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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements submitted on 11/25/2024, 1/9/2025, 4/30/2025, 8/26/2025, 11/20/2025, 11/20/2025, and 7/28/2026 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because the first sentence is not complete. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
In ¶ 144, line 5, “to the electrode 1555 the electrode 1585” should likely read “to the electrode 1555 and the electrode 1585”
In ¶ 162, line 7 recites “the electrode 1986” but appears to be in error and should likely read “the electrode 1985”; 1986 is a substrate’s reference label (per line 3)
In ¶ 167, line 1 recites “addition of the piezoelectric layer 1960 with the electrode 1550 (and substrate 1555)” appears to be in error; the 1900s (FIG. 19) and 1500s (FIG. 15) apparently belong to entirely different embodiments
In ¶ 167, line 4 recites “substrates 1950 and 1986” but appears to be in error and should likely read “substrates 1955 and 1986”; 1950 is an electrode’s reference label (per ¶ 156, line 4)
In ¶ 171, line 5, “to the electrode 1955 the electrode 1985” should likely read “to the electrode 1955 and the electrode 1985”
Appropriate correction is required.
Examiner also notes the lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-13 are objected to because of the following informalities: the last line 21 of claim 1 is missing a line indentation and is misaligned with the rest of the steps recited in the claim. Appropriate correction is required.
Claims not specifically addressed in the objection above inherit the objection of the claim from which they depend.
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.
Claims 2-3, 5, 10, 15-16, 18, 23 are 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 2, lines 1-2 recite
“coupling a polymer film […] to create the microcell precursor material”.
The limitation is unclear as it recites “coupling a polymer film” but fails to establish what the polymer film is being coupled to. Furthermore, line 14 of claim 1 had already recited
“bonding the piezoelectric layer with a microcell precursor material”.
This generates considerable ambiguity. Is the polymer film coupled to some unclaimed object in claim 2, which then produces the microcell precursor material that is to be bonded to the piezoelectric layer in claim 1? Or do the polymer film and recited materials of claim 2 actually correspond to the already recited microcell precursor material of claim 1, and the coupling correspond to the bonding itself? Based on comparisons with claims 11-12 of parent application US 18/171719 (as originally published in US 2023027349 A1), for which the current application is a continuation-in-part, it would appear to be the latter – as will be assumed for examination purposes below. However, claim 2 as currently phrased remains ambiguous and fails to clearly establish this to be the case, as it would be redundantly reintroducing features that were already established, but under new labels.
Regarding claim 5, line 1 recites “the electrophoretic medium layer” which lacks a proper antecedent basis. For examination purposes below, the limitation shall be read as “the electrophoretic medium” which was introduced on line 17 of claim 1.
Regarding claim 10, line 2 introduces “a target object” after “a target object” had already been introduced in line 3 of claim 9. This creates ambiguity as to whether each “target object” refers to a common object or distinct ones. For examination purposes, this limitation shall be read as “the target object”.
Regarding claim 15, lines 1-2 recite
“coupling a polymer film […] to create the microcell precursor material”.
after line 17 of claim 14 had already recited
“bonding the second electrically-conductive adhesive with a microcell precursor material”.
The issues identified in claim 2 above are thus reproduced here in claim 15, with the exception that claim 1’s piezoelectric layer is now replaced with claim 14’s second electrically-conductive adhesive.
Regarding claim 18, line 1 recites “the electrophoretic medium layer” which lacks a proper antecedent basis. For examination purposes below, the limitation shall be read as “the electrophoretic medium” which was introduced on line 21 of claim 14.
Regarding claim 23, line 2 introduces “a target object” after “a target object” had already been introduced in line 3 of claim 22. This creates ambiguity as to whether each “target object” refers to a common object or distinct ones. For examination purposes, this limitation shall be read as “the target object”.
Claims not specifically addressed in the rejection above inherit the indefiniteness of the claim from which they depend.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moran (US 20190016922 A1) in view of Gu et al (US 20190353973 A1, hereinafter “Gu”) and Ting et al (US 20210376223 A1, hereinafter “Ting”).
