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 Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim element (also commonly referred to as a claim limitation) is limited by the description in the specification when 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is invoked.
As explained in MPEP § 2181, subsection I, claim limitations that meet the following three-prong test will be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
(A) the claim limitation uses the term “means” or “step” or a term used as a substitute for “means” that is a generic placeholder (also called a nonce term or a non-structural term having no specific structural meaning) for performing the claimed function;
(B) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is modified by functional language, typically, but not always linked by the transition word “for” (e.g., “means for”) or another linking word or phrase, such as “configured to” or “so that”; and
(C) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is not modified by sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function.
Use of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim with functional language creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites sufficient structure, material, or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Absence of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is not to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is not interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites function without reciting sufficient structure, material or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Claim limitations in this application that use the word “means” (or “step”) are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action. Conversely, claim limitations in this application that do not use the word “means” (or “step”) are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 5-8, 11, 15-17, 19 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Panchawagh et al. (2017/0110504) in view of Johnson et al. (WO 2018/095833).
Regarding claim 1, Panchawagh teaches an apparatus, comprising: an ultrasonic sensor stack ( 302; Fig 3; para [0057] an ultrasonic sensor array 302); a display stack (para [0056] FIG. 2C depicts an ultrasonic sensor and display array 200c with a sensor array substrate 260a positioned behind a display array substrate 260b.); a control system (Fig 3; para [0057] The control unit 360 may be configured to control various aspects of the sensor system 300, e.g., ultrasonic transmitter timing and excitation waveforms, bias voltages, pixel addressing, signal filtering and conversion, readout frame rates, and so forth.) configured for controlling the display stack and the an ultrasonic sensor stack; and an acoustic resonator comprising one or more higher-impedance layers (para [0048] In some implementations, the propagation medium 124 may include air, a platen, a cover glass, (= claimed one of more higher-impedance layer) a device enclosure, or an acoustic coupling or matching layer).
Panchawagh fails to teach, the one or more higher-impedance layers having a thickness corresponding to a multiple of a half wavelength of the acoustic resonator, the half wavelength corresponding to half a wavelength of ultrasonic waves transmitted by the ultrasonic sensor stack, the higher-impedance layers having a higher acoustic impedance than one or more other layers of the apparatus; as claimed.
Johnson teaches an apparatus, comprising: an acoustic resonator comprising one or more higher-impedance layers (47, 48; Fig 6; page 11, lines 25-29: There is a top material layer 47, a bottom material layer 48 and a middle layer 49. The middle layer 49 is of a first material and is thus sandwiched between two layers 47 ,48 of a second material with higher impedance, and there is again a viscous coupling layer 46 which couples the electroactive material stack to the ultrasound transducer 30. Three different drive voltages are shown as VI, V2 and V3. They may be the same or different.) having a thickness corresponding to a multiple of a half wavelength of the acoustic resonator, the half wavelength corresponding to half a wavelength of ultrasonic waves transmitted by the ultrasonic sensor stack (page 10, lines 22-24: Reflections lead to a resonance with a frequency depending on the layer thickness. Resonance occurs at 2d = λ, where d is the thickness of the layer and λ the wavelength. (Thus: d= λ/2)), the higher-impedance layers having a higher acoustic impedance than one or more other layers of the apparatus (49; Fig 6; page 11, lines 25-29: There is a top material layer 47, a bottom material layer 48 and a middle layer 49. The middle layer 49 is of a first material and is thus sandwiched between two layers 47 ,48 of a second material with higher impedance, and there is again a viscous coupling layer 46 which couples the electroactive material stack to the ultrasound transducer 30. Three different drive voltages are shown as VI, V2 and V3. They may be the same or different).
It would therefore have been obvious to a person having ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to use the thickness choosing method of Johnson in the disclosure of Panchawagh and arrive at the claimed invention resulting in device to deliver improved acoustic performance (page 2).
