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 § 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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al 2018/0081456, hereinafter, Li In view of Park et al 2017/0285775 hereinafter, Park.
In regards to claim 1, Li teaches an electronic pen, comprising (abstract),
An input device, such as a stylus, can include a main body comprising a main body connector for connecting to a charger to charge a power source of the stylus. A separate functional end module is removable from the main body to expose the main body connector. The functional end module includes a functional component and a module connector that communicates with the main body via the main body connector. Various different functional end modules can be interchangeable to provide a variety of distinct features to the stylus.
a housing (figs 2 and 3 housing)
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and a circuit board that includes an electronic pen function part ((fig. 4 (160 or 106 [0027]) at least one side switch (fig. 1 (150 on the side and another switch on the end side (fig. 4 (120))) and
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[0020] According to some embodiments, the functional end module 120 includes one or more functional components 130 (not shown in FIG. 3) for receiving an input and/or providing an output. Various functions performed by the functional end modules 120 are discussed further herein. The functional component 130 can be located at a terminal end of the functional end module 120 that is located opposite the tip module 190 of the stylus 100. According to some embodiments, the functional component 130 can include a tactile sensor, such as a push/touch button, a twist button that springs back to a default position when not operated by a user, and/or a twist mechanism that produces incremental clicks when moving between various positions. According to some embodiments, the functional component 130 can include other orientation detectors, gyroscopes, accelerometers, biometric readers, displays, switches (e.g., dome switches), buttons, speakers, compass, microphones, cameras, voice coils, and/or other components. User inputs provided to the functional component 130 can generate signals that are communicated to the external device 90 for performance of an action in accordance with the signal and the user input, as discussed further herein.
a connection terminal (fig. 4 112 and/or connection between 160 and 150)), wherein the circuit board, in operation is incorporated in the housing, (fig. 4 (160 and 100) inside housing) . Examiner notes Li teaches a modular system for touch sensors and buttons.
Li fails to expressly teach wherein the housing has a side opening formed on a side surface of the housing. Examiner notes there isn’t an express teachings of a side opening in Li.
However, Park teaches wherein the housing has a side opening formed on a side surface of the housing, (fig. 2 (212) hole in housing for button and fig. 3d side view)[0068]
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings/buttons of Li to further include wherein the housing has a side opening formed on a side surface of the housing, as taught by Park as allowing the hole allows for a waterproof configuration [0005-0010] and for intuitive inputs with a finger when located on a side.
Therefore, Li in view of Park teaches wherein the at least one side switch, in operation, detects input by being pressed [0018] Li and fig. 3d 342) Park;
wherein the connection terminal is configured to be connected with a touch sensor [0020, 0026] claim 4 “touch sensor” Li), and be supplied with a detection output when an input to the touch sensor is detected by the touch sensor [0021] Park; and
wherein the side opening is configured to be selectively fitted with either a side switch unit with at least one pressing knob or a touch sensor unit with the touch sensor (fig. 4 (120) interchangeable functional modules of Li in view of a side opening configuration fig. 2 (212/204) of Park.
Claim(s) 6-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al 2018/0081456, hereinafter, Li In view of Park et al 2017/0285775 hereinafter, Park further in view of Kim et al 2022/0197410 hereinafter, Kim.
In regards to claim 6, Li and Park fail to teach the electronic pen according to claim 1, further comprising: a stylus that moves slidably in an axial direction of the housing and protrudes from a tip opening formed on an end of the housing in the axial direction of the housing, wherein the electronic pen function part includes a writing pressure detector that, in operation, detects pressure applied to the stylus.
However, Kim teaches further comprising: a stylus that moves slidably in an axial direction of the housing and protrudes from a tip opening formed on an end of the housing in the axial direction of the housing, wherein the electronic pen function part includes a writing pressure detector that, in operation, detects pressure applied to the stylus.(fig. 4 (421) fig. 6 (421) [0093]
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of Li and Park to further include a stylus that moves slidably in an axial direction of the housing and protrudes from a tip opening formed on an end of the housing in the axial direction of the housing, wherein the electronic pen function part includes a writing pressure detector that, in operation, detects pressure applied to the stylus in order to provide pen pressure signal [0093]
In regards to claim 7, Li and Park in view of Kim teaches the electronic pen according to claim 6, wherein the electronic pen function part includes a ferrite core and a coil, wherein the coil is wound on the ferrite core, and wherein the stylus passes through the ferrite core [0094] Kim.
In regards to claim 8, Li and Park in view of Kim teaches electronic pen according to claim 7, wherein the circuit board includes at least one capacitor that is electrically connected to the coil [0098] Kim appears to be equivalent to applicant’s variable capacitor [0055] in US PG PUB current application.
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al 2018/0081456, hereinafter, Li In view of Park et al 2017/0285775 hereinafter, Park further in view of Lan et al (2021/0286452) hereinafter, Lan.
In regards to claim 4, Li and Park fail to teach the electronic pen according to claim 1, wherein the at least one side switch includes a plurality of side switches, and wherein the side switch unit includes a plurality of pressing knobs.
However, Lan wherein the at least one side switch includes a plurality of side switches, and wherein the side switch unit includes a plurality of pressing knobs.(fig. 1 92s and 91).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of Li and Park to further include wherein the at least one side switch includes a plurality of side switches, and wherein the side switch unit includes a plurality of pressing knobs as taught by Lan in order to added functionality.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-3, 5, and 9-10 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GRANT SITTA whose telephone number is (571)270-1542. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-4:00.
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/GRANT SITTA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2622