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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because Figure 1A depicts the communication bus of the electronic device (No. 101) as No. 405, where the specification recites the bus as No. 110.
Also, the specification (Paragraph 50) describes the graph No. 400 as pertaining to the heating elements; however, Figure 4 describes the outputs of 400 as vibrations, not heat or temperature.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: Nos. 136, 138, 410, 420, 430. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: No. 711. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: Paragraph 111, Line 2: The reference number “140” represents a display in the drawings, not a program.
Appropriate correction is required.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-5, 8, 11-15, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yokoyama et al [US 2020/0334963] (supplied by applicant).
For claim 1, the electronic device taught by Yokoyama includes the following claimed subject matter, as noted, 1) the claimed communication circuitry is met by the communication section (No. 28), 2) the claimed housing is met by the haptic machine (No. HM11) seen in Figure 1 having a plurality of heating elements (Paragraph 45: temperature stimulus) and a plurality of haptic actuators (haptic presentation devices HD11-HD18), 3) the claimed memory is met by the ROM (No. 502) and RAM (No. 503) and storage section (No. 508) storing instructions (Paragraph 278), 4) the claimed at least one processor is met by the CPU (No. 501) comprising processing circuitry, that cause the electronic device to 5) receive, from an external electronic device through the communication circuitry, haptic data (Paragraph 181: the communication section 28…supplied the signal processing section 23 with the data received from the outside), 6) control, based on an orientation indicated by the haptic data, the plurality of heating elements (Paragraph 41: as indicated by an arrow M11 in Fig. 2, the presentation position where the haptic presentations are made…is shifted from the top left side to the bottom right side; Paragraph 45: the haptic presentations…may be of different categories (types) such as vibration stimulus, temperature stimulus), and 7) control, based on the orientation and timings at which the plurality of heating elements is controlled, the plurality of haptic actuators (Paragraph 49: haptic presentations of different categories may conceivably be carried out simultaneously at the same position, such as when a haptic presentation with vibration stimulus and a haptic presentation with temperature stimulus are made simultaneously).
For claim 2, in one embodiment (Paragraphs 117-119) of Yokoyama, the vibration strength of the haptic signal of vibration stimulus is corrected in keeping with the temperature of the temperature stimulus. That is, the higher the temperature, the more sensitive the perception of humans becomes with respect to the vibration stimulus. Conversely, the duller the perception of humans becomes with the lower the temperature.
For claim 3, the Yokoyama reference uses haptic data including vibration data with time waveforms (Paragraph 149) at different vibration frequencies for performing haptic presentations with both vibration stimulus and temperature stimulus.
For claims 4 and 5, the content processing section (No. 25) of Yokoyama reads out content data from the storage section (No. 24) in response to instructions supplied from the input section (Paragraph 179). The content data is assumed to be constituted by one or a plurality of sets of library data necessary for performing presentations targeted to produce the intended sensory effect (Paragraph 145).
For claim 8, controlling the haptic presentation devices (HD11 and HD17) in the direction of arrow M11 in Figure 2 of Yokoyama would result in controlling the two devices within a specified time having both vibration stimulus and temperature stimulus (Paragraph 45).
For claim 11, the method of operating an electronic device taught by Yokoyama includes the following claimed steps, as noted, 1) receiving, from an external electronic device through the communication circuitry, haptic data (Paragraph 181: the communication section 28…supplied the signal processing section 23 with the data received from the outside), 2) controlling, based on an orientation indicated by the haptic data, the plurality of heating elements (Paragraph 41: as indicated by an arrow M11 in Fig. 2, the presentation position where the haptic presentations are made…is shifted from the top left side to the bottom right side; Paragraph 45: the haptic presentations…may be of different categories (types) such as vibration stimulus, temperature stimulus), and 3) controlling, based on the orientation and timings at which the plurality of heating elements is controlled, the plurality of haptic actuators (Paragraph 49: haptic presentations of different categories may conceivably be carried out simultaneously at the same position, such as when a haptic presentation with vibration stimulus and a haptic presentation with temperature stimulus are made simultaneously).
For claim 12, in one embodiment (Paragraphs 117-119) of Yokoyama, the vibration strength of the haptic signal of vibration stimulus is corrected in keeping with the temperature of the temperature stimulus. That is, the higher the temperature, the more sensitive the perception of humans becomes with respect to the vibration stimulus. Conversely, the duller the perception of humans becomes with the lower the temperature.