Regarding claim 1, Moran discloses a method for making an electrophoretic display, the method comprising (see ¶s 48-59 detailing different methods for forming microcell arrays in electrophoretic displays, including both photo-patterning and embossing presented as alternative methods (in ¶s 49-50, 53, 57); see also ¶s 65-68 and FIGs. 6(A-D) regarding “The preferred process of preparing electrophoretic microcells” for which “the microcell array (6) may be prepared by any of the alternative methods described above”):
depositing a first electrically-conductive adhesive (“conductor film”, corresponding to base electrode 62 in FIG. 6(A-D)) on a first substrate (63);
bonding the first electrically-conductive adhesive (base electrode 62) with a microcell precursor material (“curable [polymer,resin]”, “thermoplastic or thermoset precursor layer”, etc.);
embossing the microcell precursor material (“curable [polymer,resin]”, “thermoplastic or thermoset precursor layer”, etc.) to create a layer of microcells (i.e. of microcell array 60), wherein the microcells (i.e. of microcell array 60) have a bottom, walls (61), and a top opening (as shown in FIG. 6A);
(Regarding items A-C, note from the cited text –
¶ 49-50: “When used to construct an electrophoretic display, the substrate upon which the microcells are formed typically includes […] conductor film, such as ITO conductor lines. The conductor film is coated with a radiation curable polymer precursor”, “the microcell array may be prepared by a process including embossing a thermoplastic or thermoset precursor layer coated on a conductor”
¶ 53: “the conductor film needs to have good adhesion to the UV curable resin”
¶ 65: “The unfilled microcell array made by the methods described herein typically comprises a substrate web (63) upon which a base electrode (62) is deposited”)
filling the microcells (i.e. of microcell array 60) with an electrophoretic medium (medium 64 with charged pigment particles 65) through the top opening;
sealing off the top opening of the filled microcells (i.e. of microcell array 60) with a water-soluble polymer (“second polymer”, A.K.A. second mixture or sealing layer 36 in FIGs. 3 and 6(C-D)) to create a sealing layer (36);
(Regarding items D-E, see also ¶s 41-44 and FIGs. 2-3 in addition to those cited prior, and note –
¶s 41-43: “the second polymer mixture comprises a hydrophilic polymer”, “the filled microcell structure is over-coated with a second polymer, such as a hydroxymethylcellulose solution, which creates a robust seal on the microcell structure”
¶ 67: “As shown in FIG. 6C, after filling, the microcells are sealed by applying a second mixture (36)”)
bonding the sealing layer (36) to the second electrically-conductive adhesive (second conductive film 67) (note in ¶ 68: “as shown in FIG. 6D, the sealed array of electrophoretic microcell cells (60) is laminated with a second conductive film (67), preferably by pre-coating the conductor (67) with an adhesive layer”).
Moran does not disclose a method for making a piezo-electrophoretic display, the method comprising:
depositing a piezoelectric material comprising polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) solution on the first electrically-conductive adhesive to produce a piezoelectric layer less than 5 µm in thickness;
applying a mask to the piezoelectric layer, the mask comprising a plurality of masking portions shielding a first plurality of areas of the piezoelectric layer and a plurality of unmasked portions leaving a second plurality of areas of the piezoelectric layer unshielded;
polarizing the piezoelectric layer to create a plurality of polarized portions of piezoelectric material corresponding to the second plurality of areas of the piezoelectric layer and plurality of unpolarized portions of piezoelectric material corresponding to the first plurality of areas of the piezoelectric layer;
removing the mask from the piezoelectric layer;
bonding the piezoelectric layer with a microcell precursor material;
depositing a second electrically-conductive adhesive on a second substrate.
Moran and Gu commonly relate to microcell electrophoretic displays.
Gu, in a first embodiment, discloses (see FIG. 1, ¶ 63-65 detailing an exemplary display; see also FIGs. 9-11(A,B) and ¶s 79-82 describing associated microcell manufacturing steps) a method for making a piezo-electrophoretic display (electro-optic display or piezoelectric display 100/910), the method comprising:
depositing a second electrically-conductive adhesive (electrode 2 108) on a second substrate
(note the following excerpts –
¶ 65: “conductive adhesive material (e.g., copper tape) may be used to cover up […] the rest of the EPD film 104”, “conductive adhesive material may function as an electrode 2 108 and be affixed to a substrate (not shown)”
¶s 80, 82: “the piezo-electric material 902 and the EPD layer 900 may be sandwiched between two layers of conductors or conducting materials”, “a method for producing a display as describe above may include [...] placing the electrophoretic display material [= EPD layer 900] and the piezoelectric material [902] onto a substrate [...] the method may further include providing a conductive electrode onto the substrate”)
Gu, in a second embodiment, also discloses (see FIGs. 12(A,B), ¶s 84-85 presenting another display; see also FIGs. 9-11(A,B) and ¶s 79-82 describing associated microcell manufacturing steps) a method for making a piezo-electrophoretic display (electrophoretic display or piezoelectric display 1200/910), the method comprising:
providing a piezoelectric material comprising polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) on the first electrically-conductive adhesive (electrode 2 1208) to produce a piezoelectric layer (piezo(-)electric material (layer), or piezo film, 1202/902) (see also ¶ 63: “Suitable materials for the subject matter disclosed herein may include polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)”);
bonding the piezoelectric layer (piezo(-)electric material (layer), or piezo film, 1202/902) with a microcell precursor material (EPD film/layer, or display medium layer, 1204/900) (note ¶ 81: “EPD layer 900 may be manufactured by pattern micro-cell structures […] once the patterns have been defined, and after an embossing step […]”. Gu’s EPD film 1204/900 (with piezo film 1202/902) thus corresponds to Applicant’s/ Moran’s precursor film/layer, which is to be patterned/embossed with microcells.)
