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 .
1. This communication is responsive to the application filed 12/12/2023.
2. Claims 1-20 are pending in this application. Claims 1, 7 and 14 are independent claims. This action is made Non-Final.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. 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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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.
4. Claim(s) 1-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang et al (“Huang” US 2022/0382374) in view of Yuan (CN 201880096029 A).
Regarding claim 1, Huang discloses a computer-implemented method comprising:
detecting a touch input on a touch sensitive display (see fig 10D, 1038; e.g., detect touch of fingers);
generating a virtual keyboard user interface (UI) based on the touch input (see fig 10E, 1034; e.g., virtual keyboard generated based on touch of fingers); and
outputting the virtual keyboard UI to be displayed on the touch sensitive display, according to the user-adaptive layout (see fig 10E, 1034; e.g., virtual keyboard).
Huang does not expressly disclose the virtual keyboard UI comprising a plurality of virtual objects arranged in a user- adaptive layout based on the touch input.
However, Yuan discloses the virtual keyboard UI comprising a plurality of virtual objects arranged in a user- adaptive layout based on the touch input (see page 5, line 18 to page 7, line 4; e.g., user-adaptive layout). It would have been obvious to an artisan before the effective filing date of the present invention to include Yuan’s teachings in Huang’s user interface in an effort to provide a more user-friendly interface that reduces inconvenience by adapting to use habits of user.
Regarding claim 2, Yuan discloses wherein the plurality of virtual objects includes a plurality of adaptive virtual keys, each of the plurality of adaptive virtual keys having a respective one or more properties for dynamically configuring the user-adaptive layout, and wherein generating the virtual keyboard UI comprises: adjusting the respective one or more properties of each of the plurality of adaptive virtual keys, based on the touch input (see page 5, line 18 to page 7, line 4; e.g., user-adaptive layout).
Regarding claim 3, Yuan discloses wherein the one or more properties includes at least one of: key size; key pitch; key gap; or key aspect ratio (see page 5, line 18 to page 7, line 4; e.g., user-adaptive layout).
Regarding claim 4, Yuan discloses wherein the plurality of virtual objects also includes a first panel of virtual keys and a second panel of virtual keys, wherein each of the plurality of virtual adaptive keys are configured in the user-adaptive layout to be adjacent to one or both of the first panel of virtual keys and the second panel of virtual keys, and wherein outputting the virtual keyboard UI to be displayed comprises: outputting the first panel of virtual keys, the second panel of virtual keys and the plurality of adaptive keys to be displayed, according to the user-adaptive layout (see fig 3; also see page 5, line 18 to page 7, line 4; e.g., user-adaptive layout).
Regarding claim 5, Huang discloses wherein detecting the touch input comprises: detecting touch input at locations representative of home row finger positions defined in the virtual keyboard UI (see claim 1 above).
Regarding claim 6, Huang discloses further comprising: prior to detecting the touch input: detecting a virtual keyboard launch gesture in proximity to the touch sensitive display; detecting a hand position in proximity to the touch sensitive display, based on the virtual keyboard launch gesture; and configuring a preview of the virtual keyboard UI to be displayed on the touch sensitive display, based on the hand position (see paragraphs [0028], [0036], [0045] and [0153]-[0154]; e.g., proximity of user hand to display).
Regarding claim 7, Huang discloses a computer-implemented method comprising:
performing a virtual keyboard calibration by: detecting touch input on a touch sensitive display (see fig 5, 542 and 544), the touch input being detected as sensor data representative of a placement of a palm and fingers of a hand on the touch sensitive display (see paragraphs [0025], [0103] and [0153]-[0154]; e.g., fingers and hand; also see fig 11A; e.g., part of palm touches screen); and
obtaining one or more measurements of the hand, based on the sensor data (see paragraphs [0010] and [0093]; e.g., measure size of contact);
generating a virtual keyboard user interface (UI) comprising a plurality of virtual objects based on the one or more measurements of the hand obtained by performing the virtual keyboard calibration (see fig 11E, 1034; e.g., virtual keyboard generated based on touch); and
outputting the virtual keyboard UI to be displayed on the touch sensitive display, according to the user-adaptive layout (see fig 11E).
