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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 1-2, 7 and 11-12 are rejected
Claims 3-6, 8-10, and 14-15 are objected to.
Claims 13-20 are allowed
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-2, 7 and 11-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takizawa et al (US PUB 20230122321, hereinafter Takizawa) in view of Oh (US 20110043491, hereinafter Oh491).
Regarding Claim 1, Takizawa discloses a device (see at least the abstract and figure 1), comprising: a first receiving electrode (e.g. a first electrode 121) configured to receive first electrostatic charge variation; a ground electrode electrically coupled to ground (e.g. electrode 123 in addition to peripheral electrodes 124-1, 124-2 are connected to ground 10), (see figure 2); a second receiving electrode (e.g. a second receiving electrode 122) configured to receive second electrostatic charge variation, the second receiving electrode being spaced from the first receiving electrode by the ground electrode (see figure 2); and an electrostatic charge sensor (e.g. control circuit 140) electrically coupled to the first receiving electrode and the second receiving electrode (see figure 2), the electrostatic charge sensor configured to: generate an electrostatic charge variation measurement using the first electrostatic charge variation and the second electrostatic charge variation (e.g. the control circuit 140 drives the detection electrode 121, and can detect a proximity of an operator's finger to the operating face 100A by measuring a change in the current flowing through the detection electrode 121), (see Takizawa, [0028], [0031], [0033]-[0036], and [0040], also figures 1-4).
Takizawa further teaches detection of proximity of an operator’s finger on the operating face 100A of the device, but fails to explicitly disclose: detect a first swipe state based on the electrostatic charge variation measurement, the first swipe state being a state in which a user's finger moves in a first direction; detect a second swipe state based on the electrostatic charge variation measurement, the second swipe state being a state in which the user's finger moves in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and output the first swipe state or the second swipe state.
However, Oh491 in the same field of endeavor teaches an electrostatic charge detection device (see at least the abstract and figure 1), comprising: detecting a first swipe state based on the electrostatic charge variation measurement, the first swipe state being a state in which a user's finger moves in a first direction; detect a second swipe state based on the electrostatic charge variation measurement, the second swipe state being a state in which the user's finger moves in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and output the first swipe state or the second swipe state (e.g. a controller outputs a swipe state based on input received via detection of user’s finger swipe in different specific directions), (see Oh491, [0170]-[0173], [0391] and [0396], also figures 2-4c and 45-47). Therefore, it would have been obvious to any person having an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to incorporate means of detecting a first swipe state based on the electrostatic charge variation measurement, the first swipe state being a state in which a user's finger moves in a first direction; detect a second swipe state based on the electrostatic charge variation measurement, the second swipe state being a state in which the user's finger moves in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and output the first swipe state or the second swipe state as taught by Oh491 in the teachings of Takizawa in order to achieve fast and continuous input of large data by mere swiping movement of user’s finger in different specific directions, and thereby further enhancing the device’s data input efficiency.
Regarding Claim 2, Takizawa discloses the device of claim 1, further comprising: a housing (inherently and external covering) including the electrostatic charge sensor, the first receiving electrode, the ground electrode, and the second receiving electrode positioned on a same side of the housing (see Takizawa, figures 1 and 2).
Regarding Claim 7, Takizawa discloses a method (e.g. using the device of figure 1), comprising: receiving, by a first receiving electrode (e.g. a first electrode 121), a first electrostatic charge variation; receiving, by a second receiving electrode (e.g. a second receiving electrode 122), a second electrostatic charge variation, the second receiving electrode being spaced from the first receiving electrode by a ground electrode (e.g. electrode 123 in addition to peripheral electrodes 124-1, 124-2 are connected to ground 10), (see figure 2); generating, by an electrostatic charge sensor (e.g. control circuit 140), an electrostatic charge variation measurement using the first electrostatic charge variation and the second electrostatic charge variation (e.g. the control circuit 140 drives the detection electrode 121, and can detect a proximity of an operator's finger to the operating face 100A by measuring a change in the current flowing through the detection electrode 121), (see Takizawa, [0028], [0031], [0033]-[0036], and [0040], also figures 1-4).