Moran and Ting commonly relate to thin-film electroactive structures for electronic and display applications.
Ting discloses (see FIG. 1, 10, and ¶ 41 regarding a process module 200 of a plasma poling apparatus for workpiece 202’s PVDF thin film; see also ¶ 57 discussing a related embodiment “similar to that in the embodiments of FIGs. 1-10, but the system uses a different workpiece transport structure”; see finally FIGs. 18-19 and ¶s 100-101 – detailing another related embodiment relied upon here – where “workpiece 202’ is similar to the workpiece 202 shown in FIG. 10, except that the PVDF or PVDF-TrFE co-polymer thin film 202A’ is a patterned layer”):
depositing a piezoelectric material (¶ 100: “PVDF or PVDF-TrFe co-polymer”) comprising polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) solution on the first electrically-conductive adhesive (bottom electrode layer 202(B,D)) to produce a piezoelectric layer ((PVDF) thin film 202A in FIG. 1, corresponding to thin film (layer/areas) 202A’ in FIGs. 18-19) less than 5 µm in thickness (note ¶ 57: “polymer thin film is formed in-situ at the surface of the substrate 151 through spin coating […] This allows the formation of very thin polymer thin films, usually kept under 9 μm” – thus establishing a range of thicknesses including 5 μm);
applying a mask (231) to the piezoelectric layer (thin film 202A’), the mask (231) comprising a plurality of masking portions shielding a first plurality of areas of the piezoelectric layer (thin film 202A’) and a plurality of unmasked portions (openings 231A) leaving a second plurality of areas of the piezoelectric layer (thin film 202A’) unshielded;
polarizing the piezoelectric layer (thin film 202A’) to create a plurality of polarized portions of piezoelectric material corresponding to the second plurality of areas of the piezoelectric layer (thin film 202A’) and plurality of unpolarized portions of piezoelectric material corresponding to the first plurality of areas of the piezoelectric layer (thin film 202A’);
(Regarding items B-C, note ¶ 101: “each mask opening is preferable slightly smaller than the corresponding polymer thin film area [...] During poling process, the electrical charge flux is in contact with the thin film areas 202A' through the mask openings 231A”; such a poling process thus naturally forms both polarized and unpolarized portions of the piezoelectric layer)
removing the mask (231) from the piezoelectric layer (thin film 202A’) (see also ¶ 103: “After the poling process is finished, the workpiece is automatically disengaged from the shadow mask”).
It would have therefore been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Moran and Gu by incorporating suitable piezo materials and associated laminate structures, in order to achieve piezo-electrophoretic drive architecture that eliminates the need for an external power supply and simplifies the assembly (Gu ¶ 62).
It would have further been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to also combine the teachings of Moran and Ting, including masking procedures that block ion flux from hitting undesired areas and enable selectively poling/patterning of the PVDF (Ting ¶ 99).
Regarding claim 2, modified Moran discloses the method of claim 1.
Moran also discloses the further comprising coupling a polymer film comprising acrylates, vinyl ethers, or epoxides to create the microcell precursor material (“curable [polymer,resin]”, “thermoplastic or thermoset precursor layer”, etc.). (¶41: “an embossed set of containers may be constructed from acrylates […] vinylethers, […] epoxides, […] each small container may be part of a network, e.g. a microcell, as shown in FIG. 2”)
Regarding claim 3, modified Moran discloses the method of claim 2.
Gu also discloses (see FIG. 9-11(A,B), ¶s 79-81) further comprising applying a primer to the microcell precursor material (EPD film 900) before bonding the piezoelectric layer (piezoelectric material layer 902) with the microcell precursor material (EPD film 900). (FIG. 11A shows a primer applied to contact portions 1100 where EPD layer 900 meets the piezoelectric material 902.)
Regarding claim 4, modified Moran discloses the method of claim 1.
Moran also discloses the further comprising activating the microcells (i.e. of microcell array 60) with a vapor plasma treatment before filling the microcells with the electrophoretic medium (medium 64 with charged pigment particles 65). (FIG. 3, ¶s 46 and 77 indicate O2 plasma treatment prior to filling)
Regarding claim 5, modified Moran discloses the method of claim 1.
Gu, in the second (FIG. 12) embodiment cited above, further discloses wherein the electrophoretic medium layer (EPD layer 1204) comprises a fluid and charged pigment particles (see also ¶ 51: “In a microcell electrophoretic display, the charge particles and the fluid… are retained within the plurality of cavities [i.e. microcells]”) that move toward or away from the piezoelectric layer (piezoelectric material (layer) 1202) when the piezoelectric layer (piezoelectric material (layer) 1202) is mechanically stressed, wherein the fluid and charged pigment particles are sealed in the microcells with the sealing layer. (Per FIGs. 12B and ¶ 85, charge separation occurs when force is applied to piezoelectric material layer 1202; EPD layer 1204’s positive (negative) charges move towards (away from) the piezo film PZ. See also FIGs. 8 and 14(B-E) depicting such flexing forces).
