DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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 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.
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 January 07, 2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 4, and 6-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)(2) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0343781 A1 to Kawata et al. (“Kawata”).
As to claim 1, Kawata discloses a display device comprising: a display layer (125) including a light emitting element (115, 117, 118); a heat dissipation part (991, 993) disposed on a rear surface of the display layer (125), the heat dissipation part (991, 993) including a heat dissipation layer (991, 993); a cover layer (992) sealing at least two surfaces of the heat dissipation layer (991, 993) from the display layer (125); and a resin part (114, 120, 138) contacting a side surface of the heat dissipation layer (991, 993), the side surface being exposed by the cover layer (992), such that the heat dissipation layer (991, 993) is sealed by the cover layer (992) and the resin part (114, 120, 138), wherein, in a plan view, the heat dissipation layer (991, 993) extends by a same length as the display layer (125) or extends farther than the display layer (125) (See Fig. 3, Fig. 16, Fig. 17, ¶ 0071, ¶ 0195, ¶ 0204, ¶ 0211, ¶ 0237-¶ 0245) (Notes: the heat dissipation part is met by providing a highly conductive material). As to claim 4, Kawata further discloses wherein the cover layer (992) includes: a first cover layer (left 992) covering a surface of the heat dissipation layer (991, 993); and a second cover layer (right 992) covering another surface of the heat dissipation layer (991, 993) (See Fig. 17). As to claim 6, Kawata discloses further comprising: a first area (131) overlapping the heat dissipation layer (991, 993) in the plan view, and a second area (right 133) not overlapping the heat dissipation layer (991, 993) in the plan view, wherein, in the plan view, the display layer (125), the heat dissipation layer (991, 993), and the cover layer (992) overlap the first area (131), and wherein, in the plan view, the resin part (114, 120, 138) and the cover layer (992) overlap the second area (right 133) (See Fig. 17). As to claim 7, Kawata further discloses wherein, in the plan view, the resin part (114, 120, 138) overlaps the heat dissipation layer (991, 993) and the cover layer (992) in a partial area of the first area (131) (See Fig. 17).
As to claim 8, Kawata further discloses wherein a surface of the display layer (125) is covered by the heat dissipation layer (991, 993), and wherein a side surface of the display layer (125) is covered by the resin part (114, 120, 138) (See Fig. 17).
As to claim 9, Kawata discloses further comprising: a first area (131) overlapping the heat dissipation layer (991, 993) in the plan view; and a second area (right 133) not overlapping the heat dissipation layer (991, 993) in the plan view, wherein, in the plan view, the resin part (114, 120, 138) overlaps the cover layer (992) in each of the first area (131) and the second area (right 133) (See Fig. 17). As to claim 10, Kawata further discloses wherein the cover layer (992) extends by a same length as the heat dissipation layer (991, 993), or extends farther than the heat dissipation layer (991, 993), in an extending direction of the heat dissipation layer (991, 993) (See Fig. 17).
As to claim 11, Kawata further discloses wherein the heat dissipation layer (991, 993) extends farther by a heat dissipation extension length than the display layer (125), and wherein, in the plan view, the resin part (114, 120, 138) overlaps the heat dissipation layer (991, 993) and an area in which the heat dissipation extension length is defined (See Fig. 17). As to claim 12, Kawata discloses further comprising an outer film layer (142) disposed on the display layer (125), wherein the resin part (114, 120, 138) includes a film adjacent surface (114 top) adjacent to the outer film layer (142) and an outer lower surface (141 bottom) disposed at another side of the film adjacent surface (114 top), and wherein a thickness (wider, longer, thicker) of the outer lower surface (114 bottom) is greater than a thickness (thinner, narrower in contact with 117) of the film adjacent surface (114 top) in an extending direction of the outer film layer (142) (See Fig. 14). As to claim 13, Kawata discloses further comprising an outer film layer (142) disposed on the display layer (125), wherein the resin part (114, 120, 138) includes: a film adjacent surface (114 top) adjacent to the outer film layer (142); and an outer lower surface (114 bottom) disposed at another side of the film adjacent surface (114 top), wherein the film adjacent surface (114 top) has a first thickness (thinner, narrower, shorter) from a division point of the first area (131) and the second area (right 133) in an extending direction of the outer film layer (142), wherein the outer lower surface (114 bottom) has a second thickness (wider, longer, thicker) from the division point of the first area (131) and the second area (right 133) in the extending direction of the outer film layer (142), wherein the resin part (114, 120, 138) has an average thickness defined from the division point of the first area (131) and the second area (right 133) in the extending direction of the outer film layer (142), and wherein the second thickness (wider, longer, thicker) is greater than the average thickness (See Fig. 17). As to claim 14, Kawata further discloses wherein the first thickness (thinner, narrower, shorter) is less than the average thickness (See Fig. 17). As to claim 15, Kawata discloses a display device comprising: a display layer (125) including a light emitting element (115, 117, 118); a heat dissipation part (991, 993) disposed on a rear surface of the display layer (125), the heat dissipation part (991, 993) including a heat dissipation layer (991, 993); an outer film layer (142) disposed on the display layer (125); a cover layer (992) sealing at least two surfaces of the heat dissipation layer (991, 993) from the display layer (125); and a resin part (114, 120, 138) contacting a side surface of the heat dissipation layer (991, 993), the side surface being exposed by the cover layer (992), such that the heat dissipation layer (991, 993) is sealed by the cover layer (992) and the resin part (114, 120, 138), and including a film adjacent surface (114 top) adjacent to the outer film layer (142) and an outer lower surface (114 bottom) disposed at another side of the film adjacent surface (114 top), wherein a thickness (wider, longer, thicker) of the outer lower surface (114 bottom) is greater than an average thickness of the resin part (114, 120, 138) in an extending direction of the outer film layer (142) (See Fig. 3, Fig. 16, Fig. 17, ¶ 0071, ¶ 0195, ¶ 0204, ¶ 0211, ¶ 0237-¶ 0245) (Notes: the heat dissipation part is met by providing a highly conductive material).
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.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0343781 A1 to Kawata et al. (“Kawata”) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of CN 104375679 A to Zeng (“Zeng”). The teaching of Kawata has been discussed above. As to claim 2, Kawata in view of Zeng further discloses wherein the heat dissipation layer (991, 993) includes graphite (See Kawata Fig. 17, ¶ 0237, ¶ 0238 and Zeng ¶ 0022, ¶ 0023) such that the heat dissipation layer having stable performance, excellent conductivity, better light transmittance, and low cost is obtained.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1 and 15 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID CHEN whose telephone number is (571)270-7438. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 12-6.
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/DAVID CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2815