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 .
Response to Amendment
The Office acknowledges receipt on 24 April 2026 of Applicants’ amendments in which claims 1 and 11 are amended.
Response to Arguments
Applicants’ arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 and 11 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 5-7, 9-11, 13, 15-17, and 19-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ha et al. (US20190213925A1).
Regarding claim 1, Ha teaches a display panel, comprising:
an active area (area overlapping a rightmost/centermost/leftmost portion of elements within 10) for displaying images, a functional area (area overlapping a centermost/leftmost portion/rightmost portion of elements within 10, excluding active area) located in the active area, a bonding area (area overlapping with elements of 22) located on a side of the active area, and a bending area (area between 21 and 22 in Figs. 1 and 2) located between the active area and the bonding area {Fig. 1}, wherein the display panel further comprises:
a display substrate (100) {Fig. 1; [0050]}; and
a backplane (310, 315, 320, 325) attached to a back of the display substrate (100), comprising a backplane main body (320, 325) and a structural reinforcement layer (310, 315) provided on a surface of the backplane main body {Fig. 1; [0072, 0077]};
wherein an orthographic projection of the backplane main body (320, 325) on the display substrate (100) covers the active area (area overlapping a rightmost/centermost/leftmost portion of elements within 10) and the functional area (area overlapping a centermost/leftmost portion/rightmost portion of elements within 10, excluding active area), and an orthographic projection of the structural reinforcement layer (310, 315) on the display substrate (100) covers the active area and the functional area, the backplane main body has a same thickness in the active area and the functional area, and the structural reinforcement layer has a same thickness in the active area and the functional area {Fig. 1},
the display substrate (100) and the backplane (310, 315, 320, 325) in the bonding area (elements overlapping with elements of 22) are bendable to the back of the display substrate and the backplane in the active area (area overlapping a rightmost/centermost/leftmost portion of elements within 10) through the bending area (area between 21 and 22), and at a position corresponding to the bending area, the backplane main body (320, 325) is divided into a first backplane main body section (320) and a second backplane main body section (325), and the structural reinforcement layer (310, 315) is divided into a first structural reinforcement layer section (310) and a second structural reinforcement layer section (315), so that the first backplane main body section and the second backplane main body section are formed of a same material, and the first structural reinforcement layer section and the second structural reinforcement layer section are formed of a same material, wherein the first backplane main body section (320) and the first structural reinforcement layer section (310) correspond to the active area (area overlapping a rightmost/centermost/leftmost portion of elements within 10) and the functional area (area overlapping a centermost/leftmost portion/rightmost portion of elements within 10, excluding active area), and the second backplane main body section (325) and the second structural reinforcement layer section (315) correspond to the bonding area (elements overlapping with elements of 22) {Figs. 1, 2; [0076, 0077]}, and
ends of the first backplane main body section (320) and the second backplane main body section (325) which extend toward the bending area (area between 21 and 22) are flush with ends of the first structural reinforcement layer section (310) and the second structural reinforcement layer section (315) which extend toward the bending area {Fig. 2}.
Regarding claim 3, Ha teaches the display panel according to claim 1, and Ha further teaches wherein the structural reinforcement layer (310, 315) is arranged on a surface of the backplane main body (320, 325) away from the display substrate (100) {Fig. 1}.
Regarding claim 9, Ha teaches the display panel according to claim 1, and Ha further teaches wherein the display panel further comprises an anti-reflection layer (250) disposed on a side of the display substrate (100) away from the backplane (310, 315, 320, 325), and ends of the first backplane main body section (320) and the first structural reinforcement layer section (310) close to the bending area (area between 21 and 22 in Figs. 1 and 2) are flush with or beyond an end of the anti-reflection layer (250) {Fig. 1; [0057].
Regarding claim 21, Ha teaches the display panel according to claim 1, and Ha further teaches wherein when the bonding area (area overlapping with elements of 22) is bent to the back of the display substrate, all of ends of the first backplane main body section (320), the second backplane main body section (325), the first structural reinforcement layer section (310), and the second structural reinforcement layer section (315) that are close to the bending area (area between 21 and 22 in Figs. 1 and 2) extend beyond an end of the active area (area overlapping a leftmost portion of elements within 10) close to the bending area {Fig. 1}.
