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.
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The actual filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/applying-online/eterminal-disclaimer.
Claims 1-7, 15-16, 19 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claim 1-3, 18-19 of U.S. Patent No. 12,411,578 in view of KHAJEH et al (US Pub 2021/0405809).
Please refer to the table below:
Claim 1 of the present application.
Claim 1 of the U.S. Patent No. 12,411,578.
A device,
An ultrasonic touch sensor,
generate a measurement signal representative of ultrasonic reflected waves produced by a plurality of reflections of an ultrasonic transmit wave transmitted toward a touch structure;
wherein the ultrasonic receiver is configured to receive ultrasonic reflected waves produced by a plurality of reflections of the at least one ultrasonic transmit wave and generate a measurement signal representative of the ultrasonic reflected waves;
acquire a plurality of samples of the measurement signal based on calculating a distance of the measurement signal relative to a reference signal to generate the plurality of samples;
wherein the measurement circuit is configured to: acquire a first plurality of samples of the measurement signal based on calculating a distance of the measurement signal relative to a reference signal to generate the first plurality of samples,
calculate a rate of change of the plurality of samples; perform a comparison based on the rate of change and a rate of change threshold; and
calculate a rate of change of the first plurality of samples, perform a first comparison based on the rate of change and a rate of change threshold,
operate an ultrasonic touch sensor in a first operation mode based on the rate of change satisfying the rate of change threshold, or operate the ultrasonic touch sensor in a second operation mode based on the rate of change not satisfying the rate of change threshold.
and operate in the second operation mode based on the rate of change satisfying the rate of change threshold.
U.S. Patent No. 12,411,578 doesn’t expressly disclose a device, comprising: one or more processors coupled to one or more memories;
In the same field of endeavor, KHAJEH et al (US Pub 2021/0405809) discloses a device for detect touch input based on ultrasonic waves where KHAJEH disclose the device, comprising: one or more processors coupled to one or more memories and the one or more processors configured to execute the touch detection steps (fig. 2; device 200 comprising processor 214 connected to memory 216; par 0050; discloses one or more of the functions described herein can be performed by firmware stored in memory and executed by the touch circuitry 212 and/or ultrasonic touch sensing touch sensing circuitry 206 (or their respective controllers), or stored in program storage 216 and executed by host processor 214);
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the invention disclosed by U.S. Patent No. 12,411,578 to incorporate the teachings of KHAJEH to use processor and memory in the device such that device may execute all the steps using the processors of the device.
Claim 2 of the present application.
Claim 1 of the U.S. Patent No. 12,411,578.
The device of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic touch sensor comprises a touch structure configured to receive an input associated with a touch.
a touch structure comprising a touch surface configured to receive a touch, wherein the touch structure is coupled to the housing and arranged over the package cavity, and wherein the touch structure comprises a touch interface at the touch surface
Claim 3 of the present application.
Claim 1 of the U.S. Patent No. 12,411,578.
The device of claim 1, wherein the first operation mode is associated with a wet environment, and wherein the second operation mode is associated with an air environment.
wherein the measurement circuit is configurable in a first operation mode corresponding to an air environment and a second operation mode corresponding to a wet environment
Claim 4 of the present application.
Claim 2 of the U.S. Patent No. 12,411,578.
The device of claim 1, wherein the rate of change corresponds to a slope of the plurality of samples.
The ultrasonic touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the rate of change corresponds to a slope of the first plurality of samples.
Claim 5 of the present application.
Claim 1 of the U.S. Patent No. 12,411,578.
The device of claim 1, further comprising: a measurement circuit that is configurable in the first operation mode and the second operation mode.
wherein the measurement circuit is configurable in a first operation mode corresponding to an air environment and a second operation mode corresponding to a wet environment
Claim 6 of the present application.
Claim 1 of the U.S. Patent No. 12,411,578.
The device of claim 5, wherein the measurement circuit is configured to obtain the plurality of samples.
wherein the measurement circuit is configured to: acquire a first plurality of samples of the measurement signal
Claim 7 of the present application.
Claim 3 of the U.S. Patent No. 12,411,578.
The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of samples is associated with a predetermined number of samples acquired on a rolling basis.
The ultrasonic touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of samples is a predetermined number of samples, and wherein the measurement circuit is configured to continuously acquire the first plurality of samples on a rolling basis, continuously calculate the rate of change on the rolling basis, and perform the first comparison on the rolling basis
Claim 15 of the present application.
