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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
1. 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.
2. Claim(s) 1 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Han et al. (CN 114242761 A, hereinafter "Han") in view of Hsiang et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2020/0174595 A1, hereinafter "Hsiang"), and further in view of Cui et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2024/0214744 A1, hereinafter "Cui").
Regarding Claim 1, Han teaches a touch sound production display unit (touch sound production display unit, Figs. 1-3, Para. [0040]),
comprising a first substrate (substrate 1, Figs. 1-3, Para [0040]), a functional area (functional layer 2, Figs. 1-3, Para. [0040]), and the functional area comprises a touch area (touch area 21, Figs. 1-3, Para. [0040]) and a sound production area (sound-emitting area 22, Figs. 1-3, Para. [0040]), and are spaced apart from each other in a horizontal direction (touch area 21 and sound-emitting area 22 are spaced apart in a horizontal direction, Figs. 1-3).
Han fails to explicitly teach a second substrate sequentially laminated from top to bottom,
the touch area and the sound production area are located between the first substrate and the second substrate, the first substrate and the second substrate are shared by the touch area and the sound production area, and the sound production area is an electrostatic ultrasonic transducer.
However, Hsiang teaches a second substrate sequentially laminated from top to bottom (first substrate 140 and second substrate 142, Fig. 1B, Para. [0024]), the touch area and the sound production area are located between the first substrate and the second substrate (touch area 120 and ultrasonic reception device 130 are located between the first and second substrate, Fig. 1B, Para. [0024]),
the first substrate and the second substrate are shared by the touch area and the sound production area (first and second substrate 140, 142 are shared by touch area 120 and ultrasonic reception device 130).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the touch sound production display unit (as taught by Han) to include the second substrate shared by the touch area and the sound production area located between the first and second substrate (as taught by Hsiang). Doing so, the device can be controlled to realize touch without affecting the display device and reduces installation cost (Hsiang, Para. [0009]).
However, Cui teaches the sound production area is an electrostatic ultrasonic transducer (the sound generating unit group 100 in the sound generating panel 10 further includes at least one ultrasonic detection unit 1014 configured to transmit and receive sound waves having a frequency of above 20000 Hz, Figs. 7-9, Para. [0083]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the touch sound production display unit (as taught by Han in view of Hsiang) to include the electrostatic ultrasonic transducer (as taught by Cui). Doing so, improves user's experience and provides an immersive tone quality effect (Cui, Para. [0004]).
Regarding Claim 10, it is similarly rejected as Claim 1.
3. Claim(s) 2, 3, 11, and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Han et al. (CN 114242761 A, hereinafter "Han") in view of Hsiang et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2020/0174595 A1, hereinafter "Hsiang") in view of Cui et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2024/0214744 A1, hereinafter "Cui"), and further in view of Kim et al. (Korean Pub. No. KR 20100118766 A, hereinafter "Kim").
Regarding Claim 2, Han in view of Hsiang, and further in view of Cui fails to explicitly teach wherein the electrostatic ultrasonic transducer comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, and a microstructure, wherein the first electrode is formed on a part of a lower end surface of the first substrate opposite to the second substrate, the second electrode is formed on a part of an upper end surface of the second substrate opposite to the first substrate, the microstructure is formed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and is configured to provide an air gap required for vibration and sound production of a sound production layer, and bezel bonding is performed on outer edges of the first substrate and the second substrate located in the sound production area.
However, Kim teaches wherein the electrostatic ultrasonic transducer comprises a first electrode (the upper electrode [first electrode] connected to the upper conductive film 121b, Fig. 3, Paras. [0036] and [0037]), a second electrode (lower electrode [second electrode] connected to the lower conductive film 122a, Fig. 3, Paras. [0036] and [0037]), and a microstructure (an air gap 123b, Fig. 3, Para. [0037]), wherein the first electrode is formed on a part of a lower end surface of the first substrate opposite to the second substrate (upper electrodes electrically connected to the upper conductive film 121b on both sides of the upper conductive film 121b, Fig. 3, Para. [0036]), the second electrode is formed on a part of an upper end surface of the second substrate opposite to the first substrate (lower electrodes electrically connected to the lower conductive film 122a on both sides of the lower conductive film 122a, Fig. 3, Para. [0036]), the microstructure is formed between the first electrode and the second electrode (air gap 123b is formed between first and second electrode, Fig. 3, Para. [0037]), and is configured to provide an air gap required for vibration and sound production of a sound production layer (air gap 123b can be used with an ultrasonic type touch panel 120, Fig. 3, Paras. [0036] and [0037]; the air gap will be required for vibration and sound production), and bezel bonding is performed on outer edges of the first substrate and the second substrate located in the sound production area (adhesive tape 123c may be used between the upper conductive film 121b and the lower conductive film 122a along the edges of the opposing surfaces so as to mutually bond them, Fig. 3, Para. [0037]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the touch sound production display unit (as taught by Han in view of Hsiang, and further in view of Cui) to include the first and second electrodes, the microstructure and the bezel bonding (as taught by Kim). Doing so, simplifies the structure providing a smaller size and stronger structure.
Regarding Claim 3, Han in view of Hsiang in view of Cui, and further in view of Kim teach wherein the first electrode comprises a first conductive layer (first conductive layer 121b, Fig. 3, Para. [0036]) and a first edge conductive layer (first conductive layer 121b has a first edge conductive layer bonded to the second conductive layer, Fig. 3, Para. [0037]), and the second electrode comprises a second conductive layer (second conductive layer 122a, Fig. 3, Para. [0036]) and a second edge conductive layer (second conductive layer 121b has a second edge conductive layer bonded to the first conductive layer, Fig. 3, Para. [0037]), wherein the first conductive layer is formed on the part of the lower end surface of the first substrate opposite to the second substrate (first conductive layer 121b formed on lower end surface of first substrate 121a, Fig. 3, Para. [0036]), and the first edge conductive layer is formed on an edge of at least one side of the first conductive layer located on the sound production area (first conductive layer 121b has a first edge conductive layer formed at an edge which is bonded to the second conductive layer 122a, Fig. 3, Para. [0037]); and the second conductive layer is formed on the part of the upper end surface of the second substrate opposite to the first substrate (second conductive layer 122a formed on upper end surface of second substrate 122b, Fig. 3, Para. [0036]), and the second edge conductive layer is formed on an edge of at least one side of the second conductive layer located on the sound production area (second conductive layer 122a has a second edge conductive layer formed at an edge which is bonded to the first conductive layer 121a, Fig. 3, Para. [0037]).
Regarding Claim 11, it is similarly rejected as Claim 2.
Regarding Claim 12, it is similarly rejected as Claim 3.
Allowable Subject Matter
4. Claims 4-9 and 13-18 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.
Conclusion
5. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Schneider et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2013/0201134 A1) teaches a touch screen monitor having a display monitor and an ultrasonic device.
6. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHIMEZIE E BEKEE whose telephone number is (571)272-0202. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7.30-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Duc Nguyen can be reached at 571-272-7503. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHIMEZIE EZERIWE BEKEE/Examiner, Art Unit 2691
/DUC NGUYEN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2691
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