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 § 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 recites the limitation "the first bracket" and “the second bracket in lines 22-23 and 25. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 1-20 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.
“the at least one roller” (Claim 1 lines 20 and 23-24, claim 2 line 27, 35, and 2, claim 4 line 17, claim 7 line 2, claim 12 line 33, claim 13 line 6, and claim 16 line 33, 1-2, 4, and 7) is confusing.
For the purpose of examination, examiner will assume applicant intended to claim “at least one.”
Claims 3-6, 8-11, 14-15, and 17-20 are included due to their dependency on claims 1 and 16
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-2, 6, 9-11, 13-16, 18, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ko et. al (WO 2021049785 A1) hereafter referred to as Ko in view of Shin et. al (US 20220155823 A1) hereafter referred to as Shin.
Regarding claim 1 (as best understood), Ko teaches an electronic device comprising:
a first housing (140 first display support member);
a second housing (150 sliding structure) movably coupled to the first housing (pg. 7 ¶5);
a display (160 display) including:
a first region (160b second display area) disposed on the second housing (pg. 7 ¶1),
and a second region (160a first display area) extending from the first region (Fig 3);
a first driver (1030 first driver),
including a motor (1030_2 motor),
configured to move the first housing in a first direction or a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to the second housing (pg. 20 first full paragraph),
and coupled to the second housing (Fig 3);
and a second driver (1055 second driving part),
coupled to the first housing (1055 is attaches to 1170 panel support part ) to move with respect to the second housing in accordance with a movement of the first housing to move with respect to the second housing (pg. 20 ¶6),
configured to move the second region of the display in the first direction or the second direction (pg. 20 ¶6),
and a first connector (1030_1a first ring gear) is configured to move with respect to a second connector (153 connection part) by a rotation of at least one roller (155 first rotation shaft),
the second connector being coupled to the second housing independently of the rotation of at least one roller (153 connection part is coupled to 151 fixing part, which is a part of 150 sliding structure, pg. 9 ¶2).
Ko fails to teach a second driver which includes: a belt including a first connector coupled to a periphery of the second region of the display spaced apart from the first region of the display, and a second connector coupled to the second housing, and at least one roller arranged with respect to the belt, wherein the at least one roller is configured to rotate with respect to the second housing by the second driver configured to move with respect to the second housing.
However, Shin teaches
a second driver (combination of 230 driving gear and 240 driving motor) which includes:
a belt (400 driving track) including
a first connector (411 first coupling portion) coupled to a periphery of the second region (300 moving plate) of the display (500 flexible display, ¶184) spaced apart from the first region of the display (Fig 6b),
and a second connector (421 second coupling portion) coupled to the second housing (421 second coupling portion connected to 220 second pulley, which is coupled to 200 body)
and at least one roller (210 first pulley) arranged with respect to the belt (Fig 10C),
wherein at least one roller is configured to rotate with respect to the second housing by the second driver configured to move with respect to the second housing (¶195, 226, and 286).
Ko and Shin are both in the industry of electronic devices with expanding flexible displays, therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of Shin to include4 the belt and driver structure of Shin in order to allow for constant tension on the flexible display as it transitions between an expanded and closed state. (Shin ¶22 and 60)
Regarding claim 2 (as best understood), Ko in view of Shin teach the electronic device of claim 1,
wherein at least one roller (155 first rotational shaft) is configured to:
rotate in a first rotational direction in accordance with the movement of the at least one roller in the first direction (first rotational direction) with respect to the second housing (150 sliding structure) or rotate in a second rotational direction (second rotational direction) opposite to the first rotational direction in accordance with the movement of the at least one roller in the second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to the second housing, (pg. 8 ¶5 – pg. 9 ¶1),
wherein the first connector (1030_1a first ring gear) is configured to:
move in the first direction with respect to the second connector by the rotation of at least one roller in the first rotational direction, (pg. 21 ¶5) or move in the second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to the second connector by the rotation of the at least one roller in the second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction, (pg. 21 ¶5)
and wherein the second region (160a first display area) of the display is configured to:
be exposed to an outside of the second housing based on the movement of the first connector in the first direction (shown in Fig 1001 pg. 49),
or be rolled into the second housing based on the movement of the first connector in the second direction opposite to the first direction. (Shown in Fig 1002 pg. 49)
Regarding claim 6 (as best understood), Ko in view of Shin teach the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first driver includes:
a pinion gear (pinion gear, pg. 9 ¶7 and pg. 18 ¶9), configured to rotate in a first rotational direction or a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction by the motor (1030_2 motor, pg. 9 ¶7),
a rack gear (end of 130 actuator, Fig 3), engaged with the pinion gear (pg. 9 ¶7),
configured to:
move the first housing in the second direction by the rotation of the pinion gear in the first rotational direction, or move the first housing in the first direction by the rotation of the pinion gear in the second rotational direction (pg. 9 ¶7, pg. 12 ¶3).