Moran further and more explicitly discloses that the fluid is a non-polar fluid (see ¶ 73: “The media solvent in which the pigment particles are suspended may be […] hydrocarbons such as isopar […]”; Examiner notes that hydrocarbons such as isopar are generally nonpolar due to hydrogen and carbon having comparable electronegativities)
Regarding claim 6, modified Moran discloses the method of claim 1.
Ting further discloses wherein the piezoelectric layer (thin film 202A’) is polarized with an electric field. (¶ 41: “The electric field is responsible for polarizing (or poling) the electric dipoles existing inside the PVDF thin film”)
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moran in view of Gu and Ting– as applied to claim 6 above – and in further view of Zhong et al (US 20180198055 A1, hereinafter “Zhong”).
Regarding claim 7, modified Moran discloses the method of claim 6.
Modified Moran does not explicitly disclose wherein the electric field is provided by a corona discharge.
Moran and Zhong commonly relate to thin-film electroactive structures for electronic and display applications.
Zhong explicitly discloses wherein the electric field is provided by a corona discharge. (See ¶ 54: “The high-voltage electric field ionizes the surrounding gases to generate a corona discharge including electrons, negative ions, positive ions, and neutral species. […] This causes the charged species (e.g., negative ions) to temporarily reside at a surface of a substrate with a piezoelectric layer to generate a strong electric field to pole the piezoelectric layer.”)
It would have therefore been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to further combine the teachings of Moran and Zhang by implementing corona discharge in the poling approach, in order to promote uniformity in piezo films and scalability during the manufacturing process (Zhong ¶ 37)
Claims 8-9, 11, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moran in view of Gu and Ting – as applied to claim 1 above – and in further view of LeCain et al (US 20040027327 A1, hereinafter “LeCain”).
Regarding claim 8, modified Moran discloses the method of claim 1.
Modified Moran does not disclose wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are release films.
Moran and LeCain commonly relate to microcell electrophoretic displays.
LeCain discloses (see FIGs. 18-20, ¶s 160-165 detailing interrelated embodiment) wherein the first substrate (auxiliary release sheet 704) and the second substrate (release layer 28) are release films.
It would have therefore been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to further combine the teachings of Moran and LeCain by providing a dual-release laminate structure that facilitates subsequent integration with additional display components.
Regarding claim 9, modified Moran discloses the method of claim 8.
LeCain also discloses (see FIGs. 18-20, ¶s 160-165) the further comprising:
peeling the second substrate (release layer 28) from the second electrically-conductive adhesive (adhesive+conductive layers 26+30); and
bonding the second electrically-conductive adhesive (adhesive+conductive layers 26+30) to a target object (backplane 406).
(see also FIGs. 1-2 depicting relevant embodiments detailed in ¶s 112-117; note from ¶ 114: “release layer 28 is peeled from the adhesive layer 26 before the laminate is laminated, by means of the adhesive layer 26, to a backplane”)
Regarding claim 11, modified Moran discloses the method of claim 9.
LeCain also discloses (see FIGs. 18-20, ¶s 160-165) the further comprising:
peeling the first substrate (auxiliary release sheet 704) from the first electrically-conductive adhesive (auxiliary adhesive layer 702 + substrate 12 + conductive layer 14); and
applying a protective coating (protective/barrier film 802) over the remaining layers of the piezo-electrophoretic display and the target object (backplane 406).
Regarding claim 13, modified Moran discloses the method of claim 9.
Gu further discloses wherein the target object comprises one of paper, a bank note, and a currency bill. (¶ 78: “the subject matter disclosed herein may be combined with another apparatus, such as a currency bill illustrated in FIG. 8.”)
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moran in view of Gu, Ting, and LeCain – as applied to claim 9 above – and in further view of Tyler et al (WO 2015066462 A1, hereinafter “Tyler”).
Regarding claim 10, modified Moran discloses the method of claim 9.
Modified Moran does not disclose wherein bonding the second electrically-conductive adhesive to a target object comprises hot stamping the second electrically-conductive adhesive to the target object.
Moran and Tyler commonly relate to the manufacture of laminate structures.
Tyler discloses wherein bonding the second electrically-conductive adhesive (“adhesive over […] electrically conductive material”) to a target object (“substrate”) comprises hot stamping the second electrically-conductive adhesive (“adhesive over […] electrically conductive material”) to the target object (“substrate”). (See ¶ 9; Tyler discloses a “layered structure [that] includes […] an adhesive over at least a portion of the electrically conductive material” and provides “a method of transferring an electrically conductive material to the substrate. The method includes […] applying heat and pressure to the substrate and layered structure […] such that the electrically conductive material adheres to the substrate”).
