`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMNHSSIONER FOR PATENTS
`PO. Box 1450
`Alexandria1 Virginia 22313-1450
`www.uspto.gov
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`
`
`
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`12/702, 813
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`02/09/2010
`
`Atsuo NAKAGAWA
`
`501 .50561X00
`
`2820
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`01/27/2015 —ANTONELLI, TERRY, smum KRAUS, LLP m
`7590
`20457
`1300 NORTH SEVENTEENTH STREET
`MERLIN, JESSICA M
`S UITE 550
`ARLINGTON, VA 22209-3 873
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`PAPER NUMBER
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`2871
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`MAIL DATE
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`01/27/2015
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`PAPER
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`Please find below and/or 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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`PTOL—90A (Rev. 04/07)
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`

`

`
`
`Applicant(s)
`Application No.
` 12/702,813 NAKAGAWA ET AL.
`
`
`AIA (First Inventor to File)
`Art Unit
`Examiner
`Office Action Summary
`
`
`JESSICA M. MERLIN [SENS 2871
`-- 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 g MONTHS FROM THE MAILING DATE OF
`THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available under the provisions of 37 CFR1. 136( a).
`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).
`
`In no event, however, may a reply be timely filed
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`Status
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`1)IZI Responsive to communication(s) filed on December 15 2014.
`El A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
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`2b)|ZI This action is non-final.
`2a)|:l 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) His/are pending in the application.
`5a) Of the above claim(s) §,_4 is/are withdrawn from consideration.
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`is/are allowed.
`6)I:I Claim(s)
`7)|Z| Claim(s) 1,2 and5- 7is/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
`:/'/\W¢W.LISI>I‘.0. ovI’ atentS/init events/
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`
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`iindex.‘s or send an inquiry to PPI-iieedback{®usgtc.00v.
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`Application Papers
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`10)I:l The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)|Xl The drawing(s) filed on February 9, 2010 is/are: a)lX| 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).
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`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
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`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
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`12)IXI 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)IZl All
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`b)|:l Some” c)I:l None of the:
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`1.IXI 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.
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`Attachment(s)
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`
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`3) D Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`1) E Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date.
`.
`.
`4) I:I Other'
`2) I] InformatIon DIsclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date
`US. Patent and Trademark Office
`PTOL—326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
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`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20150124
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 12/702,813
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`Page 2
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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`1.
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`The present application is being examined under the pre—AIA first to invent provisions.
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`Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
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`2.
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`A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in
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`37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is
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`eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e)
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`has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to
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`37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on December 15, 2014 has been entered.
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`Response to Amendment
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`3.
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`Receipt is acknowledged of applicant’s amendment filed November 7, 2014. Claims are
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`1—7 are pending and an action on the merits is as follows. Claims 3 and 4 have been previously
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`withdrawn.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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`4.
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`The following is a quotation of pre—AIA 35 USC. 103(a) which forms the basis for all
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`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: 12/702,813
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`Page 3
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`5.
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`Claims 1, 2, 5 and 6 are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being
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`unpatentable over Tebbit (US. 2008/0068529 A1) in View of Kim et al. (US. 2008/0020150
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`A1).
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`3):
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`In regard to claim 1, Tebbit discloses a display device comprising (see 6. g. Figures 1 -
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`a display panel 1;
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`a light transmitting cover 2 which is larger than and separate from the display panel 1,
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`which covers a display screen of the display panel 1, and which extends beyond at least one edge
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`of the display panel 1;
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`wherein the cover 2 includes a frame—shaped printing layer 41/43 which is formed on an
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`inside surface of the cover 2 which faces the display panel 1 in a state where the printing layer
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`surrounds a center portion of the cover 2 and a display region of the display panel 1 by avoiding
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`the center portion of the cover and the display region of the display panel and which extends
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`beyond the at least one edge of the display panel 1.
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`Tebbit is silent as to
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`wherein a coating layer which is formed over the inside surface of the cover covers the
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`frame—shaped printing layer formed on the inside surface of the cover which faces the display
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`panel and the coating layer is made of a material harder than a material of the frame—shaped
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`printing layer.
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`However, Kim et a1. discloses (see e.g. Figure 2):
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`wherein a coating layer 250 (see 6. g. paragraph [0045]) which is formed over the inside
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`surface of the cover 100. Although Kim et a1. fails to disclose the coating layer covers the
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`Application/Control Number: 12/702,813
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`Page 4
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`frame—shaped printing layer formed on the inside surface of the cover which faces the display
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`panel and the coating layer is made of a material harder than a material of the frame—shaped
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`printing layer, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the combination of Tebbit
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`with Kim et al., would yield a coating layer that overlaps/covers the frame—shaped printing layer.
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`Further, since the layer of Kim et al. is a hard coat layer, one of ordinary skill would recognize a
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`hard coat layer has a larger value of hardness than a frame shape printed layer.
