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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Murata et al. (USPN 2023/0129697), in view of Yamashita (USPN 2007/0146606).
With regard to claim 1,
Murata et al. disclose a video display device comprising: a liquid crystal panel (10); and a display panel (20) configured to display an image, the liquid crystal panel comprising a first transparent substrate (110), a liquid crystal layer (130), and second transparent substrate (150) configured to switch viewing angle modes the liquid crystal layer being sandwiched between a pair of polarizing plates (10P1,10P2). While Murata et al. do not explicitly disclose the claimed liquid crystal electrode configuration, Yamashita does disclose in at least figure 9 a viewing angle switching liquid crystal panel comprising a first electrode (121), a liquid crystal layer (pictured, not labeled, see fig. 9), a second electrode (111), an interlayer insulating film (113), a third electrode (112) in the stated order, the liquid crystal layer including an overlapping region overlapping the second electrode and a non-overlapping region not overlapping the second electrode (see fig. 8), and thus including a transparent region in a high transmission state and a switching region switchable between a high transmission state and a low transmission state (white/black see fig. 8). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to incorporate this concept of Yamashita into the device of Murata et al. in order to try to increase viewing angle control.
With regard to claim 2,
Yamashita discloses the video display device according to claim 1, wherein the video display device is capable of applying different voltages to the transparent region and the switching region, respectively (see paragraph 68). The obviousness of the incorporation of the concept of Yamashita into the device of Murata et al. was addressed in the rejection of claim 1.
With regard to claims 3,8,
Yamashita discloses the video display device according to claims 1,2, wherein a thickness of the non-overlapping region is 30 μm or smaller (See paragraph 76). The obviousness of the incorporation of the concept of Yamashita into the device of Murata et al. was addressed in the rejection of claim 1.
With regard to claims 4,9,12,
Yamashita discloses the video display device according to claims 1,2,8. While Yamashita does not explicitly disclose the material of the second electrode, an electrode being a transparent electrode or an electrode containing a light-absorbing material was a concept well known to and wide used by those of ordinary skill in the art the time of the invention and would have been obvious to the same to incorporate as the second electrode of Yamashita in order to try to improve brightness or contrast. The obviousness of the incorporation of the concept of Yamashita into the device of Murata et al. was addressed in the rejection of claim 1.
With regard to claims 5,10,13,15,
Murata et al. disclose the video display device according to claim 1,2,8,12, further comprising a backlight (30).
With regard to claim 6,11,14,16,
Murata et al. disclose the video display device according to claim 5,10,13,15. While Murata et al. do not explicitly disclose wherein the backlight has a local dimming function, such a backlight was well known to and widely used by those of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention and would have been obvious to the same to incorporate into the device of Murata et al. in order to improve contrast.
With regard to claim 7,
Murata et al. disclose the video display device according to claim 1, wherein the display panel is a liquid crystal display panel (20) or a self-luminous display panel.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. USPN 12613438, 2019/0369449, 2025/0004332, 2023/0015664, 2023/0251522.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Christopher Raabe whose telephone number is (571)272-8434. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 0530-1430.
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/CHRISTOPHER M RAABE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
