`
`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
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`APPLICATION NO.
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`
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` FILING DATE
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`FIRST NAMED INVENTOR
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`ATTORNEY DOCKET NO.
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`
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`CONFIRMATIONNO.
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`12/702,813
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`02/09/2010
`
`Atsuo NAKAGAWA
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`501.50561 X00
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`2820
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`20457
`
`7590
`
`12/09/2013
`
`ANTONELLI, TERRY, STOUT & KRAUS, LLP
`1300 NORTH SEVENTEENTH STREET
`SUITE 1800
`ARLINGTON,VA 22209-3873
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`MERLIN,JESSICA M
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`2871
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`MAIL DATE
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`12/09/2013
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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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`

`

`
`
`Status
`1)X] Responsive to communication(s)filed onJuly9,2013.
`LJ A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiledon__
`2a)L] This action is FINAL.
`2b) This action is non-final.
`3)L] Anelection was made bythe applicant in responsetoarestriction requirementset forth during the interview on
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`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporatedinto this action.
`4)[] Since this application is in condition for allowance exceptfor 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.
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`Disposition of Claims*
`5)KX] Claim(s) 1-6 is/are pending in the application.
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`5a) Of the above claim(s) 3 and 4 is/are withdrawn from consideration.
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`6)L] Claim(s)
`is/are allowed.
`7) Claim(s) 1,2,5 and G is/are rejected.
`8)L] Claim(s)____is/are objectedto.
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`9)L] Claim(s)
`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement.
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you may be eligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`or send an inquiry to PPHieedback@uspto.qoy.
`
`Application Papers
`10)L] The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)] The drawing(s)filed on February 9, 2010 is/are: a)X] 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).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12)X] Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
`a)X] All
`)[_] Some** c)] None ofthe:
`1.x] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.L] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.L] Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been receivedin 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.
`
`
`
`Applicant(s)
`Application No.
` 12/702,813 NAKAGAWAETAL.
`
`Examiner
`Art Unit
`AIA (First Inventorto File)
`Office Action Summary
`
`JESSICA M. MERLIN Na 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 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING DATE OF
`THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a).
`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).
`Anyreply 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 betimely filed
`
`Attachment(s)
`3) CT] Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`1) X Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date.
`:
`.
`4 Ol Other:
`2) CT] Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20131125
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/702,813
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`Page 2
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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 underthe pre-AIAfirst 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), wasfiled 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 pursuantto
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`37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on July 9, 2013 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 amendmentfiled June 10, 2013. Claims 1-6 are
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`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 U.S.C. 103(a) which formsthe basis forall
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`obviousnessrejections set forth in this Office action:
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`(a) A patent may not be obtained thoughthe inventionis not identically disclosed or described as set
`forth in section 102 of thistitle, 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 madeto 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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`Art Unit: 2871
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`Page 3
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`5.
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`Claims1, 2, 5 and 6 are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being
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`unpatentable over Tebbit (U.S. 2008/0068529 A1) in view of.
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`In regardto claim 1, Tebbit discloses a display device comprising (see e.g. Figures 1-
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`3):
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`a display panel 1;
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`a light transmitting cover 2 whichis 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 beyondat 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 a
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`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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`beyondthe at least one edge of the display panel1.
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`Tebbitis silent as to
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`wherein a coating layer which is formed on the cover covers the frame-shaped printing
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`layer and is made of a material harder than a material of the frame-shapedprinting layer.
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`However, Nishikawaet al. discloses wherein a coating layer which is formed on the
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`cover 11 covers the frame-shaped printing layer 13 and is made of a material harder than a
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`material of the frame-shaped printing layer 13 (see e.g. Figures 3a-b and paragraph [0072]
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`whereit is noted that a hard coatlayer is applied to the cover 11).
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`Giventhe teachings of Nishikawaetal., it would have been obviousto one of ordinary
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`skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the display device of Tebbit with wherein a
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`Application/Control Number: 12/702,813
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`Page 4
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`coating layer which is formed on the cover covers the frame-shaped printing layer and is made of
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`a material harder than a material of the frame-shapedprinting layer.
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`Doing so would provide a meansfor providing a protective layer to the coverlayer.
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`In regardto claim 2, Tebbit discloses the limitations as applied to claim 1 above,butis
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`silent as to wherein the coating layer covers the center portion of the cover.
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`However, Nishikawaet al. discloses wherein the coating layer covers the center portion
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`of the cover 11 (see e.g. Figures 3a-b and paragraph [0072] whereit is noted that a hard coat
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`layer is applied to the cover 11).
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`Giventhe teachings of Nishikawaetal., it would have been obviousto one of ordinary
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`skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the display device of Tebbit with wherein
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`the coating layer covers the center portion of the cover.
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`Doing so would provide a meansfor providing a protective layer to the coverlayer.
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`In regardto claim 5, Tebbit discloses the display panel includesa 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 whichis larger than the display panel 1
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`extends beyondat least one edge of the larger one ofthe 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 beyondthe 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 regardto 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 otherofthefirst
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`and second substrates 10,12 and has an integrated circuit chip mounted on the non-overlapping
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`Application/Control Number: 12/702,813
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`Page 5
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`surface, and the cover 2 and the frame-shaped printing layer 41/43 extends beyondtheatleast
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`one edge ofthe 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 e.g. paragraph [0015] whereit 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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`Response to Arguments
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`6.
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`Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 2, 5 and 6 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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`7.
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`In regard to independent claim 1, applicant’s arguments, on pages 5-9 of the Remarks,
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`that the previously applied priorart 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, disclosesall of the limitations of claim 1, as cited above. Namely,
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`Tebbit disclosesall of the limitations of claim 1, except, “wherein a coating layer which is
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`formed on the cover covers the frame-shapedprinting layer and is made of a material harder than
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`a material of the frame-shaped printing layer.”” However, as cited above, Nishikawaetal.
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`discloses wherein a coating layer which is formed on the cover 11 covers the frame-shaped
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`printing layer 13 and is made of a material harder than a material of the frame-shaped printing
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`layer 13 (see e.g. Figures 3a-b and paragraph [0072] whereit is noted that a hard coat layeris
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`applied to the cover 11) in order to provide meansfor providing a protective layer to the cover
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`layer.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/702,813
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`Page 6
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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 whosetelephone numberis (571)270-
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`3207. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday 6:00AM-4:30 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 numberfor 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
`
`Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications
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`maybe 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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`system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR
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`system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would
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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
`November 25, 2013
`
`JESSICA M MERLIN/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
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`