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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 02/20/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the IDS is being considered by the examiner.
Foreign Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Reasons for Allowance
The following is an examiner's statement of reasons for allowance.
The primary reason for allowance of claims 1 - 8 is the prior art made of record neither shows or discloses the claim language found in claim 1, for a display panel inspection device, comprising:
a base plate including:
a seating area that seats a display panel; and
a peripheral area adjacent to the seating area.
Most notably, for a display panel inspection device, further comprising:
a jig disposed in the peripheral area of the base plate, having a hollow shape, and including a body defining first grooves recessed from an inside to an outside of a corner,
in combination with all of the other claim limitations presented, in total.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled "Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance."
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.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b), as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 11, the limitation “an opposite direction that is opposite to the direction” in lines 3 and 4, comprises a contradictory indefinite limitation. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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)(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.
Claims 9 - 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kim (US 20240302258 A1).
The applied reference has a common assignee with the instant application. Based upon the earlier effectively filed date of the reference, it constitutes prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2). This rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) might be overcome by: (1) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(a) that the subject matter disclosed in the reference was obtained directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor of this application and is thus not prior art in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(A); (2) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(b) of a prior public disclosure under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(B) if the same invention is not being claimed; or (3) a statement pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) establishing that, not later than the effective filing date of the claimed invention, the subject matter disclosed in the reference and the claimed invention were either owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person or subject to a joint research agreement.
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Regarding claim 9, Kim discloses a display panel inspection method (performed on an (inspection device, Figure 1, element 1) (paragraphs 50 - 52, all lines, therein) , comprising:
seating a display panel (Figure 1, element DS) in a seating area (paragraphs 35 and 63, all lines, therein) of a base plate (support, Figure 12, element 121) (paragraph 88, lines 1 – 3) including the seating area and a peripheral area (Figure 17, element DPA) (paragraph 110, lines 1 – 3) adjacent to the seating area;
moving the base plate, a jig (support, Figure 12, element 121) (paragraph 88, lines 1 – 3) disposed in the peripheral area of the base plate and having a hollow shape, and the display panel in a direction (paragraphs 55 - 58, all lines, therein); and
colliding the display panel with the jig (paragraphs 53 - 55, all lines, therein).
Regarding claim 10, Kim discloses the display panel inspection method, wherein the colliding of the display panel with the jig includes[[:]] stopping movement of the base plate and the jig (paragraph 62, all lines, therein).
Regarding claim 11, Kim discloses the display panel inspection method, wherein the colliding of the display panel with the jig includes[[:]] moving the base plate and the jig in an opposite direction that is opposite to the direction (paragraph 56, all lines, therein).
Regarding claim 12, Kim discloses the display panel inspection method, further comprising:
calculating an amount of impact applied to the display panel (paragraph 53, all lines, therein),
wherein in the calculating of the amount of impact applied to the display panel, the moving of the base plate, the jig and the display panel, and the colliding of the display panel with the jig are repeatedly performed (paragraphs 55 - 58, all lines, therein).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13 – 20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Regarding claim 12, and claim 13 which depends therefrom, the prior art made of record neither shows nor suggests the display panel inspection method, further comprising:
calculating an amount of impact applied to the display panel,
wherein in the calculating of the amount of impact applied to the display panel, the moving of the base plate, the jig and the display panel, and the colliding of the display panel with the jig are repeatedly performed.
Regarding claim 14, and claims 15 - 19 which depend therefrom, the prior art made of record neither shows nor suggests the display panel inspection method, wherein the jig includes a body defining first grooves recessed from an inside to an outside of a corner and second grooves recessed from an inner edge to an outer edge.
Regarding claim 20, the prior art made of record neither shows nor suggests the display panel inspection method, further comprising:
rotating the base plate and the jig with respect to a rotation axis passing through a center of the base plate and extending in a thickness direction of the base plate.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WARREN K FENWICK whose telephone number is (571)270-3040. The examiner can normally be reached 10:30 AM to 7:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
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, Walter L. Lindsay, Jr. can be reached at 571-272-1674. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WALTER L LINDSAY JR/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2852
WKF