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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1, 4-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ikeda (U.S. PGPUB 2022/0305392).
Re claim 1. Ikeda discloses an input device (see Fig. 25, object 12: a handheld gaming controller) comprising:
a grip including side surfaces contacted by a palm of a user when the user holds the grip (see Fig 25: the game controller is held in the palm of a user’s hand).
and at least one operation member configured to be operated by the user with fingers (see Fig 2: input buttons, object 26), wherein
the grip includes a grip main body (see Fig. 25: object 12, except object 12H), a grip movable portions constituting a part of the side surfaces of the grip (see Fig. 25: object 12H: showing a bendable part of the game controller), and a vibration motor attached to the grip movable portion (see paragraph [0022, 0100, 0101]: a vibrator motor can be placed in the lower part or upper part of the controller. Here either part can be considered the grip or the grip moving body as both sides can be held within the palm of a user), and
a relative position between the grip movable portion and the grip main body is changeable (see Fig. 25: when the top portion is folded, the relative position and distance between the two is changed.).
Re claim 4: Ikeda discloses with respect to the input device according to claim 1, wherein
the grip includes a position adjusting mechanism between the grip main body and the grip movable portion (see Fig. 25: pivot point 84), and
the position adjusting mechanism includes a position adjustment operating section operated by the user and adjusts a relative position between the grip main body and the grip movable portion (see Fig. 25: the user can fold that portion of the controller down accordingly).
Re claim 5: Ikeda discloses with respect to the input device according to claim 4, wherein
the grip is shaped to extend in a first direction (see Fig. 25: the entire controller is arranged together in a first direction); and the position adjusting mechanism and the vibration motor are arranged in the first direction (see Fig 25: the entire controller including the adjusting mechanism and vibrating mechanism are arranged in the same direction).
Re claim 6: Ikeda discloses with respect to the input device according to claim 1, wherein the vibration motor is disposed between the grip main body and the grip movable portion and is covered by the grip movable portion (see paragraph [0022, 0100-0101]: the vibrator motor is located in the grip movable portion wherein it is covered in said portion).
Re claim 7 and 8: Ikeda discloses with respect to the input device according to claim 1, wherein
the grip is shaped to extend in a first direction (see Fig. 25: the grip is shaped in a straight vertical direction), and
the grip movable portion is a portion positioned in a second direction crossing the first direction relative to the grip main body (see Fig. 25: when the grip moving portion is folded the axis of the fold crosses with the direction of the grip).
Re claim 9: Ikeda discloses with respect to the input device according to claim 1, wherein the grip movable portion includes a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, and the first end includes a supported portion rotatably supported (see Fig. 25).
Re claim 10: Ikeda discloses the input device according to claim 1, wherein the number of the grips provided in the input device is one {see Fig. 25: the device can be gripped with one hand).
Re claim 11: Ikeda discloses the input device according to claim 1, comprising:
a right grip and a left grip as the grip (see Fig. 25: all the sides of the device are greppable, thus it has a right and left grip).
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.
Claim(s) 2 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ikeda in view of Rihn (U.S. PGPUB 2018/0369691).
Re claim 2 and 3: Ikeda fails to disclose an input device according to claim 1, comprising:
a hand holding member configured to fix a hand of the user to the grip movable portion.
However, Rihn discloses an input device that include a cord extending from the bottom the controller wherein the cord includes a loop to attach the controller to the user’s wrist (see Fig. 1b). Because the attachment mechanism is a cord in a side view of the input controller it can overlap with the area of the vibration motor as the chord can be arranged in a number of configurations. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the controller with the cord safety system of Rihn, for the purpose of preventing the controller from leaving the hand of the user and potential causing harm.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to REGINALD A RENWICK whose telephone number is (571)270-1913. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 11am-7pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kang Hu can be reached at (571)270-1344. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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REGINALD A. RENWICK
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3714
/REGINALD A RENWICK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715