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.
Claim(s) 5-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ha as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Lee et al. (US20220310971A1) and Sakai et al. (US20180231844A1).
Regarding claim 5, Ha teaches the display panel according to claim 1, but Ha does not teach wherein phase differences of the structural reinforcement layer and the backplane main body both are less than or equal to 10.
However, Ha teaches in Fig. 14B and paragraph [0196] another embodiment in which a transparent backplane (302, 303, 302-1, 303-1) is constituted by a transparent structural reinforcement layer (303, 303-1) and a transparent backplane main body (302, 302-1). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ha’s display panel based on the further teachings of Ha – by substituting the backplane of the embodiment illustrated by Fig. 14B for that illustrated by the embodiment of Fig. 1 – so the display panel is transparent. Ha [0247]. Moreover, [t]he selection of a known … [structure] based on its suitability for its intended use [is] … prima facie obviousness. MPEP §2144.07.
In an analogous art, Lee teaches in Fig. 6A and paragraph [0111] a structural reinforcement layer (BS) has a phase difference of less than 10. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ha’s display panel as modified by Ha based on the teachings of Lee – such that a structural reinforcement layer has a phase difference less than or equal to 10 – for the purpose of achieving a small phase difference (e.g., less optical aberration caused by path difference between real and paraxial rays) occurring as light passes through the optical medium of the structural reinforcement layer. Lee ¶[0111]. Moreover, [t]he selection of a known … [structure] based on its suitability for its intended use [is] … prima facie obviousness. MPEP §2144.07.
In an analogous art, Sakai teaches in paragraph [0258] an in-plane retardation [phase difference] of the support layer … is less than or equal to approximately 3 nm, and the … absolute value of the thickness direction retardation of a support layer … in which the absolute value of the phase difference has been actively reduced … is less than or equal to approximately 10 nm. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ha’s display panel as modified by Lee based on the teachings of Sakai – such that the phase difference of Ha’s backplane main body has a phase difference less than or equal to 10 – so the in-plane retardations and thickness direction retardations of … the zero-phase difference support layer (protection layer) can be substantially ignored. Sakai ¶[0258]. Moreover, [t]he selection of a known … [structure] based on its suitability for its intended use [is] … prima facie obviousness. MPEP §2144.07.
Regarding claim 6, Ha as modified by Lee and Sakai teaches the display panel according to claim 5, but Ha does not teach wherein a thickness of the structural reinforcement layer is greater than 0 micrometers and less than 20 micrometers.
Lee teaches in paragraph [0113] a thickness of a structural reinforcement layer (BS) may be in a range from 10 μm to 60 μm. This feature is a consequence of the modification and motivation identified with respect to intermediate claim 5. In the case where the claimed ranges “overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art” a prima facie case of obviousness exists. MPEP §2144.05(I).
Regarding claim 7, Ha as modified by Lee and Sakai teaches the display panel according to claim 5, and Ha further teaches wherein a material of the backplane main body (320, 325) comprises at least one of transparent polyimide, ultra-thin glass, cycloolefin polymer and cellulose triacetate {[0196]}.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ha as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Zhu et al. (US20230163135A1).
Regarding claim 10, Ha teaches the display panel according to claim 1, but Ha does not teach wherein the display panel further comprises a composite functional layer disposed on a side of the backplane away from the display substrate, and the composite functional layer is provided with an opening at a position corresponding to the functional area.
Zhu teaches in Fig. 15 a composite functional layer (14) disposed on a side of a backplane away from a display substrate (16 and/or 19), and the composite functional layer (14) is provided with an opening (C) at a position corresponding to a functional area (B1). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ha’s display panel based on the teachings of Zhu, to achieve the above-identified subject matter – to acquire camera-under-screen technology [that] may greatly increase the screen-to-body ratio of a display without affecting an overall appearance of the display {Zhu ¶0003}.
Claim(s) 11, 13, 19, 20, and 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ha in view of Zhu.
