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 .
Double Patenting
2. The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
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3. Claims 1 and 15-17 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory obviousness-type double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1, 14-15 and 17 of US 12260045 B2.
19/063,114 (Instant application),
Claims # 1 and 15-17
US 12260045 B2
Claims # 1, 14-15 and 17
A touch sensor panel comprising: a plurality of touch electrodes including a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes in a first layer, the plurality of touch electrodes forming a two-axis array of touch nodes; wherein the first electrodes include column electrodes, the second electrodes include row electrodes, and the two-axis array of touch nodes includes a row-column arrangement of touch nodes, and wherein row electrodes, of the row-column arrangement, are connected by routing between the row electrodes.
15. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the plurality of touch electrodes is formed from metal mesh and the plurality of first routing traces and the plurality of second routing traces are formed from metal mesh.
16. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the first electrodes are configured as transmitter electrodes and the second electrodes are configured as receiver electrodes in a differential drive and differential sense mutual capacitance sensing operation.
17. An electronic device comprising: an energy storage device; communication circuitry; and a touch screen comprising:a display having an active area; anda touch sensor panel comprising:a plurality of touch electrodes including a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes in a first layer, the plurality of touch electrodes forming a two-axis array of touch nodes;wherein the first electrodes include column electrodes, the second electrodes include row electrodes, and the two-axis array of touch nodes includes a row-column arrangement of touch nodes, andwherein row electrodes, of the row-column arrangement, are connected by routing between the row electrodes.
1. A touch sensor panel comprising: a plurality of touch electrodes including a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes in a first layer, the plurality of touch electrodes forming a two-axis array of touch nodes; a plurality of first routing traces in a second layer, different from the first layer, the plurality of first routing traces coupled to the first electrodes using a plurality of first electrical interconnections between the first layer and the second layer; and a plurality of second routing traces in the second layer, the plurality of the second routing traces coupled to the second electrodes using a plurality of second electrical interconnections between the first layer and the second layer; wherein the plurality of first routing traces is routed along a first axis of the two-axis array and at least partially overlaps the two-axis array of touch nodes; and wherein the plurality of second traces is routed along the first axis of the two-axis array and at least partially overlaps the two-axis array of touch nodes, wherein the first electrodes include column electrodes, the second electrodes include row electrodes, and the two-axis array of touch nodes includes a row-column arrangement of touch nodes, and wherein row electrodes, of the of the row-column arrangement, are connected by routing between the row electrodes.
14. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the plurality of touch electrodes is formed from metal mesh and the plurality of first routing traces and the plurality of second routing traces are formed from metal mesh.
15. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the first electrodes are configured as transmitter electrodes and the second electrodes are configured as receiver electrodes in a differential drive and differential sense mutual capacitance sensing operation.
17. An electronic device comprising: an energy storage device; communication circuitry; and a touch screen comprising: a display having an active area; and a touch sensor panel comprising: a plurality of touch electrodes including a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes in a first layer, the plurality of touch electrodes forming a two-axis array of touch nodes, wherein the plurality of first electrodes includes column electrodes, the plurality of second electrodes includes row electrodes, and the two-axis array of touch nodes includes a row-column arrangement of touch nodes, and row electrodes, of the of the row-column arrangement, are connected by routing between the row electrodes; a plurality of first routing traces in a second layer, different from the first layer, the plurality of first routing traces coupled to the first electrodes using a plurality of first electrical interconnections between the first layer and the second layer; and a plurality of second routing traces in the second layer, the plurality of the second routing traces coupled to the second electrodes using a plurality of second electrical interconnections between the first layer and the second layer; wherein the plurality of first routing traces is routed along a first axis of the two-axis array and at least partially overlaps the two-axis array of touch nodes; and wherein the plurality of second traces is routed along the first axis of the two-axis array and at least partially overlaps the two-axis array of touch nodes.
Although the conflicting claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because limitations in claims 1 and 15-17 of the instant application read on 1, 14-15 and 17 of US 12260045 B2. The claimed limitations recited in the present application are transparently found in US 12260045 B2 with obvious wording variations.
