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 remark, see pages 6-7, filed 2/4/2026, with respect to claims 1-15 have been considered but are moot, because the new ground of rejection incorporates a new interpretation of the claims that rely on different combination of prior art that now includes Walters, and is considered to teach the newly amended language specifically challenged. Note, newly presented amendment to independent claim 1 is not sufficient in overcoming Syrstad in view of Walters in its current form. Please see revised rejection of the claims 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.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Syrstad 8,104,204 in view of Walters 7,866,621.
Regarding claim 1, Syrstad discloses a display device (Abstract) comprising: a head (10 and/or including 32, 36, Fig 2) including a display panel (36a including 68, Fig 3); a base (12, Fig 2) positioned behind the head (Fig 2) and having an opening (opening recessed relative to 13, Fig 2) formed in a front surface (front surface of 13, Fig 2); and a hinge (38a, Fig 3) coupled to the head adjacent to one side of the head (one side at 28, Figs 2, 3) and including a hinge axis (hinge axis/along parallel to 28, Fig 2) parallel to the one side of the head (Figs 1-3), and wherein the head is rotatable about the hinge axis (portions of head 10 considered rotatable, see rotation at 40b, for example, Figs 2, 12-13), and wherein the base comprises a partition wall (thin partition in 15 running horizontally separating components, not labeled Fig 12) dividing an internal space (internal space - 15, where components locate, Fig 12) of the base into at least two spaces (Fig 12 illustrates 3 distinct spaces; partition wall between second and third from top, Fig 12).
Syrstad teaches the claimed invention except a bar which extends and which is coupled to a rear surface of the head; wherein the bar comprises: a vertical portion extending in a direction intersecting a longitudinal direction of the bar; and a horizontal portion extending from one end of the vertical portion in the longitudinal direction of the bar, and wherein the vertical portion is rotatable about the hinge axis.
Walters, however, teaches a similar structure (Fig 1) including a bar (portion consisting of 24, 26, 28, Fig 4) which extends and which is coupled to a rear surface of a head (rear surface of 14, Fig 4), wherein the bar comprises: a vertical portion (24, Fig 4) extending in a direction intersecting a longitudinal direction of the bar (longitudinal direction along 28, for example, Fig 4); and a horizontal portion (28, Fig 4) extending from one end of the vertical portion in the longitudinal direction of the bar (extending from lower end of 24, Fig 4), and wherein the vertical portion is rotatable about a hinge axis (rotatable about hinge axis at 36, Fig 2).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify hinge of Syrstad to include a bar with vertical and horizontal portions as claimed, and, as taught by Walters, in order to provide a mounting system for the display that is able to mount at sufficiently low height to be able to adjust the display’s orientation with little difficulty, thereby improving functionality.
Regarding claim 2, Syrstad in view of Walters disclose the display device of claim 1, Syrstad teaches wherein the partition wall extends in a left-right direction (see Fig 2), wherein the base further comprises: a first base (bottom third of 12, Fig 12) located below the partition wall (Fig 12); and a second base located above the partition wall (second third of 12, Fig 12), wherein the head opens or closes an inner space of the first base and an inner space of the second base (outswing open/close along direction out arrow, Fig 12).
Regarding claim 3, Syrstad in view of Walters disclose the display device of claim 2, Syrstad teaches wherein the head comprises: a frame (12b including 14a, Fig 2) coupled to a rear surface of the display panel (once assembled, Figs 1-3); and a back cover (15, Figs 2, 5) coupled to a rear surface of the frame (Fig 5), wherein the back cover is disposed in the internal space of the first base (Figs 4, 5).
Regarding claim 5, Syrstad in view of Walters disclose the display device of claim 2, Syrstad teaches the device further comprising a case (32, Fig 2) which is detachably coupled to one side of the base (top side of 13, Fig 2) and which includes a speaker unit or a storage (storage -containing components - not labeled, Fig 2).
Regarding claim 6, Syrstad in view of Walters disclose the display device of claim 2, Syrstad teaches wherein the hinge is located between the first base and the head (Figs 1-3).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 7 and 9-15 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The dependent claims listed below, in combination with the remaining elements of the independent claim(s) from which they directly/indirectly depend, are not taught, or adequately suggested in the prior art of record.
Claim 4. The display device of claim 2, wherein the second base comprises: a plurality of holes formed to penetrate a rear surface of the second base; a plurality of racks fixed to the plurality of holes; and a multi-tap installed inside the second base, wherein the display device further comprises a cover which intersects the partition wall and is detachably coupled to a front end of the partition wall.
Claim 7. The display device of claim 6, further comprising a wall mount which is located in a rear of the first base, and to which the first base is fixed, wherein the hinge is directly coupled to the wall mount.
Claim 9. The display device of claim 1, wherein the vertical portion further comprises: an upper holder adjacent to an upper end of the vertical portion; and a lower holder adjacent to a lower end of the vertical portion, wherein the hinge axis comprises: an upper pin penetrating the upper holder; and a lower pin penetrating the lower holder. Claims 10-14 depend either indirectly or directly from claim 9 and are therefore allowable for at least the same reason.
Claim 15. The display device of claim 1, wherein the head comprises: a frame which is coupled to a rear surface of the display panel and which faces the horizontal portion; and a back cover which is coupled to a portion of a rear surface of the frame, wherein the display device further comprises: a bracket which is coupled to the back cover and the horizontal portion, and which has an
upper side which overlaps the horizontal portion in an up-down direction; and an auxiliary plate which is disposed between the bracket and the horizontal portion,
wherein the bracket comprises: a first pin hole adjacent to one end of the upper side of the bracket; a first pin hole through which a first adjustment member rotating on the auxiliary plate passes; and a second pin hole which is adjacent to the other end of the upper side of the bracket, the second pin hole through which a second adjustment member rotating on the auxiliary plate penetrates.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: see PTO 892.
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 RASHEN E MORRISON whose telephone number is (571)272-8852. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Imani Hayman can be reached at 571-270-5528. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/RASHEN E MORRISON/Examiner, Art Unit 2841 /IMANI N HAYMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841