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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim is 5 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 5 recites a film which comprises three-dimensional glass includes a light-transmitting glass. However claim 1 from which claim 5 depends does not specifically require a film as it is not clear as this film is only one of many possible listed combinations in claim 1.
Claim is 6 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 6 recites a three-dimensional glass includes a light-transmitting glass. However claim 1 from which claim 6 depends does not specifically require a three-dimensional glass as it is not clear as this three dimensional glass is only one of many possible listed combinations in claim 1.
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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu US 2021/01202226 in view of Kang KR 102229362 (IDS Reference).
Regarding claim 1, Liu teaches a transparent display-based image reproducing apparatus comprising: a housing (figs 1-7 case 10) which constitutes an outer shell and has an inner space formed therein, and at least one side surface of which is open; a frame (fig. 1 frame portion 19) which is formed on one open side surface of the housing to a predetermined thickness and defines an opening part; a transparent display (fig. 6-7 transparent display screen 20) which is disposed in the inner space of the housing and disposed on a rear surface of the frame; a background plate (fig. 6-7 diffusion element 30) which is disposed on a rear surface of the transparent display and includes light-transmitting and light-diffusing functions; and a light source unit which is disposed on a rear surface of the background plate [0032]to irradiate light in the direction of the background plate and capable of independently adjusting light and shade which is met by being able to be turned on or off.
Liu does not explicitly teach wherein the background plate forms a content background by including any one selected from the group consisting of a protrusion surface part having protrusions provided on the surface, a groove surface part having grooves provided on the surface, a fiber surface part having fibers attached to the surface thereof, a fabric surface part having fabrics attached to the surface thereof, a film surface part having a film attached to the surface thereof, a cilium surface part having cilia attached to the surface thereof, a glass surface part having a three-dimensional glass attached to the surface thereof, and combinations thereof. Kang teaches a transparent display with background plate (fig. 1 wall 300) wherein the background plate forms a content background by including any one selected from the group consisting of a protrusion surface part having protrusions provided on the surface, a groove surface part having grooves provided on the surface (see 300), a fiber surface part having fibers attached to the surface thereof, a fabric surface part having fabrics attached to the surface thereof, a film surface part having a film attached to the surface thereof, a cilium surface part having cilia attached to the surface thereof, a glass surface part having a three-dimensional glass attached to the surface thereof, and combinations thereof to provide aesthetics and immersion (see abstract). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to modify Liu in view of Kang to provide aesthetics and immersion.
Regarding claims 2, the limitations of the outer side of the housing is applied with a low-reflection paint having low light reflectance, and the inner side of the housing has a white surface formed thereon so as to reflect white light, and is surface-treated to prevent an object attached to the inner side of the housing from being reflected are considered matters of obvious design choice as use of white paint, low reflection paint, or surface-treated to prevent an object attached to the inner side of the housing from being reflected are well understood in function and often chosen to meet a desired aesthetic thus is a considered a matter of obvious design choice.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu US 2021/01202226 in view of Kang KR 102229362 and further in view of Donahue US 2019/0310412.
Regarding claim 3, Liu and Kang teach all the limitations of claim 3 except the transparent display has a low-reflection coating applied thereto.
Donahue teaches a transparent display with low reflection coating (anti-reflection coating [0036]) to prevent perceptible illumination from non-illuminating surfaces ([0036]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to modify Liu in view of Donahue to prevent perceptible illumination from non-illuminating surfaces.
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu US 2021/01202226 in view of Kang KR 102229362 and further in view of Johnson US 2005/0270619.
Regarding claim 4, Lui and Kang teach all the limitations of claim 4 except an electrochromic plate using a phenomenon in which color or light transmittance is reversibly changed by an electric field direction when a voltage is applied to at least one of the front and rear surfaces of the background plate. Johnson teaches an electrochromic plate using a phenomenon in which color or light transmittance is reversibly changed by an electric field direction when a voltage is applied [0014]-[0015]. This could easily be applied to a front or rear surface of background plate for the purpose of providing multicolor adjustable lighting for aesthetic flexibility. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to modify Liu in view of Donahue to provide aesthetic flexibility.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu US 2021/01202226 in view of Kang KR 102229362 and further in view of Abe US 2021/0009863.
Regarding claim 5, Liu and Kang teach all the limitations of claim 5 except a film includes a three-dimensional film made of a light-transmitting material, and the three-dimensional film has adhesive performance capable of being attached to the background plate on one surface thereof, and has at least one of coating and irregularities of particles of various sizes formed on the other surface thereof.
Abe teaches a film includes a three-dimensional film made of a light-transmitting material [0082], and the three-dimensional film has adhesive performance capable of being attached to the background plate on one surface thereof (see abstract), and has at least one of coating and irregularities of particles of various sizes (fig. 1A elastic microsphere 142) formed on the other surface thereof to apply graphic images thereto [0075]. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to modify Liu in view of Abe to provide additional aesthetics in the form of graphics.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu US 2021/01202226 in view of Kang KR 102229362 and further in view of Lee 20200231495.
Regarding claim 6, Liu and Kang teach all the limitations of claim 6 except a three-dimensional glass includes a light-transmitting glass, a three-dimensional pattern is formed on a surface facing the transparent display, and a low-reflection coating is applied to the surface. Lee teaches a glass coating applicable to decorative glass [0003]and glass with three dimensional patterned glass (surface texture [0030]) that exhibits neutral color when viewed from the side [0005]. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to modify Liu in view of Lee to apply a decorative glass according to Lee that that exhibits neutral color when viewed from the side
Conclusion
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/PHU VU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871