2013年5月30日 星期四

觸控螢幕保護貼專利(產品與專利,與先前技術)

這件由Aevoe Corporation取得的觸控螢幕保護貼專利於2011年10月領證公告,經對訴訟被告亞義科技(Aevoe告AE Tech Co, LTD與Splash Products LLC侵權)提出Inter Partes Re-Examination後(control no.:95/002,073),初步認定駁回全部範圍。

資料參考:http://cdnet.stpi.narl.org.tw/techroom/pclass/2012/pclass_12_A002.htm

以下為引證案,主要引證案為Wilson(US2011/0279383)與Anderson(US2004/0109096),經審查委員發出審查意見認定Claims 1-15不具專利性的理由後,除了專利權人提出回應外,更有其他第三方意見(third parties in this inter partes re-examination),最後審查委員仍作出核駁意見。
引證案簡介:
Wilson(US2011/0279383)同樣為一觸控螢幕的保護裝置,其摘要也提出為一個可以保護觸控顯示器、排出氣泡的保護裝置,文中細節界定出如何結合於屏幕上的邊緣結構。
Anderson(US2004/0109096)揭露一種顯示器的覆蓋裝置,為透明具有黏性的裝置,但此主要是要固定顯示器面板與背板的固定裝置。

顯然,上述Wilson確實為相同領域的類似技術,嚴格考驗了系爭專利的進步性,再結合一些附帶引證資料,最後終止程序據此作出全部核駁的意見:

專利為US 8044942
圖式栩栩如生地畫出想要主張專利的東西:
從專利範圍獨立項來看,專利元件只有兩個,塑膠膜與一個間隔層,在產品界定上十分明確,就是未貼上觸控螢幕的保護膜。專利範圍界定一種手持電子裝置正面的觸控螢幕保護貼,保護貼有有正反面的塑膠膜,邊緣符合裝置的面板;塑膠膜與黏貼而可分離裱貼於保護膜之間的間隔層,之後描述如何貼附於觸控螢幕上:保護膜壓在觸控螢幕上,需防止使用者手指接觸到觸控屏,也不會有干擾圖案(如氣泡)。

1. A touch screen protector for a hand held electronic device having a front face that includes a touch screen portion and an outer perimeter comprising:

a plastic film having front and back sides, an outer perimeter that corresponds to that of the device, and a transparent window that corresponds in size to the touch screen portion; and

a spacer provided along the outer perimeter of the plastic film continuously surrounding the transparent window, having a thickness sufficient to space the plastic film near but not in contact with the touch screen portion, and an exposed adhesive for removably mounting the protector upon the outer perimeter of the front face to form an enclosed air space between the transparent window of the plastic film, the spacer and the touch screen portion of the device;

wherein the window can be pressed against the touch screen portion for operation of the electronic device while preventing direct contact of a user's fingers with the touch screen portion and without producing visible interference patterns during use.

在此階段系爭專利(non-final OA)不具進步性,不過專利權人仍可提出申復與修正,尚不能上訴,因為還未進入final OA。
目前狀態是「ACTION CLOSING PROSECUTION (ACP)」,專利權人可以於期限(發出closing prosecution後30天內)內提出在Re-Examination程序所啟始的議題作出回應,包括可提出權利範圍修正意見(限於刪除權利範圍、改寫);當專利權人提出回應與/或修正後,各方(third party)請求人亦可於30天內作出回應。最後才會作出Final Office Action。

Ron

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