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 .
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) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu et al 2023/0341937 hereinafter, Yu in view of in view of Brusell et al (2011/0032126) hereinafter, Brusell.
In regards to claim 20, Yu teaches a method, comprising: applying a flexible stimulator to a lip of a wearer; (fig. 6 115 skin side with supporting later 650[0027-0045));
An electrotactile apparatus has an electrode-array unit and a driver unit for generating a haptic feedback to a user. The electrode-array unit uses electrodes to electro-stimulate the user's skin with pulsed voltage signals generated by the driver unit, inducing excitation currents flowing in the user to generate the haptic feedback. The driver unit is self-powered or wirelessly powered for supporting untethered electrotactile stimulation to the user. A common counter electrode installed on the driver unit contacts the user's skin and collects the excitation currents returned from the user. Advantageously, the common counter electrode is located on an outer surface of the driver unit and the driver unit is substantially flexible, facilitating the common counter electrode to seamlessly contact the user's skin for achieving a stable electrode-skin interface while positioning the driver unit as a whole on the user's skin to provide untethered virtual touching experience to the user.(abstract).
and using a set of electrodes and a ground electrode of the flexible stimulator (fig. 2 (115)s), delivering a first electrohaptic stimulus to the lip [0047-0055].
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Yu fails to teach placing the simulator on a lip of the user. Examiner notes MPEP 2111 and the intended use of the placing of the device on the lips.
However, Brusell expressly teaches placing sensors on the lips (fig. 1 (104 and fig. 3 (304a)) [0023-0032].
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of Yu to further include wherein the stimulator is mountable to a lip of the user as taught by Brusell in order to provide an alternative means of inputting [001-003] and for providing feedback, particularly for disabled individuals [004-008]
Claim(s) 1-3,8-10, and 13-15 are is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu et al 2023/0341937 hereinafter, Yu in view of Khoshkava et al (2018/0181202) hereinafter, Khoshkava in view of Brusell et al (2011/0032126) hereinafter, Brusell.
In regards to claim 1, Yu teaches a system comprising a stimulator, wherein the stimulator comprises (abstract)
a flexible substrate ([0027] elastomer substrate layer (fig. 6 (650)) having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface (fig. 6 115 skin side with supporting later 650));
a first set of electrodes disposed on the first surface of the flexible substrate (fig. 6 (115 electrodes) placed on skin side);
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Yu fails to teach a ground electrode disposed on the first surface of the flexible substrate; and Examiner notes a ground is necessary for the haptic (fig. 5 (128)) Yu
a second set of electrodes disposed on the second surface of the flexible substrate, Examiner notes Yu is only concerned with haptic feedback and not touch input
However, Khoshkava teaches a ground electrode disposed on the first surface of the flexible substrate (fig. 5a (122))
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a second set of electrodes disposed on the second surface of the flexible substrate, (figs. 1-6 (102, 104, and 106))
A bi-functional apparatus for sensing touch and delivering a haptic signal. The bi-functional apparatus comprises first and second electrodes. The first electrode provides a haptic interface for delivering an electrostatic force and has a top surface and a bottom surface. A dielectric insulator covers the top surface of the first electrode. A sensor is positioned between the bottom surface of the first electrode and the second electrode. The sensor selectively provides electrical conductivity between the first and second electrodes in response to at least a threshold amount of pressure exerted against the dielectric insulator. A method of sensing touch and delivering a haptic signal with a single device. The method comprises receiving an input at a touch surface of a dielectric insulator layered over a first electrode; in response to receiving the input at the touch surface, increasing the electrical conductivity of a sensor positioned between the first electrode and a second electrode; in response to increasing electrical conductivity of the sensor, conducting an electrical current between the first and second electrodes; and in response to conducting an electrical current between the first and second electrodes, applying a haptic drive signal to the first electrode, the haptic drive signal creating an electrostatic force in the dielectric insulator.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of Yu to a ground electrode disposed on the first surface of the flexible substrate; and Examiner notes a ground is necessary for the haptic a second set of electrodes disposed on the second surface of the flexible substrate as taught by Khoshkava to provide bi-functional apparatus in a single device (abstract, [0004-005]).
Yu and Khoshkava fail to expressly teach wherein the stimulator is mountable to a lip.
However, Brusell teaches wherein the sensor is mountable to a lip (fig. 1-3 104,204, and 304a) Brusell) .
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of Yu and Khoshkava to further include wherein the stimulator is mountable to a lip as taught by Brusell in order to provide an alternative means of inputting [001-003] particularly for handicapped individuals [004-008].
