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 .
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.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, a space is missing in “is100”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 8-10 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
In claim 8, applicants claim “the polymerizable compound of component (b) comprises a (meth)acrylate compound, a di(meth)acrylate compound, a poly(meth)acrylate compound, or a combination thereof. The list of alternatives share a single structural similarity, a (meth)acrylic functionality, and share a common use as polymerizable monomers.
In claim 10, applicants claim “the photoinitiator of component (c) comprises at least one compound selected from the group consisting of…”. The list of alternatives share a single structural similarity, a light absorbing moiety, and share a common use as photoinitiators.
In claim 15, applicants claim “wherein the conductive fillers of component (e) are carbon-based fillers including….”. The list of alternatives share a single structural similarity, carbon, and share a common use as conductive fillers.
A list of specified alternatives is defined as a Markush group. A Markush group is a closed group of alternatives, i.e., the selection is made from a group “consisting of” (rather than “comprising” or “including”) the alternative members. If a Markush grouping requires a material selected from an open list of alternatives (e.g., selected from the group comprising” or the recited alternatives), the claim should generally be rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as indefinite because it is unclear what other alternatives are intended to be encompassed by the claim. If a claim is intended to encompass combinations or mixtures of the alternatives set forth in the Markush grouping, the claim may include qualifying language preceding the recited alternatives (such as “at least one member” selected from the group), or within the list of alternatives (such as “or mixtures thereof”). See MPEP 2173.05(h).
It is noted that since claim 9 ultimately or directly depend from claim 8, it is rejected along with claim 8 because it incorporates all of the limitations of claim 8, including those that are indefinite.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-7, 11-14 and 16-20 are allowed.
Assuming the 112 issues with claims 8-10 and 15 can be overcome, these claims would also be considered allowed.
The following represents the closest prior art:
Ishii (US 2016/0040023) teaches a transparent electrode formed by using metal nanowire-based transparent conductive film, teaching the adsorption of a colored component to the metal nanowires (p. 2, [0017]). Ishii exemplifies the metal nanowires as silver nanowires and the colored compounds to include Black 2RL, which has a very low transmissivity within the visible light range of 300-700 nm and absorb light significantly, meeting applicants’ visible-light blocking system.
Ishii teaches the binder resin (iii) as containing at least one of (meth)acrylic monomer and (meth)acrylic oligomer and also containing photopolymerization initiator may be used (p. 4, [0049]), and exemplifies such as a combination of urethane acrylate oligomer (CN 9006), pentaerythritol triacrylate and Irgacure 184 photopolymerization initiator (p. 9, [0118]-[0122]).
However, Ishii teaches the blending ratio of metal nanowires to photosensitive resin in a weight ratio of 0.05-50:1 or about 5-50 phr, and the blending ratio of colored compound to metal nanowires in an amount of 0.001-10 wt%. These suggested ranges are much broader and only slightly overlap the claimed ranges, in a way such that one of ordinary skill in the art would not find it obvious to prepare the claimed composition with the claimed optical density.
KR 2007-0029064 teaches a photosensitive resin composition for forming a black electrode or black matrix which is used in a plasma display panel (PDP), and can suitably be used as a bus electrode of a PDP. KR ‘064 teaches the composition as comprising a light-shielding substance, which includes carbon black and titanium black; a binder resin, which is listed to include polyurethane, and vaguely teaches that acrylic derivatives thereof are suitable; a photopolymerization initiator; a photopolymeriable compound, which includes a number of (meth)acrylate, di(meth)acrylate and poly(meth)acrylate compounds; and an additive which includes a conductive material, which includes a metal powder in an amount of 10-70 phr. KR ‘064 teaches the reflective OD value of 1.5 or more, teaching that when this value is at least 1.5, sufficient display contrast can be obtained. However, there is no teaching as to the claimed optical density, one of ordinary skill in the art would not be motivated to choose the claimed composition with the claimed amounts.
JP 2011-029113 teaches a photosensitive black paste for forming a bus electrode of a plasma display, comprising a conductive component, preferably spherical particles or flakes of silver, gold, copper and alloy powders; glass powder; alkali-soluble resin; polyfunctional (meth)acrylate, a photoinitiator, silicon powder and a black pigment; however, there is no teaching or suggestion of urethane acrylate oligomers as a suitable alkali soluble resin, nor is it clear how the glass frit would affect the claimed optical density.
Ahn (US 2008/0121850) teaches a composition for bus-electrode of plasma display panel, comprising a combination of a black pigment and conductive material in an organic binder; however, the organic binder only accounts for 5-20 wt% of the total composition, which is much less than allowed by the claimed invention.
CN 1427438 teaches a black paste for forming a black pattern of a plasma display panel, comprising a heat resistant black pigment, a conductive powder and an organic binder, which further includes a photopolymerizable monomer (which can include urethane acrylate), and a photopolymerization initiator. The black pigments and conductive powder are not the same as those described by applicants and CN ‘438 does not teach the optical density.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRIEANN R JOHNSTON whose telephone number is (571)270-7344. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM EST.
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/Brieann R Johnston/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1766
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