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 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shijin (CN107146727A).
Regarding claim 1, Shijin teaches a character concealable keycap module that is adapted to be mounted on a support module of a key that is in turn mounted on a backlight module of a backlit keyboard (paragraph 2 of page 2 of the enclosed translation), said character concealed keycap module comprising: a first cap structure 2 made of a transparent material and located above the backlight module; a light covering layer 14 (the recessed gravure area 14 and an interface area on the inner surface 12) covering said first cap structure and having a patterned hollow area 14 that defines a transparent character area on said first cap structure; and a second cap structure 1 that has a transmittance lower than that of said first cap structure, and that is disposed above said first cap structure to cover said light covering layer; wherein when the backlight module is not switched on, said transparent character area is not visible through said second cap structure; and wherein when the backlight module is switched on, light emitted from the backlight module passes through said second cap structure, and said transparent character area is visible through said second cap structure (the second cap structure covers the character, and it is only appears with a light emitted toward the character, see Figs. 1-3 and paragraph 3 of page 5 of the enclosed translation).
Regarding claim 2, Shijin teaches the character concealable keycap wherein said second cap structure 1 is similar to said light covering layer 14 in color (from the shading design, the color similarity is inherent, and usually made of dark/non-transparent material) .
Regarding claim 3, Shijin teaches the character concealable keycap wherein said second cap structure and said light covering layer are both black in color (from the shading design, the color similarity is inherent, and usually made of dark/non-transparent material) .
Regarding claim 4, Shijin teaches the character concealable keycap wherein said light covering layer 14 is located between said first cap structure 2 and said second cap structure 1 (Figs. 1-3).
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 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shijin in view of Kuang (CN213583594).
Regarding claim 5, Shijin does not teach the process in which the said light covering layer is made. However, Kuang teaches a similar light covering layer 32 that is made by a spray-painted layer on a cap structure 3 (Fig. 1 and paragraph 3 of page 4 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 Kuang, since the patentability of a product does not depend on its method of production as long the product in the product-by-process claim is the same as or obvious from a product of the prior art, the claim is unpatentable even though the prior product was made by a different process.
Claims 6 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shijin
Regarding claim 6, Shijin teaches said second cap structure 1 that partially transmits light to permit character visibility while reducing glare. Although Shijin does not expressly disclose a transmittance that ranges from 10 % to 15 %, It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to optimize the transmittance of the light-shielding shell, including selecting a value within the claimed range, to achieve the desired balance between the character visibility and glare reduction, since the transmittance is recognized result-effective variable. See In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454 (CCPA 1955).
Regarding claim 7, Shijin teaches the character concealable keycap wherein said first cap structure has a transmittance that is greater than 70% (it strongly implies high transmittance “>70%” via “transparent ABS” and “light-transmitting” design, see paragraphs 5-6 of page 3 of the enclosed translation).
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shijin in view of Fang (CN 211208300).
Regarding claim 8, Shijin teaches the character concealable keycap module wherein: said first cap structure 2 includes a first base wall (top surface), four first side walls (four side walls) that each extend downward from said first base wall and that are interconnected; said second cap structure 1 includes a second base wall (top surface) that is located above said first base wall, four second side walls (four side walls) that each extend downward from said second base wall and that are interconnected (Figs. 1-3). Shijin does not teach at least one groove that is located on at least one of said first side walls; said transparent character area is located on said first base wall; at least one protruding portion formed on at least one of said second side walls, said at least one protruding portion extending into said at least one groove. However, Fang teaches a similar keycap with a first cap structure 2 includes a first base wall (top surface), four first side walls (four side walls) that each extend downward from said first base wall and that are interconnected, and at least one groove 21 that is located on at least one of said first side walls; a transparent character area 22 is located on said first base wall; said second cap structure 1 includes a second base wall (top surface) that is located above said first base wall, four second side walls (four side walls) that each extend downward from said second base wall and that are interconnected, and at least one protruding portion 11 formed on at least one of said second side walls; each of said second side walls covers a respective one of said first side walls, said at least one protruding portion extending into said at least one groove (Figs. 1-3). 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 Fang in the keycap of Shijin to provide a more secure keycap structure.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-11 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 claim 9, the prior art fails to teach or show, alone or in combination, the claimed keycap wherein: said at least one groove indents downwardly from an upper surface of said first base wall and inwardly from an outer facing surface of said at least one of said first base wall; and said at least one protruding portion protrudes inwardly from an inner facing surface of said at least one of said second side walls.
Regarding claim 10, the prior art fails to teach or show, alone or in combination, the claimed keycap wherein an underside groove that is indented upwardly from a bottom surface of said second base wall, and that is located above said first base wall; said first base wall is fitted into said underside groove, said bottom surface of said second base wall being seated on a top face of said protruding rim portion; and said character concealable keycap module further comprising an adhesive layer that surrounds said first base wall and that is disposed between said top face of said protruding rim portion and said bottom surface of said second base wall to provide a bonding therebetween.
Regarding claim 11, the prior art fails to teach or show, alone or in combination, the claimed keycap wherein a top groove portion that is formed on said first base wall below said second base wall; said transparent character area is located on said first base wall; said second cap structure includes a second base wall that is located above said first base wall, and four second side walls that each extend downwards from said first base wall, and that are interconnected; said second side walls are respectively located on outer facing surfaces of said first side walls; said character concealable keycap module further comprising an adhesive member that is disposed in said top groove portion and that adheres said first base wall to said second base wall.
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 2833
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