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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 10-20 in the reply filed on 3/6/2026 is acknowledged. Claims 1-10 have been withdrawn from consideration.
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 11, 15, 18, 19, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kang US 2017/0192303.
As for claims 11 and 19, Kang discloses a display device (see Fig 2), comprising: a display panel (180, Fig 2); and a backlight module (backlight unit, paragraph 0036) providing a light source 120 for the display panel, wherein the backlight module comprises: a back plate (guide frame 110, paragraph 0047) having a bottom surface 111 and a sidewall (lateral frame 112) perpendicular to the bottom surface (see Fig 2); a plurality of light-emitting elements 122 disposed over the bottom surface of the back plate (Fig 2); an optical film (diffusion member 160 and optical sheets 170) disposed between the plurality of light-emitting elements 122 and the display panel (180, see Fig 2); and a supporting member 113 bonded to the sidewall of the back plate (paragraph 0050, “the support 113 may be connected to the lateral frame 112”). Kang teaches that in an embodiment “the support 113 may be connected to the lateral frame 112,” but is silent to specifically disclosing that it is connected to the lateral sidewall by bonding, in particular adhesive bonding (claim 19). However, Kang further teaches that the support can utilize an adhesive bond to attach to the plurality of wires 150 and diffusing member 160 above the support. Given the teachings of Kang, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling of the claimed invention utilize an adhesive bond for the support to provide a suitable securing means for embodiments of Kang that have the support attachable to the sidewall rather than integrally formed with and extending outward from the wall to provide a well-known securing means to hold the supporting member in contact with the sidewall.
15. Kang discloses the display device (Fig 2) as claimed in claim 11, wherein the display panel has an active region (region inside borders of 180 that extend downwardly, see Fig 2), the supporting member has a plurality of supporting portions (surface area of portions indicated below) parallel to each other (as indicated in Fig 1; additionally, it appears that the supporting portion is shown on at least two sides of the device), and the plurality of supporting portions partially overlaps the active region (inwardly attached portions overlap with active region of display 180, as shown in Fig 2).
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18. Kang discloses the display device (Fig 2) as claimed in claim 11, wherein the supporting member is made of light-shielding material (113 is not taught as being transparent and is therefore capable of shielding light).
20. Kang discloses the display device (Fig 2) as claimed in claim 11, comprising a circuit substrate 121 disposed on the back plate 111, wherein the supporting member 113 is separated from the circuit substrate (as shown in Fig 2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-14, 16, and 17 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:
12. Kang discloses the display device (Fig 2) as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a diffusion plate 160 disposed over the supporting member 113, wherein in a normal direction of the diffusion plate, a distance between the supporting member 113 and the diffusion plate 160 is greater than or equal to 0 (see Fig 2, distance shown is greater than zero) but fails to further teach the distance between the supporting member 113 and the diffusion plate 160 less than or equal to .3mm.
13. Kang discloses the display device (Fig 2) as claimed in claim 11, comprising a diffusion plate 160 disposed over the supporting member 113, but fails to further teach or render obvious, wherein in a cross-sectional view, in an extending direction of the diffusion plate, an overlapping width of the supporting member and the diffusion plate is less than or equal to 0.2 mm, and greater than or equal to 0.01 mm.
16. Kang discloses the display device (Fig 2) as claimed in claim 15, but fails to further teach or render obvious wherein one of the plurality of supporting portions is located between adjacent light-emitting elements.
17. Kang discloses the display device (Fig 2) as claimed in claim 15, but fails to further teach or render obvious the supporting portions extend from a top surface of the supporting member.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. NIEN US’763 teaches an electronic device with an auxiliary element which appears to be attached/formed in contact with a sidewall of a support/carrier. AHN US’960 discloses a backlight with central supporting members and a middle holder 140 that is in contact with a sidewall of the frame body. OH US’582 discloses a similar device with multiple variations of supporting portions that support optical sheets and are in contact with a sidewall of the backlight frame.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Evan P Dzierzynski whose telephone number is (571)272-2336. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm PST.
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/EVAN P DZIERZYNSKI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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