Prior art

Analysis of Prior Art for U.S. Patent No. 7,936,415

Date of Analysis: May 13, 2026

Patent under Review:

• Patent Number: 7,936,415
• Title: Light source apparatus and liquid crystal display having the same
• Filing Date: August 8, 2007
• Issue Date: May 3, 2011
• Assignee at Issue: Light Guide Innovations LLC

This report details the most relevant prior art cited in the prosecution of U.S. Patent No. 7,936,415. The analysis focuses on the potential for anticipation of the patent's claims under 35 U.S.C. § 102. The core invention of the '415 patent relates to a light source apparatus, particularly for LCD backlights, that is constructed from multiple "module substrates" holding LEDs. These substrates are designed to be connected in series using separate "connecting substrates," which provide both mechanical and electrical linkage. A key feature is the use of a "termination connecting substrate" to create a closed-loop circuit at the end of the series of modules.

Independent Claim 1 of US 7,936,415:

"1. A light source apparatus comprising:
at least one module substrate comprising connecting terminals at both side ends thereof;
a light emitting diode on the module substrate; and
a plurality of connecting substrates connected to the connecting terminals of the module substrate,
wherein the connecting substrate comprises a termination connecting substrate, by which the connecting terminal provided at one end of a final module substrate of the module substrates is prepared as a closed loop circuit."

Independent Claim 16 of US 7,936,415:

"16. A liquid crystal display comprising:
a liquid crystal panel; and
a light unit disposed below the liquid crystal panel,
wherein the light unit comprises a housing comprising a receiving groove, at least one module substrate which is received in the housing and has a first connecting terminal and a second connecting terminal at both end portions of the module substrate, a light emitting diode on the module substrate, and a connecting substrate which is connected to the first connecting terminal of a first end of the module substrate or the second connecting terminal of a second end of the module substrate,
wherein the connecting substrate comprises a termination connecting substrate which comprises a closed loop pattern for forming a second connecting terminal of a second end of a final module substrate as a closed loop circuit."

---

Analysis of Cited Prior Art:

The following prior art references were cited by the examiner during the prosecution of the '415 patent.

1. U.S. Patent No. 7,324,174 B2 ("Shibata et al.")

• Full Citation: US 7,324,174 B2

• Title: Backlight device and liquid crystal display apparatus

• Publication Date: January 29, 2008

• Filing Date: August 4, 2004

• Brief Description: Shibata et al. describes a backlight device for an LCD that uses multiple LED boards. The boards are arranged on a chassis and interconnected. The focus is on the arrangement of LEDs to achieve uniform brightness and on the heat dissipation structure. The patent discloses connecting multiple LED-mounted substrates together.

• Potential Anticipation Analysis:

  • Shibata et al. discloses a light source apparatus with multiple "board units" (analogous to "module substrates") that each have light emitting diodes. These board units are connected to each other. Figure 7, for instance, shows board units (41a, 41b) connected via a connector (43). This arrangement teaches the use of multiple substrates with LEDs connected together for a backlight.
  • However, Shibata et al. does not appear to explicitly disclose the use of a "termination connecting substrate" with a "closed loop pattern" as recited in claims 1 and 16 of the '415 patent. The connections shown in Shibata et al. are generally for daisy-chaining power and signals, but the specific concept of terminating the final module with a shorting connector to create a closed loop for a series circuit is a key distinction of the '415 patent. Therefore, while it teaches the broad concept of modular, connectable LED substrates, it likely does not anticipate the specific termination element of the independent claims.

2. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0014098 A1 ("Jee et al.")

• Full Citation: US 2007/0014098 A1

• Title: Backlight unit and liquid crystal display having the same

• Publication Date: January 18, 2007

• Filing Date: July 14, 2005

• Brief Description: Jee et al. discloses a backlight unit with LED modules that can be connected together. The invention is concerned with simplifying the assembly process and providing a scalable lighting solution. It shows LED substrates with connectors at their ends to allow for serial connection.

• Potential Anticipation Analysis:

  • Jee et al. clearly discloses a modular backlight system. Paragraph and Figure 3 show a "first printed circuit board" (40) and a "second printed circuit board" (50) being connected by a "connector" (60). This maps directly to the "module substrates" and "intermediate connecting substrate" of the '415 patent. The substrates have LEDs and connecting terminals at their ends.
  • The critical question for anticipation is again the "termination connecting substrate." A detailed review of Jee et al. does not reveal an explicit disclosure of a specific connector at the end of the chain designed to create a closed-loop circuit on the final module substrate itself. The electrical diagrams suggest a standard serial or parallel connection that terminates at a power source, not with a loop-back connector. This specific limitation of claims 1 and 16 of the '415 patent appears to be novel over Jee et al.

3. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0115671 A1 ("Roberts et al.")

• Full Citation: US 2007/0115671 A1

• Title: Solid state lighting units and methods of forming solid state lighting units

• Publication Date: May 24, 2007

• Filing Date: November 18, 2005

• Brief Description: Roberts et al. describes solid-state lighting units, such as LED light strips, which are formed from multiple printed circuit boards (PCBs) that are electrically and mechanically connected. The invention focuses on creating long, linear lighting fixtures from smaller, standardized modules.

• Potential Anticipation Analysis:

  • Roberts et al. provides a strong disclosure of connecting multiple LED-populated PCBs in series. Figures 1 and 2 show lighting units (10) comprising multiple PCBs (12) that are interconnected. The description in paragraph mentions connecting the boards "in an end-to-end relationship." This aligns with the general structure of the '415 patent's claims.
  • As with the other references, the analysis hinges on the "termination connecting substrate." Roberts et al. describes connecting the modules to form a longer light strip, which is then powered. There is no teaching or suggestion of a specific terminating piece that creates a "closed loop circuit" on the pads of the final module in the chain. The invention is focused on extending the length of the light source, not on the specific circuit topology at the termination point. Therefore, Roberts et al. likely fails to anticipate independent claims 1 and 16 due to the absence of this element.

Conclusion

Based on an analysis of the prior art cited by the USPTO examiner, none of the references appear to fully anticipate the independent claims of U.S. Patent No. 7,936,415 under 35 U.S.C. § 102. While all the analyzed references disclose the general concept of a light source built from multiple, serially connected LED module substrates, they each fail to explicitly or inherently disclose the key limitation of a "termination connecting substrate" that creates a "closed loop circuit" at the end of the final module substrate. This specific element, as described in claims 1 and 16 of the '415 patent, appears to be the novel feature that distinguishes it from the cited art. The termination substrate allows for a specific electrical configuration, and its absence in the prior art means that the combination of elements as claimed is not present in any single reference.