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 § 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1,3-4,6,8,12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 2024/0162376 A1 to Nishida et al., “Nishida”.
Regarding claim 1, Nishida discloses (e.g. FIG. 5 or FIG. 13) a cover glass (3, ¶ [0033]) comprising:
a first plane (3b);
a second plane (3a) located on the opposite side of the first plane;
a first through hole (31, ¶ [0024]) including a first opening (31 at 3b) provided on the first plane (3a) and a second opening (31 at 3a) provided on the second plane (3a); and
a reflective layer (7, ¶ [0053]) covering an inner surface of the first through-hole (31).
Regarding claim 3, Nishida discloses a display device (e.g. a plurality of FIG. 5 or FIG. 13 in FIG. 7) comprising:
a cover glass (3, ¶ 0033]) including a plurality (FIG. 7) of through holes (31, ¶ [0024]); and
a plurality (FIG. 7) of light emitting diodes (4, ¶ [0024],[0040]) wherein inner surfaces (31c, ¶ [0024]) of the plurality of through holes are covered with a reflective layer (7, ¶ [0053]), and the plurality of light emitting diodes (4) are arranged in the plurality of through holes in a plan view (FIG. 7).
Regarding claim 4, Nishida anticipates the display device according to claim 3, and Nishida further discloses (FIG. 13, ¶ [0059]) a substrate (2, ¶ [0027],[0028]), wherein the cover glass (3) has a first plane (3b) and a second plane (3a) located on an opposite side of the first plane,
the second plane (3a) faces the substrate (2), the plurality of through holes (plurality from FIG. 7) has a first through hole (31), the first through-hole includes a first opening (31 at 3b) on the first plane (3b) and a second opening (31 at 3a) on the second plane (3a), and the width of the first opening is narrower (as pictured in FIG. 13, narrower at top) than the width of the second opening in an end view cut through a plane passing through the center of the first opening and the second opening.
Regarding claim 6, Nishida anticipates the display device according to claim 3, and Nishida further discloses (FIG. 5) a substrate (2, ¶ [0027],[0028]), wherein the cover glass (3) has a first plane (3b) and a second plane (3a) located on the opposite side of the first plane, the second plane (3a) faces the substrate (2), the plurality (plurality in FIG. 7) of through holes (31) has a first through hole, the first through-hole includes a first opening (31 at 3b) on the first plane (3b) and a second opening (31 at 3a) on the second plane, and a width of the first opening is wider (as pictured in FIG. 5) than a width of the second opening in an end view cut through a plane passing through a center of the first opening and the second opening.
Regarding claim 8, Nishida discloses the display device according to claim 3, and Nishida further discloses a resin layer (5, ¶ [0061]) located inside the plurality of through holes.
Regarding claim 12, Nishida discloses the display device according to claim 8, and Nishida further discloses wherein the cover glass (3) has a first plane (3b) and a second plane (3a) located on the opposite side of the first plane (3b), the plurality of through holes (31) has a first through hole (e.g. 31 in FIG. 5), the first through hole includes a first opening (31 at 3b) provided on the first plane (3b) and a second opening (31 at 3a) provided on the second plane (3a), and the resin layer (5) is further provided in contact (as pictured) with the second plane (3a).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 2 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2024/0162376 A1 to Nishida et al., “Nishida”, in view of US 2011/0169026 A1 to Tsai, “Tsai”.
Regarding claims 2 and 7, Nishida discloses the cover glass according to claim 1 and the display device according to claim 6, and Nishida further discloses (e.g. FIG. 5) a first angle (180 ° - α, ¶ [0059]) formed by the second opening and a generating line of the first through hole in an end view through a center of the first opening and the second opening.
Although Nishida teaches wherein the angle may be (but not limited to ¶ [0059]) greater than or equal to 70° (180°-110° = 70°) and less than or equal to 85° (180° - 95° = 85°), Nishida fails to clearly anticipate wherein said angle is equal to or greater than 85 and less than or equal to 90°.
Tsai teaches wherein an angle may be 88° to 92° (95°-7° = 88°, 95° - 3° = 92°, Abstract, ¶ [0007]).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to one having ordinary skill in the art to have formed the device of Nishida with the angle within the claimed range as suggested by the adjacent range of Nishida and the overlapping range of Tsai in order to desirably emit the LED light more directionally for example in order to improve interfacing with additional optics (Tsai ¶ [0004]-[0006]) and/or since it has been held that “where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation.” In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955), In re Hoeschele, 406 F.2d 1403, 160 USPQ 809 (CCPA 1969), wherein in the instant case the angle determines the light emission angles making it a result effective variable, In re Antonie, 559 F.2d 618, 195 USPQ 6 (CCPA 1977), and MPEP 2144.05 Obviousness of Ranges II. OPTIMIZATION OF RANGES A. Optimization Within Prior Art Conditions or Through Routine Experimentation B. Only Result-Effective Variables Can Be Optimized.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2024/0162376 A1 to Nishida et al., “Nishida”, in view of US 9,698,204 B2 to Kamura et al., “Kamura”.