Claim 18 of the U.S. Patent No. 12,411,578.
A method, comprising: generating, by a device, a measurement signal representative of ultrasonic reflected waves produced by a plurality of reflections of an ultrasonic transmit wave transmitted toward a touch structure;
A method of operating an ultrasonic touch sensor, the method comprising: transmitting an ultrasonic transmit wave toward a touch structure of the ultrasonic touch sensor; generating a measurement signal representative of ultrasonic reflected waves produced by a plurality of reflections of the ultrasonic transmit wave;
acquiring, by the device, a plurality of samples of the measurement signal based on calculating a distance of the measurement signal relative to a reference signal to generate the plurality of samples;
acquiring a plurality of samples of the measurement signal based on calculating a distance of the measurement signal relative to a reference signal to generate the plurality of samples;
calculating, by the device, a rate of change of the plurality of samples; performing, by the device, a comparison based on the rate of change and a rate of change threshold; and
calculating a rate of change of the plurality of samples; performing a comparison based on the rate of change and a rate of change threshold; and
operating, by the device, an ultrasonic touch sensor in a first operation mode based on the rate of change satisfying the rate of change threshold, or operate the ultrasonic touch sensor in a second operation mode based on the rate of change not satisfying the rate of change threshold.
operating the ultrasonic touch sensor in a water operation mode based on the rate of change satisfying the rate of change threshold, or operating the ultrasonic touch sensor in an air operation mode based on the rate of change not satisfying the rate of change threshold.
Claim 16 of the present application.
Claim 18 of the U.S. Patent No. 12,411,578.
The device of claim 1, wherein the first operation mode is associated with a wet environment, and wherein the second operation mode is associated with an air environment.
operating the ultrasonic touch sensor in a water operation mode based on the rate of change satisfying the rate of change threshold, or operating the ultrasonic touch sensor in an air operation mode based on the rate of change not satisfying the rate of change threshold
Claim 19 of the present application.
Claim 19 of the U.S. Patent No. 12,411,578.
The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of samples is associated with a predetermined number of samples acquired on a rolling basis.
The method of claim 18, wherein the plurality of samples is a predetermined number of samples acquired on a rolling basis.
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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al (US Pub 2016/0345113) in view of Dickinson et al (US Pub 2015/0016223) and Akhbari et al (US Pub 2019/0354238).
With respect to claim 1, Lee discloses a device, (fig. 4; device 400) comprising: one or more processors coupled to one or more memories, (fig. 4; discloses device 400 includes processor 450 connected to memory 440) the one or more processors configured to (par 0140; discloses the processor 450 controls the switching unit 414 so that the ultrasonic transmission signal generated by the ultrasonic TX beamforming unit 411 is transmitted only to the non-contact type ultrasonic transducer (for example, the speaker 417) at an initial stage. The processor 450 controls the switching unit 414 so that the ultrasonic RX beamforming unit 413 receives only the ultrasonic reception signal received from the microphone 418): generate a measurement signal representative of ultrasonic reflected waves produced by a plurality of reflections of an ultrasonic transmit wave transmitted toward a touch structure (par 0184; discloses In step 911, the electronic device receives reflected waves of the ultrasonic waves emitted through the second ultrasonic transducer. The second ultrasonic transducer receives reflected waves having different reflection coefficients according to the kind of contact (or super-proximate) object); and operate an ultrasonic touch sensor in a first operation mode based on the rate of change satisfying the rate of change threshold, or operate the ultrasonic touch sensor in a second operation mode based on the rate of change not satisfying the rate of change threshold (par 0186; discloses In step 915, the electronic device performs a function corresponding to the confirmed kind of medium. If the electronic device recognizes a flooding situation of the electronic device according to the kind of medium, and the electronic device controls various functions thereof in preparation of the flooding situation. For example, when the electronic device recognizes a flooding situation, the electronic device protects an internal circuit by turning off a power supply of the electronic device);
Lee discloses determining operating medium by comparing the received signal to a mapping table (par 0185; discloses In step 913, the electronic device may confirm the object (medium) corresponding to the reflection coefficient by the reflected waves. The electronic device recognizes the kind of object that is currently in contact (or super-proximate) by using a mapping table, in which a corresponding medium is matched to a reflection coefficient, stored in a memory);
Lee don’t expressly disclose acquire a plurality of samples of the measurement signal based on calculating a distance of the measurement signal relative to a reference signal to generate the plurality of samples;
