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)(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.
Claim 1-17 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lehman et al. (US Pub: 2018/0074694 A1).
As to claim 1, Lehman discloses an electronic device (i.e. the computer keyboard unit of figure 1-7 embodiments) (see Fig. 1-7, [0051-0080]), comprising:
a base (i.e. the supportive base unit element 108) (see Fig. 1);
a connecting substrate disposed on the base (i.e. the bottom substrate 102 which is seen in figure 2-3) (see Fig. 2-3, [0061-0063]);
a display unit disposed on the connecting substrate (i.e. the cover 104 is said to be an OLED display with touch sensing capacity) (see Fig. 1, [0056]); and
an actuator disposed on the connecting substrate or on the display unit (i.e. the actuator is the unit 601 as seen in figure 6 which also is better defined in figure 2 204 and 202 and 206) (see Fig. 2 and 6), wherein the display unit presents a user interface, the user interface includes at least one functional pattern (i.e. the function pattern of the visible key icon that the user see on the figure 2 display area106) (see Fig. 2, [0060-0066]), and in a normal direction of the display unit, the actuator overlaps the at least one functional pattern (i.e. as seen in figure 1-7 the key area is overlapped by the underlying actuator unit) (see Fig. 1-7, [0050-0084]).
As to claim 2, Lehman teaches the electronic device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a force-sensing unit connected to the connecting substrate and the display unit (i.e. as seen in figure 1-2 the cover display 104 is said to be a touch panel display unit with a couple touch sensing layer) (see Fig. 1-2, [00550056]).
As to claim 3, Lehman teaches the electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the force-sensing unit comprises an action end and a supporting end, the action end is connected to the display unit, and the supporting end is connected to the connecting substrate (i.e. as seen in figure 1-7 the force sensing layer is supported by the compressing actuating layer which forms a supporting ends which is connected to the connection substrate) (see Fig. 1-7, [0081-0084).
As to claim 4, Lehman teaches the electronic device as claimed in claim 3, wherein in the normal direction of the display unit, the action end is offset from the supporting end (i.e. as seen in figure 6A the space exist which is an offset between the display surface and the depth of travel which allows for flexible operation by the supporting ends) (see Fig. 6, [0081-0084]).
As to claim 5, Lehman teaches the electronic device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the force-sensing unit comprises a bridge member affixed to the action end and the supporting end (i.e. the bridge member is seen as the in between 601 unit which is connective of the entire actuator body) (see Fig. 6, [0081-0083]).
As to claim 6, Lehman teaches the electronic device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the bridge member is made of a metal material (i.e. the electrodes forming the bridge member is said to be copper or aluminum) (see Fig. 6, [0091]).
As to claim 7, Lehman teaches the electronic device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the bridge member is U-shaped, and in the normal direction of the display unit, the action end overlaps the supporting end (i.e. as seen in figure 6 the bridge member does indeed have a U shape bulging structure which is compressible) (see Fig. 6, [0081-0084]).
As to claim 8, Lehman teaches the electronic device as claimed in claim 3, wherein a central axis of the action end is substantially parallel to a central axis of the supporting end (i.e. in the simple figure 6 design of the actuator the central axis of the action end and the supporting end is parallel) (see Fig. 6).
As to claim 9, Lehman teaches the electronic device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the action end is integrally formed with the display unit, and the supporting end is integrally formed with the connecting substrate (i.e. as seen in figure 6, the entire structure of Lehman is integrally formed to allow for flexible touch input) (see Fig. 6, [0081-0083]).
As to claim 10, Lehman teaches the electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the force-sensing unit comprises an action end and two supporting ends, the action end is located between the two supporting ends, and central axis of the action end and central axes of the two supporting ends are not parallel to each other (i.e. as seen in figure 2 the dual actuator design uses two supporting ends which are not parallel to each other) (see Fig. 2, [0061-0065]).
As to claim 11, Lehman teaches the electronic device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a force-sensing unit connected to the connecting substrate and the base (i.e. as seen in figure 1-7 the force sensing key board system uses force sensing actuator that is directed to the base 108 via the bottom portion 102) (see Fig. 1-7, [0081-0084]).
As to claim 12, Lehman teaches the electronic device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a buffer member connecting the connecting substrate and the display unit (i.e. as seen in figure 6 the bridge member does indeed have a U shape bulging structure which is compressible) (see Fig. 6, [0081-0084]).
As to claim 13, Lehman teaches the electronic device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a buffer member connecting the connecting substrate and the base (i.e. as seen in figure 6 the bridge member does indeed have a U shape bulging structure which is compressible and indirectly to the base unit 108 via 102 as seen in figure 1) (see Fig.1, 6, [0081-0084]).
As to claim 14, Lehman teaches the electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display unit comprises a display region and a peripheral region surrounding the display region, the force-sensing unit is located in the display region, and in a direction perpendicular to the normal direction, the distance between the force-sensing unit and the peripheral region is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 50 mm (i.e. the display unit of the keyboard is very closely integrated as said to be formed with glass of 2mm which means the distance between of the force-sensing unit and peripheral region is definitely between 0 and 50mm) (see Fig. 1-2, [0090-0091]).
As to claim 15, Lehman teaches the electronic device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a buffer member and a force-sensing unit disposed on opposite surfaces of the connecting substrate (i.e. as seen in figure 6, the entire structure of Lehman is integrally formed to allow for flexible touch input) (see Fig. 6, [0081-0083]).
As to claim 16, Lehman teaches the electronic device as claimed in claim 15, wherein in the normal direction of the display unit, the buffer member overlaps the force-sensing unit (i.e. as seen in figure 2 the buffer member overlap the touch sensing unit 104) (see Fig. 2, [0061-0064]).
As to claim 17, Lehman teaches the electronic device as claimed in claim15,wherein the buffer member comprises a connecting member and a buffer portion, and the buffer portion surrounds the connecting member (i.e. as seen in figure 6 the bridge member does indeed have a U shape bulging structure which is compressible and indirectly to the base unit 108 via 102 as seen in figure 1 and which surround the connective member as seen in figure 2) (see Fig.1-2, 6, [0061-0084]).
As to claim 20, Lehman teaches the electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuator is a piezoelectric element (i.e. figure 1 embodiment of Lehman shows a piezoelectric haptic feedback actuator design) (see Fig. 1, [0050]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 18-19 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The prior art Zhang et al. (US Pub: 2017/0090655 A1) is cited to teach another type of input and output system with piezo electric elements in the figures 1-4 embodiments.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CALVIN C. MA whose telephone number is (571)270-1713. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00AM-5:00PM.
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/CALVIN C MA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2693 May 16, 2026
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