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
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 and 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Pang et al. (hereinafter Pang) (US20220085318).
Regarding claim 1, Pang discloses a display device, comprising:
a housing (210) having a side (Figure 5);
an opening (210a) in the side of the housing (210);
a display panel (100) disposed in the opening (210a) and having a rear surface (Figure 3);
a first substrate (440) disposed on the rear surface (Figure 3) of the display panel (100);
a first flexible film (460) configured to connect the display panel (100) and the first substrate (440);
a second substrate (400) spaced apart from the first substrate (440); and
a second flexible film (420) configured to connect the first substrate (440) and the second substrate (400), wherein the second substrate (400) is spaced further from the display panel (100) than the first substrate (Figure 4).
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Regarding claim 2, Pang discloses the display device of claim 1, further comprising: a metal plate disposed on the rear surface of the display panel (Paragraph 0068 – the back cover 200 can be made of a PCM (Pre-Coated Metal) material as a color steel plate material obtained by coating a polyester resin on the steel plate material) .
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.
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.
Claim(s) 4, 5, 12, 13 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pang et al. (hereinafter Pang) (US20220085318) in view of Campagna et al. (hereinafter Campagna) (US20130162120).
Regarding claim 4, Pang discloses the display device of claim 1.
Pang does not expressly disclose a cover glass disposed on a front surface of the display panel, wherein the housing includes a housing body and a sidewall extending from an edge of the housing body, and wherein an end portion of the sidewall is in contact with an edge of the cover glass.
Campagna discloses a cover glass (200) disposed on a front surface (Figure 5b) of the display panel (20), wherein the housing (Figure 5c) includes a housing body (100) and a sidewall (108) extending from an edge (Figure 5b) of the housing body, and wherein an end portion (101) of the sidewall is in contact with an edge (Figure 5b) of the cover glass (200).
It would’ve been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate the cover glass of Campagna into the display device of Pang.
One having ordinary skill on the art would have been motivated to do this to protect the display panel.
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Regarding claim 5, Pang in view of Campagna discloses the display device of claim 4, wherein a side surface of the display panel is spaced apart from the sidewall (limitation shown in Figure 5A).
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Regarding claim 12, Pang discloses a display device, comprising:
a housing (210) having a side (Figure 5);
an opening (210a) in the side of the housing (210);
a display panel (100) disposed in the opening (210a) and having a rear surface (Figure 3);
a first substrate (440) disposed on the rear surface (Figure 3) of the display panel (100);
a first flexible film (460) configured to connect the display panel (100) and the first substrate (440);
a second substrate (400) spaced apart from the first substrate (440);
an element (Paragraph 0077 – timing controller) disposed on the second substrate (400);
a second flexible film (420) configured to connect the first substrate (440) and the second substrate (400),
wherein the second substrate (400) is spaced further from the display panel (100) than the first substrate (440).
Pang does not expressly disclose a heat sink coupled to the housing and including a protrusion, wherein the protrusion of the heat sink is in contact with the element disposed on the second substrate.
Campagna discloses a heat sink (302) coupled to the housing (100) and including a protrusion (402), wherein the protrusion of the heat sink is in contact with the element disposed on the second substrate (limitation discloses in [at least] Paragraph 0041 – Heat generated by the display device 20 is consequently conducted via the heat pipe assembly 400 to the rear cover assembly 300; Figure 9).
It would’ve been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate the heat sink of Campagna into the display device of Pang.
One having ordinary skill on the art would have been motivated to do this to expel heat from the display device.
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Regarding claim 13, Pang in view of Campagna discloses the display device of claim 12, wherein the housing includes a housing body (100 – Campagna) disposed to be spaced apart from the display panel (20 – Campagna), and the housing (100 – Campagna) further includes a sidewall (108) protruding from an edge (aforementioned Figure 5b – Campagna) of the housing body, the housing body including a hole (Figure 3 – Campagna), and wherein the heat sink is disposed in the hole (Figure 5c – Campagna) in the housing body.
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Regarding claim 16, Pang in view of Park discloses display device, comprising:
a housing (210) having an opening (210a);
a display panel (100) disposed in the opening (210a) of the housing (210);
a first substrate (440) disposed on a rear surface (Figure 3) of the display panel (100);
a first flexible film (460) configured to connect the display panel (100) and the first substrate (440);
a second substrate (400) spaced apart from the first substrate (440);
a second flexible film (420) configured to connect the first substrate (440) and the second substrate (400), and
wherein the second substrate (400) is coupled to the housing body (210).
Pang does not expressly disclose a cover glass disposed on a front surface of the display panel, wherein the housing includes a housing body and a sidewall protruding from an edge of the housing body, the sidewall in contact with an edge of the cover glass, and wherein the second substrate is coupled to the housing body.
Campagna et al. (hereinafter Campagna) (US20130162120) discloses a cover glass (200) disposed on a front surface (Figure 5b) of the display panel (20), wherein the housing (Figure 5c) includes a housing body (100) and a sidewall (108) protruding from an edge (Figure 5b) of the housing body, the sidewall (108) in contact with an edge (Figure 5b) of the cover glass (200).
It would’ve been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate the cover glass of Campagna into the display device of Pang.
One having ordinary skill on the art would have been motivated to do this to protect the display panel.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pang et al. (hereinafter Pang) (US20220085318) in view of Park et al. (hereinafter Park) (US20160227678).
Regarding claim 9, Pang discloses the display device of claim 1, wherein the second substrate (400) includes a plate-shaped circuit board body (Figure 4).
Pang discloses, in at least paragraph 0077, discloses the second circuit board (400) comprises a timing controller and a connector, terminal for (420); however, Pang does not expressly disclose [wherein] the second substrate further includes a plurality of elements and a connector disposed on the circuit board body, and wherein the plurality of elements and the connector are disposed on a rear surface of the circuit board body.
Park discloses a substrate including a plurality of elements and a connector (556) disposed on the circuit board body (Paragraph 0080 – Since the control PCB includes various driving circuits, such as a timing controller, disposed thereon…), and wherein the plurality of elements and the connector are disposed on a rear surface of the circuit board body.
It would’ve been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate the board configuration of Park into the display device of Pang.
One having ordinary skill on the art would have been motivated to do this create a more efficient use of the surface area of the second substrate.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 6-8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17 and 18 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:
Regarding claims 3, 7 and 8, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or suggest the interconnection and interrelationship of a separation member between the first substrate and the metal plate, as claimed with the remaining limitations of dependent claim 2 and independent claim 1.
Regarding claim 6, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or suggest the interconnection and interrelationship wherein the housing includes a protrusion extending from the housing body, and wherein the protrusion is coupled to a hole in the circuit board body, as claimed with the remaining limitations of dependent claim 4 and independent claim 1.
Regarding claim 10 and 11, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or suggest the interconnection and interrelationship of a through hole in the heat sink body, and wherein the connector penetrates the through hole, as claimed with the remaining limitations of dependent claim 9 and independent claim 1.
Regarding claim 14 and 15, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or suggest the interconnection and interrelationship wherein a first side of the ground contacts a ground pattern of the second substrate and a second side of the ground contacts the heat sink, as claimed with the remaining limitations of independent claim 12.
Regarding claims 17 and 18 , the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or suggest the interconnection wherein the protrusion is coupled to a hole in a circuit board body of the second substrate, and interrelationship as claimed with the remaining limitations of independent claim 16.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US8400763.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Xanthia C Cunningham whose telephone number is (571)270-1963. The examiner can normally be reached Tuesday -Friday 9 am - 5 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Imani Hayman can be reached on 571-270-5528. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/XANTHIA C RELFORD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
27 April 2026
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