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 .
Amendment
The Amendment, filed 07/21/2026, has been received and made of record. In response to the most recent Office Action, dated 04/21/2026.
Response to Arguments
Applicant arguments filed 07/21/2026 with respect to independent claims 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.
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 1-6 and 8-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kanako (JP 7315055 published 07/26/2023, also published as US 2024188230 used for rejection purposes) in the view of Kitamura (US 20230152867).
Regarding claim 1: Kanako teaches a key input device (Fig. 1 #10) comprising: a plurality of keys; a member having a plurality of holes through each of which a respective one of the keys is movably inserted (Figs. 3-5 and paragraph [0026-0031] teach a member or top casing 11a have a plurality of holes or openings through which a plurality of keys 14 are movably inserted); and wall parts extending from an edge of each of the holes of the member in a direction perpendicular to a board of the device, wherein the wall parts are separated from each other at the edge each of the holes such that, along the edge of each of the holes, there are regions in which the wall parts are provided and no other element intervenes between respective opposed pairs of the wall parts (Figs. 3-5 and paragraph [0046-0054] teach wall parts 31a1 or 31a2 separate from each other and extending from an edge of the key holes in a perpendicular to a board 22 of the device 10, see annotated fig. 5 below, there is no further element intervenes between the opposed pairs of the wall parts, just an opening for the key to be inserted and space region in between the plurality of the keys in similar to the claimed invention).
Kanako does not explicitly show regions in which the wall parts are not provided and the wall parts extending from the edge of a respective one of the holes are provided at respective corners of an imaginary polygon touching the edge of the respective one of the holes.
However, Kitamura teaches regions in which the wall parts are not provided and the wall parts extending from the edge of a respective one of the holes are provided at respective corners of an imaginary polygon touching the edge of the respective one of the holes (Fig. 3 and paragraph [0040-0050] teach the wall parts 67 extending from the edge of a respective one of the holes 65 are provided at respective corners of an imaginary polygon touching the edge of the respective one of the holes 65, and regions except the corners of the holes 65 where the wall parts 67 are not provided). It would have been obvious for a person skilled in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Kanako’s invention by including above teachings of Kitamura, because providing wall parts at the corners of the holes helps provide a gap between the bottom membrane and top frame housing surface to form the flow path of air and is well-known and widely used in the art, as shown by Kitamura. The rationale would have been to use a known method or technique to achieve predictable results.
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Regarding claim 2: Kanako teaches further comprising a space region provided between directly opposed portions of each of the opposed pairs of the wall parts (Figs. 3-5 and paragraph [0026-0031 and 0046-0054] teach a space region provided between directly opposed portions of each of the opposed pairs of the wall parts on the member 11a between each key 14).
Regarding claim 3: Kanako teaches wherein the space region is located between adjacent keys among the keys (Figs. 3-5 and paragraph [0026-0031 and 0046-0054] teach the space region or rib area is located between adjacent keys 14).
Regarding claim 4: Kanako teaches wherein each of the keys includes a flange configured to be in contact with board-side ends of the wall parts extending from the edge of the hole through which the key is movable inserted (Fig. 5 and paragraph [0046-0054] teach the key 14 includes a flange or bottom portion of key under the side walls 31a extending from the edge of the hole).
Regarding claim 5: Kanako teaches wherein: the member has a first end side and a second end side opposite the first end side; a height of each of the wall parts is defined between the edge of the hole and a board-side end of the wall part; heights of the wall parts formed on the first end side are substantially uniform; and heights of the wall parts formed on the second end side are lower than the heights of the wall parts formed on the first end side (Figs. 3-5 and paragraph [0026-0031 and 0046-0054] teach the member 11a and the height of the wall parts 31a as claimed, see fig. 4).
Regarding claim 6: Kanako teaches wherein: among the keys, a height of a touch surface of a key on the first end side from the board is higher than a height of a touch surface of a key on the second end side from the board (Figs. 3-5 and paragraph [0026-0031 and 0046-0054] teach the multiple keys 14 and the height of a touch surface of a key on the first end side from the board is higher than a height of a touch surface of a key on the second end side from the board, see fig. 4).
Regarding claim 8: Kanako teaches further comprising: an elastic member configured to restore its shape after receiving a pressed key; and rib parts that hold the elastic member between the board and the rib parts (Fig. 5 and paragraph [0046-0054] teach the elastic member 21a configured to restore its shape after the pressed key and the protruding or rib parts extending from the top case 11a to the bottom that hold the elastic member 21a between the board 21a and the rib parts).
