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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/28/2025 was considered by the examiner.
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) 1, 2, and 11-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by O’Brien (8711566). With respect to claim 1, O’Brien discloses an electronic device (102, 202, 302) comprising: a main body (110); a slider (112) slidably moved to the main body (110), wherein the slider (112) is at least partially inserted to the main body (110) and is at least partially withdrawn from the main body (110); a flexible display (104) comprising a first area (218) and a second area (220), wherein the first area (218) is exposed when the slider (112) is fully inserted to the main body (110), and wherein the second area (220) of the flexible display (104) is inserted to the main body (110) when the slider (112) is fully inserted to the main body (110); a flexible support member (230, 234) disposed at a bottom face of the flexible display(104); and a smoothness maintaining device coupled to the flexible support member. With respect to claim 2, O’Brien discloses the device (102, 202, 302) of claim 1, wherein tension is applied to the flexible support member (230, 234) while the slider (112) slidably moves to the main body (110). With respect to claim 11, O’Brien discloses the device (102, 202, 302) of claim 2, wherein the flexible support member (230, 234) comprises: a flexible film (224) including a first face disposed at the bottom face of the flexible display (104), and a second face facing the first face; and a plurality of protrusions (210, 316) disposed on the second face of the flexible film (224). With respect to claim 12, O’Brien discloses the device (102, 202, 302) of claim 11, wherein an area in which the plurality of protrusions (210, 316) are disposed is corresponding to the second area. With respect to claim 13, O’Brien discloses the device (102, 202, 302) of claim 11, wherein the plurality of protrusions (210, 316) are configured to be spaced apart from each other, or are configured integrally to be disposed with an equal interval.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-10, 14, and 15 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: as to claims 3-10 and 15, patentability resides, at least in part, in the smoothness maintaining device further comprises: a first roller rotatably disposed at a first position of the main body, and a second roller rotatably disposed at a second position of the main body, and a wire connected to the flexible support member, wherein a first end of the wire is connected to a third end of the flexible support member and a second end of the wire is connected to a fourth end of the flexible support member, and wherein the first roller and the second roller are surrounded by the connection member wire and the flexible support member which are connected each other as claimed and including all of the other limitations of the base claim(s) respectfully; as to claim 14, patentability resides, at least in part, in the cross section of the plurality of protrusions being isosceles trapezoidal, and wherein the plurality of protrusions is integrated with the flexible film as claimed and including all of the other limitations of the base claim(s) respectfully.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-15 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 LISA LEA-EDMONDS whose telephone number is (571)272-2043. The examiner can normally be reached M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Timothy Thompson can be reached at 571-272-2342. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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LISA LEA-EDMONDS
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2847
/LISA LEA-EDMONDS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847 2026-02-20