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.
(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) 1-2 and 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hong 2024/0306317.
Regarding claim 1, Hong discloses a display apparatus (1, Fig 1), comprising: at least two display devices (5a or 5b for example, Fig 1), a splicing gap (along S1, Fig 2) being formed between two adjacent display devices of the at least two display devices (as in Fig 2); a transition bracket (GL, Fig 9) disposed on a backside of the two adjacent display devices (Fig 9), a portion of the transition bracket (340, Fig 9) extending into the splicing gap (Fig 9), and the transition bracket being detachably connected to at least one of the two adjacent display devices (via portion 350, Fig 9); and a supplementary light assembly (assembly/array of 53G across, Fig 3) detachably connected to the transition bracket (via portion 350, see Fig 3 with respect to Fig 9); wherein the supplementary light assembly comprises: one or more light bars (individual portions of 53 and/or including 360, Figs 6, 9) disposed on a light emitting side of the two adjacent display devices (on side above 53, Fig 3), the one or more light bars covering the splicing gap (53 including 360, Fig 6); one or more first transmission members (330, Figs 3, 6) disposed within the splicing gap (Figs 3, 6), a first terminal (331a, Fig 6) of each first transmission member being electrically connected to a side of a corresponding one of the one or more light bars (connected via 57, 55, 53, Fig 6) away from the light emitting side (on 51b layer, Fig 6), and a second terminal of the first transmission member (57 on one side, Fig 6) extending toward the backside of the two adjacent display devices (Fig 6) and passing through the splicing gap (extending down toward back of display, Fig 6); one or more transition boards (51a, Fig 6) each disposed on a side of a corresponding one or more of the one or more first transmission members (top side away from light bar, Fig 6) away from the one or more light bars (at top side, Fig 6), a first terminal of the transition board (end of 55 connecting to 57, Fig 6) being electrically connected to the second terminal of each of the corresponding one or more first transmission members (Fig 6); and one or more second transmission members (310 and/or including 320, Fig 6) each disposed on the backside of the two adjacent display devices (Fig 6), a first terminal (321, Figs 3, 6) of the second transmission member being detachably connected to a second terminal (336, Figs 3, 6) of a corresponding one of the one or more transition boards (Fig 6).
Regarding claim 2, Hong discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one or more first transmission members and the one or more transition boards are disposed in a same plane (see Figs 3, 6), and each transition board is disposed to be perpendicular to each light bar (light bar 53 considered perpendicular to transition board); and wherein the one or more first transmission members and the one or more transition boards are disposed separately from the two adjacent display devices (330 considered separately disposed, Figs 3, 6).
Regarding claim 16, Hong discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a width of the splicing gap is smaller than a width of each of the one or more light bars (see Fig 9, for example).
Regarding claim 17, Hong discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one or more first transmission members are each a printed circuit board (see par 0059), and the one or more second transmission members are each a flexible flat cable (321 considered type of flex flat cable coupler par 0060).
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.
Claim(s) 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hong discloses 2024/0306317in view of Xia 2016/0202523.
Regarding claim 19, Hong discloses a display apparatus (1, Fig 1), comprising: at least two display devices (5a or 5b for example, Fig 1), a splicing gap (along S1, Fig 2) being formed between two adjacent display devices of the at least two display devices (as in Fig 2); a transition bracket (GL, Fig 9) disposed on a backside of the two adjacent display devices (Fig 9), a portion (340, Fig 9) of the transition bracket extending into the splicing gap (Fig 9), and the transition bracket being detachably connected to at least one of the two adjacent display devices (via portion 350, Fig 9); and a supplementary light assembly (assembly/array of 53G across, Fig 3) detachably connected to the transition bracket (via portion 350, see Fig 3 with respect to Fig 9); wherein the supplementary light assembly comprises: one or more light bars (individual portions of 53 and/or including 360, Figs 6, 9) disposed on a light emitting side of the two adjacent display devices (on side above 53, Fig 3), the one or more light bars covering the splicing gap (53 including 360, Fig 6); one or more first transmission members (330, Figs 3, 6) disposed within the splicing gap (Figs 3, 6), a first terminal (331a, Fig 6) of each first transmission member being electrically connected to a side of a corresponding one of the one or more light bars (connected via 57, 55 or 53, Fig 6) away from the light emitting side (on 51b layer, Fig 6), and a second terminal (57 on one side, Fig 6) of the first transmission member extending toward the backside of the two adjacent display devices and passing through the splicing gap (extending down toward back of display, Fig 6); one or more transition boards (51a, Fig 6) each disposed on a side of a corresponding one or more of the one or more first transmission members (top side away from light bar, Fig 6) away from the one or more light bars (at top side, Fig 6), a first terminal (end of 55 connecting to 57, Fig 6) of the transition board being electrically connected to the second terminal of each of the corresponding one or more first transmission members (Fig 6); one or more second transmission members (310, Fig 6) each disposed on the backside of the two adjacent display devices (Fig 6), a first terminal (320, Figs 3, 6) of the second transmission member being detachably connected to a second terminal (336, Figs 3, 6) of a corresponding one of the one or more transition boards (Figs 3, 6).