In the same field of endeavor, Dickinson discloses acoustic touch device and control method (see abstract); Dickinson discloses acquire a plurality of samples of the measurement signal based on calculating a distance of the measurement signal relative to a reference signal to generate the plurality of samples (par 0129; discloses The method 1300 may further include generating data samples based on a reflection of the ultrasonic wave, at 1306. The ultrasonic wave may be reflected from a stylus or a finger of a user, as illustrative examples. The data samples may correspond to the data samples 110, and the reflection may correspond to the reflected ultrasonic wave 152. In a particular embodiment, the data samples 110 are generated by the piezoelectric sensor elements 108 based on the reflected ultrasonic wave 152; par 0125; discloses an image of a user fingerprint may be obtained by acquiring a first or reference frame of data without generating an ultrasonic wave, followed by acquiring a second or image frame of data after generating an ultrasonic wave, then subtracting the reference frame from the image frame to obtain an ultrasonic image);
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the invention disclosed by Lee to incorporate the teachings of Dickinson to sample plurality of signal from the received signals such that noise and spurious signal are reduced and avoided, hence improving the accuracy of the touch detection device;
Lee as modified by Dickinson doesn’t expressly disclose calculate a rate of change of the plurality of samples; perform a comparison based on the rate of change and a rate of change threshold;
In the same field of endeavor, Akhbari discloses ultrasonic touch sensing device and control method for identifying different objects (see abstract); Akhbari discloses detecting moisture by calculate a rate of change of the plurality of samples; perform a comparison based on the rate of change and a rate of change threshold (par 0267; discloses FIG. 45 is a set of charts depicting energy measurement signals associated with a human finger, a water drop, and placing a device on a desk (e.g., placing an object over a sensor). For a human finger, the energy measurement signal inevitably has slight movements or variations, even for the duration of a touch event, which can be detected and identified to confirm that a human finger is initiating the touch event. For a liquid droplet or water droplet, the energy measurement signal has certain characteristics, such as a steep drop followed by a generally steady signal without much variation, if any. Detection of such characteristics can be used to discriminate between an actual intended touch event and accidental contact by other objects, such as falling water; par 0269; discloses a criteria of a magnitude of the energy signal (e.g., corresponding to a steep drop) can be used to distinguish between a finger touch and a water drop. Further, the energy signal is more consistent over time than the human finger. Thus, a criteria of the energy signal being within a specified range over a specified amount of time can be used to distinguish between a water drop and a human finger. Such a measurement can be performed using a variation (e.g., a standard deviation) of the energy signal over time. Accordingly, the feature information can include a magnitude of the energy signal and/or a variation of the energy signal. The determining of the inference can include comparing the magnitude and/or the variation to a respective threshold to determine whether the touch event is associated with a human digit or a water drop);
Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the invention disclosed by Lee as modified by Dickinson to incorporate the teachings of Akhbari to use the change in energy of the signal to distinguish between different kinds of objects/medium such that touch detection device is operation mode is correctly changed based on the detected medium.
With respect to claim 2, Lee as modified by Dickinson and Akhbari discloses wherein the ultrasonic touch sensor comprises a touch structure configured to receive an input associated with a touch (Lee; par 0155; discloses the heterogeneous ultrasonic transducers 600 of the electronic device 500 may be disposed on the front surface thereof. The heterogeneous ultrasonic transducers 600 include the non-contact type ultrasonic transducer 610 and a contact type ultrasonic transducer 620. The non-contact type ultrasonic transducer 610 among the heterogeneous ultrasonic transducer 600 may be exposed from the front surface of the electronic device 500 in order to perform a function of transmitting or receiving a signal of an ultrasonic band and a function for transmitting or receiving a sound of an audible frequency band together).
With respect to claim 3, Lee as modified by Dickinson and Akhbari discloses wherein the first operation mode is associated with a wet environment, and wherein the second operation mode is associated with an air environment (Lee; par 0185; discloses n step 913, the electronic device may confirm the object (medium) corresponding to the reflection coefficient by the reflected waves. The electronic device recognizes the kind of object that is currently in contact (or super-proximate) by using a mapping table, in which a corresponding medium is matched to a reflection coefficient, stored in a memory. When the medium is air, for example, the ultrasonic waves are reflected 99.9% by a known reflection coefficient formula, but when a human body (tissue) is in contact with (or super-proximate) to the electronic device, the ultrasonic waves are reflected 0.08% by a known reflection coefficient formula; par 0186; discloses In step 915, the electronic device performs a function corresponding to the confirmed kind of medium. If the electronic device recognizes a flooding situation of the electronic device according to the kind of medium, and the electronic device controls various functions thereof in preparation of the flooding situation).
