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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed on 07/24/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to at least independent claims 1 and 9 have been considered, but are not persuasive. The new ground of rejection cites Hashida JP 2020109441A as teaching the amended claim limitations in claims 1 and 9.
Claim Objections
Claims 1 and 9 objected to because of the following informalities:
The newly added last paragraph of claim 1 should be “the light control sheet is configured such that, when the applied drive voltage is between the first voltage Va and the second voltage Vb, the light control sheet exhibits a middle-tone mode having a haze that obstructs passage of light less than the haze of the light control sheet when the drive voltage is at the first voltage Va and more than the haze of the light control sheet when the drive voltage is at the second voltage Vb” because the light control layer itself does not include transparent electrode layers to react with the applied drive voltage; and
The newly added last paragraph of claim 9 should be “the third mode .
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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, 4, 9, 12, 17, 18, 20 and 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yasuhara WO 2020/262219A1 (use US 2022/0121054 as an English translation for rejection) in view of Yanagawa JP 2000258758A (see machine translation of 18459464_2025-09-15_JP_2000258758_A_M.pdf) and Hashida JP 2020109441A (see machine translation of 18459464_2025-09-15_JP_2020109441_A_M.pdf).
Regarding claim 1, Yasuhara discloses a light control sheet, in at least figs.1-2, comprising:
a light control layer (11) comprising a resin layer (11A) and oriented particles (11B)(para.28);
a pair of transparent electrode layers (12) sandwiching the light control layer; and
a pair of transparent support layers (13) sandwiching the light control layer and the pair of transparent electrode layers,
wherein the light control layer has thicknesses measured in a plurality of measurement positions such that the thicknesses are within a range of 0.8 times to 1.2 times a median value of the thicknesses (para.103 and 113 and table 1 disclose the light control layer having thickness uniformity of 5% or less which is about 0.97 times to 1.03 times a median value of the thicknesses) and has a structure such that the resin layer has a plurality of voids and that the oriented particles are contained in the voids dispersed in the resin layer (para.28),
the light control layer includes spacers (SP1 and SP2) controlling a gap between the pair of transparent electrode layers (see figs.1 and 2), and
a ratio of a total area occupied by the spacers to an overall area of the light control layer, when the light control layer is observed from a contact surface with a transparent electrode laver of the pair of transparent electrode layers, is in a range of 0.9% to 30.0% (see para.85-91 and 112 and table 1, example 1 discloses the ratio equal to about 2.9% and example 2 discloses the ratio equal to about 23.9%).
Yasuhara does not explicitly disclose a variance {(Vmax−Vmin)/Vavr}×100 in a middle value is 40% or less, where Vmin is a minimum value, Vmax is a maximum value, Vavr is an average value of middle values Vm obtained from characteristic curves in the plurality of measurement positions, each of the characteristic curves is obtained by measuring a change in haze when a drive voltage applied to the transparent electrode layers is changed, each of the middle values is a middle value Vm between a first voltage Va and a second voltage Vb, the first voltage Va is a lower limit drive voltage in a range in which an absolute value of a change ratio in the haze is 0.5%/V or more, and the second voltage Vb is an upper limit drive voltage.
Yanagawa discloses a light control sheet, in at least fig.1, a light control layer has a voltage of 30 V in the transparent state and making the voltage applied to light control layer uniformly by forming the light control layer with an uniform thickness (page 3, 4th paragraph) for the purpose of having the light control sheet in the transparent state with low voltage driving (page 4, bottom-up 4th paragraph).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a light control layer has a voltage of 30 V in the transparent state and making the voltage applied to light control layer uniformly by forming the light control layer with an uniform thickness as taught by Yanagawa in the light control sheet of Yasuhara in order to have a variance {(Vmax−Vmin)/Vavr}×100 in a middle value is 40% or less, where Vmin is a minimum value, Vmax is a maximum value, Vavr is an average value of middle values Vm obtained from characteristic curves in the plurality of measurement positions, each of the characteristic curves is obtained by measuring a change in haze when a drive voltage applied to the transparent electrode layers is changed, each of the middle values is a middle value Vm between a first voltage Va and a second voltage Vb, the first voltage Va is a lower limit drive voltage in a range in which an absolute value of a change ratio in the haze is 0.5%/V or more, and the second voltage Vb is an upper limit drive voltage because Yasuhara (para.44, 45, and 49) discloses the light control layer can be switched between a transparent state and an opaque (high Haze) state, and the light control layer has the thickness uniformity of 5% or less, so that the change ratio in the haze is about 93%/30V=3.1%/V and a variance {(Vmax−Vmin)/Vavr}×100 in a middle value is 40% or less for the purpose of having the light control sheet in the transparent state with low voltage driving.
