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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 07/24/2026 has been entered.
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) 8, 10-16, 23-28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Knopf et al. (US 2016/0351360) in view of Chen et al. (CN206931515, English translation used for citing purposes), further in view of Wang et al. (US 2019/0354196).
As to Claim 8, Knopf et al. discloses An input device comprising: a plurality of standard base sized input keys (fig.1-3; keys 105, para.0044), wherein each standard base sized input keys comprises a first key switch type (fig.1-3, switch assembly 206; para.0049,0054,0056),
the first key switch type including a standard optical switch or a standard mechanical switch or a standard dome switch (fig.1-3, switch assembly 206; para.0049,0054,0056) and
a plurality of half base sized input keys (fig.1,33; smaller sized key 107; para.0149-0150),
wherein each half base sized input key comprises a second key switch type (fig.1,33; actuation mechanism 3308 may be a butterfly hinge or other hinge mechanism; para.0049, 0056,0149-0150, ,
the second key switch type being different from the first key switch type, (para.0049,0056,0149; the actuation mechanism 3308 of the smaller sized key may be a butterfly or other hinge mechanism; and other type of actuation mechanism may be used for any given key (para.0056)),
wherein the second key switch type comprises: an input key assembly comprising a keycap (fig.33, cover 3302; para.0149), a substrate (fig.33, base 3312; para.0149),
wherein the substrate of the input key assembly comprises: a first surface (fig.33, upper surface of base 3312), a second surface (fig.33, lower surface of base 3312), wherein the first surface and the second surface are opposite surfaces of the substrate (fig.33, upper and lower surfaces of base 3312), and a through-hole extending between the first surface and the second surface, (fig.33, opening base 3312),
an elastic deformable shell-like structure disposed between the substrate and the keycap (fig.33, dome 3304 between base 3312 and cover 3302; para.0061-0062, 0149),
wherein the elastic deformable shell-like structure comprises a peripheral base portion in abutment with the substrate, an apex portion in abutment with the keycap, wherein the peripheral base portion tapers towards the apex portion, and a plunger-like element extending from underneath the apex portion and away from the apex portion, wherein a free-end of the plunger-like element is opaque, and
an optical sensing arrangement disposed on the second surface of the substrate to transmit a light beam and sense an interruption to the light beam,
wherein the elastic deformable shell-like structure and the optical sensing arrangement are arranged in a manner so as to interrupt the light beam with the free-end of the plunger-like element when the keycap is depressed to deform the elastic deformable shell-like structure for collapsing the apex portion relative to the peripheral base portion to move the plunger-like element along a longitudinal axis of the plunger-like element,
wherein the peripheral base portion of the elastic deformable shell-like structure is in abutment with the first surface of the substrate and the plunger-like element of the elastic deformable shell-like structure is aligned with the through-hole such that the free- end of the plunger-like element is retractably insertable through the through-hole along the longitudinal axis of the plunger-like element when the keycap is depressed
Knopf et al. does not expressly disclose, but Chen discloses: an input key assembly comprising a keycap (fig.1 keycap 140; para.0047; figs.2-4 ), a substrate (fig.1-circuit board 120; figs.2-4),
wherein the substrate of the input key assembly comprises: a first surface (fig.1- upper surface of 120), a second surface (fig.1-lower surface of 120), wherein the first surface and the second surface are opposite surfaces of the substrate (fig.1- upper and lower surfaces of layer 120), and a through-hole extending between the first surface and the second surface (fig.1, perforation 111 and through hole 121; para.0047,0050; figs.2-4),
an elastic deformable shell-like structure disposed between the substrate and the keycap (fig.1, reset member 150 is deformable, and disposed between keycap 140 and substrate 120; para.0050; figs.2-4),
wherein the elastic deformable shell-like structure comprises a peripheral base portion in abutment with the substrate (fig.1, reset member 150 (left /right sides of reset member 150 in abutment with the substrate; figs.2-4),
an apex portion in abutment with the keycap (fig.1- top portion of reset member 150 in abutment with keycap 140), wherein the peripheral base portion tapers towards the apex portion (as depicted in fig.1; figs.2-4), and
a plunger-like element extending from underneath the apex portion and away from the apex portion (fig.1, protruding post 151; para.0051; figs.2-4), wherein a free-end of the plunger-like element is opaque, and
an optical sensing arrangement disposed on the second surface of the substrate to transmit a light beam and sense an interruption to the light beam (fig.1, para.0051, light receiver 131 and light emitter 132 disposed on the lower surface of substrate 120; figs.2-4),
wherein the elastic deformable shell-like structure and the optical sensing arrangement are arranged in a manner so as to interrupt the light beam with the free-end of the plunger-like element when the keycap is depressed to deform the elastic deformable shell-like structure for collapsing the apex portion relative to the peripheral base portion to move the plunger-like element along a longitudinal axis of the plunger-like element (fig.1-4; para.0050-0051, the reset member 150 is deformed by being pressed by the keycap and the protruding post 151 is inserted into through hole and light is blocked) ,
wherein the peripheral base portion of the elastic deformable shell-like structure is in abutment with the first surface of the substrate and the plunger-like element of the elastic deformable shell-like structure is aligned with the through-hole such that the free- end of the plunger-like element is retractably insertable through the through-hole along the longitudinal axis of the plunger-like element when the keycap is depressed (fig.1-4; para.0050-0051, the reset member 150 is deformed by being pressed by the keycap and the protruding post 151 is inserted into the through hole and light is blocked).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Knopf et al. with the teachings of Chen, such that the smaller sized key (of Knopf) is implemented as key device disclosed by Chen. The motivation being to provide a key device that generates an input signal by using a light trigger mechanism, thereby shortening the signal generation time to improve delay phenomenon and also effectively avoids mechanical wear (para.0019, 0052-Chen).