Takizawa further teaches detection of proximity of an operator’s finger on the operating face 100A of the device, but fails to explicitly disclose: detecting an input state selected from a first swipe state and a second swipe state based on the electrostatic charge variation measurement, the first swipe state being a state in which a user's finger moves in a first direction, the second swipe state being a state in which the user's finger moves in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and output the input state.
However, Oh491 in the same field of endeavor teaches an electrostatic charge detection device (see at least the abstract and figure 1), comprising: detecting a first swipe state based on the electrostatic charge variation measurement, the first swipe state being a state in which a user's finger moves in a first direction; detect a second swipe state based on the electrostatic charge variation measurement, the second swipe state being a state in which the user's finger moves in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and output the first swipe state or the second swipe state (e.g. a controller outputs a swipe state based on input received via detection of user’s finger swipe in different specific directions), (see Oh491, [0170]-[0173], [0391] and [0396], also figures 2-4c and 45-47). Therefore, it would have been obvious to any person having an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to incorporate means of detecting a first swipe state based on the electrostatic charge variation measurement, the first swipe state being a state in which a user's finger moves in a first direction; detect a second swipe state based on the electrostatic charge variation measurement, the second swipe state being a state in which the user's finger moves in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and output the first swipe state or the second swipe state as taught by Oh491 in the teachings of Takizawa in order to achieve fast and continuous input of large data by mere swiping movement of user’s finger in different specific directions, and thereby further enhancing the device’s data input efficiency.
Regarding Claim 11, Takizawa discloses the method of claim 7 wherein the detecting and outputting are performed by the electrostatic charge sensor (e.g. the control circuit 140 drives the detection electrode 121, and can detect a proximity of an operator's finger to the operating face 100A by measuring a change in the current flowing through the detection electrode 121), (see Takizawa, [0033] and figures 1-2).
Regarding Claim 12, Takizawa discloses the method of claim 7 wherein the first receiving electrode, the ground electrode, and the second receiving electrode are positioned on a same side of a housing (e.g. a first electrode 121, the ground electrode and the second receiving electrode (e.g. a second receiving electrode 122) are formed on the same side (see Takizawa, [0033]-[0034], and figures 2-3).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-6, 8-10, and 14-15 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.
Claims 13-20 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Claim 13 is allowed because none of the prior arts of record whether taken singly or in combination with the other said prior arts teaches all the limitations of claim 1. For instance, the closest prior art, Takizawa et al (US PUB 20230122321) directed to similar subject matter of the claimed invention teaches: a device comprising: a first receiving electrode (e.g. a first electrode 121) configured to receive first electrostatic charge variation; a ground electrode adjacent to the first receiving electrode and electrically coupled to ground (e.g. electrode 123 connected to ground 10), a second receiving electrode (e.g. a second receiving electrode 122) adjacent to the ground electrode and configured to receive second electrostatic charge variation; and an electrostatic charge sensor (e.g. control circuit 140) configured to: generate a first electrostatic charge variation measurement based on the first electrostatic charge variation and the second electrostatic charge variation.
However, Takizawa in its entirety, or in combination with the other said prior arts fails to explicitly teach or suggest the following limitations of claim 1 in combination with the remaining limitations of the claim: determine the first electrostatic charge variation measurement is greater than a first threshold; start a first timer in response to the first electrostatic charge variation measurement being greater than the first threshold; determine the first electrostatic charge variation measurement is less than a second threshold; determine the first timer is less than a first timer threshold in response to the first electrostatic charge variation measurement being less than the second threshold; and detect a first swipe state in response to the first timer being less than the first timer threshold.
Claims 16-20 are allowed based on their respective dependency from claim 13.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record provided on PTO 892 and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OYESOLA C OJO whose telephone number is (571)272-0848. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday 8:00am to 4:00pm Central Time.
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/OYESOLA C OJO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2695.
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