Office Action 1: Notice of Allowance (2024-09-17)

CLAIMS:
AMENDMENTS TO THE CLAIMS

1\. (Original) An electronic device configured to gather touch input from a finger, comprising:
a display having a display cover layer with a surface, wherein the surface has a surface normal; and
an optical touch sensor comprising:light sources configured to emit light into the display cover layer, wherein the light has a wavelength;
light detectors that are configured to detect reflections of the light when the surface is contacted by the finger; and
interference filters that are formed over at least one of the light detectors, wherein the interference filters have a first transmission for light at the wavelength and at a first incident angle relative to the surface normal, wherein the interference filters have a second transmission for light at the wavelength and at a second incident angle relative to the surface normal, wherein the second incident angle is greater than the first incident angle, and wherein the second transmission is greater than the first transmission.
2\. (Original) The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the first incident angle is 0 degrees and wherein the second incident angle is greater than 65 degrees.
3\. (Original) The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the display cover layer has a first refractive index, wherein water has a second refractive index, wherein an interface between a water droplet and the display cover layer has an associated critical angle based on the first refractive index and the second refractive index, and wherein the first incident angle is less than the critical angle.
4\. (Original) The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the wavelength is a near infrared wavelength.
5\. (Original) The electronic device defined in claim 1, further comprising:

additional interference filters that are formed over at least one of the light sources.
6\. (Original) The electronic device defined in claim 5, wherein the additional interference filters have a third transmission for light at the wavelength and at a third incident angle relative to the surface normal, wherein the additional interference filters have a fourth transmission for light at the wavelength and at a fourth incident angle relative to the surface normal, wherein the fourth incident angle is greater than the third incident angle, and wherein the fourth transmission is less than the third transmission.
7\. (Original) The electronic device defined in claim 6, wherein the display cover layer has a first refractive index, wherein air has a second refractive index, wherein an interface between air and the display cover layer has an associated critical angle based on the first refractive index and the second refractive index, and wherein the third incident angle is less than the critical angle.
8\. (Original) The electronic device defined in claim 5, wherein each one of the additional interference filters comprises multiple sublayers with alternating index of refraction values.
9\. (Original) The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein each one of the interference filters comprises multiple sublayers with alternating index of refraction values.

10\. (Original) The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein each one of the interference filters comprises alternating layers of glass and silver.

11\. (Original) The electronic device defined in claim 10, wherein each one of the interference filters comprises:
a first sublayer formed from glass;
a second sublayer formed from silver;
a third sublayer formed from glass; and
a fourth sublayer formed from silver.

12\. (Original) The electronic device defined in claim 11, wherein the second sublayer has a thickness of less than 100 nanometers, wherein the third sublayer has a thickness of less than 1,000 nanometers, and wherein the fourth sublayer has a thickness of less than 100 nanometers.

13\. (Original) The electronic device defined in claim 1, further comprising:
additional filters, wherein each additional filter is adjacent to a respective interference filter and formed over a respective light detector.

14\. (Original) The electronic device defined in claim 13, wherein the additional filters block visible light.

15\. (Original) The electronic device defined in claim 13, wherein the additional filters have a same transmission at the first incident angle as at the second incident angle.

16\. (Original) The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the optical touch sensor is configured to distinguish between when the surface is contacted by the finger and when the surface is contacted by a water droplet.

17\. (Original) An electronic device configured to gather touch input from a finger, comprising:
a display having a display cover layer; and an optical touch sensor comprising:light sources configured to emit light into the display cover layer;
light detectors that are configured to detect reflections of the light when the cover layer is contacted by the finger;
first interference filters, wherein each first interference filter overlaps a respective light source of the light sources; and
second interference filters, wherein each second interference filter overlaps a respective light detector of the light detectors.

18\. (Original) The electronic device defined in claim 17, wherein the display cover layer has a surface normal, wherein the first interference filters are configured to pass more light at an on-axis angle that is parallel to the surface normal than at an off-axis angle that is not parallel to the surface normal, and wherein the second interference filters are configured to pass more light at the off-axis angle than at the on-axis angle.

19\. (Original) The electronic device defined in claim 17, wherein each one of the first and second interference filters comprises multiple sublayers with alternating index of refraction values.

