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 § 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.
Claim 1 line 5: it is unclear how stable is considered “dimensionally stable”. Dependent claim(s) is/are also rejected for inheriting the flaws from the parent claim(s).
Claim 3 line 3: “possible” is indefinite as it refers to a possibility.
Claim 13 line 3: it is unclear as to which structures are considered “similar”.
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) 1-9, 11-14, 16-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by DE920 (DE 202024100920)
DE920 discloses
1. An electronic display device for displaying product and/or price information, which comprises:
- a housing 100 which comprises a front wall, which comprises
a screen 11, and a rear wall, which faces away from the front wall (Fig. 1-3),
wherein the housing is designed for interacting with a dimensionally stable coupling device (40) for the purpose of coupling the electronic display device and an object,
wherein the housing comprises a first coupling structure which is formed on its rear wall (Fig. 8-9, par. 33: the recess 26, which extends in the direction of movement 71, can be seen in the housing 20 of the rear 22),
wherein the first coupling structure is designed for detachably holding or detachably fastening the coupling device (40), and
wherein the first coupling structure is designed in such a manner that the coupling is based on force transfer from the coupling device to the inner side of the rear wall (Fig. 6-10: insertion force applied to coupling device 40 to attach to and retained in housing 100).
2.1, characterized in that at least one part of the rear wall is designed, as a constituent of the first coupling structure, such that it is possible to engage behind it (Fig. 6-10).
3.2, characterized in that the first coupling structure comprises a coupling indentation or coupling recess in the region where it is possible to engage behind the rear wall, which coupling indentation or coupling recess is designed for accommodating the coupling device (Fig. 6-10: see recess 26 for accommodating the coupling device 40).
4.1, wherein the first coupling structure is formed by the inner side of the rear wall at least in some regions (Figs. 6-10).
5.1, wherein the first coupling structure comprises an accommodating groove or an accommodating slot located inside the electronic display device for accommodating the coupling device (Fig. 6-10: recess 26 as an accommodating groove or an accommodating slot).
6.1, wherein the first coupling structure is designed and adapted to the coupling device in such a manner that the electronic display device and the coupling device can be plugged into one another, wherein the first coupling structure is designed in such a manner that the coupling device in the plugged-in state can be rotated into a holding position (Figs. 6-10).
7. A coupling device for coupling an electronic display device for displaying product and/or price information to an object,
- wherein the coupling device (40) is designed in a dimensionally stable manner and
wherein the coupling device (40) comprises a second coupling structure which is designed for detachably holding or detachably fastening the electronic display device, and wherein the second coupling structure is designed in such a manner that the coupling is based on force transfer from the coupling device to an inner side of a rear wall of the electronic display device (Fig. 6-10: insertion force applied to coupling device 40 to attach to and retained in display housing 100).
8.7, wherein the second coupling structure is designed in a substantially extensive or disc-like or plate-like manner (Figs. 6-10).
9.7, wherein the second coupling structure comprises a prismatic shape or a prismatic shape comprising rounded and/or milled corners and/or edges, preferably comprises a rotationally symmetrical base area, particularly preferably the base area corresponds to a regular polygon, particularly a square (Figs. 6-10).
11.7, which comprises a third coupling structure which is designed to couple the coupling device to the object in a manner adapted to the object (par. 33: In Fig. 6, a piercing element 54 is inserted into the opening 25 of the base body 10, of which only the plate-shaped end region 54a can be seen in Fig. 6).
12.11, wherein the third coupling structure is designed to make a force-fitting and/or form-fitting connection to the object (par. 33: Using the piercing element 54, a product can be detachably attached to the price tag 100; par. 29: the locking mechanism 30 is arranged on the front side 21, which serves to create a detachable connection with a fastening element 50).
13.11, wherein the third coupling structure is designed to accommodate cords, cables, threads, wires or similar or that the third coupling structure itself is designed in a cord-like manner at least in some regions (the strap 50, 51 is capable of being a third coupling structure).
14.11, wherein the third coupling structure is designed to grasp the object at least partially, particularly to be clamped or hung on the object, or to spread with the object (the piercing element 54, locking mechanism 30, and strap 50 can grasp and hung on to the object).
16.7, which comprises a coupling-tool receptacle (hole 42) which is designed to accommodate a coupling tool (i.e. band 50, 51, Fig. 6-10).
17. A coupling tool (i.e. band 50, 51, Figs. 6-10) which is designed to fasten a coupling device according to Claim 7 to an object or detach said coupling device from the same or fasten said coupling device to an electronic display device according to Claim 1 one of Claims 1 to 6 or detach said coupling device from the same.
18. A fastening system, shortened to system, which comprises at least one electronic display device 100 according to Claim 1 and at least one coupling device 40 according to Claim 7 (Fig. 6-10)
Claim(s) 7, 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Akaba (US 20230276956)
Akaba discloses
7. A coupling device for coupling an electronic display device for displaying product and/or price information to an object,
- wherein the coupling device (tag holder 103) is designed in a dimensionally stable manner and
wherein the coupling device (103) comprises a second coupling structure which is designed for detachably holding or detachably fastening the electronic display device, and wherein the second coupling structure is designed in such a manner that the coupling is based on force transfer from the coupling device to an inner side (grooves 105) of a rear wall of the electronic display device (“[0063] The spring portion 116 includes a press protrusion 121 being a cantilever-beam-shaped portion provided substantially in a center of the shelf tag attachment portion 113 when viewed from front, and projecting frontwards in a vicinity of a tip. When the electronic shelf tag 101 is attached, the spring portion 116 has the press protrusion 121 pressed by a rear surface of the electronic shelf tag 101, and pushes the electronic shelf tag 101 frontwards by elastic force”).
10.7, wherein the second coupling structure is designed and adapted to the electronic display device in such a manner that the electronic display device and the coupling device can be plugged into one another and wherein the second coupling structure is designed in such a manner that the coupling device in the plugged-in state can be rotated into a holding position (Fig. 5, “[0122] … the shelf tag holding portion 103 includes the bearing portion 129 as a first fit portion being one of a shaft portion and a bearing portion for rotating about the rotation axis P relative to the support member 102”.
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.
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DE920 (DE 202024100920) in view of Crognale (US 20140146537)
Re claim 15.11, DE920 is silent to wherein the third coupling structure is designed to undergo an adhesive connection to the object, in particular wherein the third coupling structure comprises an adhesive layer or is designed as an adhesive layer.
Crognale discloses an adhesive pad 50, 150 can be used to attach a display holder base 12 to a product 52.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date the invention was made to incorporate the teachings of Crognale so that the assembly can be attached to products via adhesives.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THIEN MAI whose telephone number is (571)272-8283. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8-5pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven Paik can be reached on 571-272-2404. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Thien T Mai/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2887
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