With respect to claim 4, Lee as modified by Dickinson and Akhbari discloses wherein the rate of change corresponds to a slope of the plurality of samples (Akhbari; par 0245; discloses in addition to or instead of determining a rapid signal change 3708 based on measurements themselves, the determination can be made using a slope of a set of measurements, such as a slope of the current measurement and some number of past measurements; par 0364; discloses FIG. 63 is a set of charts depicting the energy measurement signals of an ultrasound input device demonstrating material detection according to certain aspects of the present disclosure. The characteristics of an energy measurement signal, such as shape, duration, slopes, or other characteristics, can be leveraged to make a determination as to the material interacting with the ultrasound input device).
With respect to claim 5, Lee as modified by Dickinson and Akhbari discloses further comprising: a measurement circuit that is configurable in the first operation mode and the second operation mode (Lee; fig. 4; processor 450 connected to transceiver 410; par 0141; discloses the processor 450 controls the ultrasonic transceiving unit 410 to transmit the ultrasonic transmission signal through the contact type ultrasonic transducer 416 and the speaker or receive the ultrasonic reception signal through the microphone 418 or the contact type ultrasonic transducer 416; par 0142; discloses recognizes a kind of contact (or super-proximity) medium (object) by operating the contact type ultrasonic transducer 416. As used herein super-proximity is defined as an object that is very close to the electronic device 400. The processor 450 recognizes a flooding situation according to the kind of medium, and controls various functions of the electronic device 400 in preparation of the flooding situation. As noted above, a flooding situation occurs when the electronic device 400 is in contact with water. For example, when the processor 450 recognizes the flooding situation, the processor 450 turns off a power supply of the electronic device 400 to protect an internal circuit and electronic components of the electronic device 400).
With respect to claim 6, Lee as modified by Dickinson and Akhbari discloses wherein the measurement circuit is configured to obtain the plurality of samples (Dickinson; par 0039; discloses the controller 120 may access the data samples 110 via the sensor interface 122. The controller 120 may perform one or more pre-processing operations using the data samples 110. For example, the core logic 130 may digitize the data samples 110 to generate a digital representation of the data samples 110, and the controller 120 may provide the digital representation to the applications processor 140 via the processor interface 132. The applications processor 140 may utilize the digital representation, such as in connection with execution of the application 146).
With respect to claim 7, Lee as modified by Dickinson and Akhbari don’t expressly disclose wherein the plurality of samples is associated with a predetermined number of samples acquired on a rolling basis;
Akhbari further discloses wherein the plurality of samples is associated with a predetermined number of samples acquired on a rolling basis (par 0242; discloses the sensor readout (e.g., DC signal or other sensor data) determined by the ultrasound input device can be measured continuously or at a specific frequency depending on the application. In some embodiments, the sensor readout can be measured at a frequency of 100 Hz);
Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the invention disclosed by Lee as modified by Dickinson and Akhbari to incorporate the teachings of Akhbari to obtain the received signals at a predefined intervals and determine the operating environment repeatedly such that continuous monitoring of the environment is performed allows the device to operate properly in the identified environment.
