`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria1 Virginia 22313- 1450
`www.uspto.gov
`
`APPLICATION NO.
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`
`
`
`
` F ING DATE
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`FIRST NAMED INVENTOR
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`ATTORNEY DOCKET NO.
`
`
`
`
`CONF {MATION NO.
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`12/153,568
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`05/21/2008
`
`Mutsuko Hatano
`
`ASAM—0285
`
`7887
`
`”90
`W20”
`JuancaflosAMmq —
`c/o Stites & Harbison PLLC
`BURKHART9 ELIZABETH A
`1199 North Fairfax Street
`9119999
`Alexandria, VA 223 14- 1437
`
`NM
`
`1715
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`
`
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`NOT *ICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`11/22/2013
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`ELECTRONIC
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`Please find below and/0r attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
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`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
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`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above—indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e—mail address(es):
`
`iplaw @ stites.com
`
`PTOL—90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`Applicant(s)
`Application No.
` 12/153,568 HATANO ET AL.
`
`Examiner
`Art Unit
`AIA (First Inventor to File)
`Office Action Summary
`
`1715ELIZABETH BURKHART [SENS
`
`-- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLY IS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTH(S) OR THIRTY (30) DAYS,
`WHICHEVER IS LONGER, FROM THE MAILING DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available under the provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a).
`In no event however may a reply be timely filed
`after SIX () MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133).
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, even if timely filed, may reduce any
`earned patent term adjustment. See 37 CFR 1 .704(b).
`
`Status
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`1)IZI Responsive to communication(s) filed on 10/15/13.
`El A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
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`2b)|:l This action is non-final.
`2a)|Z| This action is FINAL.
`3)I:I An election was made by the applicant in response to a restriction requirement set forth during the interview on
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`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
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`4)|:| Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
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`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
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`Disposition of Claims
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`5)IZI Claim(s) 1259 11 and 12 is/are pending in the application.
`5a) Of the above claim(s)
`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
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`6)I:I Claim(s)
`is/are allowed.
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`7)|Z| Claim(s) 1259 11 and 12is/are rejected.
`8)|:I Claim(s)_ is/are objected to.
`
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`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement.
`9)I:I Claim((s)
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you may be eligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
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`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`hit
`I/'/\WIIW.USOI.O. ov/ atentS/init events/
`
`
`
`hilndex.‘s or send an inquiry to PPI-iieedback{®usgtc.00v.
`
`Application Papers
`
`10)I:l The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)I:l The drawing(s) filed on
`is/are: a)I:I accepted or b)I:I objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
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`12)I:| Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
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`a)I:l All
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`b)|:l Some * c)I:l None of the:
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`1.I:I Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.|:l Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.|:| Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this National Stage
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`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`* See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
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`1) E Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
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`3) D Interview Summary (PTO-413)
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`Paper N°ISI/Ma" Date' —
`PTO/SB/08
`t
`1
`St
`I
`D'
`1'
`r
`2 I] I
`)
`4) I:I Other:
`a emen (s) (
`Isc osure
`n orma Ion
`)
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`PTOL—326 (Rev. 08-13)
`
`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20131120
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 12/153,568
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`Page 2
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`Art Unit: 1715
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`1.
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`The present application is being examined under the pre-AlA first to invent
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`provisions.
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`2.
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`Claims 1, 2, 5, 9, 11, and 12 are pending in the application. Amended claims 1,
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`5, and 9, cancelled claims 3, 4, 6, 8, and 10, and new claim 12 have been noted. The
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`amendment filed 10/15/2013 has been entered and carefully considered.
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`Response to Arguments
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`3.
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`Applicant’s arguments, see 8-9, filed 10/15/13, with respect to the rejection(s) of
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`claim(s) 1-5, 9, and 11 under 35 USC 103 have been fully considered and are
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`persuasive. Applicant argues that Shimoda does not disclose both the barrier layer and
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`the base layer. This is found persuasive because Shimoda discloses an interlayer that
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`may be silicon oxide and may have two or more layers, but would not suggest a barrier
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`layer and base layer having the claimed composition [0115]-[0117]. Therefore, the
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`rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of
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`rejection is made in view of Nomura et al (US 2006/0244373) (see rejection below).
