DETAILED ACTION
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 IDS filed on 01/27/2025; and 04/15/2026 have been considered and made of record.
Oath/Declaration
The oath/declaration filed on 08/01/2024 is acceptable.
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.
Claims 1, 17-18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by SEO et al. [US 2016/0357222].
Regarding claim 1, SEO et al. disclose a display apparatus (figures 1-24), comprising:
a body support assembly (a segment 360, figures 16-18);
two rotatable support assemblies (a plurality of left assemblies and a plurality of right assemblies connected on both sides of the center segment 360, figures 16-18) disposed on two sides of the body support assembly in a first direction (L direction, figure 6), wherein each of the two rotatable support assemblies comprises a first support portion (a connection between the body support assembly 360 and the right rotatable support assembly is similar a connection between a flat segment 310-1 and two segments 310-2 and 310-3, figure 4. Therefore, a first support portion is 310-2, figure 4) and a second support portion (310-3, figure 4), wherein the first support portion is disposed between the body support assembly (360, figures 4 and 16-18) and the second support portion (310-3, figures 4 and 16-18) in the first direction, and the first support portion is rotatably connected to the second support portion (figures 4 and 17) and the body support assembly (figures 4 and 17); and
a flexible display panel (2, figures 1-2, 4, 6, 12 and 14-18), wherein a rear surface of the flexible display panel is connected to the body support assembly and the rotatable support assemblies (figures 1-2, 4, 6, 12 and 14-18), wherein in a process of the display apparatus switching between an unfolded state (figures 1, 6, 12, 15-16 and 18) and a folded state (figures 3, 13 and 17), an angle of the first support portion rotating relative to the body support assembly and an angle of the second support portion rotating relative to the first support portion are both acute angles (figures 5, 9 and 17).
Regarding claim 17, SEO et al., disclose a housing (100 & 200, figures 6-8), wherein the housing comprises a first rigid housing (a center top portion which is covered a bottom segment 360, figures 16-18) connected to the body support assembly, a flexible housing connected to the first support portion (100-4 & 200-4, figure 8), and a second rigid housing (100-3 & 200-3, figure 8) connected to the second support portion, wherein the flexible housing is disposed between the first rigid housing and the second rigid housing, and the flexible housing is connected to the first rigid housing and the second rigid housing (figures 6, 8 and 16-18).
Regarding claim 18, SEO et al., disclose wherein the housing comprises a cladding member (a bottom surface of a base 200-1 to 200-n, figures 6-7), a middle bezel (a plurality of extended portions 201 therefrom the base member 200, figures 6-7), and a bottom plate (100, figures 6-7) disposed in a direction perpendicular to a display surface of the flexible display panel, wherein the middle bezel is connected to the body support assembly and the two rotatable support assemblies, the bottom plate is connected to a side, facing away from the flexible display panel, of the middle bezel, the cladding member is disposed on a side, facing away from the middle bezel, of the flexible display panel, and the cladding member covers a non-display region of the flexible display panel (figures 7).
Regarding claim 20, SEO et al. disclose a wearable device (figures 1-24), comprising:
a display apparatus (2, figures 1-4, 6 and 16-24) and a watchband detachably connected to the display apparatus, wherein the display apparatus comprises:
a body support assembly ((a segment 360, figures 16-18);
two rotatable support assemblies (a plurality of left assemblies and a plurality of right assemblies connected on both sides of the center segment 360, figures 16-18) disposed on two sides of the body support assembly in a first direction (L direction, figure 6), wherein each of the two rotatable support assemblies comprises a first support portion (a connection between the body support assembly 360 and the right rotatable support assembly is similar a connection between a flat segment 310-1 and two segments 310-2 and 310-3, figure 4. Therefore, a first support portion is 310-2, figure 4) and a second support portion (310-3, figure 4), wherein the first support portion is disposed between the body support assembly (360, figures 4 and 16-18) and the second support portion (310-3, figures 4 and 16-18) in the first direction, and the first support portion is rotatably connected to the second support portion (figures 4 and 17) and the body support assembly (figures 4 and 17); and
a flexible display panel (2, figures 1-2, 4, 6, 12 and 14-18), wherein a rear surface of the flexible display panel is connected to the body support assembly and the rotatable support assemblies (figures 1-2, 4, 6, 12 and 14-18), wherein in a process of the display apparatus switching between an unfolded state (figures 1, 6, 12, 15-16 and 18) and a folded state (figures 3, 13 and 17), an angle of the first support portion rotating relative to the body support assembly and an angle of the second support portion rotating relative to the first support portion are both acute angles (figures 5, 9 and 17).
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.
