DETAILED ACTION
Notice of 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 Objections
Claims 10 – 12 are objected to because of the following informalities:
The dependency of Claims 10 and 11 on Claim 8 requires a change to dependency upon Claim 9 due to an essentially typographical error. For purposes of examination and to expedite prosecution, the Examiner considers each of Claims 10 and 11 to be dependent upon Claim 9. Note the Claim 12 falls Objected with Claim 11 due to dependency.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claims 1 – 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) as failing to comply with the enablement requirement. The claims contain subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention.
Regarding Claim 1, the Specification provides support for where a response signal is transmitted to the sensor controller via use of short-range wireless communication, such as Bluetooth (Paragraph [0054], Lines 16 – 17), but fails to provide support for “a second electrode of a communication device configured to communicate with the sensor controller via short-range wireless communication” (Lines 5 – 6 of Claim 1) or communication with the sensor controller using “the second electrode” (Lines 10 – 12 of Claim 1). Note that Claims 2 – 8 fall rejected with Claim 1 at least due to dependency.
Regarding Claim 9, the Specification provides support for where a response signal is transmitted to the sensor controller via use of short-range wireless communication, such as Bluetooth (Paragraph [0054], Lines 16 – 17), but fails to provide support for “communicates with a second electrode of the active pen via short-range wireless communication” (Lines 6 – 7 of Claim 9) or communication with “the second electrode of the active stylus in the time slot” (Lines 11 – 12 of Claim 9). Note that Claims 10 – 16 fall rejected with Claim 9 at least due to dependency.
Regarding Claim 11, the Specification provides support for where a response signal is transmitted to the sensor controller via use of short-range wireless communication, such as Bluetooth (Paragraph [0054], Lines 16 – 17), but fails to provide support for “wherein the signal processor, in operation, receives data requested by the sensor controller from the second electrode via the short-range wireless communication” (Lines 1 - 3 of Claim 11).
Regarding Claim 17, the Specification provides support for where a response signal is transmitted to the sensor controller via use of short-range wireless communication, such as Bluetooth (Paragraph [0054], Lines 16 – 17), but fails to provide support for “using a second electrode of a communication device, communicating with the sensor controller via short-range wireless communication” (Lines 5 – 6 of Claim 17) or communication with the sensor controller using “the second electrode” (Lines 9 - 10 of Claim 9). Note that Claims 18 - 20 fall rejected with Claim 17 at least due to dependency.
Prior Art of Record
In the prior art of Chang (United States Patent Application Publication US 2017/0262122 A1, cited in parent application 16/836,494 and listed on the IDS filed October 21, 2025), it has been shown to provide an active pen 100 with body and first and second electrodes 110/120 for capacitively coupling with sensor electrodes in a touch screen 290 (Figure 5), where processing is carried out via the process of Figure 14 to obtain functional information from a downlink signal of the active pen of Figure 15 via Step 1420 where the second-time-based electrical signal indicates transmission from the second electrode 120 of the active pen of Figure 15. In other words, the second-time- based electrical signal provides functional information about the active pen having a peripheral electrode 120.)). However, Chang fails to disclose “communicates with the sensor controller in a time slot, which is allocated by the sensor controller based on the functional information, using the first electrode". Chang teaches allocation of time slots via processing module 1323 via the steps of Figure 14, but fails to disclose or teach determining said allocation dependent upon acquired functional information from a downlink signal.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRIAN M BUTCHER whose telephone number is (571)270-5575. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday – Friday from 6:30 AM to 3:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Ke Xiao, can be reached at (571) 272 - 7776. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRIAN M BUTCHER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2627 June 26, 2026
