`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMIVHSSIONER FOR PATENTS
`PO. Box 1450
`Alexandria1 Virginia 22313-1450
`wwwusptogov
`
`
`
`
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`12/486,003
`
`06/17/2009
`
`Hideo Sato
`
`1497-50007X00
`
`4282
`
`1m“
`
`7590
`
`03/223016
`
`Hauptman Ham, LLP
`23 18 Mill Road
`Suite 1400
`Alexandria, VA 22314
`
`FRY, MATTHEW A
`
`2696
`
`MAIL DATE
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`03/22/2016
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`PAPER NUMBER
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`PAPER
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`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
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`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
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`PTOL—90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`Applicant(s)
`Application No.
` 12/486,003 SATO ET AL.
`
`Examiner
`Art Unit
`AIA (First Inventorto File)
`Office Action Summary
`
`2696MATTHEW FRY first“
`
`-- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLY IS SET TO EXPIRE g MONTHS FROM THE MAILING DATE OF
`THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available under the provisions 0137 CFR 1.136(a).
`after SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133).
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, even if timely filed, may reduce any
`earned patent term adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`In no event, however, may a reply be timely filed
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`-
`-
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`Status
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`1)IXI Responsive to communication(s) filed on 1/22/13.
`[I A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
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`2b)lX| This action is non-final.
`2a)I:| This action is FINAL.
`3)I:I An election was made by the applicant in response to a restriction requirement set forth during the interview on
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`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
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`4)|:I Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under EX parte Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`5)|XI Claim(s) 13-6 and 19 is/are pending in the application.
`5a) Of the above claim(s)
`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`6)|:l Claim(s) _ is/are allowed.
`7)IZ| Claim(s) 13-6 and 19 is/are rejected.
`8)I:I Claim(s) _ is/are objected to.
`
`9)|:l Claim(s)
`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement.
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you may be eligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
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`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
` S
`htt
`://www.usoto. ov/ atents/init events) .h/index.‘
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`
`
`
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`, or send an inquiry to PRI-Ifeedback{<‘buspto.qov.
`
`Application Papers
`
`10)I:I The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)|:I The drawing(s) filed on _ is/are: a)I:I accepted or b)I:I objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
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`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12)I:I Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
`
`b)I:I Some” c)I:I None of the:
`a)I:I All
`1.I:I Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.I:I Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.I:I Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this National Stage
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`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`** See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
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`Attachment(s)
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`
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`3) D Interview Summary (PT0_413)
`1) E Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date.
`.
`.
`—
`4) I:I Other'
`2) D Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date .
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20160318
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 12/486,003
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`Page 2
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`Art Unit: 2696
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`1.
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`The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent
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`provisions.
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`Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1. 114
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`2.
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`A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set
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`forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this
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`application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set
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`forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action
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`has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 1/22/13
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`has been entered.
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`Response to Arguments
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`3.
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`Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 3-6 and 19 have been considered
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`but are moot because a new ground of rejection is presented below.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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`4.
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`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all
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`obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
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`(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set
`forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and
`the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the
`invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains.
`Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/486,003
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`Page 3
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`Art Unit: 2696
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`5.
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`Claims 1, 3-6 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable
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`over Kasser (US 6,002,389) in view of lse (US 5,283,556) and further in view of
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`Gerpheide et al (US 5,565,658).
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`6.
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`In regards to claim 1, Kasser discloses a device with a touch panel, comprising:
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`and a capacitive touch panel (abstract) which is placed on an observer (figure 3A),
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`wherein the touch panel includes a first substrate (45) and a second substrate
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`(15) which are arranged to face each other,
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`wherein the first substrate includes on a surface thereof, which is opposed to the
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`second substrate:
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`a plurality of first electrodes (40) which extend in a first direction and are
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`arranged side by side in a second direction intersecting the first direction;
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`and a plurality of second electrodes (30) which extend in the second direction to
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`intersect the plurality of first electrodes and are arranged side by side in
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`the first direction,
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`wherein the second substrate, which is opposed to the first substrate, includes a
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`planar third electrode (15) which covers the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality
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`of second electrodes, and wherein the
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`device includes a gel-like sheet (20) interposed between the plurality of first
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`electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes, and the third electrode (figure 1). Col
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`2, lines 43-59 discusses flexible material to be flexible, which the Examiner considers to
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`be "gel-like". Kasser does not explicitly discuss a display device.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/486,003
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`Page 4
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`Art Unit: 2696
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`|se teaches a capacitive touch screen comprising a driving circuit (102 and 103;
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`|se figure 5); a detecting circuit including a plurality of integration circuits (112-114)
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`including a plurality of integration circuits (105,11-114; |se figure 5); wherein the driving
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`circuit is electrically connected with the first electrode (figure 1) and being placed on the
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`observer side of a display (figure 18; Col 6-28).
