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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 1031-
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 6-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nietfeld (US 20190138107) in view of NAKAJIMA (WO 2022044693).
Regarding claim 1 Nietfeld teaches a VR (Virtual Reality) controller protective sleeve being applied to a VR controller (fig.3), and comprising:
a protective sleeve main body (fig.3, 312), the protective sleeve main body being made of an opaque material ([0070]) and being provided with an accommodating cavity used for accommodating at least one part of the VR controller ([0068]); and
Nietfeld is silent on a light-permeable piece, the light-permeable piece being made of a light transmitting material light-permeable material and being disposed on a position corresponding to at least one optical signal transmission port of the controller, the light-permeable piece being configured to allow optical signals from at least one infrared sensor built in the controller to pass through.
However, NAKAJIMA teaches a light-permeable piece, the light-permeable piece (fig.1, light guide unit 14 may include a condenser lens i.e. light-permeable piece) being made of a light transmitting material light-permeable material (lens) and being disposed on a position corresponding to at least one optical signal transmission port of the controller, the light- permeable piece being configured to allow optical signals from at least one infrared sensor built in the controller to pass through ( the infrared light transmitted from the transmitting element 5 passes through the light guide unit 14 and is guided to the reflection diffuser plate 20 which is the reflection diffusion unit 13 directly above the light guide unit 14
Claim 1, A condensing lens that collects infrared light from the transmitting element of the remote controller).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art to combine Nietfeld in light of NAKAJIMA teaching so that it may include a light-permeable piece, the light-permeable piece being made of a light transmitting material light-permeable material and being disposed on a position corresponding to at least one optical signal transmission port of the controller, the light-permeable piece being configured to allow optical signals from at least one infrared sensor built in the controller to pass through.
The motivation is to provide a remote-control device that enables the infrared light emitted by the transmitting element of the remote controller to be efficiently reflected and diffused toward the device body so that the device body can receive the infrared light even if the device body is far away from the remote control.
Regarding claim 2 Nietfeld in view of NAKAJIMA teach wherein the protective sleeve main (fig.3, 312) body is integrated integrally formed with the light-permeable piece (NAKAJIMA: fig. 1, light guide unit 14 may include a condenser lens).
Regarding claim 6 Nietfeld teaches wherein the VR controller is provided with a battery component, the VR controller protective sleeve is provided with a battery mounting structure, and the battery mounting structure comprises: a mounting hole disposed in a position, corresponding to the battery component of the VR controller, on the protective sleeve main body; and a covering member (fig. 3, 320) disposed in the mounting hole and connected to the protective sleeve main body to cover the mounting hole ([0079]).
Regarding claim 7 Nietfeld teaches wherein a surface, facing the accommodating cavity, of the covering member is provided with at least one convex part (fig.3, 312 has convex part), and the convex part is used for fitting to the battery component ([0079]).
Regarding claim 8 Nietfeld teaches wherein two sides of the convex part are provided with limiting parts (fig.3, 312 has convex part).
Regarding claim 9 Nietfeld teaches wherein one side of the covering member (320) is reversibly connected to the protective sleeve main body (fig.3,).
Regarding claim 10 Nietfeld teaches wherein the covering member (320) is integrated with the protective sleeve main body fig.3,).
Regarding claim 11, the limitations are similar to the limitations of claim 1 so rejected same way.
Regarding claim 12 Nietfeld teaches a VR host (fig. 1, 112); the other limitations are similar to the limitations of claim 1 so rejected same way.
Regarding claim 13 Nietfeld in view of NAKAJIMA teach wherein the light-permeable piece (NAKAJIMA: fig.1, 14) has an annular structure and is made of a translucent flexible glue that is permeable to infrared light (NAKAJIMA: fig.1, 5).
Regarding claim 14 Nietfeld teaches a first extension part and a second extension part extending from an outer surface of the protective sleeve main body; and a strap having two ends respectively connected to the first extension (fig.3, see below red circle) and the second extension (fig.3, see below blue circle), configured to secure the VR controller protective sleeve to a user's hand (fig.3, see below).
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Claim(s) 3-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nietfeld (US 20190138107) in view of NAKAJIMA (WO 2022044693) and further in view of Liu (US 20180188816).
Regarding claim 3 Nietfeld teaches wherein the accommodating cavity of the protective sleeve (fig. 3)
But silent on main body comprises a first opening; and the light-permeable piece is disposed in the first opening.
However, Liu teaches on main body comprises a first opening ([0010]); a first opening; and the light-permeable piece is disposed in the first opening ([0047]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art to combine Nietfeld in light of Liu teaching so that it may include main body comprises a first opening; and the light-permeable piece is disposed in the first opening.
The motivation is to provide a controller for finger gesture recognition and a method for recognizing finger gesture, which determine a finger gesture of a user by sensing whether a finger of the user touches or approaches the controller.
Regarding claim 4 Nietfeld in view of Liu teach wherein the light-permeable piece (Liu: fig. 1A, 310) is disposed around the first opening (Liu: [0010]).
Regarding claim 5 Nietfeld in view of Liu teach wherein at least one part of the light-permeable piece (Liu: fig. 1A, 310) extends substantially towards center of the first opening (Liu: [0010]) so as to fix the VR controller into the accommodating cavity of the protective sleeve main body (Liu: fig.2).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
- Koenig US 20050275625
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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.
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/TOWFIQ ELAHI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2625