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 .
Summary of Response
The 09/17/2025 response includes: (a) the specification is currently amended; (b) claims 11-12 are new; (c) claims 1, 5, 7 and 9-10 are currently; (d) claims 2-4, 6 and 8 are original; and (e) the grounds for rejection set forth in the 06/17/2025 office action are traversed. Claims 1-12 are currently pending and an office action follows:
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed 09/17/2025 with respect to the rejection of claims 1-10 under 35 U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive based on the claim amendments. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, new grounds of rejection is made of claims 1-12 in view of newly-cited U.S. Patent No. 11,347,312 B1 to Wang combined with previously-cited prior art.
Applicant argues that Wang does not discloses the notion of a focal zone because the plurality of haptic devices do not modulate a signal as claimed (Applicant’s response, p. 6). Examiner disagrees. The transducers are modulated to direct haptic/ultrasonic acoustic waves and sound/audible acoustic waves output toward different fingers or other body part(s) of user as they move, and are operated at different times based on user input and/or content being displayed such as to provide a texture sensation or a simulated condition such as virtual rain (FIGs. 1, 5-6: 14, 26; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64, especially – “Haptic output components 14 include transducers that are configured to emit and/or detect acoustic waves (e.g., audible acoustic waves and/or ultrasonic acoustic waves”; col 7, ln 30-32, especially – “Haptic output 28 may be provided in response to a user input and/or may be provided in response to content being displayed”, ln 47-58; col 9, ln 54-61, col 10, ln 19-29, 34-38, 57-59, especially - especially – “Components 26 may be configured to direct ultrasonic haptic output towards a user as a user interacts with device 24 and/or a user interacts with other electronic equipment (e.g., other devices 24 in system 8”). Thus, the different body parts and/or the movement of a body part represents a different focal zone.
Applicant’s other arguments regarding the prior art appear to be moot in view of the new grounds of rejection set forth below.
New claim objections to claims 6 and 9-12 are set forth below.
Finally, examiner acknowledges that on 10/06/2025 a translation of a foreign priority document was received by the USPTO, however a certified copy of the foreign priority document itself has yet to be received. Thus, on the office action summary sheet examiner has checked off the box “None of the:” certified copies have been received at this time.
Claim Objections
4. Claims 6 and 9-12 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 6 at line 2 includes “the position” that lacks antecedent basis. This
objection may be overcome, for example, by amending it to “a position”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 9 at line 4 includes “the activated transducers” that lacks antecedent basis. This objection may be overcome, for example, by amending it to “activated ones of the transducers”. Appropriate correction is required. This objection applies to claim 10 that depend upon claim 9.
Claim 10 at lines 6-7 includes “the one or more desired tactile and/or sound perceptions” that lacks antecedent basis. This objection may be overcome, for example, by amending it to “one or more desired tactile and/or sound perceptions”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 11 at line 3 includes “a second ultrasound carrier frequence” that misspells frequency as frequence. Compare claim 11 at lines 2-4. This objection may be overcome, for example, by amending it to “a second ultrasound carrier frequency”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 12 at line 1 includes “as claims” that misspells “claimed” as “claims” Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections – 35 USC § 103
5. 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.
6. Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent No. 11,347,312 B1 to Wang in view of U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2021/0018985 A1 to Verbeke et al. (“Verbeke”).
