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 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cheng et al (US Publication No. 2018/0053882) in view of Nakabayashi et al (US Publication No. 2021/0239296).
Regarding claim 1, Cheng discloses a light-emitting device Fig 1A and Fig 7A comprising: a light-emitting element Fig 1A, 120 configured to emit first light; a light-transmissive member Fig 1A, 140 covering an upper surface of the light-emitting element and comprising a wavelength conversion material configured to absorb a portion of the first light and emit second light ¶0032-0033; a light-scattering member Fig 1A disposed on the light-transmissive member ¶0037, comprising a light-scattering material, and having a higher reflectance at a peak wavelength of the first light than at a peak wavelength of the second light¶0037; and a light-adjustment member Fig 1A located in or on the light-scattering member ¶0037 and having either (i) a higher absorptance at the peak wavelength of the second light than at the peak wavelength of the first light, or (ii) a higher reflectance at the peak wavelength of the second light than at the peak wavelength of the first light ¶0037-0042. Cheng discloses all the limitations but the arrangement of the scattering and adjustment member. Whereas Nakabayashi discloses wherein a lateral surface of the light-transmissive member is exposed from the light-scattering member and the light-adjustment member Fig 3A. Cheng and Nakabayashi are analogous art because they are directed to light emitting devices and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Cheng because they are from the same field of endeavor. Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill of the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Cheng and incorporate the teachings of Nakabayashi as an alternative arrangement as a matter of design choice and improved device performance.
Regarding claim 2, Cheng discloses wherein: the light-adjustment member is a coloring material having the higher absorptance at the peak wavelength of the second light than at the peak wavelength of the first light, and the coloring material is dispersed in the light-scattering member ¶0042-0043.
Regarding claim 3, Cheng discloses wherein: the light-adjustment member is a coloring material having the higher absorptance at the peak wavelength of the second light than at the peak wavelength of the first light, and the coloring material is provided on the light-scattering member¶0037-0043.
Regarding claim 4, Cheng discloses wherein: the light-adjustment member is a wavelength selective filter having the higher absorptance at the peak wavelength of the second light than at the peak wavelength of the first light, and the wavelength selective filter is provided on the light-scattering member¶0037-0043.
Regarding claim 5, Cheng discloses wherein: the light-adjustment member is a dielectric multilayer film having the higher reflectance at the peak wavelength of the second light than at the peak wavelength of the first light, and the dielectric multilayer film is provided on the light-scattering member¶0037-0043.
Regarding claim 6, Cheng and Nakabayashi disclose all the limitations but silent on the specific reflectance. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the reflectance range, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233 (1955).
Regarding claim 7, Cheng discloses wherein: a difference between a chromaticity of light emitted from the light-scattering member and a chromaticity of light emitted from the lateral surface of the light-transmissive member is 10/1,000 or less ¶0037-0043. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the range, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233 (1955).
Regarding claim 8, Nakabayashi discloses wherein: the light-transmissive member comprises: a first light-transmissive member Fig 2, 22 that covers the upper surface of the light-emitting element and comprises the wavelength conversion material, and a second light-transmissive member Fig 2, 10 that covers an upper surface of the first light-transmissive member and does not comprise the wavelength conversion material ¶0040.
Regarding claim 9, Nakabayashi discloses wherein: an upper surface of the second light-transmissive member has a recessed portion located above the light-emitting element and opening on an upper surface side of the second light-transmissive member, and the light-scattering member is disposed in the recessed portion Fig 2, Fig 6 and Fig 9.
Regarding claims 10 and 11, Cheng and Nakabayashi disclose all the limitations but silent on the arrangement and design of the transmissive member. It would have been an obvious matter of design choice to modify the shape, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the shape of a component. A change in shape is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In reDailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966).
Regarding claim 12, Cheng and Nakabayashi disclose arranged two-dimensionally Cheng Fig 2A and Nakabayashi Fig 10.
Regarding claim 13, Nakabayashi discloses a liquid crystal display device comprising: the planar light source of claim 12 for use as a backlight light source ¶0003.
Conclusion
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/CHRISTINE A ENAD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2811
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