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 Status
Claims 1-19 are pending in the present application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding Claim 10, it recites “the curved portion of the interior surface of the three-dimensional cover”. However, since this claim depends from claim 8, antecedence has not been established for these limitations, leaving the claim unclear as to what “the curved portion” and “the interior surface” are meant to refer to. For the purpose of applying prior art, this will be interpreted as being dependent from claim 9 to establish proper antecedence.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-5, 7-8, 12, 14-15, and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mugyeom Kim et al. (US 20170301314 A1; hereinafter Kim).
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Regarding Claim 1, Kim discloses a display (Fig. 4, Fig. 15; 400; ¶0100) comprising:
a first display area (pixel area of DA6-DA2; ¶0114) having a first plurality of pixels (multiple PX2-PX6; ¶0118);
a connecting area (Annotated Kim Fig. 15; CA) extending from a periphery of the first display area (periphery of DA6-DA2); and
a second display area (pixel area of DA1) having a second plurality of pixels (PX1), the second display area (DA1) comprising a first portion (Annotated Kim Fig. 15; P1) and a second portion (Annotated Kim Fig. 15; P2), the first portion (P1) extending from the connecting area (CA) and around a first portion of the periphery of the first display area (portion of DA6-DA2 aligned with P1), the second portion (P2) extending from the connecting area (CA) and around a second portion of the periphery of the first display area (portion of DA6-DA2 aligned with P2), the second portion of the periphery being different than the first portion of the periphery (as shown in Annotated Fig. 15).
Regarding Claim 2, Kim discloses the display of claim 1, wherein a total number of pixels included in the first plurality of pixels (PX2-PX6) is different than a total number of pixels included in the second plurality of pixels (PX1) (as shown in Fig. 15).
Regarding Claim 3, Kim discloses the display of claim 1 (Annotated Kim Fig. 15), wherein:
a first gap (G1) is defined between the first portion of the second display area (pixel area of DA1 in P1) and the first portion of the periphery of the first display area (periphery of pixel area of DA6-DA2 in P1); and
a second gap (G2) is defined between the second portion of the second display area (pixel area of DA1 in P2) and the second portion of the periphery of the first display area (periphery of pixel area of DA6-DA2 in P2).
Regarding Claim 4, Kim discloses the display of claim 1, further comprising:
a first plurality of conductors (plurality of Ld1; ¶0160), each conductor of the first plurality of conductors electrically coupled to a corresponding pixel of the first plurality of pixels (PX1) (¶0159); and
a second plurality of conductors (plurality of Ld2-Ld6), each conductor of the second plurality of conductors electrically coupled to a corresponding pixel of the second plurality of pixels (PX2-PX6) (¶01519-¶0160).
Regarding Claim 5, Kim discloses the display of claim 4, wherein each conductor of the second plurality of conductors (plurality of Ld2-Ld6) extends from the first display area (DA6-DA2) to the second display area (DA1) via the connecting area (CA) (as shown in Annotated Kim Fig. 15).
Regarding Claim 7, Kim discloses the display of claim 1, wherein a gap (Annotated Kim Fig. 15; G) is defined between an end of the first portion of the second display area (DA1 in P1) and an end of the second portion of the second display area (DA1 in P2).
Regarding Claim 8, Kim discloses a wearable computing device (Fig. 1, Fig. 4, Annotated Fig. 15, Fig. 28; 1000; ¶0078) comprising:
a housing (500; ¶0089);
a three-dimensional cover (300; ¶0226) positioned on the housing (500), the three-dimensional cover (300) comprising a transparent material (¶0094), the three-dimensional cover defining an internal volume (volume defined by 301 and 302 as shown in Fig. 28); and
a display (Fig. 4, Annotated Fig. 15; 400; ¶0100) disposed within the internal volume defined by the three-dimensional cover (300) (as shown in Fig. 28), the display (400) comprising:
a first display area (pixel area of DA6-DA2; ¶0114) having a first plurality of pixels (multiple PX2-PX6; ¶0118);
a first connecting area (Annotated Kim Fig. 15; CA) extending from a periphery of the first display area (periphery of DA6-DA2); and
a second display area (pixel area of DA1) having a second plurality of pixels (PX1), the second display area (DA1) comprising a first portion (Annotated Kim Fig. 15; P1) and a second portion (Annotated Kim Fig. 15; P2), the first portion (P1) extending from the first connecting area (CA) and around a first portion of the periphery of the first display area (portion of DA6-DA2 aligned with P1), the second portion (P2) extending from the first connecting area (CA) and around a second portion of the periphery of the first display area (portion of DA6-DA2 aligned with P2), the second portion of the periphery of the first display area being different than the first portion of the periphery of the first display area (as shown in annotated Kim Fig. 15).
