DETAILED ACTION
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission has been entered.
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) 1-2, 4-7 and 9-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kameyama (US 2014/0340328), hereinafter referred to as “Kame”.
Regarding claim 1, Kame discloses an information processing system (fig. 1) comprising:
a contact parameter detection unit (5, fig. 1 and para. 28) configured to detect one or more contact parameters (see distance in para. 28) corresponding to a contact state of a pen-shaped input device (1, fig. 1) with respect to an operation target surface (10, fig. 1), wherein the one or more contact parameters include at least one of:
a speed at which a pen tip of the pen-shaped input device moves on the operation target surface (para. 25 and claim 8 on page 6),
a pressure of the pen tip on the operation target surface (para. 32-33, 44),
a direction in which the pen tip moves on the operation target surface (para. 25, 51), or
an inclination angle of the pen-shaped input device with respect to the operation target surface (para. 32, 25; wherein the contact area of the brush has a corresponding inclination angle); and
a feedback control unit (4, fig. 1 and para. 28, 36) configured to:
select a feedback level based on a writing instrument type set (see pen types in para. 50) for the pen-shaped input device and the detected contact one or more contact parameter (para. 44, 51, 25, Abstract) and
drive a tactile sensation reproduction part (see 2 in fig. 1 and para. 30, 28) in the pen-shaped input device based on the selected feedback level (para. 44, 51, 25),
wherein a magnitude of the selected feedback level increase in response to an increase in the detected one or more contact parameters (see para. 44 and Abstract, wherein in increased contact/pressure results in an increased vibration).
Regarding claim 2, Kame discloses the information processing system according to wherein the feedback control unit selects the feedback level by acquiring a feedback level corresponding to the detected one or more contact parameters from table information indicating a correspondence relationship between a value of the detected one or more contact parameters (see distance in Abstract) and the feedback level (see amplitude in Abstract) corresponding to the set writing instrument type (see Abstract and para. 44, 51, 25; wherein different vibration amplitudes are applied to a pen based on pre-stored vibration patterns, wherein vibration patterns are set for corresponding inputs).
Regarding claim 4, Kame discloses the information processing system according to wherein the tactile sensation reproduction part includes a vibration unit (para. 30) that generates a vibration in response to input of a signal source (para. 28, 36 and Abstract).
Regarding claim 5, Kame discloses wherein the tactile sensation reproduction part includes a sound output unit (see sound output unit in para. 52) that outputs a sound in response to input of a signal source (para. 52, 28).
Claims 6-7 are rejected for the same reasons stated for claim 1. See above rejection.
Regarding claim 9, Kame discloses further comprising an application processing unit configured to:
select a writing medium (para. 44; wherein differences in paper quality are determined by brush stroke direction); and
set the writing instrument type based on the selected writing medium (para. 44; wherein each paper quality/type has a unique tactile simulation, resulting in a unique feeling from a unique writing instrument depending on the paper type).
Regarding claim 10, Kame discloses wherein the feedback control unit is further configured to correct the selected feedback level using a contact parameter different from the one or more contact parameters (see wherein acceleration is used to corrected selected feed back in para. 52 and claim 8 on page 6).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims have been considered but are moot in view of new grounds of rejection. See new citations above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBIN J MISHLER whose telephone number is (571)270-7251. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00-5:00 M-F.
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/ROBIN J MISHLER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2628
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