Regarding claim 11, Ha teaches a display device, comprising
a display panel (illustrated by Fig. 1), wherein the display panel comprises an active area (area overlapping a rightmost/centermost/leftmost portion of elements within 10), a functional area (area overlapping a centermost/leftmost portion/rightmost portion of elements within 10, excluding active area) located in the active area, a bonding area (area overlapping with elements of 22) located on a side of the active area, and a bending area (area between 21 and 22 in Figs. 1 and 2) located between the active area and the bonding area {Fig. 1}, wherein the display panel further comprises:
a display substrate (100) {Fig. 1; [0050]}; and
a backplane (310, 315, 320, 325) attached to a back of the display substrate (100), comprising a backplane main body (320, 325) and a structural reinforcement layer (310, 315) provided on a surface of the backplane main body {Fig. 1; [0072, 0077]};
wherein an orthographic projection of the backplane main body (320, 325) on the display substrate (100) covers the active area (area overlapping a rightmost/centermost/leftmost portion of elements within 10) and the functional area (area overlapping a centermost/leftmost portion/rightmost portion of elements within 10, excluding active area), and an orthographic projection of the structural reinforcement layer (310, 315) on the display substrate (100) covers the active area and the functional area, the backplane main body has a same thickness in the active area and the functional area, and the structural reinforcement layer has a same thickness in the active area and the functional area {Fig. 1},
the display substrate (100) and the backplane (310, 315, 320, 325) in the bonding area (area overlapping with elements of 22) are bendable to the back of the display substrate and the backplane in the active area (area overlapping a rightmost/centermost/leftmost portion of elements within 10) through the bending area, and at a position corresponding to the bending area (area between 21 and 22 in Figs. 1 and 2), the backplane main body (320, 325) is divided into a first backplane main body section (320) and a second backplane main body section (325), and the structural reinforcement layer (310, 315) is divided into a first structural reinforcement layer section (310) and a second structural reinforcement layer section (315), so that the first backplane main body section and the second backplane main body section are formed of a same material, and the first structural reinforcement layer section and the second structural reinforcement layer section are formed of a same material, wherein the first backplane main body section (320) and the first structural reinforcement layer section (310) correspond to the active area and the functional area (area overlapping a centermost/leftmost portion/rightmost portion of elements within 10, excluding active area), and the second backplane main body section (320) and the second structural reinforcement layer section (325) correspond to the bonding area (area overlapping with elements of 22) {Figs. 1, 2; [0076, 0077]}, and
ends of the first backplane main body section (320) and the second backplane main body section (325) which extend toward the bending area (area between 21 and 22) are flush with ends of the first structural reinforcement layer section (310) and the second structural reinforcement layer section (315) which extend toward the bending area {Fig. 2}.
Ha does not teach the display device comprising a functional element, the functional element is arranged on a side of the backplane away from the display substrate and arranged corresponding to the functional area.
In an analogous art, Zhu teaches in Figs. 14 and 15 and paragraph [0108] a display device comprising a functional element (2) and the functional element (2) is arranged on a side of a backplane (15) away from a display substrate (16) and arranged corresponding to a functional area (B1). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ha’s display panel based on the teachings of Zhu – such that the display device comprises a functional element arranged on a side of the backplane away from the display substrate and arranged corresponding to the functional area – to achieve a display device having an image sensor for capturing imagery. Zhu ¶0111.
Regarding claim 13, Ha as modified by Zhu teaches the display device according to claim 11, and Ha further teaches wherein the structural reinforcement layer (310, 315) is arranged on a surface of the backplane main body (320, 325) away from the display substrate (100) {Fig. 1}.
Regarding claim 19, Ha as modified by Zhu teaches the display device according to claim 11, and Ha further teaches wherein the display panel further comprises an anti-reflection layer (250) disposed on a side of the display substrate (100) away from the backplane (310, 315, 320, 325), and ends of the first backplane main body section(320) and the first structural reinforcement layer section (310) close to the bending area (area between 21 and 22 in Figs. 1 and 2) are flush with or beyond an end of the anti-reflection layer (250) {Fig. 1; [0057].
Regarding claim 20, Ha as modified by Zhu teaches the display panel according to claim 11, but Ha does not teach wherein the display panel further comprises a composite functional layer disposed on a side of the backplane away from the display substrate, and the composite functional layer is provided with an opening at a position corresponding to the functional area.
