DETAILED ACTION
Priority
1. Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a) — (d), which papers have been placed of record in the file. Oath/Declaration
Oath/Declaration
2. Oath and declaration filed on 12/28/2023 is accepted.
Information Disclosure Statement
3. The prior art documents submitted by application in the Information Disclosure Statement filed on 12/28/2023 and 8/13/2024 have all been considered and made of record ( note the attached copy of form PTO – 1449).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. 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 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 and 5-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ersman et al (2012/0081775 A1) in view of Yaniv et al (20120147448 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Ersman et al discloses (refer to figures 1a,1b ,3a,3b ) an electronic device (100) , comprising: a first base(117) ; a plurality of electrodes (121,122) (paragraph 0106) disposed on the first base (paragraph 0106) , wherein each of the electrodes (121,122) comprises: a plurality of traces (322) , disposed on the first base, and a transparent conductive pattern and electrically connected to the electrodes (121,122) respectively; an insulating layer (318) (figure 3b) , disposed on the first base, and at least covering the traces; a second base (116), disposed opposite to the first base; and an electrochromic layer (113) , disposed between the first base (117) and the second base (116).
Ersman a mesh conductive pattern, having a plurality of mesh lines and a plurality of meshes defined by the mesh lines; covering the mesh lines and the meshes, and electrically connected to the mesh conductive pattern.
Yaniv et al discloses having a plurality of mesh lines and a plurality of meshes defined by the mesh lines; (see figures 1 and 2) covering the mesh lines and the meshes, and electrically connected to the mesh conductive pattern (paragraph 0002).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention was made to provide of teaching a plurality of mesh lines and a plurality of meshes defined by the mesh lines; covering the mesh lines and the meshes, and electrically connected to the mesh conductive pattern in to the Ersman electronic device for the purpose of achieving optical uniformity and functionality over the entire area of product as taught by Yaniv (paragraph 0002).
Regarding claim 5, combination of Ersman et al and Yaniv et al discloses wherein the insulating layer (318) (figure 3b) has a plurality of openings, and the transparent conductive patterns of the electrodes are filled into the openings and are electrically connected to the mesh conductive patterns of the electrodes.
Regarding claim 6, Ersman et al wherein each of the openings overlaps with the mesh lines and the meshes of a corresponding one of the electrodes (see figure 3b).
Regarding claim 7, combination of Ersman et al and Yaniv et al discloses wherein each of the openings overlaps (see in figure 4) with the mesh lines of a corresponding one of the electrodes, and the insulating layer covers the meshes of the corresponding one of the electrodes.
Allowable Subject Matter
5. Claims 2-4 and 8-11 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.
6. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: wherein each of the traces comprises a first metal layer and a second metal layer, the second metal layer covers a top surface and a side wall of the first metal layer, the second metal layer is disposed between the insulating layer and the first metal layer, the insulating layer is disposed between the electrochromic layer and the second metal layer, and the insulating layer covers a top surface and a side wall of the second metal layer and a portion of the insulating layer is disposed between the transparent conductive pattern of a corresponding one of the electrodes and the second metal layer of a corresponding one of the traces and each of the mesh lines of the mesh conductive pattern comprises a first metal layer and a second metal layer, the second metal layer covers a top surface and a side wall of the first metal layer, the second metal layer is disposed between the transparent conductive pattern and the first metal layer, and the transparent conductive pattern is disposed between the electrochromic layer and the second metal layer the mesh lines comprise a first section, a second section, a third section and a fourth section defining one of the meshes and connected in series with each other, the first section, the second section, the third section and the fourth section respectively form a first angle, a second angle, a third angle and a fourth angle with respect to a reference line, the first angle, the second angle, the third angle and the fourth angle are respectively Ɵ1, Ɵ2, Ɵ 3 and Ɵ 4, and Ɵ 4> Ɵ 3 > Ɵ 2> Ɵ 1 and the traces respectively have a plurality of signal input terminals, the signal input terminals are disposed adjacent to an edge of the first base, a first direction intersects with the edge of the first base, the electrodes comprise a first electrode and a second electrode arranged in the first direction, the first electrode is farther away from the edge of the first base than the second electrode, the traces comprise a first trace and a second trace electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode respectively, a second direction intersects with the first direction, the first trace and the second trace respectively have a first line width and a second line width in the second direction, and the first line width is greater than the second line width and the traces respectively have a plurality of signal input terminals, the signal input terminals are disposed adjacent to an edge of the first base, a first direction intersects with the edge of the first base, the electrodes comprise a first electrode and a second electrode arranged in the first direction, the first electrode is farther away from the edge of the first base than the second electrode, the traces comprise a first trace and a second trace electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode respectively, and a voltage input to a respective signal input terminal of the first trace is greater than a voltage input to a respective signal input terminal of the second trace and wherein the first base has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other, the first surface faces toward the electrochromic layer, the second surface faces away from the electrochromic layer, the first base has a plurality of through holes running through the first surface and the second surface, the electronic device further comprises a plurality of conductive objects respectively filled into the through holes, the conductive objects are electrically connected to the electrodes respectively, and the traces are disposed on the second surface of the first base and are electrically connected to the conductive objects respectively.
Conclusion
7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOHAMMED A HASAN whose telephone number is (571)272-2331. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH 6 AM -4 PM.
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/MOHAMMED A HASAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872 3/11/2026