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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-14 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Taiki et al. (hereafter Taiki)( JP-2025001911-A).
Regarding claim 1, Taiki discloses a tactile sensation presenting device (Figures 1A, 1B, 2 and 4) comprising: a tactile sensation presenting section having a plurality of electrodes to present a tactile sensation by electrical stimulation at a specific portion of a user (Figures 1A, 1B, Elements 19, 190 and Page 2 where the electrode array units provide electrical stimulation to a finger of a user); and a control section capable of controlling the tactile sensation presenting section to provide electrical stimulation using at least one of the plurality of electrodes as an anode and at least another one of the plurality of electrodes as a cathode (Figures 1A, 1B, Element 19a, Figure 2, Element 10 and Pages 2, 3, 4, 6 and 9 where the information input device includes a control unit for controlling the electrical stimulation through the electrode array including anode and cathode electrodes), wherein the control section measures a flowability of an electric current through the portion and adjusts an execution mode of the electrical stimulation based on a result of the measurement (Figures 1A, 1B, 2 and Pages 4, 5, 9 and 11 where the control unit measures an impedance/resistance of the skin of the user and provides feedback control of stimulation current based on the skin impedance/resistance).
Regarding claim 2, Taiki discloses wherein the tactile sensation presenting section further includes a plurality of measurement terminals, and the control section performs the measurement using the plurality of measurement terminals (Figures 1A, 1B, 2, Elements 19 and Pages 4, 5, 9 and 11 where the control unit measures an impedance/resistance of the skin of the user and provides feedback control of stimulation current based on the skin impedance/resistance. The measurements are measured by electrodes of the information input device).
Regarding claim 3, Taiki discloses wherein the plurality of measurement terminals include a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal and the second terminal having different areas as viewed in plan (Figures 1A, 1B, 2, Elements 19 and Pages 4, 5, 9 and 11 where the control unit measures an impedance/resistance of the skin of the user and provides feedback control of stimulation current based on the skin impedance/resistance. The measurements are measured by electrodes of the information input device).
Regarding claim 4, Taiki discloses wherein a distance from a center of the tactile sensation presenting section to the second terminal is greater than a distance from the center to the first terminal as viewed in plan, and the area of the second terminal as viewed in plan is greater than the area of the first terminal as viewed in plan (Figures 1A, 1B, 2, Elements 19 and Pages 4, 5, 9 and 11 where the control unit measures an impedance/resistance of the skin of the user and provides feedback control of stimulation current based on the skin impedance/resistance. The measurements are measured by electrodes of the information input device. The electrodes that measure the skin impedance/resistance are variable depending on the placement of the user’s hand/fingers).
Regarding claim 5, Taiki discloses wherein the control section performs the measurement using at least two of the plurality of electrodes (Figures 1A, 1B, 2, Elements 19 and Pages 4, 5, 9 and 11 where the control unit measures an impedance/resistance of the skin of the user and provides feedback control of stimulation current based on the skin impedance/resistance. The measurements are measured by electrodes of the information input device. The electrodes that measure the skin impedance/resistance are variable depending on the placement of the user’s hand/fingers).
Regarding claim 6, Taiki discloses wherein the number of electrodes which function as positive terminals in the measurement and the number of electrodes which function as negative terminals in the measurement are each two or more (Figures 1A, 1B, 2, Elements 19 and Pages 4, 5, 9 and 11 where the control unit measures an impedance/resistance of the skin of the user and provides feedback control of stimulation current based on the skin impedance/resistance. The measurements are measured by electrodes of the information input device. The electrodes that measure the skin impedance/resistance are variable depending on the placement of the user’s hand/fingers).
Regarding claim 7, Taiki discloses wherein the number of electrodes which function as positive terminals in the measurement and the number of electrodes which function as negative terminals in the measurement are different from each other (Figures 1A, 1B, 2, Elements 19 and Pages 4, 5, 9 and 11 where the control unit measures an impedance/resistance of the skin of the user and provides feedback control of stimulation current based on the skin impedance/resistance. The measurements are measured by electrodes of the information input device. The electrodes (positive/negative) that measure the skin impedance/resistance are variable depending on the placement of the user’s hand/fingers).