20\. (Original) An electronic device configured to gather touch input from a finger, comprising:
a display having a display cover layer; and an optical touch sensor comprising:at least one light source configured to emit near-infrared light into the display cover layer;
light detectors that are configured to detect reflections of the near-infrared light when the cover layer is contacted by the finger;
interference filters, wherein each interference filter is formed over a respective light detector, wherein each one of the interference filters comprises multiple sublayers with alternating index of refraction values, and wherein each interference filter has different transmission of near-infrared light at different incident angles; and
visible light blocking filters, wherein each visible light blocking filter is formed over a respective light detector.

21-40. (Canceled)2239

OFFICE ACTION:
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 .
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1 – 20 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claims 1, 17. 20:
The closest prior art is Duxbury et al. (U.S. Patent Publication 20210311585 A1).
However, the prior art does not teach or suggest either singularly or in combination the specifically claimed, “interference filters that are formed over at least one of the light detectors, wherein the interference filters have a first transmission for light at the wavelength and at a first incident angle relative to the surface normal, wherein the interference filters have a second transmission for light at the wavelength and at a second incident angle relative to the surface normal, wherein the second incident angle is greater than the first incident angle, and wherein the second transmission is greater than the first transmission., in the context of the rest of the claimed limitations.
Claims 2 – 16 and 18, 19 depend on claims 1, 17 and are found allowable for at least the same reason as discussed above.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee.  Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 9158416 B1 discloses light source on Fig. 6
US 20210311586 A1 discloses optical touch sensor on Fig. 5,
US 20200310592 A1 discloses optical touch sensing on abstract.