Knopf et al. in view of Chen do not expressly disclose wherein a free-end of the plunger-like element is opaque.
Wang et al. discloses a key assembly wherein a free-end of the plunger-like element is opaque (fig.3, 24-28; nub 370 portion is opaque; para.0092-0095).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device disclosed by Knopf et al. in view of Chen, with the teachings of Wang et al., the motivation being control the amount of light passing into the dome.
As to Claim 10, Knopf et al. in view of Chen, as modified by Wang et al. disclose wherein the optical sensing arrangement of the input key assembly is disposed on the second surface of the substrate in a manner so as to transmit the light beam in a direction parallel to the second surface and across the through-hole (Chen-fig.1A-1B- para.0051, light receiver 131 and light emitter 132 disposed on the lower surface of 120; fig.4A-B; para.0051, 0057).
As to Claim 11, Knopf et al. in view of Chen, as modified by Wang et al., disclose wherein the optical sensing arrangement of the input key assembly comprises a transmitter and a receiver, or a transceiver and a reflector (Chen-fig.1A-B, para.0051, light emitter 131 and light receiver 132; Wang-fig.3-4, para.0053,0083).
As to Claim 12, Knopf et al. in view of Chen, as modified by Wang et al., disclose wherein the input key assembly further comprises a scissor mechanism to guide the relative movement between the keycap and the substrate in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the plunger-like element (Knopf- para.0049,0056; Chen-para.0048; Wang- fig.3, 16; para.0064,0081).
As to Claim 13, Knopf et al. in view of Chen, as modified by Wang et al., disclose wherein the elastic deformable shell-like structure of the input key assembly comprises an inverted-bowl-like shape, a dome-like shape, a cone-like shape, a frustoconical-like shape, or a bell-like shape (Knopf-fig.33; Chen-fig.1,4-reset member 150; Wang- para.0065-dome 304).
As to Claim 14, Knopf et al. in view of Chen, as modified by Wang et al., disclose wherein the peripheral base portion and the apex portion of the elastic deformable shell-like structure of the input key assembly are transparent or translucent (Chen-fig.1-4; Wang- fig.3-4, 24-28; para.0049, 0055,0092-0093,0095; foot portion 360, leg portion 364, top portion 368 may be transparent).
As to Claim 15, Knopf et al. in view of Chen, as modified by Wang et al., do not expressly disclose where the plurality of half base sized keys comprises up and down arrow keys. However, Knopf et al. discloses where the small sized key 107 is a key smaller than typical letter key, such as for a “function row” (e.g., a set of keys above the standard alphanumeric keys of an English keyboard that typically control one or more functions of a device apart from text or data entry), any or all of the components of a corresponding switch assembly may be smaller than those of a typical letter key (para.0149).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to modify the device disclosed by Knopf et al. in view of Chen, as modified by Wang et al., such that the small smaller size key comprise the up and down arrow keys, since as depicted in fig. 1, the navigational arrow keys (low right corner) are smaller key than letter keys 105, and in doing so would not have modified the operation of the device yielding predictable results.
As to Claim 16, Knopf et al. in view of Chen, as modified by Wang et al., disclose wherein the input device is a keyboard or keypad (Knopf-fig.1, keyboard 102; Wang-fig.1-2-keyboard 102).
As to Claims 23-28 have limitations similar to those of Claims 8-15 and are met by the references as set forth above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: see PTO 892 form.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DISMERY E. MERCEDES whose telephone number is (571)272-7558. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm, EST.
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, Ke Xiao can be reached at 571-272-7776. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/DISMERY MERCEDES/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2627
Prosecution Insights