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 .
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.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 2-8 and 17-19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 09 July 2025.
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species XII, corresponding to originally filed Claims 1, 15, 16, and 20 in the reply filed on 09 July 2025 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1, 16, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Uehara (US 2022 / 0236831).
As pertaining to Claim 1, Uehara discloses (see Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, Fig. 4, Fig. 17, and Fig. 22) a touch input device (see (1) in Fig. 1) comprising a display panel (see (30) in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2; and see Page 2, Para. [0033] and [0037]), comprising:
a touch sensor (see (100) in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2) comprising a plurality of first electrodes (see (Rx) in Fig. 17) and a plurality of second electrodes (see (Tx) in Fig. 17) disposed to cross the plurality of first electrodes (Rx; see Page 3, Para. [0042], [0044], and [0045]); and
a touch controller (see (11, 14, 15, 20, 40) in Fig. 4) electrically connected to the plurality of first electrodes (Rx) and the plurality of second electrodes (Tx) and configured to control the touch sensor (100; see Page 3 through Page 4, Para. [0048]-[0051]),
wherein the plurality of second electrodes (Tx) comprise a pair of electrode parts (see any parts of (Tx-3, Tx-4), for example, in Fig. 17), one of the pair of electrode parts (i.e., a left-side part of (Tx-3)) is disposed adjacent to at least one of the electrodes (i.e., see (Rx-1) in Fig. 17) among the plurality of first electrodes (Rx), and the other of the pair of electrode parts (i.e., a right-side part of (Tx-4)) is disposed so as not to be adjacent to the at least one of the electrodes (Rx-1) and is disposed so as to be spaced apart from the at least one of the electrodes (Rx-1) by a predetermined distance (i.e., see the right-side part of (Tx-4) that is spaced apart from (Rx-1) by the predetermined distance shown in Fig. 17),
wherein the touch controller (again, see (11, 14, 15, 20, 40)) is configured to:
apply a first driving signal (i.e., (VH) of driving signal (VTP)) to the one of the pair of electrode parts (i.e., the left-side part of (Tx-3)) of the second electrode (Tx; see (Tx-3) in Fig. 5, for example, at the second period of time),
simultaneously apply a second driving signal (i.e., (VL) of driving signal (VTP)) to the other of the pair of electrode parts (i.e., a right-side part of (Tx-4); see (Tx-4) in Fig. 5, for example, at the second period of time), and
receive sensing signals (i.e., detection signals) from the plurality of first electrodes (Rx), and
wherein the first driving signal (i.e., (VH) of (VTP)) has the same magnitude as the second driving signal (i.e., (VL) of (VTP)) and is 180 degrees inverted in phase with the second driving signal (see Fig. 5, for example, at the second period of time; and see Page 8 through Page 9, Para. [0102]-[0111]; and Page 3, Para. [0049] in combination with Page 3, Para. [0045] and Page 4, Para. [0056]-[0058] and [0061]).
As pertaining to Claim 16, Uehara discloses (see Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, Fig. 4, Fig. 17, and Fig. 22) a that the touch controller (again, see (11, 14, 15, 20, 40)) comprises a driving circuit unit (i.e., see (SW2)) electrically connected to the plurality of second electrodes (Tx), and
the driving circuit unit comprises a first switch element (see (SW2a) or (SW2b)) configured to electrically connect or open the pair of electrode parts (see (Tx-3, Tx-4)) of each of the second electrodes (Tx; again, see Page 9, Para. [0105]-[0108]).
As pertaining to Claim 20, Uehara discloses (see Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, Fig. 4, Fig. 17, and Fig. 22) a that the driving circuit unit (see (SW2)) further comprises:
a driving driver (see (152) in Fig. 22) configured to amplify and output the driving signal (VTP; see Page 10 through Page 11, Para. [0130]);
a second switch element (see (SW1H, SW1L) at a right side in Fig. 17) connected between the driving driver (again, see (152) in Fig. 22) and one of the pair of electrode portions (see (Tx-3) or (Tx-4));
a third switch element (see (SW1H, SW1L) at a left side in Fig. 17) connected to the one of the pair of electrode portions (again, see (Tx-3) or (Tx-4); see Page 8 through Page 9, Para. [0102]-[0108]); and
a receive analog front end (see (40) in Fig. 4) connected to the third switch element (again, see (SW1H, SW1L) at a left side in Fig. 17 and note that the first electrodes (Rx) and the second electrodes (Tx) are electrically connected; see Page 3, Para. [0050]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 24 November 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The applicant has argued that none of the references relied upon by the examiner in the prior Office Action, particularly Uehara, teach or fairly suggest the newly recited features of amended independent Claim 1. Specifically, the applicant has asserted that Uehara does not provide for second electrodes, namely transmission electrodes (Tx), comprising “electrode parts,” with one of the ”electrode parts” being adjacent to a first electrode, namely a receive electrode (Rx), and another of the “electrode parts” being spaced apart from and not adjacent to the first electrode (Rx). The examiner respectfully disagrees. Firstly, the examiner respectfully points out that the claimed “electrode parts” are arbitrarily defined and open to broad interpretation. In this regard, Uehara plainly discloses (see Fig. 17) a plurality of second electrodes (Tx) comprising one of a pair of electrode parts (i.e., a left-side part of (Tx-3)) disposed adjacent to at least one of the first electrodes (i.e., see (Rx-1) in Fig. 17) and another of the pair of electrode parts (i.e., a right-side part of (Tx-4)) disposed so as not to be adjacent to the at least one of the electrodes (Rx-1) and disposed so as to be spaced apart from the at least one of the electrodes (Rx-1) by a predetermined distance. Further, the applicant has argued that Uehara does not provide for the newly claimed “first driving signal” and “second driving signal” having a same magnitude and being “180 degrees inverted in phase.” Again, the examiner respectfully disagrees as Uehara plainly discloses (see Fig. 5, for example) a first driving signal (i.e., (VH) of driving signal (VTP)) applied to the one of the pair of electrode parts (i.e., the left-side part of (Tx-3)) and a second driving signal (i.e., (VL) of driving signal (VTP)) simultaneously applied to the other of the pair of electrode parts (i.e., a right-side part of (Tx-4)), wherein the first driving signal (i.e., (VH) of (VTP)) has the same magnitude as the second driving signal (i.e., (VL) of (VTP)) and is 180 degrees inverted in phase with the second driving signal (again, see Fig. 5, for example, at the second period of time; and see Page 3, Para. [0045] and Page 4, Para. [0056]-[0058] and [0061]).
Therefore, the rejection of Claims 1, 16, and 20 is maintained.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kim et al. (US 2018 / 0329576) and Brown et al. (US 2013 / 0257785) disclose touch sensors comprising electrodes comprising pairs of electrode parts.
(Note that the Brown et al. reference was submitted by the applicant via Information Disclosure Statement on 30 October 2024).
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 JASON M MANDEVILLE whose telephone number is (571)270-3136. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 7:30AM-4:00PM.
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, Chanh Nguyen can be reached at 571-272-7772. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JASON M MANDEVILLE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2623