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 .
Notice of Non-Compliant Amendment
The amendment document filed on 12/01/2025 is considered non-compliant because it has failed to meet the requirements of 37 CFR 1.121 or 1.4. In order for the amendment document to be compliant, correction of the following item(s) is required.
A complete listing of all of the claims is not present.
The listing of claims does not include the text of all pending claims (including withdrawn claims)
Each claim has not been provided with the proper status identifier, and as such, the individual status of each claim cannot be identified. Note: the status of every claim must be indicated after its claim number by using one of the following status identifiers: (Original), (Currently amended), (Canceled), (Previously presented), (New), (Not entered), (Withdrawn) and (Withdrawn-currently amended).
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of group I encompasses claims 1-7 in the reply filed on 12/01/2025 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
More specifically, Independent claim 1 of invention I and independent claim 8 of invention II do not disclose at least one common limitation of use together. Each has different designs structures, and driving operation, e.g., driving predetermined color pattern effects. Therefore, the group I and the group II are different inventions.
Claims 8-13 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected group II, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 12/01/2025
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nakamura US 2008/0266270.
Regarding claim 1, Nakamura teaches a background lighting device (a back light LED 71, ¶71-¶72, Fig 6) for an electrostatic button (a electrostatic button 60, see ¶33, ¶36, and ¶91, Fig 6), a substrate (a board 101, see ¶75, Fig 6) formed in a shape (a circle shape, Fig 6, ¶45) corresponding to an outer shape (outer shape, ¶36) of the electrostatic button (the electrostatic button 60, Fig 6);
a plurality of light sources (LEDs 71-74, see ¶71-¶72, Fig 6) attached at predetermined intervals onto the substrate; and a cable (a flexible flat cable 701, see ¶88) connected to the substrate to provide a signal for applying power (a power source circuit 141, see ¶93) to the plurality of light sources and driving (controller driver utility program 112, see ¶103-¶104) the same.
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, 4-5 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakamura as applied to claim 1 above, in view of Souloumiac et al. 2023/0099860.
As to claim 2, Nakamura fails to teach the cable includes a flexible flat cable (FFC); and the substrate and the FFC are formed of a transparent material.
Souloumiac teaches a light halo for a signal key or a back-illuminated key 100A having each of LEDs attached to a flexible printed circuit and generate light, the light is guided by a light guide panel 116. (See ¶ 17), each of LEDs 114 on a flex ribbon, the light guide panel 116 converts the linear light from the LED into a surface light source and is made of a transparent material. (See Souloumiac ¶18, ¶19, Fig 1). The LEDs are shown to be integrated onto the light guide panel 408. (See Souloumiac ¶ 22).
Read as a whole, then, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ), to substitute a back-illuminated key having each of LEDs attached to a flexible printed circuit, the light guide panel 116 converts the linear light from the LED is made of a transparent material taught by Souloumiac for the a flexible flat cable 701 of Nakamura. The motivation for doing so would have been to help scatter light and provide better uniformity. See Souloumiac ¶19.
As to claim 4, Souloumiac teaches the background lighting device of claim 1, further comprising: a lighting diffuser formed at an upper side of a lighting unit formed by integrating the substrate, the light sources, and the cable (The LEDs and the flex ribbon are shown to be integrated onto the light guide panel (a substrate as claimed). (See Souloumiac ¶ 22); a lighting barrier (a light seal 112, ¶18, Fig 2B) formed at a circumferential portion of the lighting unit, wherein the lighting diffuser (a light diffuser 108, Souloumiac ¶18, Fig 2B) implements lighting to be projected only to a background portion (Nakamura ¶33 explained a center of each electrostatic switch is arranged with an LED light transmitting portion. Light from LED provided in correspondence with each electrostatic switch is emitted to outside by way of the corresponding LED light transmitting portion) which is a lower side of the electrostatic button (Nakamura ¶71 teaches an LED light transmitting portion 70 in a ring-like shape is arranged on the outer peripheral side of the touch detecting area in the ring-like shape. A lower side of the LED light transmitting portion 70 is arranged with the four LEDs 71, 72, 73, 74 in correspondence with respective of the four areas 61, 62, 63, 64. The LED light transmitting portion 70 in the ring-like shape emits light from the respective LEDs to outside.).
As to claim 5, Souloumiac teaches the background lighting device of claim 4, wherein, on a lower side surface of a glass portion installed at an upper portion (a top case 110, ¶19, 2B) of the lighting unit (LED 206), up to a boundary portion of the lighting barrier (112) in a remaining region excluding a region in which the lighting diffuser (the light diffuser 108, ¶18, Fig 2B) is formed, a lighting barrier (a light seal 112, ¶18, Fig 2B) is further formed or attached.
As to claim 7, Souloumiac teaches the background lighting device of claim 1, wherein: the button (the key 202, ¶23, Fig 2B) further includes a lighting diffuser (108, ¶18) formed at an upper side of a support unit (enclosure 126, ¶18, Fig 2B) that is in close contact with a glass portion (110) in a frame body portion (126); and the lighting diffuser (108) is implemented to receive lighting emitted from light sources (LEDs) and diffuse the lighting to an outer side of the support unit (See ¶20 explained the light rays from the LED 114 are guided by the light guide panel 116 (LGP), which may be microperforated in select locations to make the light shine towards the key in a uniform way. The light may be contained in the LGP 116 by the reflector 118 to improve efficiency and uniformity. The light rays may shine through micro-perforations or other openings in the mounting element (e.g., the top case 110).).
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakamura and Souloumiac as applied to claim 1 above, in view of Fleck et al. US 2012/0162268.
As to claim 3, Nakamura as modified by Souloumiac teaches the lighting device of claim 1, wherein the substrate, the light sources, and the cable are integrated to form a lighting unit (The LEDs are shown to be integrated onto the light guide panel 408. See Souloumiac ¶ 22).
Nakamura as modified by Souloumiac fails to teach the lighting unit is installed in an air gap region formed between a display panel and a glass portion of a touchscreen.
Fleck teaches the light source is located or positioned between the display panel and a touch screen. See Fleck ¶29.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ), to have the light source is located or positioned between the display panel and a touch screen taught by Fleck, to modify the teaching of Nakamura and Souloumiac. The motivation for doing so would have been to improve the transparency of an image being viewable through the display device and to allow ambient light being directed to illuminate the display panel. See Fleck ¶ 4.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakamura and Souloumiac as applied to claim 1 above, in view of Harkema et al. US 2021/0033776.
As to claim 6, Nakamura and Souloumiac fail to teach the background lighting device of claim 4, wherein: the lighting diffuser is formed of a white material to improve a lighting diffusion effect; and the lighting barrier is formed of a black material to improve a lighting blocking effect.
Harkema teaches LED device 20 corresponding to the transparent layer of light guide 10 is the white light guide, and the sides 104a is a black coating. See ¶29, ¶31, Figs 1A, 4B.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ), to have LED device 20 corresponding to the transparent layer of light guide 10 is the white light guide, and the sides 104a is a black coating taught by Harkema, to modify the teaching of Nakamura and Souloumiac. The motivation for doing so would have been to improve the homogeneity of the illuminating section and reduce the distance of the LED to this section. See Harkema ¶ 4.
Conclusion
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KEVIN M NGUYEN
Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2628
/Kevin M Nguyen/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2628