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As to claim 1, Wang discloses a multimodal haptic interface (FIG. 1: 14; col 6, ln 25-28, especially – “transducers that are configured to emit and or detect acoustic waves (e.g., audible acoustic waves and/or ultrasonic acoustic waves”; col 10, ln 65 to col 11, ln 9; col 13, ln 65 to col 14, ln 6), comprising:
- a control circuit(12)(FIG. 1; col 4, ln 21-24, 29-32, 37-39); and
- an array comprising a plurality of ultrasound transducers(14, 26)(FIGs. 1, 5-6; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32; col 9, ln 17-23; col 10, ln 19-29) connected to said circuit(12)(FIG. 1; col 4, ln 21-24, 29-32, 37-39); with the control circuit(12)(FIG. 1; col 4, ln 21-24, 29-32, 37-39) being configured to modulate the signals sent to the transducers(14, 26)(FIGs. 1, 5-6; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32, especially – “Haptic output 28 may be provided in response to a user input and/or may be provided in response to content being displayed”, ln 47-58; col 9, ln 39-44, 54-61, col 10, ln 19-29, 34-38, 57-59 – transducers 14/26 direct haptic/ultrasonic acoustic waves and sound/audible acoustic waves output toward a user and are operated at different times based on user input and/or content being displayed, such as to provide a texture sensation or a simulated condition such as virtual rain.) in order to:
- generate, with the ultrasound waves emitted by at least some of the transducers (FIGs. 1, 6: 14, 26; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32; col 10, ln 19-29), an acoustic pressure that is tactilely detectable on a surface of a user(30)(FIGs. 2, 5; col 7, ln 22-25, 30-39; col 10, ln 34-38; col 10, ln 65 to col 11, ln 10), in at least one first focal zone(one of user’s hands)(FIGs. 1, 5, 6: 14, 26; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32, col 9, ln 39-44; col 10, ln 19-29); and/or
- generate, with the waves emitted by at least some of the transducers(14, 26)(FIGs. 1, 5, 6; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32; col 10, ln 19-29), an acoustic pressure that is audibly detectable by an auditory receiver of the user(30)(FIG. 2; col 3, ln 1-5; col 6, ln 25-39, especially – “Haptic output components 14 include transducers that are configured to emit and/or detect acoustic waves (e.g., audible acoustic waves and/or ultrasonic acoustic waves”; col 6, ln 55-59; col 7, ln 22-25; col 13, ln 65 to col 14, ln 6), in at least one second focal zone(another one of user’s hands)(FIGs. 1, 5, 6: 14, 26; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32, col 9, ln 39-44; col 9, ln 21-23, especially – “Haptic output 28 may be directed towards the fingers of the hand that is holding device 24-1 and/or may be directed towards the fingers of the hand that is not holding device 24-1; col 10, ln 19-29, 34-38, especially – “Components 26 may be configured to direct ultrasonic haptic output towards a user as a user interacts with device 24 and/or a user interacts with other electronic equipment (e.g., other devices 24 in system 8”), where the first focal zone(one of user’s hands)(FIGs. 1, 5, 6: 14, 26; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32, col 9, ln 39-44; col 10, ln 19-29) is different from the second focal zone(another one of user’s hands)(FIGs. 1, 5, 6: 14, 26; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32, col 9, ln 39-44; col 9, ln 21-23; col 10, ln 19-29, 34-38).
Wang does not expressly disclose - generate, with the ultrasound waves emitted by at least some of the transducers, an acoustic pressure that is audibly detectable by an auditory receiver of the user, in at least one second focal zone different from a first focal zone.
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Verbeke discloses - generate, with the ultrasound waves emitted by at least some of the transducers(121)(FIGs. 1, 4-5: 120, 122, 422, first finger position 502 is a first focal zone, second finger position 505 is a second focal zone; ¶¶0017, 0020, 0040, especially – “ultrasonic waves 422 are configured to demodulate to suitable audible feedback”, 0050, 0053), an acoustic pressure that is audibly detectable by an auditory receiver of the user, in at least one second focal zone(finger position at 505)(FIGs. 1, 4-5: 120; ¶¶0017, 0020, 0040, 0050, 0052-0053) different from a first focal zone(finger position at 502)(FIGs. 1, 4-5: 120; ¶¶0017, 0020, 0040, 0050, 0053).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Wang with Verbeke to provide a multimodal haptic interface that provides a user with increased feedback to a user’s finger as to the input of a finger gesture (¶¶0020, 0050, 0053) different from a first focal zone.
As to claim 2, Wang and Verbeke teach the multimodal interface as claimed in claim 1, as applied above.
Wang and Verbeke further teach further comprising at least one set of transducers arranged to generate haptic effects and sound effects (Wang: FIGs. 1, 5-6: 14, 26; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32; col 10, ln 19-29; Verbeke: FIGs. 1, 4: 121, 122, 422; ¶¶0016-0017, 0040).
