CTNF 18/871,170 CTNF 81702 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia 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 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15 AIA Claim s 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102( a)(1 ) as being anticipated by US 2001/002126 to Rosenberg et al. (hereinafter Rosenberg) . Regarding claim 1, an operating device comprising: an operating member configured to be tiltably operated (e.g., object 34, such as a joystick, in ¶ 146 and Fig. 8); and a control circuit configured (e.g., host processor 16 and/or local microprocessor 26 in Fig. 1) to: control the operating member, and restrict at least either a tiltable direction or a tiltable angle of the operating member according to a position of the operating member, wherein the restriction is based on a displacement angle with respect to a positive Z-axis of the operating member from a central position corresponding to the positive Z-axis (e.g., forces may be applied via actuators 188a and 188b based on position of the joystick, as shown graphically in Figs. 10a-10c and 11a-11c; see also ¶¶ 144-146 and 163-168). Regarding claim 2, Rosenberg teaches wherein the control circuit is further configured to determine the restriction of either the tiltable direction or the tiltable angle of the operating member based on which one of a plurality of areas in an operable range of the operating member includes the position of the operating member (e.g., in Fig. 10c, a force is applied equally in magnitude to the positive direction of displacement and the negative direction of displacement, such that each side of the graph is an equal area having equal restriction on the tiltable direction and/or tiltable angle). Regarding claim 3, Rosenberg teaches wherein at least some of the plurality of areas have an identical size and an identical geometry (e.g., in Fig. 10c, a force is applied equally in magnitude to the positive direction of displacement and the negative direction of displacement). Regarding claim 4, Rosenberg teaches wherein: the operating device is connected with an information processing apparatus; and upon receipt, by the control circuit, of instruction information specifying an operable direction in each of the plurality of areas from the information processing apparatus, the control circuit is configured to restrict the tiltable direction of the operating member according to a direction specified by the instruction information regarding an area that includes the position of the operating member among the plurality of areas (e.g., in Fig. 10c, a force is applied equally in magnitude to the positive direction of displacement and the negative direction of displacement). Regarding claims 5, 12, 17, and 20, Rosenberg teaches an operating device comprising: an operating member configured to be tiltably operated (e.g., object 34, such as a joystick, in ¶ 146 and Fig. 8); and a control circuit (e.g., host processor 16 and/or local microprocessor 26 in Fig. 1) configured to control the operating member, wherein the operating member, in a case where no force is applied to the operating member (e.g., when the player does not apply any external force to the joystick), is pressed to a stop in a reference position (e.g., a restoring force is applied to force the joystick back to the origin O in ¶ 164); and the control circuit is further configured to restrict an operable range of the operating member to a range determined according to the reference position (e.g., the restriction of movement increases as the joystick is moved away from the origin O, as shown in Figs. 10a-10c and 11a-11c). Regarding claim 6, Rosenberg teaches wherein the control circuit is configured to restrict a tiltable angle of the operating member to an angle determined according to the reference position and a tiltable direction (e.g., the restriction of movement increases as the joystick is moved away from the origin O, as shown in Figs. 10a-10c and 11a-11c). Regarding claims 7-9, Rosenberg teaches an information processing apparatus, and method and medium therefor, connected with an operating device having a tiltable operating member (e.g., object 34, such as a joystick, in ¶ 146 and Fig. 8), comprising: at least one processor (e.g., host processor 16 and/or local microprocessor 26 in Fig. 1) configured to: acquire position information regarding the tiltable operating member (e.g., using sensors 184a and 184b to track the motion of the joystick 34 in ¶ 146); and instruct the operating device to restrict at least either a tiltable direction or a tiltable angle of the tiltable operating member according to the acquired position information regarding the tiltable operating member, wherein the restriction is based on a displacement angle with respect to a positive Z-axis of the tiltable operating member from a central position corresponding to the positive Z-axis (e.g., forces may be applied via actuators 188a and 188b based on position of the joystick, as shown graphically in Figs. 10a-10c and 11a-11c; see also ¶¶ 144-146 and 163-168). Regarding claims 10, 13, 15, and 18, Rosenberg teaches wherein the operating member (see at least Fig. 8) includes: a columnar body operated by tilting (e.g., joystick 34); a guide (e.g., yoke 182b); a first actuator for driving the columnar body member about an X-axis (e.g., actuator 188a or 188b); a second actuator for driving the columnar body member about a Y-axis (e.g., a different actuator 188a or 188b), wherein the Y- axis is perpendicular to the X-axis (e.g., axes L and M); and a base (e.g., yoke 182a), and the control circuit is configured to restrict at least either the tiltable direction or the tiltable angle of the operating member by controlling the first actuator and the second actuator (e.g., forces may be applied via actuators 188a and 188b based on position of the joystick, as shown graphically in Figs. 10a-10c and 11a-11c; see also ¶¶ 144-146 and 163-168). Regarding claims 11, 14, 16, and 19, Rosenberg teaches wherein the guide and the base are rotatably supported around a first shaft extending in the X-axis (e.g., the L or M axis in Fig. 8) and are rotatably supported around a second shaft extending in the Y-axis (e.g., a different one of the L or M axes), wherein the first actuator is coupled to the first shaft and rotates the guide around the first shaft (e.g., actuator 188a that drives shaft 189c or actuator 188b that drives shaft 189d), and wherein the second actuator is coupled to the second shaft and rotates the guide around the second (e.g., a different one of actuator 188a that drives shaft 189c or actuator 188b that drives shaft 189d) . Conclusion 07-96 AIA The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and is listed on the attached Notice of References Cited . Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM H MCCULLOCH whose telephone number is (571)272-2818. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30-5:30. 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, Peter Vasat can be reached at 571-270-7625. 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. /WILLIAM H MCCULLOCH JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715 Application/Control Number: 18/871,170 Page 2 Art Unit: 3715 Application/Control Number: 18/871,170 Page 3 Art Unit: 3715 Application/Control Number: 18/871,170 Page 4 Art Unit: 3715 Application/Control Number: 18/871,170 Page 5 Art Unit: 3715 Application/Control Number: 18/871,170 Page 6 Art Unit: 3715 Application/Control Number: 18/871,170 Page 7 Art Unit: 3715
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