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 of this title, 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. Claim(s) 1 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 2020/0097127 A1, hereinafter referred as “Kim”) in view of Zou (US 2017/0192588 A1, hereinafter referred as “Zou”).
Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses a touch sensor panel (Fig. 1 and ¶0093 discloses touch panel TSP) comprising:
a plurality of touch electrodes (TE) including a plurality of first electrodes (V1-V4) and a plurality of second electrodes (H1-H4) in a first layer (Fig. 8, ¶0027 and ¶0196 discloses the plurality of electrodes may be all disposed in the same layer), the plurality of touch electrodes (TE) forming a two-axis array of touch nodes (Figs. 6-7 and ¶0047 discloses touch sensing circuit may sense capacitance (mutual-capacitance) between the first electrode in the i-th electrode row and the first electrode in the i+1-th electrode row, and may sense capacitance between the first electrode in the i+2-th electrode row and the first electrode in the i+1-th electrode row);
wherein the first electrodes include column electrodes (Figs. 6-8 and ¶0185 discloses the electrodes TE(i−4)1˜TE(i−4)4, TE(i−2)1˜TE(i−2)4, TE(i)1˜TE(i)4, and TE(i+2)1˜TE(i+2)4 (which are also referred to as vertical electrodes in the following description) disposed in the i−4-th, i−2-th, i-th, and i+2-th electrode rows respectively), the second electrodes include row electrodes (Figs. 6-8 and ¶0190 discloses the electrodes TE(i−3)1˜TE(i−3)2, TE(i−1)1˜TE(i−1)3, TE(i+1)1˜TE(i+1)2, and TE(i+3)1˜TE(i+3)3 (which are also referred to as horizontal electrodes in the following description) disposed in the i−3-th, i−1-th, i+1-th, and i+3-th electrode rows), and the two-axis array of touch nodes includes a row-column arrangement of touch nodes (Figs. 6-7 and ¶0047 discloses touch sensing circuit may sense capacitance (mutual-capacitance) between the first electrode in the i-th electrode row and the first electrode in the i+1-th electrode row, and may sense capacitance between the first electrode in the i+2-th electrode row and the first electrode in the i+1-th electrode row).
Kim 7127 doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein row electrodes, of the of the row-column arrangement, are connected by routing between the row electrodes.
However, in a similar field of endeavor, Zou discloses wherein row electrodes (third electrode c), of the of the row-column arrangement (Fig. 2 illustrates first electrodes a in columns and third electrode c in rows), are connected by routing between the row electrodes (Fig. 2 and ¶0039 discloses identical electrode line is shared by the third electrodes c at the touch sub-regions 111 in each row).
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 Kim for the purpose of further reduce the number of the electrode lines (¶0039).
Regarding claim 16, Kim discloses the touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the first electrodes are configured as transmitter electrodes and the second electrodes are configured as receiver electrodes in a differential drive and differential sense mutual capacitance sensing operation (Figs. 6-7 , 9 and ¶0330 discloses the touch sensing circuit TSC can supply a touch driving signal to the first electrode TE(i)1 in the i-th electrode row and the first electrode TE(i+2)1 in the i+2-th electrode row and can detect a touch sensing signal from the first electrode TE(i+1)1 in the i+1-th electrode row positioned between the first electrode TE(i)1 in the i-th electrode row and the first electrode TE(i+2)1 in the i+2-th electrode row).
6. Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim in view of Zou and in further view of Li et al. (US 2022/0317848 A1, hereinafter referred as “Li”).
Regarding claim 15, Kim as modified doesn’t explicitly disclose the touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the plurality of touch electrodes is formed from metal mesh and the plurality of first routing traces and the plurality of second routing traces are formed from metal mesh.
