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 Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 8, and 16 have been considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection necessitated by the amendments to the claims.
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) 1 and 3-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 20230051085) in view of Wu et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 20220196890).
Regarding claim 1, Lee discloses:
An electronic device, comprising:
a camera module (camera module 430, par. 116, 158, and Figs. 5, 6, and 9A) having an optical axis (optical axis OA, par. 111, 145, 146, and Figs. 6, 7, and 9A) and a set of one or more lenses centered along the optical axis (plurality of lenses 460/570, where optical axis OA may pass through the centers of the lens surfaces of the plurality of lenses 570, par. 144-146, 158-160, and Figs. 6, 7, and 9A);
a display panel (display 422, which may be referred to as a display panel, including a plurality of layers which include base layer 424, the panel layer 423, an encapsulation layer 425, and/or a support layer 426, par. 121, 125, and Fig. 6) including an enhanced light transmission region, wherein the enhanced light transmission region permits a greater amount of light to pass therethrough compared to at least one other region of the display panel (transmissive area (e.g., a first area 422a of FIGS. 5 and 6) that functions as a portion of an area displaying contents and that has a specified transmittance such that light passes therethrough, where first area 422a may pass light incident from the outside through the plurality of opening areas O, and the transmissive area of the display 301 may include an area having a lower pixel density and/or wiring density than those of a peripheral area (e.g., a second area 422b of FIGS. 5 and 6), and the plurality of pixel areas P and the plurality of wire areas W may be non-transmissive areas through which blocks light incident thereon, par. 82, 139-142, 151, and Fig. 5-8);
a display printed circuit board (PCB) (thin film transistor (TFT) film, where panel layer 423 may be disposed on a thin film transistor (TFT) film through evaporation of an organic material, and where TFT film may be disposed on a flexible substrate through deposition, patterning, and etching, and the TFT film may be located between the panel layer 423 and the base layer 424, par. 129);
an aperture stop positioned between the set of one or more lenses and the display panel (spacers S1 and S2, where spaces S1 and S2 may be disposed in contact with the peripheral portions of the plurality of lenses 570, and where the spaces S1 and S2 are between the lenses and the display 422 and formed in a ring shape, par. 160-167 and Figs. 6 and 9A);
a transparent cover positioned over the display panel on an opposite side of the display panel from the display PCB (front cover 421 as a substantially transparent window layer (or, cover layer), and the display 422 may be referred to as a display panel attached to the rear surface of the window layer, where front cover 421 is on an opposite side of display 422 from the thin film transistor (TFT) film with panel layer 423 disposed on, par. 121-124, 129, and Fig. 6); and
a housing configured to retain the camera module, the display panel, the display PCB, and the aperture stop therein (electronic device 400 with back cover 480 and the side member 410 may form the housing of the electronic device 400 (e.g., the housing 310 of FIGS. 3A and 3B) together with a front cover 421 included in the display module 420, and the housing of the electronic device 400 may be understood as the structure in which a predetermined space in which other components of the electronic device 400 are disposed is formed by a coupling of the front cover 421 and the back cover 480 with the side member 410, par. 116-120).
Lee is silent with regards to the aperture stop positioned between an uppermost lens of a set of one or more lenses and a lowermost surface of the display panel. Wu discloses the aperture stop positioned between an uppermost lens of a set of one or more lenses and a lowermost surface of the display panel (iris diaphragm 230, having small and large aperture states, is provided between a bottom surface of the organic light-emitting diode display screen 100 and a top surface of a frontmost lens of the lens group 221, where iris diaphragm 230 includes a first lens holder 231 and a plurality of movable blades 232 installed on the first lens holder 231 and a top surface of the first lens holder 231 bears against the bottom surface of the organic light-emitting diode display screen 100, and a bottom surface of the first lens holder 231 bears against a top surface of the lens barrel 222, par. 64-66). As can be seen in par. 65 this is advantageous in that the plurality of movable blades can form a variety of apertures of different sizes, so as to realize the function of aperture adjustment. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the aperture stop positioned between an uppermost lens of a set of one or more lenses and a lowermost surface of the display panel.
Regarding claim 3, Lee further discloses:
aperture stop is positioned against the set of one or more lenses (spacers S1 and S2 may be disposed in contact with the peripheral portions of the plurality of lenses 570, par. 160-167 and Figs. 6 and 9A).
