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`V i$ T {a
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`A
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`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 2231371450
`www.uspto.gov
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`15/476,363
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`03/31/2017
`
`Takeki SATOU
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`20326.0089U501
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`7098
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`53148
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`759°
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`09/04/20”
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`HAMRE, SCHUMANN, MUELLER & LARSON RC.
`45 South Seventh Street
`Suite 2700
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`MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55402-1683
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`LIU' SHAN
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`2871
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`PAPER NUMBER
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`NOTIFICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`09/04/2019
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`ELECTRONIC
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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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`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above—indicated "Notification Date" to the
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`following e—mail address(es):
`PTOMail@hsml.eom
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`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
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`

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`IV , CalflAac/lled b'l'
`01/09 0
`””3 ’ ”7
`
`Application No.
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`15/476,363
`Examiner
`SHAN LIU
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`Applicant(s)
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`SATOU,Takeki
`Art Unit
`AIA (FITF) Status
`2871
`Yes
`
`- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet wit/7 the correspondence address-
`All claims being allowable, PROSECUTION ON THE MERITS IS (OR REMAINS) CLOSED in this application. If not included
`herewith (or previously mailed), a Notice of Allowance (PTOL-85) or other appropriate communication will be mailed in due course. THIS
`NOTICE OF ALLOWABILITY IS NOT A GRANT OF PATENT RIGHTS. This application is subject to withdrawal from issue at the initiative
`of the Office or upon petition by the applicant. See 37 CFR 1.313 and MPEP 1308.
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`1.. This communication is responsive to Amendmentsubmitted 6/3/2019.
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`[:1 A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
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`2:] An election was made by the applicant in response to a restriction requirement set forth during the interview on
`restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
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`; the
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`3.. The allowed claim(s) is/are 1-5,7-8 and 10-13 . As a result of the allowed claim(s), 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 http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPeredback@uspto.gov.
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`4C] Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119( )-(d) or (f).
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`Certified copies:
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`a) DA”
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`b) C] Some
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`*0) D None of the:
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`1. D Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2. [:1 Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
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`3. [:1 Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this national stage application from the
`International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2( )).
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`* Certified copies not received:
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`Applicant has THREE MONTHS FROM THE “MAILING DATE“ of this communication to file a reply complying with the requirements
`noted below. Failure to timely comply will result in ABANDONMENT of this application.
`THIS THREE-MONTH PERIOD IS NOT EXTENDABLE.
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`5C] CORRECTED DRAWINGS (as “replacement sheets“) must be submitted.
`C]
`including changes required by the attached Examiner's Amendment / Comment or in the Office action of
`Paper No./Mai| Date
`Identifying indicia such as the application number (see 37 CFR 1.84(c)) should be written on the drawings in the front (not the back) of each
`sheet. Replacement sheet(s) should be labeled as such in the header according to 37 CFR 1.121(d).
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`6C] DEPOSIT OF and/or INFORMATION about the deposit of BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL must be submitted. Note the
`attached Examiner's comment regarding REQUIREMENT FOR THE DEPOSIT OF BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL.
`
`Examiner, Art Unit 2871
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`Attachment(s)
`1.. Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
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`2D Information Disclosure Statements (PTO/SB/08),
`Paper No./Mai| Date
`3C] Examiner's Comment Regarding Requirement for Deposit
`of Biological Material
`.
`4.. Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No./Mai| Date. 20190829.
`ISHAN LIU/
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`5.
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`6.
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`Examiner's Amendment/Comment
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`Examiner's Statement of Reasons for Allowance
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`7. C] Other
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`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`PTOL-37 (Rev. 08-13)
`
`Notice of Allowability
`
`_
`Pan of Paper N0-/MaI| Date 20190829
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/476,363
`Art Unit: 2871
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`Page 2
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`Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first
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`inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
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`Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
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`A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR
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`1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued
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`examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the
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`finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's
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`submission filed on 3/14/2019 has been entered.
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`Response to Amendment
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`The amendment filed 6/3/2019 has been entered. Claim 7 is amended. Claims 1-5, 7-8 and 10-
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`11 are currently pending in this application.
