www.uspto.gov
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`17/666,217
`
`02/07/2022
`
`Hideki NISHINAKAMA
`
`730756.401C1
`
`1036
`
`Seed IP Law Group LLP/Panasonic
`701 Fifth Avenue, Suite 5400
`Seattle, WA 98104
`
`TALPALATSKI, ALEXANDER
`
`ART UNIT
`
`2837
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`07/17/2024
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e-mail address(es):
`USPTOeAction @ SeedIP.com
`
`pairlinkdktg @seedip.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`17/666,217
`NISHINAKAMA,Hideki
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF)StatusExaminer
`Alexander Talpalatski
`2837
`Yes
`
`
`
`-- The MAILING DATEof this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORYPERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensionsof time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply betimely filed after SIX (6) MONTHSfrom 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) MONTHSfrom 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, evenif timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
`
`1)C) Responsive to communication(s) filed on
`CA declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiledon
`
`2a)C) This action is FINAL. 2b)¥)This action is non-final.
`3) An election was madeby the applicant in responseto a restriction requirement set forth during the interview
`on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`4)() 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 Exparte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-15 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) 9-10 is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`(J Claim(s) _is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1-8,11 and 13-15 is/are rejected.
`)
`Claim(s) 12 is/are objectedto.
`C) Claim(s
`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement
`)
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you maybeeligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
`
`Application Papers
`10)C) The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)2 The drawing(s) filedon _is/are: a)L) accepted or b)_) 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).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12)(¥) Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d)or (f).
`Certified copies:
`c)() None ofthe:
`b)( Some**
`a) All
`1.@) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.2.) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.1.) Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been receivedin this National Stage
`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.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`1)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3)
`
`4)
`
`(LJ Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`(Qj Other:
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20240711
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/666,21 7
`Art Unit: 2837
`
`Page 2
`
`DETAILED ACTION
`
`Election/Restrictions
`
`1.
`
`Applicant’s election without traverse of Species 1, Figures 1-12, Claims 1-8 and
`
`11-15 in the reply filed on 04/23/2024 is acknowledged.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
`
`2.
`
`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 madein this Office action:
`
`A person shall be entitled to a patent unless —
`
`(a)(1) the claimed invention waspatented, described in a printed publication, orin public use,
`on sale, or otherwise available to the public beforethe effectivefiling date of the claimed
`invention.
`
`3.
`
`Claim(s) 1-6, 8, 11, and 13-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being
`
`anticipated by Nishinakama (US 2017/0314610).
`
`4.
`
`In re claim 1, Nishinakama,
`
`in figures 1-28, discloses an input device comprising:
`
`a permanent magnet (441, 101a); a magnetic sensor (442, 23a) configured to detect a
`
`magnetic field produced by the permanent magnet; an operating unit (110,401); anda
`
`conversion mechanism (400, 100a-b) configured to convert a movementof the
`
`operating unit into a movement of a movable member which is one of the permanent
`
`magnet or the magnetic sensorrelative to the other of the permanent magnet or the
`
`magnetic sensor, the magnetic sensor being configured to output a signal according to
`
`a relative angle of rotation of the permanent magnet around a rotation axis relative to
`
`the magnetic sensor and strength of a magnetic field applied to the magnetic sensor
`
`(inherent function of a sensor such as a Hall sensor), the conversion mechanism being
`
`configured to convert a movementof the operating unit in a first direction intoafirst
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/666,21 7
`Art Unit: 2837
`
`Page 3
`
`action of the movable memberand convert a movementof the operating unit in a
`
`second direction into a second action of the movable member, the second direction
`
`intersecting thefirst direction, the first action being a movementinvolving a change in
`
`the relative angle of rotation of the permanent magnet around therotation axis relative
`
`to the magnetic sensor, the second action being a movementinvolving a change in the
`
`strength of the magnetic field applied to the magnetic sensor (the two actions can be
`
`seen in figures 6-7 and figures 24-26).
`
`5.
`
`In re claim 2, Nishinakama,
`
`in figures 1-28, discloses that the movable memberis
`
`the permanent magnet (441, 101a).
`
`6.
`
`In re claim 3, Nishinakama,
`
`in figures 1-28, discloses a substrate (405,22) on
`
`which the magnetic sensor is mounted; a first body disposed on a same side of the
`
`magnetic sensor with respect to a location of the permanent magnet; and a second
`
`body coupled to thefirst body, the second body being disposed on an opposite side of
`
`the magnetic sensor with respect to the location of the permanent magnet, wherein the
`
`substrate is held by the first body (portions of bodies 403 and 21 on opposite sides of
`
`the magnetic sensor are equivalent to claimed first and second bodies).
`
`7.
