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 .
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) 1-2, 4, and 7-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sung (KR 20170131137 A; Translation attached) in view of Park (US 20110176293 A1).
As to claim 1, Sung discloses: A display device 100 (Fig. 1-5) comprising:
a display panel 110 comprising a plurality of display modules 111-114 arranged in parallel with each other in a M* N matrix form,
wherein each of the plurality of display modules comprises:
a substrate 1 comprising a mounting surface on which a plurality of inorganic light emitting diodes 2 are mounted and a rear surface arranged on a side opposite of the mounting surface, and
four edges of the substrate,
wherein the display panel further comprises a panel heat dissipation member 130 (including heat radiating frames 141-144) connecting the plurality of display modules to dissipate heat from the plurality of display modules, and
wherein the panel heat dissipation member 130, 141-144 is formed to extend along the four edges of each of adjacent display modules (same size and shape; par. 0039-0040) and to contact and connect the adjacent display modules (contacts at least at corners, connects and dissipates heat; see par. 0053-0057 and 0060-0071).
Sung does not explicitly disclose:
a module heat dissipation member in contact with the rear surface of the substrate to dissipate heat generated from the substrate, wherein the module heat dissipation member comprises four edges corresponding to four edges of the substrate,
wherein the display panel further comprises a panel heat dissipation member connecting the module heat dissipation members of the plurality of display modules to dissipate heat from the module heat dissipation members of the plurality of display modules, and
wherein the panel heat dissipation member is formed to extend along the four edges of each of adjacent module heat dissipation members and to contact and connect the adjacent module heat dissipation members.
Park discloses:
a module heat dissipation member 122 (Fig. 4) in contact with the rear surface of the substrate 121 to dissipate heat generated from the substrate, wherein the module heat dissipation member comprises four edges corresponding to four edges of the substrate;
in order to improve the heat emission characteristics and transfer heat to the rear cover (par. 0047-0048).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the related art(s) before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Sung as suggested by Park, e.g., providing the display module substrates with module heat dissipation members:
a module heat dissipation member in contact with the rear surface of the substrate to dissipate heat generated from the substrate, wherein the module heat dissipation member comprises four edges corresponding to four edges of the substrate,
wherein the display panel further comprises a panel heat dissipation member connecting the module heat dissipation members of the plurality of display modules to dissipate heat from the module heat dissipation members of the plurality of display modules, and
wherein the panel heat dissipation member is formed to extend along the four edges of each of adjacent module heat dissipation members and to contact and connect the adjacent module heat dissipation members;
in order to improve the heat emission characteristics and transfer heat to the panel heat dissipation member.
Additionally, all claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined/modified the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination/modification would have yielded predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. See KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S.___, 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007).
As to claim 2, Sung in view of Park discloses: wherein the module heat dissipation member 122 (Fig. 4; Park) is a metal material (e.g., titanium; par. 0047).
As to claim 4, Sung in view of Park discloses: wherein the panel heat dissipation member is a metal material (at least portions 141-144; par. 0068; Sung).
As to claim 7, Sung in view of Park discloses: wherein the panel heat dissipation member supports the plurality of display modules such that the plurality of display modules are arranged in parallel with each other in a M*N matrix form (see Fig. 1-2; Sung).
As to claim 8, Sung in view of Park discloses: wherein the module heat dissipation member is provided such that high temperature heat generated at one point of the substrate is transferred to an area of the substrate in a direction parallel to the substrate for the substrate to be maintained in thermal equilibrium in the direction parallel to the substrate.
The entire rear surface of substrate is coated with titanium module heat dissipation member 122 (Fig. 4; Park), such that heat in any one spot will be conducted throughout the area of 122 to reach thermal equilibrium.
As to claim 9, Sung in view of Park discloses: wherein the substrate has an area at least larger than or equal to an area of the module heat dissipation member (equal to – module heat dissipation member is plated on the bottom surface of the substrate as in Fig. 4 of Park).
As to claim 10, Sung in view of Park discloses: wherein the plurality of display modules further comprises a first display module comprising a first substrate, and a second display module disposed in parallel with the first display module comprising a second substrate, the module heat dissipation member comprises a first module heat dissipation member corresponding to the first display module and a second module heat dissipation member corresponding to the second display module, and the panel heat dissipation member is in contact with a rear surface of the first module heat dissipation member and a rear surface of the second module heat dissipation member.
See Fig. 1-2 of Sung – each display module 111-114 is as claimed in claim 1 above, and each of the display modules and their corresponding module heat dissipation members are in contact with the panel heat dissipation member 130 of Sung.
