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)(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, 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Choi et al. (Pub. No. US 2016/0212839).
As to claim 1, Choi discloses a display module 100 (fig. 1), comprising a display panel 10 and a flexible circuit board 20 bound to the display panel, the display panel comprises a display area (fig. 2, see window area 40), a binding area 12, and a bending area B arranged between the display area and the binding area, the bending area is bent to enable the binding area to be located at a backlight side of the display area,
wherein the flexible circuit board comprises a bending portion (fig. 2), a first portion (fig. 2, see area near pad part 12) and a second portion (fig. 2, see portion attached to PCB 30), the first portion and the second portion are arranged at opposite sides of the bending portion respectively, the first portion is bound to the binding area, an orthographic projection of the first portion onto the binding area is located within the binding area, the bending portion is bent to enable the second portion to be stacked at a side of the first portion distal to the display panel (fig. 2).
As to claim 14, Choi disclsoes a display device (fig. 1), comprising the display module according to claim 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-13, 15-20 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.
Regarding dependent claim 2, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations within the claim and limitation recited in claim 1, a combination of limitations that discloses wherein the bending portion comprises a single circuit layer, the first portion comprises two or more circuit layers, and the second portion comprises two or more circuit layers. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding dependent claim 3, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations within the claim and limitation recited in claim 1, a combination of limitations that discloses wherein the first portion comprises a main body and a binding portion extending from the main body toward a direction away from the bending portion, the binding portion is bound to an end of the binding area distal to the bending area, and the bending portion is arranged at a side of the first portion proximate to the bending area. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding dependent claim 4, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations within the claim and limitation recited in claim 1, a combination of limitations that discloses wherein an electronic device is arranged between the first portion and the second portion. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding dependent claim 15, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations within the claim and limitation recited in claims 1 and 14, a combination of limitations that discloses wherein the bending portion comprises a single circuit layer, the first portion comprises two or more circuit layers, and the second portion comprises two or more circuit layers. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding dependent claim 16, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations within the claim and limitation recited in claims 1 and 14, a combination of limitations that discloses wherein the first portion comprises a main body and a binding portion extending from the main body toward a direction away from the bending portion, the binding portion is bound to an end of the binding area distal to the bending area, and the bending portion is arranged at a side of the first portion proximate to the bending area. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding dependent claim 17, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations within the claim and limitation recited in claims 1 and 14, a combination of limitations that discloses wherein an electronic device is arranged between the first portion and the second portion. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AMOL H PATEL whose telephone number is (571)270-7833. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30AM-6:00PM.
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, 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.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/AMOL H PATEL/Examiner, Art Unit 2847
/TIMOTHY J THOMPSON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2847