DETAILED ACTION
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Objections
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 8 has a period in the subsection (line 8) that recites: “a sensor controller that. in operation,”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: The document listed as Patent Document 1 in the specification appears to have a typographical error. Paragraphs 1-2 discuss Patent Document 1. Paragraph 4 lists Patent Document 1 as Hei 05-019164. JP05-019164 is listed on the IDS of January 6, 2025.
JP05-019164 is directed to a zoom lens system for a microfilm reader. It does not appear to discuss detecting position by use of electromagnetic induction.
The applicant is requested to review the document and either amend the specification to reflect the correct patent document number (and file a supplemental IDS citing the correct patent document number) or to specifically point out where in Hei 05-019164 detecting position by use of electromagnetic induction is discussed.
Appropriate correction is required.
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, 5-6, 8 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamanami (JP63-307522). Yamanami teaches a position detection device comprising: a plurality of first loop coils (11-1 to 11-48) arranged in a first direction; and a sensor controller (7) that, in operation, detects an amplitude of a first alternating current signal (D) generated in each of the plurality of first loop coils while a second alternating current signal (f0, A) is supplied to each of the plurality of first loop coils, and detects a position of an electromagnetic induction pen (4) in the first direction, based on the amplitude (h of F, G; see fig 4) detected in each of the plurality of first loop coils. See figs. 1 and 3-4.
Regarding claim 3, the sensor controller has a signal source (5), and the second alternating current signal is a signal supplied from the signal source to each of the plurality of first loop coils. (“At this time, during the transmission period of time T, the transmitting circuit 5 transmits a sine wave signal of the frequency fO as described above to the loop coil 1.” And “circuit 3 controls switching of the loop coil 11-1 alternately to the transmission circuit 5 and the reception circuit 6 based on the transmission/reception switching”).
Regarding claim 5, the sensor controller, in operation, selects one of the plurality of first loop coils, based on the position of the electromagnetic induction pen in the first direction, and acquires data transmitted by the electromagnetic induction pen, by demodulating the first alternating current signal generated in the one of the first loop coils. (“Thereafter, when a receiving circuit is connected to the selected one loop coil by the transmission/reception switching circuit and the AC signal is cut off, the radio wave disappears, but the induced voltage generated in the tuned circuit of the position indicator remains in the selected loop coil. As the current flows through the circuit, it gradually attenuates based on internal losses. The current flowing through the tuned circuit causes the coil in the tuned circuit to generate radio waves having approximately the same frequency as the frequency of the AC signal applied to the first loop coil, and the radio waves are transmitted to the first loop coil connected to the receiving circuit. , so that an induced voltage similar to the induced voltage in the tuned circuit is generated in the one loop coil” and see 602-612 in fig. 3).
Regarding claim 6, the sensor controller, in operation, stores the amplitude of the first alternating current signal generated in each of the plurality of first loop coils, in a time series, determines the amplitude of the first alternating current signal in each of the plurality of first loop coils (“While O holds the voltage value of signal lOB, its output 107 is read, A/D converted, and temporarily stored as a detected voltage, for example, Vxl, proportional to the distance between the pen 4 and the first loop coil, here 11-1. Furthermore, the processing device 7 sends information 100 for selecting the loop coil 11-2 to the D-FF 81 before the timing signal 102 rises next, thereby connecting the loop coil 11-2 to the transmission/reception switching circuit 3. Then, a detection voltage Vx2 proportional to the distance between the pen 4 and the loop coil 11-2 is obtained in the same manner as described above, and this is stored. 3, and stores a detection voltage Vxl-Vx4g proportional to the distance from the pen 4 for each loop coil (however, only a part of it is shown in analog representation in FIG. 5”) when a third alternating current signal is generated in a resonant circuit in the electromagnetic induction pen (“the radio wave excites the coil 412 of the pen 4,”), based on the amplitude of the first alternating current signal in each of the plurality of first loop coils stored in the time series, and detects the position of the electromagnetic induction pen in the first direction, based on the amplitude of the first alternating current signal in each of the plurality of first loop coils.
Regarding claim 8, Yamanami teaches a position detection system comprising: an electromagnetic induction pen (4); and a position detection device (1), wherein the electromagnetic induction pen includes a resonant circuit having a coil and a capacitor (41, fig. 1), and wherein the position detection device includes: a plurality of first loop coils arranged in a first direction (11-1 through 11-48), and a sensor controller (7) that in operation, detects an amplitude of a first alternating current signal (D) generated in each of the plurality of first loop coils while supplying a second alternating current signal (A) to each of the plurality of first loop coils, and detects a position of the electromagnetic induction pen in the first direction, based on the amplitude (h of F, G; see fig 4) detected in each of the plurality of first loop coils. See figs. 1 and 3-4.
