DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
This Action is responsive to the Application filed on 5/2/2024. Claims 1-37 are pending in the case. Claims 38-61 have been cancelled. Claims 36-37 have been amended.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claim 37 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter.
Claim 37 recites a “computer readable storage medium” storing instructions that perform various functions. The Specification of the present application is completely silent as to the particular details of what the “medium” comprises. Thus, the broadest, reasonable interpretation of “computer readable storage medium” encompasses nonstatutory subject matter (transmission media) that is unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. 101.
Accordingly, claim 37 fails to recite statutory subject matter under 35 U.S.C. 101.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
de Bries et al. US 20200379593 A1 teaches in response to a first press input, a device displays a control corresponding to a control function with a first size and with a value indicator representing that a current value of the control function. After displaying the control with the first size and the value indicator, if a subsequent press input has not been detected within a threshold time, the device ceases to display the control; and if a second press input is detected on the same input region within the threshold time: the device adjusts the current value of the control function in accordance with the second press input; the device adjusts a size of the first control from the first size to a second size; and the device changes an appearance of the value indicator to represent that the current value of the control function is the second value.
Gleeson et al. US 20190339804 A1 teaches an electronic device includes a display and an input region separate from the display. The device detects a first portion of a first input on the input region. In response to detecting the first portion of the first input: if the first portion of the first input meets first criteria that do not require a characteristic intensity of the first input to increase above a first intensity threshold in order to be met, the device displays a precursor object of a user interface object that includes one or more selectable options. While displaying the precursor object, a second portion of the first input is detected on the input region, wherein an intensity of the first input increases above the first intensity threshold. In response to detecting the increase in intensity, the device reveals the user interface object by an amount that varies with a current intensity of the first input.
Chen et al. US 20160225568 A1 teaches an embedded button without having gap is disclosed according to the present invention. The button area just bends to operate instead of moving back and forth to operate within a through hole so that no water, vapor, or dust shall enter into the device. One of the embodiments comprises an inner bump configured on an inner side of an outer frame; a pressure switch is configured under the inner bump and touches the bottom surface of the bump; and an activating electrical signal is triggered when the button area is pressed by user with a force exceeding a threshold force level from outside surface of the outer frame of the electronic device.
Kocienda et al. US 20160291770 A1 teaches an electronic device displays a user interface. While displaying the user interface, the device detects an input on the touch-sensitive surface; and, in response to detecting the input while displaying the first user interface, and while detecting the input, in accordance with a determination that the input satisfies first timing criteria and first intensity input criteria, performs a first operation. The first timing criteria require that the input remain on the touch-sensitive surface while a first time period elapses. The first intensity input criteria require that the input satisfy a first intensity threshold at an end of or subsequent to the first time period.
Szeto et al. US 9916073 B1 teaches a method of operating an electronic device having a housing and a user interface mounted to the housing. The user interface includes force sensor(s) on an edge of the housing and a display screen. The method includes displaying, on the display screen, a graphical element having an edge portion; receiving an input from the force sensor(s) on the edge, the input being a measured value of a force applied on the force sensor(s); and in response to said input received, modifying the graphical element on the display screen in a manner to move, to a destination position, the edge portion depending on a direction of movement of the edge portion, the destination position of the edge portion depending on an amplitude of the measured value.
Park et al. US 20160306524 A1 teaches a method for operating a rear surface input unit of a device. The method comprises displaying content on the front display unit; detecting a first input on the rear surface input unit; displaying, through a guide unit, at least one function performable on the current screen on the front display unit on the basis of the type of first input detected; and performing the function in accordance with a second input on the rear surface input unit.
Chaudhri et al. US 20180067622 A1 teaches an electronic device: while displaying a user interface, detects an input sequence that includes detecting an increase in a characteristic intensity of a contact on a home button. In response, the device determines whether the increase is above a first intensity threshold and whether a change in the characteristic intensity proximate to a time when the characteristic intensity increases above the first intensity threshold has a first or a second value for an intensity-change metric. If the increase is above the threshold and the change has the first value, the device performs a first operation that changes the user interface displayed on the display; and generates a first discrete tactile output that corresponds to the increase. If the increase is above the threshold and the change has the second value, the device performs the first operation and generates a second discrete tactile output that corresponds to the increase.
Viljamaa et al. US 20140362257 A1 teaches a method to initiate camera functionality from the locked mode of the device in response to the user pressing the camera physical button. In this case, the user of the device presses the camera physical button (or shortcut key) and holds the device in a front one-handed grip. See Fig. 4a-d.
Alonso et al. US 20250113095 A1 teaches User interfaces integrating one or more hardware buttons, including camera user interfaces that perform different media capture operations (e.g., different types of captures, synthetic depth-of-field operations, and/or changes to the camera user interface) in response to presses of different buttons and/or in response to different types of button presses, user interfaces that provide different responses to button presses inside and outside of a camera application, and user interfaces that provide different settings functions in response to different types of button presses.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MAHELET SHIBEROU whose telephone number is (571)270-7493. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00 AM-5:00 PM Eastern Time.
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/MAHELET SHIBEROU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2171