Huang does not expressly disclose the virtual keyboard is arranged in a user-adaptive layout.
However, Yuan discloses the virtual keyboard arranged in a user- adaptive layout (see page 5, line 18 to page 7, line 4; e.g., user-adaptive layout). It would have been obvious to an artisan before the effective filing date of the present invention to include Yuan’s teachings in Huang’s user interface in an effort to provide a more user-friendly interface that reduces inconvenience by adapting to use habits of user.
Regarding claim 8, Huang discloses wherein a user hand profile is generated based on the one or more measurements of the hand (see paragraphs [0010] and [0093]; e.g., measure size of contact).
Regarding claim 9, Huang discloses wherein the user hand profile is stored and wherein the user-adaptive layout of the virtual keyboard UI is stored in association with the user hand profile (see paragraphs [0010] and [0093]; e.g., measure size of contact).
Regarding claim 10, Huang discloses wherein generating the virtual keyboard UI comprises determining that the user hand profile matches an existing stored user hand profile, and retrieving the stored user-adaptive layout associated with the stored user hand profile to use for the generating the virtual keyboard UI (see paragraphs [0010], [0034], [0090]-[0091] and [0093]; e.g., measure size of contact; e.g., compare stored inputs).
Regarding claim 11, Huang discloses further comprising: prior to performing the virtual keyboard calibration, detecting a virtual keyboard launch gesture in proximity to the touch sensitive display; and performing the virtual keyboard calibration responsive to detecting the virtual keyboard launch gesture (see paragraphs [0028], [0036], [0045] and [0153]-[0154]; e.g., proximity of user hand to display).
Regarding claim 12, Yuan discloses wherein the plurality of virtual objects includes a plurality of adaptive virtual keys, each of the plurality of adaptive virtual keys having a respective one or more properties for dynamically configuring the user- adaptive layout, and wherein generating the virtual keyboard UI comprises: adjusting the respective one or more properties of each of the plurality of adaptive virtual keys, based on the one or more hand measurements (see page 5, line 18 to page 7, line 4; e.g., user-adaptive layout).
Regarding claim 13, Yuan discloses wherein at least one property of each of the plurality of adaptive virtual keys is at least one of: key size; key pitch; key gap; or key aspect ratio (see page 5, line 18 to page 7, line 4; e.g., user-adaptive layout).
Regarding claim 14, Huang discloses a computer-implemented method comprising:
detecting a touch input on a touch sensitive display, the touch input representing home row finger positions defined for a virtual keyboard user interface (UI) (see fig 4B where three fingers are shown in a “row”);
outputting the virtual keyboard UI to be displayed on the touch sensitive display, (see fig 10E where virtual keyboard is shown);
in response to detecting touch input representing movement of the home row finger positions away from the edge of the touch sensitive display, move the virtual keyboard UI to increase a margin between the virtual keyboard UI and an edge of the touch sensitive display (see figs 10-13; also see paragraphs [0126], [0132], [0137] and [0140]; e.g., “Depending on the distance over which the user input is moved across the lower touchscreen 1032, lower touchscreen 1032 may move the virtual keyboard 1034 out of the lower touchscreen 1032 from the left-hand side thereof, and the lower touchscreen 1032 may only display the virtual trackpad 1036 (FIG. 13D).”);
wherein a virtual trackpad is displayable in the margin between the virtual keyboard UI and the edge of the touch sensitive display (see fig 11).
Huang does not expressly disclose the virtual keyboard UI being displayed at a location on the touch sensitive display corresponding to the touch input representing the home row finger positions.
However, Yuan discloses the virtual keyboard UI being displayed at a location on the touch sensitive display corresponding to the touch input representing the home row finger positions (see page 5, line 18 to page 7, line 4; e.g., user-adaptive layout). It would have been obvious to an artisan before the effective filing date of the present invention to include Yuan’s teachings in Huang’s user interface in an effort to provide a more user-friendly interface that reduces inconvenience by adapting to use habits of user.
