DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
SUMMARY
2. Amendment of the patent application filed on June 10, 2026, has been received and recorded. In response to Non-Final Office Action mailed on December 17, 2025, applicant maintained claims 1-20 in the amendment of which claims 1, 11, and 20 are independent claims. claims 2-10 and 12-19 are dependent claims. NO claim has been cancelled and/or added as new claim after the Non-Final Office Action. Therefore, claims 1-20 are pending for consideration.
Response to Arguments
3. Applicant's arguments in “REMARKS” filed on June 10, 2026, regarding independent claims 1, 11, and 20 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive to withdraw the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103.
Applicant’s arguments: “Regarding claim 11, the Examiner alleges that Yu discloses an attenuator to receive a touch signal from the RX electrode and generate an attenuated current. The Examiner points to FIG. 3 and paras. [0057] and [0065] to support this rejection. Applicant submits that the interpretation of the amplifier(s) of Yu to be attenuators as claimed in the present application is in error. The circuit formed by the inputs of the amplifier (from CM and VCM/DRV), the transistor, and the resistor (e.g., R1) form a voltage-to-current converter. The voltage is modulated by the signals at the positive input of A1 (by selection of S₂), but there is no attenuation of that signal”. The applicant further argued that “The Examiner has lined up FIG. 3 of Yu and FIG. 2B of the present application to highlight the similarities but has not demonstrated that the amplifiers of Yu are attenuators as recited in claim 11. In fact, the amplifier circuit of Yu functions in the exact opposite manner as the attenuator circuit of the present application and claims”.
Examiner’s Answer: Examiner would like to mention that claim language is analyzed with broadest reasonable interpretation without bringing supporting language in the claim. The examiner maps the claim limitations the way the limitations have been presented. Claim 11 recites the limitations, “the attenuator to receive a touch signal from the RX electrode and generated an attenuated current”. Claim does not define type of signal of the touch signal. It could be an analog voltage signal or digital signal. It is not mentioned in the claim how the touch signal converted to voltage or current signal then attenuated in the attenuator. Without reciting these features, simple naming of a component does not do the attenuation function. From the present claim language, one of ordinary skill in the art would not understand the attenuated current from which it originated. The examiner interprets the attenuator as a simple amplifier and generates a signal without a loss.
Because of the above-mentioned reason, the examiner respectfully maintains rejection of independent claims 1, 11 and 20 under 35 U.S.C. 103 with YU(US 2022/0011891 A1) in view of BYUN et al.(US 2013/0063395 A1).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. 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.
5. The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
6. This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
7. Claims 1-4, 6-8, 10-13, 15-17, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over YU(US 2022/0011891 A1) in view of BYUN et al.(US 2013/0063395 A1)(herein after BYUN).
Regarding claim 11, YU teaches a system(Para-2: a capacitance detecting circuit, a touch control chip, a touch detection apparatus and an electronic device) comprising:
a touch panel comprising:
a plurality of transmitter(Tx) electrodes(driving channel layer, TX layer, figs.1A-1B, Para-50); and
a plurality of receiver (RX) electrodes(induction channel layer, RX layer, figs.1A-1B, Para-50) capacitively coupled to the plurality of Tx electrodes(Para-50); and
a plurality of receiver(RX) sensing circuits(fig.3, Para-55: the capacitance detecting circuit provided by this embodiment includes: an operational amplifier, a current signal replication circuit, a current subtracting circuit, a charge amplifying circuit, an analog-to-digital conversion circuit and a processing circuit), each coupled to a respective RX electrode of the plurality of RX electrodes(fig.3), wherein each RX sensing circuit(fig.3, Para-55) comprises:
an attenuator(amplifier A1-A4, fig.3) to receive a touch signal from the RX electrode(Para-57) and generate an attenuated current(Para-57: all current signals flowing through a coupling capacitor flow into the second input side of the operational amplifier, so as to prevent loss of the signal amount of the current signals passing through the coupling capacitor on a corresponding induction capacitor; also Para-65);
a [cross-coupled] current mirror(current replication circuit 101-104, fig.3, Para-65) coupled to the attenuator(amplifier A1-A4), the [cross-coupled] current mirror to output a [reverse] current of the attenuated current(Para 65-67); and
a summer(current subtracting circuit 104, 105, fig.3) to combine the attenuated current with the [reverse] current from a neighbor RX sensing circuit of the plurality of RX sensing circuits(Para-66, 67).
