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 amendments filed June 19, 2025 have been entered. Claims 1-5 remain pending, but stand rejected for the reasons detailed below.
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.
Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US Publication No. 2022/0368786) in view of Yang (CN Publication No. 110933888) and Chen (US Publication No. 2019/0235653).
Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses an electronic apparatus comprising: a chassis (Figures 2-3, comprised of foldable housing 500 and circuit board 600); a display (Figures 2-3, display 200; Figure 11 and Paragraphs [0151]-[0172], display 120; NOTE: display 120 labeled as 1120 in Figure 11) mounted on the chassis (500, 600); a camera (Figure 11, camera 1130) mounted on the chassis (500, 600; see Paragraph [0081] and Figures 4-10, camera module being mounted onto the circuit board) and has a light receiving section (opening in housing of 1130 supporting convex lens) that is an opening in a holding protrusion portion (housing portion of 1130 connected to lens) holding a lens (convex lens of 1130; see Figures 11-12) and that receives light; and a plate-shaped cover member (window 1110) that covers the camera (1130), wherein, the cover member (1110) includes: a light transmission section (between printed region 322) that is an opening in the cover member (Paragraph [0154], transparent area surrounded by opaque area 1111) and that completely encompasses and extends beyond the light receiving section (opening in 1130 supporting lens; see Figure 11) as viewed from a direction of an optical axis of the camera (orthogonal to lens of camera 1130; see “Front view” portion of Figure 11), a ring-shaped low transmission section (opaque area 1111) that surrounds the light transmission section (transparent area surrounded by opaque area 1111; see Paragraph [0154] and Figure 11).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective file date of the claimed invention to have combined the camera, display, and cover member disclosed in Figure 11 of Kim to the chassis/circuit board disclosed in Figures 1-10 of Kim, according to known methods to yield the predictable results of mounting a camera and display within a foldable housing. Doing so would have also improved the functionality of the electronic device, by providing the electronic device with a camera capable of easily collecting light in a folded and unfolded state (see Paragraph [0153] in Kim).
Kim does not teach wherein the cover member includes: a light shielding section that surrounds the low transmission section.
However, Yang teaches a cover member (transparent casing 10) including: a light transmission section (electrochromic layer 20), a ring-shaped low transmission section (light shielding layer 30) that surrounds the light transmission section (20), and a light shielding section (light shielding layer 40) that surrounds the low transmission section (30).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective file date of the claimed invention to have substituted the cover of Kim for the cover of Yang, according to known methods to yield the predictable results of providing a camera with a cover having a light filter/blocking layer. Doing so would have also provided for a richer visual effect and improved the expressive appearance, while maintaining the cover’s ability to filter/shield stray light for better image capture (see page 3 in Yang).
Kim in view of Yang does not explicitly teach wherein the low transmission section has a transmittance of 80% or more of infrared rays of a wavelength of 850 nm and has a transmittance of 20% or less of visible rays of a wavelength of 550 nm.
However, Chen teaches a cover (see Figure 1) comprising a low transmission section (semi-transparent ink layer 4), wherein the low transmission section (4) has a transmittance of 80% or more of infrared rays of a wavelength of 850 nm and has a transmittance of 20% or less of visible rays of a wavelength of 550 nm (see Paragraph [0036]).
Because Yang and Chen both teach a lower transmission section being comprised of a semi-transparent ink formed by screen printing and having a similar transmittance of visible rays (see pages 7-8 in Yang; see Paragraph [0051] in Chen), it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective file date of the claimed invention to have substituted the material of the lower transmission section in Kim as modified by Yang for the material of the lower transmission section in Chen, based on its suitability for its intended use, here being a semi-transparent ink use to block/filter light for an imaging device (see pages 7-8 in Yang; see Paragraph [0051] in Chen). MPEP § 2144.07 and Sinclair & Carroll Co. v. Interchemical Corp., 325 U.S. 327, 65 USPQ 297 (1945); In re Leshin, 277 F.2d 197, 125 USPQ 416 (CCPA 1960) (selection of a known plastic to make a container of a type made of plastics prior to the invention was held to be obvious).
Regarding claim 2, Kim in view of Yang and Chen teaches the electronic apparatus according to claim 1, and further teaches (in Yang) wherein the low transmission section (30, as modified by Chen) includes a low transmission film on the cover member (see pages 7-8), which low transmission film is formed by printing (page 8, “the first light shielding layer 30 is an ink layer, may include, but are not limited to formed through screen printing or ink jet printing”; see also Paragraph [0051] in Chen), and the light shielding section (40) includes a light shielding film on the cover member (see page 8), which light shielding film is formed by printing (page 8, “the second light-shielding layer 40 is an ink layer, may include, but are not limited to formed through screen printing or ink jet printing”).
Regarding claim 3, Kim in view of Yang and Chen teaches the electronic apparatus according to claim 1, and further teaches (in Kim) wherein an engagement section (lens of 1130), which is a concave portion or a convex portion (see Figure 11), is on a peripheral edge of the camera (edge of 1130).
Regarding claim 4, Kim in view of Yang and Chen teaches a manufacturing method for the electronic apparatus described in claim 2, comprising (in Yang): a first film formation step of forming the light shielding film (40) on the cover member (page 8, “the second light-shielding layer 40 is an ink layer, may include, but are not limited to formed through screen printing or ink jet printing”); and a second film formation step of forming the low transmission film (30, as modified by Chen) on the cover member (page 8, “the first light shielding layer 30 is an ink layer, may include, but are not limited to formed through screen printing or ink jet printing”; see also Paragraph [0051] in Chen) having the light shielding film (40) formed thereon.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US Publication No. 2022/0368786) in view of Yang (CN Publication No. 110933888) and Hawes (US Publication No. 2020/0014834).
