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) 1-5 and 8-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kurokawa EP 2058680).
Regarding claim 1, Kurokawa discloses a light-diffusing sheet having a first surface on which a plurality of first recesses with an inverted substantially square pyramid shape are provided(Figs. 1,2,6,7) ,Para. 0057, 0061, 0067) and a second surface on which a plurality of second recesses with an inverted substantially square pyramid shape are provided (Fig. 4 see bottom corners in sub figs. 1 and 2), wherein an apex angle of the plurality of first recesses is 75⁰ or more and 105⁰ or less , and an apex angle of the plurality of second recesses is 105⁰ or more and 175°or less. In particular Kurokawa discloses a light-diffusing sheet having a first surface ("sheet lower surface" serving as light emission side - paragraphs 0046 and 0057) on which a plurality of first recesses are provided, and second surface ("sheet upper surface" serving as light entrance side , para.0046 and 0057) on which a plurality of second recesses are provided (fig.6 , para. 0046) ,the first and second recesses having an inverted substantially square pyramid shape (para.0057), wherein an apex angle of the plurality of first recesses is between 75° and 105° (Table 1, para. 0061, the inclined surfaces on the light emission side have an inclination angle of 40° or 45°, i.e. an apex angle of 100° or 90° respectively),
Regarding claim 2, Kurokawa discloses the apex angle of the plurality of first recesses is 80⁰or more and 100⁰ or less (see Table 1 inclined angle of 45⁰of the recesses o the light emission side corresponding to apex angle 90⁰)
Regarding claim 3, wherein the apex angle of the plurality of second recesses is 110⁰ or more and 170⁰ or less.(Kurokawa discloses Table 1 wherein the inclined angle of 25⁰of the recesses on the light entrance side corresponding to an apex angle of 130⁰)
Regarding claim 4, wherein the arrangement pitch of the plurality of first recesses is 200 pm or more, and the depth of the plurality of first recesses is greater than the depth of the plurality of second recesses (see Para. 0057)
Regarding claim 5, and a backlight unit built into a liquid crystal display device for guiding light emitted from a plurality of light sources toward a display screen, the backlight unit comprising the Light-diffusing sheet according to claim 1 which is provided between the display screen and the plurality of light sources, Kurokawa discloses the light diffusing sheet being a part of the backlight unit for an LCD (fig. 6, Para. 0001 and 0048)
Regarding claim 8, a liquid crystal display device comprising :the backlight unit according to claim 5; and a liquid crystal display panel, Kurokawa discloses the light diffusing sheet being a part of the backlight unit for an LCD (fig. 6, Para. 0001 and 0048).
Regarding claim 9, An information apparatus comprising the liquid crystal display device according to claim 8, Kurokawa discloses ( the LCD being used for an information apparatus) and the light diffusing sheet being a part of the backlight unit for an LCD (fig. 6, Para. 0001 and 0048).
Regarding claim 10 , A light-diffusing sheet having a first surface on which a plurality of first recesses with an inverted substantially square pyramid shape are provided, and a second surface on which a plurality of second recesses with an inverted substantially square pyramid shape are provided, wherein an apex angle of the plurality of first recesses is 75⁰ or more and 105⁰or less, and an apex angle of the plurality of second recesses is 60⁰ or more and 175⁰or less, Kurokawa discloses Table 1, wherein the inclined surfaces on the light emission side have an inclination angle of 40⁰ or 45⁰ (having an apex angle of 100⁰ or 90⁰, respectively) and the inclined surfaces on the light entrance side have an inclination angle of 25⁰(having an apex angle of 130⁰).
Regarding claim 11, the light-diffusing sheet according to claim 10, wherein the apex angle of the plurality of second recesses is 95⁰ or more and 175⁰or less, Kurokawa discloses Table 1 wherein the inclined angle of 25⁰ of the recesses on the light entrance side corresponding to an apex angle of 130⁰)
Regarding claim 12, a light-diffusing sheet having a first surface on which a plurality of first recesses with an inverted substantially square pyramid shape are provided, and a second surface on which a plurality of second recesses with an inverted substantially square pyramid shape are provided, wherein an apex angle of the plurality of first recesses is 75⁰or more and 115⁰ or less, and an apex angle of the plurality of second recesses is 65⁰or more and 155⁰ or less, Kurokawa discloses Table 1, wherein the inclined surfaces on the light emission side have an inclination angle of 40⁰ or 45⁰ (having an apex angle of 100⁰ or 90⁰, respectively) and the inclined surfaces on the light entrance side have an inclination angle of 25⁰ (having an apex angle of 130⁰).
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.
Claim(s) 6 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kurokawa as applied to claims 5 and 6 , respectively, in view of Fukuda et al (JP 2022183047A)
Regarding claim 6, Kurokawa discloses the limitations of claim 5, but does not disclose the plurality of light sources are blue light sources, and a color conversion sheet that converts the wavelength of the light is provided between the display screen and the plurality of light sources. Fukuda et al discloses the above limitations in Figs. 2 and 9, Para. 0038-0044. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the device of Kurokawa with a plurality of light sources are blue light sources, and a color conversion sheet that converts the wavelength of the light is provided between the display screen and the plurality of light sources as taught by Fukuda in order to provide a predetermined modified light emission from the backlight unit.
Regarding claim 7, the backlight unit according to claim 6, Kurokawa in view of Fukuda et al disclose the limitations of claim 6, and disclose wherein the color conversion sheet (44) is disposed between the display screen(47) and the light-diffusing sheet(43), and the light-diffusing sheet is arranged with the second surface facing the color conversion sheet (figs.1, 2 and 9, Fukuda et al. ).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Maekawa (JP2010117707A) discloses a diffusion plate with a nearly inverted polygonal pyramid (Figs. 3-4).
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/ANABEL TON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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