Regarding claim 5, Nishida anticipates the display device according to claim 4, and Nishida further discloses (FIG. 5) a first angle (180 ° - α) formed by the second opening and the generating line of the first through hole in an end view cut by a plane passing through a center of the first opening and the second opening.
Although Nishida teaches wherein the angle may be (but not limited to ¶ [0059]) greater than or equal to 70 ° (180°-110° = 70°) and less than or equal to 85 ° (180° - 95° = 85°), Nishida fails to clearly anticipate wherein said angle is equal to or greater than 85° and less than or equal to 90°.
Kamura teaches (FIG. 2A) wherein an angle (α) may be less than 95° (as pictured) and may range from (FIG. 9) 30° to 120° with specific values of 30°,60°,90°,120° plotted (column 26 lines 13-65).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to one having ordinary skill in the art to have formed the cover glass and the display device of Nishida with the angle within the claimed range as suggested by Kamura in order to tune and optimize the light extraction efficiency (Kamura FIG. 9, column 26 lines 13-65) and/or since it has been held that “where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation.” In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955), In re Hoeschele, 406 F.2d 1403, 160 USPQ 809 (CCPA 1969), wherein in the instant case the taper angle determines the light extraction and emission angle making it a result effective variable, In re Antonie, 559 F.2d 618, 195 USPQ 6 (CCPA 1977), and MPEP 2144.05 Obviousness of Ranges II. OPTIMIZATION OF RANGES A. Optimization Within Prior Art Conditions or Through Routine Experimentation B. Only Result-Effective Variables Can Be Optimized.
Claims 9 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2024/0162376 A1 to Nishida et al., “Nishida”, in view of US 2020/0335667 A1 to Deckers et al., “Deckers”.
Regarding claim 9, Nishida discloses the display device according to claim 8, and Nishida further discloses wherein the cover glass (3) has a first plane (3b) and a second plane (3a) located on the opposite side of the first plane, the plurality of through holes (31) has a first through hole, the first through hole includes a first opening (31 at 3b) on the first plane (3b) and a second opening (31 at 3a) on the second plane (3a), and the resin layer (5, ¶ [0061]) inside the first through hole has a convex shape with respect to the second opening.
Nishida fails to clearly teach wherein the resin layer (5) has a convex shape with respect to the second opening.
Deckers teaches (Fig. 8) wherein a silicone filling (12) has a convex shape (as pictured) with respect to a second opening.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to one having ordinary skill in the art to have formed the device of Nishida with the resin partially filling the opening and with a convex shape as taught by Deckers in order to compensate for diverging light directions thereby desirably collimating the light (Deckers ¶ [0055], i.e. acting as a lens).
Regarding claim 10, Nishida in view of Deckers yields the display device according to claim 9, and Deckers further teaches wherein an upper end of the convex shape (12) is located below the first plane (upper surface of 17) in an end view through a center of the first opening and the second opening.
Claims 9 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2024/0162376 A1 to Nishida et al., “Nishida”, in view of US 2023/0275182 A1 to Tamaki, “Tamaki”.
Regarding claim 9, Nishida discloses the display device according to claim 8, and Nishida further discloses wherein the cover glass (3) has a first plane (3b) and a second plane (3a) located on the opposite side of the first plane, the plurality of through holes (31) has a first through hole, the first through hole includes a first opening (31 at 3b) on the first plane (3b) and a second opening (31 at 3a) on the second plane (3a), and the resin layer (5, ¶ [0061]) inside the first through hole.
Nishida fails to clearly teach wherein the resin layer (5) has a convex shape with respect to the second opening.
Tamaki teaches wherein a resin layer (5, ¶ [0047]) has a convex shape (as pictured, ¶ [0048]) with respect to a second opening.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to one having ordinary skill in the art to have formed the device of Nishida with the resin having a convex shape as taught by Tamaki in order to serve as a lens for concentrating the emitting light (Tamaki ¶ [0048]).
Regarding claim 11, Nishida in view of Tamaki yields the display device according to claim 9, and Tamaki further teaches wherein an upper end of the convex shape (5) is located above the first plane (upper surface of 3) in an end view through the center of the first opening and the second opening.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US 2021/0118845 A1 to SHIGEI et al. teaches a cover glass (FIG. 3) comprising:
a first plane (upper surface of 210);
a second plane (lower surface of 210) located on the opposite side of the first plane;
a first through hole (filled with e.g. SP1) including a first opening provided on the first plane and a second opening provided on the second plane; and
a reflective layer (212a, ¶ [0056]) covering an inner surface of the first through-hole.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIC A WARD whose telephone number is (571)270-3406. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10-6 ET.
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, Matthew Landau can be reached at (571)272-1731. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Eric A. Ward/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2891
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