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 § 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) 1,3,5,12,13,15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oh et al. (US 10963016) in view of Kwon et al. (US 2020/0050285).
As to Claim 1, Oh et al. discloses An electronic device comprising: a first housing (fig.2, frame 151A); a second housing configured to slide with respect the first housing (fig.2, frame 151B; col.9, lines 20-24);
a flexible display in which a visible region visible from outside the electronic device is configured to be reduced or extended based on a slide-in or a slide-out driving of the second housing (fig.2, display 151; col.9, 1-10, 20-43);
a driving unit comprising a motor configured to generate a driving force for sliding the second housing (col.9, line 64-col.10, line 2);
memory comprising one or more storage media storing instructions (fig.1, 6; col.7, lines 4-32); and at least one processor, comprising processing circuitry (fig.1,6; col.7, lines 16-32), wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to:
control the driving unit such that a first region of the flexible display is shown as a first visible region in a first reduced state in which a portion of the second housing slides into the first housing (fig.2(b), 3(b), reduced state, first display region 151U is visible in reduced state and second frame 151B slidably moves relative to first frame 151A ; fig.4a,4b, area 441 is visible in a reduced state; fig. 5a,5b- area 441),
wherein a second region of the flexible display adjacent to the first region is disposed inside the second housing during the first reduced state (fig.2(b),3(b)-reduced state, second display region 151X adjacent first region 151U is disposed inside second frame 151B; fig.4-5- area 442 adjacent first area 441);
switch, in response to an extension trigger event (fig.19, col.25, lines 22-25), from the first reduced state to an extended state in which the portion of the second housing slides out from inside the first housing, the extended state being a state in which the first region of the flexible display and the second region of the flexible display are shown as a second visible region (fig.2a,3a- switch from reduced state (fig.2b,3b) to an extended state, first regions 151U,151X are visible; fig.4c,d-partial extended state, fig.4e,f – fully extended states; fig.9, extended state, content is provided according to selected layout via icons 902-904; see also fig.11, 14, 15); and
switch from the extended state to a second reduced state in response to a reduction trigger event, the second reduced state being a state in which the second region is shown as at least a portion of a third visible region , wherein an area of the third visible region is equal to an area of the first visible region.
Oh et al. does not expressly disclose switch from the extended state to a second reduced state in response to a reduction trigger event, the second reduced state being a state in which the second region is shown as at least a portion of a third visible region, wherein an area of the third visible region is equal to an area of the first visible region.
However, Oh et al. discloses where when the display may be partially extended and fully extended from a reduced state, and where first area 441 in the reduced state (first visible region, fig.4a,b-5) is of a predetermined first size and the second area 442 may have a size corresponding to a degree to which the display size of the display is changed (col.11, lines 9-11; fig.4c,4d –partially extended, where second area 442 is partially visible). Oh et al. further discloses where the display may be slidable moved in an opposite direction to be in retracted state (fig.2-3; col.9, lines 35-43). Oh et al. further discloses where the size of the display may be controlled by controlling a moving direction of the first edge 210 (col.9, lines 64-col.10, line 10).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement a second reduced state, by reducing the display device from fully extended state (fig.4e) to a partial extended state (fig.4c) such that a portion of second area 442 is displayed as third region, since Oh et al. discloses the display may be slidably retracted in a direction opposite to that of the extended direction. Therefore, in doing so would have not modified the operation of the device, yielding predictable results.
Oh et al. does not expressly disclose wherein an area of the third visible region is equal to an area of the first visible region.
Kwon et al. discloses a flexible display that may be reduced to a second reduced state from an extended state (fig.9b-9c- para.0182-0183- the display is extended by expansion area 330 corresponding to d4, and reduced to a second reduced state in which the screen is reduced by a specific ratio value, corresponding to expansion area 340, d5).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Oh et al. with the teachings of Kwon et al., such that the second area 442 in the partial reduced state (fig.4c of Oh) is equal to an area of first area 441, by reducing the display from fully extended state to a partial extended state by specific ratio value (as disclosed by Kwon). The motivation being to provide enlarged content with an optimized resolution.
As to Claim 3, Oh et al. in view of Kwon et al. disclose wherein an area of the second visible region is equal to a sum of the area of the first region and the area of the second region (Oh-fig.2-5,11,14; fully extended state includes area 441 and 442 as visible areas).
As to Claim 5, Oh et al. in view of Kwon et al. disclose wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to: switch from the second reduced state to the extended state in response to the extension trigger event (fig.19, col.25, lines 22-25; Kwon-para.0182, 0193); and control the driving unit such that switching from the extended state to the first reduced state is performed in response to receiving the reduction trigger event after switching from the second reduced state to the extended state (Kwon-para.0183).
Claims 12-13,15 are method claims drawn to the apparatus of Claims 1,3,5 and are met by the references as set forth above.
Claim(s) 4, 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oh et al. (US 10963016) in view of Kwon et al. (US 2020/0050285), further in view of Delaporte (US 2022/0311848).
As to Claim 4, Oh et al. in view of Kwon et al. do not expressly disclose wherein, during the second reduced state, a remaining region of the first region, other than the portion of the first region forming the third visible region, is disposed inside the first housing.
Oh et al. discloses where when the display may be partially extended and fully extended from a reduced state, and where first area 441 in the reduced state (first visible region, fig.4a,b-5) is of a predetermined first size and the second area 442 may have a size corresponding to a degree to which the display size of the display is changed (col.11, lines 9-11; fig.4c,4d –partially extended, where second area 442 is partially visible).
Delaporte discloses a flexible display where in a partial expanded state where the remaining portion of the flexible display 51, other than the portion of flexible display that is visible in the partial retracted state 33 is rolled inside housing 17 (fig.4-5, para.0032).
The combination of Oh et al. in view of Kwon et al, and Delaporte each element would have
performed the same function as it did separately. Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art would have
recognized that the results of the combination would yield predictable results, in particular a partial reduced state as claimed. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device disclosed by Oh et al. in view of Kwon et al., with the teachings of Delaporte, to provide a flexible display that may be displaced internally to provide a fully retracted, partially expanded and fully expanded state.
Claim 14 is a method claims drawn to the apparatus of Claim 4 and are met by the references as set forth above.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-11, 16-20 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: Claims 6,9,11,16,19 are allowable over the prior art of record for the reasons set forth in office action 01/12/2026.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1,12 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection applied as necessitated by amendment.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 form.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DISMERY E. MERCEDES whose telephone number is (571)272-7558. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm, EST.
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/DISMERY MERCEDES/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2627
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