It would have therefore been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to further combine the teachings of Moran and Tyler, in order to provide a fast, consistent, cost-effective, and/or environmentally friendly method for transferring laminate structures that include/position electrically conductive materials at the transfer interface (Tyler ¶s 6, 38, 41).
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moran in view of Gu, Ting, and LeCain – as applied to claim 11 above – and in further view of Stahl et al (WO 2013004541 A1, hereinafter “Stahl”).
Regarding claim 12, modified Moran discloses the method of claim 11.
Modified Moran does not disclose wherein the protective coating comprises a lacquer.
Moran and Stahl commonly relate to electrophoretic displays.
Stahl discloses (see FIGs. 16-17, ¶s 187-201) wherein the protective coating (protective layer 14) comprises a lacquer (¶ 208: “designed as a protective lacquer layer”).
It would have therefore been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to further combine the teachings of Moran and Stahl by using lacquer to provide a protective coating for underlying display layers.
Claims 14-15, 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moran (US 20190016922 A1) in view of Gu et al (US 20190353973 A1, hereinafter “Gu”), Ting et al (US 20210376223 A1, hereinafter “Ting”), and Bartholomeusz et al (US 20090211690 A1, hereinafter “Bartholomeusz”).
Regarding claim 14, Moran discloses a method for making a electrophoretic display, the method comprising (see ¶s 48-59 detailing different methods for forming microcell arrays in electrophoretic displays, including both photo-patterning and embossing presented as alternative methods (in ¶s 49-50, 53, 57); see also ¶s 65-68 and FIGs. 6(A-D) regarding “The preferred process of preparing electrophoretic microcells” for which “the microcell array (6) may be prepared by any of the alternative methods described above”):
depositing a second electrically-conductive adhesive (“conductor film”, corresponding to base electrode 62 in FIG. 6(A-D)) onto a second substrate (63);
bonding the second electrically-conductive adhesive (base electrode 62) with a microcell precursor material (“curable [polymer,resin]”, “thermoplastic or thermoset precursor layer”, etc.);
embossing the microcell precursor material (“curable [polymer,resin]”, “thermoplastic or thermoset precursor layer”, etc.) to create a layer of microcells (i.e. of microcell array 60), wherein the microcells (i.e. of microcell array 60) have a bottom, walls (61), and a top opening (as shown in FIG. 6A);
(Regarding items A-C, note from the cited text –
¶ 49-50: “When used to construct an electrophoretic display, the substrate upon which the microcells are formed typically includes […] conductor film, such as ITO conductor lines. The conductor film is coated with a radiation curable polymer precursor”, “the microcell array may be prepared by a process including embossing a thermoplastic or thermoset precursor layer coated on a conductor”
¶ 53: “the conductor film needs to have good adhesion to the UV curable resin”
¶ 65: “The unfilled microcell array made by the methods described herein typically comprises a substrate web (63) upon which a base electrode (62) is deposited”)
filling the microcells (i.e. of microcell array 60) with an electrophoretic medium (medium 64 with charged pigment particles 65) through the top opening;
sealing off the top opening of the filled microcells (i.e. of microcell array 60) with a water-soluble polymer (“second polymer”, A.K.A. second mixture or sealing layer 36 in FIGs. 3 and 6(C-D)) to create a sealing layer (36); and
(Regarding items D-E, see also ¶s 41-44 and FIGs. 2-3 in addition to those cited prior, and note –
¶s 41-43: “the second polymer mixture comprises a hydrophilic polymer”, “the filled microcell structure is over-coated with a second polymer, such as a hydroxymethylcellulose solution, which creates a robust seal on the microcell structure”
¶ 67: “As shown in FIG. 6C, after filling, the microcells are sealed by applying a second mixture (36)”)
Moran does not disclose a method for making a piezo-electrophoretic display, the method comprising:
depositing a piezoelectric material comprising polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) solution onto a temporary substrate to produce a piezoelectric layer less than 5 µm in thickness;
bonding the piezoelectric layer with a first electrically-conductive adhesive on a first substrate, wherein the temporary substrate is removed from the piezoelectric layer during the bonding process;
applying a mask to the piezoelectric layer, the mask comprising a plurality of masking portions shielding a first plurality of areas of the piezoelectric layer and a plurality of unmasked portions leaving a second plurality of areas of the piezoelectric layer unshielded;
polarizing the piezoelectric layer to create a plurality of polarized portions of piezoelectric material corresponding to the second plurality of areas of the piezoelectric layer and plurality of unpolarized portions of piezoelectric material corresponding to the first plurality of areas of the piezoelectric layer;
removing the mask from the piezoelectric layer;
bonding the sealing layer with the piezoelectric layer.
Moran and Gu commonly relate to microcell electrophoretic displays.