For claim 13, the Yokoyama reference uses haptic data including vibration data with time waveforms (Paragraph 149) at different vibration frequencies for performing haptic presentations with both vibration stimulus and temperature stimulus.
For claim 14 and 15, the content processing section (No. 25) of Yokoyama reads out content data from the storage section (No. 24) in response to instructions supplied from the input section (Paragraph 179). The content data is assumed to be constituted by one or a plurality of sets of library data necessary for performing presentations targeted to produce the intended sensory effect (Paragraph 145).
For claim 18, controlling the haptic presentation devices (HD11 and HD17) in the direction of arrow M11 in Figure 2 of Yokoyama would result in controlling the two devices within a specified time having both vibration stimulus and temperature stimulus (Paragraph 45).
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 6 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yokoyama et al in view of Lee [US 2012/0162113].
For claim 6, the Yokoyama reference mentions that the haptic actuator may be a piezoelectric actuator (Paragraph 166). However, there is no specific mention of adjusting either the current or voltage to control the actuator.
Varying the voltage or current to produce haptic actuation is not new in the prior art. The apparatus taught by Lee discloses a locally vibrating haptic apparatus capable of vibrating a desired position of the apparatus. Figures 6, 8, and 10 depicts a scale of applied input voltage as a function of time. This allows the system to vibrate different areas of a display at different times.
The Lee reference is plain evidence that voltage adjustment and variation has been used to effect a vibratory stimulus for some time. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to adjust the voltage of the piezoelectric actuator of Yokoyama for the purpose of using a well-known method of producing the vibration stimulus needed in the system.
For claim 16, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reasons and rationale as is mentioned in the rejection of claim 6 above.
Claims 7, 9, 10, 17, 19, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yokoyama et al in view of Birnbaum et al [US 2020/0364994] (supplied by applicant).
For claim 7, the heating element of Yokoyama is described as a Peltier element (Paragraph 167). However, there is no mention of adjusting the current or voltage in order to control the heating element.
Electrical systems that produce haptic effects with thermal stimulation must use some kind of adjustment of voltage or current in order to produce their stimulus, and the Birnbaum reference shows this. The system of Birnbaum provides haptic effects with thermal stimulation that comprises a thermal actuator (No. 132) and a processor (No. 102). As electric current flows through the device (Paragraph 32), heat is transferred from one side of the device to the other. The processor can also determine a heat flux property associated with the material of a virtual object and output a voltage to output a temperature change effect to simulate the feel of the material (Paragraph 49).
The Birnbaum reference not only shows that changes in current and voltage are used to effect a thermal stimulus, but different voltages can simulate different materials. And the Yokoyama reference would benefit from the useful input introduced by Birnbaum. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to adjust the current or voltage of the Peltier element of Yokoyama in order to easily produce the needed thermal feedback.
For claims 9 and 10, the haptic presentation devices (HD11 and HD17) of Yokoyama ostensibly present two simultaneous stimulus (Paragraph 45), such as vibration stimulus and temperature stimulus. In one embodiment (Paragraph 251), the combination of haptic data may be ceased (suppressed) or limit the amplitude of the combined haptic data in order to ensure safety. Also, the signal processing section (No. 23) may determine whether or not the amplitude of the haptic data falls within a safety-ensuring range in order to prevent a low-temperature or high-temperature burn (Paragraph 253).
For claim 17, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reasons and rationale as is mentioned in the rejection of claim 7 above.
For claims 19 and 20, the haptic presentation devices (HD11 and HD17) of Yokoyama ostensibly present two simultaneous stimulus (Paragraph 45), such as vibration stimulus and temperature stimulus. In one embodiment (Paragraph 251), the combination of haptic data may be ceased (suppressed) or limit the amplitude of the combined haptic data in order to ensure safety. Also, the signal processing section (No. 23) may determine whether or not the amplitude of the haptic data falls within a safety-ensuring range in order to prevent a low-temperature or high-temperature burn (Paragraph 253).
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Tachi et al [US 2019/0043322] provides tactile information using both temperature and vibration.
Choi [U.S. 10,599,219] provides a haptic effect and device.
Yokoyama et al [U.S. 11,120,674] performs sequential haptic presentations.
Aurongzeb et al [U.S. 11,666,821] selectively heats or cools a haptic mouse.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN A. TWEEL JR whose telephone number is (571)272-2969. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-4.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Davetta W Goins can be reached at 571-272-2957. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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JAT
6/16/2026
/JOHN A TWEEL JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2689
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