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 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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 01/08/2026 has been entered.
Examiner Notes
Claims 1-3 and 6-22 are currently pending, of which claims 13-21 are withdrawn. Claims 1 and 6-7 are currently amened, claim 4 has been cancelled and claim 22 is newly added.
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.
Claims 1-3, 6-12, and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) or 102(a)(2) as anticipated by Huang et al. (US 2010/0103138).
Regarding claims 1, 6, and 11, Huang discloses a manufacturing method and structure of a curved capacitive touch panel for electronic devices or equipment (i.e., display device) (0008, 0009, and 0055) including a glass substrate (i.e., cover window) having a first surface (11) on which an image is displayed, a second surface (22) opposite the first surface and a third surface connecting the first and the second surfaces; the glass substrate comprising a plurality of curved portions and a flat portion extending from each curved portion (Fig. 19). A flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) with capacitive touch sensing/detecting capability (20; i.e., a panel member) entirely on the second surface of the cover window and end of the panel member covering a portion of the cover window and exposes another portion of the second surface of the curved portion of the cover window (Fig. 8, 0055).
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Regarding claim 2, Fig. 8 of Huang discloses the panel member being smaller in at least one of a length or a width than the cover window.
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Regarding claim 3, Huang discloses an adhesive layer between the panel member and cover window (0051-0052, 0060).
Regarding claim 7, as can be seen from Fig. 19, the FPCB extends along the inner surface of the glass substrate and therefore has a first panel portion laminated on the flat central portion and a second panel portion extending in a curved shape from the first panel portion and laminated on the curved peripheral portion (Fig. 19, 0051-0052).
Regarding claims 8 and 9, the glass substrate of Fig. 19 has a curved portion, having a curvature radius and center flat portion have a different curvature radius from the curved portion (Fig. 19).
Regarding claim 10, the FPCB is formed on a recessed outer surface of the cover window.
Regarding claim 12, the panel member of Huang is a flexible printed circuit board (0009).
Regarding claim 22, Huang discloses a manufacturing method and structure of a curved capacitive touch panel for electronic devices or equipment (i.e., display device) (0008, 0009, and 0055) including glass substrate (i.e., cover window) having a first surface (11) on which an image is displayed, a second surface opposite (22) the first surface and a third surface connecting the first and the second surface (e.g., Fig. 1, Fig. 8, 0055). A flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) with capacitive touch sensing/detecting capability (20; i.e., a panel member) which may be integrated onto a display panel (0055) entirely on the second surface of the cover window and end of the panel member covering a portion of the cover window and exposes another portion of the second surface of the curved portion of the cover window (Fig. 8).
Claim 22 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) or 102(a)(2) as anticipated by Spruit (US 4,766,498).
Regarding claim 22, Spruit discloses an image projection system comprising a concave display window (21’) having a first surface (e.g., front) on which an image is displayed, a second surface (e.g., back) opposite the first surface and a third surface (e.g., side) connecting the first and the second surfaces (Fig. 4). The window comprising a curved portion (Fig. 4) and a display panel (27’) on the entirety of the back surface, where an end of the display panel on the curved portion covers a portion and exposes another portion of the second surface of the curved portion (Fig. 4, column 6, lines 5-20).
Response to Arguments
Applicant argues Huang only appears to disclose using a curved glass substrate and does not provide any teaching of a cover window that includes both a curved portion and a flat portion extending from the curved portion.
Fig. 19 of Huang teaches a curved glass substrate which includes a flat central portion extending from curved portions.
Applicant argues that new claim 22 recites the panel member includes a display panel.
It is noted that Huang teaches that the FPCB being integrated onto a display panel (0055). Alternatively, Spruit is newly cited and teaches the structure of new claim 22.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALICIA WEYDEMEYER whose telephone number is (571)270-1727. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 9-4.
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/ALICIA J WEYDEMEYER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1781