Gu, in a first embodiment, discloses (see FIG. 1, ¶ 63-65 detailing an exemplary display; see also FIGs. 9-11(A,B) and ¶s 79-82 describing associated microcell manufacturing steps) a method for making a piezo-electrophoretic display (electro-optic display or piezoelectric display 100/910), the method comprising:
providing a piezoelectric material comprising polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) to produce a piezoelectric layer (piezo material/film or piezo(-)electric material (layer) 102/902) (see also ¶ 63: “Suitable materials for the subject matter disclosed herein may include polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)”);
bonding the piezoelectric layer (piezo material/film or piezo(-)electric material (layer) 102/902) with a first electrically-conductive adhesive (electrode 2 108) on a first substrate;
(note the following excerpts –
¶ 65: “conductive adhesive material (e.g., copper tape) may be used to cover up the piezo film 102”, “conductive adhesive material may function as an electrode 2 108 and be affixed to a substrate (not shown)”
¶s 80, 82: “the piezo-electric material 902 and the EPD layer 900 may be sandwiched between two layers of conductors or conducting materials”, “a method for producing a display as describe above may include [...] placing the electrophoretic display material [= EPD layer 900] and the piezoelectric material [902] onto a substrate [...] the method may further include providing a conductive electrode onto the substrate”)
bonding the sealing layer adjacent to the piezoelectric layer (piezo material/film or piezo(-)electric material (layer) 102/902) (see FIGs. 1/9, where Gu’s shows that the piezo films 102/902 only extend partially above/below the EPD films 104/900. Note particularly that FIG. 9 further elaborates/illustrates how such piezoelectric materials are bonded and positioned just adjacent to the EPD films’ microcells (and hence adjacent to their sealing layers)).
Gu, in a second embodiment, also discloses (see FIGs. 12(A,B), ¶s 84-85 presenting another display) the piezoelectric layer (piezoelectric material (layer) 1202) extending across the entire EPD layer 1202, rather than just partially across it. Taken in combination with, and as a simple extension of, Gu’s teachings applied towards the earlier limitation of
bonding the sealing layer adjacent to the piezoelectric layer
addressed in item 74C above, this enables the step of
bonding the sealing layer with the piezoelectric layer
as currently claimed.
Moran and Ting commonly relate to thin-film electroactive structures for electronic and display applications.
Ting discloses (see FIG. 1, 10, and ¶ 41 regarding a process module 200 of a plasma poling apparatus for workpiece 202’s PVDF thin film; see also ¶ 57 discussing a related embodiment “similar to that in the embodiments of FIGs. 1-10, but the system uses a different workpiece transport structure”; see finally FIGs. 18-19 and ¶s 100-101 – detailing another related embodiment relied upon here – where “workpiece 202’ is similar to the workpiece 202 shown in FIG. 10, except that the PVDF or PVDF-TrFE co-polymer thin film 202A’ is a patterned layer”):
depositing a piezoelectric material (¶ 100: “PVDF or PVDF-TrFe co-polymer”) comprising polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) solution to produce a piezoelectric layer ((PVDF) thin film 202A in FIG. 1, corresponding to thin film (layer/areas) 202A’ in FIGs. 18-19) less than 5 µm in thickness (note ¶ 57: “polymer thin film is formed in-situ at the surface of the substrate 151 through spin coating […] This allows the formation of very thin polymer thin films, usually kept under 9 μm” – thus establishing a range of thicknesses including 5 μm);
applying a mask (231) to the piezoelectric layer (thin film 202A’), the mask (231) comprising a plurality of masking portions shielding a first plurality of areas of the piezoelectric layer (thin film 202A’) and a plurality of unmasked portions (openings 231A) leaving a second plurality of areas of the piezoelectric layer (thin film 202A’) unshielded;
polarizing the piezoelectric layer (thin film 202A’) to create a plurality of polarized portions of piezoelectric material corresponding to the second plurality of areas of the piezoelectric layer (thin film 202A’) and plurality of unpolarized portions of piezoelectric material corresponding to the first plurality of areas of the piezoelectric layer (thin film 202A’);
(Regarding items B-C, note ¶ 101: “each mask opening is preferable slightly smaller than the corresponding polymer thin film area [...] During poling process, the electrical charge flux is in contact with the thin film areas 202A' through the mask openings 231A”; such a poling process thus naturally forms both polarized and unpolarized portions of the piezoelectric layer)
removing the mask (231) from the piezoelectric layer (thin film 202A’) (see also ¶ 103: “After the poling process is finished, the workpiece is automatically disengaged from the shadow mask”);
Moran and Bartholomeusz commonly relate to the manufacture of functional layers for laminate structures.
