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 .
This communication is in response to the claim’s amendment dated 6/4/2025.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed on 6/4/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claims 1 and 16 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made with a new reference U.S. Pub. 2018/0184530. (see below new ground of rejection).
Note: Regarding the interview conducted on 5/22/2025: the Examiner indicated that the proposed amendment of claim 1 would overcome the previous rejection of claim 1 of Wang et al. U.S. Patent 10,749,144 in view of Hill et al. U.S. Pub. 2019/0269037. However, a new ground of rejection is provided below with the previously applied main reference Wang et al. U.S. Patent 10,749,144 in view of a newly added reference Wang U.S. Pub. 2018/0184530.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because:
in figure 14:
“top plate 1406” and “a first side 1408” are not correctly labeled as disclosed in par[0101] of the specification. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to because: in figure 7, “304” = “a bottom plate”, which points to a side plate, not pointing to a bottom plate. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claims 7 and 16 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 7, it is not clear what a “Li-shaped” is. Could it be a typo? Specification discloses a U shape heat sink.
In claim 16, line 8, “the” should be deleted.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1-5, 8-10, 12, 13 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoon et al. U.S. Patent 9,456,525 (hereinafter D1) in view of Wang U.S. Pub. 2018/0184530 (hereinafter D5) in further view of Wang et al. U.S. Patent 10,749,144 (hereinafter D4).
Regarding claim 1, D1 teaches a device (100; figure 5) comprising:
an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display panel (120; figure 5; column 4, lines 24-27; “OLED”);
an electronic component (151; figure 5);
an electrical connector (taught in column 5, lines 25-30; “…driving circuit board 150 is electrically connected with the display panel 120 ….a cable or flexible printed circuit board maybe used in the electrical connection between the driving circuit board and the display panel 120”) electrically coupling the electronic component to the OLED display panel, wherein the electronic component is mounted on the electrical connector such that a portion (see figure 5; a cable or flexible PCB in 150 is indeed sandwiched between unit 151 and display 120) of the electrical connector is sandwiched (see figure 5; a cable or flexible PCB in 150 is indeed sandwiched between unit 151 and display 120) between the electrical component and the OLED display panel; and
an air duct (see figures 5-6; “support panels 130 and 140 form grooves 131) physically coupled to and extending between the electronic component and the OLED display panel, the air duct configured to cool the OLED display panel when air flows through the air duct.
However, D1 does not specifically teach the electrical connector wraps around the air duct.
Note: Par[035] of the Specification discloses: “In some examples, the flexible PCB CAN wrap around the air duct such that the air duct is sandwiched between the electronic component and -OLED display panel. In some examples the electrical connector can include a rigid PCB. In such cases, the electronic component and the p-OLED display panel can be formed on the same plane and disposed on the same side of the air duct.”.
It is clear that there is no criticality to have said flexible PCB to wrap around said air duct. Having said flexible PCB wrapping around said air duct is merely one of the options for establishing the connection between the electronic component and OLED display panel.
D5 teaches a display device (10; figure 1), suggesting a flexible circuit board (300; figure 1) that electrically connects a display (100; figure 1) at one side (top side of 10; figure 1) of the device to another electrical component (400; figure 1) located on the opposite side (bottom side of 10; figure 1) of the device and said flexible circuit board wraps (see figure 1) around intermediate components (in-between components; see figure 1) in between.
Since D1 specifically mentions (in column 5, lines 25-30): “…driving circuit board 150 is electrically connected with the display panel 120 ….a cable or flexible printed circuit board maybe used in the electrical connection between the driving circuit board and the display panel 120”, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to arrange the flexible printed circuit board of D1 that maybe used in the electrical connection between the driving circuit board and the display panel of D1 such that said flexible printed circuit board would wrap around the air duct of D1, as suggested by D5, to electrically couple said electrical component with said display panel of D1.
However, D1 does not specifically teach said OLED display is µ-OLED.
D4 suggests that µ-OLED has been commonly used in mobile terminal (column 4, lines 33-42).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to substitute said OLED display of D1/D5 with a µ-OLED display, as suggested by D4, to its miniaturized size.
Regarding claim 2, D1/D5/D4 teaches the device of claim 1, wherein the electronic component comprises at least one of: memory, circuitry (circuit elements 151; figure 5 of D1), a processor, or an integrated circuit (see column 5, lines 25-30; “a cable or a flexible printed circuit may be used in the electrical connection between the driving circuit board and the display panel 120”).
Regarding claim 3, D1/D5/D4 teaches the device of claim 2, wherein the integrated circuit is a display driver integrated circuit (DDIC) (see column 5, lines 25-30; “a cable or a flexible printed circuit may be used in the electrical connection between the driving circuit board and the display panel 120”).