Regarding claim 5, Panchawagh teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the display stack resides between the ultrasonic sensor stack and the acoustic resonator (Fig 2C; para [0056] Ultrasonic waves 264 transmitted from one or more sensor elements 262 may travel through the display array substrate 260b and cover glass 290c, reflect from an outer surface of the cover glass 290c, and travel back towards the sensor array substrate 260a where the reflected ultrasonic waves may be detected and image information acquired.).
Regarding claim 6, Panchawagh teaches the apparatus of claim 5, wherein the display stack includes the acoustic resonator (para [0055] An acoustic coupling medium 265 such as an adhesive, gel, or other acoustic coupling material may be provided to improve acoustic, optical and mechanical coupling between the sensor array substrate 260 and the cover glass. In some implementations, the coupling medium 265 may be a liquid crystal material that may serve as part of a liquid crystal display (LCD). In LCD implementations, a backlight (not shown) may be optically coupled to the sensor and display substrate 260.).
Regarding claim 7, Panchawagh teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more higher- impedance layers comprises glass (para [0048] In some implementations, the propagation medium 124 may include air, a platen, a cover glass, (= claimed one of more higher-impedance layer) a device enclosure, or an acoustic coupling or matching layer).
Regarding claim 8, Panchawagh teaches the apparatus as explained for claim 1 above.
Panchawagh fails to teach, wherein at least one of the one or more higher- impedance layers comprises metal; as claimed.
Johnson teaches the apparatus, wherein at least one of the one or more higher- impedance layers comprises metal (page 13, lines 7-12: Any suitable non-conductive particles or mixture of non-conductive particles may be used for this purpose. By way of non-limiting example, the non-conductive particles may be ceramic particles, e.g. transition metal oxides, nitrides, carbide particles, or high-density metal oxide such as tungsten oxides, bismuth oxides. Alternatively, the filler particles may comprise metal particles such as tungsten coated with a non-conductive coating.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of present application to have modified the apparatus of Panchawagh with the teachings of Johnson, because this result in needing lower concentration to deliver the desired results.
Regarding claim 11, Panchawagh teaches an apparatus, comprising: an ultrasonic sensor stack ( 302; Fig 3; para [0057] an ultrasonic sensor array 302); a display stack (para [0056] FIG. 2C depicts an ultrasonic sensor and display array 200c with a sensor array substrate 260a positioned behind a display array substrate 260b.); a control means (Fig 3; para [0057] The control unit 360 may be configured to control various aspects of the sensor system 300, e.g., ultrasonic transmitter timing and excitation waveforms, bias voltages, pixel addressing, signal filtering and conversion, readout frame rates, and so forth.) for controlling the display stack and the an ultrasonic sensor stack; and an acoustic resonator comprising one or more higher-impedance layers (para [0048] In some implementations, the propagation medium 124 may include air, a platen, a cover glass, (= claimed one of more higher-impedance layer) a device enclosure, or an acoustic coupling or matching layer).
Panchawagh fails to teach, the one or more higher-impedance layers having a thickness corresponding to a multiple of a half wavelength of the acoustic resonator, the half wavelength corresponding to half a wavelength of ultrasonic waves transmitted by the ultrasonic sensor stack, the higher-impedance layers having a higher acoustic impedance than one or more other layers of the apparatus; as claimed.
Johnson teaches an apparatus, comprising: an acoustic resonator comprising one or more higher-impedance layers (47, 48; Fig 6; page 11, lines 25-29: There is a top material layer 47, a bottom material layer 48 and a middle layer 49. The middle layer 49 is of a first material and is thus sandwiched between two layers 47 ,48 of a second material with higher impedance, and there is again a viscous coupling layer 46 which couples the electroactive material stack to the ultrasound transducer 30. Three different drive voltages are shown as VI, V2 and V3. They may be the same or different.) having a thickness corresponding to a multiple of a half wavelength of the acoustic resonator, the half wavelength corresponding to half a wavelength of ultrasonic waves transmitted by the ultrasonic sensor stack (page 10, lines 22-24: Reflections lead to a resonance with a frequency depending on the layer thickness. Resonance occurs at 2d = λ, where d is the thickness of the layer and λ the wavelength. (Thus: d= λ/2)), the higher-impedance layers having a higher acoustic impedance than one or more other layers of the apparatus (49; Fig 6; page 11, lines 25-29: There is a top material layer 47, a bottom material layer 48 and a middle layer 49. The middle layer 49 is of a first material and is thus sandwiched between two layers 47 ,48 of a second material with higher impedance, and there is again a viscous coupling layer 46 which couples the electroactive material stack to the ultrasound transducer 30. Three different drive voltages are shown as VI, V2 and V3. They may be the same or different).