Regarding claim 9 (as best understood), Ko in view of Shin teaches the electronic device of claim 1, further comprising
a support including:
a plurality of supporting bars (170 first panel support, can be comprised of pillars or long bars, pg. 8 ¶4) configured to support the display (pg. 8 ¶4),
and a supporting plate (152 second display support member) configured to support the periphery of the second region of the display (pg. 8 ¶4, Fig 3),
wherein the first connector is attached to the supporting plate (Fig 10, 3).
Regarding claim 10 (as best understood), Ko in view of Shin teaches the electronic device of claim 9, further comprising
a guide rail (140c guide rail) configured to guide the movement of the second region of the display (pg. 9 ¶4),
wherein the support further includes a guide structure (121a first sliding support member), disposed at both ends of each of the plurality of supporting bars, partially surrounding the guide rail (Fig 2).
Regarding claim 11 (as best understood), Ko in view of Shin teaches the electronic device of claim 10
wherein the guide rail (140c guide rail) includes:
a first portion contacted with the guide structure (portion pf 140c connected to 121a first sliding support, Fig 2),
and a second portion extending from the first portion (Fig 2),
and wherein the first portion of the guide rail extends in a direction parallel to the first direction and the second direction (Fig 2, extends in the Y direction).
Regarding claim 13 (as best understood), Ko in view of Shin teaches the electronic device of claim 1
wherein the second driver further includes a periphery (bottom edge of 155 shown in Fig 4a),
when viewed from above, overlapping the second region of the display (Fig 4a and Fig 2),
and a distance between the periphery of the second driver and a position of the second region spaced apart from the periphery of the second driver in the first direction toward which the periphery of the second driver faces, is maintained at a specified interval independently of the rotation of the at least one roller (Fig 4a, 10).
Regarding claim 14 (as best understood), Ko in view of Shin teaches the electronic device of claim 1
wherein the belt (1030_1a first ring gear)is disposed between a periphery of the first housing parallel to the first direction and the second direction and the first driver (Fig 2).
Regarding claim 15 (as best understood), Ko in view of Shin teaches the electronic device of claim 14
wherein the belt is disposed along the periphery of the first housing (Fig 2).
Regarding claim 16 (as best understood), Ko teaches an electronic device comprising:
a first housing (140 first display support member);
a second housing (150 sliding structure) movably coupled to the first housing (pg. 7 ¶5);
a display (160 display) including:
a first region (160b second display area) disposed on the second housing (pg. 7 ¶1),
and a second region (160a first display area) extending from the first region (Fig 3);
a first driver (1030 first driver),
including a motor (1030_2 motor),
configured to move the first housing in a first direction or a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to the second housing (pg. 20 first full paragraph),
and coupled to the second housing (Fig 3);
and a second driver (1055 second driving part),
coupled to the first housing (1055 is attaches to 1170 panel support part ) to move with respect to the second housing in accordance with a movement of the first housing to move with respect to the second housing (pg. 20 ¶6),
configured to move the second region of the display in the first direction or the second direction (pg. 20 ¶6),
and a first connector (1030_1a first ring gear) is configured to move with respect to a second connector (153 connection part) by a rotation of at least one roller (155 first rotation shaft),
the second connector being coupled to the second housing independently of the rotation of at least one roller (153 connection part is coupled to 151 fixing part, which is a part of 150 sliding structure, pg. 9 ¶2).
wherein the first connector is configured to:
move in the first direction with respect to the second connector by the rotation of at least one roller in the first rotational direction (pg. 21 ¶5),
or move in the second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to the second connector by the rotation of at least one roller (155 first rotational shaft) in the second rotational direction (pg. 21 ¶5),
and wherein the second region (160a first display area) of the display is configured to:
be exposed to an outside of the second housing based on the movement of the first connector in the first direction (shown in Fig 1001 pg. 49),
or be rolled into the second housing based on the movement of the first connector in the second direction opposite to the first direction. (Shown in Fig 1002 pg. 49)
Ko fails to teach a second driver which includes: a belt including a first connector coupled to a periphery of the second region of the display spaced apart from the first region of the display, and a second connector coupled to the second housing, and at least one roller arranged with respect to the belt, wherein the at least one roller is configured to rotate with respect to the second housing by the second driver configured to move with respect to the second housing.