Regarding claim 4, D1/D5/D4 teaches the device of claim 1, wherein the electrical connector includes a flexible circuit (see column 5, lines 25-30; “a cable or a flexible printed circuit may be used in the electrical connection between the driving circuit board and the display panel 120”) that facilitates assembly of the electronic component on the air duct (see figures 5-6; “support panels 130 and 140 form grooves 131) such that the electronic component (151; figure 5) is thermally decoupled (see figure 5 of D1; display panel 120 is thermally decoupled from electronic component 151, in the context of the support in par[0026] of the current application) from the µ-OLED display panel.
Note: regarding the claimed limitation “thermally decoupled” in claim 4:
[0026] In the instant application, the p-OLED display panel is electrically coupled to an electronic component by an electrical connector, and the p-OLED display panel is thermally decoupled from the electronic component. The TMS described herein includes an open-thermal structure between the p-OLED display panel and the electronic component. The TMS described herein thermally decoupling the p-OLED display panel from the electronic component reduces heat
from the electronic component at the p-OLED display panel to avoid heat generated by the electronic component damaging the p-OLED display panel.
Regarding claim 5, D1/D5/D4 teaches the device of claim 4, wherein the flexible circuit includes a printed circuit board (PCB) (see column 5, lines 25-30; “a cable or a flexible printed circuit may be used in the electrical connection between the driving circuit board and the display panel 120” of D1).
Regarding claim 8, D1/D5/D4 teaches the device of claim 1, wherein the electrical connector includes a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) (implicitly taught in column 5, lines 25-30) that thermally couples (there must an inherent thermal connection between said electronic component and said display panel through said flexible PCB)the electronic component and the µ-OLED display panel, the electronic component and the µ-OLED display panel disposed on the same plane (since there is no specific plane is previously recited, the examiner broadly interprets “the same plane” to be the bottom support of 100 shown in figure 1).
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Even though, D1/D5/D4 does not specifically teach that said printed circuit board is a rigid circuit board, however, the Examiner takes Official Notice that flexible/rigid circuit boards have been commonly known and interchangeably used, as needed.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to substitute such circuit board in said connector of D1 with a rigid circuit board, as suggested by the Examiner’s Official Notice, to further stabilize the connection if needed.
Note: See MPEP 2144.03©
if applicant does not traverse the examiner’s assertion of official notice or applicant’s traverse is not adequate, the examiner should clearly indicate in the next Office Action that the common knowledge or well-known in the art statement is taken to be admitted prior art because applicant either failed to traverse the examiner’s assertion of official notice or that the traverse was inadequate. If the traverse was inadequate, the examiner should include an explanation as to why it was inadequate.
Since the Applicant did not challenge the Examiner’s above given Official Notice, the above given Official Notice has become the Applicant’s prior art admission.
Regarding claim 9, D1/D5/D4 teaches the device of claim 1, the air duct comprising:
a top plate (145; figure 5 of D1) comprising a first thermally conductive material; a bottom plate (135; figure 5 of D1) comprising a second thermally conductive material, the top plate disposed opposite the bottom plate;
a first side plate (taught in figure 5 to form the air duct) that connects the top plate to the bottom plate; and a second side plate (taught in figure 5 of D1 to form the air duct) that connects the top plate to the bottom plate, wherein the first side plate is disposed opposite the second side plate.
Even though, D1/D4 does not specifically teach that at least one of the first side plate and the second side plate comprise a plastic material, however, the Examiner takes Official Notice that providing plastic side wall to prevent lateral heat transfer has been commonly known. It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to use plastic side panel for forming said air duct(s) to prevent lateral heat transferring.
Note: See MPEP 2144.03©
if applicant does not traverse the examiner’s assertion of official notice or applicant’s traverse is not adequate, the examiner should clearly indicate in the next Office Action that the common knowledge or well-known in the art statement is taken to be admitted prior art because applicant either failed to traverse the examiner’s assertion of official notice or that the traverse was inadequate. If the traverse was inadequate, the examiner should include an explanation as to why it was inadequate.
Since the Applicant did not challenge the Examiner’s above given Official Notice, the above given Official Notice has become the Applicant’s prior art admission.
Regarding claim 10, D1/D5/D4 teaches the device of claim 9, the air duct configured to minimize (see figure 5 of D1) thermal conduction between the bottom plate and the top plate.
Regarding claim 12, D1/D5/D4 teaches the device of claim 1, the device further comprising a system fan (160; figure 5) spaced a distance from the air duct, wherein the system fan is configured to pull air through the air duct.
Regarding claim 13, D1/D5/D4 teaches the device of claim 1, wherein a top wall (145; figure 5 of D1) of the air duct includes a thermally conductive material to conduct heat from the electronic component (150; figure 5 of D1) to air flow in the air duct to cool the electronic component.