Regarding Claim 12, Kim discloses the wearable computing device of claim 8, wherein (Annotated Kim Fig. 15):
a first gap (G1) is defined between the first display area (DA6-DA2) and the first portion of the second display area (DA1 in P1); and
a second gap (G2) is defined between the first display area (DA6-DA2) and the second portion of the second display area (DA1 in P2).
Regarding Claim 14, Kim discloses the wearable computing device of claim 8, wherein the display further comprises:
a first plurality of conductors (plurality of Ld1; ¶0160), each conductor of the first plurality of conductors electrically coupled to a corresponding pixel of the first plurality of pixels (PX1) (¶0159); and
a second plurality of conductors (plurality of Ld2-Ld6), each conductor of the second plurality of conductors electrically coupled to a corresponding pixel of the second plurality of pixels (PX2-PX6) (¶01519-¶0160).
Regarding Claim 15, Kim discloses the wearable computing device of claim 14, wherein each conductor of the second plurality of conductors (plurality of Ld2-Ld6) extends from the first display area (DA6-DA2) to the second display area (DA1) via the first connecting area (CA) (as shown in Annotated Kim Fig. 15).
Regarding Claim 17, Kim discloses the wearable computing device of claim 8, wherein the second display area (DA1) is configured as a touch-screen display (as shown in view of Fig. 22 and Fig. 25A; ¶0181-¶0205 wherein the entire display is configured as touch-screen by including touch module 800).
Regarding Claim 18, Kim discloses the wearable computing device of claim 8, wherein the transparent material comprises a glass material (as disclosed in ¶0094).
Claims 8 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mugyeom Kim et al. (US 20170301314 A1; hereinafter Kim).
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Regarding Claim 8, Kim discloses a wearable computing device (Fig. 1, Fig. 4, Annotated Kim Fig. 15 V2, Fig. 28; 1000; ¶0078) comprising:
a housing (500; ¶0089);
a three-dimensional cover (300; ¶0226) positioned on the housing (500), the three-dimensional cover (300) comprising a transparent material (¶0094), the three-dimensional cover defining an internal volume (volume defined by 301 and 302 as shown in Fig. 28); and
a display (Fig. 4, Annotated Fig. 15 V2; 400; ¶0100) disposed within the internal volume defined by the three-dimensional cover (300) (as shown in Fig. 28), the display (400) comprising:
a first display area (pixel area of DA6-DA2 in P1/P2 regions; ¶0114) having a first plurality of pixels (multiple PX2-PX6; ¶0118);
a first connecting area (Annotated Kim Fig. 15 V2; CA1) extending from a periphery of the first display area (periphery of DA6-DA2); and
a second display area (pixel area of DA1 in P1/P2 regions) having a second plurality of pixels (PX1), the second display area (DA1) comprising a first portion (Annotated Kim Fig. 15; P1) and a second portion (Annotated Kim Fig. 15 V2; P2), the first portion (P1) extending from the first connecting area (CA1) and around a first portion of the periphery of the first display area (portion of DA6-DA2 aligned with P1), the second portion (P2) extending from the first connecting area (CA) and around a second portion of the periphery of the first display area (portion of DA6-DA2 aligned with P2), the second portion of the periphery of the first display area being different than the first portion of the periphery of the first display area (as shown in annotated Kim Fig. 15 V2).
Regarding Claim 13, Kim discloses the wearable computing device of claim 8, wherein the display further comprises (see annotated Kim Fig. 15 V2):
a second connecting area (CA2) extending from the periphery of the first display area (periphery of DA6-DA2), the second connecting area (CA2) spaced apart from the first connecting area (CA1) along the periphery of the first display area (DA6-DA2); and
a third display area (DA1 in P3/P4 regions) having a third plurality of pixels (respective PX1), the third display area comprising a first portion (P3) extending from the second connecting area (CA2) and around a third portion of the periphery of the first display area (portion of DA6-DA2 in P3 region), the third display area further comprising a second portion (P4) extending from the second connecting area (CA2) and around a fourth portion of the periphery of the first display area (portion of DA6-DA2 in P4 region).
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 6 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim in view of Petrus de Greef (US 10043459 B1; hereinafter de Greef).
Regarding Claim 6, Kim discloses the display of claim 1, further comprising: a display driver circuit (controller on PCB 205; ¶0105) communicatively coupled to each of the first plurality of pixels (PX2-PX6) via a corresponding conductor of the first plurality of conductors (¶0159), and communicatively coupled to each of the second plurality of pixels (PX1) via a corresponding conductor of the second plurality of conductors (¶0159) (wherein the controller provides different images output values to PX1 and PX2 respectively; ¶0105).
