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 .
DETAILED ACTION
RESPONSE TO AMENDMENT
Acknowledgment is made of the amendment filed 04/09/2026, in which:claims 1 and 16-17 are amended; and the rejections of the claims are traversed. Claims 1-17 are currently pending and an Office Action on the merits follows.
ALLOWABLE SUBJECT MATTER
Claims 8-12 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. Claims 8-12 are objected to because the cited references do not disclose “while displaying, on the display, a settings interface provided for setting how the property of the stylus operations is affected in response to obtaining the finger manipulation data from the stylus: detecting, on the touch-sensitive surface of the electronic device, a settings input corresponding to the settings interface, wherein the settings input specifies how a particular property of the stylus operations is affected in response to a particular finger manipulation input received by the stylus; and in response to detecting the settings input, setting how the particular property of the stylus operations is affected in response to determining that the finger manipulation data from the stylus is indicative of the particular finger manipulation input received by the stylus“.
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.
1. Claims 1-7 and 13-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hicks US 20140253463 in view of Song et al. US 20140210744 and further in view of Missig et al. US 9665206.
Consider claim 1. Hicks discloses a method comprising:
at an electronic device with one or more processors see fig. 1a and fig. 2a electronic computing device has processor, a non-transitory memory fig. 2a electronic computing device memory with UI and OS, a touch-sensitive surface see fig. 1a and fig. 2a [0017] [0047] touch screen display, a display fig. 2a [0024] display content to user, and a communication interface provided to communicate with a stylus see fig. 2a-c where electronic computing device communicates with stylus over a communication link via their respective communication modules;
detecting movement of the stylus across the touch-sensitive surface [0033] discusses how stylus movement is detected with respect to the display e.g. “track the stylus movements” [0069] stylus detect stylus location and speed of movement;
in response to detecting the movement of the stylus [0033] track the stylus movements [0035] stylus is moved to volume control or if stylus is touching or pointing at UI font control, or color if stylus is touching or pointing at UI color control see fig. 4a, performing a stylus operation in a user interface displayed on the display in accordance with the location of the stylus fig. 4a-b fig. 6 when the stylus moves to a specific icon or menu, that icon or menu becomes available to be engaged with via the touch sensitive input area on the stylus. Thus, the stylus operation is selecting a particular icon or menu. [0057] graphical animations or other indicators (e.g., differing chimes or vibrations as the menu is parsed) can be used to inform the user as to what icon or menu item the stylus is currently engaging to assist in the user selection process.
after performing the stylus operation in the user interface, obtaining finger manipulation data fig. 3a-3c shows finger manipulation gestures, via the communication interface, indicative of a finger manipulation input received at the stylus fig. 4a-b fig. 6 [0035] volume, or font size, or color control via ;
in response to obtaining the finger manipulation data from the stylus: changing a property of stylus operations in the user interface based on the finger manipulation input fig. 4a-b fig. 6 [0035] volume, font size, or color control via touch gesture on the stylus fig. 3a-3c shows finger manipulation gestures. Also see table 1; and
displaying a visual indication of the change in the property of the stylus operations on the display on the electronic device table 1 change color of tool, launch browser/messaging/music search app, select line width. [0035] swiping for zoom control, change color or width of line. also navigating menus. [0020] a volume increase animation might show a speaker with an increasing number of sound waves coming from it if the stylus action is being used to increase volume.[0043] animations is response to stylus actions to provide clarity to the function being performed. animations they can also be user configurable
Hicks does not explicitly state performing a stylus operation in a user interface displayed on the display in accordance with the movement of the stylus.
Song however discloses performing a stylus operation in a user interface displayed on the display in accordance with the movement of the stylus see fig. 5a the stylus is writing on the display of a touch screen device 151 [0187-0188].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the electronic computing device of Hicks to include performing a stylus operation in a user interface displayed on the display in accordance with the movement of the stylus, as taught by Song, to enable improved writing and drawing when using a stylus on a touch screen display [0003][0008].
