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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 1 and 11 recite the limitation "the second direction" in lines 5 and 7, respectively. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For this reason, the limitation is interpreted to mean “a second direction”.
Claims 2-10 and 12-20 are rejected by virtue of their dependence on the rejected claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al (US Publication No.: US 2021/0231850 A1, “Kim”).
Regarding Claim 1, Kim discloses a decorative substrate (Figures 9-26), comprising:
A base material and a texture layer arranged on the surface of the base material (Figure 9, base material is the bottom portion, where the texture layer is P1/P2), and
The texture layer having a plurality of texture units arranged sequentially along a first direction (Figure 9, texture units P1/P2 are arranged along a first in/out of page direction),
Each of the plurality of texture units including a convex portion (Figure 9, the points of the texture units P1/P2 are convex),
The second direction being perpendicular to the first direction, and the third direction being perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction (Figure 9, the first direction is in/out of page, the second direction is horizontal, the third direction is vertical); wherein
A highest pint of the cross-sectional outline of the convex portion in a third direction satisfies at least one of the following relationships: a distance from the highest point of the cross-sectional outline of the convex portion in a third direction to the base material surface varying in the second direction; or the line connecting the orthographic projection of the highest point of the cross-sectional outline of the convex portion in the third direction on the base material is a curve segment or a straight line segment, and the straight line segment is not parallel to the second direction (Figure 9 discloses the convex portions P1 and P2 vary in highest points).
The first embodiment of Kim fails to disclose that a cross-sectional outline of the convex portion in a third direction transitioning from arc segments to straight line segments along a second direction
However, another embodiment of Kim discloses that a cross-sectional outline of the convex portion in a third direction transitioning from arc segments to straight line segments along a second direction (Figure 25(c)).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the texture units as disclosed by the first embodiment of Kim to have a particular shape as disclosed by another embodiment of Kim. One would have been motivated to do so for the purpose of imparting dichroism (Kim, Paragraphs 0175-0177).
Regarding Claim 2, Kim discloses the decorative substrate of claim 1.
The first embodiment of Kim fails to disclose that the convex portion comprises a linear segment and a nonlinear segment in the second direction, and an outer contour of the orthographic projection on the base material of the linear segment is a straight line, and the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the nonlinear segment on the base material is an arc shape.
However, another embodiment of Kim discloses a similar substrate where the convex portion comprises a linear segment and a nonlinear segment in the second direction, and an outer contour of the orthographic projection on the base material of the linear segment is a straight line, and the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the nonlinear segment on the base material is an arc shape (Kim, Figures 25(g) or 25(h) disclose a convex portion comprising a linear segment and a nonlinear segment having a straight line and arc shape orthographic projection).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the texture units as disclosed by the first embodiment of Kim to have a particular shape as disclosed by another embodiment of Kim. One would have been motivated to do so for the purpose of imparting dichroism (Kim, Paragraphs 0175-0177).
Regarding Claim 3, Kim discloses the decorative substrate of claim 2.
The first embodiment of Kim fails to disclose that the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the nonlinear segment on the base material is wavy.
However, another embodiment of Kim discloses a similar substrate where the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the nonlinear segment on the base material is wavy (Kim, Figures 25 (g) or (h) disclose a wavy outer contour).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the texture units as disclosed by the first embodiment of Kim to have a particular shape as disclosed by another embodiment of Kim. One would have been motivated to do so for the purpose of imparting dichroism (Kim, Paragraphs 0175-0177).
Regarding Claim 4, Kim discloses the decorative substrate of claim 2.
The first embodiment of Kim fails to disclose that the nonlinear segment comprises a wide portion and a narrow portion; a maximum width of any of the wide portions is greater than a maximum width of the linear segment, or a minimum width of any of the narrow portions is less than a minimum width of the linear portion.
However, another embodiment of Kim discloses a similar substrate where the nonlinear segment comprises a wide portion and a narrow portion; a maximum width of any of the wide portions is greater than a maximum width of the linear segment, or a minimum width of any of the narrow portions is less than a minimum width of the linear portion (Kim, Figure 25(f) discloses a nonlinear segment comprising a wide portion and a narrow portion and a linear segment on top, the widest portion of the nonlinear segment is greater in width than the widest width of the linear segment).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the texture units as disclosed by the first embodiment of Kim to have a particular shape as disclosed by another embodiment of Kim. One would have been motivated to do so for the purpose of imparting dichroism (Kim, Paragraphs 0175-0177).
Regarding Claim 5, Kim discloses the decorative substrate according to claim 1, wherein a distance from the highest point of the cross-sectional outline of the convex portion in a third direction to the base material surface changes linearly in the second direction (Figure 9, the highest point of the cross-sectional outline decreases linearly in the second direction).
Regarding Claim 6, Kim discloses the decorative substrate according to claim 1, wherein a distance from a highest point of the cross-sectional outline of the convex portion in a third direction to the base material surface changes non-linearly in the second direction (Figure 9, from P1 to P2 the highest point changes non-linearly).
Regarding Claim 7, Kim discloses the decorative substrate according to claim 1, wherein the distance between adjacent convex portions ranges from 1 μm to 200 μm (Paragraph 0239 discloses a distance of 100um).
Regarding Claim 8, Kim discloses the decorative substrate according to claim 1, wherein the width of the convex portion in the first direction ranges from 1 μm to 200 μm (Paragraph 0136 discloses a width of 10um to 90um, which falls within the claimed range).
Regarding Claim 9, Kim discloses the decorative substrate according to claim 1, wherein the height difference between the highest point of the cross-sectional outline of the convex portion and the lowest point of the cross-sectional outline of the convex portion in the first direction is 0.5 μm to 20 μm (Paragraph 0135 discloses a height of 5um to 30um, which overlaps with the claimed range).
