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.
Claim 4 is 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. Claim 4 recites the limitation, "when the support structure rotates relative to the display " in line 8, this appears to be an error. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim because: it was not previously asserted that the support structure was capable of rotating. Examiner suggests first introducing the support structure’s ability to rotate by reciting “wherein, the support structure is configured/operable to rotate,” for example – if so intended. In the interest of compact prosecution, Examiner will interpret as such. Please review the rest of the claims for similar occurrence. Note, claim 5 depends directly from claim 4 and is therefore rejected for at least the same reason. Appropriate action necessary.
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) 1-5 and 8-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim 2022/0201882.
Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses an electronic device (Fig 1), comprising: a display (101, Fig 1) having various structural forms (as in Fig 3); a support structure (160 and/or including 150) configured to carry the display to place the electronic device on a supporting surface (implicit - surface on which 160 rests when situated – surface not labeled, but see Fig 10, 12); and a drive assembly (154 including internal parts thereof, see Figs 12, 13, for example) connected to the support structure and the display (see Figs 1, 2, 12), and configured to drive the display to switch to various structural forms (as in Fig 3) when a relative position relationship between the display and the support structure changes (see Fig 3); wherein the display has different curvatures in different structural forms (see Fig 3).
Regarding claim 2, Kim discloses the electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: the display includes a display panel (105, Fig 1), a back cover (107, Fig 1) covering the display panel (once assembled, Fig 1), and a back plate (107, Fig 1) arranged on the back of the display panel for supporting the display panel (once assembled, Figs 1, 2); and the electronic device further includes: a plate structure (110, Fig 1) arranged between the back plate and the back cover (see Fig 1), the drive assembly being arranged on the plate structure and connected to the back plate through at least one first connection member (first connection member such as 108, for example, Fig 10); and a rotation shaft structure (180, Fig 10) arranged on the plate structure (once assembled in position shown in Fig 9 where at least portion 153 disposed thereon), the drive assembly and the support structure being movably connected through the rotation shaft structure (see par 0059-0061); wherein when a change of the relative position between the display and the support structure occurs (Fig 3), the rotation shaft structure triggers the drive assembly to drive at least part of the back plate to approach or move away from the plate structure through the at least one first connection member (par 0059-0061), such that the display has different structural forms (Fig 3).
Regarding claim 3, Kim discloses the electronic device according to claim 2, wherein: the plate structure includes a first plate (113, Fig 1) and two second plates (140a, 140b, Fig 1) arranged on opposite sides to the first plate (once assembled, par 0044), a first angle being formed between the first plate and each of the two second plates (angle formed in position shown in Fig 12); two opposite edges of the back plate (at 107a, 107b, Fig 1) are respectively provided with first fixing members (125a, 125b, Fig 1), and two edges of each of the two second plates facing away from the first plate are respectively fixedly connected to the two first fixing members (once assembled, as in Fig 6); or the back plate is provided with second fixing members at the two second plates, respectively, and two edges of the two second plates facing away from the first plate are respectively fixedly connected to the two second fixing members (once assembled, as in Fig 6, for example); when the display is in a first structural form (lower Fig in Fig 3), a minimum distance between a portion of the back plate corresponding to the first plate and the first plate is a first distance (minimum distance between portion of back plate, see lower Fig in Fig 3); and when the display is in a second structural form (upper Fig in Fig 3), a maximum distance between the portion of the back plate corresponding to the first plate and the first plate is a second distance (see upper Fig in Fig 3), the second distance is greater than the first distance (see Fig 3).
Regarding claim 4, Kim discloses the electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the rotation shaft structure comprises: a first rotation shaft (181, Fig 10); a rotation shaft base (153a, Fig 10) disposed on the first plate (Fig 9) for supporting the first rotation shaft to rotate (via 181, Fig 10); and a first rotation member (185, Fig 10) sleeved on the first rotation shaft (Fig 10), fixedly connected to the support structure (via portion 190, Fig 10) or the first plate, and movably connected to the drive assembly (par 0057); when the support structure rotates relative to the display (via portion 105, see par 0031), the first rotation member generates a first force on the drive assembly (by moving, par 0057), such that the drive assembly pulls the back plate toward the first plate (as in lower Fig 3) or restores the back plate to its initial shape through the at least one first connection member (as in upper Fig 3).
Regarding claim 5, Kim discloses the electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the drive assembly includes: a second rotation member (191, Fig 10) sleeved on the first rotation shaft (Fig 10), movably connected to the first rotation member (par 0058), and capable of moving in an axial direction of the first rotation shaft under the first force of the first rotation member (par 0067); a pulling sub-assembly (153, Fig 10) movably arranged on the first plate (Fig 9), connected to a first end of the at least one first connection member (end connecting 108, at 153, Fig 10), and capable of applying a second force (force acting upon 108, 153 when activated to move, Fig 10) to the at least one first connection member to make the back plate approach or move away from the first plate (see Figs 3, 10); and a transmission sub-assembly (190, Fig 10) connecting the second rotation member (Fig 10) and the pulling sub-assembly (indirectly via connection through 181, Fig 10), used to transmit a third force (motor rotating force of 190, Fig 10) to the pulling sub-assembly when the second rotation member moves (par 0056), to drive the pulling sub-assembly to move (par 0058).
