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.
Claim(s) 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tijssen et al. (hereinafter “Tijssen”), US Patent No. 10,146,407.
Regarding claim 1, Tijssen teaches a pad attachment (fig. 1, input device 102), which is attached to an operation pad (fig. 5, keyboard 502) that has at least one physical operation element and that is configured to be disposed on a touch device (fig. 5, touchscreen display surface 504) including a capacitive type touch sensor (fig. 5, capacitive touch points 508), the pad attachment comprising: a memory configured to store device information related to the operation pad (fig. 1, memory 110); one or more communication elements configured to perform a wireless communication with the touch device via the touch sensor or via a planar sensor different from the touch sensor (fig. 1, network 130); and a transmitting circuit configured to transmit a transmission signal including the device information read from the memory, via the one or more communication elements (fig. 1, processor 112).
Regarding claim 2, Tijssen teaches wherein the device information includes pad information related to a type of the operation pad, an arrangement of the at least one physical operation element, or setting contents related to an operation of the operation pad (fig. 1, device identifier 116, device data 118).
Regarding claim 3, Tijssen teaches wherein in a case where an operating function is assigned to an additional region that is part of a sensor region of the touch sensor and that is different from a region in which the operation pad is disposed (fig. 5 text object being moved and rotated), the device information includes additional region information related to a type of the operating function, a position, a size, or a shape of the additional region, or setting contents related to the operating function (fig. 1, device data 118).
Regarding claim 4, Tijssen teaches wherein the device information includes identification information of a virtual input device including the operation pad, the operation pad, or the pad attachment (fig. 9, method 900).
Regarding claim 5, Tijssen teaches a virtual input device (fig. 1, input device 102; fig. 5, keyboard 502) comprising: an operation pad that has at least one physical operation element and that is configured to be disposed on a touch device including a capacitive type touch sensor (fig. 5, keyboard 502); and a pad attachment (fig. 1, input device 102; in particular, the input device/keyboard includes applicant’s pad attachment) attached to the operation pad, the pad attachment including: a memory configured to store device information related to the virtual input device (fig. 1, memory 110), one or more communication elements configured to perform a wireless communication with the touch device via the touch sensor or via a planar sensor different from the touch sensor (fig. 1, network 130), and a transmitting circuit configured to transmit a transmission signal including the device information read from the memory, via the one or more communication elements (fig. 1, processor 112).
Regarding claim 6, Tijssen teaches a screen display surface 106, touch detection system 124); and a virtual input device (fig. 1, input device 102; fig. 5, keyboard 502) comprising: an operation pad that has at least one physical operation element and that is configured to be disposed on a touch device including a capacitive type touch sensor (fig. 5, keyboard 502); and a pad attachment (fig. 1, input device 102; in particular, the input device/keyboard includes applicant’s pad attachment) attached to the operation pad, the pad attachment including: a memory configured to store device information related to the virtual input device (fig. 1, memory 110), one or more communication elements configured to perform a wireless communication with the touch device via the touch sensor or via a planar sensor different from the touch sensor (fig. 1, network 130), and a transmitting circuit configured to transmit a transmission signal including the device information read from the memory, via the one or more communication elements (fig. 1, processor 112).
Regarding claim 7, Tijssen teaches wherein the touch device further includes a processor (fig. 1, touch detection system 124), and the processor, while a wireless communication is performed between the processor and the pad attachment, generates or outputs data including operation information indicating an operation state of the operation pad in accordance with a capacitance change in an operation region defined according to a detected position of the one or more electrodes (fig. 1, interaction companion module 122, network 130; fig. 5, capacitive electrodes 508), wherein the operation information is different from position information indicating the detected position of the one or more electrodes (fig. 5, touch detection system 124 is different from interaction module 120).
Regarding claim 8, Tijssen teaches wherein the processor obtains identification information of the virtual input device by a wireless communication with the pad attachment (fig. 1, network 130, device and data settings 128), and the processor acquires an arrangement of the at least one physical operation element or setting contents related to an operation of the operation pad corresponding to the identification information of the virtual input device, by a communication with an external device different from the pad attachment (fig. 1, interaction companion module 122, touch detection system 124, keyboard 502).
Regarding claim 9, Tijssen teaches when a user depresses the at least one physical operation element from a top surface side in a state in which the operation pad is disposed on the touch device, produce a capacitance change at a part of the touch sensor corresponding to a position of the at least one physical operation element when a user’s finger or other conductor material approaches the part (figs. 5 and 6).
Regarding claim 10, Tijssen teaches wherein the at least one physical operation element includes an operation member having conductivity and elasticity (col. 9, lines 4-22).
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.
Claims 11-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tijssen (see above), in view of Rosenberg et al. (hereinafter “Rosenberg”), US Patent No. 10,013,092.
Regarding claim 11, Tijssen fails to explicitly teach wherein the pad attachment includes: a storage unit configured to store or discharge electric energy, and a photoelectric conversion unit configured to convert external light into electric energy and supply the electric energy to the storage unit.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Rosenberg teaches a tactile touch sensor system including an overlay device and a display panel that emits light and utilizes energy harvesting (see paragraphs 183-188).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Tijssen to incorporate the feature in Rosenberg. As such, a person having ordinary skill in the art would appreciate the motivation for doing so would have been to increase display visibility (Rosenberg, paragraph 185).
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Tijssen and Rosenberg teaches wherein the touch device includes: a display panel configured to display an image or a video (Tijssen, fig. 5, display 504), and a processor configured to control light emission of the display panel, wherein the processor, in response to the pad attachment being disposed on the display panel, controls the display panel to emit light in at least a part of a presence region of the pad attachment (Rosenberg, paragraphs 183-186).
Regarding claim 13, Rosenberg teaches wherein the processor sets a light emission condition related to a light emission range, a light emission color, or a light emission intensity, and controls the light emission of the display panel according to the light emission condition (paragraphs 183-186).
Regarding claim 14, Rosenberg teaches wherein the processor sets the light emission range according to a detected position of the pad attachment or the photoelectric conversion unit (paragraphs 183-186).
Regarding claim 15, Rosenberg teaches wherein the processor sets the light emission color according to a type of the pad attachment or the photelectric conversion unit (paragraphs 183-186).
Regarding claim 16, Rosenberg teaches wherein the processor sets the light emission intensity according to a power supply remaining capacity of the storage unit or a type of a set charging mode (paragraphs 183-186).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Hornung et al. (US Patent No. 11,644,912) teaches an interface device including an on-panel pad.
Solomon et al. (US Patent No. 8,988,355) teaches a keyboard appliance for a touchscreen.
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/KENNETH B LEE JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2625