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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 10/15/2025 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 1, 5-7, 11, 16-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (US 2017/0343859) in view of Murphy (US 2017/0254943).
Claim 1: Chen teaches a display comprising: a display panel (21, fig. 2A) and a backlight (11, 20, fig. 2A); wherein the backlight (11, 20) comprises: an excitation source (11, fig. 2A) for generating a first light (B, fig. 2A) (blue light, see para [0046]) with a wavelength of maximum intensity in a range from 445 nm to 465 nm (peak wavelength of blue light ranges from 420 nm to 480 nm, see para [0045]); and a wavelength converting phosphor film (20, fig. 2A) comprising a first layer (232, fig. 2B) containing K2SiF6 (see para [0057]) for converting the first light (B, fig. 2B) to a second light (R, fig. 2B) with a wavelength of maximum intensity in a range (range of red light, see para [0057]), and a second layer (231, fig. 2B) containing SrGa2S4 (see para [0057]) for converting the first light (B) to a third light (G, fig. 2B) with a wavelength of maximum intensity in a range (range of green light, see para [0057]); wherein the wavelength converting phosphor film (20) is located remotely to the excitation source (11) and disposed between the excitation source (11) and the display panel (21), and the wavelength converting phosphor film (20) has an optical path such that the first light (B) enters the first layer (232) and unconverted first light (B) then passes into the second layer (231).
However, Chen fails to teach the first layer containing K2SiF6:Mn4+ or K2GeF6:Mn4 , and the second light with a wavelength of maximum intensity in a range from 610 nm to 650 .nm, the second layer containing SrGa2S4, the third light with a wavelength maximum intensity in a range from 525 nm to 545 nm.
Murphy teaches a display panel (216, fig. 2) and a backlight (202, 204, 206, 212, 214, fig. 2); wherein the backlight comprises: an excitation source (202, fig. 2) for generating light (blue light, see para [0018]), a wavelength converting phosphor film (206, fig. 2) (phosphor, see para [0020]) comprising K2SiF6:Mn4+ (K2SiF6:Mn4+, see para [0022]) for generating light with a wavelength of maximum intensity in a range from 610 nm to 650 nm (610 nm and 635 nm, see para [0021]) and SrGa2S4:Eu ( SrGa2S4:Eu, see para [0027]) for generating light with a wavelength of maximum intensity in a range from 525 nm to 545 nm ((520 nm to 560 nm, see para [0061]); wherein the wavelength converting phosphor film (206) is located remotely (see fig. 2) to the excitation source (202) and disposed between the excitation source (202) and the display panel (216).
Therefore, in view of Murphy, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to change the material of the first layer and the second layer where the first layer containing K2SiF6:Mn4+ or K2GeF6:Mn4 , and the second light with a wavelength of maximum intensity in a range from 610 nm to 650 nm, the second layer containing SrGa2S4, the third light with a wavelength maximum intensity in a range from 525 nm to 545 nm, in order to adjust the light spectral distribution of the output color to produce a desired color.
Claim 5: Chen in view of Murphy teaches the wavelength converting phosphor film (20) comprises a light transmissive binder (polymer binder, see para [0119]; Chen) incorporating the K2SiF6:Mn4+ or K2GeF6:Mn4 and the SrGa2S4:Eu (see para [0022] and [0027] of Murphy).
Claim 6: Chen teaches the wavelength converting phosphor film (20, fig. 2B) comprises particles of a light scattering material (233, fig. 2B) (light scattering particles, see para [0058]).
Claim 7: Chen teaches the particles of light scattering material (TiO2, Al2O3, SiO2, see para [0058]) are selected from the group consisting of. zinc oxide (ZnO); silicon dioxide (SiO2); titanium dioxide (TiO2); magnesium oxide (MgO); barium sulfate (BaSO4); aluminum oxide (A12O3) and combinations thereof.
Claim 11: Chen teaches the wavelength converting phosphor film (20) is of a size corresponding to the size of the display panel (21).
Claim 16: Chen fails to teach the backlight further comprising a light guide, wherein the excitation source is configured to couple the first light into at least one edge of the light guide and wherein the wavelength converting phosphor film is located adjacent to a face of the light guide.
Murphy teaches a backlight further comprising a light guide (200, fig. 1A), wherein the excitation source (102, fig. 1A) is configured to couple the first light (see fig. 1A) into at least one edge of the light guide (left edge of LGP, fig. 1A) and wherein the wavelength converting phosphor film (110-120, fig. 1A) is located adjacent to a face of the light guide (upper face of LGP, fig. 1A).
