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 .
Continued Examination
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 12/01/2025 has been entered.
Status of the Claims
The Amendment filed October 29th, 2025 has been entered. Claim 1 has been amended; Claims 8-18 have been previously withdrawn. Claims 1-7 are currently examined herein.
Status of the Rejection
All 35 U.S.C. § 103 rejections from the previous office action are essentially maintained and modified only in view of Applicant’s amendments.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-3 and 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable by Chung (US 2020/0346620 A1) in view of Lee (US 2019/0235335 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Chung teaches a pattern electrode structure (electrodes 902 with a pattern in Fig. 9 [para. 0131, 0134]) for an electrowetting apparatus (a cleaning device, a cleaning device illustrated in Figs. 9-10 [para. 0130]), which is laminated between a base material (base layer 900 in Fig. 9 [para. 0131]) and a dielectric layer (dielectric layer 904 in Fig. 9 [para. 0131]) of the electrowetting apparatus, the pattern electrode structure comprising:
a first electrode portion (a first electrode 1000 in Fig. 10 [para. 0135-0136]) formed on the base material of the pattern electrode structure (base layer 900 [para. 0131]; illustrated in Fig. 9) including a first electrode connection portion (a portion of the first base pattern 1010 electrically connected to a power source 908 or ground [para. 0137]), a first basal pattern electrode (a first base pattern 1010 in Fig. 10 [para. 0136]) connected to the first electrode connection portion (a portion of the first base pattern 1010 is electrically connected to a power source 908 or ground [para. 0137]), and a plurality of first upper branch electrodes (first branch pattern 1012 in Fig. 10 [para. 0136]) connected to the first basal pattern electrode (first branch patterns 1012 are connected to the first base pattern 1010 as illustrated in Fig. 10); and
a second electrode portion (second electrode 1002 in Fig. 10 [para. 0140]) formed on the base material of the pattern electrode structure (as illustrated in Figs. 9-11, second electrode portion 1022 is also on base layer 900) and including a second electrode connection portion (a portion of the second base pattern 1022 electrically connected to a power source 908 or ground [para. 0141]), a second basal pattern electrode (a second base pattern 1022 in Fig. 10 [para. 0140]) connected to the second electrode connection portion (a portion of the second base pattern 1022 is electrically connected to power source 908 or ground [para. 0141]), and a plurality of second upper branch electrodes (second branch pattern 1020 in Fig. 10 [para. 0140]) connected to the second basal pattern electrode (second branch patterns 1020 are connected to the second base pattern 1022 as illustrated in Fig. 10),
wherein the second basal pattern electrode extends in a width direction of the pattern electrode structure (as illustrated in Fig. 10, the second base pattern 1022 extends in the width direction of the pattern electrode structure).
Chung is silent on the second electrode portion having a different polarity from the first electrode portion, and wherein the second basal pattern electrode extends across a central region of a plane of the pattern electrode structure.
However, in the embodiment of Fig. 3 and method of Fig. 5, Chung further teaches an electrode portion having a different polarity from a first electrode portion (cleaning device 100 with electrodes 120 and an alternating current voltage application unit 160 [para. 0105]. In the embodiment of Fig. 3, the alternating current voltage application unit 160 applies an alternating current to the electrodes 120 to oscillate the droplets [para. 0105-0106]).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply an alternating current voltage between the second electrode portion 1002 and the first electrode portion 1000, such that the second electrode portion 1002 has a different polarity from the first electrode portion 1000 to remove droplets from the target area to be cleaned [para. 0116].
Chung is silent on wherein the second basal pattern electrode extends across a central region of a plane of the pattern electrode structure.
Lee teaches an electrowetting display panel with branched electrodes (abstract), and teaches wherein the second basal pattern electrode extends across a central region of a plane of the pattern electrode structure (for example, multiple electrode patterns may be positioned above and below each other, as illustrated in Fig. 2A [para. 0067], such that a basal pattern electrode extends across a central region of a plane of the pattern electrode structure).
Modified Chung and Lee are considered analogous art to the claimed inventions because they are in the same field of electrowetting apparatus. It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus of modified Chung by adding another electrode pattern below the second basal pattern so that the second basal pattern electrode extends across a central region of a plane of the pattern electrode structure, as taught by Lee, as in some applications multiple electrode patterns are necessary, such as for maintaining uniform luminance distribution on the surface (Lee, Fig. 2A and Fig. 7 and [para. 0006]). The use of a one-piece, integrated construction instead of the structure disclosed or taught in the prior art would have been within the ambit of a person of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Larson, 340 F.2d 965, 968, 144 USPQ 347, 349 (CCPA 1965) (see MPEP § 2144.04).
Regarding Claim 2, modified Chung teaches the pattern electrode structure of claim 1.
Chung wherein the second basal pattern electrode is formed at a height corresponding to a boundary potion of a lower end portion of a region of interest (ROI) of the electrowetting apparatus (as illustrated in Fig. 13, region of interest corresponds to the surface to which the cleaning surface was applied [para. 0158]; second basal pattern 1022 formed at a height corresponding to lower end portion of ROI in Fig. 10, also illustrated in Fig. 12).
Regarding Claim 3, modified Chung teaches the pattern electrode structure of claim 2.