Regarding claim 8, Taiki discloses wherein, in adjusting the execution mode of the electrical stimulation, the control section adjusts a distance between the anode and the cathode (Figures 1A, 1B, 2 and Pages 4, 5, 9 and 11 where the control unit measures an impedance/resistance of the skin of the user and provides feedback control of stimulation current based on the skin impedance/resistance. The measurements are measured by electrodes of the information input device. The electrodes (positive/negative) that measure the skin impedance/resistance are variable depending on the placement of the user’s hand/fingers. The distance between the anode and cathode electrode is variable).
Regarding claim 9, Taiki discloses wherein, in adjusting the execution mode of the electrical stimulation, the control section adjusts a total area of the electrode which functions as the anode and a total area of the electrode which functions as the cathode (Figures 1A, 1B, 2 and Pages 4, 5, 9 and 11 where the control unit measures an impedance/resistance of the skin of the user and provides feedback control of stimulation current based on the skin impedance/resistance. The measurements are measured by electrodes of the information input device. The electrodes (positive/negative) that measure the skin impedance/resistance are variable depending on the placement of the user’s hand/fingers. The areas of anode and cathode electrode are variable).
Regarding claim 10, Taiki discloses wherein, in adjusting the execution mode of the electrical stimulation, the control section adjusts a ratio between the total area of the electrode which functions as the anode and the total area of the electrode which functions as the cathode (Figures 1A, 1B, 2 and Pages 4, 5, 9 and 11 where the control unit measures an impedance/resistance of the skin of the user and provides feedback control of stimulation current based on the skin impedance/resistance. The measurements are measured by electrodes of the information input device. The electrodes (positive/negative) that measure the skin impedance/resistance are variable depending on the placement of the user’s hand/fingers. The areas of anode and cathode electrode are variable).
Regarding claim 11, Taiki discloses wherein, in adjusting the execution mode of the electrical stimulation, the control section adjusts a pattern of a voltage applied to the electrode which functions as the anode and the electrode which functions as the cathode (Figures 1A, 1B, 2 and Pages 4, 5, 9 and 11 where the control unit measures an impedance/resistance of the skin of the user and provides feedback control of stimulation current based on the skin impedance/resistance. The user’s skin is stimulated through the electrodes by adjusting a voltage pattern to the electrodes).
Regarding claim 12, Taiki discloses wherein, in adjusting the execution mode of the electrical stimulation, the control section adjusts an application duration of the voltage applied to the electrode which functions as the anode and the electrode which functions as the cathode (Figures 1A, 1B, 2 and Pages 4, 5, 9 and 11 where the control unit measures an impedance/resistance of the skin of the user and provides feedback control of stimulation current based on the skin impedance/resistance. The user’s skin is stimulated through the electrodes by adjusting a voltage pattern (timing) to the electrodes).
Regarding claim 13, Taiki discloses wherein, in adjusting the execution mode of the electrical stimulation, the control section adjusts a frequency of the voltage applied to the electrode which functions as the anode and the electrode which functions as the cathode (Figures 1A, 1B, 2 and Pages 4, 5, 9 and 11 where the control unit measures an impedance/resistance of the skin of the user and provides feedback control of stimulation current based on the skin impedance/resistance. The user’s skin is stimulated through the electrodes by adjusting a voltage pattern (frequency) to the electrodes).
Regarding claim 14, Taiki discloses wherein the plurality of electrodes are arrayed in a matrix including a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns (Figures 1A, 1B, Figure 4 and Pages 2, 3, 4 and 7 where the electrode array units are provided to include both columns and rows).
Regarding claim 17, Taiki discloses wherein the specific portion is a fingertip inner portion of the user (Figures 1A, 1B, Element 3 and Page 2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 15 and 16 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THOMAS D ALUNKAL whose telephone number is (571)270-1127. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9AM-5PM.
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/THOMAS D ALUNKAL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2686
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