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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 02/09/2026 has been entered.
Procedural Summary
This is responsive to the claims filed 02/09/2026.
Claims 1-5 and 8-10 are pending.
AIA Notice
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 of this title, 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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-5 and 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication 2015/0281422 A1 to Kessler et al. (hereinafter Kessler) in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication 2017/0182410 A1 to Townley et al. (hereinafter Townley).
Regarding Claim 1, (Currently Amended) Kessler discloses a game controller, adapted to be cooperated with a game console or a mobile device (fig. 1), the game controller comprising:
a first control handle (figs. 10-12, left handle housing 12);
a second control handle (figs. 10-12, right handle housing 14); and
a stretchable assembly (extension mechanism 82 with telescoping slide mechanism 84, para. [0085]), wherein the stretchable assembly is in a symmetrical configuration and is connected to the first control handle and the second control handle, the first control handle and the second control handle are slidable relative to each other via the stretchable assembly so as to be in a combined mode or a separated mode (figs. 8-10, 16 depicted above, paras. [0083]-[0085]);
wherein when the game controller is in the combined mode, the first control handle and the second control handle are jointed with each other for being cooperated with the game console (figs. 10-12, 16 depicted above);
when the game controller is in the separated mode, the first control handle and the second control handle are spaced apart from each other so as to form an installation space between the first control handle and the second control handle for the mobile device to be installed therein (figs. 9 and 11 depicted above);
wherein the game controller further comprises a first support structure and a second support structure, wherein the first support structure and the second support structure are respectively disposed on the first control handle and the second control handle (figs. 6-7, 10-12, paras. [0071]-[0072] discloses each of the left and right handle housings 12, 14 may be provided with a pair of interlocking tongue members 22, 24 which, … may, as can be better seen in FIG. 12, act to retain a handheld information processing device in a space defined between the opposing end faces 12a, 14a of the left and right handle housings 12, 14 when the controller apparatus 10 is in an open state … each of the left and right handle housings 12, 14 may also be provided with at least one gripping stud 26, 28 (FIGS. 6 and 7) which may assist retention of a handheld information processing device in a space defined between the opposing end faces 12a, 14a of the left and right handle housings 12, 14 when the controller apparatus 10 is in an open state),
wherein in a direction that the first control handle and the second control handle are slidable relative to each other, the first support structure and the second support structure are arranged offset from each other (figs. 10-12, paras. [0071]-[0072]),
wherein the first control handle has a first upper surface and a first side surface, the second control handle has a second upper surface and a second side surface, the second upper surface and the first upper surface face a same direction, the first side surface and the second side surface face each other (figs. 10-12, paras. [0071]-[0072]).
Kessler discloses a first support structure and a second support structure but it doesn’t explicitly disclose: “… and the first support structure and the second support structure are configured to support a rear side of the mobile device when the game controller is in the separated mode;” and “… the first support structure protrudes from the first side surface and is spaced apart from the first upper surface of the first control handle by a distance, and the second support structure protrudes from the second side surface and is spaced apart from the second upper surface of the second control handle by a distance.”
In a related invention, Townley discloses combination game controller and information input device directed to controlling electronic games and entry of information to a computing device, also referred to herein as video games, computer and applications games. Townley discloses …. the first support structure and the second support structure are configured to support a rear side of the mobile device when the game controller is in the separated mode (see figs. 16-17, paras. [0078], [0081] discloses confinement structures 316 that supports the rear side of the gaming device in separated mode); and the first support structure protrudes from the first side surface and is spaced apart from the first upper surface of the first control handle by a distance, and the second support structure protrudes from the second side surface and is spaced apart from the second upper surface of the second control handle by a distance (see figs. 16-17, disclosing confinement structures 316 to secure/support the computing device in place, paras. [0078], [0081] discloses FIG. 16 shows a back plan view of an alternative combination 300, which preferably includes, but is not limited to, a computing device 302 that provides a plurality of sides 304, each of the plurality of sides are disposed between an electronic display screen 306 (of FIG. 13) of the computing device and a back 308 of the computing device 302. Preferably, the communication port 310 further provides a pair of confinement structures 316, the pair of confinement structures 316, which are preferably adjacent to and confining the computing device 302 on at least two opposing sides of the plurality of sides 304 of the computing device 302. The expansion and contraction of the distance between the pair of confinement structures 316, facilitates placement of the computing device 302 between the pair of confinement structures 316, the application of sufficient compressive load being placed on the computing device 302 to securely hold the computing device between the pair of confinement structures 316, and an ability to remove the compressive load and allow removal of the computing device from the communication port 310) (confinement structures broadly interpreted as the first and second support structure).
Kessler discloses a game pad comprising left and right handle housings adapted to be gripped by a user. Townley generally relates to a combination game controller and information input device directed to controlling electronic games and entry of information to a computing device, also referred to herein as video games, computer and applications games. The apparatus preferably includes a computing device, an electronic game communicating with the computing device, and an input device for controlling movement of a virtual object provided by the electronic game, and entry of information into the computing device. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the prior art before the effective date of the invention to modify Kessler and include the confinement structures of Townley with the gaming device of Kessler in order to support and secure the gaming device in place when it is in a separated mode.
