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 .
Election/Restrictions
Newly submitted claims 17-22 directed to an invention that is independent or distinct from the invention originally claimed for the following reasons:
Group I – Claims 1-3, 5-12, 14-16, which recite a display device / optical film including a colored semi-transparent component and absorptive linear polarizer.
Group II – Claims 16-22, which recite a display device / optical film including a colored semi-transparent component and louver film.
This restriction is based on the distinct patentability between the usage of an absorptive linear polarizer and a louver film. Furthermore, this restriction is made in the interest of promoting compact prosecution, as additional search and consideration would be required for the additional independent inventions.
Note, that at present, Claim 16 is included in both Groups, because it recites the limitation in the alternative to both mutually exclusive (independent) limitations of the absorptive polarizer or the louver film. If either group is elected, Claim 16 will be examined according to the species elected as presented above.
Since applicant has received an action on the merits for the originally presented invention, this invention has been constructively elected by original presentation for prosecution on the merits. Accordingly, claims 17-22 are withdrawn from consideration as being directed to a non-elected invention. See 37 CFR 1.142(b) and MPEP § 821.03.
To preserve a right to petition, the reply to this action must distinctly and specifically point out supposed errors in the restriction requirement. Otherwise, the election shall be treated as a final election without traverse. Traversal must be timely. Failure to timely traverse the requirement will result in the loss of right to petition under 37 CFR 1.144. If claims are subsequently added, applicant must indicate which of the subsequently added claims are readable upon the elected invention.
Should applicant traverse on the ground that the inventions are not patentably distinct, applicant should submit evidence or identify such evidence now of record showing the inventions to be obvious variants or clearly admit on the record that this is the case. In either instance, if the examiner finds one of the inventions unpatentable over the prior art, the evidence or admission may be used in a rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) of the other invention.
In electronic communication with Kelvin Liu (Applicant's Representative) on 17 June 2026 a provisional election was made without traverse to prosecute the invention of Group I, claims 1-3, 5-12, and 14-16. Affirmation of this election must be made by applicant in replying to this Office action. Claims 17-22 are withdrawn from further consideration by the examiner, 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a non-elected invention.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-6 and 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kuo et al. (US 2015/0260892).
Regarding claim 1, Kuo discloses a display device (see figure 2, for instance) comprising: an optical film (12, 13); and a display panel (11) placed closer to a back surface side of the display device than the optical film is (see figure 2, for instance), wherein: the optical film (12, 13) includes a colored semi-transparent component (13; [0016]; “champagne gold color”) and a first linear polarizer (12) that is placed closer to the back surface side than the colored semi-transparent component is (see figure 2, for instance), and that is integrated with the colored semi-transparent component (13, see figure 2), and the colored semi-transparent component (13) is configured to transmit part of light incident from the back surface side (see figure 1, “P1”), and to reflect part of light incident from a viewer side opposite the back surface side (see figure 1, “P2’”).
Regarding claim 2, Kuo discloses the display device according to claim 1, wherein the display panel includes a second linear polarizer (12’) placed closer to the viewer side, and a transmission axis of the first linear polarizer (12) is parallel to a transmission axis of the second linear polarizer (12’).
Regarding claim 3, Kuo discloses the display device according to claim 1, wherein the first linear polarizer (12) is an absorptive linear polarizer.
Regarding claim 5, Kuo discloses the display device according to claim 1, wherein a transmittance of the colored semi-transparent component (13) for the light incident from the back surface side is 50% or higher ([0018]-[0020]).
Regarding claim 6, Kuo discloses the display device according to claim 1, wherein the colored semi-transparent component (13) includes a pigment that reflects light ([0016]).
Regarding claim 15, Kuo discloses the display device according to claim 1, wherein the display panel (11) in a plan view includes a display region, a frame region (including 56) surrounding the display region (see figure 7, for instance), and a light blocking component in a region overlapping the frame region (including 56).
Regarding claim 16, Kuo discloses an optical film (see figure 2, for instance) comprising: a colored semi-transparent component (13) and a film (12) that is placed closer to a back surface side than the colored semi-transparent component is (see figure 2, for instance), and that is integrated with the colored semi-transparent component (13, see figure 2), wherein: the colored semi-transparent component (13) is configured to transmit part of light incident from the back surface side (see figure 1 “P1”), and to reflect part of light incident from a viewer side opposite the back surface side (see figure 1, “P2’”), the film includes a louver film or an absorptive linear polarizer (12, [0038]), and the louver film includes a plurality of plate-shaped light absorptive parts arranged parallel to one another, and a plurality of light transmissive parts arranged between the plurality of plate-shaped light absorptive parts.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kuo in view of Takada et al. (US 2018/0292710).
