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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s remark, see pages 5-6, filed 4/29/2026, with respect to claims 1-12 have been considered but are moot, because the new ground of rejection incorporates a new interpretation of the claims that rely on different combination of prior art that expands/clarifies certain limitations and now includes Cho, and is considered to teach the newly amended language specifically challenged. Note, newly presented amendment to independent claim 1 is not sufficient in overcoming Buehl in view of Cho in its current form. Claims 7-8 and 11 were canceled. Please see revised rejection of the claims below.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6, 9-10 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Buehl 7,806,490 in view of Cho 2022/0042642.
Regarding claim 1, Buehl discloses a display device (such as monitor, see Field of invention), comprising: a display module (10, Figs 1-4) outputting an image (including module -television/computer inherently outputs image, see Background of invention); a cover bottom (15, Fig 1) covering a rear surface of the display module (rear surface of monitor/module once placed at 15, Fig 1; also see col 6 lines 20-24); a moving bracket (12, Fig 1) positioned on the rear surface of the cover bottom (long vertical portion attached behind 15 - not labeled - Fig 1) and having a variable size of an area exposed under the display module (see Fig 1 with respect to Fig 2 exposed portion); an antenna mounted on the moving bracket (col 6 lines 61-67; Fig 3); a driving unit (16, Fig 5) driving the moving bracket in a vertical direction (see Figs 1-7), the driving unit comprising: a motor (14, Fig 4) providing a rotational force (via 115 or 117, Figs 5, 6); and a rack gear (117, Fig 7) moving in the vertical direction by receiving the rotational force of the motor (see Fig 6) and fastened to the moving bracket (Fig 6), an IR sensor sensing (col 6 lines 65-67) a remote control signal (col 7 line 1) for turning on/off the display module (col 7 lines 1-10); and a controller (106, Fig 2) configured to drive the motor to move downward the moving bracket from an upper position to a lower position ( col 7 line 1; col 8 lines 65-67) when the display module is turned on (col 7 lines 1-9), wherein the IR sensor is disposed at a lower end portion of the moving bracket (note, IR sensor is disposed as part of 104 at lower end of bracket, Figs 1, 2); and, wherein the antenna is located back of the display module when the moving bracket is in the upper position (note antenna disposed on back of module just below 15 at 104, Fig 2), and is located below the display module when the moving bracket is in the lower position (see Figs 1, 2).
Buehl discloses the claimed invention except for expressly teaching the movement of the moving bracket downward in the lower position from an upper position is a movement relative to the display module; the IR sensor to be exposed in a front direction in the upper and lower position.
Cho, however, teaches a movement (along A1 direction, Fig 5) of a moving bracket (70 and/or including 100, Fig 5) downward in the lower position from an upper position (along A1) is a movement relative to a display module (10, Figs 5, 6); an IR sensor (232 and/or 242, Fig 26) to be exposed in a front direction (front direction as shown in Fig 26) in an upper and lower position (see Fig 26).
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 moving bracket of Buehl to move relative to the display module, as taught by Cho, in order to provide a linearly movable assembly that moves under operation of the motor as such to facilitate, selectively, different viewing modes, thereby improving functionality; while exposing the IR sensor in a front direction so that the sensor can operate in a non-contact manner to measure movement of the moving bracket more precisely, thereby improving accuracy of detection capability.
Regarding claim 2, Buehl in view of Cho disclose the display device of claim 1, Buehl teaches wherein an axis of the motor is vertically disposed (along 17, Fig 2) and wherein the driving unit comprises a first gear (120, Fig 5) coupled to a rotational shaft of the motor (shaft off 14, Fig 5); a second gear (121, Fig 5) rotating by engaging with the first gear (Fig 5) and having a horizontal direction as an axis (Figs 5, 6); and a third gear (122, Fig 5) rotating about the horizontal direction based on rotation of the second gear and rotating by engaging with the rack gear (see Figs 5-7).
Regarding claim 3, Buehl in view of Cho disclose the display device of claim 2, Buehl teaches wherein the first gear is a worm shaft and wherein the second gear is a worm gear (see
Figs 5, 6).
Regarding claim 4, Buehl in view of Cho disclose the display device of claim 2, Buehl teaches the device comprising a shaft member (col 7 line 55) having the second gear positioned at one end portion thereof and the third gear positioned at an other side thereof (Figs 5-7), wherein a first stepped portion is formed at both sides of the third gear (at top/bottom 117, Fig 5) and wherein the rack gear comprises a second stepped portion having a shape related to a stepped portion of the third gear (see Figs 4-7).
Regarding claim 5, Buehl in view of Cho disclose the display device of claim 2, Buehl teaches wherein the rack gear comprises a pair of gear parts spaced apart from each other in the horizontal direction (see Figs 5, 6) and wherein a pair of the third gears are provided to correspond to positions of the gear parts, respectively (Figs 5-7).
Regarding claim 6, Buehl in view of Cho disclose display device of claim 1, Buehl teaches wherein the rack gear is coupled to a center of the moving bracket (as depicted in Fig 5) and wherein the display device further comprises vertical guides (at sides of 81, Fig 6) positioned at both sides of the moving bracket, respectively (Figs 5-7).
Regarding claim 9, Buehl in view of Cho disclose the display device of claim 1, Buehl teaches wherein the moving bracket moves between a first position and a second position (as in Figs 1, 2), wherein the moving bracket further comprises a position sensor generating a braking signal by detecting whether at least one of the first position or the second position is reached (during motion from stored position at 19 to the raised position at 24, col 4 lines 40-45), and wherein the controller stops driving the motor in response to the braking signal of the position sensor (col 7 lines 13-20).
Regarding claim 10, Buehl in view of Cho disclose the display device of claim 1, except wherein a diameter of the motor is equal to or smaller than 10 mm.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to include a diameter of equal to or smaller than 10mm, in order to have a desired structural rigidness for the motor to handle the required lift weight of the display module, thereby optimizing reliability; and since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art.
Regarding claim 12, Buehl in view of Cho disclose the display device of claim 1, Buehl teaches the device further comprising a printed circuit board located on the back of the cover bottom (located within receiver circuit for example, col 6 lines 65-67); and a cable (110, Fig 2) connecting the printed circuit board to the IR sensor, and the antenna (Figs 1-2).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Carr - US 20120194750 A1, Figs 1-3. Teaches similar display device moving vertically.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 RASHEN E MORRISON whose telephone number is (571)272-8852. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5.
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/RASHEN E MORRISON/Examiner, Art Unit 2841 /IMANI N HAYMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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