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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
1. In the event that 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 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.
Claim(s) 1-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Choi et al. US10747269.
Per claim 1 Choi et al. teaches an electronic device (1, see fig.2A-2C) comprising: a housing (200, see fig.2A-2C) including a back cover (see fig.6, “bottom portion”); a first pulley (211, see fig.9D-12B) and a second pulley (221, see fig.11A-12B) disposed as adjacent to a first edge and a second edge of the housing (see fig.11A-12B), respectively; a support sheet (430, see fig.4) disposed as covering the first pulley and the second pulley when viewed from above (see fig.12A-12B); a multi-bar structure (411-414, see fig.4, 6 & 11A) attached to a first section of a bottom surface of the support sheet and movably coupled with the first pulley (see fig.6, 11A-11D); a sliding plate (300) attached to a second section of the bottom surface of the support sheet (see fig.4 & 11B) as overlapping the second pulley such that the sliding plate is to slide out and slide in with respect to the housing via the second edge according to the multi-bar structure being moved by a rotation of the first pulley (see fig.4, 11A-12B); a flexible display (500) attached to a upper surface of the support sheet as overlapping at least part of the multi-bar structure and at least part of the sliding plate (see fig.4, 9A-11D), and configured to be at least partially bent according to the sliding of the sliding plate (see fig.4, 9A-11D); and a connection member (420, see fig.4) movably coupled with the second pulley (see fig.12A-12B) such that a first ending portion of the connection member is operatively coupled with a portion of the support sheet (430, see fig.12A) and a second ending portion of the connection member is attached to a portion of the sliding plate (see fig.4, 11A-12B; col.32, line 9-12).
Per claim 2 Choi et al. teaches the electronic device of claim 1, wherein a tension of the connection member (420) is adjustable (see fig.12A-12B; col.34, line 59-67, “422 is shown to be adjusted from one portion in fig.12A to another portion in fig. 12B”).
Per claim 3 Choi et al. teaches the electronic device of claim 2, further comprising: a gear assembly (600; col.24, line 34-67) configured to adjust the tension of the connection member (col.30, line 25-36 & col.31, line 18-43).
Per claim 4 Choi et al. teaches the electronic device of claim 1, wherein at least part of the support sheet (430) configured to move around the first pulley (see fig.12A-12B) is formed as a lattice structure including a plurality of openings (see fig.14).
Per claim 5 Choi et al. teaches the electronic device of claim 4, further comprising: a reinforcing sheet (see fig.4, “Examiner asserts that the display is the reinforcing sheet”) attached to the support sheet (see fig.4) such that the reinforcing sheet is located substantially across the lattice structure (see fig.4 & 14).
Per claim 6 Choi et al. teaches the electronic device of claim 5, wherein an ending portion of the reinforcing sheet is attached to the portion of the support sheet (see fig.11A-12B).
Per claim 7 Choi et al. teaches the electronic device of claim 4, wherein the lattice structure is not formed in a specified area of the support sheet including the portion of the support sheet (see fig.14).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
2. In the event that 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 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) 8-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi et al. US10747269.
Per claim 8 Choi et al. teaches the electronic device of claim 7,
Choi et al. discloses substantially all the limitations of the claim(s) except for where the lattice structure incudes a first lattice structure area and a second lattice structure area spaced apart from each other by the specified area.
It would have been an obvious matter of design choice before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to duplicate the lattice, because it enables multiple arrangements of the lattice for effective airflow and cooling, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960); MPEP §2144.04(VI)(B).
Per claim 9 Choi et al. teaches the electronic device of claim 4,
Choi et al. discloses substantially all the limitations of the claim(s) except for wherein the lattice structure includes a first lattice structure area and a second lattice structure area, the first lattice structure area having a first number of openings and the second lattice structure area having a second number of openings less than the first number and substantially aligned with the portion of the support sheet.
It would have been an obvious matter of design choice before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to duplicate the lattice to have a first lattice with opening and have a second lattice with openings, because it enables multiple arrangements of the lattice for effective airflow and cooling, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960); MPEP §2144.04(VI)(B).
It would have been an obvious matter of design choice before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to make the openings of the second lattice less than the openings of the first lattice, because it enables a configuration that enables openings as needed for cooling in the first lattice or second lattice, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the size or proportion of a component. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).
Email Communication
3. Applicant is encouraged to authorize the Examiner to communicate via email by filing form PTO/SB/439 either via USPS, Central Fax, or EFS-Web. See MPEP 502.01, 502, 502.05.
Conclusion
4. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
HE et al. US2021/0044683 discloses A mobile terminal, comprising a housing and a flexible screen, wherein: the flexible screen comprises a fixed portion fixed on the housing and an expansion portion movable relative to the housing.
Seo et al. US2018/0014417 discloses a rollable display device comprising: a rollable display including a first end and a second end spaced apart from the first end; a first slider including a roller that supports the first end of the rollable display
Applicants are directed to consider additional pertinent prior are included on the Notice of References Cited (PTOL 892) attached herewith. The Examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record within the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply. Applicant, in preparing the response, should consider fully the entire reference as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL A MATEY whose telephone number is (571)270-5648. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8-5 EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, JAYPRAKASH GANDHI can be reached at 5712723740. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL A MATEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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