Zhu teaches in Fig. 15 a composite functional layer (14) disposed on a side of a backplane away from a display substrate (16 and/or 19), and the composite functional layer (14) is provided with an opening (C) at a position corresponding to a functional area (B1). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ha’s display panel as modified by Zhu based on the further teachings of Zhu, to achieve the above-identified subject matter – to acquire camera-under-screen technology [that] may greatly increase the screen-to-body ratio of a display without affecting an overall appearance of the display {Zhu ¶0003}.
Regarding claim 22, Ha as modified by Zhu teaches the display panel according to claim 11, and Ha further teaches wherein when the bonding area (area overlapping with elements of 22) is bent to the back of the display substrate (100), all of ends of the first backplane main body section (320), the second backplane main body section (325), the first structural reinforcement layer section (310), and the second structural reinforcement layer section (315) that are close to the bending area (area between 21 and 22 in Figs. 1 and 2) extend beyond an end of the active area (area overlapping a leftmost portion of elements within 10) close to the bending area.
Claim(s) 15-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ha in view of Zhu as applied to claim 11 above, and further in view of Lee and Sakai.
Regarding claim 15, Ha as modified by Zhu teaches the display device according to claim 11, but Ha does not teach wherein phase differences of the structural reinforcement layer and the backplane main body both are less than or equal to 10.
However, Ha teaches in Fig. 14B and paragraph [0196] another embodiment in which a transparent backplane (302, 303, 302-1, 303-1) is constituted by a transparent structural reinforcement layer (303, 303-1) and a transparent backplane main body (302, 302-1). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ha’s display panel as modified by Zhu based on the further teachings of Ha – by substituting the backplane of the embodiment illustrated by Fig. 14B for that illustrated by the embodiment of Fig. 1 – so the display panel is transparent. Ha [0247]. Moreover, [t]he selection of a known … [structure] based on its suitability for its intended use [is] … prima facie obviousness. MPEP §2144.07.
Lee teaches in Fig. 6A and paragraph [0111] a structural reinforcement layer (BS) has a phase difference of less than 10. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ha’s display panel as modified by Ha based on the teachings of Lee – such that a structural reinforcement layer has a phase difference less than or equal to 10 – for the purpose of achieving a small phase difference (e.g., less optical aberration caused by path difference between real and paraxial rays) occurring as light passes through the optical medium of the structural reinforcement layer. Lee ¶[0111]. Moreover, [t]he selection of a known … [structure] based on its suitability for its intended use [is] … prima facie obviousness. MPEP §2144.07.
Sakai teaches in paragraph [0258] an in-plane retardation [phase difference] of the support layer … is less than or equal to approximately 3 nm, and the … absolute value of the thickness direction retardation of a support layer … in which the absolute value of the phase difference has been actively reduced … is less than or equal to approximately 10 nm. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ha’s display panel as modified by Lee based on the teachings of Sakai – such that the phase difference of Ha’s backplane main body has a phase difference less than or equal to 10 – so the in-plane retardations and thickness direction retardations of … the zero-phase difference support layer (protection layer) can be substantially ignored. Sakai ¶[0258]. Moreover, [t]he selection of a known … [structure] based on its suitability for its intended use [is] … prima facie obviousness. MPEP §2144.07.
Regarding claim 16, Ha as modified by Zhu, Lee, and Sakai teaches the display device according to claim 15, but Ha does not teach wherein a thickness of the structural reinforcement layer is greater than 0 micrometers and less than 20 micrometers.
Lee teaches in paragraph [0113] a thickness of a structural reinforcement layer (BS) may be in a range from 10 μm to 60 μm. This feature is a consequence of the modification and motivation identified with respect to intermediate claim 15. In the case where the claimed ranges “overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art” a prima facie case of obviousness exists. MPEP §2144.05(I).
Regarding claim 17, Ha as modified by Zhu, Lee, and Sakai teaches the display device according to claim 15, and Ha further teaches wherein a material of the backplane main body (320, 325) comprises at least one of transparent polyimide, ultra-thin glass, cycloolefin polymer and cellulose triacetate {[0196]}.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/D.W.W./Examiner, Art Unit 2891
/MATTHEW C LANDAU/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2891
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