Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 17/621,764

SPLICING SCREEN, MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF, AND DISPLAY DEVICE

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Dec 22, 2021
Priority
Dec 09, 2021 — CN 202111501067.X +1 more
Examiner
DIAZ, JOSE R
Art Unit
2815
Tech Center
2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
Assignee
TCL Technology Group Corporation
OA Round
4 (Non-Final)
87%
Grant Probability
Favorable
4-5
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
94%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 87% — above average
87%
Career Allowance Rate
820 granted / 946 resolved
+18.7% vs TC avg
Moderate +8% lift
Without
With
+7.8%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 5m
Avg Prosecution
14 currently pending
Career history
968
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.2%
-39.8% vs TC avg
§103
56.2%
+16.2% vs TC avg
§102
18.7%
-21.3% vs TC avg
§112
3.2%
-36.8% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 946 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
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 Arguments Applicant’s arguments, see remarks, filed on December 18, 2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claims 1-12 under §103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Zeng et al. (CN 112863390 A). 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 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu et al. (US 11367849 B2) in view of Zeng et al. (CN 112863390 A). Regarding Claim 1, Wu discloses splicing screen (200) comprising: a plurality of display modules (210) spliced (D1) in a first direction (y or x) [Fig. 12, annotated below], wherein each of the display modules (210) has a display area (210) and splicing area (D1) located on a side of the display area (210) [Fig. 12, annotated below], comprises: a plurality of packaged light-emitting diode units (10) disposed in the display area (210) of the display module (210), wherein each packaged LED unit (10) comprises a package frame (140) and at least three first LED chips (122,124,126) packaged together in the package frame (140) [Figs. 1B and 13]; and [AltContent: textbox (R1)][AltContent: textbox (R2)][AltContent: textbox (C1)][AltContent: textbox (C2)][AltContent: textbox (Y2)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Y1)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: connector][AltContent: connector] PNG media_image1.png 444 487 media_image1.png Greyscale [AltContent: connector][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (X2)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (X1)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: connector] PNG media_image2.png 444 489 media_image2.png Greyscale [AltContent: textbox (y)][AltContent: textbox (x)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (/ Fig. 13.)] PNG media_image3.png 444 484 media_image3.png Greyscale PNG media_image4.png 818 786 media_image4.png Greyscale wherein: splicing area (D1) is adjacent to and has a first distance (Y1 or X1) from one of the first LED chips (e.g. 122) of one of the packaged LED units (10) in the first direction (y or x, respectively) [Figs. 12 and 13, annotated above. Also, see Fig. 1B], one of the first LED chips (122) in one of the packaged LED units (10) is adjacent to and has a second distance (Y2 or X2) from one of the first LED chips (122) in another one of the packaged LED units (10) in the first direction (y or x, respectively) [Figs. 12-13, annotated above. Also, see Fig. 1B], and the second distance (Y2 or X2) is greater than the first distance (Y1 or X1, respectively) [Figs. 12-13, annotated above]. However, Wu does not disclose a plurality of second LED chips individually disposed in the splicing area of the display module. Zeng teaches: a plurality of second LED chips (2) individually disposed in the splicing area (SA) of the display module, wherein each of the second LED chips (2) is not packaged together with any other LED chip [Figure 1]; wherein: each of the second LED chips (2) is adjacent to and has a first distance (Ya or Xa) from one of the first LED chips of one of the packaged LED units (1) in the first direction [Fig. 1, annotated below], one of the first LED chips in one of the packaged LED units (1) is adjacent to and has a second distance (Yb or Xb) from one of the first LED chips in another one of the packaged LED units (1) in the first direction [Fig. 1, annotated below], and the second distance (Yb or Xb) is greater than the first distance (Ya or Xa, respectively) [Fig. 1, annotated below]. [AltContent: textbox (XX)][AltContent: textbox (YY)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Ra)][AltContent: textbox (Yb)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Ya)][AltContent: textbox (Xb)][AltContent: textbox (Xa)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow] PNG media_image5.png 616 766 media_image5.png Greyscale Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, would have been motivated to modify Wu by including a plurality of second LED chips individually disposed in the splicing area of the display module, wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance as taught by Zeng because it helps to improve the light emitting quality of the light emitting module [Abstract]. Regarding claim 2, Wu discloses wherein three of the first LED chips (122, 124, 126) are arranged in one row, in a second direction (x or y) perpendicular to the first direction (y or x, respectively), in the package frame (140) [Fig. 1B and Figs. 12-13, annotated above]. Regarding claim 3, Wu discloses packaged LED units arranged in an array of plurality of rows (x or y) and plurality of columns (y or x, respectively) [Figs. 12-13, annotated above], a row direction (x or y) perpendicular to the first direction (y or x, respectively) and the three of the first LED chips (120) in one of the packaged LED units (10) in one of two adjacent rows are disposed in parallel to the three of the first LED chips (120) in one of the packaged LED units (10) in another one of the adjacent rows [Fig. 1B and Figs. 12-13, annotated above]. Regarding claim 4, Zeng teaches wherein the second LED chips (2) in the splicing area (SA) are arranged in one row in a row direction (x or