`
`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
`wwwnsptogov
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`APPLICATION NO.
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`12/785,775
`
`20457
`
`
`
`
` F ING DATE
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`05/24/2010
`
`7590
`
`06/05/2013
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`FIRST NAMED INVENTOR
`
`ATTORNEY DOCKET NO.
`
`
`
`
`CONF {MATION NO.
`
`Atsuo Nakagawa
`
`1497.50797X00
`
`1604
`
`ANTONELLLTERRY,STOUT&KRAUS,LLP
`1300 NORTH SEVENTEENTH STREET
`SUITE 1800
`ARLINGTON, VA 22209-3873
`
`CALEY, MICHAEL H
`
`2871
`
`MAIL DATE
`
`06/05/2013
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`DELIVERY MODE
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`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)
`
`

`

`
`
`Applicant(s)
`Application No.
` 12/785,775 NAKAGAWA ET AL.
`
`Examiner
`Art Unit
`AIA (First Inventor to File)
`Office Action Summary
`
`2871MICHAEL CALEY its“
`
`-- 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
`
`1)IZI Responsive to communication(s) filed on 22 January 2013.
`El A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
`
`2b)|ZI This action is non-final.
`2a)|:l This action is FINAL.
`3)|: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) 1-18 is/are pending in the application.
`5a) Of the above claim(s) 3,5,10,13,17and 18 is/are withdrawn from consideration.
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`6)|:I Claim(s)
`is/are allowed.
`
`7)|Z| Claim(s) 124 6-911 12 and 14- 16is/are rejected.
`8)|:I Claim(s)_ is/are objected to.
`
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`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement.
`9)|:I Claim((s)
`* 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
`\WIIW.LIsct0. ov/ atentS/init events/
`
`
`
`hit
`:i/
`iindex.‘s or send an inquiry to PPI-iieedback{®usgtc.00v.
`
`Application Papers
`
`10)I:l The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)|Xl The drawing(s) filed on 24 May 2010 is/are: a)IZl 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
`
`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 AII
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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.
`
`Interim copies:
`
`a)|:l AII
`
`b)|:l Some
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`c)I:I None of the:
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`Interim copies of the priority documents have been received.
`
`Attachment(s)
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`1) E Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`3) D Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`
`Paper N°(5)/Ma" Date' —
`PTO/SB/08
`t
`t
`St
`I
`D'
`1'
`r
`2 IZI I
`)
`4) I:I Other:
`a emen (s) (
`Isc osure
`n orma Ion
`)
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date 5/24/10.
`
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`PTOL—326 (Rev. 03-13)
`
`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20130531
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 12/785,775
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`Page 2
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Election/Restrictions
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`Applicant's election with traverse of Species A in the reply filed on 1/22/13 is
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`acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that Species A and B should not be considered
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`as separate species, but rather the same species (see Remarks, Page 9). This is not found
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`persuasive because the identified species have mutually exclusive construction and arrangement
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`of at least the lower frame and the flexible printed circuit board.
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`The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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`Claim Objections
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`Claim 2 is objected to because of the following informalities: The recited “the plurality
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`of protruding portions” lacks antecedent basis. Claim 1 recites a single protruding portion.
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`Appropriate correction is required.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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`The following is a quotation of 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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`This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the
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`claims under 35 USC. 103(a), the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/785,775
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`Page 3
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`claims was commonly owned at the time any inventions covered therein were made absent any
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`evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out
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`the inventor and invention dates of each claim that was not commonly owned at the time a later
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`invention was made in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 103(c)
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`and potential 35 U.S.C. 102(e), (f) or (g) prior art under 35 U.S.C. 103(a).
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`Claims 1, 2, 6, 15, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable
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`over Oohira (US. Patent Application Publication 2008/0198289) in View of Tanaka (US.
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`Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0008451) and Toriyama et al. (US. Patent
`
`Application Publication No. 2008/0088763 "Toriyama").
