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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) as being anticipated by Muurinen (U.S. Patent 5,408,060).
With regards to Claim 1, Muurinen discloses an electronic apparatus [Figures 1-13] including:
An exterior body (5-6, 30) having, on a front side, a display [e.g., “A,” “1”] that shows at least one of a character, a symbol, or a figure [note Figures 1-13]; and
A light-emitting device (7, 20) that is provided inside the exterior body at a position facing the display and that is configured to emit light to an outside through the exterior body [note Figures 1-13],
Wherein a difference in transmittance of the light emitted from the light-emitting device is generated between a region corresponding to the display [e.g., (13)] and a region on a periphery in the exterior body [e.g., (5-6)].
With regards to Claim 2, Muurinen discloses a transmission suppression layer containing a layer (13) having lower light transmittance than the periphery is formed on an inner surface of the exterior body [note Figure 5], to suppress transmission of the light in the region corresponding to the display [note Figures 1-13].
With regards to Claim 3, Muurinen discloses the transmission suppression layer (13) being formed by printing.1
With regards to Claim 4, Muurinen discloses the transmission suppression layer (13) being formed by attaching an attachment member (13) [note Figure 5].1
With regards to Claim 5, Muurinen discloses the material having lower light transmittance being a coating material (13) that absorbs light having a wavelength in a visible light range [note Figure 5].
With regards to Claim 6, Muurinen discloses the display [e.g., “A,” “1”] shows at least one of the character, the symbol, or the figure by using a difference in a three-dimensional shape (13) from the periphery on the front surface [note Figure 5].
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) as being anticipated by Muurinen (U.S. Patent 5,408,060).
With regards to Claim 11, Muurinen discloses a method of manufacturing an electronic apparatus [Figures 1-13] including:
Preparing an exterior body (5-6, 30) having, on a front surface, a display [e.g., “A,” “1”] that shows at least one of a character, a symbol, or a figure [note Figures 1-13]; the exterior body emitting light from a light-emitting device (7, 20) that is provided inside the exterior body at a position facing the display to an outside through the exterior body [note Figures 1-13],
Performing processing of generating a difference in transmittance of the light emitted from the light-emitting device is generated between a region corresponding to the display [e.g., (13)] and a region on a periphery in the exterior body [e.g., (5-6)].
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 7 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Muurinen (U.S. Patent 5,408,060) as applied to Claim 6 above, and further in view of Oh (U.S. Publication 2014/0133128 A1)
With regards to Claim 7, Muurinen discloses the claimed invention as cited above, but does not specifically teach the three-dimensional shape is a shape that protrudes to an outer side of the exterior body rather than the periphery.
Oh teaches a three-dimensional shape [e.g., Figures 4A, C: (630)] is a shape that protrudes to an outer side of an exterior body rather than a periphery. Oh specifically discloses, “The first pattern 630 may be at least one selected from among an embossed pattern, an engraved pattern, and a printed pattern” [Paragraph 94].
It would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the three-dimensional shape of Muurinen to have a shape that protrudes to an outer side of the exterior body rather than the periphery, as taught in principle by Oh, since such a modification is considered functionally equivalent in producing the desired illumination/character/display effect, whether that is through an embossed, engraved, or printed pattern.
With regards to Claim 9, Muurinen discloses the claimed invention as cited above, but does not specifically teach a stripe pattern consisting of periodic recessed and protruding portions being formed on the front surface of the exterior body, and the difference in the three-dimensional shape being a difference in height of the protruding portion of the stripe pattern.
Oh teaches a stripe pattern (620, 630, 640) consisting of periodic recessed and protruding portions being formed on a front surface of an exterior body, and the difference in the three-dimensional shape being a difference in a height of the protruding portion of the stripe pattern [note Figures 1-3].
It would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the electronic apparatus of Muurinen to have incorporated the stripe pattern consisting of periodic recessed and protruding portions being formed on the front surface of the exterior body, and the difference in the three-dimensional shape being a difference in height of the protruding portion of the stripe pattern, as taught in principle by Oh, since such a configuration is considered functionally equivalent in producing the desired illumination/character/display effect, and whereby the stripe pattern with difference in the three-dimensional shape being a difference in height of the protruding portion of the stripe pattern may provide a greater contrast as desired.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Muurinen (U.S. Patent 5,408,060) as applied to Claim 6 above, and further in view of Takii et al. (U.S. Patent 5,036,440).
With regards to Claim 8, Muurinen discloses the claimed invention as cited above, but does not specifically teach a coating film being formed on an outer side of the exterior body, and a thickness of the coating film in a transmission portion through which the light from the light-emitting device is transmitted is set to be less than a thickness of the coating film in another region.
Takii discloses a coating film (15) formed on an outer side of an exterior body (11), and a thickness of the coating film in a transmission portion (16) through which the light from a light-emitting device (17) is transmitted is set to be less than a thickness of the coating film in another region [note Figure 1].
It would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the electronic apparatus of Muurinen to have incorporated the coating film of Takii, such that a thickness of the coating film in a transmission portion through which the light from the light-emitting device is transmitted is set to be less than a thickness of the coating film in another region. Such an obvious modification would provide a low-cost and effective transmissivity as desired.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Muurinen (U.S. Patent 5,408,060).
With regards to Claim 10, Muurinen discloses the claimed invention as cited above, but does not specifically the electronic apparatus having a printer function, and the light-emitting device is provided at a position facing the display formed on a surface of the exterior body opposite to a side on which a film containing a photosensitive material is accommodated.
However, it would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the electronic apparatus of Muurinen to have incorporated a printer function, and the light-emitting device is provided at a position facing the display formed on a surface of the exterior body opposite to a side on which a film containing a photosensitive material is accommodated. Such an obvious modification of electronic devices, whether phone or printer, is an obvious matter of application. In this case, it is considered obvious that one could incorporate the display functionality within a printer such that the light-emitting device is provided at a position facing the display formed on a surface of the exterior body opposite to a side on which a film containing a photosensitive material is accommodated.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure, but is not considered exhaustive: U.S. Publication 2022/0155890 A1 to Wang et al., which discloses (regarding Claim 10), “Other examples of electronic devices may include health monitoring devices, digital cameras, printers, scanners, security systems or devices, or electronics for automobiles, buildings, or other structures, among other electronic devices” [Paragraph 98].
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JASON M HAN whose telephone number is (571)272-2207. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-5PM EST M-F.
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Friday, January 30, 2026
/Jason M Han/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
1 “Even though product-by-process claims are limited by and defined by the process, determination of patentability is based on the product itself. The patentability of a product does not depend on its method of production. If the product in the product-by-process claim is the same as or obvious from a product of the prior art, the claim is unpatentable even though the prior product was made by a different process.” In re Thorpe, 777 F.2d 695, 698, 227 USPQ 964, 966 (Fed. Cir. 1985). [see MPEP 2113]