DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claims 1-4 and 14-16 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Woo et al. (Woo, US 2021/0176872 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Woo shows a display device comprising: a display panel (panel 137 in FIG. 2) including at least one sensor hole (sensor hole 31/S1 see FIG. 1C with respect to FIG. 2); a backplate layer (support 135 in FIG. 2) disposed under the display panel (panel 137); and a first reinforcement member (bracket 420) surrounding the at least one sensor hole (sensor hole 31/S1), wherein the at least one sensor hole passes through the display panel (panel 137) and the backplate layer (support 135), and wherein the first reinforcement member is disposed coplanar (see FIG. 2)with the backplate layer (support 135).
Regarding claim 2, Woo shows a display device comprising: a display panel (panel 137 in FIG. 2), wherein the backplate layer (support 135) includes an open portion (portion of 420) surrounding the at least one sensor hole (sensor hole 31/S1), and the first reinforcement member is disposed in the open portion (see FIG. 2).
Regarding claim 3, Woo shows a display device comprising: a display panel (panel 137 in FIG. 2), wherein at least one sensor hole includes a first sensor hole (S1 as shown in FGI. 1D) and a second sensor hole (S2).
Regarding claim 4, Woo shows a display device comprising: a display panel (panel 137 in FIG. 2), wherein the first reinforcement member forms (bracket 420) a closed loop and fully surrounds the first sensor hole (S1) and the second sensor hole (S2).
Regarding claim 14, Woo shows a display device comprising: a display panel including a sensor hole (S1/S2 in FIG. 2 with respect to FGI. 1D), and a non-display (see FIG. 1D) area surrounding the sensor hole (S1/S2); and a first reinforcement member (element 420) surrounding the sensor hole (S1/S2) and located on a different layer from the display panel (panel 137), wherein the first reinforcement member overlaps the non-display area (see FIG. 2).
Regarding claim 15, Woo shows a display device comprising, wherein the non-display area includes an inner separation area between the display area and the sensor hole (S1/S2), a dam area (137_1) between the inner separation area and the sensor hole, and an outer separation area between the dam area and the sensor hole (see FIG. 2).
Regarding claim 16, Woo shows a display device comprising, wherein the first reinforcement member (element 420) overlaps the outer separation area (see FIG. 2).
Regarding claim 18, Woo shows a display device comprising, wherein a backplate layer (plate 135) disposed under the display panel (panel 137), wherein the sensor hole passes through the display panel and the backplate layer (see FIG. 2).
Regarding claim 19, Woo shows a display device comprising, wherein the first reinforcement member (element 420) is disposed coplanarly with the backplate layer (plate 135).
Regarding claim 20, Woo shows a display device comprising, wherein a cover layer (panel 131) disposed on the display panel (panel 137), wherein the cover layer overlaps the sensor hole (hole S1/S2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-13 and 17 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ELIAS M ULLAH whose telephone number is (571)272-1415. The examiner can normally be reached M-F at 8AM-5PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Yara Green can be reached at 571-270-3035. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ELIAS ULLAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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