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.
Response to Amendment/Restriction
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I and Claims 1-6 in the reply filed on September 16, 2025 is acknowledged. Thus, Claim 7 is withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on September 16, 2025.
Specification
The title of the invention is broad and not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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 5 is 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. As to claim 5, the limitation “the polymer optical material” lacks sufficient antecedent basis. Thus, the limitation renders the claim indefinite and clarification is required.
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) 1-2 and 4-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)(2) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0062674 A1 to Kwon et al. (“Kwon”). As to claim 1, Kwon discloses an LED light board, comprising: a light board body (117), wherein a surface of the light board body (117) is provided with a plurality of LED light-emitting chips (300) at intervals, and a region of the surface of the light board body (117) without the LED light-emitting chips (300) configured is provided with a first reflecting layer (400); a fixing part (700), wherein the fixing part (700) is transparent and has a bottom side faced towards the light board body (117), the bottom side is provided with a plurality of grooves (at 800) corresponding to each of the LED light-emitting chips (300), and a region of the bottom side of the fixing part (700) without the grooves (at 800) configured is provided with a second reflecting layer (600); and an adhesive layer (800), wherein the adhesive layer (800) is transparent, the fixing part (700) is fixedly connected with the light board body (117) by the adhesive layer (800), the fixing part (700) is located above the light board body (117), and each of the LED light-emitting chips (300) are matched with each of the grooves (at 800) (See Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 5, Fig. 7, ¶ 0055-¶ 0061, ¶ 0065-¶ 0066, ¶ 0073-¶ 0075, ¶ 0078, ¶ 0081-¶ 0084) (Notes: the adhesive is met by the silicone material as recited in claim 6). As to claim 2, Kwon further discloses wherein the LED light-emitting chips (300) arranged in a dot matrix are configured on the surface of the light board body (117) (See Fig. 1, ¶ 0055, ¶ 0083). As to claim 4, Kwon further discloses wherein the fixing part (700) is made of glass material or polymer optical material (See ¶ 0078). As to claim 5, Kwon further discloses wherein the polymer optical material is selected from at least one of PMMA, PS and PET (See ¶ 0078). As to claim 6, Kwon further discloses wherein the adhesive layer (800) comprises silicone material or UV adhesive (See ¶ 0084).
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) 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0062674 A1 to Kwon et al. (“Kwon”) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0284641 A1 to Lin (“Lin”). The teaching of Kwon has been discussed above.
As to claim 3, Kwon in view of Lin further discloses wherein the first reflecting layer (400) and the second reflecting layer (600) comprise reflective inks (See Kwon Fig. 5, Fig. 7, ¶ 0065, ¶ 0074 and Lin ¶ 0025) such that the reflective inks enhance the light output of the LED light board.
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