Detailed Action
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . See 35 U.S.C. § 100 (note).
Art Rejections
Anticipation
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1–8 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US Patent Application Publication 2021/0368251 (effectively filed 22 May 2020) (“Han”).
Claim 1 is drawn to “a display apparatus.” The following table illustrates the correspondence between the claimed apparatus and the Han reference.
Claim 1
The Han Reference
“1. Display apparatus, comprising:
The Han reference similarly describes an electronic device 800 that corresponds to the claimed display apparatus. Han at Abs., ¶ 111–113, FIGs.15, 16.
“a display screen having a back cover,
Han’s device includes a display 821 corresponding to the claimed display screen. Id. Display 821 is fixed to a case 701 having a first case member 701a and a second case member 701b. Id. at ¶ 114, FIG.16. Case 701 further includes an enclosure 202 formed by a first enclosure 202a and second enclosure 202b. Id. at ¶ 69, FIGs.4, 16. Second enclosure 202b corresponds to the claimed back cover.
“at least one integrated speaker mounted in a respective aperture in a portion of the back cover; and
Second enclosure 202b includes a second surface F2 that defines an opening 223, or aperture, in which a speaker 203 is mounted. Id. at ¶ 73, FIGs.2–4, 16.
“a bracket arranged in a space between the screen and the back cover,
“the bracket and the portion of the back cover together defining an internal cavity within the space between the display screen and the back cover,
“such that the internal cavity is coupled to the at least one speaker.”
Han’s first enclosure 202a corresponds to the claimed bracket. Id. at ¶ 69, FIGs.4, 16. First enclosure 202a is arranged between display 821 (i.e., screen) and second enclosure 202b (i.e., back cover). Id. at ¶ 114, FIG.16. First enclosure 202a and second enclosure 202b together define an internal rear cavity 221. Id. at ¶¶ 74, 108, FIGs.4, 16. Speaker 203 is coupled to internal rear cavity 221. Id. at FIG.16. (depicting speaker 203 in rear cavity 221).
Table 1
For the foregoing reasons, the Han reference anticipates all limitations of the claim.
Claim 2 depends on claim 1, and further requires the following:
“wherein the bracket includes a ridge that defines a wall of the cavity.”
Han’s first enclosure 202a similarly includes a ridge or sidewall of cavity 221. Han at ¶¶ 74, FIGs.4, 16. See also Figure 1, below. For the foregoing reasons, the Han reference anticipates all limitations of the claim.
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Figure 1: Marked-up version of Han at FIG.2 (marked-up to highlight correspondence between the claimed bracket and Han’s enclosure 202a.)
Claim 3 depends on claim 2, and further requires the following:
“wherein the ridge is sealed against an internal surface of the back cover.”
Likewise, Han’s first enclosure 202a seals its ridge/sidewall against an internal surface of Han’s second enclosure 202b, or back cover. Han at ¶ 75, FIG.16 (depicting an interface between elements 202a and 202b). For the foregoing reasons, the Han reference anticipates all limitations of the claim.
Claim 4 depends on claim 2, and further requires the following:
“wherein the bracket comprises a sheet of rigid material that is shaped to form the ridge.”
Han’s first enclosure 202a similarly includes a sheet of rigid material shaped to form a ridge. In particular, Han depicts enclosure 202a as having a folded portion as seen in Figure 1, above. See also Han at FIGs.2, 4. For the foregoing reasons, the Han reference anticipates all limitations of the claim.
Claim 5 depends on claim 1, and further requires the following:
“wherein an inner plate is mounted between the display screen and the bracket.”
Han describes a first case member 701a between display 821 and enclosure 202 (i.e., bracket). Han at ¶¶ 69, 114, FIGs.4, 16. For the foregoing reasons, the Han reference anticipates all limitations of the claim.
Claim 6 depends on claim 1, and further requires the following:
“wherein the portion of the back cover that forms a wall of the cavity protrudes in a direction away from the display screen.”
Han’s second enclosure 202b also includes a sidewall portion that protrudes away from display 821. Han at FIG.16. For the foregoing reasons, the Han reference anticipates all limitations of the claim.
Claim 7 depends on claim 1, and further requires the following:
“wherein the at least one speaker comprises at least one low frequency speaker.”
Han describes speaker 203 as any of a woofer, tweeter or normal (i.e., full-range) speaker. Han at ¶ 70, 98, 108. For the foregoing reasons, the Han reference anticipates all limitations of the claim.
Claim 8 depends on claim 1, and further requires the following:
“where the at least one speaker comprises at least one rear and/or upward firing speaker.”
Han depicts speaker 203 as a rear-firing speaker. Han at FIG.16. Han further describes altering the orientation based on the frequency response of interest. Id. at ¶ 108. For the foregoing reasons, the Han reference anticipates all limitations of the claim.
Claim 10 depends on claim 2, and further requires the following:
“wherein the ridge is positioned inwardly from the edges of the bracket.”
Han’s first enclosure 202a, corresponding to the claimed bracket, locates a portion of its sidewall/ridge inward from an edge of enclosure 202a to define a space 221. Han at FIG.2 (depicting sidewalls with both distal and medial portions). See also Figure 1, above. For the foregoing reasons, the Han reference anticipates all limitations of the claim.
Obviousness
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 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over the combination of Han and US Patent Application Publication 2021/0026590 (effectively filed 22 July 2019) (“Nam”).
Claim 9 depends on claim 1, and further requires the following:
“wherein the display screen is an OLED display screen.”
In Han’s laptop display embodiment (FIGs.15, 16) Han does not describe the technology used to implement display panel 821a, leaving one of ordinary skill to provide a suitable panel for a laptop. The Park reference, however, teaches a display apparatus (e.g., a television, monitor and the like) equipped with an OLED display screen. Nam at ¶¶ 75, 315, FIGs.2–4. This would have reasonably suggested modifying Han’s laptop to similarly include an OLED display screen. See MPEP § 2143(I)(B). For the foregoing reasons, the combination of the Han and the Nam references makes obvious all limitations of the claim.
Summary
Claims 1–10 are rejected under at least one of 35 U.S.C. §§ 102 and 103 as being unpatentable over the cited prior art. 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 C.F.R. § 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. § 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WALTER F BRINEY III whose telephone number is (571)272-7513. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 am-4:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Carolyn Edwards can be reached at 571-270-7136. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Walter F Briney III/
Walter F Briney IIIPrimary ExaminerArt Unit 2692
6/24/2026
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