Moreover, Yasuhara does not explicitly disclose the light control layer is formed such that a diameter of each of the voids is in a range of 0.4 μm to 2.2 μm, the light control sheet is configured such that, when the applied drive voltage is between the first voltage Va and the second voltage Vb, the light control sheet exhibits a middle-tone mode having a haze that obstructs passage of light less than the haze of the light control sheet when the drive voltage is at the first voltage Va and more than the haze of the light control sheet when the drive voltage is at the second voltage Vb.
Yanagawa discloses a light control sheet, in at least fig.1, the light control layer is formed such that a diameter of each of the voids is in a range of 0.4 μm to 2.2 μm (page 3, lines 16 and 17) for the purpose of increasing the scattering efficiency of liquid crystal in visible light (page 3, line 16).
Hashida discloses a light control sheet, in figs.1-14, the light control sheet (10) is configured such that, when the applied drive voltage is between the first voltage Va (V1) and the second voltage Vb (V2), the light control sheet exhibits a middle-tone mode (halftone mode)(see first paragraph of page 8 and figs.3-5) having a haze that obstructs passage of light less than the haze of the light control sheet when the drive voltage is at the first voltage Va and more than the haze of the light control sheet when the drive voltage is at the second voltage Vb (see page 5, bottom-up second paragraph) for the purpose of having the light control sheet with three drive modes to have a variable light transmittance (page 1, line 13 and page 5, line 3).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the light control layer is formed such that a diameter of each of the voids is in a range of 0.4 μm to 2.2 μm, the light control sheet is configured such that, when the applied drive voltage is between the first voltage Va and the second voltage Vb, the light control sheet exhibits a middle-tone mode having a haze that obstructs passage of light less than the haze of the light control sheet when the drive voltage is at the first voltage Va and more than the haze of the light control sheet when the drive voltage is at the second voltage Vb as taught by Yanagawa and Hashida in the light control sheet of Yasuhara for the purpose of increasing the scattering efficiency of liquid crystal in visible light and having the light control sheet with three drive modes to have a variable light transmittance.
Regarding claim 4, Yasuhara in view of Yanagawa does not explicitly disclose a difference between the first voltage Va and the second voltage Vb is 22 V or less.
Hashida discloses a difference between the first voltage Va and the second voltage Vb is 22 V or less (page 7, bottom-up line 5-page 8 2nd paragraph disclose a difference between the first voltage Va and the second voltage Vb is 30V-10V=20V) for the purpose of switching/driving the light control layer between a transparent state and a scattering state (page 7, bottom-up line 5-page 8 2nd paragraph)
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a difference between the first voltage Va and the second voltage Vb is 22 V or less as taught by Hashida in the light control sheet of Yasuhara in view of Yanagawa for the purpose of switching/driving the light control layer between a transparent state and a scattering state.
Regarding claim 9, Yasuhara discloses a light control device, in at least figs.1-2, comprising:
a light control sheet (10) that changes a haze depending on a drive voltage (para.103 and table 1); and
a driving unit (10D) comprising circuitry configured to control a drive voltage applied to the light control sheet (see figs.1 and 2),
wherein the light control sheet includes a light control layer (11) comprising a resin layer (11A) and oriented particles (11B)(para.28),
a pair of transparent electrode layers (12) sandwiching the light control layer, and
a pair of transparent support layers (13) sandwiching the light control layer and the pair of transparent electrode layers,
the light control layer has thicknesses measured in a plurality of measurement positions such that the thicknesses are within a range of 0.8 times to 1.2 times a median value of the thicknesses (para.103 and 113 and table 1 disclose the light control layer having thickness uniformity of 5% or less which is about 0.97 times to 1.03 times a median value of the thicknesses) and has a structure such that the resin layer has a plurality of voids and that the oriented particles are contained in the voids dispersed in the resin layer (para.28), and the circuitry of the driving unit is configured to switch among a first mode of not applying the drive voltage (see fig.1) and a second mode of applying a voltage of equal to or more than the second voltage Vb (see fig.2),
the light control layer includes spacers (SP1 and SP2) controlling a gap between the pair of transparent electrode layers (see figs.1 and 2), and
a ratio of a total area occupied by the spacers to an overall area of the light control layer, when the light control layer is observed from a contact surface with a transparent electrode laver of the pair of transparent electrode layers, is in a range of 0.9% to 30.0% (see para.85-91 and 112 and table 1, example 1 discloses the ratio equal to about 2.9% and example 2 discloses the ratio equal to about 23.9%).