Claims 2-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SEO et al., in view of Zhang et al. [CN 111365359].
Regarding claim 2, SEO et al., disclose the claimed invention except for wherein a first slide member and a second slide member are arranged on the first support portion at two opposite sides of the first direction, a third slide member rotatably connected to the first slide member is arranged on a side, facing towards the first support portion, of the body support assembly, and a fourth slide member rotatably connected to the second slide member is arranged on a side, facing towards the first support portion, of the second support portion.
Zhang et al., disclose a hinge assembly (10, figures 1-18) comprising at least three segments connecting together (figure 7), a first slide member (1022, figure 7) and a second slide member (1021, figure 7) are arranged on a center segment (101, figure 7) at two opposite sides of a first direction (a horizontal direction, figure 7), a third slide member (20, figure 7) rotatably connected to the first slide member (1022, figure 7) is arranged on a side, facing towards the center segment (101, figure 7), and a fourth slide member (a left segment should provide a guide rail to co-operate with the second slide member 1021, figure 7) rotatably connected to the second slide member is arranged on a side of the center segment (figure 7).
It would have been to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to use a hinge structure design of Zhang et al., for a hinge structure of an electronic device of SEO et al., in order to improve the stretching and/or bending rotation of a display device.
Regarding claim 3, SEO et al., disclose the claimed invention except for wherein one of the first slide member and the third slide member is a first arc-shaped slide plate, and the other of the first slide member and the third slide member is a first arc-shaped chute; and one of the second slide member and the fourth slide member is a second arc-shaped slide plate, and the other of the second slide member and the fourth slide member is a second arc-shaped chute, wherein at least a part of the first arc-shaped slide plate is disposed in the first arc-shaped chute, and at least a part of the second arc-shaped slide plate is disposed in the second arc-shaped chute.
Zhang et al., further disclose one of the first slide member and the third slide member is a first arc-shaped slide plate (1022, figure 7), and the other of the first slide member and the third slide member is a first arc-shaped chute (20, figure 7); and one of the second slide member and the fourth slide member is a second arc-shaped slide plate, and the other of the second slide member and the fourth slide member is a second arc-shaped chute (figure 7), wherein at least a part of the first arc-shaped slide plate is disposed in the first arc-shaped chute, and at least a part of the second arc-shaped slide plate is disposed in the second arc-shaped chute (figure 7).
It would have been to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to design a slide member having an arc-shaped plate coupling to an arc-shaped chute in a display device of SEO et al., as suggested by Zhang et al., in order to improve a foldable display hinge mechanism.
Regarding claim 4, SEO et al., disclose the claimed invention except for wherein a chute opening allowing a corresponding arc-shaped slide plate to slide into and a limit blind end opposite to the chute opening are arranged in each of the first arc-shaped chute and the second arc-shaped chute, wherein in a case that the display apparatus is in the folded state, an end portion of the first arc-shaped slide plate is abutted against a limit blind end of the first arc-shaped chute, and/or an end portion of the second arc-shaped slide plate is abutted against a limit blind end of the second arc-shaped chute.
Zhang et al., further disclose wherein a chute opening (20/202, figures 7-8) allowing a corresponding arc-shaped slide plate (1021, figures 7-8) to slide into and a limit blind end (202, figure 8) opposite to the chute opening are arranged in each of the first arc-shaped chute and the second arc-shaped chute, wherein in a case that the display apparatus is in the folded state, an end portion of the first arc-shaped slide plate is abutted against a limit blind end of the first arc-shaped chute, and/or an end portion of the second arc-shaped slide plate is abutted against a limit blind end of the second arc-shaped chute (figures 2-5 and 8).
It would have been to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to use a chute opening including a limit blind end therein in the display device of SEO et al., as suggested by Zhang et al., in order to control or stop a rotation of a foldable display hinge mechanism.
Regarding claim 5, SEO et al., disclose the claimed invention except for wherein a first rotation limit member and a second rotation limit member are arranged on the first support portion at two opposite sides of the first direction, a third rotation limit member matched with the first rotation limit member is arranged on a side, facing towards the first support portion, of the body support assembly, and a fourth rotation limit member matched with the second rotation limit member is arranged on a side, facing towards the first support portion, of the second support portion, wherein in a case that the display apparatus is in the unfolded state, the first rotation limit member is abutted against the third rotation limit member, and/or the second rotation limit member is abutted against the fourth rotation limit member.
