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 .
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 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yen (US20200273642) in view of Shipman (US. Pat. 7,172,303).
Yen teaches a backlight keyswitch comprising: a keyswitch body having a keycap 300a with a symbol 310a; a membrane circuit board 200 disposed under the keyswitch body; a backlight module 20a disposed under the membrane circuit board for emitting light to the symbol via the membrane circuit board; and an elastic body 500 disposed between the keycap and the membrane circuit board for returning the keycap to its original position, the elastic body having a ring-shaped base, a bridge structure, and a central pillar, the ring-shaped base being disposed on the membrane circuit board, the bridge structure extending from the ring-shaped base toward the keycap to connect to the central pillar for supporting the central pillar, to make the central pillar suspended relative to the membrane circuit board and abut against the keycap, a projection of the central pillar on the keycap partially covering the symbol to make the light emitted from the symbol pass through the central pillar (light emitted by the light source 25a is guided by the light guide 22a, and the guided light is goes through the elastic body including the central pillar, to illuminate the symbol, see annotated figure below), as required by claim 1; wherein the membrane circuit board 200 has a switch 600, and the central pillar has a downward protruding pillar corresponding to the switch; when the keycap is pressed, the bridge structure deforms to make the downward protruding pillar press and trigger the switch, as required by claim 2 (Fig. 1d and paragraph 81). Yen does not teach the projection of the central pillar on the keycap completely covering the symbol. However, Shipman teaches a similar keyswitch that comprises a keycap with symbol 35, and an elastic member 20 with a ring-shaped base (lower section), a bridge structure (middle section), and a central pillar (top section) abutting against the keycap, a projection of the central pillar on the keycap completely covering the symbol (Fig. 6). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the teachings of Shipman in the keyswitch of Yen to provide a better illuminated keyswitch.
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Response to Arguments
Applicant argues that Yen does not teach “a projection of the central pillar on the keycap completely covering the symbol to make the light emitted from the symbol pass through the central pillar”. However, the examiner cannot concur. Yen teaches an elastic body with a central pillar that partially (not completely) covers a symbol 310a formed on the keycap. The light emitted by the light source 25a is guided by the light guide 22a, and the guided light is goes through the elastic body including the central pillar, to illuminate the symbol. The light emitted from the symbol must therefore pass through the elastic body, including the central pillar. Shipman was cited to teach the relative sizing of the symbol area and the size of the elastic body, specifically the symbol being smaller than the top portion of the elastic member.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AHMED M SAEED whose telephone number is (571)270-7976. The examiner can normally be reached 10-8pm.
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/AHMED M SAEED/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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