The motivation to combine the additional teachings of Verbeke teach is for the same reasoning set forth above for claim 1.
As to claim 3, Wang and Verbeke teach the multimodal interface as claimed in claim 1, as applied above.
Wang and Verbeke further teach further comprising at least two sets of ultrasound transducers (Wang: FIGs. 1, 6: a first half of 14s/26s and a second half of 14s/26s; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32; col 10, ln 19-29; Verbeke: FIGs. 1, 4: 121, 122, 422; ¶¶0016-0017, 0040 – 121s may be divided into a first set and a second set each of which creates part of ultrasonic haptic and audio 122/422), with a first set of transducers being arranged with the control circuit to generate haptic effects (Wang: FIGs. 1, 6: a first half of 14s/26s, 12; col 4, ln 21-24, 29-32, 37-39; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32; col 10, ln 19-29; Verbeke: FIGs. 1, 4: 121, 122, 422; ¶¶0016-0017, 0040) and a second set of transducers not included in the first set being arranged to generate sound effects with the control circuit (Wang: FIGs. 1, 6: a second half of 14s/26s, 12; col 4, ln 21-24, 29-32, 37-39; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32; col 10, ln 19-29; Verbeke: FIGs. 1, 4: 121, 122, 422; ¶¶0016-0017, 0040) at the same time as and/or after the haptic effects generated by the first set (Wang: FIGs. 1, 6: first and second halves of 14s/26s, 12; col 4, ln 21-24, 29-32, 37-39; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32; col 10, ln 19-29; Verbeke: FIGs. 1, 4: 121, 122, 422; ¶¶0016-0017, 0040).
The motivation to combine the additional teachings of Verbeke teach is for the same reasoning set forth above for claim 1.
As to claim 4, Wang and Verbeke teach the multimodal interface as claimed in claim 1, as applied above.
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Wang and Verbeke teach further comprising at least two sets of ultrasound transducers (Wang: FIGs. 1, 6, 8: 14/26s on top surface of 24; 14/26 on side surface of 24; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32; col 10, ln 19-29; col 11, ln 13-16, 34-38; Verbeke: FIGs. 1, 4: 121, 122, 422; ¶¶0016-0017, 0040), with the transducers of a first set (Wang: FIGs. 1, 6, 8: 14/26s on top surface of 24; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32; col 10, ln 19-29; col 11, ln 13-16, 34-38; Verbeke: FIGs. 1, 4: 121, 122, 422; ¶¶0016-0017, 0040) and those of a second set(Wang: FIGs. 1, 6, 8: 14/26 on side surface of 24; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32; col 10, ln 19-29; col 11, ln 13-16, 34-38; Verbeke: FIGs. 1, 4: 121, 122, 422; ¶¶0016-0017, 0040) having identical active membranes (Wang: FIGs. 1, 6, 8: 50, 14/26s on top surface of 24; 14/26 on side surface of 24; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32; col 10, ln 19-29; col 11, ln 13-16, 34-38; Verbeke: FIGs. 1, 4: 121, 122, 422; ¶¶0016-0017, 0040).
The motivation to combine the additional teachings of Verbeke teach is for the same reasoning set forth above for claim 1.
As to claim 5, Wang and Verbeke teach the multimodal interface as claimed in claim 1, as applied above.
Wang and Verbeke further teach further comprising at least two sets of ultrasound transducers(Wang: FIGs. 1, 6: 14/26s on top surface of 24; 14/26 on side surface of 24; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32; col 10, ln 19-29; Verbeke: FIGs. 1, 4: 121, 122, 422; ¶¶0016-0017, 0040), with the transducers of a first set(Wang: FIGs. 1, 6: 14/26s on top surface of 24; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32; col 10, ln 19-29; Verbeke: FIGs. 1, 4: 121, 122, 422; ¶¶0016-0017, 0040) and those of a second set(Wang: FIGs. 1, 6: 14/26 on side surface of 24; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32; col 10, ln 19-29; Verbeke: FIGs. 1, 4: 121, 122, 422; ¶¶0016-0017, 0040) being supported by a same support (Wang: FIGs. 5, 6: 24; col 9, ln 16-18; col 10, ln 19-29; Verbeke: FIGs. 1, 4: 121, 122, 422; ¶¶0016-0017, 0040).
