Office Action 3: Notice of Allowance (2025-10-01)

CLAIMS:
LISTING OF CLAIMS:

Reply to Office Action of March 14, 2025The following Listing of Claims will replace all prior versions, and listings, of claims in the application.

1\. (Currently Amended) A planar light source comprising:
one or more light sources each having a pair of electrodes extending on one face of the one or more light sources within a perimeter of the one face of the one or more light sources in a plan view;
a light guide member covering the one or more light sources while the electrodes are exposed from the light guide member;
an insulating base having a first face and a second face, the second face opposite the first face and opposite the one or more light sources;
a wiring layer electrically connected to the electrodes and disposed on the second face of the insulating base;
a light reflective member interposed between the light guide member and the insulating base and defining, for each of the one or more light sources, a pair of first through holes at positions aligned with the electrodes on a one-to-one basis, an opening of each of the first through holes not running over an outline of the light source in the plan view; and
for each of the one or more light sources, a pair of conducting members respectively disposed in the first through holes and electrically connecting the electrodes to the wiring layer.

2\. (Previously Presented) The planar light source according to claim 1, wherein the light reflective member is a first light reflective member, and
the planar light source further comprises a second light reflective member defining, for each of the one or more light sources, a second through hole at a position overlapping the first through holes in a plan view with the light source being disposed in the second through hole in the plan view.

3\. (Previously Presented) The planar light source according to claim 1, wherein for each of the one or more light sources:
a face of the wiring layer on a light reflective member side includes a pair of contact portions each facing a corresponding one of the first through holes; and
each of the conducting members establishes electrical contact with a corresponding one of the contact portions.

4\. (Previously Presented) The planar light source according to claim 1, wherein for each of the one or more light sources:
the wiring layer defines a pair of third through holes communicating with the first through holes on a one-to-one basis; and
each of the conducting members establishes electrical contact with the wiring layer at least on an inside of a corresponding one of the third through holes.

5\. (Previously Presented) The planar light source according to claim 4, wherein for each of the one or more light sources, each of the conducting members further establishes the electrical contact with the wiring layer on a face of the wiring layer opposite a face facing the light reflective member.

6\. (Previously Presented) The planar light source according to claim 1, wherein for each of the one or more light sources, each of the conducting members includes a first conducting member disposed in a corresponding one of the first through holes and a second conducting member disposed between the first conducting member and the wiring layer.

7\. (Previously Presented) The planar light source according to claim 1, further comprising for each of the one or more light sources, a light adjusting member disposed on the light guide member so as to oppose the light source via the light guide member.

8\. (Previously Presented) The planar light source according to claim 1, further comprising for each of the one or more light sources, a light reflecting member surrounding the light source.

9\. (Previously Presented) The planar light source according to claim 1, wherein the one face of each of the one or more light sources has a region located between the pair of electrodes and facing the light reflective member.

10-21. (Canceled)1120

22\. (Previously Presented) The planar light source according to claim 1, further comprising a light reflecting member that sections the light guide member such that each of the one or more light sources are surrounded by the light reflecting member.

23\. (Currently Amended) The planar light source according to claim 1, wherein the wiring layer disposed on the second face of the insulating base is covered by a cover layer.

24\. (Currently Amended) The planar light source according to claim 1, wherein an opening of each of the first through holes \[\[of\]\]for each of the one or more light sources extends within an outline of the light source in the plan view.

25\. (Currently Amended) The planar light source according to claim 1, wherein an opening of each of the first through holes \[\[of\]\]for each of the one or more light sources has a shape that either substantially matches a shape of a corresponding one of the electrodes of the light source in the plan view, or extends within an outline of the corresponding one of the electrodes of the light source in the plan view.

Amendment dated June 12, 2025 Reply to Office Action of March 14, 2025

26\. (Previously Presented) The planar light source according to claim 1, wherein the light guide member has an upper face on which protrusions and/or indentations are formed.

27\. (New) The planar light source according to claim 1, wherein the light guide member has a lower face facing the light reflecting member except one or more light source positioning parts where respective ones of the one or more light sources are disposed.