With respect to claim 8, Lee discloses a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions, (fig. 4; memory 440) the set of instructions comprising: one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, cause the device to (par 0150; discloses the memory 440 stores one or more programs executed by the processor 450): generate a measurement signal representative of ultrasonic reflected waves produced by a plurality of reflections of an ultrasonic transmit wave transmitted toward a touch structure (par 0184; discloses In step 911, the electronic device receives reflected waves of the ultrasonic waves emitted through the second ultrasonic transducer. The second ultrasonic transducer receives reflected waves having different reflection coefficients according to the kind of contact (or super-proximate) object); and operate an ultrasonic touch sensor in a first operation mode based on the rate of change satisfying the rate of change threshold, or operate the ultrasonic touch sensor in a second operation mode based on the rate of change not satisfying the rate of change threshold (par 0186; discloses In step 915, the electronic device performs a function corresponding to the confirmed kind of medium. If the electronic device recognizes a flooding situation of the electronic device according to the kind of medium, and the electronic device controls various functions thereof in preparation of the flooding situation. For example, when the electronic device recognizes a flooding situation, the electronic device protects an internal circuit by turning off a power supply of the electronic device);
Lee discloses determining operating medium by comparing the received signal to a mapping table (par 0185; discloses In step 913, the electronic device may confirm the object (medium) corresponding to the reflection coefficient by the reflected waves. The electronic device recognizes the kind of object that is currently in contact (or super-proximate) by using a mapping table, in which a corresponding medium is matched to a reflection coefficient, stored in a memory);
Lee don’t expressly disclose acquire a plurality of samples of the measurement signal based on calculating a distance of the measurement signal relative to a reference signal to generate the plurality of samples;
In the same field of endeavor, Dickinson discloses acoustic touch device and control method (see abstract); Dickinson discloses acquire a plurality of samples of the measurement signal based on calculating a distance of the measurement signal relative to a reference signal to generate the plurality of samples (par 0129; discloses The method 1300 may further include generating data samples based on a reflection of the ultrasonic wave, at 1306. The ultrasonic wave may be reflected from a stylus or a finger of a user, as illustrative examples. The data samples may correspond to the data samples 110, and the reflection may correspond to the reflected ultrasonic wave 152. In a particular embodiment, the data samples 110 are generated by the piezoelectric sensor elements 108 based on the reflected ultrasonic wave 152; par 0125; discloses an image of a user fingerprint may be obtained by acquiring a first or reference frame of data without generating an ultrasonic wave, followed by acquiring a second or image frame of data after generating an ultrasonic wave, then subtracting the reference frame from the image frame to obtain an ultrasonic image);
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the invention disclosed by Lee to incorporate the teachings of Dickinson to sample plurality of signal from the received signals such that noise and spurious signal are reduced and avoided, hence improving the accuracy of the touch detection device;
Lee as modified by Dickinson doesn’t expressly disclose calculate a rate of change of the plurality of samples; perform a comparison based on the rate of change and a rate of change threshold;
In the same field of endeavor, Akhbari discloses ultrasonic touch sensing device and control method for identifying different objects (see abstract); Akhbari discloses detecting moisture by calculate a rate of change of the plurality of samples; perform a comparison based on the rate of change and a rate of change threshold (par 0267; discloses FIG. 45 is a set of charts depicting energy measurement signals associated with a human finger, a water drop, and placing a device on a desk (e.g., placing an object over a sensor). For a human finger, the energy measurement signal inevitably has slight movements or variations, even for the duration of a touch event, which can be detected and identified to confirm that a human finger is initiating the touch event. For a liquid droplet or water droplet, the energy measurement signal has certain characteristics, such as a steep drop followed by a generally steady signal without much variation, if any. Detection of such characteristics can be used to discriminate between an actual intended touch event and accidental contact by other objects, such as falling water; par 0269; discloses a criteria of a magnitude of the energy signal (e.g., corresponding to a steep drop) can be used to distinguish between a finger touch and a water drop. Further, the energy signal is more consistent over time than the human finger. Thus, a criteria of the energy signal being within a specified range over a specified amount of time can be used to distinguish between a water drop and a human finger. Such a measurement can be performed using a variation (e.g., a standard deviation) of the energy signal over time. Accordingly, the feature information can include a magnitude of the energy signal and/or a variation of the energy signal. The determining of the inference can include comparing the magnitude and/or the variation to a respective threshold to determine whether the touch event is associated with a human digit or a water drop);
Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the invention disclosed by Lee as modified by Dickinson to incorporate the teachings of Akhbari to use the change in energy of the signal to distinguish between different kinds of objects/medium such that touch detection device is operation mode is correctly changed based on the detected medium.
With respect to claim 9, Lee as modified by Dickinson and Akhbari discloses wherein a touch input is received via the ultrasonic touch sensor (Lee; par 0155; discloses the heterogeneous ultrasonic transducers 600 of the electronic device 500 may be disposed on the front surface thereof. The heterogeneous ultrasonic transducers 600 include the non-contact type ultrasonic transducer 610 and a contact type ultrasonic transducer 620. The non-contact type ultrasonic transducer 610 among the heterogeneous ultrasonic transducer 600 may be exposed from the front surface of the electronic device 500 in order to perform a function of transmitting or receiving a signal of an ultrasonic band and a function for transmitting or receiving a sound of an audible frequency band together).