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`Regarding claim 1, Oohira discloses a liquid crystal display device comprising:
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`a liquid crystal panel (e. g. Figures 1—4 elements 1 and 2; Paragraph [0050]) which
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`includes a first substrate (1), a second substrate (2) and liquid crystal (Paragraph [0054])
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`sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate;
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`a backlight (at least elements 5, 8, 11, 12, 13); and
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`a flexible printed circuit board (7) which is connected to one side of the first
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`substrate (Paragraph [0051]), wherein
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`the backlight includes a mold (5), a light guide plate (11) which is arranged in the
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`inside of the mold, a plurality of light emitting diodes (8; Paragraph [0058]) a reflection
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`sheet (12) which is arranged on a surface of the light guide plate on a side opposite to the
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`liquid crystal panel (Figure 2), and a lower frame which houses the mold (Paragraph
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`[0065]),
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/785,775
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`Page 4
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`the flexible printed circuit board includes a body portion (Figures 1 and 2 element
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`7, top horizontal portion of element 7 in Figure 2) which is connected to one side of the
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`first substrate, a large—width LED board (element 7, bottom horizontal portion) on which
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`the plurality of light emitting diodes which are mounted on the LED board are housed in
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`the inside of the mold from a side of the mold opposite to the liquid crystal panel (Figure
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`2),
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`assuming a direction orthogonal to the liquid crystal panel as a first direction, a
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`thickness of the plurality of light emitting diodes in the first direction is set larger than a
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`thickness of a light incident surface of the light guide plate in the first direction (Figure
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`2),
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`a region where the plurality of light emitting diodes are arranged protrudes more
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`than a region where the light guide plate is arranged in a direction away from the liquid
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`crystal panel (Figure 2).
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`Oohira fails to disclose the positional arrangement between the LED board and the
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`reflection sheet. Tanaka, however, teaches an LED board (Figure 1 element 2) and reflection
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`sheet (17) arranged such that a distal end portion of the LED board and the reflection sheet face
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`each other while preventing the distal end portion of the LED board and a portion of the
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`reflection sheet from overlapping with each other (Figure 1).
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`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention
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`was made to form the LED board and the reflection sheet to face each other and not overlap each
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`other as proposed. Tanaka teaches the LED board and reflection sheet as facing each other and
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/785,775
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`Page 5
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`not overlapping in an arrangement of the backlight that reduces the display thickness (Paragraph
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`[0007]). One would have been motivated to form the LED board and reflection sheet to face
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`each other and not overlap to reduce the thickness of the display in approximately the extent of
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`the thickness of the reflection sheet (as seen by comparing Tanaka, Figure l and Oohira, Figure
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`2).
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`Oohira further fails to disclose the lower frame as including the protruding portion.
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`Oohira as modified by Tanaka would result in a protruded portion of the light emitting diode
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`region (see Tanaka, Figure 1, bottom of 2 compared to bottom of 17). Toriyama teaches a lower
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`frame (Figure 4 element 7) accommodating a protruding portion in the light emitting diode
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`region in which the lower frame includes a protruding portion which protrudes in a direction
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`away from the liquid crystal panel (Figure l) in the region where the plurality of light emitting
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`diodes are arranged.
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`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention
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`was made to form the lower frame to include a protruding portion which protrudes in the
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`direction away from the liquid crystal panel in the region where the plurality of light emitting
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`diodes are arranged. One would have been motivated to include the protruding portion to
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`provide a supporting surface for the light emitting diode region and reflection sheet (Toriyama:
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`Figure 4; Paragraph [0036] wherein the light emitting diode region of the backlight is protruded
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`compared to the bottom surface of the reflection sheet (see Tanaka: Figure l, Toriyama: Figure
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`4).
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/785,775
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`Page 6
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`Regarding claim 2, Oohira as modified by Tanaka and Toriyama discloses the lower
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`frame as including the plurality of protruding portions (protruding portions corresponding to
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`each of the light emitting diodes, Oohira: element 8, Toriyama: Figure 4).
