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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 5/18/2026 has been entered.
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.
Claim(s) 1-8, 10, & 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sakariya et al. (US 20140159064) in view of Kim et al. (US 20090267096) and further in view of Narukawa et al. (US 20060243988).
Regarding claim 1, Sakariya discloses that a transparent display device, comprising:
a transparent substrate (para. 0111, Fig. 9A-B);
a light-emitting diode element 400 arranged for each pixel on the transparent substrate 160; and
a mirror structure 160 (para. 0150, note: at least aluminum, molybdenum, titanium are reflective metals) formed by power supply lines so as to surround the light-emitting diode element without being disposed under the light-emitting diode element and a rear-face side of the transparent display device being visually recognizable from a viewing side.
Sakariya fails to teach that a main surface on the rear-face side in the light-emitting diode element is covered by a light-shielding film and wherein the light-emitting diode element is a semiconductor chip with an area of 10,000 µm² or less.
However, Kim suggests that a main surface on the rear-face side in the light-emitting diode element is covered by a light-shielding film 140 & 210 (para. 0075 & 0081, note: reflective metals).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of applicant(s) claimed invention was made to provide Sakariya with a main surface on the rear-face side in the light-emitting diode element is covered by a light-shielding film as taught by Kim in order to improve light output efficiency and also, the claim would have been obvious because the substitution of one know element for another would have yielded predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention.
Sakariya & Kim fail to specify that the light-emitting diode element is a semiconductor chip with an area of 10,000 µm² or less.
However, Narukawa suggest that the light-emitting diode element is a semiconductor chip with an area of 10,000 um2 or less (para. 0222, note: 100 micrometer X 100 micrometer or 300 micrometer square). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of applicant(s) claimed invention was made to provide Sakariya & Kim with the light- emitting diode element is a semiconductor chip with an area of 10,000 um2 or less as taught by Narukawa in order to enhance variations of size of LEDs and also, the claim would have been obvious because a particular know technique was recognized as part of the ordinary capabilities of one skilled in the art.
Reclaim 2, Sakariya, Kim, & Narukawa disclose that the light-shielding film is configured to cover an entire main surface on the rear-face side of the light-emitting diode element and formed so as to protrude from the main surface (Sakariya in view of Kim).
Reclaim 3, Sakariya, Kim, & Narukawa fail to specify that internal transmittance of visible light in a transparent member positioned more toward the rear-face side than the light-shielding film is 90% or less.
However, notwithstanding, one of ordinary skill in the art would have been led to the recited dimensions through routine experimentation and optimization.
Before effective filing date of the invention it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to use a certain internal transmittance of visible light, because it would have been to obtain a certain internal transmittance of visible light to achieve controlling output efficiency.
Reclaim 4, Sakariya, Kim, & Narukawa disclose that the transparent substrate is the transparent member (Chang in view of Kim).
Reclaim 5, Sakariya, Kim, & Narukawa disclose that a protective layer 120 configured to cover the light-emitting diode element on the transparent substrate; and an antireflective film formed 210 on the protective layer (Kim Fig. 1H).
Reclaim 6, Sakariya, Kim, & Narukawa disclose that a protective layer 120 configured to cover the light-emitting diode element on the transparent substrate, wherein the protective layer is the transparent member (Fig. 1H, Kim).
Reclaim 7, Sakariya, Kim, & Narukawa disclose that an antireflective film 210 formed on a main surface on the viewing side in the transparent substrate (Kim, Fig. 1H).
Reclaim 8, Sakariya, Kim, & Narukawa disclose that more toward the rear-face side than the light-shielding film, a light control layer configured to be capable of dynamically adjusting internal transmittance of visible light (Kim, Fig. 1H).
Reclaim 10, Sakariya, Kim, & Narukawa disclose that an entire main surface on the viewing side in the light-emitting diode element is covered by a lens 170 (Sakariya, Fig. 9A-E).
Regarding claim 12, Sakariya, Kim, & Narukawa disclose that manufacturing method of a transparent display device of which a rear-face side is visually recognizable from a viewing side, the manufacturing method comprising:
arranging a light-emitting diode element 400 being a semiconductor chip having an area of 10,000 µm² or less for each pixel (Narukawa, para. 0222) on a transparent substrate (Sakariya, para. 0111);
forming a mirror structure 160 (Sakariya, 0150) by power supply lines so as to surround the light-emitting diode element 400 without being disposed under the light-emitting diode element; and covering a main surface on the rear-face side in the light-emitting diode element with a light-shielding film (Kim, para. 0075 & 0081).
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sakariya et al. (US 20140159064) in view of Kim et al. (US 20090267096) and further in view of Narukawa et al. (US 20060243988) and Pan (US 20190324577).
Regarding claim 11, Sakariya, Kim, & Narukawa disclose that laminated glass, comprising:
the transparent display device includes:
a transparent substrate (Sakariya, para. 0111);
a light-emitting diode element 400 arranged for each pixel on the transparent substrate;
and a mirror structure 160 (para. 0150, note: at least aluminum, molybdenum, titanium are reflective metals) formed by power supply lines so as to surround the light-emitting diode element without being disposed under the light-emitting diode element, a rear-face side of the transparent display device being visually recognizable from a viewing side, the light-emitting diode element is a semiconductor chip with an area of 10,000 µm² or less (Narukawa, para. 0222) , and a main surface on the rear-face side in the light-emitting diode element is covered by a light-shielding film140 & 210 (Kim, para. 0075 & 0081, note: reflective metals).
Sakariya, Kim, & Narukawa fail to teach that a pair of glass plate; and a transparent display device provided between the pair of glass plates.
However, Pan suggests that a transparent display device provided between the pair of glass plates (protective layer/polarizer film/ substrate/connection grids in Fig. 3B) ; and a transparent display device provided between the pair of glass plates.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of applicant(s) claimed invention was made to provide Sakariya, Kim & Narukawa with a pair of glass plates; and a transparent display device provided between the pair of glass plates as taught by Pan in order to enhance protection of LED and circuit device and also, the claim would have been obvious because a particular know technique was recognized as part of the ordinary capabilities of one skilled in the art.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SU C KIM whose telephone number is (571)272-5972. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00 to 5:00.
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/SU C KIM/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2899
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