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 .
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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 7 and 8, filed 22 December 2025, with respect to independent claims 1 has been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of independent claim 1 has been withdrawn.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Duan et al. (hereinafter Duan) (US20110164358).
Regarding claim 17, Duan discloses a display device comprising:
a main body (80)(Figure 5) comprising a display (Paragraph 0020) at a front thereof,
a back cover (91) covering a rear of the main body and comprising a hinge hole (92) and a latch receiving hole (153);
a stand panel (53) rotatably coupled to the back cover via a hinge module (20); wherein the hinge module is mounted on a front surface of the back cover and extends through the hinge hole (92) to adjust an angle of the stand panel with respect to the back cover;
a button (30) fastened to the stand panel and configured to operate a latch (Paragraph 0016 – Each foot 313 may be latched in a corresponding opening (153) ) which engages with the back cover to secure the stand panel to the back cover which engages with the latch receiving hole to secure the stand panel to the back cover; and
an open elastic portion (27) coupled to the front surface of the back cover and configured to provide a force pushing the stand panel in a rearward direction through a button hole (92) defined at a button seating portion (top portion of 92) of the back cover shaped to accommodate the button.
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-9 and 11-16 respective dependent claims are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 1, the prior at of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or suggest the interconnection and interrelationship wherein the button is located at a center of the stand panel with respect to a horizontal direction, wherein the elastic hinge module is one of a plurality of elastic hinge modules spaced apart from each other with respect to the horizontal direction, as claimed with the remaining limitations of independent claim 1.
Regarding claim 12, the prior at of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or suggest the interconnection and interrelationship of a first hinge bracket mounted to the back cover; a second hinge bracket mounted to the stand panel via the hinge hole; a hinge shaft connecting the first hinge bracket and the second hinge bracket to each other, as claimed with the remaining limitations of independent claim 12.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 22 December 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues on page 8: “Specifically since the button of claim 17 is located on the stand panel, after pressing and releasing the button, the button is forced rearward by the open elastic portion resulting in deployment of the stand panel. The examiner respectfully disagrees. The applicant does not claim this limitation.
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 Xanthia C Cunningham whose telephone number is (571)270-1963. The examiner can normally be reached Tuesday -Friday 9 am - 5 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, Imani Hayman can be reached on 571-270-5528. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/XANTHIA C RELFORD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
7 February 2026