Hong discloses the claimed invention except for expressly teaching a controller fixed to the backside of one of the two adjacent display devices, a second terminal of the second transmission member being electrically connected to the controller.
Xia however, teaches a similar apparatus (Fig 18) including a controller (16, Fig 18) fixed to the backside of one of the two adjacent display devices (fixed via 13, Fig 18), a second terminal (7, Fig 18) of a second transmission member (4, Fig 18) being electrically connected to the controller (Fig 18).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the structure of Hong to include a control fixed to the backside of display devices as claimed, and, as taught by Xia, in order to process image signals and regulate the electrical current sent to individual pixels in individual displays to form a clear picture, thereby improving functionality.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-15, 18 and 20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent
form including all the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The dependent claims listed below, in combination with the remaining
elements of the independent claim(s) from which they directly/indirectly depend,
are not taught or adequately suggested in the prior art of record.
[Claim 3]. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the supplementary light assembly further comprises at least two spacers disposed on the side of each light bar away from the light emitting side, the at least two spacers are disposed on two sides of a corresponding one of the one or more light bars respectively, and the at least two spacers are detachably connected to the transition bracket; and wherein the at least two spacers are disposed in the splicing gap.
[Claim 4]. The display apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the transition bracket comprises a transition body and a plurality of fixing rods disposed on a side of the transition body, and the one or more light bars and the one or more transition boards are detachably connected to the plurality of fixing rods. *Claims 8-14 depend either indirectly or directly from claim 4 and are therefore allowable for at least the same reason.
[Claim 5]. The display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of grooves are provided on a side of the plurality of fixing rods closer to the one or more light bars, the plurality of grooves correspond to the at least two spacers, and the at least two spacers are fitted into the respective grooves. *Claims 6-7 depend directly on claim 5 and are therefore allowable for at least the same reason.
[Claim 15]. The display apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the at least two spacers are fixedly connected to the corresponding light bar by an adhesive layer or a solder material.
[Claim 18]. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a spacing between light emitting devices in each light bar and light emitting devices, adjacent to the light emitting devices in the light bar, in each of the two adjacent display devices is equal to a spacing between two adjacent ones of the light emitting devices in each of the two adjacent display devices.
[Claim 20]. The display apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the transition bracket comprises a transition body and a plurality of fixing rods disposed on a side of the transition body, the transition body comprises a first body and a second body disposed to be perpendicular to each other, the first body and the one or more light bars are disposed in parallel, and an orthogonal projection of the second body on the display apparatus is within the splicing gap; wherein one or more receiving cavities are further provided between the second body and the plurality of fixing rods, a receiving inlet is provided on a side of each receiving cavity closer to the one or more light bars, and a receiving outlet is provided on a side of the receiving cavity away from the one or more light bars; and wherein each first transmission member and each transition board enter into a corresponding one of the one or more receiving cavities from the receiving inlet, and the second terminal of the transition board at the receiving outlet is connected to the first terminal of the corresponding second transmission member.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Li - US 20240011609 A1, Figs 1-3. Teaches light bar between adjacent displays within splicing gap.
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/RASHEN E MORRISON/Examiner, Art Unit 2841 /IMANI N HAYMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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