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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of 1-12 in the reply filed on 15 December 2025 is acknowledged. Claims 13-19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08 June 2022 has been considered by the examiner. Copies of foreign references cited therein were not furnished by Applicant; however copies were obtained during examination.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
1. Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN109550649 to Lu et al., an English translation of which is provided herewith and referred-to herein, (“Lu”), in view of US 2019/0254178 to Chen et al. (“Chen”).
With regard to Claims 1-2, Lu teaches a dispensing method comprising scanning an outline of dispensing positions, determining compliance with dispensing parameters conditions, and dispensing glue when conditions are met (see Abstract; FIG. 2; ¶¶ [0002], [0012]-[0014], [0076]-[0077], [0086]). According to Lu, a platform is employed to hold a workpiece, the platform rotatable in any axis of an x,y,z coordinate system (see ¶ [0076]). Lu teaches calibrating the position of the work platform based on calculated compensation parameters prior to dispensing (see ¶¶ [0012]-[0014], [0077]). Lu does not particularly limit the types of workpieces to which the method applies; however the reference does not expressly teach a display panel workpiece as claimed. Chen teaches a manufacturing method comprising dispensing adhesive to display panel surfaces in a manner that benefits from imaging-informed multi-axial positioning of an adhesive dispenser (see Abstract; ¶¶ [0032], [0048]). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have conducted the method of Lu on a display panel workpiece as suggested by Chen with a reasonable expectation of success.
With regard to Claim 3, Lu teaches assessment of the workpiece platform orientation in 3 axes, and positioning thereof, including rotating, in order to position the workpiece in condition for dispensing operations (see ¶¶ [0070]-[0086]). Chen is noted as conducting the same type of assessment, calibration, and adjustment of the dispensing device (see ¶ [0048]).
With regard to Claim 4, Lu teaches height measurement devices and data are known in the art (see ¶ [0005]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have incorporated height measurement operations in informing multi-axial dispensing operations as otherwise taught by Lu.
With regard to Claims 5-11, Lu teaches identification of reference points to inform dispensing operations (see ¶¶ [0012]-[0014]).
With regard to Claim 12, Lu teaches a robotic arm (see ¶ [0096]) and Chen teaches usage of imaging data to conduct dispensing along a determined path (see FIG. 4; ¶¶ [0011], [0032]) for automated operation.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Michael P Rodriguez whose telephone number is (571)270-3736. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 - 6:00 Eastern M-F.
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/Michael P. Rodriguez/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1715