As to claim 11, Sung in view of Park discloses: wherein the panel heat dissipation member is configured to, when an amount of heat remaining in the first module heat dissipation member due to the first substrate is greater than an amount of heat remaining in the second module heat dissipation member due to the second substrate, transfer heat from the first module heat dissipation member to the second module heat dissipation member such that the first module heat dissipation member and the second module heat dissipation member reach thermal equilibrium.
Panel heat dissipation member 130 is comprised of thermally conductive resin and thermally conductive metal (par. 0057, 0068), and thus will conduct heat from a hot spot to a cool spot until thermal equilibrium is achieved, including from one hotter first module heat dissipation member to a cooler second module heat dissipation member.
As to claim 12, Sung in view of Park discloses: wherein the panel heat dissipation member 130 (Sung) covers all of the four edges of the module heat dissipation member of each of the plurality of display modules in a direction toward the rear surface (covers the entire rear surface of all display modules 111-114, including the edges of their rear plated module heat dissipation members).
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sung (KR 20170131137 A; Translation attached) in view of Park (US 20110176293 A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Wu (US 20190116697 A1).
As to claim 3, Sung in view of Park does not disclose:
wherein the module heat dissipation member is a vapor chamber.
However, Wu discloses:
wherein the module heat dissipation member is a vapor chamber 231 (Fig. 4);
in order to dissipate heat from the led module 232 (par. 0027-0029, 0035, 0040) and reinforce the display device (par. 0040).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the related art(s) before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Sung and Park as suggested by Wu, e.g., providing:
wherein the module heat dissipation member is a vapor chamber;
in order to dissipate heat from the led module and reinforce the display device.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sung (KR 20170131137 A; Translation attached) in view of Park (US 20110176293 A1) as applied to claim 4 above, and further in view of Chung (US 20170277219 A1).
As to claim 5, Sung in view of Park does not disclose:
wherein the panel heat dissipation member is formed of a nickel alloy.
However, Chung discloses:
wherein the panel heat dissipation member is formed of a nickel alloy (par. 0100);
in order to provide a high heat conductivity heat sink plate (par. 0100).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the related art(s) before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Sung and Park as suggested by Chung, e.g., providing:
wherein the panel heat dissipation member is formed of a nickel alloy;
in order to provide a high heat conductivity heat sink plate.
Further, it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sung (KR 20170131137 A; Translation attached) in view of Park (US 20110176293 A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Cheng (US 20220247147 A1).
As to claim 6, Sung in view of Park does not disclose:
wherein a thermal expansion coefficient of the panel heat dissipation member is a value substantially corresponding to a thermal expansion coefficient of the substrate.
However, Cheng discloses that the thermal expansion coefficient of a heat dissipation member (heat sink substrate; par. 0034) needs to be well matched with the thermal expansion coefficient of the substrate (epitaxial wafer material) in order to prevent deformation and stress.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the related art(s) before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Sung and Park as suggested by Cheng, e.g., providing:
wherein a thermal expansion coefficient of the panel heat dissipation member is a value substantially corresponding to a thermal expansion coefficient of the substrate;
in order to prevent deformation and stress.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13-14 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:
As to claims 13-14, the allowability resides in the overall structure and functionality of the apparatus as recited in the dependent claim 13, including all of the limitations of their base claims and intervening claims, and at least in part, because they recite the following limitations:
13. The display device of claim 1, further comprising a frame to support the plurality of display modules such that the plurality of display modules are arranged in parallel with each other in an M*N matrix form, and
a rear surface of the panel heat dissipation member is in contact with the frame at each edge of the four edges of each substrate, and a front surface of the panel heat dissipation member is in contact with the plurality of display modules.
None of the prior art, either alone or in combination, can be reasonably construed as adequately teaching the above claimed elements, in combination with the remaining claim limitations.
Further, Examiner has not identified any double patenting issues.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 10/27/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Claimed Elements Not Taught
Applicant has suggested that the combination of references does not suggest a panel heat dissipation member that connects multiple module heat dissipation members (Remarks, p. 8).
In response, Examiner notes that sung discloses a panel heat dissipation member that dissipates heat from the rear surface of multiple display substrate modules, and Park discloses a module heat dissipation member forming a rear surface display substrate module. Thus, providing the display substrate modules of Sung with individual module heat dissipation members as in Park meets the claim limitations.
Conclusion
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JACOB R CRUM whose telephone number is (571)270-7665. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jayprakash Gandhi can be reached at (571) 272-3740. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JACOB R CRUM/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2835