The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA
DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 of this title, 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 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gong et al. (12,453,223) in view of Smith (4,859,806).Regarding claim 1, Gong et al. teach in figure 2 and related text a display panel, comprising:
a substrate 1 comprising a first surface, a second surface, and a side surface, wherein the first surface and the second surface are disposed opposite to each other, and the side surface is disposed between the first surface and the second surface;
wherein the substrate 1 comprises a driving circuit layer 20, a base substrate 1, and a pixel layer 2 that are arranged from the second surface toward the first surface;
a plurality of first terminals 5 disposed on the first surface of the substrate, wherein the first terminals are electrically connected to the pixel layer;
a plurality of conductive lines 42, wherein each conductive line is at least partially disposed on the side surface of the substrate, and the conductive lines 42 are spaced apart from the first terminals 3; and
a plurality of first connecting members 41 disposed on the substrate, wherein the first connecting members 41 are connected between the conductive lines 42 and the first terminals 5, so that the conductive lines are electrically connected to the first terminals.
Gong et al. do not teach that a material of the first terminal is different from a material of the first connecting member, and the material of the first connecting member is different from a material of the conductive line, and wherein the material of the first connecting member comprises solder paste, and wherein each first connecting member comprising the solder paste bridges a gap between a corresponding one of the first terminals and a corresponding one of the conductive lines.
Smith teaches in figure 11 and related text that a material of the first terminal 64 is different from a material of the first connecting member 74, and the material of the first connecting member 74 is different from a material of the conductive line 56, and wherein the material of the first connecting member 74 comprises solder paste, and wherein each first connecting member 74 comprising the solder paste bridges a gap between a corresponding one of the first terminals 64 and a corresponding one of the conductive lines 56.
Gong et al. and Smith are analogous art because they are directed to semiconductor devices having metal layers and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Gong et al. because they
are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to form a material of the first terminal is different from a material of the first connecting member, and the material of the first connecting member is different from a material of the conductive line, and wherein the material of the first connecting member comprises solder paste, and wherein each first connecting member comprising the solder paste bridges a gap between a corresponding one of the first terminals and a corresponding one of the conductive lines, as taught by Smith, in the device of Gong et al., in order to improve the structural integrity of the device by using solder to connect two metal layers.
Regarding claim 2, Gong et al. teach in figure 2 and related text that each first connecting member is at least partially disposed on the first surface, and/or each first connecting member is at least partially disposed on the side surface.
Regarding claim 3, Gong et al. teach in figure 1 and related text plurality of pixels. Therefore, Gong et al. teach a plurality of second terminals and a plurality of second connecting members, wherein the second terminals are disposed on the second surface of the substrate, the second terminals are spaced apart from the conductive lines, the second connecting members are disposed on the substrate, and the second connecting members are connected between the conductive lines and the second terminals, so that the conductive lines are electrically connected to the second terminals.
Regarding claim 4, Gong et al. teach in figure 2 and related text that each second connecting member is at least partially disposed on the second surface, and/or each second connecting member is at least partially disposed on the side surface.
Regarding claim 5, Gong et al. teach in figure 2 and related text that an orthographic projection of each first terminal projected on the substrate at least partially overlaps an orthographic projection of a corresponding one of the second terminals (another 120 in adjacent pixel) projected on the substrate.
Regarding claim 6, Gong et al. teach in figure 2 and related text that the first terminals 120 are disposed on the first surface and close to the side surface, and/or the second terminals are disposed on the second surface and close to the side surface.
Regarding claim 7, Gong et al. teach in figures 1-2 and related text that the display panel comprises multiple first terminals and multiple conductive lines 122, the first terminals are disposed in a one-to-one correspondence with the conductive lines, the display panel comprises multiple first connecting members, and each first connecting member is connected between the corresponding first terminal and the corresponding conductive line.
Regarding claim 8, Gong et al. teach in figures 1-2 and related text that the display panel comprises multiple second terminals and multiple second connecting members, the second terminals are disposed in a one-to-one correspondence with the conductive lines, and each second connecting member is connected between the corresponding second terminal and the corresponding conductive line.
Regarding claim 9, Gong et al. teach in figures 1-2 and related text that the first terminals are arranged side by side on the first surface and close to the side surface; and the second terminals (another one in adjacent pixel) are arranged side by side on the second surface and close to the side surface.
Regarding claim 10, Gong et al. teach in figure 2 and related text that the display panel further comprises a protective layer 6 covering the first terminals, the second terminals, the conductive lines, the first connecting members, and the second connecting members.
Regarding claim 11, Gong et al. teach in figure 2 and related text that the driving circuit layer 20 is electrically connected to the second terminals.
Regarding claim 12, Gong et al. teach in figure 2 and related text that a material of the first terminals, the second terminals, and the conductive lines comprises one or more of copper, aluminum, molybdenum, or titanium; and a material of the first connecting members and the second connecting members comprises solder paste.
Regarding claim 13, Gong et al. teach in figure 2 and related text a display device, comprising the display panel of claim 1.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-13 have been considered but are moot because of the new ground of rejection.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lynne Gurley can be reached on 571-272-1670. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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O.N. /ORI NADAV/
8/1/2026 PRIMARY EXAMINER
TECHNOLOGY CENTER 2800
