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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to all claims have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground of rejection (see below).
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.
Claim1 – 13 and 33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kothari (US Pub. No. 2006/0077126 A1) in view of Lamkin et al. (US Pub. No. 2019/0246098 A1).
As to claims 1 and 33, Kothari shows an optoelectronic system (i.e. display array, Figs. 1, 8, 11A and 11 B and paras. 28, 29 and 81), and associated methodology comprising: connecting an array of tiles (i.e. modulator displays, Figs. 1, 11A and 11B and paras. 29 and 74) wherein each tile has a substrate 20 and an array of pixels (i.e. 12a and 12b, Fig. 1 and paras. 29 – 31); distributing signals between pixels in row and column direction (via electrical connection device 125, Fig. 11A and para. 78) wherein each signal is connected to two pads on the opposite sides of the tile substrate (Figs. 1 and 11A and para. 78); and connecting pads 625 between adjacent tiles by forming traces 616 (Fig. 8 and paras. 56 – 58).
Kothari does not show that the traces bridge the pads together.
Lamkin shows that traces bridge adjacent modular display pads together (Figs. 23 and 24 and para. 116).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the teachings of Kothari with those of Lamkin because designing the system in this way allows the device to provide serial connection between adjacent pads (para. 116).
As to claim 2, Kothari shows that the tiles are assembled on a system substrate (i.e. backplate, for example, Fig. 11B and para. 86).
As to claim 3, Kothari shows that the traces connect the pads of adjacent tiles through traces in the system substrate (Figs. 11A and 11B).
As to claim 4, Kothari shows that the traces connect the tiles to the signals through traces on the system substrate (Figs. 11A and 11B).
As to claim 5, Kothari shows that a bezel in the tile is reduced by moving the pads into a pixel area (Figs. 11A and 11B and paras. 82 – 86).
As to claim 6, Kothari shows that a circuit in pixels with pads is moved away from the pads towards an opposite direction (Figs. 11A and 11B and paras. 82 – 86).
As to claim 7, Kothari shows that if the pads are on a left side of the array, the circuit in the pixel is moved closer to a right hand side of the pixel (Figs. 11A and 11B and paras. 82 – 86).
As to claim 8, Kothari shows that if the pads are on a right side of the array, the circuit in the pixel is moved closer to a left hand side of the pixel (Figs. 11A and 11B and paras. 82 – 86).
As to claim 9, Kothari shows that if the pads are on a top side of the array, the circuit in the pixel is moved closer to a bottom side of the pixel (Figs. 11A and 11B and paras. 82 – 86).
As to claim 10, Kothari shows that if the pads are on a bottom side of the array, the circuit in the pixel is moved closer to a top side of the pixel (Figs. 11A and 11B and paras. 82 – 86).
As to claim 11, Kothari shows that for pixels at corners, corresponding circuits are moved towards the opposite direction away from the corners (Figs. 11A and 11B).
As to claim 12, Kothari shows that a position of microdevices in the pixel area is adjusted to be substantially in the center of the pixel area so that the position of microdevices across the array is consistent (Fig. 11A).
As to claim 13, Kothari shows that to increase a tolerance of an image quality or captured data to the position of microdevices, a reflector 16a/16b is added under the microdevice that is larger than the microdevice area (Fig. 1 and paras. 29 – 32).
CONCLUSION
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CARL ADAMS whose telephone number is (571)270-7448. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9AM - 5PM EST.
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/CARL ADAMS/Examiner, Art Unit 2627
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