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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species 3 (encompassing claims 1-20) in the reply filed on 6/10/26 is acknowledged.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) was submitted on 9/26/23. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1-12 are 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 1 recites “one of the display panel and the main circuit board” in lines 5-6. There is a grammatical incongruity between the phrase “one of” and the conjunction “and”. As written, it is unclear if the “one of” comprises one of the display panel AND one of the main circuit board. Alternatively, the claim could be interpreted as the “one of” comprises one of the group of silver the display panel AND the main circuit board (i.e., the “one of” comprises the display panel OR the main circuit board). Because both interpretations have differing metes and bounds, the claim is rendered indefinite. For the purposes of examination, the examiner interprets the latter interpretation (i.e., “one of the group of...”). Stated another way, the examiner interprets “one of the display panel and the main circuit board” in lines 5-6 as - - “one of the display panel or the main circuit board”. However, appropriate correction and clarification is requested. Claims 2-12 inherit the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, rejections based on their dependencies on claim 1.
Claim 1 recites “another one of the display panel and the main circuit board” in lines 6-7. There is a grammatical incongruity between the phrase “one of” and the conjunction “and” (see previous paragraph). Furthermore, the term “another” introduces uncertainty as to whether the “another” refers to a new, un-previously introduced display panel or main circuit board. For the purposes of examination, the examiner interprets “another one of the display panel and the main circuit board” as - - the other one of the display panel or the main circuit board”. However, appropriate correction and clarification is requested. Claims 2-12 inherit the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, rejections based on their dependencies on claim 1.
Claim 11 recites “any one of a printed circuit board (PCB), a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), and a rigid flexible printed circuit board (RFPCB)” in lines 1-2. There is a grammatical incongruity between the phrase “one of” and the conjunction “and”. As written, it is unclear if the “one of” comprises one PCB AND one FPCB AND one RFPCB. Alternatively, the claim could be interpreted as the “one of” comprises one of the group of a PCB and a FPCB and a RFPCB (i.e., the “one of” comprises a PCB OR a FPCB OR a RFPCB). Because both interpretations have differing metes and bounds, the claim is rendered indefinite. For the purposes of examination, the examiner interprets the latter interpretation (i.e., “one of the group of...”). Stated another way, the examiner interprets “any one of a printed circuit board (PCB), a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), and a rigid flexible printed circuit board (RFPCB)” as - - any one of a printed circuit board (PCB), a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), or a rigid flexible printed circuit board (RFPCB) - -. However, appropriate correction and clarification is requested.
Claim 18 recites “any one of a printed circuit board (PCB), a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), and a rigid flexible printed circuit board (RFPCB)” in lines 3-4. There is a grammatical incongruity between the phrase “one of” and the conjunction “and”. As written, it is unclear if the “one of” comprises one PCB AND one FPCB AND one RFPCB. Alternatively, the claim could be interpreted as the “one of” comprises one of the group of a PCB and a FPCB and a RFPCB (i.e., the “one of” comprises a PCB or a FPCB or a RFPCB). Because both interpretations have differing metes and bounds, the claim is rendered indefinite. For the purposes of examination, the examiner interprets the latter interpretation (i.e., “one of the group of...”). Stated another way, the examiner interprets “any one of a printed circuit board (PCB), a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), and a rigid flexible printed circuit board (RFPCB)” as - - any one of a printed circuit board (PCB), a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), or a rigid flexible printed circuit board (RFPCB) - -. However, appropriate correction and clarification is requested.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 10-11, 13, 18, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Oh et al. (U.S. 2021/0247820 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Oh discloses a display apparatus comprising:
A display panel (DP, Fig. 2B) comprising a plurality of pixels ([0047], [0060]);
A main circuit board (MPCB, Fig. 2B) configured to transmit a signal to the display panel ([0052]); and
A connection circuit board (FPCB, Fig. 2B) arranged between the display panel and the main circuit board and having a lower surface to the main circuit board is attached and an upper surface to which the display panel is attached ([0052]).
Regarding claim 2, Oh discloses the display panel (DP, Fig. 2B) and the main circuit board (MPCB, Fig. 2B) at least partially overlap each other in a plan view.
Regarding claim 10, Oh discloses the connection circuit board (FPCB, Fig. 2B) comprises a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) ([0052]).
Regarding claim 11, Oh discloses the main circuit board (MPCB, Fig. 2B) comprises a printed circuit board (PCB) ([0052]).
Regarding claim 13, Oh discloses a display apparatus comprising:
A display panel (DP, Fig. 2B) comprising a display area and a non-display area around the display area ([0047]-[0048]);
A main circuit board (MPCB, Fig. 2B) at least partially overlapping the display panel (DP, Fig. 2B) in a plan view ([0052]); and
A connection circuit board (FPCB, Fig. 2B) at least partially overlapping the display panel (DP, Fig. 2B), arranged between the display panel (DP, Fig. 2B) and the main circuit board (MPCB, Fig. 2B), and having a pad unit ([0052]: “display pad area”, “main pad area”) arranged on opposite surfaces (broadly interpreted as “top region” and “bottom region”) thereof ([0052]).
Regarding claim 18, Oh discloses the connection circuit board (FPCB, Fig. 2B) comprises a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), and the main circuit board (MPCB, Fig. 2B) comprises a printed circuit board (PCB) ([0052]).
Regarding claim 20, Oh discloses the connection circuit board (FPCB, Fig. 2B) and the main circuit board (MPCB, Fig. 2B) are arranged overlapping one edge of the display panel in the plan view.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 14-17 and 19 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.
Claims 3-9 and 12 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
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/REEMA PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812 7/21/26
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