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 .
Applicant’s election of Invention I, Specie III (claims 1-17, figures 1-5, and 8) in the reply filed on 03/23/26 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4, 7, 13, and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a(1) as being anticipated by Hashino (U.S. Patent 7,978,284), Hashino.
As to claim 1, Hashino discloses a backlight module (100) as shown in figures 1-7, comprising:
a substrate (20, 30, 40) comprising a central region (10a, 21) and a peripheral region (outer side of element 10a or 22), wherein the peripheral region surrounds the central region;
a light emitting element (900) disposed in the central region; and
a conductive layer (70, 71) disposed in the peripheral region and electrically connected to the light emitting element (900),
wherein the conductive layer (70, 71) has a first portion (the wide portion body 70) and a second portion (71), the first portion (the wide body 70) is closer to the light emitting element (900) than the second portion (71), the first portion has a first metal layer area, the second portion has a second metal layer area, and the first metal layer area is greater than the second metal layer area, see figures 3-4.
As to claim 2, Hashino further comprising: a driving circuit (the portion of the element 70, figure 3), wherein the conductive layer is electrically connected to the light emitting element (900) through the driving circuit.
As to claim 4, Hashino further comprising: a first insulation layer (91) disposed between the substrate (40) and the conductive layer (70, 71).
As to claim 7, Hashino further comprising: a second insulation layer (80), wherein the conductive layer (70, 71) is disposed between the first and second insulation layers (91, 80).
As to claim 13, Hashino discloses the first portion (70) has a first minimum width, the second portion (71) has a second minimum width, and the second minimum width is less than the first minimum width.
As to claim 17, Hashino discloses a shape of the second portion (71) is comb-like, trapezoidal, or U-shaped.
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.
Claim(s) 10 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hashino in view of Yoshifusa (U.S. Patent 8,693,202).
Regarding claim 10, Hashino discloses all of the limitations of claimed invention except for roughness of the second portion is greater than roughness of the first portion.
Yoshifusa teaches a touchscreen (200) as shown in figures 5 and 9B comprising a conductive layer (260) having first and second portions (267, 270), roughness of the second portion is greater than roughness of the first portion.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to have a teaching of Yoshifusa employed in the backlight module of Hashino in order to provide excellent bonding characteris.
Regarding claim 14, Hashino discloses all of the limitations of claimed invention except for the second portion has at least one sub-portion and at least one opening, and the at least one opening exposes a portion of the substrate.
Yoshifusa teaches a touchscreen (200) as shown in figures 5 and 9B comprising a conductive layer (260) having first and second portions (267, 270), the second portion (270) has at least one sub-portion (C) and at least one opening (271, figure 9B), and the at least one opening exposes a portion of the substrate.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to have a teaching of Yoshifusa employed in the backlight module of Hashino in order to provide flexible or deformable connection structure.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 5-6, 8-9, 11-12, and 15-16 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.
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/TUAN T DINH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847
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