Additionally, note in claim 1 Wu was shown to disclose aperture stop is positioned between the set of one or more lenses (a top surface of the first lens holder 231 bears against the bottom surface of the organic light-emitting diode display screen 100, and a bottom surface of the first lens holder 231 bears against a top surface of the lens barrel 222, par. 66)
Regarding claim 4, see the rejection of claim 1 and note that Wu was shown to disclose that aperture stop is positioned against the display panel (a top surface of the first lens holder 231 bears against the bottom surface of the organic light-emitting diode display screen 100, and a bottom surface of the first lens holder 231 bears against a top surface of the lens barrel 222, par. 66).
Regarding claim 5, Lee further discloses:
aperture stop and the enhanced light transmission region are centered around the optical axis (optical axis OA may pass through the centers of the lens surfaces of the plurality of lenses 570 where spaces S1 and S2 are in contact with the peripheral portions of the plurality of lenses 570, and camera module 430 is disposed under the display 422 so that at least some of the plurality of lenses 460 are aligned with the first area 422a of the display 422 in the direction of the optical axis OA and is configured to receive light passed through the first area 422a of the display 422, par. 146, 160-167, and Figs. 6 and 9A).
Regarding claim 6, Lee further discloses:
aperture stop comprises a cross-section that is less than a cross-section of the enhanced light transmission region (the opening length inside top spacers S1 is smaller than the length of a length of area 422a, Figs. 6, 7, and 9A).
Regarding claim 7, Lee further discloses:
enhanced light transmission region comprises a hole punch extending through the display panel (camera module 305 as an under display camera is located in a transmissive area 422a, which is close to an upper edge of display 422 and is in the form of a ring/circle/notch and is considered to be a hole punch/notch as light is transmitted through the display 301, par. 81-82, 223, and Fig. 3A).
Regarding claim 8, Lee further discloses:
A display package for an electronic device, comprising:
a camera module (camera module 430, par. 116, 158, and Figs. 5, 6, and 9A) having an optical axis (optical axis OA, par. 111, 145, 146, and Figs. 6, 7, and 9A) and a set of one or more lenses centered along the optical axis (plurality of lenses 460/570, where optical axis OA may pass through the centers of the lens surfaces of the plurality of lenses 570, par. 144-146, 158-160, and Figs. 6, 7, and 9A);
a display panel (display 422, which may be referred to as a display panel, including a plurality of layers which include base layer 424, the panel layer 423, an encapsulation layer 425, and/or a support layer 426, par. 121, 125, and Fig. 6) including an enhanced light transmission region, wherein the enhanced light transmission region permits a greater amount of light to pass therethrough compared to at least one other region of the display panel (transmissive area (e.g., a first area 422a of FIGS. 5 and 6) that functions as a portion of an area displaying contents and that has a specified transmittance such that light passes therethrough, where first area 422a may pass light incident from the outside through the plurality of opening areas O, and the transmissive area of the display 301 may include an area having a lower pixel density and/or wiring density than those of a peripheral area (e.g., a second area 422b of FIGS. 5 and 6), and the plurality of pixel areas P and the plurality of wire areas W may be non-transmissive areas through which blocks light incident thereon, par. 82, 139-142, 151, and Fig. 5-8);
a display printed circuit board (PCB) (thin film transistor (TFT) film, where panel layer 423 may be disposed on a thin film transistor (TFT) film through evaporation of an organic material, and where TFT film may be disposed on a flexible substrate through deposition, patterning, and etching, and the TFT film may be located between the panel layer 423 and the base layer 424, par. 129);
a transparent cover positioned over the display panel on an opposite side of the display panel from the display PCB (front cover 421 as a substantially transparent window layer (or, cover layer), and the display 422 may be referred to as a display panel attached to the rear surface of the window layer, where front cover 421 is on an opposite side of display 422 from the thin film transistor (TFT) film with panel layer 423 disposed on, par. 121-124, 129, and Fig. 6); and
an aperture stop positioned between the set of one or more lenses and the display panel (spacers S1 and S2, where spaces S1 and S2 may be disposed in contact with the peripheral portions of the plurality of lenses 570, and where the spaces S1 and S2 are between the lenses and the display 422 and formed in a ring shape, par. 160-167 and Figs. 6 and 9A).
Lee is silent with regards to the aperture stop positioned between an uppermost lens of a set of one or more lenses and a lowermost surface of the display panel. Wu discloses the aperture stop positioned between an uppermost lens of a set of one or more lenses and a lowermost surface of the display panel (iris diaphragm 230, having small and large aperture states, is provided between a bottom surface of the organic light-emitting diode display screen 100 and a top surface of a frontmost lens of the lens group 221, par. 64-65). As can be seen in par. 65 this is advantageous in that the plurality of movable blades can form a variety of apertures of different sizes, so as to realize the function of aperture adjustment. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the aperture stop positioned between an uppermost lens of a set of one or more lenses and a lowermost surface of the display panel.