CITED REFERENCE SUMMARIES: Ref US2022011342A1: [content unavailable]
Ref US9158416B2: Claims:
A light-based touch sensitive device, comprising: a housing; a surface encased in said housing; a layer of elastic material above said surface; a plurality of light pulse emitters mounted in said housing, that transmit light pulses through said layer; a plurality of light pulse receivers mounted in said housing, that receive the light pulses transmitted through said layer; an air gap between said surface and said layer; at least one light guide in said housing, that guides light pulses over and across said surface traveling within said layer, and that guides light pulses over and across said surface traveling within said air gap; and a calculating unit, mounted in said housing and connected to said receivers, that determines a location of a pointer that touches said layer and creates an impression in said layer, based on outputs of said receivers.
The light-based touch sensitive device of claim 1 , further comprising a haptic driver, mounted in said housing and connected to said layer and to said calculating unit, that generates haptic vibrations in said layer when the pointer creates an impression in said layer.
The light-based touch sensitive device of claim 1 wherein said layer comprises at least a portion of a flush outer surface of said housing.
The light-based touch sensitive device of claim 1 further comprising at least one light guide in said housing, that guides the light pulses from said emitters into said layer, and from said layer into said receivers, wherein an upper surface of said layer is coplanar with an upper edge of said at least one light guide.
The light-based touch sensitive device of claim 4 wherein said at least one light guide and said layer are formed together by an overmolding process.
The light-based touch sensitive device of claim 1 further comprising at least one light guide in said housing, that guides light pulses over and across said surface through said layer, and that guides light pulses over and across said surface above said layer.
A light-based touch sensitive device comprising: a housing; a surface encased in said housing; a layer of elastic material above said surface and forming an air gap between said surface and said layer, said layer being removable; a plurality of light pulse emitters mounted in said housing, that transmit light pulses over and across said surface traveling within the air gap; a plurality of light pulse receivers mounted in said housing, that receive the light pulses; and a calculating unit, mounted in said housing and connected to said receivers, that determines a location of a pointer that touches said layer and creates an impression in said layer, based on outputs of said receivers.
The light-based touch sensitive device of claim 7 further comprising a haptic driver, mounted in said housing and connected to said layer and to said calculating unit, that generates haptic vibrations in said layer when the pointer creates an impression in said layer.
The light-based touch sensitive device of claim 7 wherein said layer comprises at least a portion of a flush outer surface of said housing.
The light-based touch sensitive device of claim 7 further comprising at least one light guide in said housing, that guides the light pulses from said emitters into the air gap, and from the air gap into said receivers, wherein an upper surface of said layer is coplanar with an upper edge of said at least one light guide.
The light-based touch sensitive system of claim 10 wherein said at least one light guide and said layer are formed together by an overmolding process.
The light-based touch sensitive device of claim 7 wherein said layer is attached to a frame that is removably attached to said housing with a snap-on motion.
The light-based touch sensitive device of claim 12 wherein said surface comprises a display, the device further comprising a non-volatile memory that stores program code providing instructions for rendering at least two user interfaces on said display; namely, a low-resolution touch-based user interface for use when said layer is attached to said housing, and a high-resolution touch-based user interface for use when said layer is detached from said housing.
The light-based touch sensitive device of claim 12 further comprising: a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip connected to said layer; and an RFID reader mounted in said housing, that detects attachment of said layer to said housing via said RFID chip,
a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip connected to said layer; and
an RFID reader mounted in said housing, that detects attachment of said layer to said housing via said RFID chip,
wherein the program code provides instructions for presenting the low-resolution touch-based user interface when said RFID reader detects attachment of said layer to said housing.
A light-based touch sensitive device, comprising: a housing; a surface encased in said housing; a layer of elastic material above said surface; a plurality of light pulse emitters mounted in said housing, that transmit light pulses traveling within said layer; a plurality of light pulse receivers mounted in said housing, that receive the light pulses transmitted through said layer; at least one light guide in said housing, that guides the light pulses from said emitters into said layer, and from said layer into said receivers, wherein an upper surface of said layer is coplanar with an upper edge of said at least one light guide, and wherein said at least one light guide and said layer are formed together by an overmolding process; and a calculating unit, mounted in said housing and connected to said receivers, that determines a location of a pointer that touches said layer and creates an impression in said layer, based on outputs of said receivers.
The light-based touch sensitive device of claim 15 , further comprising a haptic driver, mounted in said housing and connected to said layer and to said calculating unit, that generates haptic vibrations in said layer when the pointer creates an impression in said layer.
The light-based touch sensitive device of claim 15 wherein said layer comprises at least a portion of a flush outer surface of said housing.
The light-based touch sensitive device of claim 15 further comprising at least one light guide in said housing, that guides light pulses over and across said surface through said layer, and that guides light pulses over and across said surface above said layer.