Regarding claim 9: Kanako teaches a key input device (Fig. 1 #10) comprising: a plurality of keys; a member having a plurality of holes through each of which a respective one of the keys is movably inserted (Figs. 3-5 and paragraph [0026-0031] teach a member or top casing 11a have a plurality of holes or openings through which a plurality of keys 14 are movably inserted); and wall parts extending from an edge of each of the holes of the member in a direction perpendicular to a board of the device, wherein the wall parts are separated from each other via respective empty space regions formed between adjacent ones of the wall parts of each of the holes such that, along the edge of each of the holes, there are regions in which the wall parts are provided (Figs. 3-5 and paragraph [0046-0054] teach wall parts 31a1 or 31a2 separate from each other and extending from an edge of the key holes in a perpendicular to a board 22 of the device 10, see annotated fig. 5 below, there is no further element intervenes between the opposed pairs of the wall parts, just an opening for the key to be inserted and space region in between the plurality of the keys (as shown in Fig. 3) in similar to the claimed invention).
Kanako does not explicitly show regions in which the wall parts are not provided and the wall parts extending from the edge of a respective one of the holes are provided at respective corners of an imaginary polygon touching the edge of the respective one of the holes.
However, Kitamura teaches regions in which the wall parts are not provided and the wall parts extending from the edge of a respective one of the holes are provided at respective corners of an imaginary polygon touching the edge of the respective one of the holes (Fig. 3 and paragraph [0040-0050] teach the wall parts 67 extending from the edge of a respective one of the holes 65 are provided at respective corners of an imaginary polygon touching the edge of the respective one of the holes 65, and regions except the corners of the holes 65 where the wall parts 67 are not provided). It would have been obvious for a person skilled in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Kanako’s invention by including above teachings of Kitamura, because providing wall parts at the corners of the holes helps provide a gap between the bottom membrane and top frame housing surface to form the flow path of air and is well-known and widely used in the art, as shown by Kitamura. The rationale would have been to use a known method or technique to achieve predictable results.
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Regarding claim 10: Kanako teaches wherein the wall parts include first, second, third, and fourth wall parts provided to each of the holes (Figs. 3-5 and paragraph [0046-0054] teach the plurality of openings wherein the keys 14 are inserted, each of the opening is rectangular shape comprising four sides or four wall parts).
Regarding claim 11: Kanako teaches The key input device of claim 9, wherein the adjacent ones of the wall parts directly oppose each other across a respective one of the space regions with no other element intervening therebetween (Figs. 3-5 and paragraph [0046-0054] teach wall parts separate from each other, there is no further element intervenes between the opposed pairs of the wall parts, just an opening for the key to be inserted and space region in between the plurality of the keys (as shown in Fig. 3) in similar to the claimed invention).
Regarding claim 12: Kanako teaches wherein the wall parts at the edge of the hole are symmetrical (Figs. 3-5 and paragraph [0046-0054] teach the plurality of openings wherein the keys 14 are inserted, each of the opening is rectangular shape comprising four sides or four wall parts at the edge of the hole and are asymmetrical, as shown in the drawings of claimed invention).
Regarding claims 13 and 14: Combination of Kanako and Kitamura teach wherein the polygon is a rectangle (Kitamura in Fig. 3 and paragraph [0040-0050] teach the wall parts 67 are provided at corners of a rectangle). See claims 1 & 9 rejection for combination reasoning of Kanako and Kitamura, same rationale applies here.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kanako (JP 7315055 published 07/26/2023, also published as US 2024188230 used for rejection purposes), in the view of Kitamura (US 20230152867), and further in the view of Suwa (US 5247143).
Regarding claim 7: Kanako does not explicitly disclose further comprising a sheet member provided between the board and the wall parts.
However, Suwa teaches a sheet member provided between the board and the wall parts (Figs. 4 & 6 and column teach a sheet member 7g or 8g placed between the board 3 and the wall parts 4 or 9). It would have been obvious for a person skilled in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Kanako’s invention by including above teachings of Suwa, because adding a sheet member allows extra cushion element within the key that can lead to better pressing feeling or quieter keys which is very well-known and widely used in the art, as taught by Suwa. The rationale would have been to use a known method or technique to achieve predictable results.
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 AMIT CHATLY whose telephone number is (571)270-1610. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9-5.
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/AMIT CHATLY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2624
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