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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: [0028] of the specification discloses “wherein each button 20 includes:… a control device 22”. However, based on the drawings and [0034]-[0037], the control device 22 appears to be a control assembly for all control buttons, not one control device for each button.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 6-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Independent claim 1 recites claim limitation “each button comprises: … a control device.” Then dependent claim 6 recites claim limitation “wherein the control device comprises a button control panel; the button control panel is arranged inside the shell and corresponds to the buttons.” It is not clear if each button has its own button control panel or all buttons have one button control panel corresponds to all the buttons. Similar confusion exists with the claim limitation “wherein the control device further comprises a light source control panel; the light source control panel is a cross-shaped circuit board; there are four buttons” in claim 7, and claim limitation “wherein the control device further comprises a main control panel; and the main control panel is arranged inside the shell and is electrically connected to the button control panel” in claim 9. These confusions are rendering the claim limitations indefinite.
Based on the drawings and paragraphs [0034]-[0037] of the specification, the examination of the claims are based on the interpretation that there is only a control device for ALL buttons. Each button connects to the control device for control functions.
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) 1-6, 9 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ashley et al. [US20140024456], hereinafter Ashley, in view of Islam et al. [US20240201499], hereinafter Islam.
Regarding claim 1, Ashley discloses a gamepad capable of switching button identifiers, comprising a shell and buttons arranged in a manner of at least partially penetrating through a surface of the shell (Fig. 1), wherein each button comprises:
a light source component, wherein the light source component emits a first group of light or a second group of light ([0024], “In such scenarios, each of the fixed icons may be represented by activating/de-activating one or more display "segments." Further, to provide greater flexibility in providing dynamic icons, a pixel-based display technology (e.g., active matrix) may be used. It will be appreciated that these configurations are presented for the purpose of example, and that any suitable display technology may be utilized without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Other example display technologies include, but are not limited to, liquid crystal displays, organic light emitting device displays, and projection displays”);
a control device, wherein the control device is electrically connected to the light source component and controls the light source component to emit the first group of light or the second group of light in response to an input of a user (Fig. 2 and [0032], “Board 218 may be disposed within body 212 to provide structural and/or electrical interfaces for button 200. Board 218 may be further configured to electrically couple display device 202 to one or more electrical components (e.g., display controller, non-volatile memory, communication subsystem, etc.). Accordingly, display device 202 may comprise one or more electrical connections 222 (e.g., ribbon cable, flexible flat cable, etc.) to provide said coupling”); and
a button cap, wherein the button cap is at least partially transparent or semi-transparent (Fig. 2, 204); the first group of light passes through the button cap and forms a first button identifier at a top of the button cap; and the second group of light passes through the button cap and forms a second button identifier at the top of the button cap (Figs. 3-5, and [0036], “FIGS. 4 and 5 show a plurality of pushable buttons 400 displaying various icons (e.g., icons for a first-person combat video game). First, as shown in the example of FIG. 4, first pushable button 402 of the plurality of pushable buttons 400 is displaying icon 404, illustrated as a default "X" icon. In response to actuation of button 402 by a user (e.g., via thumb 406), button 402 may be configured to display an icon different than icon 404. FIG. 5 shows pushable buttons 400 after user actuation of button 402. As illustrated, button 402 is displaying icon 408 in the form of a grenade. As such, further actuation of button 402 may result in use of a grenade by an in-game character”).
However, Ashley does not explicitly disclose a grating sheet, wherein the grating sheet is arranged on an optical path where the first group of light is located and an optical path where the second group of light is located, and the grating sheet refracts or reflects the first group of light or the second group of light.
Nevertheless, Islam teaches in a like invention, a grating sheet arranged on an optical path of a display screen ([0095], “In this way, optical coupler 166 may form both an output coupler on waveguide 140 for light 170 and an input coupler on waveguide 140 for reflected light 172 (e.g., optical coupler 166 may include a single grating or multiple different sets of overlapping gratings that diffract light 170 and reflected light 172 in different respective directions)”).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the time the invention was effectively filed to have modified the gamepad disclosed by Ashley, to have the grating sheet arranged on an optical path, as taught by Islam, in order to spread light evenly on the button cap to make it easier and clearer to see the button identifier.