Kim does not expressly disclose wherein: the display driver circuit (controller on PCB 205; ¶0105) comprises a first memory buffer and a second memory buffer, wherein the first memory buffer is communicatively coupled to each of the first plurality of pixels, and the second memory buffer is communicatively coupled to each of the second plurality of pixels.
In the same field of endeavor, de Greef teaches a display controller (104; C3:L65 to C4:L60) wherein a double-frame buffer memory includes two separate memory devices (C3:L65 to C4:L60).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have the double-frame buffer memory (of de Greef) communicatively coupled to the display regions of Kim in order to improve the progressive scanning of the display providing a smoother image or higher refresh rate (de Greef; C3:L65 to C5:L25), wherein both memory buffers are communicatively coupled to each of the first and second plurality of pixels.
Regarding Claim 16, Kim discloses the wearable computing device of claim 8, further comprising: a display driver circuit (controller on PCB 205; ¶0105) communicatively coupled to each of the first plurality of pixels (PX2-PX6) via a corresponding conductor of the first plurality of conductors (¶0159), and communicatively coupled to each of the second plurality of pixels (PX1) via a corresponding conductor of the second plurality of conductors (¶0159) (wherein the controller provides different images output values to PX1 and PX2 respectively; ¶0105).
Kim does not expressly disclose wherein: the display driver circuit (controller on PCB 205; ¶0105) comprises a first memory buffer and a second memory buffer, wherein the first memory buffer is communicatively coupled to each of the first plurality of pixels, and the second memory buffer is communicatively coupled to each of the second plurality of pixels.
In the same field of endeavor, de Greef teaches a display controller (104; C3:L65 to C4:L60) wherein a double-frame buffer memory includes two separate memory devices (C3:L65 to C4:L60).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have the double-frame buffer memory (of de Greef) communicatively coupled to the display regions of Kim in order to improve the progressive scanning of the display providing a smoother image or higher refresh rate (de Greef; C3:L65 to C5:L25), wherein both memory buffers are communicatively coupled to each of the first and second plurality of pixels.
Claims 9-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim in view of Tyler Bushnell (US 20190377385 A1; hereinafter Bushnell).
Regarding Claim 9, Kim discloses the wearable computing device of claim 8. However, Kim is silent regarding wherein the first portion of the second display area and the second portion of the second display area are each coupled to a curved portion of an interior surface of the three-dimensional cover.
In the same field of endeavor, Bushnell teaches a wearable electronic device (¶0025; Fig. 14) comprising a flexible display (42; ¶0036) coupled to a curved interior surface of a clear cover (Fig. 14; 40; ¶0036).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to couple the display of Kim to a curved interior cover in the manner of Bushnell in order to provide a desirably large viewing area with an attractive appearance with a variety of different viewing angles (Bushnell; ¶0023).
Regarding Claim 10, modified Kim teaches the wearable computing device of claim 8 (claim 9 as interpreted in light of the 35 USC §112(b) above), wherein at least one of the first portion of the second display area or the second portion of the second display area is laminated (this limitation is drawn to the method of formation, thereby being implicitly satisfied by the structural limitations met by modified Kim in claim 9 above) to the curved portion of the interior surface of the three-dimensional cover (as shown/modified by Bushnell Fig. 14).
Regarding Claim 11, modified Kim teaches the wearable computing device of claim 9, wherein the display comprises an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display (as disclosed in Kim; ¶0082, ¶0126 and/or Bushnell; ¶0036).
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim in view of Yazdandoost Yeke et al. (US 20190310724 A1; hereinafter Yeke).
Regarding Claim 19, Kim discloses the wearable computing device of claim 8. However, Kim is silent regarding further comprising: an image sensor positioned within the internal volume of the three-dimensional cover such that the image sensor is positioned behind the second display area of the display.
In the same field of endeavor, Yeke discloses providing an image sensor (Fig. 1B; 114; ¶0060) under a display (112; ¶0058) protected by a transparent cover (108; ¶0056).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have the image sensor of Yeke behind the display in the device of Kim in order to provide fingerprint images to the device, among other uses (Yeke; ¶0006-¶0008, ¶0038-¶0045). Thus modification would thereby satisfy the limitations of claim 19.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHAN PRIDEMORE whose telephone number is (703)756-4640. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:00pm EST.
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NATHAN PRIDEMORE
Examiner
Art Unit 2898
/NATHAN PRIDEMORE/Examiner, Art Unit 2898 /JULIO J MALDONADO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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