Therefore, in view of Murphy, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add a light guide to the backlight where the excitation source is configured to couple the first light into at least one edge of the light guide and wherein the wavelength converting phosphor film is located adjacent to a face of the light guide, in order to implement the display in an edge-lit configuration.
Claim 17: Chen fails to teach the backlight further comprising a brightness enhancement film and wherein the wavelength converting phosphor film is located adjacent to the brightness enhancement film.
Murphy teaches the backlight further comprising a brightness enhancement film (124, fig. 1A) (brightness enhanced film, see para [0016]) and wherein the wavelength converting phosphor film (110-120, fig. 1A)is located adjacent to the brightness enhancement film (124).
Therefore, in view of Murphy, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add a brightness enhancement film and wherein the wavelength converting phosphor film is located adjacent to the brightness enhancement film, in order to increase the brightness of the backlight.
Claim(s) 13 and 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (US 2017/0343859) in view of Murphy (US 2017/0254943) as applied to claim(s) 1 above, and further in view of Kunz et al. (US 2012/0274878) (hereinafter Kunz).
Claim 13: Chen in view of Murphy fails to teach the backlight has an emission spectrum with a color gamut of at least 110% of NTSC RGB color space standard.
Kunz teaches a backlight (see para [0006]) has an emission spectrum (see para [0006]) with a color gamut of at least 110% of NTSC RGB color space standard (at least 110 percent of an area content of an NTSC color space, see para [0006]).
Therefore, in view of Kunz, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to change the spectrum of the backlight with a color gamut of at least 110% of NTSC RGB color space standard, in order to provide a light output with a larger gamut.
Claim 21: Chen in view of Murphy fails to teach said backlight has an emission spectrum with a color gamut of at least one of: at least 95 % of NTSC RGB color space standard, or at least 100 % of DCI-P3 RGB color space standard.
Kunz teaches a backlight (see para [0006]) has an emission spectrum (see para [0006]) with a color gamut of at least 110% of NTSC RGB color space standard (at least 110 percent of an area content of an NTSC color space, see para [0006]).
Therefore, in view of Kunz, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to change the spectrum of the backlight with a color gamut of at least 110% of NTSC RGB color space standard, in order to provide a light output with a larger gamut.
Claim(s) 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (US 2017/0343859) in view of Murphy (US 2017/0254943) as applied to claim(s) 1 above, and further in view of Hino et al. (US 2016/0104821) (hereinafter Hino).
Claim 14: Chen in view of Murphy fails to teach the backlight has an emission spectrum comprising red, green and blue emission peaks, wherein the red peak has chromaticity coordinates CIE x = 0.6700 to 0.6950, CIE y = 0.2950 to 0.3300; the green peak has chromaticity coordinates CIE x = 0.1950 to 0.2950, CIE y = 0.6250 to 0.7250; and the blue peak has chromaticity coordinates CIE x = 0.1400 to 0.1600, CIE y = 0.0180 to 0.0600.
Hino teaches changing the chromaticity coordinates (see table 3 in para [0394]) by varying the peak wavelengths of light through a color filter (see table 3 and para 0395]).
Therefore, in view of Hino, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to adjust the proportions of the photoluminescence material and phosphor of Yamamoto such that the red peak has chromaticity coordinates CIE x = 0.6700 to 0.6950, CIE y = 0.3300 to 0.2950; the green peak has chromaticity coordinates CIE x = 0.1950 to 0.2950, CIE y = 0.7250 to 0.6250; and the blue peak has chroma6ticity coordinates CIE x = 0.1600 to 0.1400, CIE y = 0.0180 to 0.0600 to produce a desired light output spectral distribution, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955).
Claim 15: Chen in view of Murphy fails to teach the backlight has an emission spectrum comprising red and green emission peaks, wherein the red peak has chromaticity coordinates CIE x = 0.6934, CIE y = 0.3064 to 0.3065; and the green peak has chromaticity coordinates CIEx=0.1962, CIEy= 0.7180 to 0.7211.
Hino teaches changing the chromaticity coordinates (see table 3 in para [0394]) by varying the peak wavelengths of light through a color filter (see table 3 and para 0395]).
Therefore, in view of Hino, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to adjust the proportions of the photoluminescence material and phosphor of Yamamoto such that the red peak has chromaticity coordinates CIE x = 0.6934, CIE y = 0.3064 to 0.3065; and the green peak has chromaticity coordinates CIE x = 0.1962, CIE y = 0.7180 to 0.7211to produce a desired light output spectral distribution, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 has/have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZHENG B SONG whose telephone number is (571)272-9402. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 9AM - 5PM.
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/ZHENG SONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875