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`|se and Kasser both teach a capacitive
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`touch pads. Capacitive touch screen and transparent materials are well known and
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`common in the art. As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the
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`art, to modify Kasser with |se such that Kasser's touch pad is mounted on the front of a
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`display device. Since the display inherently has an outer substrate, Kasser’s ground
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`plane, as modified, would be on the surface of a substrate. Kasser, as modified, does
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`not explicitly discuss the driving of the touch screen.
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`Gerpheide discloses a touch panel (abstract), comprising: a capacitive touch
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`(abstract);
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`a driving circuit (72-76, figure 4); and
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`a detecting circuit (80-82, figure 4) including a plurality of integration circuits,
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`wherein each integration circuit includes an integration capacitor ( see figure 5 which
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`shows a plurality of capacitive measurement circuits and figure 6b which shows an
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`integration circuit),
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`a plurality of first electrodes which extend in a first direction and are arranged
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`side by side in a second direction intersecting the first direction (Y electrodes, figure 4);
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`and
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`Application/Control Number: 12/486,003
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`Page 5
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`Art Unit: 2696
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`a plurality of second electrodes which extend in the second direction to intersect
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`the plurality of first electrodes and are arranged side by side in the first direction (X
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`electrodes, figure 2a),
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`wherein the driving circuit is configured to electrically connect with the first
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`electrodes (see figure 4),
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`wherein each one of the integration circuits is configured to electrically connect
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`with one of the second electrodes (figures 4 and 5 show the x electrodes connection to
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`capacitive measurement elements),
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`wherein each of the integration circuits is configured to detect a voltage of one of
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`the second electrodes when a voltage is supplied to one of the first electrodes (figure 6b
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`gives the equation for the output voltage relative to a driven voltage), and
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`wherein each of the integration circuits is configured to integrate current that
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`flows in a corresponding one of the second electrodes when the voltage supplied to a
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`corresponding one of the first electrodes changes to output a voltage that is proportional
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`to a capacitance difference between a coupling capacitance between the corresponding
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`one of the first electrodes and the corresponding one of the second electrodes(Col 4,
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`lines 1-13 discusses integrating; figure 6b shows an integrating amplifier; Col 5, lines
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`52-67 discuss measuring the difference between capacitances on the electrode; figure 4
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`shows applying different polarity driving signals RP and RN which generate the opposite
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`polarity capacitances on the second electrode).
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`Application/Control Number: 12/486,003
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`Page 6
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`Art Unit: 2696
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`Kasser and Gerpheide utilize similar structures comprising X and Y electrodes. It
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`would have been a simple substitution to replace Kasser’s touchscreen driving circuitry
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`with Gerpheides. As such, it would have been obvious, for one of ordinary skill in the
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`art, to modify Kasser (as modified by lse) with Gerpheide such that Gerpheide's
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`detecting circuit is used with Kasser's touchpad and lse's driving circuitry. Such a
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`modification would have been a simple substitution of parts that would provide
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`predictable results.
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`7.
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`In regards to claim 3, Kasser as modified does not explicitly disclose a display
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`device with a touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate and the
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`second substrate each comprise a glass substrate. However the Examiner takes
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`Official Notice that using glass substrates would have been obvious to one of ordinary
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`skill in the art as they are a well-known substrate. Further, setting the second substrate
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`to be thinner than the first substrate would have been an obvious design choice for one
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`of ordinary skill in the art. There are a limited number of relationships between the two
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`widths (larger, smaller, and equal) thus it would have been obvious to try.
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`8.
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`In regards to claim 4, Kasser as modified does not explicitly disclose a display
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`device with a touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate comprises a
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`glass substrate, and wherein the second substrate comprises a plastic substrate.