OFFICE ACTION:
DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA  or AIA  Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-9 and 22-27 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 1, the prior art of record fails to teach or suggest a planar light source comprised of, in part, a light guide member covering the one or more light sources while the electrodes are exposed from the light guide member; an insulating base having a first face and a second face, the second face opposite the first face and opposite the one or more light sources; a wiring layer electrically connected to the electrodes and disposed on the second face of the insulating base; a light reflective member interposed between the light guide member and the insulating base and defining, for each of the one or more light sources, a pair of first through holes at positions aligned with the electrodes on a one-to-one basis, an opening of each of the first through holes not running over an outline of the light source in the plan view; and for each of the one or more light sources, a pair of conducting members respectively disposed in the first through holes and electrically connecting the electrodes to the wiring layer. Claims 2-9 and 22-27 are allowed due to their dependency upon claim 1.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee.  Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion

APPLICANT REBUTTAL: REMARKSIn the March 14, 2025 Office Action, claims 1-9 and 22-26 stand rejected in view of prior art. No other objections or rejections were made in the Office Action.Status of Claims andAmendments In response to the March 14, 2025 Office Action, Applicant has amended claims 1 and 23-25, and added new claim 27 as indicated above. Thus, claims 1-9 and 22-26 are pending, with claim 1 being the only independent claim. Reexamination and reconsideration of the pending claims are respectfully requested in view of above amendments and the following comments.Rejections - 35 U.S.C. § 102 On page 2 of the Office Action, claim 1 was rejected under 35 U.S.C. §102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0278618 Al to Nakayama (hereinafter "Nakayama et al. publication"). In response, Applicant has amended independent claim 1 to clearly define the present invention over the prior art of record.In particular, independent claim 1 now recites "one or more light sources each having a pair of electrodes extending on one face of the one or more light sources within a perimeter of the one face of the one or more light sources in a plan view." This amendment is clearly supported by the original disclosure, for example, in FIGS. 2, 3B, 3C, 10, 13, and 21 of the present application. Moreover, independent claim 1 further recites "an insulating base having a first face and a second face, the secondface opposite thefirstface and opposite the one or more light sources," and "a wiring layer electrically connected to the electrodes and disposed on the second face of the insulating base." This amendment is clearly supported by the original disclosure, for example, in FIG. 2 of the present application.Furthermore, independent claim 1 recites "a pair of first through holes at positions aligned with the electrodes on a one-to-one basis, an opening of each of the first through holes not running over an outline of the light source in the plan view." This amendment is clearly supported by the original disclosure, for example, in paragraph [0021] of the specification as filed. Clearly, this unique structure, now recited in independent claim 1, is not disclosed or suggested by the Nakayama et al. publication or any other prior art of record.The Office Action asserts that the light-emitting element 11 of the Nayakaya et al.publication allegedly corresponds to the claimed one or more light sources, and the connection terminals 3 disclosed in the Nakayama et al. publication allegedly correspond to the claimed electrodes. However, as clearly shown in FIG. 4 of the Nakayama et al.publication, the connection terminals 3 are spaced apart from the light-emitting element 11 in a region outside of the light-emitting element 11 in a plan view. In other words, the connection terminals 3 of the Nakayama et al. publication do not extend on one face of the light-emitting element 11 within aperimeter of the one face of the light-emitting element 11 in a plan view. Accordingly, the Nakayama et al. publication clearly fails to disclose or suggest "one or more light sources each having a pair of electrodes extending on oneface of the one or more light sources within a perimeter of the oneface of the one or more light sources in aplan view" as now recited in independent claim 1.Moreover, the Office Action asserts that the substrate main body 2 of the Nakayama et al. publication allegedly corresponds to the claimed insulating base, and the bonding wire 12 of the Nakayama et al. publication allegedly corresponds to the claimed wiring layer.However, the bonding wire 12 of the Nakayama et al. publication is directly connected to the upper faces of the light-emitting element 11 and the connection terminals 3 as clearly shown in its FIG. 4. The bonding wire 12 is not disposed on the substrate main body 2 in the Nayakaya et al. publication. Therefore, the Nakayama et al. publication furtherfails to disclose or suggest "an insulating base having a first face and a secondface, the secondface opposite thefirst face and opposite the one or more light sources," and "a wiring layer electrically connected to the electrodes and disposed on the secondface ofthe insulating base" as now recited in independent claim 1.Furthermore, the Office Action refers to FIG. 4 of the Nakayama et al. publication and asserts this reference discloses the claimed first through holes. However, the through holes defined in the substrate main body 2 of the Nakayama et al. publication (through which the conductors 5 are formed) are arranged at positions