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 .
Status of Claims
Applicant’s amendment of claim 11 in “Claims -03/19/2026” is acknowledged. This office action considers claims 1-20 pending for prosecution, of which, claims 1-10 had been withdrawn, and claims 11-20 are presented for further examination.
Withdrawn of Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Applicant’s argument and clarification, in the “Remarks - 03/19/2026- Applicant Arguments/Remarks Made in an Amendment“, with respect to claim 11 persuasive, specifically, amendments to the claim 11 removes the claims indefiniteness. In view of above, the rejection, in the “Non-Final Rejection - 12/23/2025“, under 35 U.S.C. 112(b), for the claims 11-20 have been withdrawn.
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 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
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) are summarized as follows:
Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Notes: when present, semicolon separated fields within the parenthesis (; ;) represent, for example, as (10c; Fig 7; [0048] or C 5, L 65-67) = (element 10c; Figure No. 7; Paragraph No. [0048]) or Column No 5, Line Nos. 65-67). For brevity, the texts “Element”, “Figure No.” and “Paragraph No.” or “Column No, Line Nos" shall be excluded, though; additional clarification notes may be added within each field. The number of fields may be fewer or more than three indicated above. These conventions are used throughout this document.
Claims 11-12, 17-18 and 20 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen; Hao et al., (CN 113191190 A, of record) hereinafter Chen; in view of WANG; Can et al., (US 20210132261 A1) hereinafter Wang.
Regarding claim 11. Chen teaches a display panel (10c; Fig 7; [0048-0049]; 10 of Fig 1 is cited because it carries some information that was not repeated in 10C), comprising (see the entire document; Figs 1-8, [0025-0054]; specifically, as cited below):
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Chen Figure 7 (at top) Figure 1 at bottom
an optical sensor ({20,104} labeled as fingerprint device; Figs 4, 3) and a light-emitting device (1020e/1030; Figs 4/1; [[0035-0036,0027]),
wherein the light-emitting device (102c/1020) is arranged on a substrate (100c/100) and is spaced apart (depicted in Figs 7/1) from a photosensitive device (104c/104);
wherein the optical sensor ({20,104}) comprises:
the substrate (100c/100);
the photosensitive device (104c/104) arranged on the substrate (100); and
a filter layer ({101c/106c}; Fig 7; [0049-0050)) arranged on a light incident side (light incident from top) of the photosensitive device (104c/104);
wherein the filter layer ({101c/106c}) possesses a lens shape (construed from the fact that lens shape can be flat, convex or other, in this case 101c/106c filter having flat shape: see for flat shape lens in US 20160109783 A1 Fig 1 [0036] or in US 20230260972 A1 Fig 3 [0062] 38, including curved and/or flat lens shapes).
But, Chen does not expressly disclose wherein the filter layer (40) is configured to filter and converge a light from the light incident side at a same time.
However, in the analogous art, Wang teaches an optical lens structure, a method for manufacturing the same, and a display apparatus ([0002]), wherein (fig 1; [0054]) the optical lens 102 may have a circle shape, and the display region 201 may have a square shape, which facilitates the optical lens 102 to completely converge and filter the light generated by the device in the corresponding display region 201.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Chen’s filter as per teaching of Wang so that the combination of (Chen and Wang) teaches the filter layer (40) is configured to filter and converge (in view of Wang) a light from the light incident side at a same time; since this modification, at least, facilititates avoiding light leakage (Wang [0052]).
Regarding claim 12. The combination of (Chen and Wang) as applied to the display panel according to claim 11, further teaches wherein the optical sensor comprises a plurality ([0026-0027]) of accommodating cavities (first hole Fig 7; [0048] or 1030, labelled as opening; Fig 1; [0038]), which are spaced apart;
wherein the filter layer (101c/106c) is at least partially arranged in the accommodating cavity (first hole/1030).
Regarding claim 17. The combination of (Chen and Wang) as applied to the display panel according to claim 12, further teaches, wherein the optical sensor comprises a defining layer (102c; Fig 7 or 1022 in Fig 1), the defining layer comprises a photosensitive opening (first hole; [0048-0050]), and the photosensitive opening penetrates the defining layer (103c/1022) in a thickness direction of the defining layer ;
the photosensitive device (104c/104/104e) comprises a photosensitive layer (104c), and the photosensitive layer is arranged in the photosensitive opening (first hole/1030).
Regarding claim 18. The combination of (Chen and Wang) as applied to the display panel according to claim 17, further teaches, wherein the optical sensor further comprises a cathode layer (107c; Fig 7; [0064] or 107b; fig 6) and an encapsulation layer (109c/109/109b;), and the cathode layer (107c/107b) and the encapsulation layer (109c/109/109b) are sequentially stacked on a side of the defining layer (102c/1022) away from the substrate (100c/100) and cover the photosensitive layer (104c/104/104b);
wherein a part of the encapsulation layer (109c) corresponding to the photosensitive opening (first hole/1030) is recessed toward the photosensitive opening (first hole/1030) and forms the accommodating cavity (first hole/1030).
