DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to an application that was filed on 07/12/2023. Claims 1-20 are presented for examination consideration.
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 § 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.
Claims 1, 2, 3, 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee et al. (US20210202907A1 and Lee hereinafter).
Regarding claim 1, Lee discloses a display device (item 10 of Fig. 4 & Fig. 17 and ¶[0620] shows and indicates display device of Fig. 4 {referring to Fig. 4 showing display apparatus 10}), comprising: a display panel (item 10 of Fig. 4 & Fig. 17 and ¶[0620 & 0622] shows and indicates display panel 10 {display apparatus 10}); a plurality of contact units disposed on side surfaces of the display panel (items 210, 211 of Fig. 17 and ¶[0622-0623 & 0627] shows and indicates the plurality of contact units 210 {second pad part 210 may include a plurality of second pads 211 disposed at a first edge portion} disposed on side surfaces of display panel 10); a metal cover disposed on a rear surface of the display panel and grounded (items 300, 200, 400, 100 of Fig. 17 & items 300, 200, 100b, 100 of Fig. 16 and ¶[0602_0616_0618 & 0623] shows and indicates metal cover 300_200 {metal cover comprised of the following structures: coupling member 300 may further include a metal heat transfer element/layer, indicated in ¶[0618]; and the second substrate 200 may include a metal pattern layer connected to the routing portion 400, indicated in ¶[0602]} disposed on the rear surface 100b {second surface 100b of the first substrate 100 may be coupled to all of one surface of the coupling member 300} of display panel 10; where metal cover 300 section of metal cover 300_200 is grounded {coupling member 300 may further include a metal heat transfer element/layer that maybe electrically grounded}); and a connection line disposed between the metal cover and the plurality of contact units (items 410, 400 of Fig. 17 and ¶[0625 & 0627-0628] shows and indicates connection line 401 {routing portion 400 may include a plurality of routing lines 401 which are disposed on each of the first outer surface} disposed between metal cover 300_200 and the plurality of contact units 210).
Regarding claim 2, Lee discloses a display device, wherein the connection line is disposed along the side surfaces of the display panel (Fig. 17 and ¶[0620_0625 & 0627-0628] shows and indicates where connection line 401 is disposed along the side surfaces of display panel 10).
Regarding claim 3, Lee discloses a display device, wherein the connection line is disposed on the rear surface of the display panel, and a portion of the connection line extends from the rear surface of the display panel toward the side surfaces of the display panel and is connected to the plurality of contact units (Fig. 17 and ¶[0616_0620_0622-0623_0625 & 0627-0628] shows and indicates where connection line 401 is disposed on the rear surface 100b of display panel 10; and where and a portion of connection line 401 extends from the rear surface 100b of display panel 10 toward the side surfaces of display panel 10 and is connected to the plurality of contact units 210).
Regarding claim 4, Lee discloses a display device, wherein the connection line is disposed on a front surface of the display panel, and a portion of the connection line extends from the front surface of the display panel toward the side surfaces of the display panel and is connected to the plurality of contact units (items 101, 110 of Fig. 17 and ¶[0616_0620_0622-0623_0625_0627-0628 & 0693] shows and indicates where connection line 401 is disposed on the front surface 101-surface-110 {surface of circuit layer 101 fused to the surface of first pad part 110} of display panel 10; and where and a portion of connection line 401 extends from the front surface 101-surface-110 of display panel 10 toward the side surfaces of display panel 10 and is connected to the plurality of contact units 210).
Claims 9, 10, 12, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee.