Regarding Claim 2, (Original) Kessler in view of Townley discloses the game controller according to claim 1, wherein each of the first control handle and the second control handle has a contact surface, the contact surface of the first control handle faces the contact surface of the second control handle (Kessler, figs. 2, 9-11; Townley, figs. 16-17);
when the game controller is in the combined mode, the contact surface of the first control handle is in contact with the contact surface of the second control handle (Kessler, figs. 2, 9-11; Townley, figs. 16-17);
when the game controller is in the separated mode, the contact surface of the first control handle is spaced apart from the contact surface of the second control handle, and the stretchable assembly is in the symmetrical configuration relative to a reference plane, which is centrally located between the contact surface of the first control handle and the contact surface of the second control handle (Kessler, figs. 2, 9-11; Townley, figs. 16-17).
Regarding Claim 3, (Original) Kessler in view of Townley discloses the game controller according to claim 1, wherein the stretchable assembly comprises a first rail, a second rail and a third rail, the first rail is slidably disposed on the first control handle, the second rail is slidably disposed on the second control handle, the third rail is slidably connected to the first rail and the second rail, and the first rail and the second rail are arranged symmetrical to each other relative to the third rail (Kessler, see fig. 10 above, paras. [0086] discloses telescoping slide mechanism 84 comprises a central slide section 86 and respective primary slide sections 88, 90 within which the central section 86 is accommodated when the slide mechanism 84 is in its closed state. However, to better provide a means to move the left and right handle housings 12, 14 apart by a distance sufficient to receive a handheld information processing device 70 in a lengthwise orientation within the defined space 68, the slide mechanism 84 preferably includes in addition to the central slide section 86, respective secondary slide sections 92, 94 within which the central slide section 86 is accommodated when the slide mechanism 84 is in a closed state, and the respective primary sections 88, 90 within which the secondary sections 92, 94 are respectively accommodated when the slide mechanism 84 is in its closed state. The primary slide sections 88, 90 are arranged to be accommodated within respective ones of the handle housings 12, 14 when the handheld controller apparatus 10 is in its closed position) (slide sections represents first, second and third rails).
Regarding Claim 4, (Original) Kessler in view of Townley discloses the game controller according to claim 3, wherein when the game controller is in the combined mode, the first rail and the second rail are respectively accommodated in the first control handle and the second control handle, and the third rail is accommodated in the first rail and the second rail; when the game controller is in the separated mode, the first rail and the second rail are at least partially located outside the first control handle and the second control handle, respectively, and the third rail is at least partially located outside the first rail and the second rail (Kessler, figs. 8-10, paras. [0086]).
Regarding Claim 5, (Original) Kessler in view of Townley discloses the game controller according to claim 4, wherein a width of the third rail is smaller than a width of the first rail and a width of the second rail (Kessler, figs. 8-10, paras. [0086]).
Regarding Claim 8, (Previously Presented) Kessler in view of Townley discloses the game controller according to claim 1, further comprising a signal connector, wherein the signal connector is disposed on the second control handle, the signal connector is configured to be inserted into the mobile device when the game controller is in the separated mode (Kessler, figs. 9-12, paras. [0079]-[0080]), each of the first control handle and the second control handle has a front side, the front side of the first control handle is flush with the front side of the second control handle (Kessler, figs. 9-12, paras. [0079]-[0080]), a distance from the first support structure to the front side of the first control handle is greater than a distance from the second support structure to the front side of the second control handle (Kessler, figs. 9-12, paras. [0079]-[0080]).
Regarding Claim 9, (Original) Kessler in view of Townley discloses the game controller according to claim 8, wherein the second control handle has a contact surface and a top surface connected to each other, the contact surface and the top surface face different directions (Kessler, figs. 10-12, paras. [0076], [0079]), the contact surface faces the first control handle (Kessler, figs. 10-12, paras. [0076], [0079]), the signal connector and the second support structure protrude from the contact surface, the signal connector is located closer to the top surface than the second support structure (Kessler, figs. 10-12, paras. [0076], [0079]), and a projection of the signal connector along a direction parallel to a normal line of the top surface is overlapped with the second support structure (Kessler, figs. 10-12, paras. [0076], [0079]).
Regarding Claim 10, (Previously Presented) Kessler in view of Townley discloses the game controller according to claim 1, wherein the first control handle has a first insertion slot (Kessler, figs. 8-10), the second control handle has a second insertion slot (Kessler, figs. 8-10); when the game controller is in the combined mode (Kessler, figs. 8-10), the first support structure is inserted into the second insertion slot of the second control handle (Kessler, figs. 8-10), and the second support structure is inserted into the first insertion slot of the first control handle (Kessler, figs. 8-10).
Response to Arguments/Remarks
Examiner acknowledges Applicant’s arguments in the response dated 02/09/2026 as part of the Request for Continued Examination (RCE) directed to the Final Office Action dated 01/02/2026.
The arguments have been fully considered but they are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection necessitated by the amendments and the arguments do not apply to the newly cited references used in the current rejection.
Conclusion
Claims 1-5 and 8-10 are examined above.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure and is provided in the Notice of References cited.
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/S.N.H/Examiner, Art Unit 3715 /DAVID L LEWIS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3715