However, Shin teaches
a second driver (combination of 230 driving gear and 240 driving motor) which includes:
a belt (400 driving track) including
a first connector (411 first coupling portion) coupled to a periphery of the second region (300 moving plate) of the display (500 flexible display, ¶184) spaced apart from the first region of the display (Fig 6b),
and a second connector (421 second coupling portion) coupled to the second housing (421 second coupling portion connected to 220 second pulley, which is coupled to 200 body)
and at least one roller (210 first pulley) arranged with respect to the belt (Fig 10C),
wherein at least one roller is configured to rotate with respect to the second housing by the second driver configured to move with respect to the second housing (¶195, 226, and 286).
Ko and Shin are both in the industry of electronic devices with expanding flexible displays, therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of Shin to include4 the belt and driver structure of Shin in order to allow for constant tension on the flexible display as it transitions between an expanded and closed state. (Shin ¶22 and 60)
Regarding claim 18 (as best understood), Ko in view of Shin teaches the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first driver includes:
a pinion gear (pinion gear, pg. 9 ¶7 and pg. 18 ¶9), configured to rotate in a first rotational direction or a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction by the motor (1030_2 motor, pg. 9 ¶7),
a rack gear (end of 130 actuator, Fig 3), engaged with the pinion gear (pg. 9 ¶7),
configured to:
move the first housing in the second direction by the rotation of the pinion gear in the first rotational direction, or move the first housing in the first direction by the rotation of the pinion gear in the second rotational direction (pg. 9 ¶7, pg. 12 ¶3).
Regarding claim 20 (as best understood), Ko in view of Shin teaches the electronic device of claim 16, further comprising
a support including:
a plurality of supporting bars (170 first panel support, can be comprised of pillars or long bars, pg. 8 ¶4) configured to support the display (pg. 8 ¶4),
and a supporting plate (152 second display support member) configured to support the periphery of the second region of the display (pg. 8 ¶4, Fig 3),
wherein the first connector is attached to the supporting plate (Fig 10, 3).
Claims 3-4, 7, and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ko in view of Shin, and further in view of Aoki (US 20080144265 A1)
Regarding claim 3 (as best understood), Ko in view of Shin teaches the electronic device of claim 1,
wherein the first driver (1030 first driver) further includes a fastener (151 fixing portion) configured to move the first housing with respect to the second housing, by being rotated by the motor (153 connection part is connected to 151 fixing portion which rotates to move the device, driven by the motor pg9 ¶2, pg. 22 ¶6).
Ko in view of Shin fail to teach the fastener is a screw. However, Aoki teaches the fastener is a screw (screw, ¶58). Ko, Shin and Aoki are all in the industry of flexible display devices with rolling mechanisms, therefore it would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of Ko in view of Shin to include the screw configuration of Aoki in order to transmit mechanical force to translational movement of the device. (Aoki ¶58)
Regarding claim 4 (as best understood), Ko in view of Shin teaches the electronic device of claim 3
wherein the first driver (1030 first driver) includes a first bracket (153 connection part) in which the screw is disposed (pg. 9 ¶2), to guide the second driver,
and wherein the second driver (1055 second driving part) further includes a second bracket (portion of 1055 corresponding to the 153 connection part, pg. 18 ¶9 1055 contains the same structure as 155, which would include 153 connection part) in which at least one roller (rotation shaft, pg. 18 ¶9) is disposed,
the second bracket configured to move with respect to the first bracket in the first direction or the second direction opposite to the first direction by the rotation of the screw (pg. 9 ¶2, pg. 18 ¶ 9)
Regarding claim 5 (as best understood), Ko in view of Shin teach the electronic device of claim 1
wherein a first driver (1030 first driver) further includes a guide member (1140c guide rail).
Ko in view of Shin fail to teach the guide member is coupled to the first bracket independently of a movement of the second bracket, extending from a direction parallel to the first direction and the second direction opposite to the first direction to guide the movement of a second bracket. However, Aoki teaches
the guide member (531 guide channels) is coupled to the first bracket (520 first bezel segment) independently of a movement of the second bracket (Fig 7),
extending from a direction parallel to the first direction and the second direction opposite to the first direction to guide the movement of a second bracket (Fig 11, first direction shown by the arrow).
