DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-10 and 12-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Won (2021/0359392).
Regarding Claim 1: Won teaches an electronic device comprising: a first housing (203); a second housing (202) slidably disposed with respect to the first housing (figs. 8a-8d) wherein left and right lateral portions of the first housing comprise a metallic material (paragraph [0027]) at least in part; a wireless communication circuit (1250) disposed in the second housing (figs. 9a-9b) and configured to transmit and/or receive a radio signal (1250 is labeled as a RFIC) through a conductive member (ANT1-ANT6), wherein left and right lateral portions of the second housing are formed of the conductive member (FIGS. 8a-9b) at least in part; a rollable display (151) disposed to be supported by the first and second housings (figs. 8a-8d) and configured to be bent or unfolded based on a slide-in or slide-out of the second housing (figs. 8a-8d); and at least one dielectric (paragraph [0303]) disposed between a metallic material portion of the first housing and the conductive member of the second housing (as determined from figs. 8a-8d and 13b-14) in a slide-in state of the second housing into the first housing (figs. 8a-8d).
Regarding Claim 2: Won teaches the conductive member of the second housing is spaced apart from the metallic material portion of the first housing through the at least one dielectric (figs. 8a-8d and 13b-14).
Regarding Claim 3: Won teaches the at least one dielectric includes a first dielectric disposed in the second housing (figs. 8a-8d and 13b-14).
Regarding Claim 4: Won teaches the first dielectric is disposed to cover at least a portion of an edge of the rollable display (figs. 8a-8d and 13b-14).
Regarding Claim 5: Won teaches at least a portion of the first dielectric is disposed to have a first overlap amount with an edge of the rollable display when the rollable display is viewed from above (figs. 8a-8d and 13b-14).
Regarding Claim 6: Won teaches the first dielectric is disposed between the first housing and the second housing in the slide-in state (figs. 8a-8d and 13b-14).
Regarding Claim 7: Won teaches at least a portion of the first housing is disposed to have a second overlap amount greater than the first overlap amount (figs. 8a-8d and 13b-14) with the edge of the rollable display when the rollable display is viewed from above (figs. 8a-8d and 13b-14).
Regarding Claim 8: Won teaches the first dielectric is disposed through a portion of a front surface of the second housing (figs. 8a-8d and 13b-14) and/or a portion of a side surface extending from the front surface (figs. 8a-8d and 13b-14).
Regarding Claim 9: Won teaches the at least one dielectric further includes a second dielectric (figs. 8a-8d and 13b-14) corresponding to the first dielectric (figs. 8a-8d and 13b-14) in the slide-in state and disposed in a first space of the first housing (figs. 8a-8d and 13b-14 and paragraph [0027]).
Regarding Claim 10: Won teaches the at least one dielectric is disposed in an internal space of the first housing (figs. 8a-8d and 13b-14), corresponding to the conductive member, in the slide-in state (figs. 8a-8d and 13b-14).
Regarding Claim 12: Won teaches the conductive member is segmented through at least one non-conductive portion in at least a portion of the first housing (figs. 8a-8d and 13b-14).
Regarding Claim 13: Won teaches at least a portion of the second housing is accommodated in a first space of the first housing in the slide-in state (figs. 8a-8d and 13b-14).
Regarding Claim 14: Won teaches the first housing includes a conductive first lateral member forming an outward appearance of the electronic device (figs. 8a-8d and 13b-14), and the second housing includes a conductive second lateral member forming the outward appearance of the electronic device (figs. 8a-8d and 13b-14).
Regarding Claim 15: Won teaches the left and right lateral portions of the second housing are accommodated in the first space to not be visible from outside in the slide-in state (figs. 8a-8d and 13b-14).
Regarding Claim 16: Won teaches the conductive member is disposed in at least a portion of the right lateral portion and/or the left lateral portion of the second housing (figs. 8a-8d and 13b-14).
Regarding Claim 17: Won teaches the at least one dielectric is disposed to cover at least a portion of the right lateral portion and/or the left lateral portion of the second housing (figs. 8a-8d and 13b-14).
Regarding Claim 18: Won teaches the first housing includes a first extension (middle section of 203) extending from the first lateral member to the first space (figs. 8a-8d and 13b-14), wherein the second housing includes a second extension (middle portion of 202) extending from the second lateral member to a second space of the second housing (figs. 8a-8d and 13b-14), and wherein in the slide-in state, the second extension is accommodated in the first space to not be visible from the outside of the electronic device (figs. 8a-8d and 13b-14).
Regarding Claim 19: Won teaches wherein in the slide-in state, the at least one dielectric is disposed in an area corresponding to the right lateral portion of the first housing in the second space (figs. 8a-8d and 13b-14) and/or in an area corresponding to the left lateral portion of the first housing in the second space (figs. 8a-8d and 13b-14).
Regarding Claim 20: Won teaches the at least one dielectric includes a first dielectric disposed in at least a portion of the second lateral member of the second housing (figs. 8a-8d and 13b-14) and a second dielectric disposed in the first lateral member, corresponding to the first dielectric, in the slide-in state (figs. 8a-8d and 13b-14).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Won (2021/0359392).
Regarding Claim 11: Won lacks a specific teaching of the at least one dielectric has a dielectric constant in a range of 10 to 20.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the apparatus of Won by having the at least one dielectric has a dielectric constant in a range of 10 to 20 in order to allow for a greater rigidity of the dielectric depending on the needs and desired protection for the apparatus where in this would be accomplished merely by choosing the correct type of material for the needs of the apparatus and it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious engineering choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The additional references cited on the PTO-892 disclose/teach similar portable electronic devices including a flexible rollable display and including the construction of an antenna connected to a wireless communication circuit through a conductive member.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANTHONY MICHAEL HAUGHTON whose telephone number is (571)272-9087. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9a-5p.
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/ANTHONY M HAUGHTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841