Regarding claim 20. The combination of (Chen and Wang) as applied to the display panel according to claim 11, further teaches, wherein the light-emitting device (102c; Fig 7; [0048]) and the photosensitive device (104c) are arranged in a same layer (depicted in Fig 7).
Claims 13-16 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen; Hao et al., (CN 113191190 A of record) hereinafter Chen; in view of WANG; Can et al., (US 20210132261 A1) hereinafter Wang; and in further view of Agranov; Gennadiy A. et al., (US 20200412980 A1. ff record) hereinafter Agranov.
Regarding claim 13. The combination of (Chen and Wang) as applied to the display panel according to claim 12, while further teaches, wherein the filter layer (101e/106e; Fig 7) comprises a bottom surface ( flash with 104e) and a top surface (top of 101e/106e), and the bottom surface is laid flat on the bottom of the accommodating cavity (first hole), but does not expressly disclose and the top surface is a curved surface protruding toward a side away from the bottom surface.
However, in another embodiment 1, the display panel 10 provided plurality of micro-lens 111 located on the first filter film 106 away from the substrate 100 side, and a first filter film 106 position is provided with at least one micro-lens 111. The micro-lens 111 can converge the reflected light in different directions to the photosensitive unit 104 at the lower position, so as to further improve the identification signal strength of the photosensitive unit 104.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Chen ‘s 101c/106c structure with the shape of the micro-LED, and thereafter, the combination of (Chen, Wang and Agranov) filter layer (101e/106e; Fig 7) comprises a bottom surface ( flash with 104c) and a top surface (top of 101c/106c), and the bottom surface is laid flat on the bottom of the accommodating cavity (first hole), and the top surface is a curved surface (of miro-LED 111) protruding toward a side away from the bottom surface, since micro-lens 111 shape can converge the reflected light in different directions to the photosensitive unit 104c at the lower position, so as to further improve the identification signal strength of the photosensitive unit 104c.
Regarding claim 14. the combination of (Chen, Wang and Agranov) as applied to the display panel according to claim 13, further teaches, wherein the bottom surface (of micro-LED shaped filter 101c/106c is directly connected to the top surface (because of the micro-lens shaped filter).
Regarding claim 15. the combination of (Chen, Wang and Agranov) as applied to the display panel according to claim 13, further teaches, wherein the filter layer (101c/106c shaped modified to micr-LED 111 profile) further comprises a side surface, and the side surface extends along a side wall of the accommodating cavity (first hole) and is connected to the top surface and the bottom surface , respectively.
Regarding claim 16. the combination of (Chen, Wang and Agranov) as applied to the display panel according to claim 15, further teaches, wherein an orthographic projection of the filter layer (101c/106c shaped modified to micr-LED 111 profile)) on the substrate (100c) covers an orthographic projection of the accommodating cavity (first hole) on the substrate (100c);
the orthographic projection of the filter layer (101c/106c shaped modified to micr-LED 111 profile) on the substrate (100c) and an orthographic projection of any adjacent filter layer (101c/106c shaped modified to micr-LED 111 profile) on the substrate (100c) are spaced apart (Fig 7) from each other.
Claim 19 is rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen; Hao et al., (CN 113191190 A, of record ) hereinafter Chen; in view of WANG; Can et al., (US 20210132261 A1) hereinafter Wang, and in further view of Agranov; Gennadiy A. et al., (US 20200412980 A1, of record) hereinafter Agranov.
Regarding claim 19. The combination of Chen and Wang) as applied to the display panel according to claim 17, is silent on , wherein a material of the photosensitive layer (104c) comprises at least one of small molecule organic materials, polymer materials and quantum dot materials.
However, in the analogous art, Agranov teaches electromagnetic radiation sensors having a photosensitive material that is separate from a semiconductor substrate that includes pixel circuitry for an array of pixels defined by the semiconductor substrate and, in some respects, the photosensitive material ([0002]). wherein (Fig 3A, [0075]) he photosensitive material 302 (or panchromatic photosensitive layer) may in some cases include a quantum dot (QD) film, an organic material, and so on
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to select Agranov’s quantum dot (QD) material for Chen ‘s photosensitive layer (104c) so that the combination of (Chen, Wang and Agranov ) comprises the material as claimed.
The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Chen’s photosensitive layer in the manner set forth above because this selection, at least, mprove operation of the IR sensor 204 (Agranov [0076]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments “Remarks - 03/19/2026 - Applicant Arguments/Remarks Made in an Amendment, have been fully considered, but they are not persuasive because of the following:
Applicant’s amendment of independent claim 11 in “Claims - 03/19/2026” changed scope of the inventions significantly, and necessitated the shift in new grounds of rejection detailed in section I, supra. The shift in grounds of rejection renders Applicant’s arguments moot.
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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
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/MOAZZAM HOSSAIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898 April 22, 2026
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