DETAILED ACTION
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) 1-7, 11-17 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Park (US 2018/0232063).
Regarding claim 1, Park discloses a wearable electronic device (fig. 1) comprising:
a display interface (151, fig. 1) comprising a display and a touch circuit (para. 53,056);
a sensor interface (140, fig. 2) comprising a first sensor (142, fig. 2 and para. 76) and a second sensor (141, fig. 2 and para. 76);
a memory (170, fig. 2) configured to store instructions (para. 88); and
at least one processor (180, fig. 2) operatively connected to the display interface, the sensor interface, and the memory (see fig. 2),
wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the wearable electronic device to:
identify whether the wearable electronic device is worn on a wrist of a user (S311, fig. 5 and para. 109), by using the first sensor (para. 76; wherein e.g. tilt of the device is determined by a gyroscope sensor);
based on identifying the wearable electronic device is worn on the wrist of the user (S311, fig. 5), monitor a state of the wearable electronic device by using the second sensor (S313, fig. 5 and para. 110-111);
identify whether the wearable electronic device (based on decision in S313 in fig. 5) is in a first state (S315 in fig. 5) or a second state (S323 in fig. 5); and
based on the wearable electronic device being in the first state (S315 in fig. 5), control a touch sensitivity or a touch region of the display interface (para. 121, 95-96).
Regarding claim 2, Park discloses wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the wearable electronic device to identify, as the first state (S315 in fig. 5), a case in which the display is positioned to face a direction away from a body of the user of the wearable electronic device (para. 110-111 and S315 in fig. 5), by using the second sensor (para. 76).
Regarding claim 3, Park discloses wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the wearable electronic device to identify, as the second state (S323 in fig. 5), a case in which the display is positioned to face a body of the user of the wearable electronic device (para. 110-111 and S323 in fig. 5), by using the second sensor (para. 76).
Regarding claim 4, Park discloses wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the wearable electronic device to, using the sensor interface, identify, as the first state (S315 in fig. 5):
a case in which the user of the wearable electronic device crosses arms and thus the display faces a direction away from the a body of the user (see fig. 8(a)), a case in which the display faces a direction away from the body of the user in a state in which the user lowers the wrist wearing the wearable electronic device (para. 96), or a case in which the user places the wrist wearing the wearable electronic device in a predetermined location (para. 96).
Regarding claim 5, Park discloses wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the wearable electronic device to, using the second sensor (para. 76), identify, as the first state (S315 in fig. 5), a case in which the user of the wearable electronic device does not view or is unable to view the display through eyes (para. 95-96 and fig. 8), and identify, as the second state, a case in which the user of the wearable electronic device views or is able to view the display through the eyes (para. 95 and fig. 7).
Regarding claim 6, Park discloses wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the wearable electronic device to, based on the wearable electronic device being in the first state, reduce the touch sensitivity or the touch region of the display interface (see fig. 7 and para. 95-96).
Regarding claim 7, Park discloses wherein the sensor interface further comprises a fourth sensor (para. 76-77; including e.g. a pressure sensor), and wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the wearable electronic device to, using the fourth sensor, determine whether to enter an initial screen displayed on the display interface (S321 in fig. 5), based on an intensity or a magnitude of a pressure applied to the display interface (S319 in fig. 5).
Claims 11-17 are rejected for the same reasons as stated for claims 1-7, respectively. See above rejections.
Claim 20 is rejected for the same reasons as stated for claim 1. See above rejection.
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) 7 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park in view of Guzman (US 10,852,905).
Regarding claim 8, Park fails to disclose wherein based on the first state, shortening a time for entering a screen of the device.
Guzman discloses wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the wearable electronic device to, based on the wearable electronic device being in the first state (see first mode in col. 60-61, lines 62-9), shorten a time for entering an initial screen of the wearable electronic device displayed through the display interface (see col. 60-61, lines 62-9; wherein the device stays in first mode for a shorter amount of time when first mode is triggered by gesture).
When the invention was made (pre-AIA ) or before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ), it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include the teachings of Guzman in the device of Park. The motivation for doing so would have been to be in first mode (or powered mode) for a shorter amount of time when first mode was triggered by an unintentional gesture (Guzman; col. 60-61, lines 62-9, wherein a power saving strategy is applied to unintentional gestures/touches).
Claim 17 is rejected for the same reasons as stated for claim 8. See above rejection.
Claim(s) 9-10 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park in view of Yamano (US 2016/0342280).
Regarding claim 9, Park fails to disclose determining a touch based on a shape or area of the touch.
Yamano discloses wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the wearable electronic device to determine whether to enter an initial screen displayed on the display interface (fig. 13 and para. 110; wherein a touch is determined based on the contact area of the finger and corresponding threshold comparison), based on a shape or an area of a touch point on the display interface (fig. 13 and para. 110; wherein a touch is determined based on the contact area of the finger and corresponding threshold comparison).
When the invention was made (pre-AIA ) or before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ), it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include the teachings of Yamano in the device of Park. The motivation for doing so would have been to distinguish between touch and non-touch events, based on the contact area of the finger (Yamano; fig. 13 and para. 100).
Regarding claim 10, Park fails to disclose determining a touch based on a shape of the touch area.
Yamano discloses wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the wearable electronic device to change an initial screen displayed on the display interface or restrict a change of the initial screen (fig. 13 and para. 110; wherein a touch is determined based on the contact area of the finger and corresponding threshold comparison), based on a shape or an area of a touch point on the display interface (fig. 13 and para. 110; wherein a touch is determined based on the contact area of the finger and corresponding threshold comparison).
When the invention was made (pre-AIA ) or before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ), it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include the teachings of Yamano in the device of Park. The motivation for doing so would have been to distinguish between touch and non-touch events, based on the contact area of the finger (Yamano; fig. 13 and para. 100).
Claim 19 is rejected for the same reasons as stated for claim 9. See above rejection.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See Donley (US 2017/0201612) which discloses determining on on-wrist confidence level using multiple sensors (para. 41; wherein sensors are used to determine if the device is currently on-wrist).
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/ROBIN J MISHLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2628