The motivation to combine the additional teachings of Verbeke teach is for the same reasoning set forth above for claim 1.
As to claim 6, Wang and Verbeke teach the multimodal interface as claimed in claim 1, as applied above.
Wang and Verbeke further teach further comprising at least one detection system configured to detect the position of at least one surface to be tactilely stimulated (Wang: FIG. 1: 18; Abstract; col 5, ln 6-13; col 6, ln 32-39; col 7, ln 36-39; col 8, ln 51-53, col 11, ln 59 to col 12, ln 3; claim 12; Verbeke: FIGs. 1, 4: 130, 402; ¶0021-0022, 0040) and/or of at least one auditory receiver to be audibly stimulated relative to the transducers (Wang: FIG. 1: 18; Abstract; col 5, ln 6-13; col 6, ln 32-39; col 7, ln 36-39; col 8, ln 51-53, col 11, ln 59 to col 12, ln 3; claim 12; Verbeke: FIGs. 1, 4: 120, 121, 130, 402; ¶0020-0022, 0040, especially – “Because ultrasound waves 422 are configured to demodulate to suitable audible feedback when incident on surface 404”), with the control circuit being arranged to control the transducers(Wang: FIGs. 1, 6: 14, 26; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32; col 10, ln 19-29; Verbeke: FIG. 1: 121, 150; ¶0018) as a function of the position of the surface (Wang: FIG. 1: 18; Abstract; col 5, ln 6-13; col 6, ln 32-39; col 7, ln 36-39; col 8, ln 51-53, col 10, ln 34-38; col 11, ln 59 to col 12, ln 3; claim 12; Verbeke: FIGs. 1, 4: 121, 122, 150; ¶¶0018-0019, 0040) and/or of the auditory receiver (Wang: FIG. 1: 18; Abstract; col 5, ln 6-13; col 6, ln 32-39; col 7, ln 36-39; col 8, ln 51-53, col 11, ln 59 to col 12, ln 3; claim 12; Verbeke: FIGs. 1, 4: 121, 150, 422; ¶¶0018-0019, 0040).
The motivation to combine the additional teachings of Verbeke teach is for the same reasoning set forth above for claim 1.
As to claim 7, Wang and Verbeke teach the multimodal interface as claimed in claim 1, as applied above.
Wang and Verbeke further teach wherein each transducer (Wang: FIGs. 1, 6: 14, 26; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32; col 10, ln 19-29; Verbeke: FIG. 1: 121; ¶0017) being of piezoelectric (Wang: col 6, ln 6-11; col 11, ln 16-19), ferroelectric, electromagnetic (Wang: col 6, ln 6-11; col 11, ln 16-19; Verbeke: FIG. 1: 121; ¶0017), thermal or ceramic piezoelectric type.
The motivation to combine the additional teachings of Verbeke teach is for the same reasoning set forth above for claim 1.
As to claim 8, Wang and Verbeke teach the multimodal interface as claimed in claim 1, as applied above.
Wang and Verbeke teach wherein the control circuit is configured to modulate the signals sent to the transducers in order to generate the audibly detectable acoustic pressure by electronic acoustic focusing (Wang: FIGs. 1, 6: 14, 26; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32; col 10, ln 19-29, 34-38; Verbeke: FIG. 1: 121, 150; ¶¶0018-0019, 0040).
The motivation to combine the additional teachings of Verbeke teach is for the same reasoning set forth above for claim 1.
As to claim 9, Wang and Verbeke teach a multimodal interface as defined in claim 1, as applied above.
