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 .
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.
(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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wang et al., Pub. No.: US2019/0369936 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Wang discloses An electronic device (Fig. 1, par. 0020; Electronic device 10), comprising: a device housing (Fig. 1, par. 0022; housing 40); and an illuminative fabric display coupled to the device housing (Fig. 1, par. 0022 and 0043; light-emitting devices such as displays 14 may be supported by support structures in device 10 such as housing 40 and Woven fabric or other fabric such as fabric layer 86 may have openings (see, e.g., the openings that receive light-emitting devices 56.).
Regarding claim 2, Wang discloses all the limitations in claim 1. Wang also discloses wherein the illuminative fabric display comprises warps and wefts of textile material arranged in a weave with electroluminescent elements interspaced within the warps and the wefts of the textile material (par. 0047 and 0049; warp and weft strand as well as , light-emitting devices 56 may include electroluminescent wire or other light-emitting structures that can be woven or otherwise incorporated into a layer of fabric or other material for housing 40.).
Regarding claim 3, Wang discloses all the limitations in claim 2. Wang also discloses wherein the electroluminescent elements are defined by intersections of luminescent warps and transparent conductive wefts within the weave (par. 0041).
Regarding claim 4, Wang discloses all the limitations in claim 2. Wang also discloses wherein the illuminative fabric display is integrated into the device housing (par. 0041; Strands 59 may be solid metal wires, polymer strands coated with metal, or other conductive strands of material and may, if desired, be incorporated into a layer of fabric in housing 40.).
Regarding claim 5, Wang discloses all the limitations in claim 2. Wang also discloses further comprising a case coupled to the electronic device, wherein the illuminative fabric display is integrated into the case (par. 0022).
Regarding claim 6, Wang discloses all the limitations in claim 1. Wang also discloses further comprising: a primary display defining a major surface of the device housing (par. 0022; a display may be formed on upper surface 44 of housing 40 and/or on sidewall surface 42 of housing structures in housing 40.); one or more sensors (par. 0032; sensors 20); and one or more processors operable with the primary display and the one or more sensors (par. 0054); wherein the one or more processors, in response to determining from the one or more sensors that the primary display defines a bottom side of the electronic device in three-dimensional space, cause the illuminative fabric display to present content in response to user input received by the illuminative fabric display (par. 0032; other three-dimensional gesture input (e.g., using optical sensing, capacitive sensing, etc.), etc. Audio and/or video feedback may be presented as sensors gather user input.).
Regarding claim 7, Wang discloses all the limitations in claim 6. Wang also discloses wherein the user input comprises a slide gesture along a surface of the illuminative fabric display and the content comprises one or more of a time of day, received messages, and/or received notifications (par. 0028).
Regarding claim 8, Wang discloses all the limitations in claim 6. Wang also discloses wherein, in response to an application operating on the one or more processors while the primary display defines the bottom side of the electronic device in the three-dimensional space, the content comprises one or more controls for the application operating on the one or more processors (par. 0032).
Regarding claim 9, Wang discloses all the limitations in claim 8. Wang also discloses wherein the application comprises a music player application and the one or more controls comprise a volume control (par. 0052).
Regarding claim 10, Wang discloses all the limitations in claim 6. Wang also discloses wherein: the content comprises a control operation to be performed by an application operating on the one or more processors (par. 0052); and the one or more processors are configured to execute the control operation in response to other user input received by the illuminative fabric display after the control operation is presented on the illuminative fabric display (par. 0053).
Regarding claim 11, Wang discloses all the limitations in claim 10. Wang also discloses wherein: the control operation comprises causing the one or more processors to make a telephone call (par. 0056); the user input comprises a slide gesture along a surface of the illuminative fabric display (par, 0056); and the other user input comprises a double-tap occurring on the surface of the illuminative fabric display (par. 0032; user tap input).
Regarding claim 12, Wang discloses all the limitations in claim 6. Wang also discloses wherein the content and the user input causing presentation of the content are both user definable (par. 0019).
Regarding claim 13, Wang discloses all the limitations in claim 1. Wang also discloses further comprising: a primary display defining a major surface of the device housing (Fig. 2; display 14); one or more sensors (Fig. 2; sensors 18 20); a communication device (Fig. 2; communication circuitry 26); and one or more processors operable with the primary display, the one or more sensors, and the communication device (Fig. 2; control circuitry 16); wherein the one or more processors, in response to determining from the one or more sensors that the primary display defines a bottom side of the electronic device in three-dimensional space, cause the illuminative fabric display to present indicia identifying incoming communications in response to the communication device receiving the incoming communications from a remote electronic device across a network (par. 0032).
Regarding claim 14, Wang discloses A method for an electronic device (par. 0025; process for the device 10), the method comprising presenting, by one or more processors of the electronic device, content on an illuminative fabric display coupled to a device housing of the electronic device (par. 0044; openings have been formed in fabric layer 86 that receive corresponding light-emitting devices 56 (e.g., light-emitting diodes, etc.). Light-emitting devices 56 such as light-emitting diodes may form pixels P in a pixel array (e.g., so that devices 56 can serve as pixels in a display) and/or may form lower-resolution light-based output devices (e.g., status indicator lights, backlight for icons in a patterned opaque layer, etc.).).
Regarding claim 15, Wang discloses all the limitations in claim 14. Wang also discloses wherein the presenting the content occurs in response to user input received by the illuminative fabric display (par. 0053).
Regarding claim 16, Wang discloses all the limitations in claim 15. Wang also discloses wherein the content comprises one or more of a time of day, a message, or a notification (par. 0028).
Regarding claim 17, Wang discloses all the limitations in claim 15. Wang also discloses wherein receiving, by a user interface of the electronic device, prior user input associating the user input with the content (par. 0054); and associating, by the one or more processors, the content with the user input prior to presenting the content in response to the user input (par. 0054).
Regarding claim 18, Wang discloses all the limitations in claim 14. Wang also discloses further comprising operating, by the one or more processors, an application, wherein the content comprises an output from the application (par. 0050).
Regarding claim 19, Wang discloses A system (Fig. 2), comprising: an electronic device (Fig. 2, par. 0026; electronic device 10), comprising: a device housing (par. 0025; housing 40 of electronic device 10); a communication device situated within the device housing (par. 0027; Device 10 may use communications circuitry 26); one or more processors situated within the device housing and operable with the communication device (par. 0029; Control circuitry 16 may include storage and processing circuitry for supporting the operation of device 10.); and a companion device, separate from the electronic device (Fig. 2; shows the electronic equipment 30 separate from electronic device 10), and comprising an illuminative fabric display coupled to another communication device electronically in communication with the communication device of the electronic device (par. 0058; device 10 that device 10 conveys to equipment 30 (i.e., the equipment 30 is a cellular phone having a display) via link 28.); wherein the one or more processors are operable to cause the companion device to present content along the illuminative fabric display by causing the communication device to transmit electronic signals to the another communication device (par. 0057; If desired, a user may use the display(s) of device 10 to display a graphical presentation stored on equipment 30 or may otherwise direct device 10 to display information from equipment 30.).
Regarding claim 20, Wang discloses all the limitations in claim 19. Wang also discloses further comprising a primary display defining a major face of the device housing, wherein: the companion device is configured as a wrist-wearable strap (par. 0020); and the one or more processors are configured to cause the companion device to present the content along the illuminative fabric display by causing the communication device to transmit the electronic signals to the another communication device only when the primary display defines a bottom surface of the device housing in three-dimensional space (par. 0032).
Conclusion
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/AYODEJI O AYOTUNDE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2649
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