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, 4-7 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mizushima (US20110139517, cited in the IDS).
Regarding claim 1, Mizushima teaches an input device comprising: a fixed electrode layer including a first fixed electrode 213 and a second fixed electrode electrically 214 insulated from the first fixed electrode; an elastic body 1 being conductive and having a counter surface facing the first fixed electrode and the second fixed electrode in a predetermined direction; a movable member 4 including a pressure receiving part on which an operation force is to be exerted and configured to push the elastic body toward the first fixed electrode and the second fixed electrode when the operation force is exerted on the pressure receiving part; and an insulating layer 31 being electrically insulating, the elastic body including a first deformable part 122-1 and at least one second deformable part 122-2 on the counter surface, the first deformable part facing at least one of the first fixed electrode or the second fixed electrode via the insulating layer, the first deformable part and the at least one second deformable part being configured to be compressed when the operation force is exerted on the pressure receiving part, at least at a time point at which the operation force is started to be exerted on the pressure receiving part, a ratio of change in an area of the first deformable part being higher than a ratio of change in an area of the at least one second deformable part (the difference in heights and geometries of the projections 121-1 and 121-2, cause 121-1 to undergo a greater relative change in its deformable/overlapping area than 121-2 when the electrode 1 is initially compressed, see Figs. 9-12).
Regarding claim 4, Mizushima teaches the input device wherein the first deformable part 121-1 includes a plurality of projections (Fig. 10).
Regarding claim 5, Mizushima teaches the input device wherein the at least one second deformable part has a columnar or frustrum shape (Fig. 10).
Regarding claim 6, Mizushima teaches the input device wherein a distance between the first deformable part 121-1 and the fixed electrode layer 213 is shorter than a distance between the at least one second deformable part 212-2 and the fixed electrode layer in the predetermined direction (Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 7, Mizushima teaches the input device, wherein the first fixed electrode and the second fixed electrode are aligned with each other in a second direction orthogonal to a first direction as the predetermined direction, and the first deformable part includes a first counter part facing the first fixed electrode and a second counter part facing the second fixed electrode (Figs. 9-12).
Regarding claim 9, Mizushima teaches the input device wherein the first deformable part 121-1 is integral with the at least one second deformable part 121-2 (Fig. 10).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 3 and 8 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 2, the prior art fails to teach or show, alone or in combination, the claimed device wherein an area where the at least one second deformable part faces the first fixed electrode and the second fixed electrode is smaller than an area where the first deformable part faces the first fixed electrode and the second fixed electrode.
Regarding claim 8, the prior art fails to teach or show, alone or in combination, the claimed device wherein the at least one second deformable part included in the elastic body includes two second deformable parts, the two second deformable parts are disposed between the first counter part and the second counter part, and the two second deformable parts are aligned with each other in a third direction orthogonal to both the first direction and the second direction.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Mizushima teaches a similar input device.
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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