Regarding claim 7, Kuo discloses the display device according to claim 1. However, Kuo does not expressly disclose wherein the optical film further includes a first λ/4 waveplate placed closer to the back surface side than the first linear polarizer is.
Takada discloses a display device (see figure 2, for instance), wherein the optical film further includes a first λ/4 waveplate (50) placed closer to the back surface side than the first linear polarizer (60) is.
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 first λ/4 waveplate structure taught by Takada in the device of Kuo. The motivation for doing so would have been to provide a display device having an excellent balance between the brightness of the display screen of the apparatus and the visual step thereof, as taught by Takada ([0034]).
Regarding claim 8, Kuo in view of Takada discloses the display device according to claim 7, wherein a transmission axis of the first linear polarizer (Takada 60) and a slow axis of the first λ/4 waveplate form an angle of substantially 45° (Takada [0034]).
Regarding claim 9, Kuo in view of Takada discloses the display device according to claim 7, wherein the display panel includes a second λ/4 waveplate (Takada 70) and a second linear polarizer (Takada 30) placed sequentially from the viewer side (from Takada element 101 of figure 2), and a transmission axis of the second linear polarizer and a slow axis of the second λ/4 waveplate form an angle of substantially 45° (Takada [0034]), and a slow axis of the first λ/4 waveplate and the slow axis of the second λ/4 waveplate are orthogonal to each other (Takada [0024]).
Claim(s) 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kuo in view of Yoneyama et al. (US 2006/0182902).
Regarding claim 10, Kuo discloses the display device according to claim 1. However, Kuo does not expressly disclose wherein the first linear polarizer is a coating-type polarizing layer including dichroic molecules, and the coating-type polarizing layer including the dichroic molecules is formed on the colored semi-transparent component.
Yoneyama discloses a display device, wherein the first linear polarizer is a coating-type polarizing layer including dichroic molecules ([0016]), and the coating-type polarizing layer including dichroic molecules is formed on the semi-transparent component ([0216]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use a first linear polarizer of coating-type as taught by Yoneyama in the device of Kuo. The motivation for doing so would have been to obtain high dichromatic properties, and polarizing elements excellent in heat resistance, light fastness and polarizing performance, as taught by Yoneyama ([0013]).
Regarding claim 11, Kuo discloses the display device according to claim 1. However, Kuo does not expressly disclose wherein the first linear polarizer is a linear polarizer that includes a polarizing film including dichroic molecules and a pair of protective films between which the polarizing film including the dichroic molecules is held.
Yoneyama discloses a display device, wherein the first linear polarizer is a linear polarizer that includes a polarizing film including dichroic molecules ([0016]), and a pair of protective films between which the polarizing film including dichroic molecules is held ([0213]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use a first linear polarizer of the structure as taught by Yoneyama in the device of Kuo. The motivation for doing so would have been to obtain high dichromatic properties, and polarizing elements excellent in heat resistance, light fastness and polarizing performance, as taught by Yoneyama ([0013]).
Regarding claim 12, Kuo in view of Yoneyama discloses the display device according to claim 11, wherein the optical film further includes a transparent film (Kuo 57) on a surface opposite a surface on which the first linear polarizer ([0016], [0213] Yoneyama) is placed, and a difference in coefficient of linear expansion between the transparent film and one of the pair of protective films is 30×10−6/K or Less (PMMA of Kuo [0046]; versus polyimide of Yoneyama [0213])1.
Claim(s) 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kuo in view of Watanabe et al. (US 2020/0012150).
Regarding claim 14, Kuo discloses the display device according to claim 1. However, Kuo does not expressly disclose wherein the optical film further includes an antireflective layer placed closer to the back surface side than the first linear polarizer or is.
Watanabe discloses a display device (see figure 11, for instance), wherein the optical film further includes an antireflective layer (522) placed closer to the back surface side than the first linear polarizer (523c) is.
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 antireflective layer in the order taught by Watanabe in the device of Kuo. The motivation for doing so would have been to provide a display device having an excellent designability and capable of displaying chromatic colors and patterns in the non-display state of a display panel, as taught by Watanabe ([0046]).
Conclusion
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 NATHANAEL R BRIGGS whose telephone number is (571)272-8992. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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.
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/NATHANAEL R BRIGGS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871 7/7/2026
1 See values from the table for reference: https://matmake.com/properties/thermal-expansion-of-polymers-and-plastics.html
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