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 .
Specification
The specification is objected to as failing to provide proper antecedent basis for the claimed subject matter. See 37 CFR 1.75(d)(1) and MPEP § 608.01(o). Correction of the following is required: the phrase “linear narrow area” in claims 1-2 has no antecedent basis in the specification.
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 1-15 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.
The term “highly transparent areas having high optical transparency” in claims 1-3 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The terms “highly transparent” and “high optical transparency” are not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. What is considered “highly transparent” and “high optical transparency” is not specified and so different persons of ordinary skill in the art will have different opinions/definitions of whether a given invention is highly transparent.
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 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakajima (US 20200192298) in view of Lu (US 20150070735).
Regarding claim 1, Nakajima discloses (Figs. 1-3, 6) a display device comprising: a solar panel comprising (25): power generators (501-508); and a connection area (511-517) which connects the power generators, which generates a smaller amount of power than the power generators generate (the area of the connection areas is smaller than the area of the power generators, so power generated from the solar panel area corresponding to the connection area of the solar panel is less than the power generated by the other areas of the power generators), and which is a linear narrow area (Fig. 6 shows 511-517 being formed out of rectilinear borders) narrower than the power generators (Fig. 6); and a display board (2, 32) comprising: highly transparent areas (770, 780, 790) having high optical transparency ([0030]: these areas are windows and therefore transparent); and a second area (32) having another optical transparency ([0071] discloses the second area being formed from ABS resin), wherein: the highly transparent areas are disposed to overlap with each area where the power generators are disposed (257-259 in Fig. 3 align the highly transparent areas and the power generators) and not to overlap with an area where the connection area is disposed (511, 514, 517 are disposed outside the area of the generators projected onto the solar panel; see Fig. 6 and [0106]-[0108] and [0110]-[0112]: the highly transparent areas are delimited by the borders of 503-506 away from 511, 514, 517), and the second area (32) is disposed to overlap with the area where the connection area is disposed ([0132]).
Nakajima does not show the second area being a less transparent area having lower optical transparency than the highly transparent areas have.
Lu teaches an opaque ABS resin ([0038]).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have substituted Lu’s ABS resin for Nakajima’s ABS resin, so that the second area is a less transparent area with a lower optical transparency than that of the highly transparent areas. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this substitution as an equivalent material solution that predictably creates a legible dial and improves reception ([0071] of Nakajima).
Regarding claim 2, Nakajima discloses (Figs. 1-3, 6) a display device comprising: a solar panel (25) comprising: power generators (501-508), each of the power generators including solar cells (501-508); and a connection area (511-517) which connects to each of the solar cells of the power generators, and which generates a smaller amount of power than the power generators generate (the area of the connection areas is smaller than the area of the power generators, so power generated from the solar panel area corresponding to the connection area of the solar panel is less than the power generated by the other areas of the power generators); and a display board comprising: highly transparent areas (770, 780, 790) having high optical transparency ([0030]: these areas are windows); and a second area (32) having another optical transparency ([0071] discloses the second area being formed from ABS resin), wherein: the connection area is a linear narrow area (Fig. 6 shows 511-517 being formed out of rectilinear borders) narrower than the power generators, the highly transparent areas are disposed to overlap with each area where the power generators are disposed (257-259 in Fig. 3 align the transparent areas and power generators) and not to overlap with an area where the connection area is disposed (511, 514, 517 are disposed outside the area of the generators projected onto the solar panel; see Fig. 6 and [0106]-[0108] and [0110]-[0112]: the highly transparent areas are delimited by the borders of 503-506 away from 511, 514, 517), and the second area is disposed to overlap with an area where the connection area is disposed ([0132]).
Nakajima does not show the second area being a less transparent area having lower optical transparency than the highly transparent areas have.
Lu teaches an opaque ABS resin ([0038]).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have substituted Lu’s ABS resin for Nakajima’s ABS resin, so that the second area is a less transparent area with a lower optical transparency than that of the highly transparent areas. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this substitution as an equivalent material solution that predictably creates a legible dial and improves reception ([0071] of Nakajima).