Regarding claim 15, D1/D5/D4 teaches the device of claim 1, wherein the device includes a housing (110; figure 1 of D1), and the electronic component and the µ-OLED display panel are disposed within the housing of the device.
Claims 6-7, 11 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoon et al. U.S. Patent 9,456,525 (hereinafter D1) in view of Wang U.S. Pub. 2018/0184530 (hereinafter D5 and in further view of Wang et al. U.S. Patent 10,749,144 (hereinafter D4) and in further view of Hill et al. U.S. Pub. 2019/0269037 (hereinafter D2).
Regarding claims 6-7, as mentioned above, D1/D5/D4 teaches the device of claim 1.
However, D1/D5/D4 does not specifically teach a standoff disposed between and physically coupling the electronic component to the µ-OLED display panel.
As defined in the specification, the claimed standoff is a U-shaped heat sink that includes a bottom plate that is in contact with the µ-OLED display panel, and a top plate that is contact with the electronic component.
D2, in the same field of endeavor, discloses the use of a U-shaped heat sink (426; figure 4) having a thermally conductive top plate (top portion of 426; figure 4) and thermally conductive bottom plate (bottom portion of 426; figure 4) for heat transferring between a top component and a bottom component.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to further provide such standoff disposed between and physically coupling the electronic component to the µ-OLED display panel of D1/D5/D4, as suggested by D2, for heat transferring/dissipating between a top component and a bottom component and such that the air duct would be disposed between the bottom plate and the top plate.
Note: “the standoff” as defined in the specification of this application.
[0039] In some examples, the standoff can include a U-shaped heat sink that includes a bottom plate that is in contact with the µ-OLED display panel, and a top plate that is contact with the electronic component. The electrical connector can couple the bottom plat to the top plate and form a U-shape.
Regarding claim 11, as mentioned above, D1/D5/D4 teaches the device of claim 9.
However, D1/D5/D4 does not specifically teach the air duct further comprising a graphite sheet disposed on the bottom plate and/or the top plate, the graphite sheet configured to conduct heat away from the p-OLEO display panel.
D2 suggests the use of a graphite sheet (see par[0043]) disposed on a display panel, wherein the graphite sheet is configured to conduct heat generated by the µ- display panel away from the display panel.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to further provide a graphite sheet disposed on the µ-OLED display panel of D1/D5/D4, as suggested by D2, wherein the graphite sheet would be configured to conduct heat generated by the µ-OLED display panel away from the µ-OLED display panel, since graphite sheet has been commonly known for its high thermal conductivity.
Regarding claim 14, D1/D5/D4 teaches the device of claim 1.
However, D1/D5/D4 does not specifically teach the device further comprising a graphite sheet disposed on the µ-OLED display panel, wherein the graphite sheet is configured to conduct heat generated by the µ-OLED display panel away from the µ-OLED display panel.
D2 suggests the use of a graphite sheet (see par[0043]) disposed on a display panel, wherein the graphite sheet is configured to conduct heat generated by the µ- display panel away from the display panel.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to further provide a graphite sheet disposed on the µ-OLED display panel of D1/D5/D4, as suggested by D2, wherein the graphite sheet would be configured to conduct heat generated by the µ-OLED display panel away from the µ-OLED display panel, since graphite sheet has been commonly known for its high thermal conductivity.
10. Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoon et al. U.S. Patent 9,456,525 (hereinafter D1) in view of Wang U.S. Pub. 2018/0184530 (hereinafter D5) in further view of Wang et al. U.S. Patent 10,749,144 (hereinafter D4)..
Regarding claim 16, D1 teaches a device comprising:
a housing (110; figure 5);
a display assembly (see column 4, lines 24-27) disposed in the housing, the display assembly comprising:
a first micro-organic light emitting diode (OLED) display panel (120; figure 5; column 4, lines 24-27; “OLED”);
a first electronic component (151; figure 5);
a first electrical connector (taught in column 5, lines 25-30; “…driving circuit board 150 is electrically connected with the display panel 120 ….a cable or flexible printed circuit board maybe used in the electrical connection between the driving circuit board and the display panel 120”) electrically coupling the first electronic component to the first OLED display panel, wherein the first electronic component is mounted on (“on” is broadly interpreted) a first air duct (see figures 5-6; “support panels 130 and 140 form grooves 131) physically coupled to and extending between the first electronic component and the first (OLED) display panel when air flows through the first air duct.
However, D1 does not specifically teach the electrical connector wraps around the air duct.
Note: Par[035] of the Specification discloses: “In some examples, the flexible PCB CAN wrap around the air duct such that the air duct is sandwiched between the electronic component and -OLED display panel. In some examples the electrical connector can include a rigid PCB. In such cases, the electronic component and the p-OLED display panel can be formed on the same plane and disposed on the same side of the air duct.”.