Yasuhara does not explicitly disclose a variance {(Vmax−Vmin)/Vavr}×100 in a middle value is 40% or less, where Vmin is a minimum value, Vmax is a maximum value, Vavr is an average value of middle values Vm obtained from characteristic curves in the plurality of measurement positions, each of the characteristic curves is obtained by measuring a change in haze when a drive voltage applied to the transparent electrode layers is changed, each of the middle values is a middle value Vm between a first voltage Va and a second voltage Vb, the first voltage Va is a lower limit drive voltage in a range in which an absolute value of a change ratio in the haze is 0.5%/V or more, and the second voltage Vb is an upper limit drive voltage.
Yanagawa discloses a light control device, in at least fig.1, a light control layer has a voltage of 30 V in the transparent state and making the voltage applied to light control layer uniformly by forming the light control layer with an uniform thickness (page 3, 4th paragraph) (for the purpose of having the light control sheet in the transparent state with low voltage driving (page 4, bottom-up 4th paragraph).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a light control layer has a voltage of 30 V in the transparent state and making the voltage applied to light control layer uniformly by forming the light control layer with an uniform thickness as taught by Yanagawa in the light control device of Yasuhara in order to have a variance {(Vmax−Vmin)/Vavr}×100 in a middle value is 40% or less, where Vmin is a minimum value, Vmax is a maximum value, Vavr is an average value of middle values Vm obtained from characteristic curves in the plurality of measurement positions, each of the characteristic curves is obtained by measuring a change in haze when a drive voltage applied to the transparent electrode layers is changed, each of the middle values is a middle value Vm between a first voltage Va and a second voltage Vb, the first voltage Va is a lower limit drive voltage in a range in which an absolute value of a change ratio in the haze is 0.5%/V or more, and the second voltage Vb is an upper limit drive voltage because Yasuhara (para.44, 45 and 49) discloses the light control layer can be switched between a transparent state and an opaque (high Haze) state, and the light control layer has the thickness uniformity of 5% or less, so that the change ratio in the haze is about 93%/30V=3.1%/V and a variance {(Vmax−Vmin)/Vavr}×100 in a middle value is 40% or less for the purpose of having the light control sheet in the transparent state with low voltage driving.
Moreover, Yasuhara does not explicitly disclose the control layer is formed such that a diameter of each of the voids is in a range of 0.4 μm to 2.2 μm, the circuitry of the driving unit is configured to switch among the first mode, the second mode, and a third mode of applying a voltage between the first voltage Va and the second voltage Vb such that the haze of the light control sheet becomes the haze between the haze in the first mode and the haze in the second mode, the third mode causes the light control sheet to exhibit a middle-tone mode having a haze that obstructs passage of light less than the haze of the light control sheet when the drive voltage is at the first voltage Va and more than the haze of the light control sheet when the drive voltage is at the second voltage Vb.
Yanagawa discloses a light control device, in at least fig.1, the control layer is formed such that a diameter of each of the voids is in a range of 0.4 μm to 2.2 μm (page 3, lines 16 and 17) for the purpose of increasing the scattering efficiency of liquid crystal in visible light (page 3, line 16).
Hashida discloses a light control sheet, in figs.1-14, the circuitry of the driving unit (20) is configured to switch among the first mode, the second mode, and a third mode (page 1, line 13) of applying a voltage between the first voltage Va and the second voltage Vb such that the haze of the light control sheet becomes the haze between the haze in the first mode and the haze in the second mode (see page 5, bottom-up second paragraph), the third mode causes the light control sheet to exhibit a middle-tone mode (halftone mode)(see first paragraph of page 8 and figs.3-5) having a haze that obstructs passage of light less than the haze of the light control sheet when the drive voltage is at the first voltage Va and more than the haze of the light control sheet when the drive voltage is at the second voltage Vb (see page 5, bottom-up second paragraph) for the purpose of having the light control sheet with three drive modes to have a variable light transmittance (page 1, line 13 and page 5, line 3).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the control layer is formed such that a diameter of each of the voids is in a range of 0.4 μm to 2.2 μm, the circuitry of the driving unit is configured to switch among the first mode, the second mode, and a third mode of applying a voltage between the first voltage Va and the second voltage Vb such that the haze of the light control sheet becomes the haze between the haze in the first mode and the haze in the second mode, the third mode causes the light control sheet to exhibit a middle-tone mode having a haze that obstructs passage of light less than the haze of the light control sheet when the drive voltage is at the first voltage Va and more than the haze of the light control sheet when the drive voltage is at the second voltage Vb as taught by Yanagawa and Hashida in the light control device of Yasuhara for the purpose of increasing the scattering efficiency of liquid crystal in visible light and having the light control sheet with three drive modes to have a variable light transmittance.
