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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
Information disclosure statement filed 7 March 2022 has been fully considered.
Drawings
Figures 1A and 1B should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated. See MPEP § 608.02(g). Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The preliminary amendments to the specification were received on 13 August 2021. These preliminary amendments to the specification are acceptable.
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: DISPLAY PANEL AND DISPLAY DEVICE COMPRISING SIGNAL CONNECTING SECTION HAVING CONCAVO-CONVEX SHAPE.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 4, 10, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Long et al. (US Patent Application Publication 2021/0225992, hereinafter Long ‘992).
With respect to claim 1, Long ‘992 teaches (FIG. 19) a display panel as claimed, comprising a display area (see annotated FIG. 19 below), a bezel area (see annotated FIG. 19 below) adjacent to the display area, and a terminal area (see annotated FIG. 19 below) disposed on one side of the bezel area away from the display area ([0193-0196]);
wherein the display panel further comprises signal lines (003, 008, and 020), and the signal lines comprise a signal main section (see annotated FIG. 19 below) disposed in the bezel area and a signal connecting section (see annotated FIG. 19 below) having one end connected to the signal main section in the bezel area and another end extending to the terminal area ([0193-0196]);
the signal main section comprises a first side (see annotated FIG. 19 below) and a second side (see annotated FIG. 19 below) opposite to the first side, and the signal main section corresponding to the first side is adjacent to the display area ([0193-0196]); and
the signal connecting section comprises a third side (see annotated FIG. 19 below) and a fourth side (see annotated FIG. 19 below) opposite to the third side, the third side is connected to the first side, and at least a part of the signal connecting section corresponding to the third side is concavo-convex shaped ([0193-0196]).
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With respect to claims 4 and 13, Long ‘992 teaches wherein a position in the signal connecting section (see annotated FIG. 19 above) being concavo-convex shaped is provided with a plurality of convex parts and a plurality of concave parts arranged alternatingly, and shape outlines of the convex parts and the concave parts are independently polygonal or arc-shaped ([0193-0196]).
With respect to claim 10, Long ‘992 teaches (FIG. 19) a display device as claimed, comprising a display panel, wherein the display panel comprises a display area (see annotated FIG. 19 above), a bezel area (see annotated FIG. 19 above) adjacent to the display area, and a terminal area (see annotated FIG. 19 above) disposed on one side of the bezel area away from the display area ([0193-0196]);
the display panel further comprises signal lines (003, 008, 020), and the signal lines comprise a signal main section (see annotated FIG. 19 above) disposed in the bezel area and a signal connecting section (see annotated FIG. 19 above) having one end connected to the signal main section in the bezel area and another end extending to the terminal area ([0193-0196]);
the signal main section comprises a first side (see annotated FIG. 19 above) and a second side (see annotated FIG. 19 above) opposite to the first side, and the signal main section corresponding to the first side is adjacent to the display area ([0193-0196]); and
the signal connecting section comprises a third side (see annotated FIG. 19 above) and a fourth side (see annotated FIG. 19 above) opposite to the third side, the third side is connected to the first side, and at least a part of the signal connecting section corresponding to the third side is concavo-convex shaped ([0193-0196]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 2, 3, 11, and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Long ‘992 as applied to claims 1 and 10 above, and further in view of Zhang et al. (US Patent Application Publication 2023/0276668, hereinafter Zhang ‘668).
With respect to claims 2 and 11, Long ‘992 teaches the device as described in claims 1 and 10 above, including the additional limitation wherein the signal connecting section (see annotated FIG. 19 above) comprises a first segment positioned in the bezel area and connected to the signal main section ([0193-0196]).
Thus, Long ‘992 is shown to teach all the features of the claim with the exception of the first segment corresponding to the third side is concavo-convex shaped.
However, Zhang ‘668 teaches (FIG. 18) a signal connecting section (1111 and 11121) comprising a first segment (11121) corresponding to a third side being concavo-convex (112) to prevent moisture or oxygen from entering a pixel units ([0143]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have formed the first segment corresponding to the third side of Long ‘992 concavo-convex shaped as taught by Zhang ‘668 to prevent moisture or oxygen from entering a pixel units.
