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 § 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, 2 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Pat. Appl. Publ. No. 2017/0103735 to OH et al. (i.e., Ref. 1 hereafter). Referring to claim 1, Ref. 1 discloses a display device (100, Figs. 1-4) comprising: a display panel (30) with translucency [0037-0038]; a roller (41) adjacent to one side of the display panel (30) and extending along the one side; a cover (40) wound around or unwound from the roller (41), the cover (40) covering at least a portion of a rear of the display panel (30) when unwound from the roller (Fig. 2); a driver assembly (21/51) unwinding the cover (40) from the roller (41); a sensor detecting a position of the cover [0044]; and a controller (170, Fig. 4) controlling an operation of the drive assembly (21/51) based on information obtained from the sensor.
Referring to claim 2, Ref. 1 discloses a display device as claimed, wherein the display panel (30) comprises: a first side (i.e., rear) adjacent to the roller (41); and a second side opposite the first side, and wherein the cover (40) is unwound from the roller (41) while moving in a direction from the first side to the second side, and is wound around the roller while moving in a direction from the second side to the first side. See Fig. 2.
Referring to claim 15, Ref. 1 discloses a display device as claimed, wherein the controller (170) stops the operation of the drive assembly when the cover fully opens or fully closes the rear of the display panel. See Fig. 4 and [0044].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-14 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:
Regarding claim 3, the specific limitations of “the drive assembly comprises: a motor; and a gear transmitting power of the motor to the cover, wherein the sensor detects rotation of the gear at a position adjacent to the gear, and wherein the controller determines the position of the cover based on information regarding the rotation of the gear, which is obtained from the sensor,” in combination with remaining elements, are not taught or adequately suggested in the prior art of record. Claims 4-9 depend, either directly or indirectly, from claim 3 and are allowed for at least the same reasons.
Regarding claim 10, the specific limitations of “the cover comprises: a first end fixed to the roller; and a second end opposite the first end, and wherein the drive assembly further comprises: a bar to which the second end of the cover is fixed, and extending in a longitudinal direction of the roller; a first wire fixed to one end of the bar in a longitudinal direction of the bar, and fixed to the bar; and a second wire adjacent to the other end of the bar in the longitudinal direction of the bar, and fixed to the bar,” in combination with remaining elements, are not taught or adequately suggested in the prior art of record. Claims 11-14 depend, either directly or indirectly, from claim 10 and are allowed for at least the same reasons.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANTHONY Q EDWARDS whose telephone number is (571)272-2042. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Imani Hayman, can be reached at 571-270-5528. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Anthony Q Edwards/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
July 1, 2026
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