Regarding claim 13, the sensor controller, in operation, stores the amplitude of the first alternating current signal generated in each of the plurality of first loop coils, in a time series, determines the amplitude of the first alternating current signal in each of the plurality of first loop coils (“While O holds the voltage value of signal lOB, its output 107 is read, A/D converted, and temporarily stored as a detected voltage, for example, Vxl, proportional to the distance between the pen 4 and the first loop coil, here 11-1. Furthermore, the processing device 7 sends information 100 for selecting the loop coil 11-2 to the D-FF 81 before the timing signal 102 rises next, thereby connecting the loop coil 11-2 to the transmission/reception switching circuit 3. Then, a detection voltage Vx2 proportional to the distance between the pen 4 and the loop coil 11-2 is obtained in the same manner as described above, and this is stored. 3, and stores a detection voltage Vxl-Vx4g proportional to the distance from the pen 4 for each loop coil (however, only a part of it is shown in analog representation in FIG. 5”) when a third alternating current signal is generated in a resonant circuit in the electromagnetic induction pen (“the radio wave excites the coil 412 of the pen 4,”), based on the amplitude of the first alternating current signal in each of the plurality of first loop coils stored in the time series, and detects the position of the electromagnetic induction pen in the first direction, based on the amplitude of the first alternating current signal in each of the plurality of first loop coils.
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.
Claim(s) 2 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamanami (JP63-307522) in view of Kim (WO 2016/129837). Yamanami teaches the salient features of the claimed invention except for the amplitude detected in one of the plurality of first loop coils that is relatively close to a coil in the electromagnetic induction pen is smaller than the amplitude detected in one of the plurality of first loop coils that is relatively far from the coil in the electromagnetic induction pen. Kim teaches that it was known to utilize an amplitude minimum to detect when an inductive pen is relatively close to that amplitude minimum point. (“It has a low voltage value, but as the switch 10 moves to the right, that is, as the switch 10 moves from the first position to the fourth position, the voltage value increases in the (+) direction and then decreases again. ) Has a value of 0 [V] at the point 40 where it is located, and increases in the (-) direction at the switch 10 in position 4 on the right side from the point 40 where the electronic pen 60 is located.”) See figs. 4(a) and 4(b).
Regarding claim 9, Yamanami teaches that the resonant circuit has a resonant frequency that is substantially equal to a frequency of the first alternating current signal (“The current flowing through the tuned circuit causes the coil in the tuned circuit to generate radio waves having approximately the same frequency as the frequency of the AC signal applied to the first loop coil,”).
Claim(s) 4 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamanami (JP63-307522) in view of Tanaka (U.S. Publication No. 20190179434). Yamanami teaches the salient features of the claimed invention except for a plurality of second loop coils arranged in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the sensor controller, in operation, detects the amplitude of the first alternating current signal generated in each of the plurality of second loop coils while the second alternating current signal is supplied to each of the plurality of second loop coils, and detects the position of the electromagnetic induction pen in the second direction, based on the amplitude detected in each of the plurality of second loop coils. Tanaka teaches that it was known to use a plurality of second loop coils (312, fig. 3) arranged in a second direction (Y-direction) perpendicular to the first direction (perpendicular to 311, X-direction), wherein the sensor controller, in operation, detects the amplitude of the first alternating current signal generated in each of the plurality of second loop coils while the second alternating current signal is supplied to each of the plurality of second loop coils, and detects the position of the electromagnetic induction pen in the second direction. The applicant is directed to review fig. 3 as well as ¶72. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to utilize the features of Tanaka for the purpose of more accurate position determination in the Y-axis.
Claim(s) 11-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamanami (JP63-307522) in view of Kagami (WO2016121045). Yamanami teaches the electromagnetic induction pen includes: a switch (411) connected in parallel with the capacitor. Yamanami teaches the salient features of the claimed invention except for a processing circuit 26 that, in operation, transmits, based on data to be transmitted to the position detection device, the data to the position detection device by performing on-off control of the switch. Kagami teaches a pen 2 with a processing circuit that, in operation, transmits, based on data to be transmitted to the position detection device, the data to the position detection device by performing on-off control of the switch (“The control section 26 is a functional unit that generates information to be transmitted to the touch sensor 3, and which controls the switch section 27 on the basis of the generated information.”)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7 and 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Lee (U.S. Publication No. 2015/0002425) teaches a position detection device comprising: a plurality of first loop coils arranged in a first direction; and a sensor controller that, in operation, detects an amplitude of a first alternating current signal as well as a pen with a resonant circuit.
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/CHRISTOPHER E MAHONEY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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