DETAILED ACTION
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 § 102
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 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.
Claims 1-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Dickerson et al. (hereinafter “Dickerson”), US Pub. No. 2020/0356753.
Regarding claim 1, Dickerson teaches an all-optical sensor for detecting gesture inputs and force inputs (figure 1), the sensor comprising: at least two emitter-detector pairs (light source 130 and camera 140 which is an array of sensors) comprising a first emitter- detector pair and a second emitter-detector pair, each emitter-detector pair of the sensor comprising an emitter and a detector (light source 130 and camera 140 which is an array of sensors), and a reflector (layers 150, 160, 170), wherein the emitter of each emitter-detector pair is configured to emit a sensor light with a main emission direction at least substantially parallel to a vertical direction (figure 2, and accompanying text), the detector of each emitter-detector pair is configured to detect the sensor light emitted by the emitter of the same emitter-detector pair (fig. 2), the reflector is partially reflective and partially light-transmissive for the sensor light emitted by all of the emitters of the sensor ([0037]), the first emitter-detector pair has a first baseline and the second emitter- detector pair has a second baseline (camera 140 the sensors in the sensor array have different distances from the light source), the baseline of each of the emitter-detector pairs is defined by a distance between the emitter of the emitter-detector pair and the detector of the emitter-detector pair in a lateral direction (figure 2 distance from 130 to each individual sensor in the array), the reflector is arranged, along the vertical direction, over all emitter- detector pairs of the sensor (figure 2) and has a first height along the vertical direction in an idle state of the sensor (figure 1 height is distance between sensors 140 and outer layer 170), so that for the first emitter-detector pair a first part of the sensor light emitted by the emitter of the first emitter-detector pair is reflected by the reflector onto the detector of the first emitter-detector pair, the detector of the first emitter-detector pair producing a first intensity signal, and so that for the second emitter-detector pair a second part of the sensor light emitted by the emitter of the second emitter-detector pair is reflected by the reflector onto the detector of the second emitter-detector pair (figure 7a), the detector of the second emitter-detector pair producing a second intensity signal (figure 7a), the first height, the first baseline and the second baseline are chosen so that, when at least a part of the reflector is moved from the first height to a second height that is less than the first height (figures 8), the first part of the sensor light is increased and the second part of the sensor light is decreased (figures 8-9).
Regarding claim 2, Dickerson teaches wherein the sensor comprises at least one emitter and at least a first detector and a second detector, the at least one emitter and the first detector forming the first emitter-detector pair and the at least one emitter and the second detector forming the second emitter-detector pair (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 3, Dickerson teaches wherein the at least one emitter is configured to continuously emit the sensor light ([0028]).
Regarding claim 4, Dickerson teaches wherein the at least one emitter is configured to emit light pulses (fig. 2).
Regarding claim 5, Dickerson teaches wherein the sensor comprises a first emitter and a second emitter and at least one detector, the first emitter and the at least one detector forming the first emitter-detector pair and the second emitter and the at least one detector forming the second emitter-detector pair (fig. 1, two light sources that have a different distance to the same sensor in the sensor array).
Regarding claim 6, Dickerson teaches wherein the first and second emitters are configured to emit light pulses (fig. 2).
Regarding claim 7, Dickerson teaches wherein each of the first and second emitters are configured to emit light pulses of the same sensor light, and the first emitter emits the light pulses at different times than the second emitter (figs. 1, 2, light source).
Regarding claim 8, Dickerson teaches wherein the first baseline determines a first characteristic proximity curve defining a dependency of the first intensity signal from the height of the reflector, the second baseline determines a second characteristic proximity curve defining a dependency of the second intensity signal from the height of the reflector, the first characteristic proximity curve has a maximum at a height that is less than the second height, and the second characteristic proximity curve has a maximum at a height that is greater than the first height (figs. 1, 2, 7a; height between sensors 140 and outer layer 170).
Regarding claim 9, Dickerson teaches wherein the first baseline is different from the second baseline (figs. 1, 2, 7a).
Regarding claim 10, Dickerson teaches wherein all emitters and all detectors of the sensor are arranged in such a way that no emitter can directly irradiate sensor light onto any detector (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 11, Dickerson teaches wherein the reflector comprises a plate-like part or is formed as a plate (fig. 1, element 150).
Regarding claim 14, Dickerson teaches wherein the reflector can be bent and/or moved by a user toward the emitter-detector pairs (fig. 1, element 170).
Regarding claim 15, Dickerson teaches wherein at least one emitter of the sensor is a vertically-emitting laser diode (figs. 1, 2).
Regarding claim 16, Dickerson teaches wherein at least one emitter of the sensor is a light-emitting diode ([0028]).
Regarding claim 17, Dickerson teaches wherein at least one detector of the sensor is a photodiode (figs. 1, 2).
Regarding claim 18, it is a method of claim 1 and is rejected on the same grounds presented above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Chen et al. (US Patent No. 11,150,332) teaches proximity sensing.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KENNETH B LEE JR whose telephone number is (571)270-3147. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 9am-5pm.
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/KENNETH B LEE JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2625
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