Regarding claim 3, Nakajima discloses (Figs. 1-3, 6) display device comprising: a solar panel (25) comprising: power generators (501-508) which are disposed apart from each other (Fig. 3: the generators are separated by dividing lines); and a connection area (511-517) which connects the power generators and which generates a smaller amount of power than the power generators generate (the area of the connection areas is smaller than the area of the power generators, so power generated from the solar panel area corresponding to the connection area of the solar panel is less than the power generated by the other areas of the power generators); and a display board comprising: highly transparent areas (770, 780, 790) having high optical transparency ([0030]: these areas are windows); and a second area (32) having another optical transparency ([0071]: 32 is made from ABS resin), wherein: the highly transparent areas are disposed to overlap with each area where the power generators are disposed (257-259 in Fig. 3 align the highly transparent areas and power generators) and not to overlap with an area where the connection area is disposed (511, 514, 517 are disposed outside the area of the generators projected onto the solar panel; see Fig. 6 and [0106]-[0108] and [0110]-[0112]: the highly transparent areas are delimited by the borders of 503-506 away from 511, 514, 517) and the second area is disposed to overlap with an area where the connection area is disposed ([0132]).
Nakajima does not show the second area being a less transparent area having lower optical transparency than the highly transparent areas have.
Lu teaches an opaque ABS resin ([0038]).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have substituted Lu’s ABS resin for Nakajima’s ABS resin, so that the second area is a less transparent area with a lower optical transparency than that of the highly transparent areas. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this substitution as an equivalent material solution that predictably creates a legible dial and improves reception ([0071] of Nakajima).
Regarding claims 4-6, Nakajima discloses (Figs. 3, 6) the display device according to claims 1-3, respectively, wherein: an entirety of the highly transparent areas (770, 780, 790) overlaps with areas where the power generators (503-506) are disposed, and the less transparent area is disposed to overlap with an entirety of the area where the connection area is disposed ([0132]: the connection areas are obscured by 32). Paragraphs [0106]-[108] and [0110]-[0112] disclose that the lines dividing 501-508 are drawn to follow outer circumferences of 770, 780, and 790 such that the entirety of these highly transparent areas overlaps the power generators.
Regarding claims 7-9, Nakajima in view of Lu discloses (Figs. 2-3 of Nakajima) a timepiece (title of Nakajima) comprising: the display device according to claims 1-3, respectively, wherein the display board is a dial (2, 32); and a module (20) is disposed under the dial, wherein the less transparent area of the dial is made of a material that has transmittance of substantially zero. The less transparent area is made of opaque ABS resin ([0038] of Lu). Opaque materials by definition have zero transmittance.
Regarding claims 10-12, Nakajima discloses (Figs. 2-3) the timepiece according to claims 7-9, respectively, wherein: the dial (2) comprises a position-fixing member (3A, 4B-4D) that positions and fixes the solar panel (via holes 253 and 257-259; see [0095]), and the position-fixing member positions and fixes the solar panel on the dial. Figs. 2-3 show that the dial and solar panel are centered and fixed to one another by shafts 3A and 4B-4D inserted through holes 253 and 257-259.
Claims 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakajima in view of Lu as applied to claims 7-9, and further in view of Nagahama (US 20130148482).
Regarding claims 13-15, Nakajima teaches (Fig. 3) the timepiece according to claims 7-9, respectively, further comprising: a date indicator (5) which is disposed between the solar panel (25) and the module (20) and which has a ring shape along a rim of the module (Fig. 3).
The combination of Nakajima and Lu does not show that the solar panel is fixed and supported on at least three points in the rim of the module.
Nakajima teaches (Fig. 6) three points (arrows in image below) on a rim of the solar panel, and the rim of the solar panel being aligned with and supported by a rim of the module (Fig. 3—alignment lines).
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Nagahama teaches (Fig. 1) three points (52-53) of an upper plate, the upper plate being fixed and supported on three points (33-34) in a rim of a module that is a lower plate (10).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined Nagahama’s three points in the module’s rim with Nakajima such that the module’s three points engage Nakajima’s solar panel’s three points, as suggested by Nagahama. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this combination to secure the solar panel to the module so that the timepiece does not fall apart.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Blanckaert et al. (US 20120082012) discloses a dial with areas that are selectively opaque and selectively transparent ([0005]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Matthew Hwang whose telephone number is (571)272-1191. The examiner can normally be reached M-F from 9:30-5:30 PT.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Renee Luebke can be reached at (571)272-2009. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MATTHEW DANIEL HWANG/Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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