Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
2. It would be of great assistance to the office if all incoming papers pertaining to a filed application carried the following items:
i. Application number (checked for accuracy, including series code and serial no.).
ii. Group art unit number (copied from most recent Office communication).
iii. Filing date.
iv. Name of the examiner who prepared the most recent Office action.
v. Title of invention.
vi. Confirmation number (See MPEP § 503).
3. The Examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record within the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages, paragraph and figures may apply. Applicant, in preparing the response, should consider fully the entire reference as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
4. Claim interpretation: When multiple limitations are connected with “OR”, one of the limitations doesn’t have any patentable weight since both of the limitations are optional.
Claim Rejection- 35 USC § 102
5. 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 1-5 & 16-20 are rejected under 35 USC 102 as being clearly anticipated by Liao et al (Pub No. US 2022/0303371 also pub as WO 2021/115462).
Regarding claim 1, Liao et al discloses an electronic device comprising: a first housing including a first surface and a second surface faced away from the first surface (Fig. 2: Device housing 2000 having top surface-A & bottom surface-back of surface A & Para. 194 & 189: The first housing 2000 has a first surface 2001 and a second surface 2002 that is disposed opposite to the first surface 2001); a second housing including a third surface and a fourth surface faced away from the third surface (Fig. 2: Device housing 3000 having top surface-E & bottom surface-back of surface E & Para. 194 & 189: The second housing 3000 has a third surface 3001 and a fourth surface 3002 that is disposed opposite to the third surface 3001); a display including a first area disposed on the first surface and a second area disposed on the third surface (Fig. 2 & Fig. 5a: flexible display-4000 on top of the first area & bottom area-second area) and a third area disposed between the first area and the second area, and disposed on the first surface and the third surface (Para. 189: The first surface 2001 of the first housing 2000 and the third surface 3001 of the second housing 3000 jointly form the flexible display 4000 & Para. 195 & Fig. 5a-5b: a third area on the top of 1000 and part of display 400 on it); and a hinge structure rotatably connecting the first housing and the second housing (Fig. 6B & 7: rotation shaft structure-1000 is a hinge & Para. 200); wherein the hinge structure including: a body including a first guide groove forming a first rotation path having a first rotation axis and a second groove forming a second rotation path having a second rotation axis different from the first rotation axis, and facing the third area of the display (Fig. 13a-c & 16 & Para. 241-242: Groove-12 & shaft 321 & swing arm-32 & Para. 14-16: Flip close display rotate ways to open, close & flip); a first rotating plate including a first pin in the first guide groove moved along the first rotation path and a second pin in the second guide groove moved along the second rotation path while the first pin is moved to pivotably connect to a side of the body (Fig. 13a-b: swing arm 32 & 62 and Para. 262: Rotating plate with a shaft pin moved along the first rotation path and another pin in the second guide groove moved along the second rotation path and the pin moved to pivotably connect to a side of the body & Fig. 16: pin in the first guide groove-guide shaft-31 & pin in the 2nd guide groove-guide shaft-61); and a second rotating plate supporting the first housing and pivotably connected to the first rotating plate (Fig. 13a-b & 16: rotating plate connected), the second rotating plate having a slope relative to the first rotating plate in a folded state of the electronic device in which a first direction in which the first surface faces is different from a second direction in which the third surface faces (Fig. 2 & 4: Mobile device flip-closed on multiple direction. Screen facing opposite direction and screen face at the same direction. Different folding state) & (Para. 292 & 191-195: flattened state, closed state, intermediate state and closed state[Wingdings font/0xE0]the flexible display 4000 is located on an outer side of the electronic device).
Regarding claim 2, Liao et al discloses the first rotating plate moves away from the body while changing to the folded state of the electronic device by the first rotation axis different from the second rotation axis (Fig. 18 & 16: rotating plate moves away from the body while changing to the folded state) & (Para. 266-268: device plate rotates to flip open and close the device on different direction) & Fig. 2-4: device surface faces on different direction based on the flip state).
Regarding claim 3, Liao et al discloses the first pin extends along a shape of the first guide groove to prevent disassembly from the first guide groove (Fig. 13a-c & 16, 18 & Para. 241-242: Groove-12 & shaft 321 & swing arm-32 & Para. 273 & 275: pin and groove hold the plates arm).
Regarding claim 4, Liao et al discloses the first pin is rotatable relative to the first rotating plate while moving along the first guide groove (Fig. 13a & 16, 18: rotating plate with groove) & (Para. 275).
Regarding claim 5, Liao et al discloses the first pin includes a spring surrounding a rotation axis of the first pin to provide frictional force at a designated position of the first guide groove (Para. 287-288: torsion spring and elastic member 81 & pin-34 & Fig. 11 & 20a-b).
Regarding claim 16, Liao et al discloses a hinge structure (Fig. 16 & 27) comprising: a body; a first rotating plate pivotably connected to a side of the body (Fig. 16 & 27: a body-100 & a first rotating plate-33 pivotably connected to the body) & (Para. 262);
a second rotating plate pivotably connected to the first rotating plate (Fig. 16 & 27: a second rotating plate pivotably connected- arm 63 (60)) & (Para. 262); a third rotating plate pivotably connected another side facing the side of the body based on a folding axis (Fig. 21: support plate 40 connected to the body via swing arm) & (Para. 268); and a fourth rotating plate pivotably connected to the third rotating plate (Fig. 21: Middle arm plate between plate-40 & plate-33) & (Fig. 18); wherein the second rotating plate may have a slope relative to the first rotating plate in a folded state of the electronic device in which a first direction in which the first surface faces is different from a second direction in which the third surface faces (Fig. 18 & 16: rotating plate may have a slope) & (Para. 266-268: device plate rotates to flip open and close the device on different direction) & (Fig. 2-4: device surface faces on different direction based on the flip state).
