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`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
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`www.uspto.gov
`
`APPLICATION NO.
`
`
`
`
` FILING DATE
`
`
`FIRST NAMED INVENTOR
`
`ATTORNEY DOCKET NO.
`
`
`
`
`CONFIRMATIONNO.
`
`
`12/714,744
`
`03/01/2010
`
`Takao SATO
`
`501.50424X00
`
`7403
`
`20457
`
`7590
`
`08/06/2012
`
`ANTONELLI, TERRY, STOUT & KRAUS, LLP
`1300 NORTH SEVENTEENTH STREET
`SUITE 1800
`ARLINGTON,VA 22209-3873
`
`NGUYEN, HOAN C
`
`2871
`
`MAIL DATE
`
`08/06/2012
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`PAPER
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`
` 12/714,744 SATO ET AL.
`Examiner
`Art Unit
`HOAN C. NGUYEN
`2871
`
`-- The MAILING DATEof this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLYIS 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 (6) 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, evenif timely filed, may reduce any
`earned patent term adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`1) Responsive to communication(s)filed on 23 July 2012.
`2a)L] This action is FINAL.
`2b) This action is non-final.
`3)L]
`Anelection was made bythe applicant in responseto a restriction requirementset forth during the interview on
`___; the restriction requirement and election have beenincorporated into this action.
`4)L] Sincethis application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Ex parte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`Status
`
` U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`Disposition of Claims
`
`5)X] Claim(s) 1-78 is/are pending in the application.
`5a) Of the above claim(s) 6-17 is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`
`6)L] Claims)
`is/are allowed.
`7)X] Claim(s) 1-5 and 18 is/are rejected.
`8)L] Claim(s) ___ is/are objected to.
`9)L] Claim(s)___ are subject to restriction and/or election requirement.
`
`Application Papers
`
`10)L] The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`
`11)L] The drawing(s)filed on
`is/are: a)L_] accepted or b)_] 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).
`12) The oath or declaration is objected to by the Examiner. Note the attached Office Action or form PTO-152.
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`
`13)] Acknowledgmentis made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`a)XJ All
`b)L] Some * c)L] None of:
`1.X] Certified copiesof the priority documents have been received.
`2.L] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.L] Copiesof the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this National Stage
`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)
`1) x Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`2) [J Notice of Draftsperson’s Patent Drawing Review (PTO-948)
`3) XX] Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date 03/01/70.
`
`4) | Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date. __
`5) L] Noticeof Informal Patent Application
`6) C Other:
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 03-11)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20120731
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 12/714,744
`Art Unit: 2871
`
`Page 2
`
`DETAILED ACTION
`
`Election/Restrictions
`
`Applicant’s election of Species A (claims 1-5 and 18) in the reply filed on 7/24/2012 is
`
`acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the
`
`supposederrorsin the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an
`
`election without traverse (MPEP § 818.03(a)).
`
`Drawings
`
`The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show
`
`every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the features
`
`e
`
`e
`
`e
`
`“an arrangement direction of the panel substrate regions” claim 1
`
`“an arrangementdirection of the panel regions” claim 8
`
`“arubbing start side”, “a first side”, “each of sides parallel to a rubbing direction”,
`
`“a second side”, “each of sides substantially parallel to the rubbing direction,
`
`among sidesof the second organic insulating film disposed adjacentto the first
`
`side, is defined as a second side” and “the second side is virtually extended in
`
`the rubbing direction so as to have a predetermined angle other than 0° and 90°
`
`with respect to a direction perpendicular to the rubbing direction, as viewed in a
`
`plane,” in claim 1 or 8.
`
`must be shownor the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be
`
`entered.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 12/714,744
`Art Unit: 2871
`
`Page 3
`
`Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in
`
`reply to the Office action to avoid abandonmentof the application. Any amended
`
`replacement drawing sheet should includeall of the figures appearing on the immediate
`
`prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Thefigure or figure
`
`number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.”If a drawing figure
`
`is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet,
`
`and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate
`
`changes madeto the brief description of the several views of the drawings for
`
`consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering
`
`of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an
`
`application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New
`
`Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner,
`
`the applicantwill be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next
`
`Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
`
`The following is a quotation of the second paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112:
`
`The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly
`claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
`
`Claims 1-5 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph, as being
`
`indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which
`
`applicant regards asthe invention.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 12/714,744
`Art Unit: 2871
`
`Page 4
`
`Claim 1 cites “forming an alignmentfilm by rubbing the resin film formed on the
`
`upper surface of the stacked body in each of the panel substrate regions ofthe first
`
`multi-piece substrate in a direction substantially parallel to or in a direction substantially
`
`perpendicular to an arrangementdirection of the panel substrate regions”. Whatis “an
`
`arrangementdirection of the panel substrate regions”? Howis structurally “an
`
`arrangementdirection of the panel substrate regions” specified? Is that in the longer
`
`side of the panel substrate regions? or in the shorter side of the panel substrate
`
`regions?
