Prosecution Insights
Last updated: May 29, 2026
Application No. 18/846,782

INPUT DEVICE, ACCESSORY COMPONENT OF INPUT DEVICE, AND INPUT DEVICE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING THESE

Final Rejection §103
Filed
Sep 13, 2024
Priority
Mar 30, 2022 — JP 2022-056493 +1 more
Examiner
ELAHI, TOWFIQ
Art Unit
2625
Tech Center
2600 — Communications
Assignee
Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
OA Round
2 (Final)
79%
Grant Probability
Favorable
3-4
OA Rounds
9m
Est. Remaining
94%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 79% — above average
79%
Career Allowance Rate
574 granted / 723 resolved
+17.4% vs TC avg
Moderate +15% lift
Without
With
+14.9%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 5m
Avg Prosecution
19 currently pending
Career history
743
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
2.0%
-38.0% vs TC avg
§103
88.2%
+48.2% vs TC avg
§102
6.2%
-33.8% vs TC avg
§112
0.6%
-39.4% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 723 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
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 § 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) 1-5, 7-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hope (US 20180099219) in view of Koizumi (US 20170052750). Regarding claim 1 Hope teaches an input device that is used while being worn by a user, the input device (fig.10A) comprising: a main body having an operating section (fig. 10A, 210, fig. 12A, 410) in which an input member is disposed ([0051] In the embodiment of FIGS. 10A-10B, the head 210 includes thumb-operated controls A, B, and 208); an outer surface (fig. 10A, 230) provided with a tracked portion to be tracked by an external device ([0051]); an inner surface (fig. 4,) that surrounds a hand or wrist (fig.4, hand) of the user when the device is worn on the user (fig.4); and Hope is silent on an attaching portion that is provided on the inner surface, wherein the attaching portion is attachable to, and detachable from, an attached portion of an accessory component. However, Koizumi teaches an attaching portion (fig.4, ) that is provided on the inner surface (item 4 has inner surface that slides in item 2), wherein the attaching portion is attachable to, and detachable from, an attached portion of an accessory component (fig.4, ). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art to combine Hope in light of Koizumi teaching so that it may include on an attaching portion that is provided on the inner surface, wherein the attaching portion is attachable to, and detachable from, an attached portion of an accessory component. The motivation is to provide an accessory to which controller device is removably attachable. Regarding claim 2 Hope teaches comprising: a first part extending in a first direction; a second part extending in a second direction from the first part, wherein at least a part of the attaching portion (fig. 12A, 414) is located on an inner surface at a connecting portion between the first part (fig. 12A, 430 upper part) and the second part (fig. 12A, 430 lower part). Regarding claim 3 Hope teaches comprising: a part that is located rearward of the operating section (fig. 12A, 410) and that has the inner surface and the outer surface, wherein the attaching portion (fig. 12A, 414) is provided on the inner surface of the part. Regarding claim 4 Hope teaches wherein the main body (fig. 12A, 412) further has a grip (fig. 4), and the part has a device rear part that is shaped to surround the hand or wrist of the user holding the grip (fig.4). Regarding claim 5 Hope teaches comprising: a device side part (220) extending forward from the device rear part, wherein the attaching portion is formed on an inner surface at a connecting portion between the device rear part and the device side part (fig. 10A ). Regarding claim 7 Hope teaches wherein the attaching portion (414) has an opening that is formed in the inner surface and into which the attached portion is capable of being fitted (fig. 12C). Regarding claim 8 Hope teaches wherein the opening includes a first opening area extending from the center line in a first direction intersecting the center line and a second opening area extending from the center line in a second direction intersecting the center line, and an inner edge of the opening connecting a tip of the first opening area and a tip of the second opening area protrudes toward the center line with respect to a straight line connecting the tip of the first opening area and the tip of the second opening area (fig. 12C, it has two opening 414 and the other containing 427). Allowable Subject Matter Claims 9, 12, 13, 14 are allowed. Claims 6 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 with respect to claim(s) 1 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. -Lu US 2023/0105605 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 TOWFIQ ELAHI whose telephone number is (571)270-1687. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 10AM-3PM. 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, William Boddie can be reached at (571)272-0666. 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. /TOWFIQ ELAHI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2625
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Sep 13, 2024
Application Filed
Jul 21, 2025
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103
Oct 21, 2025
Response Filed
Jan 16, 2026
Final Rejection mailed — §103 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

3-4
Expected OA Rounds
79%
Grant Probability
94%
With Interview (+14.9%)
2y 5m (~9m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Moderate
PTA Risk
Based on 723 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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