DETAILED ACTION
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 1-4, 12-14 and 20-32 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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as indefinite because the claim is directed to a “light-emitting method” but fails to recite any method steps. The claim instead recites conditions, coordinate ranges, and functional results of a light source and light-transmitting plate, rendering the metes and bounds of the claim unclear. Claims 2-4, 12, 21-26 are rejected due to claim dependency.
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as indefinite because the claim recites a light-emitting device including a light source and a light-transmitting plate, but the claim is primarily limited by functional and result-based language directed to chromaticity coordinate ranges and display conditions. The claim fails to clearly set forth how these limitations define the claimed device with sufficient particularity, such that the scope of the claim cannot be determined with reasonable certainty. Claims 14 and 27-32 are rejected due to claim dependency.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as indefinite because, although the claim is drafted as a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, the instructions are defined primarily by functional and result-based limitations relating to chromaticity coordinate ranges and display conditions. The claim does not clearly identify the operative steps or the manner in which the instructions define the claimed subject matter, rendering the scope of the claim unclear.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Zenker (DE 102010061123A1) discloses a light-emitting device [0009-0011, 0018, 0040, 0042] comprising a light source and a light-transmitting plate, wherein the light source is configured to emit light to a non-display surface of the light-transmitting plate so that a display surface of the light-transmitting plate displays a display light that satisfies a display condition, the light-transmitting condition includes a chromaticity coordinate range corresponding to the light-transmitting plate, the chromaticity coordinate range corresponding to the light-transmitting plate is a chromaticity coordinate region where a transmitted light of a CIE standard illuminant passing through the light-transmitting plate is rendered in a CIE standard chromaticity system, the display condition includes a chromaticity coordinate range of the display light, the chromaticity coordinate range of the display light is a chromaticity coordinate range required by the display light to display a transmitted light in a target color, the light source satisfies that a chromaticity coordinate range corresponding to the light source is a chromaticity coordinate range of the light source for displaying the display light, and a light color adjustment range corresponding to the light source is a spectrum adjustment range of the light source for displaying the display light.
Leung (US 20210095825) and Lee (US 20160007419) discloses light-emitting device comprising a light source and a light-transmitting plate.
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/BUMSUK WON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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