Wang and Verbeke further teach a method for generating one or more mid-air localized tactile and/or sound perceptions using a multimodal interface (Wang: FIGs. 1, 5-6: 14, 26; col 5, ln 6-13; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32, 36-39; col 8, ln 51-53; col 9, ln 17-23; col 10, ln 19-29; col 10, ln 65 to col 11, ln 9; col 11, ln 59 to col 12, ln 3; col 13, ln 65 to col 14, ln 6; Verbeke: FIG. 4; ¶0040), comprising modulating control signals sent to the transducers(Wang: FIGs. 1, 5-6: 14, 26; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32; col 9, ln 17-23; col 10, ln 19-29; Verbeke: FIG. 1, 4: 120, 121, 130; ¶¶0018-0019, 0021, 0032, 0040) by means of a control circuit(Wang: FIG. 1: 12; col 4, ln 21-24, 29-32, 37-39; Verbeke: FIGs. 1, 4: 120, 121, 130; ¶¶0021, 0032, 0040) in order to:
generate, with the ultrasound waves emitted by the activated transducers(Wang: FIGs. 1, 5-6: 14, 16, 26; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32; col 9, ln 17-23; col 10, ln 19-29; Verbeke: FIGs. 1, 4: 120, 121, 130; ¶¶0021, 0032, 0040), an acoustic pressure that is tactilely detectable on a surface of a user, in a first focal zone (Wang: FIGs. 1-2, 5, 6: 14, 26, 30, one of a user’s hands; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 22-25, 30-32, col 9, ln 17-23; col 9, ln 39-44; col 10, ln 19-29; col 10, ln 65 to col 11, ln 10; Verbeke: FIGs. 1, 4-5: 120, finger position at 502; ¶¶0017, 0020, 0040, 0050, 0053); and/or
generate, with the ultrasound waves emitted by the activated transducers (Wang: FIGs. 1, 5-6: 14, 16, 26; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32; col 9, ln 17-23; col 10, ln 19-29; Verbeke: FIGs. 1, 4: 120, 121, 130; ¶¶0021, 0032, 0040), an acoustic pressure that is audibly detectable by an auditory receiver R of the user, in a second focal zone (Wang: FIGs. 1-2, 5, 6: 14, 26, 30, another one of a user’s hands; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 22-25, 30-32, col 9, ln 17-23; col 9, ln 39-44; col 10, ln 19-29; col 10, ln 65 to col 11, ln 10; Verbeke: FIGs. 1, 4-5: 120, finger position at 505; ¶¶0017, 0020, 0040, 0050, 0053).
The motivation to combine the additional teachings of Verbeke teach is for the same reasoning set forth above for claim 1.
As to claim 10, Wang and Verbeke teach the method as claimed in claim 9, as applied above.
Wang and Verbeke further teach further comprising the following steps:
- determining one or more spatial positions where the tactile and/or sound perception is to be generated (Wang: FIGs. 1, 5-6: 18; Abstract; col 5, ln 6-13; col 6, ln 32-39; col 7, ln 36-39; col 8, ln 51-53, col 9, ln 17-23; col 10, ln 34-38, col 11, ln 59 to col 12, ln 3; claim 12; Verbeke: FIGs. 1, 4-5: 120, finger positions at 502 and 505; ¶¶0017, 0020-0022, 0032, 0040, 0050, 0053); and
- determining the transducers to be activated and computing the phase shift to be applied to these transducers (Wang: FIGs. 1, 6: 14, 26; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32; col 9, ln 17-23; col 10, ln 19-29, 34-38; Verbeke: FIGs. 1, 4: 120, 121; ¶¶0018-0019) in order to generate the one or more desired tactile and/or sound perceptions (Wang: FIG. 1: 18; Abstract; col 5, ln 6-13; col 6, ln 32-39; col 7, ln 36-39; col 8, ln 51-53, col 11, ln 59 to col 12, ln 3; claim 12; Verbeke: FIGs. 1, 4-5: 120, finger positions at 502 and 505; ¶¶0017, 0020, 0040, 0050, 0053).
The motivation to combine the additional teachings of Verbeke teach is for the same reasoning set forth above for claim 1.
7. Claims 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent No. 11,347,312 B1 to Wang in view of U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2021/0018985 A1 to Verbeke et al. (“Verbeke”) as applied to claim 1 above, in view of U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2015/0192995 A1 to Subramanian et al. (“Subramanian”).