Bartholomeusz discloses (see ¶ 65, FIGs. 12-13):
placing a piezoelectric material comprising polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) onto a temporary substrate (release liner 110) to produce a piezoelectric layer (film 100, which “can be a […] piezoelectric, pyroelectric, a Polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) film, and the like” – ¶ 55)
bonding (i.e. to target substrate 170) the piezoelectric layer (film 100), wherein the temporary substrate (release liner 110) is removed from the piezoelectric layer (film 100) during the bonding process (release liner 110) (see ¶ 61: “microstructure pattern 104 [i.e. carved into film 100] can be peeled from the release liner 110, as shown in FIG. 12. The microstructure pattern 104 can be transferred to a substrate 170”; see also ¶ 57: “The film 100 can also have an adhesive backed release liner 110 to facilitate placement on a substrate surface”)
It would have therefore been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Moran and Gu by incorporating suitable piezo materials and associated laminate structures, in order to achieve piezo-electrophoretic drive architecture that eliminates the need for an external power supply and simplifies the assembly (Gu ¶ 62).
It would have further been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to also combine the teachings of Moran and Ting, including masking procedures that block ion flux from hitting undesired areas and enable selectively poling/patterning of the PVDF (Ting ¶ 99).
It would have also been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to then combine the teachings of Moran and Bartholomeusz by using an intermediate/temporary substrate, in order to facilitate separate handling of the PVDF layer and permit independent/parallel processing steps of different parts of the product.
Regarding claim 15, modified Moran discloses the method of claim 14.
Moran also discloses the further comprising coupling a polymer film comprising acrylates, vinyl ethers, or epoxides to create the microcell precursor material (“curable [polymer,resin]”, “thermoplastic or thermoset precursor layer”, etc.). (¶41: “an embossed set of containers may be constructed from acrylates […] vinylethers, […] epoxides, […] each small container may be part of a network, e.g. a microcell, as shown in FIG. 2”)
Regarding claim 17, modified Moran discloses the method of claim 14.
Moran also discloses the further comprising activating the microcells (i.e. of microcell array 60) with a vapor plasma treatment before filling the microcells with the electrophoretic medium (medium 64 with charged pigment particles 65). (FIG. 3, ¶s 46 and 77 indicate O2 plasma treatment prior to filling)
Regarding claim 18, modified Moran discloses the method of claim 14.
Gu, in the second (FIG. 12) embodiment cited above, further discloses wherein the electrophoretic medium layer (EPD layer 1204) comprises a fluid and charged pigment particles (see also ¶ 51: “In a microcell electrophoretic display, the charge particles and the fluid… are retained within the plurality of cavities [i.e. microcells]”) that move toward or away from the piezoelectric layer (piezoelectric material (layer) 1202) when the piezoelectric layer (piezoelectric material (layer) 1202) is mechanically stressed, wherein the fluid and charged pigment particles are sealed in the microcells with the sealing layer. (Per FIGs. 12B and ¶ 85, charge separation occurs when force is applied to piezoelectric material layer 1202; EPD layer 1204’s positive (negative) charges move towards (away from) the piezo film PZ. See also FIGs. 8 and 14(B-E) depicting such flexing forces).
Moran further and more explicitly discloses that the fluid is a non-polar fluid (see ¶ 73: “The media solvent in which the pigment particles are suspended may be […] hydrocarbons such as isopar […]”; Examiner notes that hydrocarbons such as isopar are generally nonpolar due to hydrogen and carbon having comparable electronegativities)
Regarding claim 19, modified Moran discloses the method of claim 14.
Ting further discloses wherein the piezoelectric layer (thin film 202A’) is polarized with an electric field. (¶ 41: “The electric field is responsible for polarizing (or poling) the electric dipoles existing inside the PVDF thin film”)
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moran in view of Gu, Ting, and Bartholomeusz – as applied to claim 15 above – and in further view of Liu (US 20160109780 A1).
Regarding claim 16, modified Moran discloses the method of claim 15.
Modified Moran does not directly disclose the further comprising applying a primer to the microcell precursor material before bonding the second electrically-conductive adhesive with the microcell precursor material.
Moran and Liu commonly relate to microcell electrophoretic displays.
Liu discloses (see FIG. 1, ¶ 12) the further comprising applying a primer to the microcell precursor material (i.e. corresponding to microcells 13) before bonding the second electrically-conductive adhesive (transparent electrode layer 12) with the microcell precursor material (i.e. corresponding to microcells 13). (¶ 12: “It is also possible to have a primer layer (not shown) between the microcells (13) and the transparent electrode layer (12)”; any microcell precursor will have therefore had primer applied prior to bonding with the electrode that corresponds to Moran’s or the claimed second electrically-conductive adhesive)
It would have therefore been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to further combine the teachings of Moran and Liu by including a primer layer that promotes adhesion and/or provides protection.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moran in view of Gu, Ting, and Bartholomeusz – as applied to claim 14 above – and in further view of Zhong et al (US 20180198055 A1, hereinafter “Zhong”).
Regarding claim 20, modified Moran discloses the method of claim 19.
Modified Moran does not explicitly disclose wherein the electric field is provided by a corona discharge.