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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`The following is a quotation of pre-AlA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis
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`for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
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`(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described
`as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to
`be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been
`obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which
`said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the
`invention was made.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/153,568
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`Page 3
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`Art Unit: 1715
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`4.
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`Claims 1, 2, and 5 are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being
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`unpatentable over Shimoda et al (US 2002/0146893) in view of French et al (US
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`2007/0091062), Chang et al (US 2002/0031605), Moon (US 2007/0076151), Lub et al
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`(US 2007/0024970), and Nomura et al (US 2006/0244373).
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`Shimoda discloses a method of making a display device comprising: forming a
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`resin material layer 2 on a main surface of a glass substrate 1 [0109], forming a plurality
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`of lamination material layers 4 configuring a display circuit on the resin material layer
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`[0119], and generating exfoliation at the interface between the resin material layer and
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`glass substrate by irradiating light from the surface on the opposite side of the glass
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`substrate [0100] (Fig. 5 & 7). The resin material layer may be polyimide [0109]. The
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`display circuit includes a polarization plate to form an active matrix LCD (Fig. 36; [0119];
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`[0368D.
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`Shimoda does not disclose using the resin material layer from which the glass
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`substrate is removed as a substrate for the display device, that the resin material layer
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`is formed by curing the resin, the specific layers included in the plurality of lamination
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`material layers, or forming a barrier layer and base layer having the claimed
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`compositions on the resin material layer.
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`French discloses forming a display device wherein a rigid glass substrate is
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`removed from a plastic substrate after deposition of the display circuits such that
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`conventional substrate handling and processing is enabled with minimal extra
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`equipment (Abstract). The plastic substrate enables lighter and thinner display devices
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`[0002]. The plastic substrate may be polyimide [0068].
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/153,568
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`Page 4
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`Art Unit: 1715
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`Chang discloses that polyimide for a display device may be coated on a
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`substrate and then cured to form a film [0007].
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`Moon discloses a method of manufacturing a LCD device comprising forming a
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`plurality of lamination material layers onto a substrate 10, the plurality of layers including
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`a thin film transistor Tr, a pixel electrode 36, a common electrode 63, a first polarization
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`plate 80, a first oriented film 44, a liquid crystal 40 on the first oriented film 44, a second
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`oriented film 42 on the liquid crystal 40, a second polarization plate 70, a color filter 56,
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`and a second substrate 50 on the color filter 56 (Fig. 2; [0028]-[0034]).
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`Lub discloses a LCD device wherein the polarization plates 32, 39 may be on the
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`liquid crystal side of the substrates 31, 41 in order to allow compensation layers,
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`viewing angle films, and retarder layers to be accommodated inside the liquid crystal
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`cell as well [0079], [0081]. The first oriented film 36 may be on and in direct contact with
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`the first polarization plate 32 [0079] and the second polarization plate 39 may be on and
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`in direct contact with the second oriented film 38 [0078] (Fig. 6).
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`Nomura discloses forming a display device wherein a barrier layer of silicon
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`nitride is formed on a plastic substrate and a base layer of silicon oxide is formed on the
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`barrier layer, prior to forming the thin film transistor in order to prevent migration of alkali
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`metals [0186]-[0190].
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`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of
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`invention by applicant to use the resin material layer (i.e. polyimide) of Shimoda as the
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`substrate for the display device as suggested by French in order to form thinner and
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`lighter display devices. Further, it would have been obvious to form the polyimide layer
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/153,568
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`Page 5
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`Art Unit: 1715
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`of Shimoda or French by curing the resin on the substrate as suggested by Chang since
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`it was a known method of depositing a polyimide film on a substrate for a display
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`device. Further, it would have been obvious to include the plurality of lamination
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`material layers of Moon on the resin layer of Shimoda since it was a suitable
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`configuration for forming LCD devices and to place the polarization plates on the liquid
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`crystal sides of the substrates as suggested by Lub in order to allow compensation
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`layers, viewing angle films, and retarder layers to be accommodated inside the liquid
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`crystal cell as well. Further, it would have been obvious to form the barrier and base
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`layer of Nomura on the resin material of Shimoda prior to TFT formation in order to
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`prevent migration of alkali elements.
