Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 02, 2026
Application No. 18/921,301

Display Device Having a Narrow Bezel Design

Non-Final OA §102§103
Filed
Oct 21, 2024
Examiner
CHUNG, DAVID Y
Art Unit
2871
Tech Center
2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
Assignee
Dell Products L.P.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
70%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
11m
Est. Remaining
78%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 70% — above average
70%
Career Allowance Rate
512 granted / 727 resolved
+2.4% vs TC avg
Moderate +7% lift
Without
With
+7.4%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 10m
Avg Prosecution
27 currently pending
Career history
744
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.1%
-39.9% vs TC avg
§103
66.0%
+26.0% vs TC avg
§102
27.3%
-12.7% vs TC avg
§112
3.9%
-36.1% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 727 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §103
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 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, 4-5, 7 and 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Son et al. (US 2018/0356674). As to claim 1, Son discloses in figure 7: a display cell component 320; a front polarizer component 328, the front polarizer component being contiguous with a portion of a top surface of the display cell component; and, a rear polarizer component 326, the rear polarizer component being contiguous with a portion of a bottom surface of the display cell component, the front polarizer component and the rear polarizer component providing a polarizer edge, the polarizer edge extending extends along a periphery of the display cell component. As to claim 4, Son discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 1. Son further discloses in figure 7, wherein the front polarizer component 328 comprises a dark printed surface 400, the dark printed surface extending along a periphery of the front polarizer component. As to claim 5, Son discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 4. Son further discloses in figure 7, wherein an interior edge of the dark printed surface 400 is substantially parallel with an exterior edge of the rear polarizer component 326. As to claim 7, Son discloses in figure 7: an optical sheets component 316; a display cell component 320; a front polarizer component 328, the front polarizer component being contiguous with a portion of a top surface of the display cell component; and, a rear polarizer component 326, the rear polarizer component being contiguous with a portion of a bottom surface of the display cell component, the front polarizer component and the rear polarizer component providing a polarizer edge, the polarizer edge extending extends along a periphery of the display cell component. As to claim 10, Son discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 7. Son further discloses in figure 7, wherein the front polarizer component 328 comprises a dark printed surface 400, the dark printed surface extending along a periphery of the front polarizer component. As to claim 11, Son discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 10. Son further discloses in figure 7, wherein an interior edge of the dark printed surface 400 is substantially parallel with an exterior edge of the rear polarizer component 326. 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 2 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Son et al. (US 2018/0356674) in view of Yamabuchi et al. (US 7,202,923). Son discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claims 1 and 7, but does not disclose wherein the front polarizer component includes a slanted edge, the slanted edge extending along a periphery of the front polarizer component. However, this was a conventional structure as evidenced by figure 21 of Yamabuchi. Yamabuchi discloses in figure 21, a front polarizer component 106a which includes a slanted edge, the slanted edge extending along a periphery of the front polarizer component. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Son wherein the front polarizer component includes a slanted edge, the slanted edge extending along a periphery of the front polarizer component, as disclosed by Yamabuchi, because conventional structures were known to be cost-effective and reliable. Claims 6 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Son et al. (US 2018/0356674) in view of Jeong (US 9,341,874). Son discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claims 1 and 7, but does not disclose wherein the display cell component includes an associated side sealing element, the side sealing element extending along a periphery of the display cell component. Jeong discloses in figures 5B and 5C, wherein the display cell component 410 includes an associated side sealing element 480, the side sealing element extending along a periphery of the display cell component. Jeong discloses in column 10, lines 21-24, that the side sealing element 480 may mitigate external impact to the LCD device 400. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Son wherein the display cell component includes an associated side sealing element, the side sealing element extending along a periphery of the display cell component as disclosed by Jeong, in order to mitigate external impact to the display cell component. Claims 13 and 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Son et al. (US 2018/0356674) in view of Gu et al. (US 2010/0207857). As to claim 13, Son discloses in figure 7: an optical sheets component 316; a display cell component 320; a front polarizer component 328, the front polarizer component being contiguous with a portion of a top surface of the display cell component; and, a rear polarizer component 326, the rear polarizer component being contiguous with a portion of a bottom surface of the display cell component, the front polarizer component and the rear polarizer component providing a polarizer edge, the polarizer edge extending extends along a periphery of the display cell component. Son does not disclose a processor, and a data bus coupled to the processor. Gu discloses in figure 1 and paragraph [0035], processor(s) 18 which may be coupled to one or more data buses for transferring data and instructions between various components of the display device. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Son by providing a processor, and a data bus coupled to the processor as disclosed by Gu in order to transfer data and instructions between various components of the display device. As to claim 16, Son in view of Gu discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 13. Son further discloses in figure 7, wherein the front polarizer component 328 comprises a dark printed surface 400, the dark printed surface extending along a periphery of the front polarizer component. As to claim 17, Son in view of Gu discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 16. Son further discloses in figure 7, wherein an interior edge of the dark printed surface 400 is substantially parallel with an exterior edge of the rear polarizer component 326. Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Son et al. (US 2018/0356674) in view of Gu et al. (US 2010/0207857) as applied to claim 13 above, and further in view of Yamabuchi et al. (US 7,202,923). Son in view of Gu discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 13, but does not disclose wherein the front polarizer component includes a slanted edge, the slanted edge extending along a periphery of the front polarizer component. However, this was a conventional structure as evidenced by figure 21 of Yamabuchi. Yamabuchi discloses in figure 21, a front polarizer component 106a which includes a slanted edge, the slanted edge extending along a periphery of the front polarizer component. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Son wherein the front polarizer component includes a slanted edge, the slanted edge extending along a periphery of the front polarizer component, as disclosed by Yamabuchi, because conventional structures were known to be cost-effective and reliable. Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Son et al. (US 2018/0356674) in view of Gu et al. (US 2010/0207857) as applied to claim 13 above, and further in view of Jeong (US 9,341,874). Son in view of Gu discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 13, but does not disclose wherein the display cell component includes an associated side sealing element, the side sealing element extending along a periphery of the display cell component. Jeong discloses in figures 5B and 5C, wherein the display cell component 410 includes an associated side sealing element 480, the side sealing element extending along a periphery of the display cell component. Jeong discloses in column 10, lines 21-24, that the side sealing element 480 may mitigate external impact to the LCD device 400. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Son wherein the display cell component includes an associated side sealing element, the side sealing element extending along a periphery of the display cell component as disclosed by Jeong, in order to mitigate external impact to the display cell component. Allowable Subject Matter Claims 3, 9 and 15 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: none of the prior art taught or fairly suggested the borderless polarizer system of claim 3, or the display device of claim 9, or the system of claim 15, wherein the display device includes a middle frame component, the middle frame component including a slanted edge; and, the slanted edge of the front polarizer component abutting a slanted edge of the middle frame component. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to David Chung whose telephone number is (571)272-2288. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm. 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, Michael Caley can be reached at (571)272-2286. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /DAVID Y CHUNG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Oct 21, 2024
Application Filed
Jul 01, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102, §103 (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
70%
Grant Probability
78%
With Interview (+7.4%)
2y 10m (~11m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 727 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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