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`Regarding claim 6, Oohira as modified by Tanaka and Toriyama discloses the lower
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`frame as protruding in the direction away from the liquid crystal panel in an area ranging from a
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`side wall of the lower frame on one side of the first substrate to which the flexible printed circuit
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`board is connected to the region where the plurality of light emitting diodes are arranged
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`(Oohira: Figure 2, Tanaka: Figure l, Toriyama: Figure 4).
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`Regarding claims 15 and 16, Oohira as modified by Tanaka and Toriyama discloses the
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`plurality of light emitting didoes as facing at least one part of the protruding portion of the lower
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`frame (Oohira: Figure 2, Tanaka: Figure l, Toriyama: Figure 4).
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`Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Oohira in
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`View of Tanaka and Toriyama and in further View of Applicant's admitted prior art
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`(AAPA) and Kim et al. (US. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0151171 "Kim").
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`Regarding claim 4, Oohira fails to disclose the LED board as double sided and the
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`connection board as single—sided. AAPA, however, teaches and LED board as formed of a
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`double—sided printed circuit board (Specification Page 3 lines 13—22). Kim teaches a connection
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`board as formed from single sided flexible circuit board (Paragraph [0147]).
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`Application/Control Number: 12/785,775
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`Page 7
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention
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`was made to form the LED board as formed of a double—sided printed circuit board and the
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`connection board as formed of a single—sided printed circuit board. One would have been
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`motivated to form the LED board and the connection board as proposed according to the display
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`layout and required electrical connections.
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`Claims 7-9, 11, 12, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(3) as being unpatentable
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`over Oohira in View of Tanaka and Toriyama and in further View of AAPA.
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`Regarding claim 7, Oohira fails to disclose the LED board and connection board as
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`double sided. AAPA, however, teaches and LED board and connection board as formed of a
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`double— sided printed circuit board (Specification Page 3 lines 13—22).
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`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention
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`was made to form the LED board and connection board as formed of a double—sided printed
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`circuit board. One would have been motivated to form the LED board and the connection board
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`as proposed according to the display layout and required electrical connections.
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`Regarding claim 8, Oohira discloses the LED board and the connection board as
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`integrally formed with each other (Figure 2).
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`Regarding claims 9 and 11, Oohira fails to explicitly disclose the relative position
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`between the light emitting surface of the light emitting diode and the light guide plate. AAPA,
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`however, teaches a center point of a thickness of a light emitting surface of the plurality of light
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`Application/Control Number: 12/785,775
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`Page 8
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`emitting diodes in the first direction and a center point of a thickness of the light guide plate in
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`the first direction as aligned with each other for ideal light transfer (Page 4 lines 12—27).
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`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention
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`was made to position a center point of a thickness of a light emitting surface of the plurality of
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`light emitting diodes in the first direction and a center point of a thickness of the light guide plate
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`in the first direction to be aligned with each other. One would have been motivated to align the
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`light emitting diodes and the light guide plate as proposed to optimize light transfer efficiency
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`according to conventional means (Specification: Page 4 lines 12—27).
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`Regarding claims 12 and 14, Oohira fails to disclose the connection board dimensions as
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`proposed. AAPA, however, teaches the connection board as an elongated board having a board
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`width smaller than a board width of the LED board (Drawings: Figure 10).
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`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention
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`was made to form the connection board as an elongated board having a width smaller than the
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`width of the LED board. One would have been motivated to form the connection board as
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`proposed to enable connection between the body portion and the LED portion while minimizing
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`space occupied within the display frame according to conventional means.
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`Contact Information
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to MICHAEL CALEY whose telephone number is (571)272—2286.
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`The examiner can normally be reached on M—F 6:00 am - 2:30 p.m..
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/785,775
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`Page 9
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
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`supervisor, Bumsuk Won can be reached on (571)272—2713. 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
`
`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
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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.
`
`/Michael H. Caley/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
`
`