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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because Figure 6 includes multiple figures that must be separated and separately described in the Specification. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “comprises,” “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. With respect to the limitation that “said first side wall, said second side wall and said recessed bottom wall form an obtuse angle,” it is unclear how three walls form an angle. For the purposes of examination, this limitation will be interpreted as “said first side wall and said recessed bottom wall form a first angle, and said second side wall and said recessed bottom wall form a second angle.”
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, 2, 6, 7 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin [US 10,886,080] in view of [Chang et al., Chang hereinafter, US 2014/0151212].
In regard to claim 1, Lin discloses [in Fig. 2] a button structure, comprising: a keycap [4]; an elastic body [7]; a scissor mechanism [6] comprising an inner scissor leg [62] and an outer scissor leg [61]; and a piezoresistive film sensor [3] arranged on a support plate [2]; said scissor mechanism [6] and said elastic body [7] are arranged between said keycap [4] and said piezoresistive film sensor [3]; said piezoresistive film sensor [3] comprises a first pressure sensing area [31] and a second pressure sensing area [32]; wherein said elastic body [7] corresponds to said first pressure sensing area [31] and said scissor mechanism [6] corresponds to said second pressure sensing area [32], such that, when a pressure is applied to said keycap [4], a first pressure acts on said elastic body [7] to generate pressure on said first pressure sensing area [31]; and a second pressure acts on said scissor mechanism [6] to generate pressure on said second pressure sensing area [32]. Lin does not disclose that said button structure further comprises a thin film circuit layer, said thin film circuit layer is disposed on said piezoresistive thin film sensor and connects said elastic body to said inner scissor leg and said outer scissor leg; and said thin film circuit layer is configured to transmit an applied pressure to said piezoresistive thin film sensor. Chang teaches [in Figs. 1 and 2] a thin film circuit layer [42], said thin film circuit layer [42] is disposed on said thin film sensor [16] and connects said elastic body [46] to said inner scissor leg [32] and said outer scissor leg [30], and said thin film circuit layer [42] is configured to transmit an applied pressure to said thin film sensor [16]. It would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the thin film circuit layer of Chang with the button structure of Lin in order to provide a button structure that provides the desired functionality [Chang, par. 0017].
In regard to claims 2 and 12, Lin discloses [in Fig. 2] some of the limitations of the button structure of claim 1, wherein said inner scissor leg [62] and said outer scissor leg [31] are rotatably connected about a center point, and a keyboard comprising the button structure.
In regard to claims 6 and 7, Lin discloses [in Fig. 2] some of the limitations of the button structure of claim 1, and a keyboard comprising the button structure of claim 1. Lin does not explicitly disclose an electronic device comprising the keyboard. Chang teaches [in Par. 0015] an electronic device comprising the keyboard. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to apply the keyboard to an electronic device, since keyboards are well-known in the art to be used for operating computers as taught by Chang.
Claims 4, 5, 14 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin [US 10,886,080] in view of [Chang et al., Chang hereinafter, US 2014/0151212] further in view of [Huang et al., Huang hereinafter, US 11,495,421].
Lin and Chang teach the button structure of claim 1, wherein Lin further discloses [in Figs. 2 and 3] a keyboard and that said elastic body comprises a top portion [71], a ring wall [annotated below], a transmitting column [72] and a bottom portion [annotated below], a first end and a second end of said the ring wall are respectively connected to said top portion and said bottom portion inside said ring wall to form a cavity [under 7], said transmitting column [72] is located in said cavity and is arranged between said top portion [71] and said bottom portion, an upper end of said transmitting column [72] is connected to said top portion [71], and a lower end of said transmitting column [72] opposite to said upper end is spaced a predetermined distance from said bottom portion, said bottom portion is connected to said first pressure sensing area [31]. Lin and Chang do not disclose a recessed space is defined on said top portion, said recessed space comprising a first side wall, a second side wall and a recessed bottom wall, said first side wall and said second side wall are respectively connected to said recessed bottom wall, said first side wall and said recessed bottom wall form a first angle, and said second side wall and said recessed bottom wall form a second angle.
Huang teaches [in Fig. 5] a recessed space [annotated below] is defined on said top portion, said recessed space comprising a first side wall [left side wall of recessed space], a second side wall [right side wall of recessed space] and a recessed bottom wall [bottom wall of recessed space], said first side wall and said second side wall are respectively connected to said recessed bottom wall, said first side wall and said recessed bottom wall form a first angle, and said second side wall and said recessed bottom wall form a second angle. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the recessed space of Huang with the elastic body of Lin, in order to provide a secure connection between the keycap and the elastic body.
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Lin, annotated Fig. 2
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Huang, annotated Fig. 5
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 8-11 and 13 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
In regard to claim 3, in combination with other limitations, said inner scissor leg comprising a hollow portion, and said elastic body being disposed between said piezoresistive film sensor and said keycap through said hollow portion is neither disclosed nor suggested by the prior art.
In regard to claim 8, in combination with other limitations, said inner scissor leg comprising a first edge and a second edge, said first edge and second edge being substantially opposite to each other; and said outer scissor leg comprising a third edge and a fourth edge, said third edge and said fourth edge being substantially opposite to each other, wherein said first edge and said third edge are connected to said piezoresistive film sensor, and said second edge and said fourth edge are connected to said keycap is neither disclosed nor suggested by the prior art.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Lin [US 10,847,329] discloses a similar button structure.
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/LHEIREN MAE A CAROC/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2833