Ko, Shin and Aoki are all in the industry of flexible display devices with rolling mechanisms, therefore it would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of Ko in view of Shin to include the guide rail configuration of Aoki in order to support the rolling mechanism of the device as it slides from a closed state to an open state (Aoki ¶44-45)
Regarding claim 7 (as best understood), Ko in view of Shin teaches the electronic device of claim 1.
Ko in view of Shin fail to teach at least one roller contacts the belt and includes: a first to maintain tension of the belt, and a second roller, facing the first roller, close to the motor. However, Aoki teaches the roller contacts the belt and includes:
a first roller (roller in 608 scrolling assembly) to maintain tension of the belt (pg. 23 ¶5),
and a second roller (662 rotating head), facing the first roller, close to the motor (652 driver mechanism coupled to and drives 610, Fig 17, ¶58). Ko, Shin and Aoki are all in the industry of flexible display devices with rolling mechanisms, therefore it would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of Ko in view of Shin to include the screw configuration of Aoki in order to support the translation of the rolling display from a closed to expanded state (Aoki ¶42)
Regarding claim 17 (as best understood), Ko in view of Shin teaches the electronic device of claim 16,
wherein the first driver (1030 first driver) further includes a fastener (151 fixing portion) configured to move the first housing with respect to the second housing, by being rotated by the motor (153 connection part is connected to 151 fixing portion which rotates to move the device, driven by the motor pg9 ¶2, pg. 22 ¶6).
Ko in view of Shin fail to teach the fastener is a screw. However, Aoki teaches the fastener is a screw (screw, ¶58). Ko, Shin and Aoki are all in the industry of flexible display devices with rolling mechanisms, therefore it would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of Ko in view of Shin to include the screw configuration of Aoki in order to transmit mechanical force to translational movement of the device. (Aoki ¶58)
Claims 8, 12, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ko in view of Shin, and further in view of Masanori et. al (JP 3418205 B2) hereafter referred to as Masanori.
Regarding claim 8 (as best understood), Ko in view of Shin teaches the electronic device of claim 1,
Ko in view of Shin fails to teach a distance that the first connector moves with respect to the second connector by the second driver is longer than a distance that the second driver moves with respect to the second housing.
However, Masanori teaches a distance that the first connector (9 first travelling body) moves with respect to the second connector (11 main body) by the second driver is longer than a distance that the second driver (10 second travelling body) moves with respect to the second housing (pg. 3 ¶9). Ko, Shin, and Masanori are all in the industry of translating roller mechanisms therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of Ko and Shin to include the varied speed ratio of Masanori in order to move the connected portions of the device at different rates (Masanori pg. 5 ¶4-5)
Regarding claim 12 (as best understood), Ko in view of Shin teaches the electronic device of claim 10.
Ko in view of Shin fails to teach a distance that the periphery of the second region moves by the second driver corresponds to a sum of a distance that the second driver moves with respect to the second housing and a distance that the second connector moves by the rotation of at least one roller.
However, Masanori teaches a distance that the periphery of the second region (edge of 9 first travelling body) moves by the second driver corresponds to a sum of a distance that the second driver (10 second travelling body) moves with respect to the second housing and a distance that the second connector moves by the rotation of the at least one roller. (Pg 5 ¶4-5 teaches a speed ratio of 1: 1/2, therefore the 9 first travelling body moved twice the distance of the 10 second travelling body in the same time frame)
Ko , Shin, and Masanori are all in the industry of translating roller mechanisms therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of Ko and Shin to include the varied speed ratio of Masanori in order to move the connected portions of the device at different rates (Masanori pg. 5 ¶4-5)
Regarding claim 19 (as best understood), Ko in view of Shin teaches the electronic device of claim 16
Ko in view of Shin fails to teach a distance that the first connector moves with respect to the second connector by the second driver is longer than a distance that the second driver moves with respect to the second housing.
However, Masanori teaches a distance that the first connector (9 first travelling body) moves with respect to the second connector (11 main body) by the second driver is longer than a distance that the second driver (10 second travelling body) moves with respect to the second housing (pg. 3 ¶9). Ko, Shin, and Masanori are all in the industry of translating roller mechanisms therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of Ko and Shin to include the varied speed ratio of Masanori in order to move the connected portions of the device at different rates (Masanori pg. 5 ¶4-5)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Yin (US 20210181801 A1) and Choi (US 10747269 B1) also teach a device with a rolling flexible display with multiple rollers used to drive the device between a closed to an expanded state.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ELISA SASSERATH whose telephone number is (703)756-5847. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm.
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/E.S./ Examiner, Art Unit 2841
/HUNG S. BUI/ Acting Patent Examiner, 2841/2800
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