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`EXAMINER’S AMENDMENT
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`An examiner’s amendment to the record appears below. Should the changes and/or additions
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`be unacceptable to applicant, an amendment may be filed as provided by 37 CFR 1.312. To ensure
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`consideration of such an amendment, it MUST be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee.
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`Authorization for this examiner’s amendment was given in a telephone interview with the
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`applicant's representative, Mr. Anthony Marshik (Reg. No. 73969) on 8/29/2019.
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`The application has been amended as follows:
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`12. (New) The electronic display device of claim 1, wherein
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`both of the first and second panel devices are liquid crystal display type panel devices.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/476,363
`Art Unit: 2871
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`Page 3
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`13. (New) The electronic display device of claim 1, wherein
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`one of the first and second panel devices is a touch sensitive input panel device.
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`Claims 1-5, 7-8 and 10-13 are allowed.
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`Allowable Subject Matter
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`The following is an examiner's statement of reasons for allowance:
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`None of the prior art of record discloses or suggests all the combination of an electronic display
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`device as set forth in claims 1-5, 7-8 and 10-13.
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`Regarding claim 1, the prior art of record, taken along or in combination, fails to disclose or
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`suggest an electronic display device, comprising a support portion; a first panel device and a second
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`panel device being stacked and affixed together in a thickness direction; a support structure secured to
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`the support portion, located at an edge of the stacked first and second panel devices and comprising a
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`first support member and a second support member, the first support member comprises a first support
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`surface, the second support member comprises a second support surface, the first support surface being
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`parallel to and configured to contact an edge of the first panel device, and the second support surface
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`being parallel to and configured to contact an edge of the second panel device, and the first support
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`member and the second support member of the support structure are separate pieces that contact each
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`other and have the same shape, wherein ”a plurality of the support structures, each of the support
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`structures secured to the support portion and located at an edge of the stacked first and second panel
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`devices, each of the support structures comprising the first support member and the second support
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`member, the first support member and the second support member in each of the support structures
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`are separate pieces that contact each other and have the same shape” in combination with the other
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`required elements of the claim.
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`Claims 2-5, 7-8 and 10-13 are allowable due to their dependency.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/476,363
`Art Unit: 2871
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`Page 4
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`The most relevant reference, Chen et al. US 2016/0083173 (at least Fig. 8-9) in view of Nishio et
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`al. US 2008/0239195 (at least Fig. 3-4) only discloses an electronic display device, comprising a support
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`portion; a first panel device and a second panel device being stacked and affixed together in a thickness
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`direction; a support structure secured to the support portion, located at an edge of the stacked first and
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`second panel devices and comprising a first support member and a second support member, the first
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`support member comprises a first support surface, the second support member comprises a second
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`support surface, the first support surface being parallel to and configured to contact an edge of the first
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`panel device, and the second support surface being parallel to and configured to contact an edge of the
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`second panel device, and the first support member and the second support member of the support
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`structure are separate pieces that contact each other and have the same shape. However, they do not
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`teach or suggest that a plurality of the support structures, each of the support structures secured to the
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`support portion and located at an edge of the stacked first and second panel devices, each of the
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`support structures comprising the first support member and the second support member, the first
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`support member and the second support member in each of the support structures are separate pieces
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`that contact each other and have the same shape in combination with the other required elements of
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`the claim.
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`Fujikawa US 2009/0140121 (at least Fig. 10), Yuan et al. US 2010/0045889 (at least Fig. 6-7),
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`Lee US 2016/0054613 (at least Fig. 9), Park et al. US 2016/0306480 (at least Fig.2), Ooami US
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`2009/0153768 (at least Fig. 1-3) and Yoshikawa US 2015/0324043 (at least Fig. 8) are also silent as of
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`the specific limitation in combination with the other required elements of the claim.
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`Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment
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`of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such
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`submissions should be clearly labeled "Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance."
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/476,363
`Art Unit: 2871
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`Page 5
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`Conclusion
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner
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`should be directed to SHAN LIU whose telephone number is (571)270-0383. The examiner can normally
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`be reached on 9am-5pm EST M-F.
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`the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ed
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`Glick can be reached on 571-272-2490. The fax phone number for the organization where this
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`
`/Shan Liu/
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`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
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`