CTNF 18/766,617 CTNF 90704 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Election/Restrictions 08-25-01 AIA Applicant’s election without traverse of Group II, claims 11-15 and 34-40 in the reply filed on 4/12/2026 is acknowledged. Drawings 06-36 AIA The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “first surface” and the “second surface” (as recited in lines 13 and 15, respectively, of claim 1) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 11-15 and 34-40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tsuchihashi 11,487,329 in view of Koo 2019/0132947 . Regarding claim 11 , Tsuchihashi discloses a display device (Figs 1-9) comprising: a display panel (16, Figs 4, 5) comprising a first non-folding area (‘RA’ and/or area of 24A, Fig 3B) , a second non-folding area (‘RB’ and/or area of 24B, Fig 3B) , and a folding area (‘R1’, Fig 3B) between the first non-folding area and the second non-folding area (see Figs 3A, 3B) , wherein the display device is configured to operate in a first mode in an unfolded state (first mode, as shown in Fig 3C, for example) , and to operate in a second mode in a folded state (second mode, as in Fig 3A, for example) ; and a plate (portion 20 and/or including 22, Fig 5) under the display panel (at underside of 16, Fig 5) and comprising a first surface (top side of 22, Fig 5) and a second surface (lower side of 22, Fig 5) corresponding to the first surface (see Fig 5) , the plate comprising a folding portion (portion spanning 22C-22D, Fig 4) corresponding to the folding area (see Fig 4) , the folding portion (Fig 4) , in a state where the plate is folded to correspond to the second mode of the display panel (see Figs 3A-3B with respect to Fig 4) , comprising: a first curvature area (area spanning P1a to P2a, Fig 6) having a first curvature (22A, Fig 6) with respect to a first axis (axis parallel P1a, Fig 6) defined outside the folding portion (Fig 6) ; a second curvature area (area spanning 22D, Figs 4, 6) further away from the first non-folding area than the first curvature area is (see Fig 6) and having a second curvature (curvature of 22D, see Fig 4 with respect to Fig 6) with respect to a second axis (axis at or near P3, Fig 6) defined inside the folding portion (Fig 6) ; a third curvature area (area spanning P1b to P2b, Fig 6) closer to the second non-folding area (closer to RB, Fig 4) than the second curvature area is (see Fig 4 with respect to Fig 6) and having a third curvature (22B, Fig 6) with respect to a third axis (axis parallel P1b, Fig 6) defined outside the folding portion (Fig 6) ; wherein each of the first curvature area and the third curvature area comprises a first stress control pattern (patterns/grouping 34 forms within P1a to P2a, Fig 7) comprising first grooves in the first surface of the plate (grooves 34 on top side of 22, Fig 7) , and the second curvature area comprises a second stress control pattern (patterns/grouping 34 forms within P1b to P2b, Fig 7) comprising at least one of second grooves or openings in the second surface of the plate (grooves of 34 viewed from lower side of 22, Fig 7) . Tsuchihashi discloses the claimed invention except for expressly teaching a first non-curvature area between the first curvature area and the second curvature area; and a second non-curvature area between the second curvature area and the third curvature area. Koo, however teaches a similar display device with plate portion (Figs 1-15) including a first non-curvature area (113’ on one side, Fig 15b) between a first curvature area (112 on one side, Fig 15) and a second curvature area (111, Fig 15) ; and a second non-curvature area (113’ on other side, Fig 15b) between the second curvature area (111, Fig 15) and a third curvature area (112 on other side, Fig 15) . It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the structure of Tsuchihashi to include a first and second non-curvature area as claimed, and, as taught by Koo, in order to provide a flexible structure laminated with the flexible display to elastically support the display, to be able to withstand absorbing an impact transmitted to the display at a predetermined level, thereby improving reliability. Regarding claim 12 , Tsuchihashi in view Koo discloses the display device of claim 11, Tsuchihashi teaches wherein the second surface of the plate extends consecutively in the first non-folding area, the first curvature area, and the first non-curvature area (see Figs 3B-5), and the second surface of the plate extends consecutively in the second non-folding area, the third curvature area, and the second non-curvature area (see Figs 3B-5). Regarding claim 13 , Tsuchihashi in view Koo discloses the display device of claim 11, Tsuchihashi teaches wherein the third curvature is the same as the first curvature (as depicted in Fig 6). Regarding claim 14 , Tsuchihashi in view Koo discloses the display device of claim 11, Koo teaches wherein a maximum distance along a thickness direction of the plate between the first surface in the first non-curvature area and the first surface in the second non-curvature area (top surface of plate is the inner surface relative to R1, Fig 2; see with respect to Fig 15) is greater than a distance between the first surface in the first non-folding area and the first surface in the second non-folding area in a state where the plate is folded (non-folding areas 120, Fig 2, distance in thickness direction between 120 is less). Regarding claim 15 , Tsuchihashi in view Koo discloses the display device of claim 11, Tsuchihashi teaches wherein the plate comprises an insulating plate (plate portion 22 includes insulative properties and made of mesh material to support display, col 4 line 51). Regarding claim 34 , Tsuchihashi discloses a display device (Figs 1-9) comprising: a display panel (16, Figs 4, 5) comprising a first non-folding area (‘RA’ and/or area of 24A, Fig 3B) , a second non-folding area (‘RB’ and/or area of 24B, Fig 3B) , and a folding