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 .
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.
Claims 1-7 and 9 -10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakamura US20120327750A1 in view of Watanabe US20140152945A1.
Regarding claim 1, Nakamura teaches a display device (fig. 3, 6) comprising: a solar panel (6); a circuit board (24) on which electronic devices ([0069]-[0075]) are arranged; an ODF liquid crystal panel (21) arranged between (fig. 3) the solar panel (6) and the circuit board (24); and a connecting member (26; [0072]) arranged in a position which is in a vicinity of an outer peripheral portion (fig. 3, 6) of the ODF liquid crystal panel (21) and in which the connecting member (26) is not in contact (fig. 3, 6) with the ODF liquid crystal panel (21), the connecting member (26) being configured to connect (fig. 3, 6) the solar panel (6) and the circuit board (24).
However, Nakamura does not explicitly disclose wherein the liquid crystal panel is an ODF liquid crystal panel.
Watanabe teaches wherein the liquid crystal panel (fig. 7) is an ODF liquid crystal panel
([0070]-[0071]) for the purposes of manufacturing an ODF liquid crystal display panel ([0070]-[0071]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to manufacture the liquid crystal display of Nakamura with the method taught by Watanabe for the purposes of manufacturing an ODF liquid crystal display panel ([0070]-[0071]).
Regarding claim 2, Nakamura and Watanabe teach the display device according to claim 1, Nakamura further teaches wherein the ODF liquid crystal panel (11) comprises: a first board (22a); a second board (22b) arranged to face the first board (22a) (fig. 6); a peripheral frame portion (25) configured on an outer peripheral edge (fig. 6) of a facing surface of the first board (22a) or the second board (22b) and surrounding an entirety of the outer peripheral edge (fig. 6); and a liquid crystal material (21) to be contained within the peripheral frame portion (25) (see fig. 6).
Regarding claim 3, Nakamura and Watanabe teach the display device according to claim 1, Nakamura further teaches wherein the connecting member (26) is a coil spring ([0072]) extending in a stacking direction of the solar panel (6) and the circuit board (24) (see fig. 3, 6).
Regarding claim 4, Nakamura and Watanabe teach the display device according to claim 3, Nakamura further teaches wherein the coil spring (26) has a diameter substantially constant from one end to another end (see figs. 3, 6).
Regarding claim 5, Nakamura and Watanabe teach the display device according to claim 2, Nakamura further teaches wherein a distance between an outer periphery of the ODF liquid crystal panel (21) to the connecting member (26) is smaller than a thickness of the peripheral frame portion (25) (see fig. 6).
Regarding claim 6, Nakamura and Watanabe teach the display device according to claim 3, Nakamura further teaches further comprising an inner case (9) which is provided in the vicinity (figs. 1, 6) of the outer peripheral portion (25) of the ODF liquid crystal panel (21), on a side closer (fig. 6) to the solar panel (6) of the circuit board (24), and which has a supporting hole (fig. 6) in which the coil spring (9) is contained.
Regarding claim 7, Nakamura and Watanabe teach the display device according to claim 1, Nakamura further teaches wherein the connecting member (26) is arranged on one side (fig. 6) of the circuit board (24), and a connecting terminal (see fig. 6) to which a flexible board (13a; [0055]) is connected is arranged on another side (fig. 6) of the circuit board (24).
[AltContent: ][AltContent: ]Regarding claim 9, Nakamura and Watanabe teach a watch (Nakamura; fig. 1) comprising: the display device according to claim 1; an exterior case (Nakamura; 2); and a clocking portion (Nakamura; 3, [0064]) provided inside the exterior case (Nakamura; 2) and configured to clock current time (Nakamura; [0064]).
Regarding claim 10, Watanabe teaches a display device manufacturing method ([0070]-[0071]) comprising: configuring an ODF liquid crystal display panel (100A) by an ODF method ([0070]-[0071]) in which an liquid crystal material ([0070]-[0071]) is dropped within a frame portion (81; fig. 8) of a first board (3) having an outer peripheral portion (82) provided with the peripheral frame portion (82) and a second board (2) is arranged to face the first board (3) and is bonded together (see fig. 8).
However, Watanabe does not explicitly disclose arranging the ODF liquid crystal panel between a solar panel and a circuit board; and arranging a connecting member in a position which is a vicinity of an outer peripheral portion of the ODF liquid crystal panel and in which the connecting member is not in contact with the ODF liquid crystal panel, the connecting member being configured to connect the solar panel and the circuit board.
Nakamura teaches arranging the ODF liquid crystal panel (21) between a solar panel (6) and a circuit board (24)(fig. 3); and arranging a connecting member (26; [0072]) in a position which is a vicinity of an outer peripheral portion (fig. 3, 6) of the ODF liquid crystal panel (21) and in which the connecting member (26) is not in contact (fig. 3, 6) with the ODF liquid crystal panel (21), the connecting member (26) being configured to connect (fig. 3, 6) the solar panel (6) and the circuit board (24) for the purposes of manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel in a solar electronic device ([0004]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the liquid crystal display of Watanabe in the solar electronic device of Nakamura for the purposes of manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel in a solar electronic device ([0004]).
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakamura US20120327750A1 in view of Watanabe US20140152945A1 further in view of Sonoda US20040257496A1.
Regarding claim 8, Nakamura and Watanabe teach the display device according to claim 1, however do not explicitly disclose further comprising a lighting device, wherein the lighting device includes a light guide plate arranged on a side closer to the solar panel to face the circuit board, and a light emitting body arranged on the circuit board and arranged to face a side portion of the light guide plate.
Sonoda teaches a lighting device (29), wherein the lighting device (29) includes a light guide plate (30) arranged on a side closer (see fig. 12) to the solar panel to face (see fig. 12) the circuit board (10), and a light emitting body (31) arranged on the circuit board {10) and arranged to face a side portion (see fig. 12) of the light guide plate (30) for the purposes of providing a highly decorative display for a watch ([0002], [0010]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to manufacture the liquid crystal display of Nakamura with the method taught by Sonoda for the purposes of providing a highly decorative display for a watch. ([0002], [0010])
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AGNES DOBROWOLSKI whose telephone number is (571)272-7650. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 7 am -11am.
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, Jennifer Carruth can be reached at (571)272-9791. 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.
/AGNES DOBROWOLSKI/ Examiner, Art Unit 2871
/JENNIFER D. CARRUTH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2871