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, 6, and 13-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Martin (US 4,489,303).
Martin discloses a control input device comprising: a housing (14, 44) defining an inner volume (see Fig 2); a shaft (20) having a manipulating portion (24) and a sensing end (see Fig 2); a magnet (26) mounted on the sensing end of the shaft (20), such that the magnet (26) is within the inner volume of the housing (14, 44); a movement mechanism including a pivot cover (12) having an opening and positioned over the inner volume of the housing (14, 44), the movement mechanism further including a ball (28) implemented towards the sensing end of the shaft (20), the ball (28) including a portion (34) attached to the shaft (20), a portion (unnumbered sides of 20, see Fig 2) that movably engages the pivot cover (12), and a portion (unnumbered sides of 20, see Fig 2) that receives a restoring force to maintain the ball (28) captured by the pivot cover (12) while allowing a movement of the magnet (26) resulting from a movement of the manipulating portion (24) of the shaft (20) with respect to the housing; and a magnetic sensor (42) at least partially embedded in the housing (14, 44) and configured to sense the movement of the magnet (26).
Re claim 2, the housing (14, 44) includes a floor (46) adjacent to the magnet (26).
Re claim 3, the magnetic sensor (42) is at least partially embedded in the floor (46) of the housing (14, 44).
Re claim 4, the magnetic sensor (42) is at least partially embedded on an outer side of the floor (46) of the housing (14, 44).
Re claim 6, the control input device is implemented as a joystick (see Fig 2).
Re claim 13, the movement of the magnet (26) includes a rotation about a longitudinal axis of the shaft (20).
Re claim 14, the magnet (26) is configured as a diametrically-magnetized disc magnet (see Fig 2).
Re claim 15, the magnetic sensor (42) includes multiple Hall-effect sensing elements arranged to sense the movement of the magnet (26).
Re claim 16, the magnet (26) and the magnetic sensor (42) are in a non-contacting arrangement (see Fig 2).
Re claim 17, the restoring force includes a spring force (see Fig 2).
Re claim 18, Martin discloses a control input device comprising: a housing (14, 44) defining an inner volume (see Fig 2); a shaft (20) having a manipulating portion (24) and a sensing end (see Fig 2); a magnet (26) mounted on the sensing end of the shaft (20), such that the magnet (26) is within the inner volume of the housing (14, 44); a movement mechanism including a pivot cover (12) having an opening and positioned over the inner volume of the housing (14, 44), the movement mechanism further including a ball (28) implemented towards the sensing end of the shaft (20), the ball (28) including a portion attached to the shaft (20), a portion (unnumbered sides of 20, see Fig 2) that movably engages the pivot cover (12), and a portion that receives a restoring force to maintain the ball (28) captured by the pivot cover (12) while allowing a movement of the magnet (26) resulting from a movement of the manipulating portion (24) of the shaft (20) with respect to the housing (14, 44); and a magnetic sensor (42) positioned relative to the magnet (26) and configured to sense the movement of the magnet (26), wherein the movement of the magnet (26) includes a direction having one or more components parallel with an X direction, a Y direction, and a Z direction, the Z direction being parallel with a longitudinal axis of the shaft (20), the X, Y and Z directions being orthogonal with respect to each other (see Figs 1 and 2).
Re claim 19, the Z direction is parallel with the longitudinal axis of the shaft (20) when the shaft (20) is in its rest position (see Fig 2).
Re claim 20, Martin discloses a control input device comprising: a housing (14, 44) defining an inner volume (see Fig 2); a shaft (20) having a manipulating portion (24) and a sensing end (see Fig 2); a magnet (26) mounted on the sensing end of the shaft (20), such that the magnet (26) is within the inner volume of the housing; (14, 44) a movement mechanism including a pivot cover (12) having an opening and positioned over the inner volume of the housing (14, 44), the movement mechanism further including a ball (28) implemented towards the sensing end of the shaft (20), the ball (28) including a portion attached to the shaft (20), a portion (unnumbered sides of 20, see Fig 2) that movably engages the pivot cover (12), and a portion that receives a restoring force to maintain the ball (28) captured by the pivot cover (12) while allowing a movement of the magnet (26) resulting from a movement of the manipulating portion (24) of the shaft (20) with respect to the housing (14, 44); and a magnetic sensor (42) configured to sense the movement of the magnet (26) and substantially embedded in the housing (14, 44) such that an exposed surface of the magnetic sensor (42) is approximately flush with an outer side of the housing (14, 44).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5 and 7-12 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed October 20, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Claim 1 stands rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Martin (US 4,489,303). Applicant’s remarks have been accorded due consideration; however, they are not deemed fully persuasive.
Conclusion
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 VICKY A JOHNSON whose telephone number is (571)272-7106. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday.
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/VICKY A JOHNSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3617