spaced apart from the light-emitting element 11 in a region outside of the light-emitting element 11. Therefore, the Nakayama et al. publication clearly fails to disclose or suggest "a pair of first through holes atpositions aligned with the electrodes on a one-to-one basis, an opening of each of the first through holes not running over an outline of the light source in the plan view" as now recited in independent claim 1.It is well settled under U.S. patent law that for a reference to anticipate a claim, the reference must disclose each and every element of the claim within the reference. Therefore, Applicant respectfully submits that claim 1, as now amended, is not anticipated by the prior art of record. Withdrawal of this rejection is respectfully requested.Rejections - 35 U.S.C. § 103 On pages 3 to 6 of the Office Action, claims 2-9 and 22-26 were rejected under 35 U.S.C. §103 as being unpatentable over the Nakayama et al. publication in view of U.S.Patent No. 6,531,328 A to Chen (hereinafter "Chen patent"). In response, Applicant has amended independent claim 1 as mentioned above.More specifically, independent claim 1 now clearly recites "one or more light sources each having a pair of electrodes extending on oneface of the one or more light sources within a perimeter of the one face of the one or more light sources in a plan view." Moreover, independent claim 1 further recites "an insulating base having a first face and a second face, the second face opposite the first face and opposite the one or more light sources," and "a wiring layer electrically connected to the electrodes and disposed on the secondface of the insulating base." Furthermore, independent claim 1 recites "a pair of first through holes at positions aligned with the electrodes on a one-to-one basis, an opening of each of the first through holes not running over an outline of the light source in the plan view." Clearly, this arrangement is not disclosed or suggested by the Nakayama et al.publication, the Chen patent, or any other prior art of record.As discussed above, the Nakayama et al. publication clearly fails to disclose or suggest at least the above limitations now recited in independent claim 1. In fact, the structure of the light-emitting device disclosed in the Nakayama et al. publication is completely different from the claimed arrangement in that, in the Nakayama et al. publication, the connection terminals 3 are spaced apart from the light-emitting element 11 in a region outside of the light-emitting element 11 in a plan view, the bonding wire 12 is not disposed on the substrate main body 2, and the through holes defined in the substrate mvain body 2 (through which the conductors 5 are formed) are arranged in positions spaced apart from the light-emitting element 11 in a region outside of the light-emitting element 11.Applicant respectfully asserts the Chen patentfails to provide any apparent reason to modify the light-emitting device of the Nakayama et al. publication in the fashion claimed.Applicant believes, since the structure disclosed in the Nakayama et al. publication is very different from the claimed invention, modifying the light-emitting device of the Nakayama et al. publication to meet the claims of the present invention would require a complete reconstruction of the light-emitting device of the Nakayama et al. publication, which would destroy the teaching of the Nakayama et al. publication. Thus, Applicant respectfully asserts one having ordinary skill in the art would not have considered it obvious to modify the light- emitting device of the Nakayama et al. publication in view of the Chen patent or any other prior art of record in the fashion claimed.Under U.S. patent law, the mere fact that the prior art can be modified does not make the modification obvious, unless an apparent reason exists based on evidence in the record or scientific reasoning for one of ordinary skill in the art to make the modification. See, KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 127 S.Ct. 1727, 1741 (2007). The current record lacks any apparent reason, suggestion or expectation of success for combining the patents to create Applicant's unique arrangement of the planar light source as now recited in independent claim 1.Moreover, Applicant believes that dependent claims 2-9 and 22-26 are also allowable over the prior art of record in that they depend from independent claim 1, and therefore are allowable for the reasons stated above. Also, dependent claims 2-9 and 22-26 are further allowable because they include additional limitations. Thus, Applicant believes that since the prior art of record does not disclose or suggest the invention as set forth in independent claim 1, the prior art of record alsofails to disclose or suggest the inventions as set forth in the dependent claims.Therefore, Applicant respectfully requests that this rejection be withdrawn in view of the above comments and amendments.New Claims Applicant has added new claim 27 by the current Amendment.The limitation recited in new claim 27 is supported by the original disclosure, for example, in paragraph [0018] of the specification as filed.Applicant believes that dependent claim 27 is also allowable over the prior art of record in that it depends from independent claim 1, and therefore is allowable for the reasons stated above. Also, dependent claim 27 is further allowable because it includes an additional limitation.\* \* \*In view of the foregoing amendment and comments, Applicant respectfully asserts that claims 1-9 and 22-27 are now in condition for allowance. Reexamination and reconsideration of the pending claims are respectfully requested.Respectfully submitted, /Nomugi Tomovori/ Nomugi Tomoyori Reg. No. 59,784 GLOBAL IP COUNSELORS, LLP1233 Twentieth Street, NW, Suite 600 Washington, DC 20036 (202)-293-0444 Dated: June 12, 2025 \\\\gip-file1\\Network Shares\\Workspace\\06-JUN25-NT\\NC-US215062B Amendment.doc