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Ashley and Islam discloses the gamepad capable of switching the button identifiers according to claim 1, wherein the light source component comprises a first light source component and a second light source component; both the first light source component and the second light source component are electrically connected to the control device (Ashley, Fig. 2 and [0032], “Board 218 may be disposed within body 212 to provide structural and/or electrical interfaces for button 200. Board 218 may be further configured to electrically couple display device 202 to one or more electrical components (e.g., display controller, non-volatile memory, communication subsystem, etc.). Accordingly, display device 202 may comprise one or more electrical connections 222 (e.g., ribbon cable, flexible flat cable, etc.) to provide said coupling”); the control device turns on or turns off the first light source component and/or the second light source component in response to the input of the user (Ashley, [0017], “Accordingly, during use of computing device 110 (e.g., during interaction with application 113), specific actions or activities (e.g., jump, crouch, run, change weapon, etc.) may be assigned to buttons 116, and corresponding icons may be displayed thereon. Further, upon the occurrence of user actuation of buttons 116 and/or upon the occurrence of various triggers (e.g., video game game play situations), the icons may be updated to reflect an updated state (e.g., updated functionality of the associated input mechanism)”); the first light source component is turned on to emit the first group of light; and the second light source component is turned on to emit the second group of light (Ashley, Figs. 3-5, and [0036], “FIGS. 4 and 5 show a plurality of pushable buttons 400 displaying various icons (e.g., icons for a first-person combat video game). First, as shown in the example of FIG. 4, first pushable button 402 of the plurality of pushable buttons 400 is displaying icon 404, illustrated as a default "X" icon. In response to actuation of button 402 by a user (e.g., via thumb 406), button 402 may be configured to display an icon different than icon 404. FIG. 5 shows pushable buttons 400 after user actuation of button 402. As illustrated, button 402 is displaying icon 408 in the form of a grenade. As such, further actuation of button 402 may result in use of a grenade by an in-game character”).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Ashley and Islam discloses the gamepad capable of switching the button identifiers according to claim 2, wherein a frequency of the first group of light is not the same as a frequency of the second group of light (Islam, [0032], “The diffractive gratings may, for example, include multiple multiplexed gratings (e.g., holograms) that at least partially overlap within the same volume of grating medium (e.g., for diffracting different colors of light and/or light from a range of different input angles at one or more corresponding output angles)”).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Ashley and Islam discloses the gamepad capable of switching the button identifiers according to claim 2, wherein the first light source component and the second light source component are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the button cap, and an incidence angle of the first group of light is different from an incidence angle of the second group of light (Islam, Fig. 2, [0034], “For example, as shown in FIG. 2, first projector 22B may emit (e.g., produce, generate, project, or display) image light that is coupled into first waveguide 24B (e.g., by a first input coupler on first waveguide 24B)... Similarly, second projector 22A may emit (e.g., produce, generate, project, or display) image light that is coupled into second waveguide 24A (e.g., by a second input coupler on second waveguide 24A)”).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Ashley and Islam discloses the gamepad capable of switching the button identifiers according to claim 2, wherein a first light guide part and a second light guide part are convexly arranged on a surface of the button cap; the first light source component is arranged towards the first light guide part; and the second light source component is arranged towards the second light guide part (Islam, Fig. 2, [0034], “For example, as shown in FIG. 2, first projector 22B may emit (e.g., produce, generate, project, or display) image light that is coupled into first waveguide 24B (e.g., by a first input coupler on first waveguide 24B)... Similarly, second projector 22A may emit (e.g., produce, generate, project, or display) image light that is coupled into second waveguide 24A (e.g., by a second input coupler on second waveguide 24A)”).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Ashley and Islam discloses the gamepad capable of switching the button identifiers according to claim 2, wherein the control device comprises a button control panel; the button control panel is arranged inside the shell and corresponds to the buttons; the button control panel is provided with button electrical contacts; and the button caps resist against the button electrical contacts (Ashley, Fig. 2 and [0030], “Button 200 further comprises actuatable component 216 coupled to board 218 (e.g., multi-layer printed circuit board) and configured to translate user actuation of the button into one or more representative analog and/or digital electrical signals”).
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Ashley and Islam discloses the gamepad capable of switching the button identifiers according to claim 6, wherein the control device further comprises a main control panel; and the main control panel is arranged inside the shell and is electrically connected to the button control panel (Ashley, Fig. 2 and [0032], “Board 218 may be disposed within body 212 to provide structural and/or electrical interfaces for button 200. Board 218 may be further configured to electrically couple display device 202 to one or more electrical components (e.g., display controller, non-volatile memory, communication subsystem, etc.). Accordingly, display device 202 may comprise one or more electrical connections 222 (e.g., ribbon cable, flexible flat cable, etc.) to provide said coupling”).
Regarding claim 10, please refer to the claim rejections of claims 1 and 2.
Examiner’s Note
The prior art does not demonstrate the claim limitations of claims 7 and 8. However, as being illustrated in the section of 35 U.S.C. 112 rejections, claims 7 and 8 are rejected along with other claims under 35 U.S.C. 112(b).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Kim [US20060150121] also discloses controlling light for buttons on a keypad (abstract, “The mobile communication terminal controls the light unit such that a user can conveniently identify whether a predetermined operation or event occurs, and can easily identify an active key according to the current operation or event state”).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YINGCHUAN ZHANG whose telephone number is (571)272-1375. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00 - 4:30 M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Xuan Thai can be reached at (571) 272-7147. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/YINGCHUAN ZHANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715