Moran and Zhong commonly relate to thin-film electroactive structures for electronic and display applications.
Zhong explicitly discloses wherein the electric field is provided by a corona discharge. (See ¶ 54: “The high-voltage electric field ionizes the surrounding gases to generate a corona discharge including electrons, negative ions, positive ions, and neutral species. […] This causes the charged species (e.g., negative ions) to temporarily reside at a surface of a substrate with a piezoelectric layer to generate a strong electric field to pole the piezoelectric layer.”)
It would have therefore been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to further combine the teachings of Moran and Zhang by implementing corona discharge in the poling approach, in order to promote uniformity in piezo films and scalability during the manufacturing process (Zhong ¶ 37)
Claims 21-22, 24, and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moran in view of Gu, Ting, and, Bartholomeusz – as applied to claim 14 above – and in further view of LeCain et al (US 20040027327 A1, hereinafter “LeCain”).
Regarding claim 21, modified Moran discloses the method of claim 14.
Modified Moran does not disclose wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are release films.
Moran and LeCain commonly relate to microcell electrophoretic displays.
LeCain discloses (see FIGs. 18-20, ¶s 160-165 detailing interrelated embodiment) wherein the first substrate (auxiliary release sheet 704) and the second substrate (release layer 28) are release films.
It would have therefore been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to further combine the teachings of Moran and LeCain by providing a dual-release laminate structure that facilitates subsequent integration with additional display components.
Regarding claim 22, modified Moran discloses the method of claim 21.
LeCain also discloses (see FIGs. 18-20, ¶s 160-165) the further comprising:
peeling the second substrate (release layer 28) from the second electrically-conductive adhesive (adhesive+conductive layers 26+30); and
bonding the second electrically-conductive adhesive (adhesive+conductive layers 26+30) to a target object (backplane 406).
(see also FIGs. 1-2 depicting relevant embodiments detailed in ¶s 112-117; note from ¶ 114: “release layer 28 is peeled from the adhesive layer 26 before the laminate is laminated, by means of the adhesive layer 26, to a backplane”)
Regarding claim 24, modified Moran discloses the method of claim 22.
LeCain also discloses (see FIGs. 18-20, ¶s 160-165) the further comprising:
peeling the first substrate (auxiliary release sheet 704) from the first electrically-conductive adhesive (auxiliary adhesive layer 702 + substrate 12 + conductive layer 14); and
applying a protective coating (protective/barrier film 802) over the remaining layers of the piezo-electrophoretic display and the target object (backplane 406).
Regarding claim 26, modified Moran discloses the method of claim 22.
Gu further discloses wherein the target object comprises one of paper, a bank note, and a currency bill. (¶ 78: “the subject matter disclosed herein may be combined with another apparatus, such as a currency bill illustrated in FIG. 8.”)
Claim 23 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moran in view of Gu, Ting, Bartholomeusz, and LeCain – as applied to claim 22 above – and in further view of Tyler et al (WO 2015066462 A1, hereinafter “Tyler”).
Regarding claim 23, modified Moran discloses the method of claim 22.
Modified Moran does not disclose wherein bonding the second electrically-conductive adhesive to a target object comprises hot stamping the second electrically-conductive adhesive to the target object.
Moran and Tyler commonly relate to the manufacture of laminate structures.
Tyler discloses wherein bonding the second electrically-conductive adhesive (“adhesive over […] electrically conductive material”) to a target object (“substrate”) comprises hot stamping the second electrically-conductive adhesive (“adhesive over […] electrically conductive material”) to the target object (“substrate”). (See ¶ 9; Tyler discloses a “layered structure [that] includes […] an adhesive over at least a portion of the electrically conductive material” and provides “a method of transferring an electrically conductive material to the substrate. The method includes […] applying heat and pressure to the substrate and layered structure […] such that the electrically conductive material adheres to the substrate”).
It would have therefore been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to further combine the teachings of Moran and Tyler, in order to provide a fast, consistent, cost-effective, and/or environmentally friendly method for transferring laminate structures that include/position electrically conductive materials at the transfer interface (Tyler ¶s 6, 38, 41).
Claim 25 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moran in view of Gu, Ting, Bartholomeusz, and LeCain – as applied to claim 24 above – and in further view of Stahl et al (WO 2013004541 A1, hereinafter “Stahl”).
Regarding claim 25, modified Moran discloses the method of claim 24.
Modified Moran does not disclose wherein the protective coating comprises a lacquer.
Moran and Stahl commonly relate to electrophoretic displays.
Stahl discloses (see ¶s 205-)wherein the protective coating (protective layer 14) comprises a lacquer (¶ 208: “designed as a protective lacquer layer”).
It would have therefore been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to further combine the teachings of Moran and Stahl by using lacquer to provide a protective coating for underlying display layers.
Conclusion
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/W.D.H./Examiner, Art Unit 2872
/BRANDI N THOMAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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