However, in a similar field of endeavor, Li discloses wherein the plurality of touch electrodes is formed from metal mesh and the plurality of first routing traces and the plurality of second routing traces are formed from metal mesh (¶0197 discloses the touch electrodes and the touch traces in the touch region may be arranged in a form of a metal mesh).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Kim for the purpose of having low resistance, small thickness, fast response speed, portability and foldability (¶0197).
7. Claim(s) 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim in view of Zou and in further view of Park et al. (US 2021/0004114 A1, hereinafter referred as “Park”).
Regarding claim 17, Kim discloses an electronic device (abstract discloses a touch display device) comprising: …a touch screen comprising:
a display having an active area (¶0305 discloses FIGS. 20 and 21 are diagrams showing a connection structure between some electrodes in an upper edge area and a lower edge area of an active area A/A in a woven type touch panel TSP); and
a touch sensor panel comprising:
a plurality of touch electrodes (TE) including a plurality of first electrodes (V1-V4) and a plurality of second electrodes (H1-H4) in a first layer (Fig. 8, ¶0027 and ¶0196 discloses the plurality of electrodes may be all disposed in the same layer), the plurality of touch electrodes (TE) forming a two-axis array of touch nodes (Figs. 6-7 and ¶0047 discloses touch sensing circuit may sense capacitance (mutual-capacitance) between the first electrode in the i-th electrode row and the first electrode in the i+1-th electrode row, and may sense capacitance between the first electrode in the i+2-th electrode row and the first electrode in the i+1-th electrode row);
wherein the first electrodes include column electrodes (Figs. 6-8 and ¶0185 discloses the electrodes TE(i−4)1˜TE(i−4)4, TE(i−2)1˜TE(i−2)4, TE(i)1˜TE(i)4, and TE(i+2)1˜TE(i+2)4 (which are also referred to as vertical electrodes in the following description) disposed in the i−4-th, i−2-th, i-th, and i+2-th electrode rows respectively), the second electrodes include row electrodes (Figs. 6-8 and ¶0190 discloses the electrodes TE(i−3)1˜TE(i−3)2, TE(i−1)1˜TE(i−1)3, TE(i+1)1˜TE(i+1)2, and TE(i+3)1˜TE(i+3)3 (which are also referred to as horizontal electrodes in the following description) disposed in the i−3-th, i−1-th, i+1-th, and i+3-th electrode rows), and the two-axis array of touch nodes includes a row-column arrangement of touch nodes (Figs. 6-7 and ¶0047 discloses touch sensing circuit may sense capacitance (mutual-capacitance) between the first electrode in the i-th electrode row and the first electrode in the i+1-th electrode row, and may sense capacitance between the first electrode in the i+2-th electrode row and the first electrode in the i+1-th electrode row).
Kim doesn’t explicitly disclose an energy storage device; communication circuitry; and wherein row electrodes, of the of the row-column arrangement, are connected by routing between the row electrodes.
However, in a similar field of endeavor, Park discloses an energy storage device; and communication circuitry (Fig. 12 and ¶0097 discloses a battery 789, and a communication module 790).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Kim so that the electronic device 701 in the network environment 700 may communicate with an electronic device 702 via a first network 798 (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or an electronic device 704 or a server 708 via a second network 799 (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network) (¶0097).
Kim as modified doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein row electrodes, of the of the row-column arrangement, are connected by routing between the row electrodes.
However, in a similar field of endeavor, Zou discloses wherein row electrodes (third electrode c), of the of the row-column arrangement (Fig. 2 illustrates first electrodes a in columns and third electrode c in rows), are connected by routing between the row electrodes (Fig. 2 and ¶0039 discloses identical electrode line is shared by the third electrodes c at the touch sub-regions 111 in each row).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Kim for the purpose of further reduce the number of the electrode lines (¶0039).
Allowable Subject Matter
8. Claims 2-14, and 18-20 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PRIYANK J SHAH whose telephone number is (571)270-3732. The examiner can normally be reached on 10:00 - 6:00 M-F.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, LunYi Lao can be reached on 5712727671. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PRIYANK J SHAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2621