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 .
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 1-3, 6-8, 11, 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liao et al (US Publication No.: US 2025/0116907 A1, “Liao”) in view of Yoshino et al (US Publication No.: US 2024/0105735 A1, “Yoshino”).
Regarding Claim 1, Liao discloses an electrophoretic display device (Figure 1B) comprising:
A backplane (Figure 1B, backplane 20);
A display medium layer disposed on the backplane (Figure 1B, display medium layer 30); and
A multifunctional plate disposed on the display medium layer (Figure 1B, multifunctional plate 10) and comprising:
A transparent substrate (Figure 1B, transparent substrate Base; Paragraph 0077; Paragraph 0091);
A first transparent conductive layer disposed on the transparent substrate (Figure 1B, first transparent conductive layer Common electrode layer; Paragraph 0102); and
A transparent adhesive layer disposed on a bottom side of the transparent substrate facing the display medium layer, wherein the resistivity of the transparent adhesive layer ranges from 106 ohm-cm to 1012 ohm-cm (Figure 1B, conductive optical adhesive layer; Paragraph 0015).
Liao fails to disclose that the first transparent conductive layer serves as both an electrode of the display medium layer and an electrode layer of a touch panel.
However, Yoshino discloses a similar display where the first transparent conductive layer serves as both an electrode of the display medium layer and an electrode layer of a touch panel (Yoshino, Paragraph 0078 discloses that the touch electrode 30 serves as a common electrode and a touch electrode).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the transparent conductive layer as disclosed by Liao to serve a touch and electrode purpose as disclosed by Yoshino. One would have been motivated to do so for the purpose of simplifying the manufacturing process of a touch panel (Yoshino, Paragraph 0078).
Regarding Claim 2, Liao in view of Yoshino discloses the electrophoretic display device according to claim 1, wherein an area of the transparent adhesive layer is smaller than an area of the transparent substrate but larger than an area of the display medium layer (Liao, Figure 8 discloses the transparent adhesive layer is larger than the display medium layer but smaller than the substrate 11; Paragraph 0023).
Regarding Claim 3, Liao in view of Yoshino discloses the electrophoretic display device according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the transparent adhesive layer ranges from 5 microns to 50 microns (Liao, Paragraph 0025 discloses a thickness of 15um).
Regarding Claim 6, Liao in view of Yoshino discloses the electrophoretic display according to claim 1, wherein the transparent substrate is a glass substrate (Liao, Paragraph 0091).
Regarding Claim 7, Liao in view of Yoshino discloses the electrophoretic display device according to claim 1, wherein the transparent substrate is a plastic substrate coated with at least one organic or inorganic layer (Liao, Paragraph 0093).
Regarding Claim 8, Liao in view of Yoshino discloses the electrophoretic display device according to claim 1, wherein the first transparent conductive layer is disposed on the bottom side of the transparent substrate facing the display medium layer (Liao, Figure 1B, transparent conductive layer is disposed at a bottom side of the transparent substrate Base).
Regarding Claim 11, Liao in view of Yoshino discloses the electrophoretic display device according to claim 1, wherein the first transparent conductive layer serves a common electrode of the display medium layer (Liao, Figure 1B).
Liao fails to disclose that the first transparent conductive layer also serves as the electrode layer of the touch panel.
However, Yoshino discloses a similar display where the first transparent conductive layer also serves as the electrode layer of the touch panel (Yoshino, Paragraph 0078 discloses that the touch electrode 30 serves as a common electrode and a touch electrode).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the transparent conductive layer as disclosed by Liao to serve a touch and electrode purpose as disclosed by Yoshino. One would have been motivated to do so for the purpose of simplifying the manufacturing process of a touch panel (Yoshino, Paragraph 0078).
Regarding Claim 13, Liao in view of Yoshino discloses the electrophoretic display device according to claim 1, wherein a size of the multifunctional plate is smaller than a size of the backplane but larger than a size of the display medium layer (Liao, Figure 5A, at least a size of elements 12/13/14 is smaller than a size of the backplane 21 but larger than a size of the display medium layer 32).
Regarding Claim 14, Liao in view of Yoshino discloses the electrophoretic display device according to claim 1 further comprising an edge sealant surrounding the display medium layer and connecting the multifunctional plate with the backplane, wherein the edge sealant touches both a part of a bottom surface of the transparent substrate facing the backplane and a part of a bottom surface of the transparent adhesive layer facing the backplane (Liao, Figure 5A, edge sealant 50; Paragraph 0140).