It would therefore have been obvious to a person having ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to use the thickness choosing method of Johnson in the disclosure of Panchawagh and arrive at the claimed invention resulting in device to deliver improved acoustic performance (page 2).
Regarding claim 15, Panchawagh teaches the apparatus of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the display stack resides between the ultrasonic sensor stack and the acoustic resonator (Fig 2C; para [0056] Ultrasonic waves 264 transmitted from one or more sensor elements 262 may travel through the display array substrate 260b and cover glass 290c, reflect from an outer surface of the cover glass 290c, and travel back towards the sensor array substrate 260a where the reflected ultrasonic waves may be detected and image information acquired.).
Regarding claim 16, Panchawagh teaches the apparatus of claim 15, wherein the display stack includes the acoustic resonator (para [0055] An acoustic coupling medium 265 such as an adhesive, gel, or other acoustic coupling material may be provided to improve acoustic, optical and mechanical coupling between the sensor array substrate 260 and the cover glass. In some implementations, the coupling medium 265 may be a liquid crystal material that may serve as part of a liquid crystal display (LCD). In LCD implementations, a backlight (not shown) may be optically coupled to the sensor and display substrate 260.).
Regarding claim 17, Panchawagh teaches the apparatus of claim 11, wherein at least one of the one or more higher- impedance layers comprises glass (para [0048] In some implementations, the propagation medium 124 may include air, a platen, a cover glass, (= claimed one of more higher-impedance layer) a device enclosure, or an acoustic coupling or matching layer) or metal.
Regarding claim 19, Panchawagh teaches a method, comprising: controlling, via a control system (Fig 3; para [0057] The control unit 360 may be configured to control various aspects of the sensor system 300, e.g., ultrasonic transmitter timing and excitation waveforms, bias voltages, pixel addressing, signal filtering and conversion, readout frame rates, and so forth.), an ultrasonic sensor stack ( 302; Fig 3; para [0057] an ultrasonic sensor array 302); a display stack (para [0056] FIG. 2C depicts an ultrasonic sensor and display array 200c with a sensor array substrate 260a positioned behind a display array substrate 260b.) to transmit ultrasonic waves (para [0053] In other implementations, a first PMUT device may serve as an acoustic or ultrasonic transmitter and a second PMUT device may serve as an acoustic or ultrasonic receiver.; Fig 6A) through an acoustic resonator (para [0048] In some implementations, the propagation medium 124 may include air, a platen, a cover glass, (= claimed one of more higher-impedance layer) a device enclosure, or an acoustic coupling or matching layer) and a display stack to a target object (Fig 2A) on an outer surface of an apparatus that includes the ultrasonic sensor stack, the display stack and the acoustic resonator (para [0054] The ultrasonic wave 264 may travel through a propagation medium such as an acoustic coupling medium 265 and a platen 290a towards an object 202 such as a finger or a stylus positioned on an outer surface of the platen 290a. A portion of the ultrasonic wave 264 may be transmitted through the platen 290a and into the object 202, while a second portion is reflected from the surface of platen 290a back towards the sensor element 262; para [0055]; para [0056]; Fig 2A, 2B, 2C); receiving, by the control system and from the ultrasonic sensor stack, ultrasonic sensor signals corresponding to reflections of transmitted ultrasonic waves from the target object (para [0054] The ultrasonic wave 264 may travel through a propagation medium such as an acoustic coupling medium 265 and a platen 290a towards an object 202 such as a finger or a stylus positioned on an outer surface of the platen 290a. A portion of the ultrasonic wave 264 may be transmitted through the platen 290a and into the object 202, while a second portion is reflected from the surface of platen 290a back towards the sensor element 262. The amplitude of the reflected wave may depend in part on the acoustic properties of the object 202. The reflected wave may be