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 May 14, 2024; June 6, 2024; October 28, 2024; December 30, 2024; June 26, 2025; October 22, 2025; March 23, 2026; and June 30, 2026 were considered by the examiner.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Species B, directed to figures 2A-2C, encompassed in claims 1, 3-4, 9-10, 12, and 17 in the reply filed on June 8, 2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the stated differences between species is arbitrary. This is not found persuasive because each of the listed differences between the species is mutually exclusive based upon the current record. Further, Applicant has not stated that the stated features are obvious variants of each other. Applicant next states that Examiner has not shown that the species are “independent and distinct”. Under MPEP 806.04(b), Examiner is required to show the species are independent or distinct. Therefore, this argument is not persuasive. Applicant’s next argument is that Examiner has not provided different class/subclass for the species. Examiner is not required to provide a class/subclass. In the election requirement Examiner stated that the species would require a different field of search. This does not inherently mean different class/subclass. It means different searches are necessary to search the disclosed species. In addition, the election requirement stated that at least one of two reasons, and Examiner provided two different reasons with each one standing on its own to meet the reason for the search burden. Therefore, Applicant’s argument is not persuasive.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Accordingly, claims 2, 5-8, 11, 13-16, and 18-20 are withdrawn from consideration.
Claim Objections
Claims 2 objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 2, 5-8, 11, 13-16, and 18-20 have the wrong identifier “Original”. Applicant needs to use the identifier “Withdrawn”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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, 3-4, 9-10, and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Isokawa et al. (US 2003/0025117 A1) (“Isokawa”).
PNG
media_image1.png
391
409
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 1, Isokawa teaches at least in figure 1, and Examiner’s figure 1 above:
a support structure (5/2/2’; based upon claim 9 the support structure comprises the lead frame and housing) forming a recess (B) with at least one recess sidewall (A);
one or more LED chips (3) within the recess (B);
an encapsulant (6) within the recess (B) and over the one or more LED chips (3); and
at least one anchoring structure (51) integral with the at least one recess sidewall (A) such that a portion of the encapsulant (6) extends into the support structure (5) at the at least one anchoring structure (51).
Regarding claims 3 and 12, Isokawa teaches at least in figure 1, and Examiner’s figure 1 above:
wherein the at least one anchoring structure (51) is arranged in one or more segments along one or more portions of the at least one recess sidewall (B) (as shown in figure 1 element 51 is so arranged).
Regarding claim 4, Isokawa teaches at least in figure 1, and Examiner’s figure 1 above:
wherein the one or more segments of the at least one anchoring structure (51) do not extend to corners of the recess (This is shown in figure 1).
Regarding claim 9, Isokawa teaches at least in figure 1, and Examiner’s figure 1 above:
wherein the support structure (5) comprises a lead frame structure (2/2’) with a housing (5), and
the recess is formed within the housing (5).
Regarding claim 10, Isokawa teaches at least in figure 1, and Examiner’s figure 1 above:
a lead frame (2/2’);
a housing molded (5; the term molded is a product-by-process term) to the lead frame (2/2’),
the housing (5) forming a recess (B) with at least one recess sidewall (A),
a portion of the lead frame (2/2’) being accessible at a floor of the recess (this is shown in figure 1); and
at least one anchoring structure (51) integral with the housing (5),
the at least one anchoring structure (51) extending into the housing (5)from the at least one recess sidewall (A).
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) 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Isokawa, in view of Ting et al. (US 2019/0326486 A1) (“Ting”).
Regarding claim 17, Isokawa teaches at least in figure 1, and Examiner’s figure 1 above:
at least one LED package comprising (detailed below):
a support structure (5/2/2’; based upon claim 9 the support structure comprises the lead frame and housing) forming a recess (B) with at least one recess sidewall (A);
one or more LED chips (3) within the recess (B);
an encapsulant (6) within the recess (B) and over the one or more LED chips (3); and
at least one anchoring structure (51) integral with the at least one recess sidewall (A) such that a portion of the encapsulant (6) extends into the support structure (5) at the at least one anchoring structure (51).
Isokawa does not teach:
a display panel
Ting teaches at least in figure 9:
A display panel (200), that can comprise a plurality of LED devices (100).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to make the device of Isokawa into a display panel. This is because it is well-known in the art that display panels comprise a plurality of LEDs. It would have been obvious that one of ordinary skill in the art using the LEDs of Isokawa would know they could be used in a display panel.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VINCENT WALL whose telephone number is (571)272-9567. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Thursday at 7:30am to 2:30pm PST. Interviews can be scheduled on Tuesday thru Thursday at 10am PST or 2pm PST.
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, Jessica Manno can be reached at 571-272-2339. 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.
/VINCENT WALL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898
Prosecution Insights