Regarding claim 8, Kim discloses the electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: when an angle between the display and the support structure is within a first angle range (see lower Fig 3), the display is in a first structural form (lower Fig 3); when the angle between the display and the support structure is within a second angle range (upper Fig 3), the display is in a second structural form (upper Fig 3); and a curvature of the display in the first structural form is greater than a curvature of the display in the second structural form (see Fig 3).
Regarding claim 9, Kim discloses the electronic device according to claim 8, wherein: when the angle between the display and the support structure changes from the first angle range to the second angle range (see Fig 3), the drive assembly drives the display to switch from the first structural form to the second structural form (see Fig 3); and when the angle between the display and the support structure changes from the second angle range to the first angle range (see Fig 3), the drive assembly drives the display to switch from the second structural form to the first structural form (see Fig 3).
Regarding claim 10, Kim discloses the electronic device according to claim 2 further comprising a lock structure (170 and/or including 193, Fig 12), wherein: the lock structure locks the display in a second structural form (par 0063).
Regarding claim 11, Kim discloses the electronic device according to claim 2 further comprising a lock structure (170 and/or including 193, Fig 12), wherein: the back cover changes as a shape of the back plate changes (see Fig 3), such that the display has different structural forms (Fig 3).
Regarding claim 12, Kim discloses the electronic device according to claim 2 further comprising a lock structure (170 and/or including 193, Fig 12), wherein: a fiber layer (‘fiber layer’ here, interpreted as, a fiber optic layer/structure - facilitating the transmission of light - 120, Fig 1) is provided on the back of the back cover facing away from the display panel (see Fig 1).
Regarding claim 13, Kim discloses the electronic device according to claim 2 further comprising a lock structure (170 and/or including 193, Fig 12), wherein: the display also includes a backlight control panel (backlight unit par 0034, including/comprising panel 105, Fig 1) for controlling display parameters of the display panel (control 120, Fig 1) and/or a touch control panel for controlling touch parameters of the display panel, the backlight control panel is arranged on a main part of the support structure on the back cover or the back plate of the display (120 indirectly via portion 110, Fig 1), and/or the touch control panel is arranged in the support structure.
Regarding claim 14, Kim discloses the electronic device according to claim 3, wherein: a portion of the back plate corresponding to the first plate is provided with a third fixing member (109, Fig 1), the third fixing member is fixedly connected to a second end of the at least one first connection member (end of 108 connecting to 109, Fig 1), and when a tension force is applied to the at least one first connection member (force from pulling by 190), the tension force is applied to the back plate through the third fixing member (see Figs 1-3, 9).
Regarding claim 15, Kim discloses the electronic device according to claim 3, wherein: a guide member (structure forming 129, Fig 9) for guiding a movement path of the at least one first connection member is provided on the first plate (par 0054, Fig 9).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-7 and 16 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if the 112 rejection above is overcome and rewritten in independent form including all the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 6. The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein: the transmission sub-assembly includes a connection rod and a second rotation shaft disposed on the first plate, the connection rod rotating through the second rotation shaft; two opposite ends of the connection rod are respectively connected to the second rotation member and the pulling sub-assembly; when the second rotation member moves in a first direction, the connection rod transmits a fourth force to the pulling sub-assembly in a second direction to drive the pulling sub-assembly to move in the second direction; when the second rotation member moves in the second direction, the connection rod transmits a fifth force to the pulling sub-assembly in the first direction to drive the pulling sub- assembly to move in the first direction; and the first direction is opposite the second direction.
*Reason - Dependent claim 6, in combination with the remaining elements of the independent claim(s) from which it directly/indirectly depend, are not taught, or adequately suggested in the prior art of record. For example, the manner in which the second rotation shaft is disposed, including two opposite ends of the connection rod connected thereto.
Claim 7. The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein: the pulling sub assembly includes a second connection member movably connected to the connection rod of the transmission sub-assembly and at least one pulling member connected to the second connection member, and the at least one pulling member applies a sixth force in the first direction to the second connection member; and the second connection member is fixedly connected to the first end of the at least one first connection member, and is driven by the connection rod to apply a pulling force to the at least one first connection member in the first direction or the second direction.
*Reason - Dependent claim 7, in combination with the remaining elements of the independent claim(s) from which it directly/indirectly depend, are not taught, or adequately suggested in the prior art of record. For example, where the pulling member applies a force in a direction relative the second connection member.
Claim 16. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein: the rotation shaft structure includes a first rotation shaft and a second rotation shaft, the drive assembly includes a first drive assembly and a second drive assembly, the first rotation shaft and the first drive assembly are arranged in a first area on the first plate, the second rotation shaft and the second drive assembly are arranged in a second area on the first plate, and the first area and the second area are symmetrically arranged on both sides of a center line of the first plate.
*Reason - Dependent claim 16, in combination with the remaining elements of the independent claim(s) from which it directly/indirectly depend, are not taught, or adequately suggested in the prior art of record. For example, where the first and second areas are symmetrically arranged on both sides of center of first plate.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Jan - US 20200379507 A1, Figs 2A-2C. Teaches similar flexible display applying curvature mechanism.
Kim - US 10645828 B2, Fig 4A. Teaches similar flexible display applying curvature mechanism.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RASHEN E MORRISON whose telephone number is (571)272-8852. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5.
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/RASHEN E MORRISON/Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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