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.
Claims 1 3, 7, 8, 10, 14, 15 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Young (KR20090066364).
Regarding claim 1, Young teaches an apparatus comprising: one or more backlit keyboard keys, a first of the one or more backlit keyboard keys including: a socket (the structure under the keycap, including the LED film/layer 130 or 135) comprising a light source 130; and a keycap 200 coupled to the socket, wherein the keycap includes: a first color filter 220 corresponding to a first character (English letters Q), wherein the first character is displayed on the keycap when a visible color of light emitted from the light source matches the first color filter (paragraphs 1, 2 of page 3 of the enclosed transition); and a second color filter 225 corresponding to a second character (Korean letters), wherein the second character is displayed on the keycap when the visible color of the light emitted from the light source matches the second color filter (Figs. 1-7 and paragraphs 1, 2 of page 3 of the enclosed transition).
Regarding claim 8, Young teaches a system comprising: a keyboard comprising one or more backlit keyboard keys, wherein a first keyboard key of one or more backlit keyboard keys includes: a socket (the structure under the keycap, including the LED film/layer 130 or 135) comprising a light source 130; and a keycap 200 coupled to the socket, wherein the keycap includes: a first color filter 220 corresponding to a first character (English letters Q), wherein the first character is displayed on the keycap when a visible color of light emitted by the light source matches the first color filter (paragraphs 1, 2 of page 3 of the enclosed transition); and a second color filter 225 corresponding to a second character (Korean letters), wherein the second character is displayed on the keycap when the visible color of the light emitted by the source matches the second color filter (paragraphs 1, 2 of page 3 of the enclosed transition); and a processor 400 configured to receive a signal from the first keyboard key and recognize the signal as the first character when the visible color of light emitted by the light source matches the first color filter, and as the second character when the visible color of light emitted by the light source matches the second color filter (paragraph 2 of page 6 of the enclosed transition).
Regarding claim 15, Young teaches a method comprising: receiving an input (the computer notifies the keyboard of the current character mode “English or Korean”); and changing a color of a light emitted from a light source backlighting a keyboard key from a first color (blue) to a second color (red) in response to the input ((the CPU 410 operates the LED drivers to switch between blue or red LEDs depending on the mode), the changing of the color of light resulting in a displayed character on the keyboard key being changed from a first character corresponding to the first color to a second character corresponding to the second color (switching the light color changes which character is displaying on the keycap, Figs. 1-7 and paragraphs 1, 2 of page 3 of the enclosed transition).
Regarding claims 3 and 10, Young teaches the apparatus/system wherein the first character (English letters Q) and the second character (Korean letter) are spaced apart from each other on an exterior surface of the keycap (Fig. 1).
Regarding claims 7 and 20, Young teaches the apparatus wherein the first character and the second character are each associated with a different alphabet (Figs. 1-7 and paragraphs 1, 2 of page 3 of the enclosed transition).
Regarding claim 14, Young teaches the system wherein the processor 400 is external to the keyboard (Fig. 7 and paragraph 2 of page 6 of the enclosed transition).
Regarding claim 17, Young teaches the system wherein receiving the input includes receiving an indication that a software application has been triggered, and wherein the second color is determined based on the triggered software application (the computer notifying the keyboard of the character mode of the current used program, which matches the active software determine which color, see paragraph 2 of page 6 of the enclosed transition).
Regarding claim 18, Young teaches the method wherein the keyboard key includes: a socket (the structure under the keycap, including the LED film/layer 130 or 135) comprising the light 130; and a keycap 200 coupled to the socket, wherein the keycap includes: a first color filter 220 of the first color and corresponding to the first character (English letters Q), wherein the first character is displayed on the keycap based on the color of the light matching the first color filter; and a second color filter 225 of the second color and corresponding to the second character (Korean letters), wherein the second character is displayed on the keycap based on the color of the light matching the second color filter (Figs. 1-7 and paragraphs 1, 2 of page 3 of the enclosed transition).
Regarding claim 19, Young teaches the method wherein the input is a first input, and the method further comprises: receiving a second input subsequent to the first input; and changing the color of light emitted by the light source from the second color to the first color in response to the second input, the changing of the color of light emitted by the light source resulting in the displayed character being changed from the second character to the first character (the system can switch back and forth between modes whenever the computer sends a new mode signal (paragraph 1 of page 5 of the enclosed transition).
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 2 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Young.
Regarding claims 2 and 9 , Young does teach the keycap further includes a third color filter corresponding to a third character, wherein the third character is displayed on the keycap when the visible color of the light emitted from the light source matches the third color filter. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to duplicate the first or second color filters and make the keycap with three different characters that correspond the three different color filters, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. St. Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8.
Claims 4 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Young in view of Duarte (US. Pat. 7,636,748).
Regarding claims 4 and 11, Young does not teach the first character and the second character are superimposed on an exterior surface of the keycap. However, Duarte teaches a similar apparatus that comprises a keycap with a first character 1200 and a second character 1205 that are superimposed on an exterior surface of the keycap (Fig. 12 and col. 9, lines 20-45). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to superimpose the first and second character on the exterior of the keycap, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Young in view of Hechun (CN103870002).
Regarding claim 16, Young does not teach receiving the input includes receiving at least one keypress corresponding to a keyboard shortcut. However, Hechun teaches a method for setting keyboard shortcut keys wherein a right Alt key is used as a shortcut; when the key is pressed, the system detects the current operating system language/mode (paragraphs 24-26 of the enclosed translation). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the teachings of Hechun in the apparatus of Young to provide a direct manual control over lighting mode which improve usability without adding hardware cost.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6, 5, 12 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.
Regarding claims 5 and 12, the prior art fails to teach or show, alone or in combination, the claimed apparatus wherein the keycap is configured with four displayable characters that includes the first and second characters, the keycap further including: a shield, wherein the first color filter and the second color filter are positioned on a first side of the shield; and a third color filter and a fourth color filter, with corresponding third and fourth characters, positioned on a second side of the shield opposite from the first side.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AHMED M SAEED whose telephone number is (571)270-7976. The examiner can normally be reached 10-8pm.
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/AHMED M SAEED/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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