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 .
Rejections - 35 USC § 112
2. 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.
3. Claims 6-7 and 14-15 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claims 6-7 and 14-15 recite: wherein the weight member is rod-shaped (i.e., cylindrical shape). It is unclear what exactly is meant by "the weight member is rod-shaped", and if the weight member is entirely in cylindrical shape (e.g., formed by cutting out a predetermined length from one rod-shaped base body), how said weight member can be made such that it includes the first portion and the second portion, wherein a thickness of the second portion is smaller than a thickness of the first portion, the thicknesses extending in the first direction, and a length of the second portion is larger than a length of the first portion in a rotation direction of the weight member (e.g., the embodiment shown in Figs. 10 and 11).
For purposes of prior art rejection, the examiner comprehends the claim based on his best interpretations to these phrases.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
4. The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention; or
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
5. Claims 1-5, 8-13 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Uno (US 20040261598 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Uno discloses a keyboard apparatus (Figs. 1 and 2) comprising: a frame (chassis 2); a first member (e.g., 22 or other parts of the hammer axial support section; see Figs. 1-3); a first key (3a); and a first hammer assembly (Fig. 4) configured to rotate in accordance with movement of the first key, and including: a rotation member (41a) rotatably connected (via 41a1) to the frame with respect to a rotation axis as a center of rotation; and a weight member (combination of 41b and 42/43, etc., see Fig. 4) attached (para. 0071) to the rotation member and including a first portion (the combination of mass plates 42 with the portion of 41b for receiving the mass plates 42) and a second portion (the portion of 41b extending from said first portion; see annotated Fig. 4 below), wherein the second portion is disposed facing the first member in a first direction (the scale direction) extending along the rotation axis, wherein a thickness of the second portion is smaller than a thickness of the first portion, the thicknesses extending in the first direction, and wherein a length of the second portion (L2a + L2b) is larger than a length of the first portion (L1) in a rotation direction of the weight member (see annotated Fig. 4 below):
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Regarding claim 2, Uno discloses: the keyboard apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a second key; and a second hammer assembly configured to rotate in accordance with movement of the second key, wherein the first member is: fixed to a portion of the frame; and arranged between the first and second hammer assemblies (Figs. 1 and 2).
Regarding claims 3-5, Uno discloses the claimed invention (see Figs. 1-3 and the discussion of the hammer axial support sections).
Regarding claim 8, Uno discloses: wherein the first portion of the weight member includes a groove with a flat surface at a bottom portion of the groove (see annotated Fig. 6a below):
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Regarding claim 9, Uno discloses a keyboard apparatus (Figs. 1 and 2) comprising: a frame (chassis 2); a first member (e.g., 22 or other parts of the hammer axial support section; see Figs. 1-3); a first key (3a); and a first hammer assembly (Fig. 4) configured to rotate in accordance with movement of the first key, and including: a rotation member (41a) rotatably connected to the frame with respect to a rotation axis as a center of rotation; and a weight member (combination of 41b and 42/43, etc., see Fig. 4) attached to the rotation member (para. 0071) and including a first portion (the combination of mass plates 42 with the portion of 41b for receiving the mass plates 42) and a second portion (the portion of 41b extending from said first portion; see annotated Fig. 4 below), wherein the second portion is disposed facing the first member in a first direction (the scale direction) extending along the rotation axis, and wherein the second portion is thinner than the first portion in the first direction (see annotated Fig. 4 below).
Regarding claim 10, Uno discloses the keyboard apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising: a second key; and a second hammer assembly configured to rotate in accordance with movement of the second key; the first member is: fixed to a portion of the frame; and arranged between the first and second hammer assemblies (Figs. 1 and 2).
Regarding claims 11-13, Uno discloses the claimed invention (see Figs. 1-3 and the discussion of the hammer axial support sections).
Regarding claim 16, Uno discloses the claimed invention (see annotated Fig. 6a above).
Contact Information
6. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JIANCHUN QIN whose telephone number is (571)272-5981. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-5:30PM EST M-F.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dedei Hammond can be reached on (571)270-7938. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JIANCHUN QIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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