Regarding Claim 10, Kim discloses the decorative substrate according to claim 1, further comprising a modification layer, the modification layer includes at least one of a color layer, a frosted layer, and a glitter layer, and the modification layer is disposed on a surface of at least one of the texture layer or the base material (Figure 26 discloses a plurality of color layers, where Paragraph 0114 discloses the layers to be color layers; Paragraph 0187).
Regarding Claim 11, Kim discloses a method for manufacturing a decorative substrate (Figures 9-26), comprising:
Forming a texture layer on the surface of the base material to obtain the decorative substrate (Figure 9); wherein
The texture layer is formed by at least one of transfer printing, etching or hot press molding (Paragraph 0113 discloses a printing method; Paragraph 0212 discloses an etching process);
The texture layer has a plurality of texture units arranged sequentially along first direction (Figure 9, texture units P1/P2),
Each of the plurality of texture units includes a convex portion (Figure 9 discloses a plurality of convex portions of P1/P2),
The second direction being perpendicular to the first direction, and the third direction being perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction (Figure 9, the first direction is in/out of page, the second direction is horizontal, the third direction is vertical); and
The highest point of the cross-sectional outline of the convex portion in a third direction satisfies at least one of the following relationships: the distance from the highest point of the cross-sectional outline of the convex portion in a third direction to the base material surface changes in the second direction; or the line connecting the orthographic projection of the highest point of the cross-sectional outline of the convex portion in the third direction on the base material is a curve segment or a straight line segment, and the straight line segment is not parallel to the second direction (Figure 9 discloses the convex portions P1 and P2 vary in highest points).
The first embodiment of Kim fails to disclose that a cross-sectional outline of the convex portion in a third direction transitioning from arc segments to straight line segments along a second direction
However, another embodiment of Kim discloses that a cross-sectional outline of the convex portion in a third direction transitioning from arc segments to straight line segments along a second direction (Figure 25(c)).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the texture units as disclosed by the first embodiment of Kim to have a particular shape as disclosed by another embodiment of Kim. One would have been motivated to do so for the purpose of imparting dichroism (Kim, Paragraphs 0175-0177).
Regarding Claim 12, Kim discloses a cover plate (Figure 26), comprising the decorative substrate according to claim 1 and a base body, the decorative substrate is disposed on the surface of the base body (Figure 26, base body 100, decorative substrate 500-400).
Regarding Claim 13, Kim discloses an electronic device (Paragraph 0214), comprising a display component and a housing that cooperates with the display component (Paragraph 0214), wherein the housing includes the cover plate according to claim 12 (Figure 26).
Regarding Claim 14, Kim discloses the decorative substrate according to claim 2, further comprising a modification layer, the modification layer includes at least one of a color layer, a frosted layer, and a glitter layer, and the modification layer is disposed on a surface of at least one of the texture layer or the base material (Figure 26 discloses a plurality of color layers, where Paragraph 0114 discloses the layers to be color layers; Paragraph 0187).
Regarding Claim 15, Kim discloses the decorative substrate according to claim 3, further comprising a modification layer, the modification layer includes at least one of a color layer, a frosted layer, and a glitter layer, and the modification layer is disposed on a surface of at least one of the texture layer or the base material (Figure 26 discloses a plurality of color layers, where Paragraph 0114 discloses the layers to be color layers; Paragraph 0187).
Regarding Claim 16, Kim discloses the decorative substrate according to claim 4, further comprising a modification layer, the modification layer includes at least one of a color layer, a frosted layer, and a glitter layer, and the modification layer is disposed on a surface of at least one of the texture layer or the base material (Figure 26 discloses a plurality of color layers, where Paragraph 0114 discloses the layers to be color layers; Paragraph 0187).
Regarding Claim 17, Kim discloses the decorative substrate according to claim 5, further comprising a modification layer, the modification layer includes at least one of a color layer, a frosted layer, and a glitter layer, and the modification layer is disposed on a surface of at least one of the texture layer or the base material (Figure 26 discloses a plurality of color layers, where Paragraph 0114 discloses the layers to be color layers; Paragraph 0187).
Regarding Claim 18, Kim discloses the decorative substrate according to claim 6, further comprising a modification layer, the modification layer includes at least one of a color layer, a frosted layer, and a glitter layer, and the modification layer is disposed on a surface of at least one of the texture layer or the base material (Figure 26 discloses a plurality of color layers, where Paragraph 0114 discloses the layers to be color layers; Paragraph 0187).
Regarding Claim 19, Kim discloses the decorative substrate according to claim 7, further comprising a modification layer, the modification layer includes at least one of a color layer, a frosted layer, and a glitter layer, and the modification layer is disposed on a surface of at least one of the texture layer or the base material (Figure 26 discloses a plurality of color layers, where Paragraph 0114 discloses the layers to be color layers; Paragraph 0187).
Regarding Claim 20, Kim discloses the decorative substrate according to claim 8, further comprising a modification layer, the modification layer includes at least one of a color layer, a frosted layer, and a glitter layer, and the modification layer is disposed on a surface of at least one of the texture layer or the base material (Figure 26 discloses a plurality of color layers, where Paragraph 0114 discloses the layers to be color layers; Paragraph 0187).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.:
-Ichihara (US 2022/0353353 A1) discloses an outer shell for a device (Ichihara, Figure 1)
-Limarga (US 10,827,635 B1) discloses a textured glass component for an electronic device (Limarga, Figure 5)
-Gao (US 2020/0183060 A1) discloses a textured cover plate (Gao, Figures 2-4)
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARIAM QURESHI whose telephone number is (571)272-4434. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-5PM EST M-F.
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/MARIAM QURESHI/ Examiner, Art Unit 2871
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