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 . Claims 1-20 are pending in the current application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(B) CONCLUSION. - The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 7 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Specifically, Claims 7 and 17 are rejected since the term “if” is indefinite.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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, 8-16, and 18-20, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Best et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 8,076,949 B1, hereinafter “Best”) in view of Heldeis (U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2024/0028142 A1).
Specifically, regarding Claim 1, Best discloses a device (Abstract, FIG. 4), comprising: a mechanical button (404; col. 5, ll. 55-57) configured to generate an input signal (FIG. 4), and a capsense circuit (402, 406) electrically coupled to the mechanical button (404; FIG. 4), wherein the capsense circuit (402, 406) is configured to measure, while in a scanning state, a capacitance corresponding to the input signal (col. 3, ll. 44-53), enter a debouncing state in response to the capacitance exceeding an actuation threshold, generate (col. 4, ll. 16-38), and while in the debouncing state, transmit the debounced signal to a microcontroller to initiate a function (col. 4, ll. 33-38). Best does not disclose in response to the capacitance remaining above the actuation threshold for a predetermined period, transmit the debounced signal.
However, Heldeis discloses that in response to a capacitance remaining above an actuation threshold for a predetermined period, transmit[ting] the debounced signal (¶¶ [0056] - [0057]).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Heldeis with those of Best to prevent an unintentionally actuated switch from causing a device or function controlled by the unintentionally actuated switch from performing an undesired action.
Claim 11 includes language substantially similar to that of Claim 1 and is rejected for reasons at least similar to those discussed above.
Regarding Claims 2 and 12, Best discloses that the microcontroller is in sleep mode prior to receiving the debounced signal from the capsense circuit (col. 4, ll. 45-47).
Regarding Claims 3 and 13, Best discloses that the debounced signal is configured to awaken the microcontroller (FIG. 2, col. 4, ll. 39-44).
Regarding Claims 4-6 and 14-16, the combination of Best and Heldeis discloses substantially all of the limitations of the present invention but does not disclose the claimed ranges. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to utilize such ranges to provide accurate actuation determination since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 U.S.P.Q. 233.
Regarding Claims 8 and 18, Best discloses a battery configured to power the microcontroller (col.3, ll. 24-29; col.4, ll. 54- 58).
Regarding Claims 9 and 19, Best discloses an acoustic transducer electrically coupled to the microcontroller (col.3, ll. 24-29; col.4, ll. 54- 58).
Regarding Claims 10 and 20, Best discloses that the function initiated by the debounced signal adjusts audio generated by the acoustic transducer (col.4, ll. 33-38).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant's disclosure. Sitarski et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 8,872,676 B2) discloses a capacitive switching system that includes a plurality of capacitive switches and at least one processor and that utilizes a debounce delay.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANTHONY R. JIMENEZ whose telephone number is 313-446-6518. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday, 1030 AM – 9 PM.
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/ANTHONY R JIMENEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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