A light-based touch sensitive device comprising: a housing; a surface encased in said housing; a layer of elastic material above said surface and forming an air gap between said surface and said layer; a plurality of light pulse emitters mounted in said housing, that transmit light pulses over and across said surface traveling within the air gap; a plurality of light pulse receivers mounted in said housing, that receive the light pulses; at least one light guide in said housing, that guides the light pulses from said emitters into the air gap, and from the air gap into said receivers, wherein an upper surface of said layer is coplanar with an upper edge of said at least one light guide, and wherein said at least one light guide and said layer are formed together by an overmolding process; and a calculating unit, mounted in said housing and connected to said receivers, that determines a location of a pointer that touches said layer and creates an impression in said layer, based on outputs of said receivers.
The light-based touch sensitive device of claim 19 further comprising a haptic driver, mounted in said housing and connected to said layer and to said calculating unit, that generates haptic vibrations in said layer when the pointer creates an impression in said layer.
The light-based touch sensitive device of claim 19 wherein said layer comprises at least a portion of a flush outer surface of said housing.
Ref US9218073B1: Claims:
An apparatus comprising: a stylus housing having an end; a transmit (TX) drive circuit disposed at least partially inside the stylus housing; a tip shield configured to be coupled to the TX drive circuit to receive a TX potential from the TX drive circuit; a conductive tip disposed at least partially inside the stylus housing and extending from the end, the conductive tip configured to receive the TX potential from the TX drive circuit and capacitively couple a transmit signal to a sense array when the tip shield is coupled to the TX drive circuit, when the tip shield is not coupled to the TX drive circuit, and without a change in contact between the conductive tip and a touch surface; a force sensor coupled to the conductive tip and configured to measure a force of a contact between the conductive tip and the touch surface; and a switch configured to electrically couple the tip shield to the conductive tip when the measured force of contact indicates that the conductive tip is not in contact with the touch surface.
a stylus housing having an end;
a transmit (TX) drive circuit disposed at least partially inside the stylus housing;
a tip shield configured to be coupled to the TX drive circuit to receive a TX potential from the TX drive circuit;
a conductive tip disposed at least partially inside the stylus housing and extending from the end, the conductive tip configured to receive the TX potential from the TX drive circuit and capacitively couple a transmit signal to a sense array when the tip shield is coupled to the TX drive circuit, when the tip shield is not coupled to the TX drive circuit, and without a change in contact between the conductive tip and a touch surface;
a force sensor coupled to the conductive tip and configured to measure a force of a contact between the conductive tip and the touch surface; and
a switch configured to electrically couple the tip shield to the conductive tip when the measured force of contact indicates that the conductive tip is not in contact with the touch surface.
The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the force sensor comprises an inductive sensor and wherein the inductive sensor is configured to measure the force of the contact by measuring a change of an impedance of a sensing coil in the inductive sensor.
The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the force sensor comprises a capacitive sensor and wherein the capacitance sensor is configured to measure the force of the contact by measuring a change in a capacitance of a capacitor in the capacitive sensor.
The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the force sensor comprises a piezo sensor and wherein the piezo sensor is configured to measure the force of the contact by measuring a voltage generated by a piezoelectric material in the piezo sensor.
The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the force sensor comprises a force sensing resistor sensor and wherein the force sensing resistor sensor is configured to measure the force of the contact by measuring a change in resistance of a resistor in the force sensing resistor sensor.
The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the force sensor comprises an optical sensor, and wherein the optical sensor is configured to measure the force of the contact by measuring an amount of light from a light source in the optical sensor.
The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tip shield is coupled with the stylus housing and extends from the end and further comprising a switch coupled to the tip shield and the conductive tip, wherein the switch is configured to electrically couple the tip shield to the conductive tip in a first mode and to electrically isolate the tip shield from the conductive tip in a second mode.
The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising: a processing device configured to: instruct the switch to electrically couple the tip shield to the conductive tip when the force sensor detects that the conductive tip is not in contact with the touch surface; and instruct the switch to electrically isolate the tip shield from the conductive tip when the force sensor detects that the conductive tip is in contact with the touch surface.
a processing device configured to:
instruct the switch to electrically couple the tip shield to the conductive tip when the force sensor detects that the conductive tip is not in contact with the touch surface; and instruct the switch to electrically isolate the tip shield from the conductive tip when the force sensor detects that the conductive tip is in contact with the touch surface.
The apparatus of claim 8 , comprising the transmit (TX) drive circuit coupled to the processing device, wherein the TX drive circuit is configured to transmit the TX potential in the first mode to the tip shield and to the conductive tip when the force sensor detects that the conductive tip is not in contact with the touch surface and wherein the TX drive circuit is configured to transmit the TX potential in the second mode to the conductive tip when the force sensor detects that the conductive tip is in contact with the touch surface.