area (‘R1’, Fig 3B) between the first non-folding area and the second non-folding area (see Figs 3A, 3B) , wherein the display device is configured to operate in a first mode in an unfolded state (first mode, as shown in Fig 3C, for example) , and to operate in a second mode in a folded state (second mode, as in Fig 3A, for example) ; and a plate (portion 20 and/or including 22, Fig 5) under the display panel (at underside of 16, Fig 5) and comprising a first surface (top side of 22, Fig 5) and a second surface (lower side of 22, Fig 5) corresponding to the first surface (see Fig 5) , the plate comprising a folding portion (portion spanning 22C-22D, Fig 4) corresponding to the folding area (see Fig 4) , the folding portion (Fig 4) , in a state where the plate is folded to correspond to the second mode of the display panel (see Figs 3A-3B with respect to Fig 4) , comprising: a first curvature area (area spanning P1a to P2a, Fig 6) having a first curvature (22A, Fig 6) with respect to a first axis (axis parallel P1a, Fig 6) defined outside the folding portion (Fig 6) , a second curvature area (area spanning 22D, Figs 4, 6) further away from the first non-folding area than the first curvature area is (see Fig 6) and having a second curvature (curvature of 22D, see Fig 4 with respect to Fig 6) with respect to a second axis (axis at or near P3, Fig 6) defined inside the folding portion (Fig 6) , a third curvature area (area spanning P1b to P2b, Fig 6) closer to the second non-folding area (closer to RB, Fig 4) than the second curvature area is (see Fig 4 with respect to Fig 6) and having a third curvature (22B, Fig 6) with respect to a third axis (axis parallel P1b, Fig 6) defined outside the folding portion (Fig 6) , wherein the plate comprises a first stress control pattern (patterns/grouping 34 forms within P1a to P2a, Fig 7) including grooves (grooves 34 on top side of 22, Fig 7) and a second stress control pattern (patterns/grouping 34 forms within P1b to P2b, Fig 7) including through openings in the folding portion corresponding to the folding area (openings of 34 viewed from lower side of 22 in folding area, Fig 7) . Tsuchihashi discloses the claimed invention except for expressly teaching a first non-curvature area between the first curvature area and the second curvature area; and a second non-curvature area between the second curvature area and the third curvature area. Koo, however teaches a similar display device (Figs 1-15) including a first non-curvature area (113’ on one side, Fig 15b) between a first curvature area (112 on one side, Fig 15) and a second curvature area (111, Fig 15) ; and a second non-curvature area (113’ on other side, Fig 15b) between the second curvature area (111, Fig 15) and a third curvature area (112 on other side, Fig 15) . It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the structure of Tsuchihashi to include a first and second non-curvature area as claimed, and, as taught by Koo, in order to provide a flexible structure laminated with the flexible display to elastically support the display, to be able to withstand absorbing an impact transmitted to the display at a predetermined level, thereby improving reliability. Regarding claim 35 , Tsuchihashi in view of Koo disclose the display device of claim 34, Tsuchihashi teaches wherein the second curvature area comprises the second stress control pattern and each of the first curvature area and the third curvature area comprise the first stress control pattern (see Figs 6, 7). Regarding claim 36 , Tsuchihashi in view of Koo disclose the display device of claim 34, Tsuchihashi teaches wherein the first stress control pattern does not overlap the second stress control pattern in a plan view in the unfolded state (see Fig 7). Regarding claim 37 , Tsuchihashi in view of Koo disclose the display device of claim 34, Tsuchihashi teaches the device further comprising a lower protective film (32, note: display may rotate/orient, Fig 5) between the display panel and the plate (Fig 5). Regarding claim 38 , Tsuchihashi in view of Koo disclose the display device of claim 37, Tsuchihashi teaches wherein the lower protective film comprises a material having high light absorption (LCDs such as 32 include light absorption properties). Regarding claim 39 , Tsuchihashi in view of Koo disclose the display device of claim 34, Tsuchihashi teaches the device further comprising a digitizer under the plate (portion 30, display may rotate, Fig 5). Regarding claim 40 , Tsuchihashi in view of Koo disclose the display device of claim 34, Tsuchihashi teaches wherein the plate comprises an insulating plate (plate portion 22 includes insulative properties and made of mesh material to support display, col 4 line 51) . Conclusion 07-96 AIA The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Shyu - US 20170294495 A1, Fig 13. Teaches stress control patterns . Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RASHEN E MORRISON whose telephone number is (571)272-8852. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5. 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, Imani Hayman can be reached at 571-270-5528. 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. /RASHEN E MORRISON/Examiner, Art Unit 2841 Application/Control Number: 18/766,617 Page 2 Art Unit: 2841 Application/Control Number: 18/766,617 Page 3 Art Unit: 2841 Application/Control Number: 18/766,617 Page 4 Art Unit: 2841 Application/Control Number: 18/766,617 Page 5 Art Unit: 2841 Application/Control Number: 18/766,617 Page 6 Art Unit: 2841 Application/Control Number: 18/766,617 Page 7 Art Unit: 2841 Application/Control Number: 18/766,617 Page 8 Art Unit: 2841 Application/Control Number: 18/766,617 Page 9 Art Unit: 2841 Application/Control Number: 18/766,617 Page 10 Art Unit: 2841 Application/Control Number: 18/766,617 Page 11 Art Unit: 2841 Application/Control Number: 18/766,617 Page 12 Art Unit: 2841
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