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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The references cited in the IDS have been considered by examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kravtin et al (U.S. Patent No. 6,396,478).
Regarding claim 1, Kravtin discloses a computer mouse device (52), (fig. 6, col. 4, line 57), comprising:
a body (54) containing electronic circuits configured to control a cursor on a computing device (i.e. it is implied that the computer mouse 52 has circuitry to control the computer pointing device), the body (54) including a bottom surface (i.e. bottom surface of the mouse body 54 as shown in fig. 9) configured to be used on a horizontal surface and a notch (80) formed into the bottom surface, (figs. 6, col. 2, lines 14-25 and figs. 8-9, col. 5, lines 43-55);
a rigid linkage (82) having a first end (i.e. left end of teeth 82) and a second end (i.e. right end of teeth 82), the first end of the rigid linkage being coupled to the body (54) via the notch (80), (figs. 8-9, col. 5, lines 43-67); and
a wrist support (50) coupled to the second end of the rigid linkage (i.e. right end of teeth 82),
wherein the notch (80) has a first plurality of indentations (90) configured to receive the first end of the rigid linkage (i.e. left end of teeth 82), (fig. 9, col. 5, lines 49-67).
Regarding claim 2, Kravtin discloses wherein:
the notch (80) includes a front wall (92A), a rear wall (92B), a first side wall (92C) and a second side wall (92D),
the first side wall (92C) includes a first set of indentations (i.e. first row of teeth 90 next to guide slot 92C) of the first plurality of indentations (90),
the second side wall (92D) includes a second set of indentations (i.e. second row of teeth 90 next to guide slot 92D) of the first plurality of indentations (90),
the front wall (92A) includes a first clip junction (i.e. end of guide slot 92A is to stop the wrist support 50 at a retracted position), and
the rear wall (92B) includes a second clip junction (i.e. end of guide slot 92B is to stop the wrist support 50 at an extended position), (figs. 8 and fig. 9 reproduced below, col. 5, line 43 to col. 6, line 9).
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Regarding claim 3, Kravtin discloses further comprising a notch door (84) configured to be attached to the body (54) by engaging the first clip junction (i.e. end of guide slot 92A is to stop the wrist support 50 at a retracted position) and the second clip junction (i.e. end of guide slot 92B is to stop the wrist support 50 at an extended position), (see fig. 9 reproduced above for details, col. 5, lines 43-65).
Regarding claim 9, Kravtin discloses wherein the first and second ends of the rigid linkage (i.e. left end and right end of the teeth 82) are angled towards an upper side of the rigid linkage (i.e. the teeth 82 are angled towards an upper side), (fig. 9, col. 5, lines 47-65).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-8 and 10-14 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.
Reasons for Allowance
Claim 4, none of the prior art of record teaches alone or in combination the limitation “wherein the first clip junction includes one or more screws and the second clip junction is a slot and tab junction.”
Claim 5, none of the prior art of record teaches alone or in combination the limitation “wherein the first clip junction is a slot and tab junction and the second clip junction is a slot and tab junction.”
Claim 6, none of the prior art of record teaches alone or in combination the limitation “wherein the notch door includes a second plurality of indentations configured to be on a corresponding opposite side of the plurality of indentations of the notch when the notch door is attached to the body, the second plurality of indentations being configured to receive the first end of the rigid linkage.”
Claim 7, none of the prior art of record teaches alone or in combination the limitation “wherein the first end of the rigid linkage includes a pin extending from lateral sides of the rigid linkage and configured to engage the first plurality of indentations such that the rigid linkage is rotatable relative to the body.”
Claims 8, 11-14 are dependent upon claim 7 and are allowed for the reason mentioned above in claim 7.
Claim 10 is dependent upon claim 6 and is allowed for the reason mentioned above in claim 6.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Perlman (U.S. Patent No. 9,927,890).
Chao et al (U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2004/0169640).
Inquiries
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LONG D PHAM whose telephone number is (571)270-5573. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday: 9am-5pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Chanh D Nguyen can be reached at 571-272-7772. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LONG D PHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2623