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 .
Double Patenting
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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Claims 1-9 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-10 of U.S. Patent No. 11,669,200. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the claims of the patent anticipate the claims of the present Application.
Claims 1-9 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-20 of U.S. Patent No. 12,019,825. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the claims of the patent anticipate the claims of the present Application.
Claims 1-9 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-10 of U.S. Patent No. 12,314,512. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the claims of the patent anticipate the claims of the present Application.
Present Application
U.S. Patent No. 12,314,512
U.S. Patent No. 12,019,825
U.S. Patent No. 11,669,200
1. A method for a touch pad used by a pen to input operations to a computer, the method comprising:
detecting, by an integrated circuit, a pen position on a touch surface;
outputting, by the integrated circuit, the pen position to the computer;
converting, by the computer, the pen position into absolute coordinates in a coordinate system of a logical region held by the computer;
determining, by the computer, the logical region based on a window region including a cursor of the computer; and
outputting, by the computer, the absolute coordinates.
1. A method for a touch pad used by both a finger and a pen to input operations to a computer, the method comprising:
detecting, by an integrated circuit, a touch position on a touch surface and a pen position on the touch surface;
outputting, by the integrated circuit, the touch position and the pen position to the computer;
converting, by the computer, the touch position into relative coordinates indicating a distance and a direction of movement of the touch position;
outputting, by the computer, the relative coordinates;
converting, by the computer, the pen position into absolute coordinates in a coordinate system of a logical region held by the computer; and
2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining, by the computer, the logical region based on a window region including a cursor of the computer.
outputting, by the computer, the absolute coordinates.
1. A system for a touch pad used by both a finger and a pen to input operations to a computer, the system comprising:
a sensor electrode group;
an integrated circuit; and
a memory storing a device driver configured to be executed by the computer,
wherein:
the sensor electrode group is configured to be placed over a touch surface,
the integrated circuit, in operation, uses the sensor electrode group to detect a touch position on the touch surface and a pen position on the touch surface, and supplies the touch position and pen position to the device driver based on absolute coordinates in a coordinate system of the touch surface,
the device driver is configured to convert the touch position into relative coordinates indicating a distance and a direction of movement of the touch position and output the relative coordinates, and
the device driver is configured to convert the pen position into absolute coordinates expressed by a coordinate system of a logical region held by the computer and output the absolute coordinates.
2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the device driver is configured to determine the logical region based on a window region including a cursor of the computer.
1. A system for a touch pad used by both a finger and a pen to input operations to a computer, the system comprising:
a sensor electrode group;
an integrated circuit; and
a memory storing a device driver configured to be executed by the computer,
wherein:
the sensor electrode group is configured to be placed over a touch surface that is different from a display surface of the computer,
the integrated circuit, in operation, uses the sensor electrode group to detect a touch position on the touch surface where the finger is in contact with the touch surface and a pen position on the touch surface where the pen is in contact with the touch surface and supplies the detected touch position and pen position to the device driver based on absolute coordinates in a coordinate system of the touch surface,
the device driver is configured to convert the touch position into relative coordinates indicating a distance and a direction of movement of the touch position and output the relative coordinates when the device driver receives the touch position from the integrated circuit, and
the device driver is configured to convert the pen position into absolute coordinates expressed by a coordinate system of a logical region held by the computer at a time of reception of the pen position and output the absolute coordinates when the device driver receives the pen position from the integrated circuit.
2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the device driver is configured to determine the logical region based on a window region including a cursor of the computer.
1. A method for a touch pad used by a pen to input operations to a computer, the method comprising:
detecting, by an integrated circuit, a pen position on a touch surface;
outputting, by the integrated circuit, the pen position to the computer;
converting, by the computer, the pen position into absolute coordinates in a coordinate system of a logical region held by the computer;
determining, by the computer, the logical region based on a window region including a cursor of the computer; and
outputting, by the computer, the absolute coordinates.
11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a device driver that, when executed by a processor, causes a computer to:
receive a touch position and a pen position from an integrated circuit,
convert the touch position into relative coordinates indicating a distance and a direction of movement of the touch position,
output the relative coordinates, and
convert the pen position into absolute coordinates expressed by a coordinate system of a logical region held by the computer.
12. The computer-readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the device driver, when executed by the processor, causes the computer to determine the logical region based on a window region including a cursor of the computer.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-14 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
In regards to claim 10, it recites, among other features, “determining whether a pen position is detected within a touch surface; and
in response to determining that the pen position is detected within the touch surface, determining whether a logical region has been determined;
(i) in response to determining that the logical region has already been determined, converting an absolute coordinate indicating the pen position expressed by a coordinate system of the touch surface to an absolute coordinate expressed by a coordinate system of the logical region that has already been determined; and
(ii) in response to determining that the logical region has not yet been determined, determining the logical region based on a window region focused by an operating system, a window region that contains a cursor, or a region set by user operation or application; and
storing the logical region in a memory”.
Chen et al (US 2022/0317800) discloses an electronic device, including: a processor, configured to select one of an absolute coordinate mode and a relative coordinate mode according to a switching instruction. When the processor uses the absolute coordinate mode, absolute coordinate information received by the processor is run in the absolute coordinate mode; and when the processor uses the relative coordinate mode, the absolute coordinate information received by the processor is converted into relative coordinate information and is run in the relative coordinate mode. Therefore, this application performs adaptive conversion between the absolute coordinate mode and the relative coordinate mode, to provide users with more flexible operations.. Chen does not disclose determining whether a pen position is detected within a touch surface; and in response to determining that the pen position is detected within the touch surface, determining whether a logical region has been determined; (i) in response to determining that the logical region has already been determined, converting an absolute coordinate indicating the pen position expressed by a coordinate system of the touch surface to an absolute coordinate expressed by a coordinate system of the logical region that has already been determined; and (ii) in response to determining that the logical region has not yet been determined, determining the logical region based on a window region focused by an operating system, a window region that contains a cursor, or a region set by user operation or application; and storing the logical region in a memory.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Michael Pervan whose telephone number is (571)272-0910. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri between 7:00am - 4:30pm.
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/MICHAEL PERVAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2629 January 22, 2026