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
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.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Byun US 20220167496.
Regarding claim 1, Byun US 20220167496 discloses An electronic device (100 in Fig. 10) comprising:
a display (500 in Fig. 10) comprising a first area (area at 200 in Fig. 10) and a second area (area at 400 in Fig. 10);
a first housing (housing at 200 in Fig. 10) supporting the first area (area at 200);
a second housing (housing at 400 in Fig. 10) supporting the second area (area at 400);
a hinge structure (hinge structure between housing at 200 and housing at 400 in Fig. 10) foldably connecting the first housing (housing at 200) to the second housing (housing at 400) based on a folding axis A and adjusting a folding angle formed by the first housing (housing at 200) and the second housing (housing at 400) relative to the folding axis A (as depicted in Fig. 10 see [0088] and [0091]); and
a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) (1 in Fig. 1) extending in an extending direction,
wherein the FPCB (1) comprises:
a driving area (300 in Fig. 1) traversing the folding axis and at least partially bending in response to a change in the folding angle (as depicted in Fig. 1-3);
a first fixed area (200 in Fig. 1) extending from the driving area (300) to a first space formed by the first housing (housing at 200); and
a second fixed area (400 in Fig. 1) extending from the driving area (300) to a second space formed by the second housing (housing at 400),
wherein the FPCB (1) comprises:
a first base layer (10 in Fig. 1) comprising a first base surface and a second base surface opposite to the first base surface;
a first metal layer (20 in Fig. 1) arranged on the second base surface and forming a plurality of signal lines extending in the extending direction; and
a first cover layer (220 in Fig. 1) arranged to cover the first metal layer (20) in a direction of the second base surface,
wherein a thickness t1 (the thickness is 0) of the first cover layer (220) in the driving area (300) is different from a thickness of the first cover layer (220) in the first fixed area (200) or the second fixed area (300 as depicted in Fig. 1).
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Oh US 20200356143.
Regarding claim 1, Oh US 20200356143 discloses an electronic device (10 in Fig. 1c) comprising:
a display (100 in Fig. 1c) comprising a first area (101 in Fig. 1c) and a second area (104 in Fig. 1c);
a first housing (510 in Fig. 1c) supporting the first area (101);
a second housing (520 in Fig. 1c) supporting the second area (104);
a hinge structure (440 in Fig. 1c) foldably connecting the first housing (510) to the second housing (520) based on a folding axis A and adjusting a folding angle formed by the first housing (510) and the second housing (520) relative to the folding axis A; and
a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) (430/220 in Fig. 1c see[0114]) extending in an extending direction,
wherein the FPCB comprises:
a driving area (2202 in Fig. 7) traversing the folding axis and at least partially bending in response to a change in the folding angle (as depicted in Fig. 1-3);
a first fixed area (2201 in Fig. 7) extending from the driving area (2202) to a first space formed by the first housing (510); and
a second fixed area (2203 in Fig. 7) extending from the driving area (2202) to a second space formed by the second housing (520),
wherein the FPCB comprises:
a first base layer (layer of 710 below 221 in Fig. 7) comprising a first base surface and a second base surface opposite to the first base surface;
a first metal layer (221 in Fig. 7) arranged on the second base surface and forming a plurality of signal lines extending in the extending direction; and
a first cover layer (layer of 710 above 221 in Fig. 7) arranged to cover the first metal layer (221) in a direction of the second base surface,
wherein a thickness t1 (the thickness at 2202) of the first cover layer (layer of 710 above 221) in the driving area (2202) is different from a thickness of the first cover layer (layer of 710 above 221) in the first fixed area (2201) or the second fixed area (2203 as depicted in Fig. 7).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-20 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:
Regarding claim 2, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in claim 1, a combination of limitations that “wherein the first cover layer comprises: a first cover portion arranged in the driving area and having a first thickness; a second cover portion arranged in the first fixed area and having a second thickness t2 that is different from the first thickness; and a third cover portion arranged in the second fixed area and having a third thickness t3 that is different from the first thickness”.
None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Claims 3-10 depending from claim 2 would therefore also be allowable.
Regarding claim 11, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in claim 1, a combination of limitations that “wherein the hinge structure further comprises: a first support plate connecting the first housing to a hinge housing; and a second support plate connecting the second housing to the hinge housing, wherein the FPCB further comprises: a first fastening member fixed to the first support plate; and a second fastening member fixed to the second support plate”.
None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Claims 12-13 depending from claim 11 would therefore also be allowable.
Regarding claim 14, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in claim 1, a combination of limitations that “wherein the FPCB further comprises: a second base layer arranged on the first base layer to be opposite to the first metal layer; a second metal layer arranged on the second base layer to be opposite to the first base layer; and a second cover layer arranged on the second base layer to cover the second metal layer”.
None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Claim 15 depending from claim 14 would therefore also be allowable.
Regarding claim 16, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in the claim, a combination of limitations that “a second metal layer arranged on the second base layer to be opposite to the first base layer; and
a second cover layer arranged on the second base layer to cover the second metal layer,
wherein the FPCB comprises, based on the extending direction, a driving area, a first fixed area, and a second fixed area,
wherein the first fixed area and the second fixed area are arranged in opposite directions to each other relative to the driving area,
wherein a thickness of the first cover layer in the driving area is different from a thickness of the first cover layer in the first fixed area or the second fixed area”.
None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding claim 20, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in the claim, a combination of limitations that “a second metal layer arranged on the second base layer to be opposite to the first base layer; and
a second cover layer arranged on the second base layer to cover the second metal layer,
wherein a thickness of the first cover layer in the driving area is greater than a thickness of the first cover layer in the first fixed area or the second fixed area,
wherein an interval between the plurality of signal lines in the driving area is greater than an interval between the plurality of signal lines in the first fixed area or an interval between the plurality of signal lines in the second fixed area”.
None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Park US 20200060020 Fig. 5; Woo 20200267839 Fig. 7a-9 disclose and electronic device with a hinge structure having a FPCB.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER L AUGUSTIN whose telephone number is (571)270-7659. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8 am - 3 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, Allen L Parker can be reached at 303-297-4722. 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.
/CHRISTOPHER L AUGUSTIN/Examiner, Art Unit 2841
/JAMES WU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
Prosecution Insights