Regarding claim 9, Lee further discloses:
enhanced light transmission region comprises a notch extending through the display panel and adjacent an edge of the display panel (camera module 305 as an under display camera is located in a transmissive area 422a, which is close to an upper edge of display 422 and is in the form of a ring/circle/notch and is considered to be a hole punch/notch as light is transmitted through the display 301, par. 81-82, 223, and Fig. 3A).
Regarding claim 10, Lee further discloses:
enhanced light transmission region comprises a region of the display panel having at least one of a lower pixel density or a lower routing density compared to at least one other region of the display panel (transmissive area of the display 301 may include an area having a lower pixel density and/or wiring density than those of a peripheral area (e.g., a second area 422b of FIGS. 5 and 6), par. 82, 139-141, 151, and Fig. 5-8).
Regarding claim 11, Lee further discloses:
display panel comprises a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel (panel layer 423 of display 422 disposed on a thin film transistor (TFT) film, where the TFT is implemented with a liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) TFT, par. 125 and 129), and wherein the enhanced light transmission region comprises a variable cross-sectional area (transmissive area (e.g., a first area 422a of FIGS. 5 and 6) of display 301/330/422 of display module 420 that functions as a portion of an area displaying contents and that has a specified transmittance such that light passes therethrough, and the transmissive area of the display 301 may include an area having a lower pixel density and/or wiring density than those of a peripheral area (e.g., a second area 422b of FIGS. 5 and 6), par. 82, 99, 121, 139-141, 151, and Fig. 5-8).
Regarding claim 12, Lee is silent with regards to camera module comprises a machine vision camera module. Official Notice is taken that it was well known before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include using machine vision camera modules. This is advantageous in that camera modules can process and categorize objects in an image and use the categorizations to determine camera operations, such as focus, zoom, or white balance. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include camera module comprises a machine vision camera module.
It is noted by the examiner that because the applicant has failed to timely traverse the old and well-known statement above, it is now taken as admitted prior art. See MPEP 2144.03(c).
Regarding claim 13, Lee further discloses:
display panel comprises a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and wherein the plurality of LEDs comprises one or more organic LEDs (OLEDs) (panel layer 423 may include a pixel array including the plurality of pixels 4231 implemented with light emitting elements, such as organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) or micro light emitting diodes (micro LEDs), par. 128).
Regarding claim 14, Lee further discloses:
display panel comprises a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and wherein the plurality of LEDs comprises one or more micro LEDs (panel layer 423 may include a pixel array including the plurality of pixels 4231 implemented with light emitting elements, such as organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) or micro light emitting diodes (micro LEDs), par. 128).
Regarding claim 15, Lee further discloses:
enhanced light transmission region permits a greater amount of light to pass therethrough compared to a total remaining portion of the display panel (transmissive area (e.g., a first area 422a of FIGS. 5 and 6) that functions as a portion of an area displaying contents and that has a specified transmittance such that light passes therethrough, where first area 422a may pass light incident from the outside through the plurality of opening areas O, and the transmissive area of the display 301 may include an area having a lower pixel density and/or wiring density than those of a peripheral area (e.g., a second area 422b of FIGS. 5 and 6), and the plurality of pixel areas P and the plurality of wire areas W may be non-transmissive areas through which blocks light incident thereon, par. 82, 139-142, 151, and Fig. 5-8).