detected by the sensor elements 262, from which an image of the object 202 may be acquired. For example, with sensor arrays having a pitch of about 50 microns (about 500 pixels per inch), ridges and valleys of a fingerprint may be detected. Para [0056] Ultrasonic waves 264 transmitted from one or more sensor elements 262 may travel through the display array substrate 260b and cover glass 290c, reflect from an outer surface of the cover glass 290c, and travel back towards the sensor array substrate 260a where the reflected ultrasonic waves may be detected and image information acquired. In some implementations, the ultrasonic sensor and display array 200c may be used for providing visual information to a user and for touch, stylus or fingerprint detection from the user.); and performing an authentication process based, at least in part, on the ultrasonic sensor signals (para [0004]), wherein the acoustic resonator comprises one or more higher-impedance layers (para [0048] In some implementations, the propagation medium 124 may include air, a platen, a cover glass, (= claimed one of more higher-impedance layer) a device enclosure, or an acoustic coupling or matching layer).
Panchawagh fails to teach, the one or more higher-impedance layers having a thickness corresponding to a multiple of a half wavelength of the acoustic resonator, the half wavelength corresponding to half a wavelength of ultrasonic waves transmitted by the ultrasonic sensor stack, the higher-impedance layers having a higher acoustic impedance than one or more other layers of the apparatus; as claimed.
Johnson teaches an apparatus, comprising: an acoustic resonator comprising one or more higher-impedance layers (47, 48; Fig 6; page 11, lines 25-29: There is a top material layer 47, a bottom material layer 48 and a middle layer 49. The middle layer 49 is of a first material and is thus sandwiched between two layers 47 ,48 of a second material with higher impedance, and there is again a viscous coupling layer 46 which couples the electroactive material stack to the ultrasound transducer 30. Three different drive voltages are shown as VI, V2 and V3. They may be the same or different.) having a thickness corresponding to a multiple of a half wavelength of the acoustic resonator, the half wavelength corresponding to half a wavelength of ultrasonic waves transmitted by the ultrasonic sensor stack (page 10, lines 22-24: Reflections lead to a resonance with a frequency depending on the layer thickness. Resonance occurs at 2d = λ, where d is the thickness of the layer and λ the wavelength. (Thus: d= λ/2)), the higher-impedance layers having a higher acoustic impedance than one or more other layers of the apparatus (49; Fig 6; page 11, lines 25-29: There is a top material layer 47, a bottom material layer 48 and a middle layer 49. The middle layer 49 is of a first material and is thus sandwiched between two layers 47 ,48 of a second material with higher impedance, and there is again a viscous coupling layer 46 which couples the electroactive material stack to the ultrasound transducer 30. Three different drive voltages are shown as VI, V2 and V3. They may be the same or different).
It would therefore have been obvious to a person having ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to use the thickness choosing method of Johnson in the disclosure of Panchawagh and arrive at the claimed invention resulting in device to deliver improved acoustic performance (page 2).
Regarding claim 20, Panchawagh teaches the method of claim 19, wherein at least a portion of the display stack resides between the ultrasonic sensor stack and the acoustic resonator (Fig 2C; para [0056] Ultrasonic waves 264 transmitted from one or more sensor elements 262 may travel through the display array substrate 260b and cover glass 290c, reflect from an outer surface of the cover glass 290c, and travel back towards the sensor array substrate 260a where the reflected ultrasonic waves may be detected and image information acquired.).
Claim(s) 9, 10 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Panchawagh et al. (2017/0110504) in view of Johnson et al. (WO 2018/095833). as applied to claim 1 and 11 above, and further in view of Lu et al. (2020/0125815).
Regarding claim 9, Panchawagh and Johnson teaches the apparatus as explained for claim 1 above.