Regarding claim 17, Liao et al discloses an angle between a direction in which a surface of the first rotating plate facing the display faces and a direction in which a surface of the third rotating plate facing the display faces is an obtuse angle (Fig. 2: device open and surface obtuse angle & Para. 18 & 16: rotating plate), in a fully folded state of the electronic device in which the first direction and the second direction are opposite to each other (Para. 266-268: device plate rotates to flip open and close the device on different direction) & (Fig. 4 & 5b: fully folded first direction and the second direction are opposite to each other).
Regarding claim 18, Liao et al discloses the body includes a first guide groove forming a first rotation path and a second guide groove forming a second rotation path having a second rotation axis different from a first rotation axis of the first rotation path, and wherein the first rotating plate may include a first pin in the first guide groove moved along the first rotation path and a second pin in the second guide groove moved along the second rotation path while the first pin moves (Fig. 13a-c & 16 & 37 & Para. 241-242: Groove-12 & shaft 321 & swing arm-32 & Para. 14-16: Flip close display rotate way to open, close & flip).
Regarding claim 19, Liao et al discloses the first rotating plate may move away from the body due to differentness between the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis while the electronic device is switched to the folded state (Fig. 2 & 4 & 16: Plate with first rotation axis and the second rotation axis while device is switched to the folded state).
Regarding claim 20, Liao et al discloses comprising a fifth rotating plate disposed beside a side of the first rotating plate and pivotably connected to the body; wherein the third rotating plate limits a movement of the second rotation plate according to a movement of the first rotation plate, when the electronic device is changed to the folded state (Fig. 17 & 21: Many different rotating plates & Fig. 2-4: folding unfolding device).
Claim Rejection- 35 USC § 103
6. 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 of this title, 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.
Claims 6-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liao et al (Pub No. US 2022/0303371 and further in view of Zhao et al (Pub No. 2024/0004430 with CN 202110297137).
Regarding claim 6, Liao et al discloses a third rotating plate pivotably connected to the body and disposed to a side surface of the first rotating plate (Fig. 21: support plate 40 connected to the body via swing arm) & (Para. 268).
Liao et al is silent regarding the third rotating plate limit movement of the second rotating plate according to movement of the first rotating plate while the electronic device changes to the folded state.
Zhao discloses the third rotating plate limit movement of the second rotating plate according to movement of the first rotating plate while the electronic device changes to the folded state (Fig. 4-5: arm with plate limit the movement of the flipping device to a specific position & Para. 73 & 58).
At the time of filling, it would have been obvious to use flipping art to flip a mobile device properly for user convenience.
Regarding claim 7, Liao et al discloses the third rotating plate is pivotably connected to the second rotating plate (Fig. 16 & 18).
Regarding claim 8, Liao et al discloses a rotation axis pivotably connecting the first rotating plate and the second rotating plate is different from a rotation axis pivotably connecting the second rotating plate and the third rotating plate (Fig. 16 & 18) & (Para. 266-268).
Regarding claim 9, Liao et al discloses a rotation axis pivotably connecting the first rotating plate and the body is different from a rotation axis pivotably connecting the third rotating plate and the body (Fig. 16 & 18) & (Para. 266-268).
Regarding claim 10, Liao et al discloses the rotation axis pivotably connecting the first rotating plate and the body is variable by the first pin moving along the first rotation path and the second pin moving along the second rotation path (Fig. 16 & 18 & 37-38) & (Para. 266-270 & 288).
Regarding claim 11, Liao et al discloses the third rotating plate includes a spiral groove on a surface opposite to a surface facing the display (Fig. 16 & 18 & Fig. 6a: Display 4000).
Regarding claim 12, Liao et al discloses a sliding member including a protrusion inserted into the spiral groove, and wherein the protrusion moves along the spiral groove, while the electronic device transitions from an unfolded state to the folded state (Fig. 2 & 4 & 5a-b: unfolded state to the folded & Para. 237: sliding with groove).
Regarding claim 13, Liao et al discloses the first pin of the first plate is coaxially connected to a gear of a plurality of gears included in the hinge structure (Fig. 25a & 26b & 37).
Regarding claim 14, Liao et al discloses the body includes a connecting portion on which the first pin and the second pin is disposed protruded from a side surface of the first rotating plate, and wherein the connecting portion is inserted into a seating portion formed from a side surface of the body toward inside (Fig. 16 & 28 & 37).
Regarding claim 15, Liao et al discloses wherein the first pin is formed on a surface of surfaces of the connecting portion, the surface in contact with a side surface of the seating portion (Fig. 28 & 37)., and wherein the second pin is formed on another surface of surfaces of the connecting portion (Fig. 16 & 28 & 37), the another surface opposite to the surface in contact with the side surface of the seating portion, and the seating portion has the second guide groove formed on a surface opposite to a surface in which the first guide groove is formed in which the first pin is accommodated (Fig. 16 &2) & (Para. 266-270 & 288).
Conclusion
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/MD K TALUKDER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2648