Chung teaches wherein the first and second upper branch electrodes are formed in an upper region defined by the second basal pattern electrode (region above the second base pattern electrode 1022 in Fig. 10 corresponds to an upper region, in which the at least one first branch pattern 1012 and the at least one second branch pattern 1020 are located in this upper region), provided in a vertical direction of the pattern electrode structure (the at least one first branch pattern 1012 and the at least one second branch pattern 1020 are vertical as shown in Fig. 10), and alternately provided in parallel with one another in a horizontal direction (the at least one first branch pattern 1012 and the at least one second branch pattern 1020 are parallel to each other in Fig. 10).
Regarding Claim 6, modified Chung teaches the pattern electrode structure of claim 3.
Chung is silent on further including: a drawing electrode formed below the second basal pattern electrode and extending transversely to the plane of the pattern electrode structure.
However, Chung teaches a pattern electrode structure in Fig. 2, in which direct current voltage is applied alternately to the respective electrodes 120 in sequential order, drawing the droplet to the outermost edge of the cleaning surface [para. 0102-0103]. The electrodes 120 extend transversely across the cleaning surface (illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add a drawing electrode formed below the second basal pattern electrode and extending transversely to the plane of the pattern electrode structure to further remove droplets away from the outermost edge of the cleaning surface, enabling the surface to be further cleaned [para. 0103 in Chung].
Regarding Claim 7, modified Chung teaches the pattern electrode structure of claim 6.
Chung is silent on wherein the drawing electrode is connected to the first electrode portion.
However, Chung teaches electrodes 120 in Fig. 2 (used as drawing electrodes) are connected to a voltage application unit 150 that applies direct current voltages, ground and high, alternately to the respective drawing electrodes [para. 0102]. Based on the teaching of Fig. 2, a voltage is applied between the drawing electrode and one of the first and second electrode connection portions. Thus, there are two identified, predictable solutions with a reasonable expectation of success. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to try by choosing from the above two identified solutions, which would lead to choosing connecting the drawing electrode to the first electrode portion. Choosing from a finite number of identified, predictable solutions, with a reasonable expectation for success, is likely to be obvious to a person if ordinary skill in the art. See KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 415-421, USPQ2d 1385, 1395 – 97 (2007) (see MPEP § 2143 (I)(E)).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-5 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claims 4 and 5 would be allowable for disclosing the following limitations: the first and second lower branch electrodes are formed in a lower region defined by the second basal pattern electrode.
As outlined in the rejections for claims 2 and 3 above, modified Chung teaches the second basal pattern electrode is formed at a height corresponding to a boundary potion of a lower end portion of a region of interest (ROI) of the electrowetting apparatus (as illustrated in Fig. 13 of Chung, region of interest corresponds to the surface to which the cleaning surface was applied [para. 0158]; second basal pattern 1022 formed at a height corresponding to lower end portion of ROI in Fig. 10, also illustrated in Fig. 12 of Chung), and the first and second upper branch electrodes are formed in an upper region defined by the second basal pattern electrode (region above the second base pattern electrode 1022 in Fig. 10 of Chung corresponds to an upper region, in which the at least one first branch pattern 1012 and the at least one second branch pattern 1020 are located in this upper region).
However, the prior art of record does not teach and suggest the first electrode portion includes first lower branch electrodes and the second electrode portion further includes second lower branch electrodes, recited in claim 4, with respect to the limitation that the second basal pattern electrode is formed at a height corresponding to a boundary portion of a lower end portion of a region of interest. Claim 5 further depends on claim 4.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments, see Remarks pgs. 6-9, filed 10/29/2025, with respect to the 35 U.S.C 103 rejections and amended claims have been fully considered.
Applicant’s Argument #1:
Applicant traverses the 35 U.S.C 103 prior art rejection of independent claim 1 as the amended claim1 now recites a first electrode portion “formed on the base material of the pattern electrode structure” and a second electrode portion “formed on the base material of the pattern electrode structure”. Applicant argues that Lee discloses signal lines GL formed between multiple pattern electrodes, which is different from the second base pattern electrode formed in the single electrode structure plane of the present invention. Applicant further adds that, from the instant application, second basal pattern electrode 122 is formed on the single pattern electrode structure.
Examiner’s Response #1:
Applicant’s arguments have been fully considered, but are not persuasive. First, primary reference Chung teaches a first electrode portion and a second electrode portion are both formed on the base material of the pattern electrode structure (see claim 1 rejection above, specifically Figures 9 and 10 of Chung). Secondary reference of Lee is used to add another electrode pattern structure below the second basal pattern electrode (which is mapped as electrode 1022 of Chung, illustrated in Fig. 10) so that the second basal pattern electrode extends across a central region of a plane of the entire pattern electrode structure (as illustrated in Fig. 2A of Lee, multiple electrode patterns, multiple electrode patterns are added in a grid, so an additional electrode pattern can be added below the pattern electrode structure of Chung). In addition, as both Chung and Lee are analogous dielectrophoresis/electrowetting devices, it would be obvious to combine the electrode patterns onto one base substrate. The use of a one-piece, integrated construction instead of the structure disclosed or taught in the prior art would have been within the ambit of a person of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Larson, 340 F.2d 965, 968, 144 USPQ 347, 349 (CCPA 1965) (see MPEP § 2144.04).
Conclusion
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/R.L.G./Examiner, Art Unit 1795
/LUAN V VAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1795