y) perpendicular to the first direction (y or x, respectively) [Fig. 1, annotated above]. Regarding claim 5, Zeng further teaches two splicing areas (SA), and the two splicing areas (SA) located on opposite sides of the display area (10) [Fig. 4]. Regarding claim 6, Zeng teaches wherein one of the second LED chips (2) of one of the display modules is adjacent to and has a third distance (YY or XX) from one of the second LED chips (2) of another one of the display modules in the first direction (y or x, respectively), and the third distance (YY or XX) is equal to the second distance (Yb or Xb, respectively) [See Fig. 1, annotated above]. Regarding Claim 7, Wu discloses a display device comprising: a body (110) [Figs. 1B-1D]; a splicing screen (200) connected to the body [Figs. 1B-1D and 12-13, wherein the splicing screen comprises a plurality of display modules (210) spliced (D1) in a first direction (y or x) [Figs. 12-13, annotated above], wherein each of the display modules (210) has a display area (210) and splicing area (D1) located on a side of the display area (210) [Fig. 12], and comprises: a plurality of packaged light-emitting diode units (10) disposed in the display area (210) of the display module (210), wherein each packaged LED unit (10) comprises a package frame (140) and at least three first LED chips (122,124,126) packaged together in the package frame (140) [Figs. 1B and 13]; and wherein: splicing area (D1) is adjacent to and has a first distance (Y1 or X1) from one of the first LED chips (e.g. 122) of one of the packaged LED units (10) in the first direction (y or x, respectively) [Figs. 12 and 13, annotated above. Also, see Fig. 1B], one of the first LED chips (122) in one of the packaged LED units (10) is adjacent to and has a second distance (Y2 or X2) from one of the first LED chips (122) in another one of the packaged LED units (10) in the first direction (y or x, respectively) [Figs. 12-13, annotated above. Also, see Fig. 1B], and the second distance (Y2 or X2) is greater than the first distance (Y1 or X1, respectively) [Figs. 12-13, annotated above]. However, Wu does not disclose a plurality of second LED chips individually disposed in the splicing area of the display module. Zeng teaches: a plurality of second LED chips (2) individually disposed in the splicing area (SA) of the display module, wherein each of the second LED chips (2) is not packaged together with any other LED chip [Figure 1]; wherein: each of the second LED chips (2) is adjacent to and has a first distance (Ya or Xa) from one of the first LED chips of one of the packaged LED units (1) in the first direction [Fig. 1, annotated below], one of the first LED chips in one of the packaged LED units (1) is adjacent to and has a second distance (Yb or Xb) from one of the first LED chips in another one of the packaged LED units (1) in the first direction [Fig. 1, annotated above], and the second distance (Yb or Xb) is greater than the first distance (Ya or Xa, respectively) [Fig. 1, annotated above]. Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, would have been motivated to modify Wu by including a plurality of second LED chips individually disposed in the splicing area of the display module, wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance as taught by Zeng because it helps to improve the light emitting quality of the light emitting module [Abstract]. Regarding claim 8, Wu discloses wherein three of the first LED chips (122, 124, 126) are arranged in one row, in a second direction (x or y) perpendicular to the first direction (y or x, respectively), in the package frame (140) [Fig. 1B and Figs. 12-13, annotated above]. Regarding claim 9, Wu discloses packaged LED units arranged in an array of plurality of rows (x or y) and plurality of columns (y or x, respectively) [Figs. 12-13, annotated above], a row direction (x or y) perpendicular to the first direction (y or x, respectively) and the three of the first LED chips (120) in one of the packaged LED units (10) in one of two adjacent rows are disposed in parallel to the three of the first LED chips (120) in one of the packaged LED units (10) in another one of the adjacent rows [Fig. 1B and Figs. 12-13, annotated above]. Regarding claim 10, Zeng teaches wherein the second LED chips (2) in the splicing area (SA) are arranged in one row in a row direction (x or y) perpendicular to the first direction (y or x, respectively) [Fig. 1, annotated above]. Regarding claim 11, Zeng further teaches two splicing areas (SA), and the two splicing areas (SA) located on opposite sides of the display area (10) [Fig. 4]. Regarding claim 12, Zeng teaches wherein one of the second LED chips (2) of one of the display modules is adjacent to and has a third distance (YY or XX) from one of the second LED chips (2) of another one of the display modules in the first direction (y or x, respectively), and the third distance (YY or XX) is equal to the second distance (Yb or Xb, respectively) [See Fig. 1, annotated above]. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Wu (CN 105044964 A) teaches a plurality of second LED chips (5) disposed in the splicing area of the display module [Fig. 12]. Correspondence Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSE R DIAZ whose telephone number is (571)272-1727. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joshua Benitez can be reached at 571-270-1435. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /Jose R Diaz/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2815
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Show 2 earlier events
Jan 27, 2025
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103
Apr 28, 2025
Response Filed
Jul 28, 2025
Final Rejection mailed — §103
Oct 21, 2025
Request for Continued Examination
Oct 26, 2025
Response after Non-Final Action
Oct 31, 2025
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103
Dec 18, 2025
Response Filed
Jul 06, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103 (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

4-5
Expected OA Rounds
87%
Grant Probability
94%
With Interview (+7.8%)
2y 5m (~0m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
High
PTA Risk
Based on 946 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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