Regarding claim 9, Lee discloses a tiling display device (Figs. 36_38 and ¶[0904] shows and indicates tiling display device of Fig. 36 {tiling process of a display apparatus illustrated in Fig. 36, where FIG. 38 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V′ illustrated in FIG. 36}), comprising: a plurality of display devices arranged in a tile form (items 10-1 to 10-4 of Fig. 37 & Fig. 38 and ¶[0902 & 0905-0906] shows and indicates the plurality of display devices 10-1 to 10-4 {plurality of display modules/multi-display apparatuses 10-1 to 10-4} arranged in a tile form); and a plurality of contact units disposed on side surfaces of each of the plurality of display devices (items 210, 211 of Fig. 17 & item 630 of Fig. 37 & Fig. 38 and ¶[0622-0623_0627_0902 & 0904-0907] shows and indicates the plurality of contact units 630_210 {fastening members 630 adjacent to second pad part 210; where second pad part 210 may include a plurality of second pads 211 disposed at a first edge portion adjacent to} disposed on side surfaces of each of the plurality of display devices 10-1 to 10-4), wherein each of the plurality of display devices includes: a display panel having the plurality of contact units disposed on the side surfaces thereof (item 10 of Fig. 4 & items 210, 211 of Fig. 17 & Figs. 37-38 and ¶[0620_0622-0623_0627_0902 & 0904-0907] shows and indicates where each of the plurality of display devices 10-1 to 10-4 includes display panel 10 {display apparatus 10} having the plurality of contact units 630_210 disposed on the side surfaces of display panel 10); and a metal cover disposed on a rear surface of the display panel (items 300, 200, 400, 100 of Fig. 17 & items 300, 200, 100b, 100 of Fig. 16 & Fig. 38 and ¶[0602_0616_0618_0623 & 0904-0907] shows and indicates metal cover 300_200 {metal cover comprised of the following structures: coupling member 300 may further include a metal heat transfer element/layer, indicated in ¶[0618]; and the second substrate 200 may include a metal pattern layer connected to the routing portion 400, indicated in ¶[0602]} disposed on the rear surface 100b {second surface 100b of the first substrate 100 may be coupled to all of one surface of the coupling member 300} of display panel 10) wherein the metal covers of the plurality display devices are connected to each other selectively through the plurality of contact units (Fig. 16-17 & Figs. 37-38 and ¶[0602_0616_0618_0623_0902 & 0904-0907] shows and indicates where metal covers 300_200 of the plurality display devices 10-1 to 10-4 are connected to each other selectively through contact units section 630 of the plurality of contact units 630_210).
Regarding claim 10, Lee discloses a tiling display device, wherein the metal cover of each of the plurality of display devices is grounded (Figs. 16-17 & Figs. 37-38 and ¶[0602_0616_0618_0623_0902 & 0904-0907] shows and indicates where metal cover 300 section of metal cover 300_200 of each of the plurality of display devices 10-1 to 10-4 is grounded {coupling member 300 may further include a metal heat transfer element/layer that maybe electrically grounded}).
Regarding claim 12, Lee discloses a tiling display device, wherein the plurality of contact units of each of the plurality of display devices are in contact with the plurality of contact units of the display devices adjacent thereto in a symmetrical structure (Figs. 16-17 & Figs. 36-38 and ¶[0602_0616_0618_0623_0902 & 0904-0907] shows and indicates where the plurality of contact units 630_210 of each of the plurality of display devices 10-1 to 10-4 are in contact with the plurality of contact units 630_210 of display devices 10-1 to 10-4 adjacent thereto in the symmetrical structure).
Regarding claim 13, Lee discloses a tiling display device, wherein at least some of the plurality of contact units of each of the plurality of display devices are disposed to be offset from the plurality of contact units of the display devices adjacent thereto in an asymmetrical structure (Figs. 16-17 & Figs. 36-38 and ¶[0602_0616_0618_0623_0902 & 0904-0907] shows and indicates where some of the plurality of contact units 630_210 of each of the plurality of display devices 10-1 to 10-4 are disposed to be offset from the plurality of contact units 630_210 of display devices 10-1 to 10-4 adjacent to in the asymmetrical structure).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-8, 11, and 14-20 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:
Regarding claim 5, the primary reason for allowance is due to a display device, further comprising a switching unit connected between the connection line and the metal cover, when the switching unit is turned on, the plurality of contact units are electrically connected to the metal cover, and when the switching unit is turned off, the plurality of contact units are floating.
Regarding claims 6 and 8, the primary reason for allowance is due to the dependency on claim 5.
Regarding claim 7, the primary reason for allowance is due to the dependency on claims 6-5.
Regarding claim 11, the primary reason for allowance is due to a tiling display device, wherein each of the plurality of display devices further includes a switching unit for selectively connecting the plurality of contact units and the metal cover.
Regarding claims 14 and 16-17, the primary reason for allowance is due to the dependency on claim 11.
Regarding claim 15, the primary reason for allowance is due to the dependency on claims 14 and 11.
Regarding claim 18, the primary reason for allowance is due to the dependency on claims 17 and 11.
Regarding claim 19, the primary reason for allowance is due to the dependency on claims 18-17 and 11.
Regarding claim 20, the primary reason for allowance is due to the dependency on claims 19-17 and 11.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GUILLERMO J EGOAVIL whose telephone number is (571)270-1325. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8:00-5:00.
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/GUILLERMO J EGOAVIL/Examiner, Art Unit 2847
/TIMOTHY J THOMPSON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2847