Therefore, Yu and Khoshkava and Brusell
wherein the stimulator is mountable to a lip, wherein the first set of electrodes and ground electrode are operable to provide electrohaptic (fig. 6 (115)) Yu stimulation to the lip when the stimulator is mounted thereto [0023-0032] Brusell, and wherein the second set of electrodes are operable to detect a location [[0026-0036] Khoskava of contact between the lip and at least one of an opposite lip or a tongue when the stimulator is mounted to the lip (fig. 1-3 104,204, and 304a) Brusell) .
In regards to claim 14, Yu teaches a method, comprising: applying a stimulator to a lip of a wearer; (fig. 6 115 skin side with supporting later 650[0027-0045));
using a first set of electrodes (fig. 6 (115 electrodes) placed on skin side); and a ground electrode of the stimulator, (fig. 5 (128)) Yu
delivering a first electrohaptic stimulus to the lip (fig. 6 (115 electrodes) fig. 4 (423)); and
Yu fails to teach using a second set of electrodes of the stimulator, detecting a location of contact between the lip and at least one of an opposite lip or a tongue of the wearer.
However, Khoshkava teaches using a second set of electrodes of the stimulator, detecting a location of contact (figs. 1-6 (102, 104, and 106))
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of Yu to include using a second set of electrodes of the stimulator, detecting a location of contact as taught by Khoshkava to provide bi-functional apparatus in a single device (abstract, [0004-005]).
Yu and Khoshkava fail to expressly teach wherein the stimulator is mountable to a lip.
However, Brusell teaches wherein the stimulator is mountable to a lip. (fig. 1-3 104,204, and 304a) Brusell) .
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of Yu and Khoshkava to further include wherein the stimulator is mountable to a lip as taught by Brusell in order to provide an alternative means of inputting [001-003] particularly for handicapped individuals.
Therefore, Yu and Khoshkava in view of Brusell teaches
detecting a location of contact between the lip and at least one of an opposite lip or a tongue of the wearer (fig. 1-3 104,204, and 304a) Brusell) .
In regards to claim 2, Yu in view of Khoshkava in view of Brusell teaches the system of claim 1, further comprising: a controller comprising one or more processors and configured to perform controller operations including: applying electrohaptic stimulation through a first electrode of the first set of electrodes, using the ground electrode as a return electrode; and using the second set of electrodes, detecting a location of contact between the lip and at least one of the opposite lip or the tongue.(fig. 5 (425) and 128) Yu and (fig. 5a controller) Khoskava and (fig. 1-3 104,204, and 304a) Brusell) .
In regards to claim 3, Yu in view of Khoshkava in view of Brusell teaches system of claim 2, wherein using the second set of electrodes to detect a location of contact between the lip and at least one of the opposite lip or the tongue comprises detecting the capacitance of two or more electrodes of the second set of electrodes [022, 0027] Khoskava (fig. 1-3 104,204, and 304a) Brusell) .
In regards to claim 8, Yu in view of Khoshkava in view of Brusell teaches system of claim 2, wherein the controller operations further comprise: applying electrohaptic stimulation through a second electrode of the first set of electrodes (fig. 2 (multiple 115s labeling half as first set and second half a second set) Yu, using the ground electrode as a return electrode (fig. 2 (120)) Yu, wherein the first electrode differs from the second electrode(fig. 2 (multiple 115s labeling half as first set and second half a second set) Yu.
In regards to claim 9, Yu in view of Khoshkava in view of Brusell teaches system of claim 1, wherein the second set of electrodes consists of four to nine electrodes ((fig. 2 (115s 4 electrodes) Yu.
In regards to claim 10, Yu in view of Khoshkava in view of Brusell teaches system of claim 1, further comprising an insulator layer disposed between the first set of electrodes and the ground and the lip when the stimulator is mounted to the lip, wherein the insulator layer has a plurality of holes formed there through such that each electrode of the first set of electrodes can provide electrohaptic stimulation to the lip when the stimulator is mounted to the lip.(fig. 6 (610) Yu in view of (fig. 1-3 104,204, and 304a) Brusell).
In regards to claim 13, Yu in view of Khoshkava in view of Brusell teaches system of claim 1, wherein each electrode of the first set of electrodes at least partially overlaps with a respective electrode of the second set of electrodes (fig. 2 102, 106 and 104 overlap) Khoshkava.
In regards to claim 15, Yu in view of Khoshkava in view of Brusell teaches method of claim 14, further comprising: using a first subset of the first set of electrodes to deliver a second electrohaptic stimulus to the lip; and using a second subset of the first set of electrodes to deliver a third electrohaptic stimulus to the lip, wherein the first subset and the second subset do not contain any of the first set of electrodes in common. (fig. 2 (multiple 115s labeling a second set) Yu.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-7, 11-12, and 16-19 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
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/GRANT SITTA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2622