Regarding claim 12, Yasuhara in view of Yanagawa does not explicitly disclose a difference between the first voltage Va and the second voltage Vb is 22 V or less.
Hashida discloses a light control device, in figs.1-7, a difference between the first voltage Va and the second voltage Vb is 22 V or less (page 7, bottom-up line 5-page 8 2nd paragraph disclose a difference between the first voltage Va and the second voltage Vb is 30V-10V=20V) for the purpose of switching/driving the light control layer between a transparent state and a scattering state (page 7, bottom-up line 5-page 8 2nd paragraph)
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a difference between the first voltage Va and the second voltage Vb is 22 V or less as taught by Hashida in the light control device of Yasuhara in view of Yanagawa for the purpose of switching/driving the light control layer between a transparent state and a scattering state.
Regarding claim 17, Yasuhara discloses the light control layer comprises a polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC)(para.28).
Regarding claim 18, Yasuhara discloses the light control layer comprises a polymer network liquid crystal (PNLC)(para.28).
Regarding claim 20, Yasuhara discloses the pair of transparent support layers comprises a synthetic resin or an inorganic compound (para.43).
Regarding claim 21, Yasuhara discloses the pair of transparent electrode layers comprises a material selected from a group of indium tin oxide (ITO), fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO), tin oxide, zinc oxide, carbon nanotube (CNT), poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), and combinations thereof (para.42).
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yasuhara WO 2020/262219A1 (use US 2022/0121054 as an English translation for rejection) in view of Yanagawa JP 2000258758A and Hashida JP 2020109441A as applied to claim 1 above respectively, and further in view of Morinaga US 2020/0341303.
Regarding claim 19, Yasuhara in view of Yanagawa and Hashida does not explicitly disclose the light control layer comprises a nematic curvilinear aligned phase (NCAP).
Morinaga discloses a light control sheet, the light control layer (30) comprises a nematic curvilinear aligned phase (NCAP)(para.122) for the purpose of forming the light control layer with a nematic curvilinear aligned phase (NCAP)(para.122).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the light control layer comprises a nematic curvilinear aligned phase (NCAP) taught by Morinaga in the light control device of Yasuhara in view of Yanagawa and Hashida for the purpose of forming the light control layer with a nematic curvilinear aligned phase (NCAP).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Hashida JP 2020109441A (figs.1-14 teach three states/modes and PDLC, PNLC and NCAP, except spacers) and Komatsu WO 2020189715 (see document of 18459464_2026-08-04_WO_2020189715_A1_M.pdf) can be a primary reference as well.
Komatsu US 20220004036, Kaneko WO 2021085604A1 (see document of 18459464_2026-08-04_WO_2021085604_A1_M.pdf) and Abe WO 2021085605A1 (see document of 18459464_2026-08-04_WO_2021085605_A1_M.pdf) can be secondary reference for teaching the new amended claim limitation with three different state/mode as well can be overcome with English translation of JP2021-035329 and the same assignee statement.
Hirai US 2024/0152015 (figs.1(a)-1(c) and para.33) teaches claims 4 and 12 as well.
Mase US Patent 5178571 (at least fig.1) discloses inner diameter of each of the voids (13) is 1 μm and outer diameter of each of the void (13) is 2 μm (col.3, lines 57-59), or inner diameter of each of the voids (13) is in a range of 0.2 to 50 μm (claim 1).
Takei US Patent 5530567 (at least fig.7) discloses the light control layer is formed such that an outer diameter of each of the voids (28) is in a range of 1 to 15 μm.
NAKAMURA WO 2021251498A1 (18459464_2026-04-22_WO_2021251498_A1_M.pdf) (fig.1) discloses the light control layer is formed such that a diameter of each of the voids (31D) is in a range of 0.38 to 3.0 μm.
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/JIA X PAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
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