With respect to claim 10, Lee as modified by Dickinson and Akhbari discloses wherein the first operation mode is associated with a wet environment, and wherein the second operation mode is associated with an air environment (Lee; par 0185; discloses n step 913, the electronic device may confirm the object (medium) corresponding to the reflection coefficient by the reflected waves. The electronic device recognizes the kind of object that is currently in contact (or super-proximate) by using a mapping table, in which a corresponding medium is matched to a reflection coefficient, stored in a memory. When the medium is air, for example, the ultrasonic waves are reflected 99.9% by a known reflection coefficient formula, but when a human body (tissue) is in contact with (or super-proximate) to the electronic device, the ultrasonic waves are reflected 0.08% by a known reflection coefficient formula; par 0186; discloses In step 915, the electronic device performs a function corresponding to the confirmed kind of medium. If the electronic device recognizes a flooding situation of the electronic device according to the kind of medium, and the electronic device controls various functions thereof in preparation of the flooding situation).
With respect to claim 11, Lee as modified by Dickinson and Akhbari discloses wherein the rate of change corresponds to a slope of the plurality of samples (Akhbari; par 0245; discloses in addition to or instead of determining a rapid signal change 3708 based on measurements themselves, the determination can be made using a slope of a set of measurements, such as a slope of the current measurement and some number of past measurements; par 0364; discloses FIG. 63 is a set of charts depicting the energy measurement signals of an ultrasound input device demonstrating material detection according to certain aspects of the present disclosure. The characteristics of an energy measurement signal, such as shape, duration, slopes, or other characteristics, can be leveraged to make a determination as to the material interacting with the ultrasound input device).
With respect to claim 12, Lee as modified by Dickinson and Akhbari discloses wherein the device comprises: a measurement circuit that is configurable in the first operation mode and the second operation mode (Lee; fig. 4; processor 450 connected to transceiver 410; par 0141; discloses the processor 450 controls the ultrasonic transceiving unit 410 to transmit the ultrasonic transmission signal through the contact type ultrasonic transducer 416 and the speaker or receive the ultrasonic reception signal through the microphone 418 or the contact type ultrasonic transducer 416; par 0142; discloses recognizes a kind of contact (or super-proximity) medium (object) by operating the contact type ultrasonic transducer 416. As used herein super-proximity is defined as an object that is very close to the electronic device 400. The processor 450 recognizes a flooding situation according to the kind of medium, and controls various functions of the electronic device 400 in preparation of the flooding situation. As noted above, a flooding situation occurs when the electronic device 400 is in contact with water. For example, when the processor 450 recognizes the flooding situation, the processor 450 turns off a power supply of the electronic device 400 to protect an internal circuit and electronic components of the electronic device 400).
With respect to claim 13, Lee as modified by Dickinson and Akhbari discloses wherein the one or more instructions further cause the device to obtain the plurality of samples (Dickinson; par 0039; discloses the controller 120 may access the data samples 110 via the sensor interface 122. The controller 120 may perform one or more pre-processing operations using the data samples 110. For example, the core logic 130 may digitize the data samples 110 to generate a digital representation of the data samples 110, and the controller 120 may provide the digital representation to the applications processor 140 via the processor interface 132. The applications processor 140 may utilize the digital representation, such as in connection with execution of the application 146).
With respect to claim 14, Lee as modified by Dickinson and Akhbari don’t expressly disclose wherein the plurality of samples is associated with a predetermined number of samples acquired on a rolling basis;
Akhbari further discloses wherein the plurality of samples is associated with a predetermined number of samples acquired on a rolling basis (par 0242; discloses the sensor readout (e.g., DC signal or other sensor data) determined by the ultrasound input device can be measured continuously or at a specific frequency depending on the application. In some embodiments, the sensor readout can be measured at a frequency of 100 Hz);
Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the invention disclosed by Lee as modified by Dickinson and Akhbari to incorporate the teachings of Akhbari to obtain the received signals at a predefined intervals and determine the operating environment repeatedly such that continuous monitoring of the environment is performed allows the device to operate properly in the identified environment.
