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 .
This office action is responsive to amendment filed on 01/13/2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 1-5, 7-11, 14-15, 17-18, 20 and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kwon et al. (US 2021/0223828) in view of Lin et al. (US 2017/0220069).
Regarding claim 1, Kwon discloses a data transmission method, applied to a
terminal device (100, figs. 1A, 3A and 4), wherein the terminal device is connected to an
auxiliary device (100) through a first interface (e.g., interface at 191, para. 0205), a
second interface (e.g., interface at 181, para. 0271), and a third interface (e.g., interface
at 116, para. 0271), and the method comprises:
supplying, by the terminal device, power to the auxiliary device through the first
interface and the second interface after it is detected that the terminal device is
connected to the auxiliary device (paras. 0205, 0214, 0231, 0243 and 0272);
establishing, by the terminal device, a first transmission channel (transmission
channel from 250 to 100) between a receiver pin of the terminal device (not shown in
116, fig. 4, paras. 01211-0213) and a transmitter pin of the auxiliary device (not shown
in 283, paras. 01211-0213) through the third interface, wherein the first transmission
channel is a hardware channel from the auxiliary device to the terminal device;
receiving, by the terminal device through the first transmission channel, first data
(e.g., a touch signal, para. 0242) sent by the auxiliary device (paras. 0121-0213); and
sending, by the terminal device, second data (e.g., brightness control signal,
para. 0271) to the auxiliary device through a second transmission channel (transmission
channel from 100 to 250), wherein the second transmission channel is different from the
first transmission channel.
Kwon does not specifically disclose utilizes a general input/output port of a system-level chip in the terminal device.
In a similar field of endeavor of terminal device, Lin discloses utilizes a general input/output port (220, fig. 1, paras. 0014-0015) of a system-level chip (110) in the terminal device (100).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before
effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the general input/output port of a system-level chip as taught by Lin in the system of Kwon in order to provide high-efficiency data transmission between electronic devices.
Regarding claims 2 and 8, Kwon discloses the sending, by the terminal device,
second data to the auxiliary device through a second transmission channel comprises:
sending, by the terminal device, the second data to the auxiliary device through a short-
distance wireless transmission channel (para. 0075).
Regarding claims 3, 17 and 20, Kwon discloses the receiving, by the terminal
device through the first transmission channel, first data sent by the auxiliary device
comprises: receiving, by the terminal device through the first transmission channel N
times, the first data sent by the auxiliary device, wherein the terminal device is configured to respond to the first data once, and N is a natural number greater than 1
(paras. 0121-0213); and
the sending, by the terminal device, second data to the auxiliary device through a
second transmission channel comprises: sending, by the terminal device, reception
acknowledgement data of the first data to the auxiliary device through the short-distance
wireless transmission channel once, wherein the reception acknowledgement data is
the second data (paras. 0232-0233).
Regarding claims 4 and 10, Kwon discloses the short-distance wireless
transmission channel is a Bluetooth channel (para. 0112).
Regarding claims 5 and 11, Kwon discloses establishing, by the terminal device
(100), the second transmission channel (transmission channel from 100 to 250)
between a transmitter pin (not shown in 100) of the terminal device and a receiver pin
(not shown in 283) of the auxiliary device through a fourth interface (e.g., interface at
283, para. 0271), wherein the second transmission channel is a hardware channel from
the terminal device to the auxiliary device;
the receiving, by the terminal device through the first transmission channel
(transmission channel from 250 to 100), first data (e.g., a touch signal, para. 0242) sent
by the auxiliary device comprises: receiving, by the terminal device through the first
transmission channel M times, the first data sent by the auxiliary device, and receiving,
by the terminal device through a short-distance wireless transmission channel T times,
the first data sent by the auxiliary device, wherein the terminal device is configured to
respond to the first data once, M is a natural number greater than 1, and T is a natural
number greater than or equal to 1 (paras. 0121-0213); and
the sending, by the terminal device, second data (e.g., brightness control signal,
para. 0271) to the auxiliary device through a second transmission channel (transmission
channel from 100 to 250) comprises: sending, by the terminal device, reception
acknowledgement data of the first data to the auxiliary device through the second
transmission channel once, wherein the reception acknowledgement data is the second
data (paras. 0232-0233).
Regarding claim 7, Kwon discloses a data transmission method, applied to an
auxiliary device (250, figs. 1A and 4), wherein the auxiliary device is connected to a
terminal device (100) through a fifth interface (e.g., interface at 291, para. 0205), a sixth
interface (e.g., interface at 281, para. 0271), and a seventh interface (e.g., interface at
283, para. 0271),, and the method comprises:
after the auxiliary device is connected to the terminal device, receiving, by the
auxiliary device through the fifth interface and the sixth interface, a power supply
voltage output by the terminal device (paras. 0205, 0214, 0231, 0243 and 0272);
establishing, by the auxiliary device, a first transmission channel (transmission
channel from 250 to 100) between a receiver pin of the terminal device (not shown in
116, fig. 4, paras. 01211-0213) and a transmitter pin (not shown in 283, paras. 0121-
0213) of the auxiliary device through the seventh interface, wherein the first
transmission channel is a hardware channel from the auxiliary device to the terminal
device;
sending, by the auxiliary device, first data (e.g., a touch signal, para. 0242) to the
terminal device through the first transmission channel (paras. 0121-0213); and
receiving, by the auxiliary device through a second transmission channel
(transmission channel from 100 to 250), second data (e.g., brightness control signal,
para. 0271) sent by the terminal device, wherein the second transmission channel is
different from the first transmission channel.
Kwon does not specifically disclose utilizes a general input/output port of a system-level chip in the terminal device.