Regarding claim 5, Kim discloses an electronic apparatus comprising: a chassis (Figures 2-3, comprised of foldable housing 500 and circuit board 600); a display (Figures 2-3, display 200; Figure 11 and Paragraphs [0151]-[0172], display 120; NOTE: display 120 labeled as 1120 in Figure 11) mounted on the chassis (500, 600); a camera (Figure 11, camera 1130) mounted on the chassis (500, 600; see Paragraph [0081] and Figures 4-10, camera module being mounted onto the circuit board) and has a light receiving section (opening in 1130 supporting convex lens) that is an opening in a holding protrusion portion (housing portion of 1130 connected to lens) holding a lens (convex lens of 1130; see Figure 11) and that receives light; and a plate-shaped cover member (window 1110) that covers the camera (1130), wherein, the cover member (1110) includes: a light transmission section (between printed region 322) that is an opening in the cover member (Paragraph [0154], transparent area surrounded by opaque area 1111) and that completely encompasses and extends beyond the light receiving section (opening in 1130 supporting lens; see Figure 11) as viewed from a direction of an optical axis of the camera (orthogonal to lens of camera 1130; see “Front view” portion of Figure 11), a ring-shaped low transmission section (opaque area 1111) that surrounds the light transmission section (transparent area surrounded by opaque area 1111; see Paragraph [0154] and Figure 11).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective file date of the claimed invention to have combined the camera, display, and cover member disclosed in Figure 11 of Kim to the chassis/circuit board disclosed in Figures 1-10 of Kim, according to known methods to yield the predictable results of mounting a camera and display within a foldable housing. Doing so would have also improved the functionality of the electronic device, by providing the electronic device with a camera capable of easily collecting light in a folded and unfolded state (see Paragraph [0153] in Kim).
Kim does not teach wherein a ring-shaped low transmission section has a lower transmittance of infrared rays of a wavelength of 850 nm, as compared with the light transmission section, and a light shielding section that surrounds the low transmission section and has a lower transmittance of infrared rays of a wavelength of 850 nm as compared with the low transmission section are formed.
However, Yang teaches wherein a cover member (transparent casing 10) includes: a light transmission section (electrochromic layer 20); a ring-shaped low transmission section (light shielding layer 30) has a lower transmittance of visible rays of a wavelength of 380 nm-780 nm (page 5, “optical transmittance is at 380nm-780nm waveband light transmittance”), as compared with the light transmission section (20; “the electrochromic layer 20 has an optical transmittance of greater than 85% in the transparent state”; “the optical transmittance of the first light shielding layer 30 is less than 20%”); and a light shielding section (light shielding layer 40) that surrounds the low transmission section (30) and has a lower transmittance of visible rays of a wavelength of 380 nm-780 nm (see page 5) as compared with the low transmission section (30) are formed (page 8, “the optical transmittance of the first light shielding layer 30 is less than 20%”; page 8, “the optical transmission ratio of the second light shielding layer 40 is less than 10%”).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective file date of the claimed invention to have substituted the cover of Kim for the cover of Yang with the cited transmissivity, according to known methods to yield the predictable results of providing a camera with a cover having a light filter/blocking layer. Doing so would have provided for a richer visual effect and improved the expressive appearance, while maintaining the cover’s ability to filter/shield stray light for better image capture (see page 3 in Yang).
Kim in view of Yang does not explicitly teach wherein the ring-shaped low transmission section has a lower transmittance of infrared rays of a wavelength of 850 nm as compared with the light transmission section, and wherein the light shielding section has a lower transmittance of infrared rays of a wavelength of 850 nm as compared with the low transmission section.
However, Hawes teaches wherein a ring-shaped low transmission section (Figure 3, outer section of absorber 36) has a lower transmittance of infrared rays of a wavelength of 850 nm (see Paragraph [0017]) as compared with a light transmission section (outer portion of film 35), a light shielding section (inner portion of 36) has a lower transmittance of infrared rays of a wavelength of 850 nm (see Paragraph [0017]) as compared with the low transmission section (outer section of 36).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective file date of the claimed invention to have modified the light transmission section, low transmission section, and light shielding section of Kim as modified by Yang to also filter/shield light in the infrared range of light, as taught in Hawes. Doing so would have allowed the transmission/shielding sections to filter/block a broader spectrum of stray light, to provide for better image capture during low light/night vision situations (see Paragraph [0017] in Hawes).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-5 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Applicant’s amendments are directed toward the relationship between the lens opening of the camera and the light transmission section of the cover member. Examiner agrees the amendments overcome previously cited Sim (US Publication No. 2021/0051221), considering the opening in camera 531 supporting lens 531 appears to extend beyond the opening defined by printed region 322 (see Figure 5A in Sim below). However, Examiner submits Kim (US Publication No. 2022/0368786) teaches the claimed relationship between the lens opening of the camera and the light transmission section of the cover member (see portion of Figure 11 in Kim below).
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For these reasons, and the reasons detailed above, claims 1-5 stand rejected.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
You (US Patent No. 11696469), Aoki (US Patent No. 11703724), and Tang (US Patent No. 11016327) also disclose a camera having a light receiving section that is an opening in a holding protrusion portion holding a lens and that receives light; and a plate-shaped cover member that covers the camera, wherein, the cover member includes: a light transmission section that is an opening in the cover member and that completely encompasses and extends beyond the light receiving section.
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.
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/GAGE CRUM/Examiner, Art Unit 2841