`
`In re claim 4, Nishinakama,
`
`in figures 1-28, discloses that the operating unit has
`
`a lever (110,401 as seenin the figures).
`
`8.
`
`In re claim 5, Nishinakama,in figures 1-28, discloses that the conversion
`
`mechanism is configured to perform at the same time conversion of the movementof
`
`the operating unit in thefirst direction into the first action of the movable member and
`
`conversion of the movementof the operating unit in the second direction into the
`
`second action of the movable member(as seen in figures 6-7 and figures 24-26).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/666,21 7
`Art Unit: 2837
`
`Page 4
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`9.
`
`In re claim 6, Nishinakama,
`
`in figures 1-28, discloses that the magnetic sensor
`
`includes at least one Hall element (see paragraph 100).
`
`10.‘
`
`In reclaim 8, Nishinakama,in figures 1-28, discloses that the conversion
`
`mechanism includes an actuator (120) havingatilted surfacetilted relative toaflat
`
`surface orthogonal to a direction in which the movable member movesalong with the
`
`second action, and a restriction part (131) configured to restrict a distance between the
`
`movable memberandthetilted surface, and the actuator is configured to move,in
`
`accordance with the movementof the operating unit in the second direction, such that a
`
`position of the restriction part on the tilted surface is changedto realize the second
`
`action of the movable member(as seen in figures 26a-c).
`
`
`
`11.=In reclaim 11, Nishinakama, in figures 1-28, discloses that the conversion
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`mechanism includes a holder (102, 415) holding the movable member, and the holder
`
`is configured to rotate together with the movable memberin accordancewith the
`
`movementof the operating unit in the first direction to realize the first action of the
`
`movable member(inherent function of the shownstructure).
`
`
`
`12.=In reclaim 13, Nishinakama, in figures 1-28, discloses at least one detection
`
`block (corresponding to the detection block of the invention), wherein one of the at least
`
`one detection block includes the permanent magnetincluding only one permanent
`
`magnet and the magnetic sensor including only one magnetic sensor and configured to
`
`detect the magnetic field of the one permanent magnet (one magnet and one sensor
`
`are clearly shown in the figures; see figure 5 and figure 20 for best views).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/666,21 7
`Art Unit: 2837
`
`Page 5
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`13.
`
`Inreclaim 14, Nishinakama,
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`in figures 1-28, discloses that the second action is a
`
`movementinvolving a change in a distance between the magnetic sensor and the
`
`permanent magnet(this is shown in figures 6-7 and 24-26).
`
`14.
`
`In reclaim 15, Nishinakama,in figures 1-28, discloses a movable object body (a
`
`car application is shownin figure 16) on which the input device is mounted.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
`
`15.—The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis forall
`
`obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
`
`A patent fora claimed invention may notbe obtained, notwithstanding thatthe claimed
`invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the
`claimed invention and the prior artare such that the claimed invention as a whole would have
`been obvious beforethe effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having
`ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall notbe
`negated by the mannerin whichthe invention was made.
`
`16.
`
`Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
`
`Nishinakama (US 2017/0314610) in view of Lee (US 7352174).
`
`17.
`
`In reclaim 7, Nishinakama teaches the claimed device exceptfor the elastic
`
`member. Lee howeverteaches a similar device with an elastic member (820). Therefore
`
`it would have been obvious to oneof ordinary skill in the art before the effectivefiling
`
`date of the claimed invention to have adapted an elastic member as taught by Leein
`
`the device of Nishinakama in order to provide a restoring force to the moving structure.
`
`Allowable Subject Matter
`
`18.
`
`Claim 12 is objected to as being dependent upona rejected baseclaim, but
`
`would beallowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the
`
`base claim and any intervening claims.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/666,21 7
`Art Unit: 2837
`
`Page 6
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`Conclusion
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`19.
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`The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to
`
`applicant's disclosure. A list of pertinent prior art is attached in form PTO-892.
`
`20.=Anyinquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examiner should be directed to Alexander Talpalatski whose telephone numberis
`
`(571)270-3908. The examiner can normally be reached 10 AM - 6 PM PT.
`
`Examinerinterviews are available via telephone,
`
`in-person, and video
`
`conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an
`
`interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO AutomatedInterview Request
`
`(AIR) at http:/Avwww.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
`
`supervisor, Shawki Ismail can be reached on 5712723985. The fax phone number for the
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`organization wherethis application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
`Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be
`
`obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available
`
`to registered users. Tofile and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit:
`
`https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit httos://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more
`
`information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docxfor information about
`
`filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC)at
`
`866-217-9197(toll-free). If you would like assistance froma USPTO Customer Service
`
`Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA)or 571-272-1000.
`
`/Alexander Talpalatski/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
`
`