In a similar field of endeavor of terminal device, Lin discloses utilizes a general input/output port (220, fig. 1, paras. 0014-0015) of a system-level chip (110) in the terminal device (100).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before
effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the general input/output port of a system-level chip as taught by Lin in the system of Kwon in order to provide high-efficiency data transmission between electronic devices.
Regarding claims 9, 18 and 23, Kwon discloses the sending, by the auxiliary
device, first data to the terminal device through the first transmission channel
comprises: sending, by the auxiliary device, the first data to the terminal device through
the first transmission channel N times, wherein the terminal device is configured to
respond to the first data once, and N is a natural number greater than 1 (paras. 0121-
0213); and
the receiving, by the auxiliary device through a second transmission channel,
second data sent by the terminal device comprises: receiving, by the auxiliary device
through the short-distance wireless transmission channel, reception acknowledgement
data of the first data sent by the terminal device, wherein the reception
acknowledgement data is the second data, and the reception acknowledgement data is
sent once (paras. 0232-0233).
Regarding claim 14, Kwon discloses a data transmission system (fig. 4),
comprising a terminal device (100, figs. 1A, 3A and 4) and an auxiliary device (250, figs.
1A and 4), wherein the terminal device has a first interface (e.g., interface at 191, para.
0205), a second interface (e.g., interface at 181, para. 0271), and a third interface (e.g.,
interface at 116, para. 0271), and the auxiliary device has a fifth interface (e.g., interface
at 291, para. 0205), a sixth interface (e.g., interface at 281, para. 0271), and a seventh
interface (e.g., interface at 283, para. 0271);
the first interface is configured to connect to the fifth interface, the second
interface is configured to connect to the sixth interface, and the third interface is
configured to connect to the seventh interface (fig. 4);
wherein the terminal device is configured to perform following operations:
supplying power to the auxiliary device through the first interface and the second
interface after it is detected that the terminal device is connected to the auxiliary device
(para. 0205),
establishing a first transmission channel (transmission channel from 250 to 100)
between a receiver pin of the terminal device (not shown in 116, fig. 4, paras. 01211-
0213) and a transmitter pin of the auxiliary device (not shown in 283, paras. 01211-
0213) through the third interface, wherein the first transmission channel is a hardware
channel from the auxiliary device to the terminal device,
receiving, through the first transmission channel, first data (e.g., a touch signal,
para. 0242) sent by the auxiliary device (paras. 0121-0213); and
sending second data (e.g., brightness control signal, para. 0271) to the auxiliary
device through a second transmission channel (transmission channel from 100 to 250),
wherein the second transmission channel is different from the first transmission
channel: wherein the auxiliary device is configured to perform following operations:
after the auxiliary device is connected to the terminal device, receiving, through
the fifth interface and the sixth interface, a power supply voltage output by the terminal
device (paras. 0205, 0214, 0231, 0243 and 0272);
establishing a first transmission channel (transmission channel from 250 to 100)
between a receiver pin of the terminal device (not shown in 116, fig. 4, paras. 01211 -0213) and a transmitter pin (not shown in 283, paras. 0121-0213) of the auxiliary device
through the seventh interface, wherein the first transmission channel is a hardware
channel from the auxiliary device to the terminal device,
sending first data (e.g., a touch signal, para. 0242) to the terminal device through
the first transmission channel (paras. 0121-0213); and
receiving, through a second transmission channel (transmission channel from
100 to 250), second data (e.g., brightness control signal, para. 0271) sent by the
terminal device, wherein the second transmission channel is different from the first
transmission channel.
Kwon does not specifically disclose utilizes a general input/output port of a system-level chip in the terminal device.
In a similar field of endeavor of terminal device, Lin discloses utilizes a general input/output port (220, fig. 1, paras. 0014-0015) of a system-level chip (110) in the terminal device (100).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before
effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the general input/output port of a system-level chip as taught by Lin in the system of Kwon in order to provide high-efficiency data transmission between electronic devices.
Claims 6, 15, 19, 21 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being
unpatentable over Kwon in view of Lin and further in view of Takasu (US 2017/0194689).
Regarding claims 6, 19, 21 and 22, The combination of Kwon and Lin discloses detecting, by the terminal device (100), a level generated by a Hall sensor (143), wherein the Hall sensor is disposed in the terminal device, a distance between the Hall sensor and the first interface or the second interface is less than a preset distance, a magnet (245) is disposed in the auxiliary device (250) (para. 0042 of Kwon).
The combination of Kwon and Lin does not specifically disclose "a distance between the magnet.. is not connected to the auxiliary device".
In a similar field of endeavor of electronic system, Takasu discloses a distance
between the magnet and the first interface or the second interface is less than the
preset distance, the magnet is configured to generate magnetic force, and the magnetic
force is for controlling the level generated by the Hall sensor (paras. 0032-0034);
if the level generated by the Hall sensor changes from a first level to a second
level, determining that the terminal device is connected to the auxiliary device, wherein
the first level is greater than the second level (paras. 0032-0034); and
if the level generated by the Hall sensor changes from the second level to the
first level, determining that the terminal device is not connected to the auxiliary device
(paras. 0037-0039 and 0042).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before
effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the connecting status as
taught by Takasu in the system of Kwon and Lin in order to allow the interface signals can be transmitted at high speed (para. 0045).
Regarding claim 15, the combination of Kwon, Lin and Takasu discloses the first
interface, the second interface, the third interface, the fifth interface, the sixth interface, and the seventh interface are POGO pin interfaces (para. 0271 of Kwon), the terminal device is a tablet computer, and the auxiliary device is a keyboard (fig. 4 of Takasu).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-11, 14-15 and 17-23 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
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 JENNIFER T NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-7696. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 7:00-5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Benjamin C Lee can be reached at 5712722963. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JENNIFER T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2629
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