DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 8-11, 13-15, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Park (KR-20230108757A) wherein the English translation is referenced to the US PG-Pub 2023/0225043.
Regarding Claim 1: Park teaches a display module, comprising: a display panel (100); a circuit board (400) electrically connected to the display panel (fig. 34), the circuit board including a first surface (410 side) and a second surface (420 side) that are opposite to each other (fig. 34); an electronic device (TIC) disposed on the first surface of the circuit board (fig. 34); a copper foil (720) covering the electronic device (paragraph [0122] in PG-pub); and a graphite film (700) disposed on the second surface of the circuit board (fig. 34).
Regarding Claim 8: Park teaches a second bonding layer (630) including a plurality of first bonding blocks (fig. 34), wherein the plurality of first bonding blocks are located on a side of the graphite film away from the circuit board (fig. 34).
Regarding Claim 9: Park teaches wherein the plurality of first bonding blocks are arranged to bypass the electronic device (fig. 34).
Regarding Claim 10: Park teaches wherein the circuit board further includes first exposed copper regions (OP1) located on the second surface (fig. 34); the second bonding layer further includes a second bonding block (fig. 34) covering a first exposed copper region of the first exposed copper regions (fig. 34), and the second bonding block is conductive and in electrical contact with the first exposed copper region (fig. 34).
Regarding Claim 11: Park teaches further comprising: a middle frame (310) bonded to the second bonding layer (fig. 34); wherein in a case where the second bonding layer includes a second bonding block (other of 630), and the middle frame is electrically connected to the second bonding block (fig. 34).
Regarding Claim 13: Park teaches a third bonding layer (610) disposed between the electronic device and the copper foil (fig. 34), the third bonding layer covering the electronic device (fig. 34).
Regarding Claim 14: Park teaches wherein the circuit board further includes second exposed copper regions (OP2) located on the first surface (fig. 34), and the third bonding layer is arranged to bypass the second exposed copper regions (fig. 34).
Regarding Claim 15: Park teaches wherein the third bonding layer includes through holes (figs. 33-34) for bypassing the second exposed copper regions (figs. 33-34), and the copper foil is in electrical contact with the second exposed copper regions through the through holes (figs. 33-34).
Regarding Claim 20: Park teaches a display apparatus, comprising the display module according to claim 1 (fig. 34).
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) 2-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park (KR-20230108757A) as applied to the claims above, and further in view of Choi (2020/0022261).
Regarding Claim 2: Park teaches a first bonding layer (620) disposed between the circuit board and the graphite film (fig. 34), but lacks a specific teaching of the first bonding layer being provided therein with a plurality of openings.
Choi teaches the first bonding layer (AM1) being provided therein with a plurality of openings (fig. 3I).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the apparatus of Park by having the first bonding layer being provided therein with a plurality of openings as disclosed by Choi in order to allow for better connection and thinner layering of the apparatus and components which would same space within the device.
Regarding Claim 3: Park teaches wherein the circuit board further includes first exposed copper regions (OP1) located on the second surface (fig. 34), and the first bonding layer is arranged to bypass the first exposed copper regions (fig. 34).
Regarding Claim 4: Park teaches wherein the graphite film is arranged to bypass the first exposed copper regions (fig. 34).
Regarding Claim 5: Park lacks a specific teaching of a thickness of the first bonding layer is approximately in a range of 0.001 mm to 0.003 mm.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the apparatus of Park by having a thickness of the first bonding layer is approximately in a range of 0.001 mm to 0.003 mm in order to allow for better connection and thinner layering of the apparatus and components which would save space within the device, wherein this would be accomplished merely by changing the size of the already disclosed elements of the apparatus and it has been held that a change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237.
Regarding Claim 6: Park lacks a specific teaching of a diameter of at least one opening of the plurality of openings in the first bonding layer is approximately in a range of 0.3 mm to 0.7 mm.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the apparatus of Park by having a diameter of at least one opening of the plurality of openings in the first bonding layer is approximately in a range of 0.3 mm to 0.7 mm in order to allow for better connection and thinner layering of the apparatus and components which would save space within the device, wherein this would be accomplished merely by changing the size of the already disclosed elements of the apparatus and it has been held that a change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237.
Regarding Claim 7: Park lacks a specific teaching of a distance between two adjacent openings among the plurality of openings is approximately in a range of 8 mm to 12 mm.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the apparatus of Park by having a distance between two adjacent openings among the plurality of openings is approximately in a range of 8 mm to 12 mm in order to allow for better connection and thinner layering of the apparatus and components which would save space within the device, wherein this would be accomplished merely by changing the size of the already disclosed elements of the apparatus and it has been held that a change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237.
Claim(s) 12 and 16-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park (KR-20230108757A) as applied to the claims above, and further in view of Choi (2020/0022261).
Regarding Claim 12: Park lacks a specific teaching of a thickness of the first bonding blocks is approximately in a range of 0.005 mm to 0.015 mm.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the apparatus of Park by having a thickness of the first bonding blocks is approximately in a range of 0.005 mm to 0.015 mm in order to allow for better connection and thinner layering of the apparatus and components which would save space within the device, wherein this would be accomplished merely by changing the size of the already disclosed elements of the apparatus and it has been held that a change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237.
Regarding Claim 16: Park lacks a specific teaching of a thickness of the third bonding layer is approximately in a range of 0.005 mm to 0.01 mm.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the apparatus of Park by having a thickness of the third bonding layer is approximately in a range of 0.005 mm to 0.01 mm in order to allow for better connection and thinner layering of the apparatus and components which would save space within the device, wherein this would be accomplished merely by changing the size of the already disclosed elements of the apparatus and it has been held that a change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237.
Regarding Claim 17: Park teaches a first bonding layer disposed between the circuit board and the graphite a second bonding layer disposed on a side of the graphite film away from the circuit boards-and- a third bonding layer disposed between the electronic device and the copper foil; but lacks a specific teaching of wherein a material of at least one of the first bonding layer, the second bonding layer and the third bonding layer includes an acrylic material.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the apparatus of Park by having a material of at least one of the first bonding layer, the second bonding layer and the third bonding layer includes an acrylic material in order to allow for better connection and thinner layering of the apparatus and components which would save space within the device while allowing for a strong physical connection between the electrical components and the other layers of the apparatus while in turn still keeping the electrical connections required for proper functionality, wherein this would be accomplished merely by changing the material of the already disclosed elements of the apparatus wherein it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious engineering choice. In re Leshin,125 USPQ 416.
Regarding Claim 18: Park lacks a specific teaching of a thickness of the graphite film is approximately in a range of 0.02 mm to 0.035 mm.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the apparatus of Park by having a thickness of the graphite film is approximately in a range of 0.02 mm to 0.035 mm in order to allow for better connection and thinner layering of the apparatus and components which would save space within the device, wherein this would be accomplished merely by changing the size of the already disclosed elements of the apparatus and it has been held that a change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237.
Regarding Claim 19: Park lacks a specific teaching of a thickness of the copper foil is approximately in a range of 0.015 mm to 0.02 mm.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the apparatus of Park by having a thickness of the copper foil is approximately in a range of 0.015 mm to 0.02 mm in order to allow for better connection and thinner layering of the apparatus and components which would save space within the device, wherein this would be accomplished merely by changing the size of the already disclosed elements of the apparatus and it has been held that a change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANTHONY MICHAEL HAUGHTON whose telephone number is (571)272-9087. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9a-5p.
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/ANTHONY M HAUGHTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841