It is clear that there is no criticality to have said flexible PCB to wrap around said air duct. Having said flexible PCB wrapping around said air duct is merely one of the options for establishing the connection between the electronic component and OLED display panel.
D5 teaches a display device (10; figure 1), suggesting a flexible circuit board (300; figure 1) that electrically connects a display (100; figure 1) at one side (top side of 10; figure 1) of the device to another electrical component (400; figure 1) located on the opposite side (bottom side of 10; figure 1) of the device and said flexible circuit board wraps (see figure 1) around intermediate components (in-between components; see figure 1) in between.
Since D1 specifically mentions (in column 5, lines 25-30): “…driving circuit board 150 is electrically connected with the display panel 120 ….a cable or flexible printed circuit board maybe used in the electrical connection between the driving circuit board and the display panel 120”, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to arrange the flexible printed circuit board of D1 that maybe used in the electrical connection between the driving circuit board and the display panel of D1 such that said flexible printed circuit board would wrap around the air duct of D1, as suggested by D5, to electrically couple said electrical component with said display panel of D1.
However, D1 does not specifically teach said OLED display is µ-OLED.
D4 suggests that µ-OLED has been commonly used in mobile terminal (column 4, lines 33-42).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to substitute said OLED display of D1 with a µ-OLED display, as suggested by D4, to its miniaturized size.
However, the first embodiment of D1 (figure 1) does not teach a second µ-OLED display panel.
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D1 (figure 12 embodiment) does teach a second µ-OLED display panel (see figure 12 of D1; upper 120 and lower 120)
a second electronic component (another one of 151; figure 12);
a second electrical connector (implicitly taught) electrically coupling the second electronic component to the second µ -OLED display panel; and
a second air duct (see above annotated figure 12 of D1) physically coupled to the second electronic component and the second p-OLED display panel, the second air duct configured to cool the second µ -OLED display panel when air flows through the second air duct.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to further provide the first embodiment (figure 5) of the device of D1 with a second µ-OLED display panel;
a second electronic component;
a second electrical connector electrically coupling the second electronic component to the second µ -OLED display panel; and
a second air duct physically coupled to the second electronic component and the second p-OLED display panel, the second air duct configured to cool the second µ -OLED display panel when air flows through the second air duct, as suggested by a second embodiment (figure 12) of D1, to enhance operational capacity.
10. Claims 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over D1/D5/D4 in view of Selvakumar et al. U.S. Pub. 2019/0075689 (hereinafter D3).
Regarding claims 17-18, D1/D4/D3 teaches the head-mounted device of claim 16, the display assembly of D1/D/D3 does not further teach a first system fan and a second system fan, wherein the first system fan is configured to pull air through the first air duct, and the second system fan is configured to pull air through the second air duct.
D3 suggests a first system fan (1264a and 1266a; figure 12) and a second system fan (1264b and 1266b; figure 12), wherein the first system fan is configured to pull air (see figure 12) through the first air duct, and the second system fan is configured to pull (see figure 12) air through the second air duct.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to equip the device of D1/D5/D4/D3 with a first system fan and a second system fan, wherein the first system fan is configured to pull air through the first air duct, and the second system fan is configured to pull air through the second air duct, as suggested by D3, to optimally dissipate heat.
Regarding claim 19, D1/D5/D4/D3 teaches the head-mounted device of claim 18.
However, D1 does not teach a first exhaust channel; and a second exhaust channel, wherein at least one of: the first system fan is configured to push the air out through the first exhaust channel; or the second system fan is configured to push the air out through the second exhaust channel.
D3 suggests a first exhaust channel (see figure 12; the implicitly taught channel along the direction of the left arrows); and a second exhaust channel (see figure 12; the implicitly taught channel along the direction of the right arrows), wherein at least one of: the first system fan (1264a; figure 12) is configured to push the air out through the first exhaust channel; or the second system fan (1264b; figure 12) is configured to push the air out through the second exhaust channel.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to equip the device of D1/D5/D4/D3 with a first exhaust channel; and a second exhaust channel, wherein at least one of: the first system fan is configured to push the air out through the first exhaust channel; or the second system fan is configured to push the air out through the second exhaust channel, as suggested by D3, to optimally dissipate heat.
Regarding claim 20, D1/D5/D4/D3 teaches the head-mounted device of claim 20; and claim 20 is rejected for the same reasons as stated in claim 17’s rejection.
Conclusion
11. THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
12. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HUNG Q DANG whose telephone number is (571)272-3069. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10-6PM..
Examiner interviews 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 Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Imani N Hayman, can be reached on 571-270-5528. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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HUNG Q. DANG
Examiner
Art Unit 2835
/IMANI N HAYMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841