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`Given the teachings of Kim et al., it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in
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`the art at the time of the invention to modify the display device of Tebbit with wherein a coating
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`layer which is formed over the inside surface of the cover covers the frame—shaped printing layer
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`formed on the inside surface of the cover which faces the display panel and the coating layer is
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`made of a material harder than a material of the frame—shaped printing layer.
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`Doing so would provide a protective film between the additional layers applied to a
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`display (i.e. polarizers/compensator), thus preventing unwanted mechanical damage.
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`In regard to claim 2, Tebbit discloses the limitations as applied to claim 1 above, but is
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`silent as to wherein the coating layer covers the center portion of the cover.
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`However, Kim et al. discloses wherein the coating layer 250 covers the center portion of
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`the cover b.
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`Given the teachings of Kim et al., it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in
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`the art at the time of the invention to modify the display device of Tebbit with wherein the
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`coating layer covers the center portion of the cover.
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`Doing so would provide a protective film between the additional layers applied to a
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`display (i.e. polarizers/compensator), thus preventing unwanted mechanical damage.
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`Application/Control Number: 12/702,813
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`Page 5
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`In regard to claim 5, Tebbit discloses the display panel includes a first substrate and a
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`second substrate 10,12, one of the first and second substrates 10,12 being larger than an other of
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`the first and second substrates 10,12, and the cover 2 which is larger than the display panel 1
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`extends beyond at least one edge of the larger one of the first and second substrates 10,12 of the
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`display panel 1, the frame—shaped printing layer 41/43 surrounding the center portion of the
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`cover 2 extending beyond the at least one edge of the larger one of the first and second substrates
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`10,12 of the display panel 1.
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`In regard to claim 6, Tebbit discloses the larger one of the first and second substrates
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`10,12 of the display panel 1 has a surface which is non—overlapping with the other of the first
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`and second substrates 10,12 and has an integrated circuit chip mounted on the non—overlapping
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`surface, and the cover 2 and the frame—shaped printing layer 41/43 extends beyond the at least
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`one edge of the larger one of the first and second substrates 10,12 haVing the integrated circuit
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`chip mounted on the non—overlapping surface (see eg. paragraph [0015] where it is noted that
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`the substrate 12 extends beyond 10 in order to be connected with driver interface boards, i. e.
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`that have mounted IC chips. ).
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`6.
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`Claim 7 is rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over
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`Tebbit (US. 2008/0068529 A1) in View of Kim et al. (US. 2008/0020150 A1) and further in
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`View of Shiozawa et al. (JP 2003-270403).
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`In regard to claim 7, Tebbit, in View of Kim et al., discloses the limitations as applied to
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`claim 1 above, but fails to disclose wherein the coating layer which covers the frame—shape
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`printing layer is disposed directly on the frame—shape printing layer.
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`Application/Control Number: 12/702,813
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`Page 6
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`However, Shiozawa et al. discloses wherein the coating layer 5b which covers the frame—
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`shape printing layer 3 is disposed directly on the frame—shape printing layer 3 (see 6. g. Figure 2
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`and paragraphs [0024] -[0025] of the English translation).
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`Given the teachings of Shiozawa et al., it would have been obvious to one of ordinary
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`skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the display device of Tebbit, in view of Kim
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`et al., with wherein the coating layer which covers the frame—shape printing layer is disposed
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`directly on the frame—shape printing layer.
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`Doing so would provide a means to prevent a cover substrate from being damaged.
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`Response to Arguments
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`7.
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`Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 2 and 5—7 have been considered but are
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`moot because the arguments do not apply to any of the references being used in the current
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`rejection.
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`8.
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`In regard to independent claim 1, applicant’s arguments, on pages 5—7 of the Remarks,
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`that the previously applied prior art fails to disclose all of the limitations of claim 1, as newly
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`amended, have been fully considered and are appreciated. However, the newly cited rejection,
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`necessitated by amendment, discloses all of the limitations of claim 1, as cited above.
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`9.
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`In regard to dependent claim 7, applicant’s arguments, on page 7—8 of the Remarks, that
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`the previously cited references fail to disclose the limitations of claim 7, have been fully
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`considered and are appreciated. Namely, applicant argues that Shiozawa et al. discloses the
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`frame shaped printer layer is formed on the coating layer, contrary to the features of claim 1 and
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`7. However, it is noted that the limitations requiring a coating layer covering a frame shaped
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`Application/Control Number: 12/702,813
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`Page 7
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`printing layer does not necessarily recite an order of layers from a specific perspective (i.e. from
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`the display panel or cover). Therefore, the cited references disclose the limitations of claim 7, as
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`cited above.
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`Conclusion
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to JESSICA M. MERLIN Whose telephone number is (571)270—
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`3207. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday—Thursday 6:00AM—4z30 PM.
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
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`supervisor, Edward Glick can be reached on (571) 272—2490. The fax phone number for the
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`organization Where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571—273—8300.
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`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent
`
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`may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished
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`applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR
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`like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated
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`information system, call 800—786—9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571—272—1000.
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`Jessica M. Merlin
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`January 24, 2015
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/702,813
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`Page 8
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`/JESSICA M MERLIN/
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`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
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`