DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-8 filed January 21st 2026 are pending in the current action.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
Double Patenting
The terminal disclaimer filed January 21st 2026 resolves the double patenting rejection.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-8 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim 1, 3, 7 is/are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Katsurahira et al. (US2005/0128191) in view of Hargreaves et al. (US2010/0315384)
Consider claim 1, where Katsurahira teaches a pen-shaped position indicator configured to capacitively couple with a sensor surface of a position detection apparatus, (See Katsurahira ¶80 where the signal transmission/reception between the position pointer and the tablet is performed by means of electrostatic coupling) the pen-shaped position indicator comprising: a pen-shaped body having a pen-tip portion; (See Katsurahira Fig. 4 where the stylus has a pen tip) a coil, in which an induced signal is generated based on a wireless interaction with a charging device; (See Katsurahira Fig. 4 and ¶73 where the stylus has a coil 75 in the position pointer by a control signal radiated in the form of an electromagnetic wave from the loop coil 68) a driving power production circuit configured to produce a driving power from an induced signal in the coil, wherein the induced signal is generated by a wireless interaction with a charging device; (See Katsurahira Fig. 4 and ¶73, 79 where a voltage is induced in the coil 75 in the position pointer by a control signal radiated in the form of an electromagnetic wave from the loop coil 68. A rechargeable battery can be used in the conventional techniques) a power supply control circuit configured to supply the driving power to a predetermined circuit; (See Katsurahira ¶21, 73, 80 where the position pointer comprises a battery for supplying electric power to circuit elements of the position pointer thereby allowing the position pointer to operate. And a power control means for turning on or off the electric power supplied to the circuit elements.) a first electrode arranged at a first position of the pen tip portion; (See Katsurahira Fig. 4 and ¶72-73 where the electrode 71 is arranged at the pen tip) and a second electrode arranged at a second position of the pen tip portion; (See Katsurahira Fig. 4 and ¶72-73 where the electrode 72 is arranged at the pen tip) wherein the first and second electrodes are arranged at the first and second positions that are different along an axis of the pen-shaped position indicator, and wherein the second position of the second electrode is offset from the axis of the pen-shaped position indicator. (See Katsurahira Fig. 4 and ¶72-73 where the electrode 72 is arranged at the pen tip off axis from the electrode 71)
Katsurahira teaches electrostatic coupling, however Katsurahira does not explicitly teach capacitive coupling. However, in an analogous field of endeavor Hargreaves teaches capacitive coupling. (See Hargreaves Fig. 2A and ¶19 where coupling between the pen tip and the tablet is capacitively formed as indicated by coupling capacitance 104) Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art that the electrostatic coupling taught in Katsurahira encompasses the capacitive coupling taught by Hargreaves. One of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized capacitive coupling as a form of electrostatic coupling.
Katsurahira teaches a coil and a charging circuit, however Katsurahira does not explicitly teach the power production circuit including a rectification circuit configured to rectify the induced signal from the coil to produce a DC driving power; a power supply control circuit configured to supply the DC driving power to a predetermined circuit. However, in an analogous field of endeavor Osada teaches the power production circuit including a rectification circuit configured to rectify the induced signal from the coil to produce a DC driving power; a power supply control circuit configured to supply the DC driving power to a predetermined circuit. (See Osada Figs. 2B, 15A, 15B and ¶60-61 where the signal received by the internal antenna circuit 111 is input to the rectification circuit 112 and the signal is converted into a DC signal. The charge circuit 113 generates current from the electric power of the rectification circuit 112 and charges the battery.) Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the loop coil and rechargeable battery of Katsurahira (Katsurahira ¶79) to further include a rectification circuit as taught by Osada. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to perform the modification for the advantage of/ benefit of using known circuits that can produce a signal to charge a battery.
Consider claim 3, where Katsurahira in view of Hargreaves in view of Osada teaches the pen-shaped position indicator according to claim 1, wherein the second electrode is arranged to surround the axis of the pen-shaped position indicator. (See Katsurahira Fig. 4 and ¶72-73 where the electrode 72 is arranged to surround electrode 71)
Consider claim 7, where Katsurahira in view of Hargreaves in view of Osada teaches the pen-shaped position indicator according to claim 1, wherein the charging device is provided in the position detection apparatus. (See Katsurahira ¶21, 73, 80 where the position pointer comprises a battery for supplying electric power to circuit elements of the position pointer thereby allowing the position pointer to operate. And a power control means for turning on or off the electric power supplied to the circuit elements.)
Claims 2 is/are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Katsurahira in view of Hargreaves in view of Osada as applied to claim 1 above, in further view of Stern et al. (US2010/0051356)
Consider claim 2, where Katsurahira in view of Hargreaves in view of Osada teaches the pen-shaped position indicator according to claim 1, however they do not explicitly teach wherein the second electrode comprises plural electrode pieces arranged to surround the axis of the pen-shaped position indicator. However, in an analogous field of endeavor Stern teaches wherein the second electrode comprises plural electrode pieces arranged to surround the axis of the pen-shaped position indicator. (See Stern Figs. 11C, 11D, 12, 13 and ¶136-146 where the construction of two variable capacitors involve a tip electrode 1202 and two other electrodes 1201a, and 1201b surrounding the tip electrode 1202) Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to modify electrode 72 of Katsurahira to comprise multiple electrodes as taught by Stern. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to perform the modification for the advantage of/ benefit of using known methods of implementing pressure sensing in other known methods in the tip to yield similar results.
Claims 8 is/are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Katsurahira in view of Hargreaves in view of Osada as applied to claim 1 above, in further view of Elias (US2010/0006350)
Consider claim 8, where Katsurahira in view of Hargreaves in view of Osada teaches the pen-shaped position indicator according to claim 1, however they do not explicitly teach wherein the first and second electrodes are configured to form first and second capacitive relationships with the sensor surface, respectively, to generate first and second detection signals in the sensor surface, which are distinguishable from each other. (See Hargreaves Fig. 2A and ¶19 where coupling between the pen tip and the tablet is capacitively formed as indicated by coupling capacitance 104) However, in an analogous field of endeavor Elias teaches usable to obtain angle information of the pen-shaped position indicator. (See Elias Fig 3 and ¶47 where the angle 304 of the stylus may be determined from the plural capacitive relationships 301(1), 301(2), and 301(3) with the capacitive touch panel) Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the capacitive touch panel may determine the angle of the pen from a capacitive relationship of the pen with the plurality of electrodes in the touch panel. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to perform the modification for the advantage of/ benefit of using known methods of implementing using known techniques to yield a similar result to generate additional data about the pen positioning.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4-6 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The applicant’s arguments are persuasive; however, the spirit of the applicant’s arguments are best captured in dependent claims 4 and 5. While Osada teaches a rectification circuit used to provide a DC signal to charge a battery, it would not have been obvious to use that rectified DC signal in the manner outlined by claims 4 and 5. Claim 6 is objected to based upon its dependence from claim 5.
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 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM LU whose telephone number is (571)270-1809. The examiner can normally be reached 10am-6:30pm.
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WILLIAM LU
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2624
/WILLIAM LU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2624