With respect to claim 15, Lee discloses a method (par 0178; discloses FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method of recognizing a surrounding environment by using heterogeneous ultrasonic transducers,) comprising: generating, by a device, a measurement signal representative of ultrasonic reflected waves produced by a plurality of reflections of an ultrasonic transmit wave transmitted toward a touch structure (fig. 4; device 400; par 0184; discloses In step 911, the electronic device receives reflected waves of the ultrasonic waves emitted through the second ultrasonic transducer. The second ultrasonic transducer receives reflected waves having different reflection coefficients according to the kind of contact (or super-proximate) object); and operating, by the device, an ultrasonic touch sensor in a first operation mode based on the rate of change satisfying the rate of change threshold, or operate the ultrasonic touch sensor in a second operation mode based on the rate of change not satisfying the rate of change threshold (par 0186; discloses In step 915, the electronic device performs a function corresponding to the confirmed kind of medium. If the electronic device recognizes a flooding situation of the electronic device according to the kind of medium, and the electronic device controls various functions thereof in preparation of the flooding situation. For example, when the electronic device recognizes a flooding situation, the electronic device protects an internal circuit by turning off a power supply of the electronic device);
Lee discloses determining operating medium by comparing the received signal to a mapping table (par 0185; discloses In step 913, the electronic device may confirm the object (medium) corresponding to the reflection coefficient by the reflected waves. The electronic device recognizes the kind of object that is currently in contact (or super-proximate) by using a mapping table, in which a corresponding medium is matched to a reflection coefficient, stored in a memory);
Lee don’t expressly disclose acquiring, by the device, a plurality of samples of the measurement signal based on calculating a distance of the measurement signal relative to a reference signal to generate the plurality of samples;
In the same field of endeavor, Dickinson discloses acoustic touch device and control method (see abstract); Dickinson discloses acquiring a plurality of samples of the measurement signal based on calculating a distance of the measurement signal relative to a reference signal to generate the plurality of samples (par 0129; discloses The method 1300 may further include generating data samples based on a reflection of the ultrasonic wave, at 1306. The ultrasonic wave may be reflected from a stylus or a finger of a user, as illustrative examples. The data samples may correspond to the data samples 110, and the reflection may correspond to the reflected ultrasonic wave 152. In a particular embodiment, the data samples 110 are generated by the piezoelectric sensor elements 108 based on the reflected ultrasonic wave 152; par 0125; discloses an image of a user fingerprint may be obtained by acquiring a first or reference frame of data without generating an ultrasonic wave, followed by acquiring a second or image frame of data after generating an ultrasonic wave, then subtracting the reference frame from the image frame to obtain an ultrasonic image);
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the invention disclosed by Lee to incorporate the teachings of Dickinson to sample plurality of signal from the received signals such that noise and spurious signal are reduced and avoided, hence improving the accuracy of the touch detection device;
Lee as modified by Dickinson doesn’t expressly disclose calculating, by the device, a rate of change of the plurality of samples; perform a comparison based on the rate of change and a rate of change threshold;
In the same field of endeavor, Akhbari discloses ultrasonic touch sensing device and control method for identifying different objects (see abstract); Akhbari discloses detecting moisture by calculating a rate of change of the plurality of samples; perform a comparison based on the rate of change and a rate of change threshold (par 0267; discloses FIG. 45 is a set of charts depicting energy measurement signals associated with a human finger, a water drop, and placing a device on a desk (e.g., placing an object over a sensor). For a human finger, the energy measurement signal inevitably has slight movements or variations, even for the duration of a touch event, which can be detected and identified to confirm that a human finger is initiating the touch event. For a liquid droplet or water droplet, the energy measurement signal has certain characteristics, such as a steep drop followed by a generally steady signal without much variation, if any. Detection of such characteristics can be used to discriminate between an actual intended touch event and accidental contact by other objects, such as falling water; par 0269; discloses a criteria of a magnitude of the energy signal (e.g., corresponding to a steep drop) can be used to distinguish between a finger touch and a water drop. Further, the energy signal is more consistent over time than the human finger. Thus, a criteria of the energy signal being within a specified range over a specified amount of time can be used to distinguish between a water drop and a human finger. Such a measurement can be performed using a variation (e.g., a standard deviation) of the energy signal over time. Accordingly, the feature information can include a magnitude of the energy signal and/or a variation of the energy signal. The determining of the inference can include comparing the magnitude and/or the variation to a respective threshold to determine whether the touch event is associated with a human digit or a water drop);
Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the invention disclosed by Lee as modified by Dickinson to incorporate the teachings of Akhbari to use the change in energy of the signal to distinguish between different kinds of objects/medium such that touch detection device is operation mode is correctly changed based on the detected medium.
