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
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 1-9 and 11-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee et al. US 20150116634 (“Lee”).
Lee teaches:
Re 1:
a frame 150/550 (Figs. 11 and 15); and
a light emitting module 120/520 disposed on the frame 150/550 (Figs. 11 and 15),
wherein the light emitting module includes a printed circuit board (PCB) 129c/529c (¶100; Figs 11 and 15), light sources 129/529 disposed on the PCB (¶100; Figs 11 and 15), a plurality of lenses 170/570 disposed on the light sources (Figs. 11 and 15), and a reflective sheet 121/521 (Figs. 11 and 15; ¶¶63 and 131) disposed on the PCB and including a plurality of holes 121b/521b configured to expose the light sources (Figs. 11 and 15; ¶¶63, 105, and 131),
wherein a light is emitted from the light emitting module to a display region including a central region, a vertex region, a first intermediate region between the central region and the vertex region (Fig. 11B and 16A),
wherein the first intermediate region has a first luminance lower than a second luminance in the central region of the display region (Fig. 16A: greater intensity shown in central region as opposed to intermediate regions; Fig. 11B: central value is between .7-.9, with the intermediate region shown above the two-way line around 0.5).
Re 2: wherein the first luminance has a value in a range of 0.7 times to 0.9 times the second luminance (Fig. 16A).
Re 3: wherein the first luminance has a higher value than a third luminance in the vertex region (Figs. 11A and 16B: brightness shown dropping off as it goes further than the center).
Re 4: wherein the display region further includes a second intermediate region between a side of the display region and the central region of the display region and the second intermediate region has a fourth luminance lower than the second luminance in the central region of the display region (Figs. 11A and 16B: brightness shown dropping off as it goes further than the center, thus this relationship exists).
Re 5: wherein the fourth luminance has a value in a range of 0.7 times to 0.9 times the second luminance (Figs. 11A and 16B: 11A clearly shows this as second luminance is between 0.7 and 0.9, and outermost region which is the fourth luminance having a luminance of around 0.5 is 0.7 times 0.7; similarly the graph in 16B shows this).
Re 6: wherein the fourth luminance has a higher value than a third luminance in the vertex region (Figs. 11A and 16B).
Re 7: wherein at least one of distances between two adjacent ones of the light sources is different from remaining distances (Figs. 11 and 15: the claim doesn’t specify what the remaining distances are measured between).
Re 8: wherein at least one of the plurality of holes has a different size from remaining holes (Figs. 11 and 15: a lateral dimension of any given hole is different from a longitudinal dimension).
Re 9: wherein the reflective sheet includes a plurality of punching holes, at least one of the plurality of punching holes having a different size from remaining punching holes (Figs. 11 and 15: a lateral size of any given hole is different from a longitudinal size).
Re 11:
a frame 150/550 (Figs. 11 and 15); and
a light emitting module 120/520 disposed on the frame 150/550 (Figs. 11 and 15), wherein the light emitting module includes a printed circuit board (PCB) 129c/529c, a plurality of light sources 129/529 disposed on the PCB, a plurality of lenses 170/570 coupled to the plurality of light sources 129/529 (Figs. 11 and 15);
a reflective sheet 121/521 (Figs. 11 and 15; ¶¶63 and 131) disposed on the PCB and including a plurality of holes 121b/521b configured to expose the plurality of light sources (Figs. 11 and 15; ¶¶63, 105, and 131); and
a display region configured to receive light emitted from the light emitting module (Figs. 11B and 16A: shows display brightness over display region just like in claim 1 above),
wherein the display region has a long side in a first direction and a short side in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction (Figs. 11B and 16A), and the plurality of lenses have a short axis in a direction parallel to the first direction and a long axis in a direction parallel to the second direction (Figs. 11B and 16A).
Re 12: wherein a length of a lens of the plurality of lenses along the long axis is greater than or substantially equal to twice a length of the lens along the short axis (Figs. 11 and 15: no starting point is given for axis meaning the axes can satisfy this condition).
Re 13: wherein at least one of the plurality of lenses has a depression region that is substantially bisymmetrically with respect to a center line of the at least one of the plurality of lenses (Figs. 11 and 15).
Re 14: wherein the depression region has a region with an inclination that gradually decreases as a distance from the center line increases (Figs. 11 and 15; ¶56).
Re 15: wherein the display region includes a central region, a vertex region, a first intermediate region between the central region and the vertex region, and wherein the first intermediate region has a first luminance lower than a second luminance in the central region of the display region (Figs. 11B and 16A).
Re 16: wherein the display region further includes a second intermediate region between a side of the display region and a central region of the display region and the second intermediate region has a fourth luminance lower than a second luminance in the central region of the display region (Figs. 11B and 16A).
Re 17:
a frame 150/550 (Figs. 11 and 15); and
a light emitting module 120/520 disposed on the frame 150/550 (Figs. 11 and 15), wherein the light emitting module includes a PCB 129c/529c, a plurality of light sources 129/529 disposed on the PCB, a plurality of lenses 170/570 disposed on the plurality of light sources 129/529 (Figs. 11 and 15); and
a reflective sheet 121/521 (Figs. 11 and 15; ¶¶63 and 131) disposed on the PCB and including a plurality of holes 121b/521b configured to expose the plurality of light sources (Figs. 11 and 15; ¶¶63, 105, and 131); and
a display region configured to receive light emitted from the light emitting module (Figs. 11B and 16A: shows display brightness over display region just like in claim 1 above),
wherein the display region has a long side in a first direction and a short side in a second direction crossing the first direction (Figs. 11B and 16A), and
wherein the plurality of lenses includes a reflective surface 170/570 having an inclination that gradually decreases as a distance from a center of a lens increases (Figs. 11 and 15; ¶58 and 118).
Re 18: wherein at least one of the plurality of lenses includes a depression region disposed on a central region of the lens (Figs. 11 and 15).
Re 19: wherein the reflective surface and the depression region are substantially bisymmetrical with respect to the center of the lens (Figs. 11 and 15).
Re 20: wherein an outer peripheral region of the depression region includes a planar surface (Figs. 11 and 15).
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.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee in view of Zhou et al. CN204387981 (“Zhou,” cited by applicant)
Lee does not explicitly teach, while Zhou teaches (¶2-3, Figs. 1-2: see black circle 15 on PCB 12): wherein the light emitting module further comprises a black printing layer disposed in a region on an upper surface of the PCB.
A black printing layer absorbs light thereby allowing for light only certain regions to be emitted from the device. For instance, this is helpful in eliminating second or third order reflections off of components that could reduce contrast or visibility.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to combine Lee with Zhou's teachings in order to sharpen visibility and contrast by reducing second order reflections off of components.
Conclusion
Relevant prior art considered: US 20240357909 teaching a light emitting apparatus includes a substrate including a principal surface, first to fourth light emitting elements configured to emit first light or second light, first to fourth lenses, wherein relationships between sizes of light emitting regions and relative positions of lenses differ between the first light and the second light.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GERALD J SUFLETA II whose telephone number is (571)272-4279. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9AM-6PM EDT/EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, ABDULMAJEED AZIZ can be reached at (571) 270-5046. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
GERALD J. SUFLETA II
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2875
/GERALD J SUFLETA II/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875