Panchawagh and Johnson fails to teach, wherein the apparatus is a mobile device that includes the ultrasonic sensor stack, the display stack and the acoustic resonator; as claimed.
Lu teaches an apparatus, wherein the apparatus is a mobile device (100; Fig 1; para [0047]) that includes the ultrasonic sensor stack (118; Fig 1; 212; Fig 2B; para [0051]), the display stack (104; Fig 1; para [0047]) and the acoustic resonator (Fig 1; para [0049]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of present application to have modified the apparatus of Panchawagh and Johnson with the teachings of Lu, because it is well known in the art to implement these devices in a mobile device; in order to provide input and output functionality.
Regarding claim 10, Panchawagh and Johnson teaches the apparatus as explained for claim 9 above.
Panchawagh and Johnson fails to teach, wherein the display stack comprises an organic light- emitting diode display stack.; as claimed.
Lu teaches the apparatus, wherein the display stack comprises an organic light- emitting diode display stack (Fig 9; para [0091] The ultrasonic fingerprint sensor system 995 may be configured to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves 952 traveling in an acoustic path 950 through a display 965 of a display device 900, where the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor system 995 is underlying the display 965 of the display device 900. The display 965 may include a plurality of thin film layers, some of which may include organic or plastic materials. The display 965 may include a DMS-based display, an LED display, an OLED display,).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of present application to have modified the apparatus of Panchawagh and Johnson with the teachings of Lu, because it is well known in the art to implement OLED in the mobile device; in order to provide improved display.
Regarding claim 18, Panchawagh and Johnson teaches the apparatus as explained for claim 11 above.
Panchawagh and Johnson fails to teach, wherein the apparatus is a mobile device that includes the ultrasonic sensor stack, the display stack and the acoustic resonator; as claimed.
Lu teaches an apparatus, wherein the apparatus is a mobile device (100; Fig 1; para [0047]) that includes the ultrasonic sensor stack (118; Fig 1; 212; Fig 2B; para [0051]), the display stack (104; Fig 1; para [0047]) and the acoustic resonator (Fig 1; para [0049]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of present application to have modified the apparatus of Panchawagh and Johnson with the teachings of Lu, because it is well known in the art to implement these devices in a mobile device; in order to provide input and output functionality.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4 and 12-14 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Regarding claim 2, prior art of record fails to teach the following claim limitations of “further comprising: one or more first low-impedance layers residing between a first side of the one or more higher-impedance layers and the ultrasonic sensor stack, each layer of the one or more first low-impedance layers having a lower acoustic impedance than an acoustic impedance of the one or more higher-impedance layers, each layer of the one or more first low-impedance layers having a thickness corresponding to a multiple of a quarter wavelength at a peak frequency of the acoustic resonator; and one or more second low-impedance layers residing proximate a second side of the one or more higher-impedance layers, each layer of the one or more second low-impedance layers having a lower acoustic impedance than the acoustic impedance of one or more higher-impedance layers, each layer of the one or more second low-impedance layers having a thickness corresponding to the multiple of the quarter wavelength at the peak frequency of the acoustic resonator.”; in combination with all other claim limitations. Regarding claim 12, prior art of record fails to teach the following claim limitations of “one or more first low-impedance layers residing between a first side of the one or more higher-impedance layers and the ultrasonic sensor stack, each layer of the one or more first low-impedance layers having a lower acoustic impedance than an acoustic impedance of the one or more higher-impedance layers, each layer of the one or more first low-impedance layers having a thickness corresponding to a multiple of a quarter wavelength at a peak frequency of the acoustic resonator; and one or more second low-impedance layers residing proximate a second side of the one or more higher-impedance layers, each layer of the one or more second low-impedance layers having a lower acoustic impedance than the acoustic impedance of one or more higher-impedance layers, each layer of the one or more second low-impedance layers having a thickness corresponding to the multiple of the quarter wavelength at the peak frequency of the acoustic resonator.”; in combination with all other claim limitations.
Conclusion
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/PREMAL R PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2624