DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1-3, 7-9, and 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ron et al. (US Patent Publication No. 2018/0052534; hereinafter Ron) in view of Kim et al. (US Patent Publication No. 2017/0277284; hereinafter Kim)
With reference to claim 1, 7, and 13, Ron discloses a touch system and erase method of a stylus (see Fig. 1) comprising: a stylus (100); and a touch panel (108), comprising:
a touch chip (102/202) to receive a first signal and a second signal from a stylus (100) (in teaching receiving a baseline signal and an eraser antenna signal; see paragraphs 38-40, 51, 54; Fig. 1-2, 4), wherein the touch chip comprises:
a receiver circuit (216) to receive the first signal and the second signal (see paragraphs 51, 54; Figs 2-4); and
a processor circuit (218) coupled to the receiver circuit (216) and to perform operations (see paragraph 45) below:
determining whether a signal intensity of the received first signal (baseline signal) is greater than a first threshold value (minimum signal strength; see paragraph 51);
determining whether the second signal (eraser signal) is received when the signal intensity of the received first signal is greater than the first threshold value (see paragraphs 51, 54; Fig. 4);
generate a determination result when it is determined that the second signal is received (see paragraphs 51, 54); and
performing an erase function according to the determination result (see paragraph 54; Fig. 4).
While disclosing the erasure function as recited, Ron fails to specifically disclose determining a ratio as recited.
Kim discloses a stylus pen (100) and a receiver circuit (200), wherein the stylus pen (100) includes conductive tip (110), a resonant circuit (140), and a conductive tail (120) (see paragraphs 42-45; Figs 1-2), wherein a processor (220) is used for determining whether a signal intensity ratio of the second signal to the first signal is greater than a second threshold value to generate a determination result (see paragraphs 56-59, 63-66; Figs. 3-5).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to allow the usage of a ratio calculation similar to that which is taught by Kim to be carried out in a device similar to that which is taught by Ron in order to provide stylus tip and eraser functions (see Kim; paragraphs 65-66).
With reference to claims 2, 8, and 14, Ron and Kim disclose the touch chip of claim 1, 7, or 13, wherein Kim further discloses that the stylus (100) comprises a tip electrode (110), a ring electrode (160), and an end electrode (120) (see paragraphs 115-117; Fig. 7), wherein the tip electrode and the end electrode are to emit the first signal, and the ring electrode is to emit the second signal, wherein when the determination result is that the signal intensity ratio is less than or equal to the second threshold value, the processor circuit performs the erase function (see paragraphs 61-67).
With reference to claims 3, 9, and 15, Ron and Kim disclose the touch chip of claim 1, 7, or 13, wherein Kim further discloses that the stylus (100) comprises a tip electrode (110), a ring electrode (160), and an end electrode (120) (see paragraphs 115-117; Fig. 7), wherein the ring electrode and the end electrode are to emit the first signal, and the tip electrode is to emit the second signal, wherein when the determination result is that the signal intensity ratio is less than or equal to the second threshold value, the processor circuit performs the erase function (see paragraphs 61-67).
Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Zaitsev et al. (US Patent Publication No. 2016/0239111; Zaitsev) discloses a processor detects an eraser surface on a touch screen wherein the electronic pen pointing device includes one or more transmitters that may have a distinctive signature, which when emitted identify either the proximal end or the distal end of the pointing device, wherein it is determined that the strongest signal is from the closest transmitter to the electronic device (column 4, line 46-column 6, line 49; Figs. 1-3)
Jensen et al. (US Patent Publication No. 2016/0282965; hereinafter Jensen) discloses a stylus including a first portion configured to transmit a first signal in a first pattern and a second portion configured to transmit a second signal in a second pattern different from the first pattern such that the second signal is distinguishable from the first signal configured to transmit synchronized signals (see abstract; paragraphs 11-44; Figs. 1-6).
Conclusion
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/ADE/ Examiner, Art Unit 2625
/WILLIAM BODDIE/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2625