Regarding claim 16, Lee discloses:
A camera assembly, comprising:
a camera module (camera module 430, par. 116, 158, and Figs. 5, 6, and 9A) having an optical axis (optical axis OA, par. 111, 145, 146, and Figs. 6, 7, and 9A) and a set of one or more lenses centered along the optical axis (plurality of lenses 460/570, where optical axis OA may pass through the centers of the lens surfaces of the plurality of lenses 570, par. 144-146, 158-160, and Figs. 6, 7, and 9A);
a display panel (display 422, which may be referred to as a display panel, including a plurality of layers which include base layer 424, the panel layer 423, an encapsulation layer 425, and/or a support layer 426, par. 121, 125, and Fig. 6) including an enhanced light transmission region, wherein the enhanced light transmission region permits a greater amount of light to pass therethrough compared to at least one other region of the display panel (transmissive area (e.g., a first area 422a of FIGS. 5 and 6) that functions as a portion of an area displaying contents and that has a specified transmittance such that light passes therethrough, where first area 422a may pass light incident from the outside through the plurality of opening areas O, and the transmissive area of the display 301 may include an area having a lower pixel density and/or wiring density than those of a peripheral area (e.g., a second area 422b of FIGS. 5 and 6), and the plurality of pixel areas P and the plurality of wire areas W may be non-transmissive areas through which blocks light incident thereon, par. 82, 139-142, 151, and Fig. 5-8);
a display printed circuit board (PCB) (thin film transistor (TFT) film, where panel layer 423 may be disposed on a thin film transistor (TFT) film through evaporation of an organic material, and where TFT film may be disposed on a flexible substrate through deposition, patterning, and etching, and the TFT film may be located between the panel layer 423 and the base layer 424, par. 129); and
an aperture stop positioned between the set of one or more lenses and the display panel (spacers S1 and S2, where spaces S1 and S2 may be disposed in contact with the peripheral portions of the plurality of lenses 570, and where the spaces S1 and S2 are between the lenses and the display 422 and formed in a ring shape, par. 160-167 and Figs. 6 and 9A).
Lee is silent with regards to the aperture stop positioned between an uppermost lens of a set of one or more lenses and a lowermost surface of the display panel. Wu discloses the aperture stop positioned between an uppermost lens of a set of one or more lenses and a lowermost surface of the display panel (iris diaphragm 230, having small and large aperture states, is provided between a bottom surface of the organic light-emitting diode display screen 100 and a top surface of a frontmost lens of the lens group 221, par. 64-65). As can be seen in par. 65 this is advantageous in that the plurality of movable blades can form a variety of apertures of different sizes, so as to realize the function of aperture adjustment. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the aperture stop positioned between an uppermost lens of a set of one or more lenses and a lowermost surface of the display panel.
Regarding claim 17, Lee further discloses:
aperture stop and the enhanced light transmission region are centered around the optical axis (optical axis OA may pass through the centers of the lens surfaces of the plurality of lenses 570 where spaces S1 and S2 are in contact with the peripheral portions of the plurality of lenses 570, and camera module 430 is disposed under the display 422 so that at least some of the plurality of lenses 460 are aligned with the first area 422a of the display 422 in the direction of the optical axis OA and is configured to receive light passed through the first area 422a of the display 422, par. 146, 160-167, and Figs. 6 and 9A).
Regarding claim 18, Lee further discloses:
enhanced light transmission region comprises a hole punch extending through the display panel (camera module 305 as an under display camera is located in a transmissive area 422a, which is close to an upper edge of display 422 and is in the form of a ring/circle/notch and is considered to be a hole punch/notch as light is transmitted through the display 301, par. 81-82, 223, and Fig. 3A).
Regarding claim 19, Lee further discloses:
enhanced light transmission region comprises a notch extending through the display panel and adjacent an edge of the display panel (camera module 305 as an under display camera is located in a transmissive area 422a, which is close to an upper edge of display 422 and is in the form of a ring/circle/notch and is considered to be a hole punch/notch as light is transmitted through the display 301, par. 81-82, 223, and Fig. 3A).
Regarding claim 20, Lee further discloses:
enhanced light transmission region comprises a region of the display panel having at least one of a lower pixel density or a lower routing density compared to at least one other region of the display panel (transmissive area of the display 301 may include an area having a lower pixel density and/or wiring density than those of a peripheral area (e.g., a second area 422b of FIGS. 5 and 6), par. 82, 139-141, 151, and Fig. 5-8).
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) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 20230051085) in view of Wu et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 20220196890) in further view of Chen et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 20170374252).
Regarding claim 2, Lee is silent with regards to one or more lenses comprise a wafer level optics lens. Chen discloses one or more lenses comprise a wafer level optics lens (wafer-level lens 130 of wafer-level lens unit 150 includes (a) lens element 134 formed on a surface of substrate 132 facing away from image sensor 120, where opaque coating 610 covers the surface of substrate 132 facing away from image sensor 120 except for an area used to receive light (aperture) into camera module 600, par. 26 and Fig. 6). As can be seen in par. 1 this is advantageous in that wafer-level manufacturing lenses can dramatically reduce cost. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include one or more lenses comprise a wafer level optics lens.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NICHOLAS G GILES whose telephone number is (571)272-2824. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 6:45AM-3:15PM EST (HOTELING).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Twyler Haskins can be reached at 571-272-7406. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NICHOLAS G GILES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2639
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