Nevertheless, YU is not found to teach expressly the system, wherein the current mirror is a cross-coupled current mirror and the cross-coupled current mirror outputs a reverse current.
However, BYUN teaches a capacitive panel(touch display system 1, fig.1, Para-55), wherein:
the current mirror is a cross-coupled current mirror(fig.16); and
the cross-coupled current mirror outputs a reverse current (Para-139: -CC2=ISN4-ISP4)(as the difference between the two current is negative, therefor current direction will be opposite to arrow shown in fig.16)(also fig.6, CC).
Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the application, to have modified YU with the teaching of BYUN to include the feature in order to provide touch sensing device that removes a noise occurred by mismatch between parasitic elements by compensating mismatch between parasitic elements.
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Prior Art Current Application
Regarding claim 12, YU as modified by BYUN teaches the system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of RX sensing circuits are ordered serially from a first side of the touch panel to a second side of the touch panel(figs.3&5, YU), and wherein the reverse current of each RX sensing circuit is routed to the summer of a neighbor RX sensing circuit in a direction towards the first side(figs.3&5, YU)(placing, location and routing are designed according to design objective and designer choice, there is no assigned rule to place different components. Moreover, claim does not define which one is first side and second side).
Regarding claim 13, YU as modified by BYUN teaches the system of claim 12, wherein at least a penultimate RX sensing circuit of the plurality of RX sensing circuits comprises a second cross-coupled current mirror(160-2 fig.16, BYUN) to generate the reverse current(CC2) from the penultimate RX sensing circuit to the summer(104/105, fig.3, YU)(fig.14, BYUN)(BYUN did not show summer but in fig.14, first control current CC1 and second control current summed up before it goes to respective charge amplifier 150-1) of a last RX sensing circuit of the plurality of RX sensing circuits(figs.3&5, YU; fig.14, BYUN)”.
Regarding claim 15, YU as modified by BYUN teaches the system of claim 11, wherein each cross-coupled current mirror(current copy circuits 160-1, fig.16, BYUN) comprises:
a current mirror(131-2, 135-2, figs.15-16, BYUN), that outputs an input current(SI2) to the current mirror(fig.16, YU); and
a cross-coupled current mirror stage(160-1, fig.16, YU) coupled to an output of the current mirror(131-2, fig.16), the cross-coupled current mirror stage having an output comprising the reverse current(Para-139: -CC2=ISN4-ISP4, YU)(as the difference between the two current is negative, therefor current direction will be opposite to arrow shown in fig.16)(for motivation see the rejection of claim 11).
Regarding claim 16, YU as modified by BYUN teaches the system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of RX sensing circuits are ordered serially from a first side of the touch panel to a second side of the touch panel(figs.3&5, YU), and wherein the reverse current of each RX sensing circuit is routed to the summer of a neighbor RX sensing circuit in a direction towards the second side(figs.3&5, YU)(placing, locating and routing are designed according to design objective and designer choice, there is not assigned rule to place different components. Moreover claim does not define which one is first side and second side)(claim 16 recites the same limitations as in claim 12 with minor twisting in terminology).
Regarding claim 17, YU as modified by BYUN teaches the system of claim 16, wherein at least a second RX sensing circuit of the plurality of RX sensing circuits comprises a second cross-coupled current mirror to provide the reverse current from the second RX sensing circuit to a first RX sensing circuit of the plurality of RX sensing circuits(figs.3&5, YU; fig.14, BYUN).
Regarding claim 19, YU as modified by BYUN teaches the system of claim 11, wherein each RX sensing circuit further comprises one of:
a combination of an integrator(Para-68, YU) and an analog-to-digital converter(ADC)(Para-68) coupled to the summer(current subtracting circuit 104, 106, fig.3, Para-66, YU); or
a delta-sigma modulator coupled to the summer.