Hicks as modified by Song do not disclose wherein the finger manipulation input includes a barrel roll of the stylus; finger manipulation input including the barrel roll of the stylus;
Missig however discloses wherein the finger manipulation input includes a barrel roll of the stylus; finger manipulation input including the barrel roll of the stylus Col. 9 lines 7-25 rotational movement of stylus about its longitudinal axis (barrel roll) can be detected. In response to the barrel roll an output indicating the amount and direction can be sent to the computing device which can be used to control certain aspects of the device. Also see fig. 7 Col. 9 lines 46-53. fig. 10 col. 10 lines 53-56.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the electronic computing device of Hicks as modified by Song to include wherein the finger manipulation input includes a barrel roll of the stylus; finger manipulation input including the barrel roll of the stylus, as taught by Missig, to enhance the adjustment of image properties fig. 7-11 col. 9 lines 7-25 col. 10 lines 53-56.
Consider claim 2. Hicks as modified by Song and Missig discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising: detecting a finger manipulation change in the finger manipulation input received at the stylus; and in response to detecting the finger manipulation change, changing the visual indication based on the finger manipulation change. Song fig. 5b fig. 5c. if the button is pressed once while the line is drawn the pen is changed to a second type from a first type. if the button is touched twice in sequence the pen is changed to a third type [0190-0191]. Hicks fig. 3a-3c shows finger manipulation gestures that can be made see [00350 and table 1 for corresponding outputs.
Motivation to combine is similar to motivation in claim 1.
Consider claim 3. Hicks as modified by Song and Missig discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the finger manipulation input received at the stylus includes finger movement along a barrel of the stylus Hicks fig. 3a-3c shows finger manipulation gestures along the barrel.
Consider claim 4. Hicks as modified by Song and Missig discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the stylus operation includes a drawing operation in a drawing application Song fig. 5a-5c. Also see Hicks fig. 4b pencil paint brush [0035] painting/drawing tool.
Motivation to combine is similar to motivation in claim 1.
Consider claim 5. Hicks as modified by Song and Missig discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the property of the stylus operation corresponds to line width Also see Hicks fig. 4b pencil paint brush [0035] painting/drawing tool. Song fig. 5a-c.
Motivation to combine is similar to motivation in claim 1.
Consider claim 6. Hicks as modified by Song and Missig discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the property of the stylus operation corresponds to line opacity Missig Col. 9 lines 18-25 The signal can indicate the amount and direction of rotation…adjusting image opacity .
Consider claim 7. Hicks as modified by Song and Missig discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the property of the stylus operation corresponds to an editing tool having focus see Hicks fig. 4b focus of pencil paintbrush eraser etc. also see table 1 use pencil tool use highlighter tool eraser tool.
Consider claim 13. Hicks as modified by Song and Missig discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to determining that a time threshold is satisfied, ceasing display of the visual indication Hicks [0020] a volume increase animation might show a speaker with an increasing number of sound waves coming from it if the stylus action is being used to increase volume.[0043] animations is response to stylus actions to provide clarity to the function being performed. animations they can also be user configurable. Note: this indicates that the visual indication has a finite response and does not remain on the display forever. furthermore, a custom animation can be made which satisfies a specific duration.
Consider claim 14. Hicks as modified by Song and Missig discloses the method of claim 1, wherein changing the property of the stylus operations is in response to determining that the finger manipulation input satisfies a gesture criterion Hicks fig. 3a-3c shows finger manipulation gestures that can be made see [00350 and table 1 for corresponding outputs. Also see Song fig. 5a-5c [0187-0188] and [0190-0191].
Motivation to combine is similar to motivation in claim 1.
Consider claim 15. Hicks as modified by Song and Missig discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising, after changing the property of the stylus operations:
detecting a subsequent movement of the stylus across the touch-sensitive surface; and performing a subsequent stylus operation in the user interface in accordance with the subsequent movement and the property of the stylus operation see Song fig. 5a-5c [0187-0188] and [0190-0191].
Motivation to combine is similar to motivation in claim 1.
Claim 16 is rejected, mutatis mutandis, for similar reasons to claim 1.
Claim 17 is rejected, mutatis mutandis, for similar reasons to claim 1 [0045]. the functional modules can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof.
RESPONSE TO ARGUMENTS
Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1-6 and 12-22 have been fully considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection.
Applicant argues (pages 7-8) that the cited references do not disclose the features of the amended claim 1.
The Office agrees and has accordingly updated the rejection to include Missig which addresses the newly added claim limitation (see rejection above).
V. CONCLUSION
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 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 IBRAHIM A KHAN whose telephone number is (571)270-7998. The examiner can normally be reached on 10am-6pm.
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IBRAHIM A. KHAN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2628
/IBRAHIM A KHAN/ 04/26/2026Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2628
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