A method comprising: detecting contact between a conductive tip of a stylus and an object; determining a force of the contact between the conductive tip of the stylus and the object; providing, by a transmit (TX) circuit of the stylus, a TX potential to a tip shield of the stylus and the conductive tip; capacitively coupling a transmit signal, which is responsive to the TX potential, from the tip shield and the conductive tip to a sense array; and instructing a switch to electrically couple the tip shield to the conductive tip when a force sensor detects that the conductive tip is not in contact with the object.
detecting contact between a conductive tip of a stylus and an object;
determining a force of the contact between the conductive tip of the stylus and the object;
providing, by a transmit (TX) circuit of the stylus, a TX potential to a tip shield of the stylus and the conductive tip;
capacitively coupling a transmit signal, which is responsive to the TX potential, from the tip shield and the conductive tip to a sense array; and
instructing a switch to electrically couple the tip shield to the conductive tip when a force sensor detects that the conductive tip is not in contact with the object.
The method of claim 10 , further comprising instructing the switch to electrically isolate the tip shield from the conductive tip when the force sensor detects that the conductive tip is in contact with the object.
The method of claim 10 , wherein the force sensor is selected from the group consisting of an inductive sensor, a capacitive sensor, a piezo sensor, a force sensing resistor sensor, and an optical sensor.
A system comprising: a stylus housing having an end; a conductive tip disposed at least partially inside the stylus housing and extending from the end; a tip shield; a force sensor coupled to the conductive tip and configured to measure a force of a contact between the conductive tip and a touchscreen; a processing device within the stylus housing, the processing device configured to provide a transmit (TX) potential to the conductive tip and to the tip shield through the conductive tip, the processing device configured to electrically couple the tip shield to the conductive tip when the measured force of contact indicates that the conductive tip is not in contact with the touchscreen, wherein the TX potential is to be capacitively coupled to a sense array of the touchscreen.
a conductive tip disposed at least partially inside the stylus housing and extending from the end;
a force sensor coupled to the conductive tip and configured to measure a force of a contact between the conductive tip and a touchscreen;
a processing device within the stylus housing, the processing device configured to provide a transmit (TX) potential to the conductive tip and to the tip shield through the conductive tip, the processing device configured to electrically couple the tip shield to the conductive tip when the measured force of contact indicates that the conductive tip is not in contact with the touchscreen, wherein the TX potential is to be capacitively coupled to a sense array of the touchscreen.
The system of claim 13 , wherein the force sensor comprises an inductive sensor and wherein the inductive sensor is configured to measure the force of the contact by measuring a change of an impedance of a sensing coil in the inductive sensor.
The system of claim 13 , wherein the force sensor comprises a capacitive sensor and wherein the capacitance sensor is configured to measure the force of the contact by measuring a change in a capacitance of a capacitor in the capacitive sensor.
The system of claim 13 , wherein the force sensor comprises a piezo sensor and wherein the piezo sensor is configured to measure the force of the contact by measuring a voltage generated by a piezoelectric material in the piezo sensor.
The system of claim 13 , wherein the force sensor comprises a force sensing resistor sensor and wherein the force sensing resistor sensor is configured to measure the force of the contact by measuring a change in resistance of a resistor in the force sensing resistor sensor.
The system of claim 13 , wherein the force sensor comprises an optical sensor, and wherein the optical sensor is configured to measure the force of the contact by measuring an amount of light from a light source in the optical sensor.
The system of claim 13 , wherein the processing device is further configured to transmit the TX potential in a first mode to the tip shield and to the conductive tip when the force sensor detects that the conductive tip is not in contact with the object and wherein the processing device is further configured to transmit the TX potential in a second mode to the conductive tip when the force sensor detects that the conductive tip is in contact with the object.
Ref US20050026209A1: Claims:
A system for detecting binding of two chemical species, comprising: a bundle of elongate optical fibers, each having a first end remote from a second end; multiple probes, each attached to one of said optical fibers within a predetermined section between each of said optical fiber's first end and second end; a well configured to hold a solution comprising a target and to receive at least said predetermined section of each of said optical fibers; a light source configured to direct light into said first end of each of said optical fibers; and a detector configured to detect light emitted by the binding of said target to at least one of said multiple probes.
a bundle of elongate optical fibers, each having a first end remote from a second end;
multiple probes, each attached to one of said optical fibers within a predetermined section between each of said optical fiber's first end and second end;
a well configured to hold a solution comprising a target and to receive at least said predetermined section of each of said optical fibers;
a light source configured to direct light into said first end of each of said optical fibers; and
a detector configured to detect light emitted by the binding of said target to at least one of said multiple probes.
The system of claim 1 , further comprising multiple bundles and multiple wells.
The system of claim 1 , wherein said detector is disposed in proximity to said second end of at least one of said optical fibers.
The system of claim 1 , wherein said light source is disposed in proximity to said first end of at least one of said optical fibers.
The system of claim 1 , wherein each of said wells is configured and dimensioned to receive a length of said bundle therein, and where a cross-section of said well is larger than a cross-section of said bundle.
The system of claim 1 , wherein said optical fibers in said bundle are substantially parallel to one another.
The system of claim 1 , wherein said optical fibers in said bundle are parallel to one another.
The system of claim 1 , wherein said second ends of each of said optical fib
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