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`Regarding Claim 5, Lub discloses that the first polarization plate 32 may be in
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`direct contact with the first oriented film 36 and the second polarization plate 39 is in
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`contact with the second oriented film 38 [0078]-[0079] to allow compensation layers,
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`viewing angle films, and retarder layers to be accommodated inside the liquid crystal
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`cell as well [0081].
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`Thus, claims 1, 2, and 5 would have been obvious within the meaning of 35 USC
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`103 over the combined teachings of Shimoda, French, Chang, Moon, Lub, and Nomura.
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`5.
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`Claims 9 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over
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`Shimoda et al (US 2002/0146893) in view of French et al (US 2007/0091062), Chang et
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`al (US 2002/0031605), Moon (US 2007/0076151), Lub et al (US 2007/0024970), and
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`Nomura et al (US 2006/0244373) as applied above and further in view of Kim et al (US
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`2006/0043889).
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/153,568
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`Page 6
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`Art Unit: 1715
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`Shimoda, French, Chang, Moon, and Lub do not disclose forming an electric
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`conductive film on the glass substrate and forming the coated resin (e.g. polyimide) on
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`the electric conductive film.
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`Kim discloses forming a display device wherein an electric conductive anti-static
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`layer is formed on a donor substrate to suppress static electricity that may occur when
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`the donor substrate is detached. The antistatic layer may be ZnO [0033].
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`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of
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`invention by applicant to form an electric conductive layer as suggested by Kim on the
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`glass substrate of Shimoda or French in order to suppress static electricity when
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`removing the glass substrate.
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`Regarding Claim 11, Lub discloses that the first polarization plate 32 may be in
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`direct contact with the first oriented film 36 and the second polarization plate 39 is in
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`contact with the second oriented film 38 [0078]-[0079] to allow compensation layers,
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`viewing angle films, and retarder layers to be accommodated inside the liquid crystal
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`cell as well [0081].
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`Thus, claims 9 and 11 would have been obvious within the meaning of 35 USC
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`103 over the combined teachings of Shimoda, French, Chang, Moon, Lub, Nomura, and
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`Kim.
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`6.
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`Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Shimoda
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`et al (US 2002/0146893) in view of French et al (US 2007/0091062), Chang et al (US
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`2002/0031605), Moon (US 2007/0076151), Lub et al (US 2007/0024970), and Nomura
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/153,568
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`Page 7
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`Art Unit: 1715
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`et al (US 2006/0244373) as applied above and further in view of lnoue et al (US
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`2003/0040164).
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`Shimoda does not disclose forming a third resin material layer on a rear surface
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`of the first resin material layer after generating the exfoliation.
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`lnoue discloses that after exfoliation (Fig. 5) the thin film device is transferred to
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`another substrate 200 (Fig. 7; [O185]—[O195]), wherein the substrate may be a resin
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`material [0194] in order to form the display device on a more flexible, low cost substrate
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`[0193], [0197].
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`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of
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`invention by applicant to form a resin material on the rear surface of the first resin
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`material of Shimoda after exfoliation as suggested by lnoue in order to form the display
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`device on a flexible, low cost substrate.
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`Thus, claim 12 would have been obvious within the meaning of 35 USC 103 over
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`the combined teachings of Shimoda, French, Chang, Moon, Lub, Nomura, and lnoue.
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`Conclusion
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`7.
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`Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in
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`this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP
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`§ 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37
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`CFR1.136(a).
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`A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE
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`MONTHS from the mailing date of this action.
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`In the event a first reply is filed within
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`TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/153,568
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`Page 8
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`Art Unit: 1715
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`mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the
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`shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any
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`extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of
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`the advisory action.
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`In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later
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`than SIX MONTHS from the date of this final action.
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to ELIZABETH BURKHART whose telephone number is
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`(571 )272—6647. The examiner can normally be reached on M-Th 6-4:30.
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
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`supervisor, Timothy Meeks can be reached on 571-272—1423. The fax phone number
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`for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the
`
`Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for
`
`published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR.
`
`Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only.
`
`For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should
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`you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic
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`Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a
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`USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information
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`system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272—1000.
`
`/Elizabeth Burkhart/
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`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1715
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/153,568
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`Page 9
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`Art Unit: 1715
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