Regarding claim 15, Huang discloses wherein a size of the virtual trackpad increases as the margin between the virtual keyboard UI and the edge of the touch sensitive display increases, and the size of the virtual trackpad decreases as the margin between the virtual keyboard UI and the edge of the touch sensitive display decreases (see figs 10-13; also see paragraphs [0126], [0132], [0137] and [0140]; e.g., “Depending on the distance over which the user input is moved across the lower touchscreen 1032, lower touchscreen 1032 may move the virtual keyboard 1034 out of the lower touchscreen 1032 from the left-hand side thereof, and the lower touchscreen 1032 may only display the virtual trackpad 1036 (FIG. 13D).”).
Regarding claim 16, Huang discloses wherein the virtual trackpad is displayed in the margin between the virtual keyboard UI and the edge of the touch sensitive display in response to the virtual keyboard UI being moved a first threshold distance from the edge of the touch sensitive display (see figs 10-13; also see paragraphs [0126], [0132], [0137] and [0140]; e.g., “Depending on the distance over which the user input is moved across the lower touchscreen 1032, lower touchscreen 1032 may move the virtual keyboard 1034 out of the lower touchscreen 1032 from the left-hand side thereof, and the lower touchscreen 1032 may only display the virtual trackpad 1036 (FIG. 13D).”).
Regarding claim 17, Huang discloses wherein the virtual trackpad is displayed in the margin between the virtual keyboard UI and the edge of the touch sensitive display at a maximum trackpad size in response to the virtual keyboard UI being moved a second threshold distance, greater than the first threshold distance, from the edge of the touch sensitive display (see figs 13C and 13D; also see paragraphs [0126], [0132], [0137] and [0140]; e.g., “Depending on the distance over which the user input is moved across the lower touchscreen 1032, lower touchscreen 1032 may move the virtual keyboard 1034 out of the lower touchscreen 1032 from the left-hand side thereof, and the lower touchscreen 1032 may only display the virtual trackpad 1036 (FIG. 13D).”).
6. Claim(s) 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang and Yuan in view of Louch (US 2010/0245260).
Regarding claim 18, Huang does not expressly disclose further comprising: detecting a touch input representing selection of a trackpad toggle button displayed on the touch sensitive display; responsive to selection of the trackpad toggle button, moving the virtual keyboard UI to increase the margin between the virtual keyboard UI and the edge of the touch sensitive display to accommodate display of the virtual trackpad; and displaying the virtual trackpad in the margin between the virtual keyboard UI and the edge of the touch sensitive display.
However, Louch discloses further comprising: detecting a touch input representing selection of a trackpad toggle button displayed on the touch sensitive display; responsive to selection of the trackpad toggle button, moving the virtual keyboard UI to increase the margin between the virtual keyboard UI and the edge of the touch sensitive display to accommodate display of the virtual trackpad; and displaying the virtual trackpad in the margin between the virtual keyboard UI and the edge of the touch sensitive display (see figs and paragraphs [0044]-[0046]; e.g., “the control object 318 can be used to deactivate (e.g., hide, remove from display, or exit) the virtual input device 310”). It would have been obvious to an artisan before the effective filing date of the present invention to include Louch’s teachings in Huang’s user interface in an effort to provide a more user-friendly interface that reduces inconvenience by adapting to use habits of user.
Regarding claim 19, Louch discloses wherein, responsive to selection of the trackpad toggle button, the virtual keyboard UI is moved to increase the margin between the virtual keyboard UI and the edge of the touch sensitive display to accommodate display of the virtual trackpad at a maximum trackpad size (see figs and paragraphs [0044]-[0046]; e.g., “the control object 318 can be used to deactivate (e.g., hide, remove from display, or exit) the virtual input device 310”).
Regarding claim 20, Louch discloses further comprising: while the virtual trackpad is displayed, detecting a touch input representing another selection of the trackpad toggle button; responsive to selection of the trackpad toggle button, moving the virtual keyboard UI to decrease the margin between the virtual keyboard UI and the edge of the touch sensitive display; and hiding the virtual trackpad from being displayed (see figs and paragraphs [0044]-[0046]; e.g., “the control object 318 can be used to deactivate (e.g., hide, remove from display, or exit) the virtual input device 310”).
Conclusion
7. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Labbe et al (US 2016/0034180).
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RASHAWN N TILLERY whose telephone number is (571)272-6480. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00a - 5:30p.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, William L Bashore can be reached at (571) 272-4088. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RASHAWN N TILLERY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2174
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