With respect to claims 3 and 12, Long ‘992 teaches wherein the signal connecting section (see annotated FIG. 19 above) further comprises a second segment positioned in the terminal area and connected to the first segment, and the second segment corresponding to the third side is concavo-convex shaped ([0193-0196]).
Claims 5-8 and 14-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Long ‘992 as applied to claims 4 and 13 above, and further in view of Cheng et al. (US Patent Application Publication 2019/0296098, hereinafter Cheng ‘098).
With respect to claims 5 and 14, Long ‘992 teaches the device as described in claims 4 and 13 above, including the additional limitation wherein the signal lines (003, 008, 020) comprise a first signal line (003) and a second signal line (020), the first signal line comprises a first signal connecting section, the second signal line comprises a second signal connecting section, and a position in the first signal connecting section being concavo-convex shaped is disposed opposite to a position in the second signal connecting section being concavo-convex shaped ([0193-0196]).
Thus, Long ‘992 is shown to teach all the features of the claim with the exception of wherein the convex parts on the first signal connecting section are disposed corresponding to the concave parts on the second signal connecting section by one to one, and shapes of the convex parts on the first signal connecting section match shapes of the concave parts on the second signal connecting section.
However, Cheng ‘098 teaches (FIG. 3) convex parts on a first signal connecting section (left 21) are disposed corresponding to concave parts on a second signal connecting section (right 21) by one to one, and shapes of the convex parts on the first signal connecting section match shapes of the concave parts on the second signal connecting section to prevent short circuits between conducive wires due to point discharge ([0052-0053]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have formed the display panel and the display device of Long ‘992 wherein the convex parts on the first signal connecting section are disposed corresponding to the concave parts on the second signal connecting section by one to one, and shapes of the convex parts on the first signal connecting section match shapes of the concave parts on the second signal connecting section as taught by Cheng ‘098 to prevent short circuits between conducive wires due to point discharge.
With respect to claims 6 and 15, Long ‘992 teaches wherein the signal connecting section (see annotated FIG. 19 above) corresponding to the fourth side (see annotated FIG. 19 above) is concavo-convex shaped ([0193-0196]).
With respect to claims 7 and 16, Long ‘992 teaches wherein the convex parts of the signal connecting section (see annotated FIG. 19 above) corresponding to the third side (see annotated FIG. 19 above) are staggered from the concave parts of the signal connecting section corresponding to the fourth side (see annotated FIG. 19 above) ([0193-0196]).
With respect to claims 8 and 17, Long ‘992 and Cheng ‘098 teach the device as described in claims 6 and 15, but primary reference Long ‘992 does not explicitly teach the additional limitation wherein the convex parts of the signal connecting section corresponding to the third side correspond to the concave parts of the signal connecting section corresponding to the fourth side by one to one.
However, Cheng ‘098 teaches (FIG. 3) convex parts of a signal connecting section (21) corresponding to a third side correspond to concave parts of the signal connecting section corresponding to a fourth side by one to one to prevent short circuits between conducive wires due to point discharge ([0052-0053]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have formed the display panel and the display device of Long ‘992 and Cheng ‘098 wherein the convex parts of the signal connecting section corresponding to the third side correspond to the concave parts of the signal connecting section corresponding to the fourth side by one to one as taught by Cheng ‘098 to prevent short circuits between conducive wires due to point discharge.
Claims 9 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Long ‘992 as applied to claims 1 and 10 above, and further in view of Long (US Patent Application Publication 2020/0335570, hereinafter Long ‘570).
With respect to claims 9 and 18, Long ‘992 teaches the device as described in claims 1 and 10 above with the exception of the additional limitation wherein the signal main section corresponding to the first side is concavo-convex shaped.
However, Long ‘570 teaches (FIGs. 1 and 4) a signal main section (193) corresponding to a first side having a concavo-convex shape ([0047]) to efficiently block water and oxygen ([0037]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have formed the display panel and the display device of Long ‘992 wherein the signal main section corresponding to the first side is concavo-convex shaped as taught by Long ‘570 to efficiently block water and oxygen.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Christopher M. Roland whose telephone number is (571)270-1271. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 10:00AM-7:00PM Eastern.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Yara Green can be reached at (571)270-3035. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/C.M.R./Examiner, Art Unit 2893
/YARA B GREEN/Supervisor Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2893