Regarding Claim 15, Liao in view of Yoshino discloses the electrophoretic display device according to claim 1, wherein an area of the edge sealant touching the part of the bottom surface of the transparent substrate is larger than an area of the edge sealant touching the part of the bottom surface of the transparent adhesive layer (Liao, Figure 5A, the edge sealant 50 covers a larger portion of the bottom surface of the transparent substrate 11, whereas it only touches a corner of a bottom surface the adhesive 40).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liao in view of Yoshino in further view of Kono (US Publication No.: US 2021/0362439 A1).
Regarding Claim 4, Liao in view of Yoshino discloses the electrophoretic display device according to claim 1.
Liao fails to disclose that a thickness of the transparent adhesive layer at an edge thereof is greater than a thickness of the transparent adhesive layer at a central part thereof.
However, Kono discloses a similar display where a thickness of the transparent adhesive layer at an edge thereof is greater than a thickness of the transparent adhesive layer at a central part thereof (Kono, Paragraph 0031).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the adhesive layer as disclosed by Liao to have a particular thickness as disclosed by Kono. One would have been motivated to do so for the purpose of optimizing the strength and reliability of the adhesive layer (Kono, Paragraph 0033).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liao in view of Yoshino in further view of Zehner et al (US Publication No.: US 2007/0211002 A1, “Zehner”).
Regarding Claim 5, Liao in view of Yoshino discloses the electrophoretic display device according to claim 1.
Liao fails to disclose that a water vapor transmission rate of the transparent substrate is less than 0.1 g/m2/day at room temperature.
However, Zehner discloses a similar display where a water vapor transmission rate of the transparent substrate is less than 0.1 g/m2/day at room temperature (Zehner, Paragraph 0063).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the adhesive layer as disclosed by Liao to have a particular water vapor transmission rate as disclosed by Zehner. One would have been motivated to do so for the purpose of optimizing the adhesive quality and flexibility (Zehner, Paragraph 0063).
Claim 9, 10, 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liao in view of Yoshino in further view of Cok et al (US Publication No.: US 2015/0227230 A1, “Cok”).
Regarding Claim 9, Liao in view of Yoshino discloses the electrophoretic display device according to claim 8.
Liao fails to disclose that the multifunctional plate further comprises a second transparent conductive layer disposed on a top side of the transparent substrate facing away from the display medium layer.
However, Cok discloses a similar display where the multifunctional plate further comprises a second transparent conductive layer disposed on a top side of the transparent substrate facing away from the display medium layer (Cok, Figure 1, second transparent conductive layer 34, transparent substrate 30, first transparent conductive layer 22).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the multifunctional plate as disclosed by Liao to include a second transparent conductive layer as disclosed by Cok. One would have been motivated to do so for the purpose of adding a touch sensing capability (Cok, Paragraph 0046).
Regarding Claim 10, Liao in view of Yoshino discloses the electrophoretic display according to claim 1.
Liao fails to disclose that the first transparent conductive layer is segmented or patterned for touch sensing.
However, Cok discloses a similar display where the first transparent conductive layer is segmented or patterned for touch sensing (Cok, Figure 1, first transparent conductive layer 24 is segmented for touch sensing; Paragraph 0044).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the first transparent conductive layer as disclosed by Liao to be segmented as disclosed by Cok. One would have been motivated to do so for the purpose of adding a touch sensing capability (Cok, Paragraph 0046).
Regarding Claim 12, Liao in view of Yoshino discloses the electrophoretic display according to claim 1.
Liao fails to disclose that the multifunctional plate further comprises a metal trace configured to electrically connect the first transparent conductive layer with a controller.
However, Cok discloses a similar display where the multifunctional plate further comprises a metal trace configured to electrically connect the first transparent conductive layer with a controller (Cok, Paragraph 0046; Figure 1, metal trace 22).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the multifunctional plate as disclosed by Liao to include a metal trace as disclosed by Cok. One would have been motivated to do so for the purpose of adding a touch sensing capability (Cok, Paragraph 0046).
Conclusion
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/MARIAM QURESHI/Examiner, Art Unit 2871