Ex parte Brody

Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences

Dec 13, 2000

08326049 (B.P.A.I. Dec. 13, 2000)

The opinion in support of the decision being entered today was not written for
publication and is not binding precedent of the Board.
Paper No. 36
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
_____________
BEFORE THE BOARD OF PATENT APPEALS
AND INTERFERENCES
_____________
Ex parte THOMAS P. BRODY
_____________
Appeal No. 1998-2976
Application No. 08/326,049
______________
ON BRIEF
_______________
Before URYNOWICZ, THOMAS, and HAIRSTON, Administrative Patent
Judges.
URYNOWICZ, Administrative Patent Judge.
DECISION ON APPEAL
This appeal is from the final rejection of claims 1, 16, 22-
29, 32-34, 39 and 40, all the claims pending in the application.
The invention pertains to a flat-screen display. Claim 1 is
illustrative and reads as follows:
1. A display, comprising:
a plurality of display modules adapted to be removably
joined to a plurality of similar display modules to form the
flat screen display, each of said flat screen display modules
comprising:
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a substrate with first and second major surfaces and
edge surfaces;
a matrix of transparent conductive pads capable of
defining picture elements and extending over the entire
first major surface of the substrate with boundary
conductive pads adjacent the edge surfaces of the
substrate at distances such that when a similar module
is positioned adjacent any one of said edge surfaces of
said module, visual image produced by said modules is
substantially uninterrupted at the adjacent edges of said
modules;
a matrix of thin film transistors extending over the
first major surface of the substrate with each transistor
capable of activating one of the conductive pads upon
receiving electrical signals through both row and
column conductive strips;
the row and column conductive strips each extending over
the first major surface from adjacent an edge surface to
adjacent an opposite edge surface of the substrate such
that each transistor can be electrically activated by a
row conductive strip and a column conductive
strip;
an electrical drive circuit positioned on the second
major surface of the substrate and capable of electrically
activating the transistors in correspondence to desired
visual images to be formed by the picture elements over
the first major surface of the substrate; and
interconnecting conductors each extending over one of
said edge surfaces from the first major surface to the
second major surface, the conductors electrically
connecting the drive circuit on the second major surface
of the substrate with the row and column conductive strips
on the first major surface of the substrate and said
conductors being electrically insulated from similar
interconnecting conductors of an adjacent module.

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The references relied upon by the examiner are:
Unotoro et al. (Unotoro) 0 035 382 Sep. 9,
1981
(Published European Patent Application)
Matsukawa et al. (Matsukawa) 0 179 913 May 7,
1986
(Published European Patent Application)

Claims 1, 16, 22-29, 32-34, 39 and 40 stand rejected
under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Unotoro in
view of Matsukawa.
The respective positions of the examiner and the
appellant with regard to the propriety of these rejections are
set forth in the examiner’s answer (Paper No. 33) and the
appellant’s brief and reply brief (Paper Nos. 32 and 34,
respectively).
Appellant’s Invention
The invention is a flat-screen television display made up
of a plurality of display modules positioned adjacent each
other to form an array the size of the desired flat-screen.
Each module has a substrate 14. A matrix of conductive pads
19 defines picture elements 18 and it extends over the first
major surface 15 of the substrate in a regular pattern. A
matrix of electrical switching elements 20 extends over the
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first major surface 15, with each switching element 20 for
activating a conductive pad 19 upon receiving electrical
signals through both row and column conductive strips 21, 22.
An electrical drive circuit 29 is positioned adjacent the
second major surface 16 of the substrate 14 and electrically
activates the switching elements 20 in correspondence to
desired video images to be reproduced by the picture elements
18 over the first major surface 15 of the substrate. Each
module has interconnecting conductors 30 adjacent the edge
surface 17 of the substrate which electrically connect the
drive circuit 29 on the second major surface 16 and the row
and column conductive strips 21, 22 along the first major
surface 15. Conductors 30 are electrically insulated from
like interconnecting conductors 30 on adjacent modules.
The Prior Art
Unotoro discloses a flat-screen display made up of a
plurality of display modules 1. The structure 1 comprises an
insulating substrate 4 provided with connecting pins 2 and 3;
a semiconductor display module IC chip 6 on which required
driving circuit elements are integrated corresponding to
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picture element electrodes 5 arranged in the form of a matrix;
a liquid crystal display medium 7; and a cover 9 with a
transparent electrode 8 at its lower surface.
In Figure 1, Matsukawa discloses a liquid crystal display
element comprising liquid crystal 3 between glass plates 1a
and 1b. Sealing resin 2 is positioned around the plates.
Transparent electrodes 4a and 4b are positioned on the glass
plates and are connected to a drive circuit (not illustrated).
Polarizing plates 5a and 5b are attached to the glass plates.
A light source 6 is located beneath the display element and a
diffusion plate is located between the light source and plate
5b.
Opinion
After consideration of the positions and arguments
presented by both the examiner and the appellant, we have
concluded that the rejection should not be sustained.
The module of Figure 1 of Unotoro has but one substrate
4. The examiner is correct that it has a means 5 for
activating picture elements in medium 7 and means 6 built into
the module 1 for driving means 5. However, both of means 5
and 6 are on the same major (upper) surface of substrate 4 and
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there is simply no showing that it would have been obvious to
one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was
made to put drive means 6 on a second major surface of the
substrate, the lower surface, and to provide an interconnector
extending over one of the edge surfaces of the substrate from
one major surface to the other for interconnecting the built-
in driving means 6 to the activating means 5.

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The reference to Matsukawa is not relied on to show
activating means and driving means on the opposing major
surfaces of a substrate. Accordingly, even if motivation to
combine the teachings of the two references is assumed, the
subject matter of the claims is not met.
REVERSED
)
STANLEY M. URYNOWICZ, JR. )
Administrative Patent Judge )
)
)
) BOARD OF
PATENT
JAMES D. THOMAS )
Administrative Patent Judge ) APPEALS AND
)
) INTERFERENCES
)
KENNETH W. HAIRSTON )
Administrative Patent Judge )
SMU:hh
Appeal No. 1998-2976
Application No. 08/326,049
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Darryl Mexic, Esq.
SUGHRUE, MION, ZINN, MACPEAK & SEAS
2100 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, DC 20037-3202