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) 1-14 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Saito et al. ( WO 2022/238453 A1).
Regarding claims 1-14 and 16, Saito et al. teach a liquid-crystalline (LC) medium ( see abstract, claims and examples i.e. Mixture Example M7) and to an electronic component (display) comprising said LC medium, operable in the visible, infrared or microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Furthermore, Saito et al. teach ( see examples i.e. Mixture Example M7) a compound of formulae I, I-1-4, I-1-4-1 ( cf. PUS-3-2), a compound of formulae T1, T1-4 ( cf. PPTUI-3-2), a compound of formula Z1 ( cf. CC-3-V) and compounds of formulae II, II-2, III, III-1, III-16 and VI ( cf. PUQU-3-F, APUQU-3-F, PFUQU-3-F). Saito also et al. the medium may further comprise one or more compounds of formulae XXVII, XXVIII, XXIX or XXX (page 40, lines 30-35, cf. III-2d-2 or III-2e-1). Saito also et al. the medium may further comprise one or more compounds of formula XIV (cf. IVb-1, IVb-2 and/or IVb-3, page 56, lines 20-35).Saito also et al. the medium may further comprise one or more compounds of formula XVI (cf. VII-20 or VII-21; page 63, lines 20-25).Saito also et al. the medium may further comprise one or more compounds of formulae XXI, XXXII and XXXI (cf. V-10 or V-16, page 58,line 35 & page 59, line 17). Saito et al. teach a process for preparation of the LC medium comprising mixing the one or more compounds of Formula I, and the one or more compounds of Formula T1 and T2, with one or more mesogenic compounds ( Examples , claims and page 70, lines 4-15 and page 71, lines 1-5 & Table D).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Saito et al. (WO 2022/238453 A1) as applied to claims 1 and 16 above, and further in view of Goebel et al. (US 2018/0100104 A1).
Regarding claims 17-18, Saito et al. do not explicitly disclose the electro-optical display is an FFS, HB-FFS, XB-FFS, PS-HB-FFS, PS-XB-FFS, IPS or PS-IPS display as instantly claimed. However, it is well-known to one of ordinary skilled in the art of liquid-crystal medium field to have an electro-optical display that is FFS display as evidenced by Goebel et al. (See abstract, examples and claims 11-13). Goebel et al. teach an FFS display comprising a liquid-crystalline medium comprising one or more compounds of formula I ( cf, PUS-3-2 ,meeting the limitation of formula I of the instant claims) and CPTP in Table A of [0205] ( meeting the limitation of formulas T1 and T2). Goebel et al. and Saito et al. are analogous art in the liquid-crystalline medium field. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art of liquid-crystalline medium to modify the electro-optical display of Saito to be an FFS display as taught by Goebel et al. in view of routine experimentation and to provide desired properties of LC media [0040].
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
See Goebel et al. (WO 2016/146240 A1; see abstract, claims and examples) teach a liquid crystal medium comprising one or more compounds of formula I as instantly claimed .
See Hirschmann et al. (DE 102010027099 A1; see abstract, claims and examples) teach a liquid crystal medium comprising one or more compounds of formula I1 [0048] as instantly claimed .
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHANCEITY N ROBINSON whose telephone number is (571)270-3786. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday (8:00 am-6:00 pm; IFP; PHP).
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/CHANCEITY N ROBINSON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1737
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