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, 7-9, 11-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wu et al. (CN 113257138A) (of record). Machine translation provided for purposes of citation.
Regarding claim 1, Wu discloses a display module (Figs. 2-8), comprising a display panel (20; Page 5), having a display side and a non-display side disposed opposite to each other (20 top and bottom); a back plane film located on the non-display side of the display panel (23; Page 6); a buffer layer, located on a side of the back plane film that is away from the display panel, wherein an impedance of the buffer layer is less than an impedance of the back plane film (22; Page 6); and an electrostatic discharge layer located on a side that is of the buffer layer that is away from the display panel (241; Page 7), wherein the electrostatic discharge layer is electrically connected to a grounding point (Page 2-3), wherein at least a part of a surface of the buffer layer is in direct contact with the electrostatic discharge layer (22 & 241).
Regarding claim 7, Wu further discloses wherein the impedance of the buffer layer is greater than an impedance of the electrostatic discharge layer (22; Page 6, Pages 2-3).
Regarding claim 8, Wu further discloses wherein the impedance of the buffer layer is greater than or equal to 103 ohms and less than or equal to 106 ohms (22; Page 6).
Regarding claim 9, Wu further discloses wherein a thickness of the buffer layer is greater than or equal to 0.05 millimeters (mm) and less than or equal to 0.15 mm (22; Page 7).
Regarding claim 11, Wu further discloses wherein the electrostatic discharge layer is a metal layer (241; Page 7).
Regarding claim 12, Wu further discloses a polarizer on the display side of the display panel (25; Page 9).
Regarding claim 13, Wu further discloses a light-transmissive cover plate, disposed on a side of the polarizer that is away from the display panel, wherein the light-transmissive cover plate is bonded to the polarizer through a transparent, optically clear adhesive (25 & 26 & 27; Page 9).
Regarding claim 14, Wu discloses a display module (Figs. 2-8), comprising a display panel (20; Page 5), having a display side and a non-display side disposed opposite to each other (20 top and bottom); a back plane film, located on the non-display side of the display panel (23; Page 6); a buffer layer, located on a side of the back plane film that is away from the display panel, wherein an impedance of the buffer layer is less than an impedance of the back plane film (22; Page 6); an electrostatic discharge layer, located on a side of the buffer layer that is away from the display panel (241; Page 7), wherein the electrostatic discharge layer is electrically connected to a grounding point (Pages 2-3); and a conductive part, having one end connected to the buffer layer, and another end connected to the electrostatic discharge layer (245; Page 8).
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.
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu et al. (CN 113257138A) (of record) in view of Lei et al. (CN 113362724) (of record). Machine translations provided for purposes of citation.
Regarding claim 15, Wu discloses a display apparatus comprising a display module (Figs. 2-8), comprising a display panel (20; Page 5), having a display side and a non-display side disposed opposite to each other (20 top and bottom); a back plane film, located on the non-display side of the display panel (23; Page 6); a buffer layer configured to be connected to a grounding point and located on a side of the back plane film that is away from the display panel, wherein an impedance of the buffer layer is less than an impedance of the back plane film (22; Page 6); and the buffer layer is configured for grounding (Pages 2-3). Wu teaches wherein their invention is for a display for a mobile phone with frame (Page 2), but is silent as to the specific structure of that frame.
In the same field of endeavor, Liu teaches a back housing having a back cover and frame, wherein the frame is disposed around all of and edge of the back cover, the display module is disposed on the back housing, and the display module is disposed opposite to the back cover (Figs. 1-2, 200; Page 7) in order to provide a housing for the display device that is grounded (Page 8).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill at the time of filing the invention to modify the invention of Wu to have a back housing having a back cover and frame, wherein the frame is disposed around all of and edge of the back cover, the display module is disposed on the back housing, and the display module is disposed opposite to the back cover in order to provide a housing for the display device that is grounded, as disclosed by Liu.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-6, 10, 18-19, and 21-23 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.
Specifically, in claim 2, the prior art of record fails to teach or suggest the requirement wherein at least a part of the surface of the buffer layer is in direct contact with the back plane film.
Specifically in claim 3, the prior art of record fails to teach or suggest the requirement wherein the buffer layer is conductive silica gel.
Claims 4-6 are objected to based on their dependence from claim 3.
Specifically, in claim 10, the prior art of record fails to teach or suggest the requirement wherein the thickness of the buffer layer is greater than or equal to 0.08 mm and less than or equal to 0.12 mm.
Specifically, in claim 18, the prior art of record fails to teach or suggest the requirement wherein the display module further comprises an electrostatic discharge layer located on a side of the buffer layer that is away from the display panel, wherein the electrostatic discharge layer is electrically connected to the grounding point, wherein the back housing further comprises a middle plate, that is fixedly connected to an inner surface of the frame, and wherein the grounding point is disposed on the middle plate.
Specifically, in claim 19, the prior art of record fails to teach or suggest the requirement wherein the display module comprises an electrostatic discharge layer located on a side of the buffer layer that is away from the display panel, wherein the electrostatic discharge layer is electrically connected to the grounding point, and wherein the display apparatus further comprises a circuit board disposed in the back housing, and the grounding point is disposed on the circuit board.
Specifically, in claim 21, the prior art of record fails to teach or suggest the requirement wherein the buffer layer is conductive silica gel.
Claims 22-23 are objected to based on their dependence from claim 21.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANNE M HINES whose telephone number is (571)272-2285. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 8:00-4:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James Greece, can be reached on 571-272-3711. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Anne M Hines/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2879
Prosecution Insights