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 disclosure should be carefully reviewed to ensure that any and all grammatical, idiomatic, and spelling or other minor errors are corrected.
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 5 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.
With respect to claim 5, line 2, “it” is unclear and indefinite. Applicant should define what element “it” refers to.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 1, 2 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN 218824783.
With respect to claim 1, CN 218824783 discloses a display apparatus [figures 10-15], comprising:
a reflective display panel [400], having a display surface [top surface of 400];
a light guide plate [200], disposed on one side of the display surface [top surface of 400] of the reflective display panel [400], and having a first light incident surface [210] and a first surface [230] connected to each other, the first surface [230] faces the display surface [top surface of 400] of the reflective display panel [400];
a first light source [100], disposed on one side of the first light incident surface [210] of the light guide plate [200], and configured to emit a plurality of first light beams toward the first light incident surface [210] of the light guide plate [200]; and
a plurality of optical microstructures [240], disposed on a second surface [220] of the light guide plate [200], wherein the second surface [220] connects the first light incident surface [210] and is opposite to the first surface [230], the plurality of optical microstructures [240] each have a plane [the top surface of the microstructure, 240], the plane is parallel to the second surface [220], and an included angle between an extension direction of each of the plurality of optical microstructures [400] and the first light incident surface [210] of the light guide plate [200] is greater than or equal to 45 degrees and less than or equal to 90 degrees [figure 11 shows an incident angle of 90 degrees if the extension direction is considered to be extending from the light incident surface].
With respect to claim 2, CN 218824783 discloses the extension direction of each of the plurality of optical microstructures [400] is perpendicular to the first light incident surface [210] of the light guide plate [200; see figure 11].
With respect to claim 8, CN 218824783 discloses the plane of each of the plurality of optical microstructures [400] is protruded from the second surface [220] along a direction away from the first surface [230; see figures 11 and 12], or recessed from the second surface [220] along a direction toward the first surface [230; see figures 11 and 13].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-7 and 9-10 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 and satisfy 35 USC 112 requirements above (claim 5).
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
In a display apparatus, comprising:
a reflective display panel, having a display surface;
a light guide plate, disposed on one side of the display surface of the reflective display panel, and having a first light incident surface and a first surface connected to each other, the first surface faces the display surface of the reflective display panel;
a first light source, disposed on one side of the first light incident surface of the light guide plate, and configured to emit a plurality of first light beams toward the first light incident surface of the light guide plate; and
a plurality of optical microstructures, disposed on a second surface of the light guide plate, wherein the second surface connects the first light incident surface and is opposite to the first surface, the plurality of optical microstructures each have a plane, the plane is parallel to the second surface, and an included angle between an extension direction of each of the plurality of optical microstructures and the first light incident surface of the light guide plate is greater than or equal to 45 degrees and less than or equal to 90 degrees;
prior art fails to show or suggest:
The included angle between the extension direction of each of the plurality of optical microstructures and the first light incident surface of the light guide plate is less than 90 degrees;
The plurality of optical microstructures include a plurality of first optical microstructures and a plurality of second optical microstructures, each of the plurality of second optical microstructures is located between the plurality of first optical microstructures and the first light incident surface, and a first length of each of the plurality of first optical microstructures in the extension direction is greater than a second length of each of the plurality of second optical microstructures in the extension direction;
The plurality of optical microstructures include a plurality of first optical microstructures and a plurality of second optical microstructures arranged along an arrangement direction, each of the plurality of second optical microstructures is located between the plurality of first optical microstructures and the first light incident surface, any two adjacent ones of the plurality of first optical microstructures arranged along the arrangement direction have a first spacing, any two adjacent ones of the plurality of second optical microstructures arranged along the arrangement direction have a second spacing, and the second spacing is greater than the first spacing;
The plurality of optical microstructures include a plurality of first optical microstructures and a plurality of second optical microstructures, the plurality of first optical microstructures and the plurality of second optical microstructures are alternately arranged along an arrangement direction, a first length of each of the plurality of first optical microstructures in the extension direction is greater than a second length of each of the plurality of second optical microstructures in the extension direction, and the arrangement direction intersects the extension direction; or
Further comprising a second light source, disposed on one side of a second light incident surface of the lightguide plate, and configured to emit a plurality of second light beams toward the second light incident surface of the light guide plate, the second light incident surface connects the first surface and the second surface and is opposite to the first light incident surface, wherein the plurality of optical microstructures include a plurality of first optical microstructures, a plurality of second optical microstructures and a plurality of third optical microstructures, each of the plurality of second optical microstructures is located between the plurality of first optical microstructures and the first light incident surface, each of the plurality of third optical microstructures is located between the plurality of first optical microstructures and the second light incident surface, a first length of each of the plurality of first optical microstructures in the extension direction is greater than a second length of each of the plurality of second optical microstructures in the extension direction and a third length of each of the plurality of third optical microstructures in the extension direction.
There is no suggestion in the reference of CN 218824783 itself or any other prior art discovered during a reasonable search that teaches or suggest the recited elements and limitations in claims 3-7 and 9-10.
Prior Art of Record
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yao et al. (2021/0373225) – note figures 1, 2C, 3C and 4-6;
Liao et al. (2020/0233142) – note figures 1 and 2;
Pao et al. (2015/0338565) – note figures 1-9; and
Li et al. (2013/0257880) – note figures 10-13.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LAURA TSO whose telephone number is (571)272-2385. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thu 7:30a-4:00p.
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, Abdulmajeed Aziz can be reached at 571-270-5046. 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.
/LAURA K TSO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875