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
Arguments filed 22 April 2026 have been fully considered, but are moot in view of a new rejection.
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) 1-7, 9-10, and 12-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kang (US 2022.0019261).
Regarding claim 1, Kang disclose:
An electronic device comprising: a first housing; a second housing movably coupled to the first housing, wherein the electronic device is configured to transition between s slide-out state where the second housing is extended from the first housing to increase a display area, and a slide-in state where the second housing is retracted into the first housing to decrease the display area; a flexible display supported by at least one of the first housing or the second housing, and the flexible display comprising a first portion and a second portion extending or retracting relative to the first portion in response to the sliding movement of the second housing relative to the first housing (see Fig. 5a,b; [0095]; first housing 220; second housing 210 moveably coupled to 220 to slide-out extending the display area of display 230 and a slide-in decreasing the display area of display 230; flexible display 230 supported by at least 220 and 210 with portions extending or retracting with slide in/out of housing)
a printed circuit board (PCB) disposed within the second housing and electrically connected to the flexible display; a rear cover disposed on the second housing and configured to support the printed circuit board; a driving motor configured to provide a driving force to slidably move the second housing relative to the first housing; and a battery disposed in the first housing and positioned not to overlap the rear cover along a direction perpendicular to a sliding direction of the second housing (see Fig. 5a,b; [0095]; PCB 250 within second housing 210 and electrically connected to 230; rear cover 213 on second housing 210 to support 250 via 211; driving motor to provide sliding of 210 relative to 220; battery 251 within first housing 220 positioned to not overlap 213 in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of 210)
wherein the rear cover is further configured not to overlap the second portion of the flexible display along the direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the second housing in the slide-in state of the second housing is in a full slide in state in the second direction electronic device (see Fig. 5a,b; [0095]; where 213 is further configured to not overlap the second portion at 240 in the direction perpendicular to the slide direction in the slide-in state of the device).
Regarding claim 2, the rejection of claim 1 is incorporated herein. Kang further disclose:
an expansion space is provided between the rear cover and the second portion of the flexible display, and wherein the battery is configured to occupy at least a portion of overlaps the expansion space along the direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the second housing (see Fig. 5a,b; expansion space B)
Regarding claim 3, the rejection of claim 1 is incorporated herein. Kang further disclose:
the battery, in a slide-in state, is disposed in a position not facing the rear cover and is disposed between the first portion of the flexible display and the second portion of the flexible display (see Fig. 5a)
Regarding claim 4, the rejection of claim 1 is incorporated herein. Kang further disclose:
a first distance corresponding to a distance between the first portion of the flexible display and the rear cover in the direction perpendicular to the sliding direction and the of the second housing is less than a second distance corresponding to a distance between the first portion of the flexible display and one surface of the first housing in the direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the second housing (see Fig. 5a)
Regarding claim 5, the rejection of claim 1 is incorporated herein. Kang further disclose:
the second portion of the flexible display is substantially flat in the sliding direction (see Fig. 5a)
Regarding claim 6, the rejection of claim 1 is incorporated herein. Kang further disclose:
the second portion of the flexible display is disposed to not face the rear cover so that the second portion of the flexible display is further spaced from the first portion of the flexible display by a distance corresponding to a difference between the second distance and the first distance and so that a curvature radius of the bending area is increased (see Fig. 5a,b)
Regarding claim 7, the rejection of claim 1 is incorporated herein. Kang further disclose:
the second portion of the flexible display is disposed between the battery and the first housing (see Fig. 5a)
Regarding claim 9, the rejection of claim 1 is incorporated herein. Kang further disclose:
a cover glass member coupled to the rear cover, wherein the cover glass member is formed so as not to face the flexible display when the electronic device is in the slide-in state(see [0092])
Regarding claim 10, claim 10 is rejected under the same rationale as claim 1, where Kang further disclose:
an expansion space is provided between the rear cover and the second portion of the flexible display, and wherein at least a portion of the driving motor is configured to occupy the expansion space (see Fig. 5a,b; [0095]; expansion space B and 2201 overlap).
Regarding claims 12-13, claims 12-13 are rejected under the same rationale as claims 4 and 6, respectively.
Regarding claim 14, the rejection of claim 10 is incorporated herein. Kang further disclose:
a battery disposed on the first housing and not overlapping the rear cover along the direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the second housing (see Fig. 5a,b)
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 8, 11, and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kang in view of Choi (US 2022.00226954).
Regarding claim 8, the rejection of claim 1 is incorporated herein. Kang disclose:
a support member configured to support the bending area of the flexible display, and a guide rail configured to guide movement of the support member according to sliding of the second housing (see Fig. 5a, b; support member 241, guide rail 242).
However, Kang is not explicit as to, but Choi disclose:
wherein the support member comprises a plurality of bar-shaped support portions segmented from each other, and wherein both ends of the support portions are inserted into the guide rail (see Fig. 9; plurality of bar shaped support members 1041; guide rail 1043/1044 where 1041 is inserted into 1043/1044 at 1042).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the effective filing date of applicant’s invention to combine the known techniques of Choi to that of Kang to predictably provide support to the bendable display during the slide in/out operations ([0133]).
Regarding claim 11, the rejection of claim 10 is incorporated herein. While Kang at [0095] discloses a gear, it is not explicit as to, but Choi disclose:
a rack gear disposed on at least on of the first housing or the second housing and extending in the sliding direction, wherein the driving motor includes a pinion gear engaged with the rack gear (see Fig. 12-14; [0124]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the effective filing date of applicant’s invention to combine the known techniques of Choi to that of Kang to predictably provide support to the bendable display during the slide in/out operations ([0133]).
Regarding claim 15, claim 15 is rejected under the same rationale as claim 8.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 KENNETH BUKOWSKI whose telephone number is (571)270-7913. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday // 0730-1530.
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/kenneth bukowski/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2621
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