As to claim 11, Wang and Verbeke teach the multimodal interface as claims in claim 1, as applied above.
Wang and Verbeke further teach the plurality of ultrasound transducers comprising a first set of transducers emitting at a first ultrasound frequency and a second set of transducers emitting at a second ultrasound frequency (Wang: FIGs. 1, 6: a first half of 14s/26s and a second half of 14s/26s; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32; col 10, ln 19-29; Verbeke: FIGs. 1, 4: 121, 122, 422; ¶¶0016-0017, 0040 – 121s may be divided into a first set and a second set each of which creates part of ultrasonic haptic and audio 122/422).
The motivation to combine the additional teachings of Verbeke teach is for the same reasoning set forth above for claim 1.
Wang and Verbeke do not expressly disclose the plurality of ultrasound transducers comprising a first set of transducers emitting at a first ultrasound carrier frequency and a second set of transducers emitting at a second ultrasound carrier frequency, the first ultrasound carrier frequency and the second ultrasound carrier frequency being the same.
Subramanian discloses the plurality of ultrasound transducers(12)(FIG. 1; ¶0030-0031) comprising a first set of transducers(left half of array 12)(FIG. 1; ¶0030-0031) emitting at a first ultrasound carrier frequency(40 kHz)(¶¶0012-0013, 0037) and a second set of transducers(right half of array 12)(FIG. 1; ¶0030-0031) emitting at a second ultrasound carrier frequency(40 kHz)(¶¶0012-0013, 0037), the first ultrasound carrier frequency and the second ultrasound carrier frequency being the same(40 kHz)(FIG. 1: left and right halves of array 12; ¶¶0012-0013, 0037).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Wang and Verbeke with Subramanian to provide a multimodal haptic interface that may emits perceptions to a user’s hand using less power and lower signal attenuation.
As to claim 12, Wang and Verbeke teach the multimodal interface as claims in claim 1, as applied above.
Wang and Verbeke further teach wherein the transducers are configured to emit (Wang: FIGs. 1, 5-6: 14, 16, 26; col 6, ln 6-10, 17-18, 24-64; col 7, ln 30-32; col 9, ln 17-23; col 10, ln 19-29; Verbeke: FIGs. 1, 4: 120, 121, 130; ¶¶0021, 0032, 0040).
The motivation to combine the additional teachings of Verbeke teach is for the same reasoning set forth above for claim 1.
Wang and Verbeke do not expressly disclose wherein the transducers are configured to emit in a carrier frequency range of 20kHz-150kHz.
Subramanian discloses wherein the transducers(12)(FIG. 1; ¶0030-0031) are configured to emit in a carrier frequency range of 20kHz-150kHz (¶¶0012-0013, 0037).
The motivation to combine Subramanian is set forth above for claim 1.
Other Relevant Prior Art
8. Other relevant prior art includes:
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(i) U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2016/0282808 A1 to Smalley discloses a 3-D display(510)(FIG. 5; ¶0042) that includes a 3D display(510)(FIG. 5; ¶0042) emitting light(550a-550n)(FIG. 5; ¶0030), a lenslet array(520)(FIG. 5; ¶0042), a slit plane(410)(FIGs. 4-5; ¶0042) that includes ultrasonic transducers(520a-420n)(FIGs. 4-5; ¶0042) driven at a carrier frequency at 40 kHz that is amplitude modulated at lower frequencies (e.g., below 200 Hz) for tactile fields and at higher frequencies (e.g., above 200 Hz) for audio fields to generate a tactile field or directed audio (¶¶0040-0041, 0062).
(ii) U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2023/0059333 A1 to LAL et al. discloses a haptics generator that generates a haptics signal by amplitude modulating and frequency modulating a carrier signal based on an input audio signal (see e.g., Abstract).
Conclusion
9. THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 extension fee 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 KIRK W HERMANN whose telephone number is (571) 270-3891. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday, 10am-7pm, EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, LunYi Lao can be reached on (571) 272-7671. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KIRK W HERMANN/Examiner, Art Unit 2621
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