`
`Claim 18 cites “rubbing a resin film formed on an uppersurface of a stacked
`
`body in each of panel regions of a first substrate in a direction substantially parallel to or
`
`in_a direction substantially perpendicular to an arrangementdirection of the panel
`
`regions”. Whatis “an arrangementdirection of the panel regions”? Howis structurally
`
`“an arrangement direction of the panel regions” specified? Is that in the longerside of
`
`the panel substrate regions? or in the shorter side of the panel substrate regions?
`
`Claim 1 or 18 cites “in the case wherea side positioned on a rubbing start side
`
`(?), among sides of eachoffirst organic insulating films, is defined as a first side, and
`
`each of sides parallel to a rubbing direction, among sides of a second organic insulating
`
`film disposed adjacentto the first side, is defined as a second side, a portion ofthe first
`
`side that crosses the second side when the second side is virtually extended in the
`
`rubbing direction so as to have a predetermined angle other than 0° and 90° with
`
`respect to a direction perpendicular to the rubbing direction, as viewedin a plane’.
`
`Whatis “a rubbing start side” structurally? Whatis “a first side” structurally?
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 12/714,744
`Art Unit: 2871
`
`Page 5
`
`Whatis “each of sides parallel to a rubbing direction” structurally? Whatis “a
`
`second side” structurally?
`
`Whatis “the second side is virtually extended in the rubbing direction so as to
`
`have a predetermined angle other than 0° and 90° with respectto a direction
`
`perpendicular to the rubbing direction, as viewed in a plane,” structurally? What is
`
`“virtually extended in the rubbing direction so as to have a predetermined angle other
`
`than Oo and 900 with respect to a direction perpendicular to the rubbing direction”?
`
`Claims 2-4 are rejected since they depend on theindefinite claim 1.
`
`Until applicants specify the above unclearissues in claims and Drawings, the
`
`prior art cannot be found and applied under the present conditions of the claims.
`
`Conclusion
`
`The prior art madeof record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to
`
`applicant's disclosure:
`
`Ochi et al. (US 5771085) disclose a liquid crystal display device and
`
`manufacturing method thereof for preventing a drop in the pixel slot opening and focus
`
`rates due to poor alignment precision of the drive substrate and microlens which face
`
`eachother, and for improving the focus rate and production efficiency. A lens group
`
`comprised of a plurality of microlenses is integrated into the opposing substrate. A
`
`second alignment mark is formed at the desired position within the display area on the
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 12/714,744
`Art Unit: 2871
`
`Page 6
`
`opposing substrate. This second alignment mark is formed along grooves between
`
`numerous protrusions having a semi-circular shaped cross section so the outer
`
`contours of the face form a cross shapeof a specific width. These protrusions are made
`
`of the same material (for instance transparentplastic) and shape (semi-circular cross
`
`section) as those of the microlens at the display area, forming a lens shape. The second
`
`alignment mark is made together and simultaneously with the forming of the microlens
`
`in such a waythat there is no deviation between the second alignment mark and the
`
`microlens oppositeit.
`
`Hori et al. disclose an alignment between a mask and a photosensitive substrate
`
`is performed usingafirst reference mark formed on the mask and a second reference
`
`mark formed on the photosensitive substrate. After that, the mask and the
`
`photosensitive substrate are relatively moved, so that an image of one ofalight-
`
`shielding pattern andalight-transmitting pattern formed at a position different from the
`
`first reference mark on the mask is formed on the second reference mark on the
`
`photosensitive substrate. Then, a circuit pattern formed on the maskis transferred onto
`
`the photosensitive substrate, and a partial region including the second reference markis
`
`exposed with the image of one ofthe light-shielding pattern and the light-transmitting
`
`pattern.
`
`Lai (US 6765267) discloses a pixel structure comprising a thin film transistor, a
`
`pixel electrode, a scanline, a data line and an alignment mark. The alignment markis
`
`formed beneath the data line. Misalignment is assessed through the degreeof shifting
`
`between the alignment mark and the dataline relative to each other. In addition,
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 12/714,744
`Art Unit: 2871
`
`Page 7
`
`misalignment is also gauged through the degreeof shifting between the alignment mark
`
`and the channellayer within the thin film transistor relative to each other.
`
`Anyinquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examiner should be directed to HOAN C. NGUYEN whosetelephone numberis
`
`(571)272-2296. The examiner can normally be reached on MONDAY-
`
`THURSDAY:8:00AM-4:30PM.
`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
`
`supervisor, Edward Glick can be reached on (571) 272-2490. The fax phone number
`
`for the organization wherethis 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
`
`you have questions on accessto the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic
`
`Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a
`
`USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automatedinformation
`
`system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA)or 571-272-1000.
`
`/HOAN C NGUYEN/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
`
`

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