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`However the Examiner takes Official Notice that using glass and plastic substrates
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`would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art as they are a well-known
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`substrate. Further, setting one substrate to glass and the other plastic obvious design
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`choice for one of ordinary skill in the art, without affecting functionality of the device.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/486,003
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`Page 7
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`Art Unit: 2696
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`There are a limited number of relationships between the two substrates (both glass,
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`both plastic, plastic and glass or glass and plastic) thus it would have been obvious to
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`try.
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`9.
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`In regards to claim 5, Kasser as modified does not explicitly disclose a display
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`device with a touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate and the
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`second substrate each comprise a plastic substrate. However the Examiner takes
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`Official Notice that using glass substrates would have been obvious to one of ordinary
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`skill in the art as they are a well-known substrate.
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`10.
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`In regards to claim 6, Kasser as modified discloses a touch panel, further
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`comprising: a display panel: a capacitive touch panel which is placed on an observer
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`side of the display panel: a driving circuit: and a detecting circuit including a plurality of
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`integration circuits, wherein each integration circuit includes an integration capacitor,
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`wherein the touch panel includes a first substrate and a second substrate which are
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`arranged to face each other, wherein the first substrate includes on a surface thereof,
`
`which is opposed to the second substrate: a plurality of first electrodes which extend in
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`a first direction and are arranged side by side in a second direction intersecting the first
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`direction: and a plurality of second electrodes which extend in the second direction to
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`intersect the plurality of first electrodes and are arranged side by side in the first
`
`direction, wherein the second substrate includes on a surface thereof, which is opposed
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`to the first substrate a planar third electrode which covers the plurality of first electrodes
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`and the plurality of second electrodes, and wherein the display device includes a gel-
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`like sheet interposed between the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/486,003
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`Page 8
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`Art Unit: 2696
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`electrodes, and the third electrode, wherein the driving circuit is configured to electrically
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`connect with the first electrodes, wherein each one of the integration circuits is
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`configured to electrically connect with one of the second electrodes, wherein each of the
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`integration circuits is configured to detect a voltage of one of the second electrodes
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`when a voltage is supplied to one of the first electrodes (see claim 1 explanation), a
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`coordinate position calculating circuit which calculates a touch point at which the touch
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`panel is touched (Gerpheide 18, figure 1), wherein the driving circuit sequentially selects
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`two first electrodes that are adjacent to one another among the plurality of first
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`electrodes to supply a voltage higher in potential than a reference voltage to one of the
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`selected two first electrodes and supply the reference voltage to another the other of the
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`selected two first electrodes thereof (Gerpheide Col 6, lines 1-18 selects two electrodes
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`to apply RP and RN; lse figure 2 shows sequential driving), wherein the detecting circuit
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`detects a capacitance difference between a capacitor A and a capacitor B (A-B), the
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`capacitor A being provided between a second electrode that is selected among the
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`plurality of second electrodes and the first electrode to which the voltage higher in
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`potential is supplied, the capacitor B being provided between the selected second
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`electrode and the first electrode to which the reference voltage is supplied, and wherein
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`the coordinate position calculating circuit calculates a touch point at which the touch
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`panel is touched based on locations of the selected two first electrodes and the selected
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`second electrode and on the capacitance difference (A-B) (see claim 1 explanation
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`above).
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/486,003
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`Page 9
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`Art Unit: 2696
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`11.
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`In regards to claim 19, Kasser as modified discloses a display device with a
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`touch panel according to claim 6, further comprising switches coupled, respectively, to
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`each of the first electrodes and a switch control circuit coupled to the switches and the
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`reference voltage to control the supply of the reference voltage to the first electrodes
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`(Gerpheide figure 4 shows switching’s controlling application of RP and RN to the Y
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`electrodes).
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`Conclusion
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`12.
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to MATTHEW FRY whose telephone number is (303)297-
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`4769. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday thru Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00
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`PM, alternate Fridays, EST.
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`lf attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
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`supervisor, Temesghen Ghebretinsae can be reached on 571-272—3017. The fax
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`phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is
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`571 -273-8300.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/486,003
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`Page 10
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`Art Unit: 2696
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`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the
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`Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for
`
`published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR.
`
`Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only.
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`For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should
`
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`
`/MATTHEW FRY/
`
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2696
`
`