Claim 20 is rejected for the same reason as mentioned in the rejection of claim 11, since both claims 11 and 20 recite identical claim limitations except different formats. The additional phrase recited in preamble of claim 20, “a method of reducing self-capacitance of a touch panel”, is not considered a limitation and is of no significance to claim construction. See Pitney Bowes, Inc. v. Hewlett-Packard Co., 182 F.3d 1298, 1305, 51 USPQ2d 1161, 1165 (Fed. Cir. 1999). See MPEP § 2111.02.
Claim 1 is rejected for the same reason as mentioned in the rejection of claim 11, since both claims 1 and 11 recite identical claim limitations except minor change in preamble and broader limitations.
Regarding claim 2, YU as modified by BYUN teaches the integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein a first RX sensing circuit of the plurality of RX sensing circuits comprises:
a second attenuator to receive the touch signal from a second RX electrode and generate a second attenuated current (figs.3&5, YU; fig.14, BYUN); and
a second summer to combine the second attenuated current with the reverse current from a neighbor RX sensing circuit of the plurality of RX sensing circuits(figs.3&5, YU; fig.14, BYUN).
Claim 3 is rejected for the same reason as mentioned in the rejection of claim 12, since both claims 3 and 12 recite identical claim limitations except minor change in preamble.
Claim 4 is rejected for the same reason as mentioned in the rejection of claim 13, since both claims 4 and 13 recite identical claim limitations except minor change in preamble.
Claim 6 is rejected for the same reason as mentioned in the rejection of claim 15, since both claims 6 and 15 recite identical claim limitations except minor change in preamble.
Claim 7 is rejected for the same reason as mentioned in the rejection of claim 16, since both claims 7 and 16 recite identical claim limitations except minor change in preamble.
Claim 8 is rejected for the same reason as mentioned in the rejection of claim 17, since both claims 8 and 17 recite identical claim limitations except minor change in preamble.
Claim 10 is rejected for the same reason as mentioned in the rejection of claim 19, since both claims 10 and 19 recite identical claim limitations except minor change in preamble.
8. Claims 5, 9, 14, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over YU(US 2022/0011891 A1) in view of BYUN et al.(US 2013/0063395 A1) and further in view of Kremin et al.(US 2012/0268142 A1) (herein after Kremin).
Regarding claim 5, YU as modified by BYUN teaches the integrated circuit of claim 3, wherein each RX sensing circuit further comprises a multiplexer(selector 110, fig.4, Para-71; fig.9, Para-106, BYUN) having inputs comprising a first reverse current from the RX sensing circuit and a second reverse current from an immediately preceding RX sensing circuit of the plurality of RX sensing circuits(fig.9, BYUN), and but fails to teach expressly wherein an output of the multiplexer is supplied to a sequentially ordered neighbor RX sensing circuit of the plurality of RX sensing circuits.
However, Kremin teaches a capacitance panel, wherein an output of the multiplexer is supplied to a sequentially ordered neighbor RX sensing circuit of the plurality of RX sensing circuits(figs.10&14 and related text)(as seen from figures, there is sequence signal for RX multiphase control and also selecting two neighboring channels).
Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the application, to have modified YU further with the teaching of Kremin to include the feature in order to provide a touch sensing panel that controls current gain value of capacitive sensor array.
Claims 9, 14 and 18 are rejected for the same reason as mentioned in the rejection of claim 5, since claims 9, 14 and 18 respectively recite identical claim limitations as in claim 5 except their dependency on the parent claims.
Conclusion
9. THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
Examiner Note
10. The Examiner cites particular figures, paragraphs, columns and line numbers in the references, as applied to the claims above. Although the particular citations are representative teachings and are applied to specific limitations within the claims, other passages, internally cited references, and figures may also apply. In preparing a response, it is respectfully requested that the Applicant fully consider the references, in their entirety, as potentially disclosing or teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as fully consider the context of the passage as taught by the references or as disclosed by the Examiner.
Contact
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MD SAIFUL A SIDDIQUI whose telephone number is (571)270-1530. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri: 9:00AM - 5:30PM.
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/MD SAIFUL A SIDDIQUI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2626
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