Zhang et al., further disclose wherein a first rotation limit member (an upper portion of the extended portion of the center segment, figure 7) and a second rotation limit member (another upper portion of the extended portion of the center segment, figure 7) are arranged on the center segment at two opposite sides of the first direction, a third rotation limit member (a lower portion of a groove 20, figures 7-8) matched with the first rotation limit member is arranged on a side, facing towards the center segment portion, and a fourth rotation limit member (another lower portion of an opposite groove 20, figures 7-8) matched with the second rotation limit member is arranged on a side, facing towards the first support portion, of the second support portion, wherein in a case that the display apparatus is in the unfolded state, the first rotation limit member is abutted against the third rotation limit member, and/or the second rotation limit member is abutted against the fourth rotation limit member.
It would have been to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to use a coupling hinge mechanism design of Zhang et al., in a display device of SEO et al., in order to control a rotation of a foldable display hinge mechanism.
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SEO et al., in view of Kong et al. [KR 20230092671].
Regarding claim 16, SEO et al., disclose the claimed invention except for wherein the flexible display panel comprises a driver backplane, a planarization layer disposed on a side of the driver backplane, and a plurality of light-emitting devices disposed on a side, facing away from the driver backplane, of the planarization layer, wherein the plurality of light-emitting devices are all electrically connected to the driver backplane, wherein a rotation axis of the first support portion under a condition of rotating relative to the body support assembly is disposed in a surface, facing away from the driver backplane, of the planarization layer, and a rotation axis of the second support portion under a condition of rotating relative to the first support portion is disposed in the surface, facing away from the driver backplane, of the planarization layer.
Kong et al., disclose a display device (10, figures 1-14) comprising a display panel (100, figures 1-2) comprises a driver backplane (200, figures 1-2), a planarization layer (figure 1) disposed on a side of the driver backplane, and a plurality of light-emitting devices (105, figure 1) disposed on a side, facing away from the driver backplane, of the planarization layer, wherein the plurality of light-emitting devices are all electrically connected to the driver backplane. (figures 1-2).
It would have been to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to use add driver backplane and array of light-emitting devices in a flexible display panel of SEO et al., as suggested by Kong et al., in order to create displaying images on a foldable display device.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-15 and 19 are 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The claim 6 discloses the combination features of “wherein in a case that the first slide member is the first arc-shaped slide plate and the third slide member is the first arc-shaped chute, the first rotation limit member comprises a first limit protrusion fixedly connected to an end portion of the first arc-shaped slide plate, and the third rotation limit member comprises a second limit protrusion fixed to an inner wall of the first arc-shaped chute; and/or, in a case that the second slide member is the second arc-shaped slide plate and the fourth slide member is the second arc-shaped chute, the second rotation limit member comprises a third limit protrusion fixedly connected to an end portion of the second arc-shaped slide plate, and the fourth rotation limit member comprises a fourth limit protrusion fixed to an inner wall of the second arc-shaped chute.” These features, in conjunction with other features, as claimed in the combination features of the claims 5, 3, 2 and 1, were neither found to be disclosed, nor suggested by the prior art of records.
The claim 7 discloses the combination features of “wherein one of the first rotation limit member and the third rotation limit member is a first limit column, the other of the first rotation limit member and the third rotation limit member is a third arc-shaped chute, and at least a part of the first limit column is disposed in the third arc-shaped chute; and/or, one of the second rotation limit member and the fourth rotation limit member is a second limit column, the other of the second rotation limit member and the fourth rotation limit member is a fourth arc-shaped chute, and at least a part of the second limit column is disposed in the fourth arc-shaped chute, wherein in a case that the display apparatus is in the unfolded state, the first limit column is abutted against a first end of the third arc-shaped chute, and/or the second limit column is abutted against a first end of the fourth arc-shaped chute; and in a case that the display apparatus is in the folded state, the first limit column is abutted against a second end of the third arc-shaped chute, and/or the second limit column is abutted against a second end of the fourth arc-shaped chute.” These features, in conjunction with other features, as claimed in the combination features of the claims 5, 3, 2 and 1, were neither found to be disclosed, nor suggested by the prior art of records. Claims 8-15 depend on the allowed claim 7.
The claim 19 discloses the combination features of “wherein an opening hole is arranged in a side, facing away from the flexible display panel, of the bottom late, and the display apparatus further comprises a physical sign detection module disposed in the housing, wherein at least a part of the physical sign detection module is exposed through the opening hole.” These features, in conjunction with other features, as claimed in the combination features of the claims 18, 17 and 1, were neither found to be disclosed, nor suggested by the prior art of records.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Lim et al. [US 2016/0077548] disclose mobile terminal; and
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Hung S. Bui whose telephone number is (571)272-2102. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 8am-5pm.
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/HUNG S. BUI/Primary Examiner, 2841/2800
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