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 .
Summary of the Claims
The present application (18/644,712) was filed on April 24, 2024 and claims priority to 63/198,895 filed on April 28, 2023. The most recent amendment was filed on May 20, 2026. Claims 1-20 are pending. Claims 1, 14, and 19 are the independent claims.
References and Documents Cited in this Action
Bouchard (US 2022/0107541 A1)
Harris (US 2018/0149942 A1)
Ueno (US 2021/0012715 A1)
Response (Applicant’s Response filed on May 20, 2026)
Summary of Rejections and Objections in this Action
Claims 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bouchard in view of Ueno.
Claims 1-18 are allowed.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bouchard in view of Ueno.
Regarding independent claim 19, Bouchard discloses an electro-optic assembly template (Figures 2 and 5) comprising:
a first substrate 102 having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface and a plurality of conduction paths extending from the first surface to the second surface (i.e., paths comprising openings 102b that are filled with conductive material 115 electrically coupled between the first and second surfaces; paragraph [0058]);
the conduction paths patterned to allow cutting regions out of the electro-optic assembly for later incorporation into a structure (i.e., Bouchard discloses the assembly can be cut to size and therefore, Bouchard discloses the conduction paths necessarily “allow” cutting regions out of the electro-optic assembly (Bouchard, paragraphs [0064] and [0068]); and
at least one conductive element located in each of the conduction paths (i.e., conductive material 115).
Further regarding claim 19, Bouchard discloses that the electro-optical assembly can be flexible (paragraph [0065]) or “a continuous sheet as in a roll-to-roll process” (paragraph [0064]) but does not specifically disclose a plurality of turns forming a roll. However, Ueno teaches a device that is related to the one disclosed by Bouchard, including a flexible electro-optic display 101 and further teaches a plurality of turns forming a roll (Figures 1-2 and 36; paragraphs [0050], [0061], and [0300]-[0305]). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to include a plurality of turns forming a roll as taught by Ueno in the device disclosed by Bouchard in order to advantageously provide a compact storage for the flexible display when not in use.
Regarding claim 20, in the device taught by Bouchard in view of Ueno, Bouchard discloses further including at least two from a list comprising: a first conductive film coupled to the first surface, a first electrode coupled to the second surface, and a solid state electro-optic medium coupled to the second surface (e.g., Bouchard discloses a first electrode coupled to the second surface, i.e., electrically-conductive layer 104; and a solid state electro-optic medium 106 coupled to the second surface; Bouchard, paragraphs [0053] and [0063]-[0064]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-18 are allowed.
The prior art, including Bouchard, Harris, and Ueno, does not specifically disclose or fairly suggest an electro-optic assembly including the combination of all of the elements, steps, and limitations recited in claims 1-18 (including all of the limitations of any respective parent claims), particularly including
a first conductive film coupled to the first surface and spaced from the second surface wherein the first substrate conductively bridges the space between the first electrode and the first conductive film, in combination with the other limitations (e.g., claim 1); or
a plurality of conduction paths extending from the first surface to the second surface along an outer perimeter of the first substrate; and an electrical contact coupled to the first surface and extending along the outer perimeter of the first substrate and aligned with the plurality of conduction paths, in combination with the other limitations (e.g., claim 14).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s Response has been fully considered.
Applicant’s Response with respect to claims 1-18, in view of the claim amendment, is persuasive. The rejections of claims 1-18 under 35 U.S.C. 102 or 103 are withdrawn.
However, Examiner maintains the rejection of claims 19 and 20. Examiner disagrees with Applicant’s assertion that the references including Bouchard and Ueno do not teach limitations of independent claim 19 as amended (Response, page 10). Ueno is relied upon to teach a roll. However, Bouchard also already discloses conduction paths patterned to allow cutting regions out of the electro-optic assembly for later incorporation into a structure, at least in the sense that Bouchard discloses the assembly can be cut to size and therefore, Bouchard discloses the conduction paths necessarily “allow” cutting regions out of the electro-optic assembly (Bouchard, paragraphs [0064] and [0068]). The claim does not recite a particular patterning of the conduction paths.
Furthermore, regarding claim 20, Applicant did not make any particular argument with respect to the limitations of that claim. As discussed in the rejection above, in the combination of Bouchard in view of Ueno, Bouchard discloses a first electrode coupled to the second surface, i.e., electrically-conductive layer 104; and a solid state electro-optic medium 106 coupled to the second surface (Bouchard, paragraphs [0053] and [0063]-[0064]).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 Christina Leung at telephone number (571) 272-3023. If attempts to reach the examiner are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Patricia Engle can be reached at (571) 272-6660.
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/CHRISTINA Y. LEUNG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3991
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