With respect to claim 16, Lee as modified by Dickinson and Akhbari discloses wherein the first operation mode is associated with a wet environment, and wherein the second operation mode is associated with an air environment (Lee; par 0185; discloses n step 913, the electronic device may confirm the object (medium) corresponding to the reflection coefficient by the reflected waves. The electronic device recognizes the kind of object that is currently in contact (or super-proximate) by using a mapping table, in which a corresponding medium is matched to a reflection coefficient, stored in a memory. When the medium is air, for example, the ultrasonic waves are reflected 99.9% by a known reflection coefficient formula, but when a human body (tissue) is in contact with (or super-proximate) to the electronic device, the ultrasonic waves are reflected 0.08% by a known reflection coefficient formula; par 0186; discloses In step 915, the electronic device performs a function corresponding to the confirmed kind of medium. If the electronic device recognizes a flooding situation of the electronic device according to the kind of medium, and the electronic device controls various functions thereof in preparation of the flooding situation).
With respect to claim 17, Lee as modified by Dickinson and Akhbari discloses wherein the rate of change corresponds to a slope of the plurality of samples (Akhbari; par 0245; discloses in addition to or instead of determining a rapid signal change 3708 based on measurements themselves, the determination can be made using a slope of a set of measurements, such as a slope of the current measurement and some number of past measurements; par 0364; discloses FIG. 63 is a set of charts depicting the energy measurement signals of an ultrasound input device demonstrating material detection according to certain aspects of the present disclosure. The characteristics of an energy measurement signal, such as shape, duration, slopes, or other characteristics, can be leveraged to make a determination as to the material interacting with the ultrasound input device).
With respect to claim 18, Lee as modified by Dickinson and Akhbari discloses wherein the device comprises: a measurement circuit that is configurable in the first operation mode and the second operation mode (Lee; fig. 4; processor 450 connected to transceiver 410; par 0141; discloses the processor 450 controls the ultrasonic transceiving unit 410 to transmit the ultrasonic transmission signal through the contact type ultrasonic transducer 416 and the speaker or receive the ultrasonic reception signal through the microphone 418 or the contact type ultrasonic transducer 416; par 0142; discloses recognizes a kind of contact (or super-proximity) medium (object) by operating the contact type ultrasonic transducer 416. As used herein super-proximity is defined as an object that is very close to the electronic device 400. The processor 450 recognizes a flooding situation according to the kind of medium, and controls various functions of the electronic device 400 in preparation of the flooding situation. As noted above, a flooding situation occurs when the electronic device 400 is in contact with water. For example, when the processor 450 recognizes the flooding situation, the processor 450 turns off a power supply of the electronic device 400 to protect an internal circuit and electronic components of the electronic device 400).
With respect to claim 19, Lee as modified by Dickinson and Akhbari don’t expressly disclose wherein the plurality of samples is associated with a predetermined number of samples acquired on a rolling basis;
Akhbari further discloses wherein the plurality of samples is associated with a predetermined number of samples acquired on a rolling basis (par 0242; discloses the sensor readout (e.g., DC signal or other sensor data) determined by the ultrasound input device can be measured continuously or at a specific frequency depending on the application. In some embodiments, the sensor readout can be measured at a frequency of 100 Hz);
Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the invention disclosed by Lee as modified by Dickinson and Akhbari to incorporate the teachings of Akhbari to obtain the received signals at a predefined intervals and determine the operating environment repeatedly such that continuous monitoring of the environment is performed allows the device to operate properly in the identified environment.
With respect to claim 20, Lee as modified by Dickinson and Akhbari discloses wherein a touch input is received via the ultrasonic touch sensor (Lee; par 0155; discloses the heterogeneous ultrasonic transducers 600 of the electronic device 500 may be disposed on the front surface thereof. The heterogeneous ultrasonic transducers 600 include the non-contact type ultrasonic transducer 610 and a contact type ultrasonic transducer 620. The non-contact type ultrasonic transducer 610 among the heterogeneous ultrasonic transducer 600 may be exposed from the front surface of the electronic device 500 in order to perform a function of transmitting or receiving a signal of an ultrasonic band and a function for transmitting or receiving a sound of an audible frequency band together).
Conclusion
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/SUJIT SHAH/ Examiner, Art Unit 2624