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 .
This Office Action is responsive to: Application filed 27 Nov. 2024
Claims 1-9 are pending in this case. Claims 1, 4 and 8 are independent claims
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lavoie (Patent No.: US 10,607,634 B1; Filed: Nov. 3, 2018).
Regarding independent claim 1, Lavoie disclose a contact operation device comprising:
an arm including a contact operation portion at a tip end thereof, the contact operation portion being configured to contact a touchscreen (col 8 lines 6-16; col 13, lines 26-48; col 13 line 60-col 14 line 18); and
a support part configured to support the arm, the support part including a first support mechanism configured to permit the arm to move such that the contact operation portion is carried in a horizontal direction, and a second support mechanism configured to permit the arm to move such that the contact operation portion is carried in a vertical direction (col 13 line 60-col 14 line 18; col 16 line 4-33; col 17 lines 9-45; col 21 lines 35-49; Figs 1-3).
Regarding dependent claim 2, Lavoie disclose the contact operation device according to claim 1, further comprising a drive unit configured to move the contact operation portion by driving the arm (col 13 line 60-col 14 line 18; col 17 lines 9-45; Figs 1-3).
Regarding dependent claim 3, Lavoie disclose the contact operation device according to claim 2, further comprising a communication unit configured to receive a drive command for the arm, wherein the drive unit is configured to drive the arm in response to the drive command (col 13 line 60-col 14 line 18; col 16 line 4-33; col 17 lines 9-45; col 21 lines 35-49; Figs 1-3).
Regarding independent claim 4, Lavoie disclose a playback method for playing back a sound signal by a contact operation device and a portable information terminal, wherein:
the portable information terminal includes a touchscreen (col 8 lines 6-16; col 13, lines 26-48; col 13 line 60-col 14 line 18); and
the contact operation device includes:
an arm including a contact operation portion at a tip end thereof, the contact operation portion being configured to contact the touchscreen (col 8 lines 6-16; col 13, lines 26-48; col 13 line 60-col 14 line 18); and
a support part configured to support the arm, the support part including a first support mechanism configured to permit the arm to move such that the contact operation portion is carried in a horizontal direction, and a second support mechanism configured to permit the arm to move such that the contact operation portion is carried in a vertical direction (col 13 line 60-col 14 line 18; col 16 line 4-33; col 17 lines 9-45; col 21 lines 35-49; Figs 1-3),
the playback method comprising:
displaying, on the touchscreen of the portable information terminal, an image of a recording medium on which a sound signal is recorded (col 8 lines 6-16; Figs. 1-3);
determining, in a case where the contact operation portion contacts the touchscreen displaying the image of the recording medium, a playback start position of the sound signal based on a contact position of the contact operation portion in the image of the recording medium (col 3 line 56-col 4 line 26; col 12 lines 40-65; Figs 1-3); and
starting playback of the sound signal from the playback start position (col 3 line 56-col 4 line 26; col 12 lines 40-65; Figs 1-3).
Regarding dependent claim 5, Lavoie disclose the playback method according to claim 4, wherein the playback method further includes continuing the playback of the sound signal while the contact operation portion contacts the touchscreen (col 3 line 56-col 4 line 26; col 8 lines 6-16; col 12 lines 40-65;).
Regarding dependent claim 6, Lavoie disclose the playback method according to claim 5, wherein:
the contact operation device further comprises a communication unit configured to receive a drive command from the portable information terminal, and a drive unit configured to move the contact operation portion by driving the arm in response to the drive command (col 3 line 56-col 4 line 26; col 8 lines 6-16; col 12 lines 40-65;); and
the playback method further comprises transmitting the drive command to the contact operation device to cause the contact position of the contact operation portion on the touchscreen to follow a playback position of the sound signal (col 3 line 56-col 4 line 26; col 8 lines 6-16; col 12 lines 40-65).
Regarding dependent claim 7, Lavoie disclose the playback method according to claim 6, wherein the playback method further comprises transmitting, from the portable information terminal to the contact operation device, a drive command to move the arm to a predetermined position in a case where a playback position of the sound signal reaches a playback end position (col 13 line 60-col 14 line 18; col 16 line 4-33; col 17 lines 9-45; col 21 lines 35-49; Figs 1-3).
Regarding independent claim 8, Lavoie disclose a method for a playback method for playing back a sound signal by a contact operation device and a portable information terminal, wherein:
the portable information terminal comprises a touchscreen (col 11 lines 17-31; col 13 line 60-col 13 line 19);
the contact operation device comprises:
an arm including a contact operation portion at a tip end thereof, the contact operation portion being configured to contact the touchscreen (col 8 lines 6-16; col 13, lines 26-48; col 13 line 60-col 14 line 18);
a support part configured to support the arm, the support part including a first support mechanism configured to permit the arm to move such that the contact operation portion is carried in a horizontal direction, and a second support mechanism configured to permit the arm to move such that the contact operation portion is carried in a vertical direction (col 13 line 60-col 14 line 18; col 16 line 4-33; col 17 lines 9-45; col 21 lines 35-49; Figs 1-3);
a communication unit (col 5 lines 13-43); and
a drive unit (col 5 lines 13-43),
the playback method comprising:
displaying, on the touchscreen of the portable information terminal, an image of a recording medium on which the sound signal is recorded, in response to receiving a selection of a sound signal (col 8 lines 6-16; Figs. 1-3); and
transmitting, from the portable information terminal to the contact operation device, a first drive command to cause the drive unit to drive the arm to move the contact operation portion to contact a position on a screen of the touchscreen, the position on the screen corresponding to a playback start position of the sound signal (col 3 line 56-col 4 line 26; col 8 lines 6-16; col 12 lines 40-65).
Regarding dependent claim 9, Lavoie disclose the playback method according to claim 8, further including transmitting, from the portable information terminal to the contact operation device, a second drive command to move the arm to a predetermined position in a case where a playback position of the sound signal reaches a playback end position (col 13 line 26-col 14 line 19).
NOTE
It is noted that any citations to specific, pages, columns, lines, or figures in the prior art references and any interpretation of the reference should not be considered to be limiting in any way. A reference is relevant for all it contains and may be relied upon for all that it would have reasonably suggested to one having ordinary skill in the art. See MPEP 2123.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES J DEBROW whose telephone number is (571)272-5768. The examiner can normally be reached on 09:00 - 06:00.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, William Bashore can be reached on 571-272-4088. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/James J Debrow/
Primary Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2174
571-272-5768
Prosecution Insights