging assembly further comprises a collimating unit (320), arranged between the substrate and the imaging unit and adapted to convert the first light beam into a collimating light beam.
With respect to claim 6, Lai teaches the second light-emitting unit is an infrared light-emitting unit; and the optical trigger switch is an infrared sensor (paragraphs 0048-50).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 and 3 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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art of record does not disclose or reasonably suggest, along with the other claimed limitations, a contactless button comprising: namely, the frame body comprises an arrangement groove, the arrangement groove is formed in a side of the opening, a notch of the arrangement groove is inclined to an operating direction and faces the opening, and the optical trigger switch or the second light-emitting unit is arranged in the arrangement groove.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Carolyn Fin whose telephone number is (571)270-1286. The examiner can normally be reached Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
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/CAROLYN FIN/Examiner, Art Unit 2884