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 .
Applicant's amendment/arguments filed on 2/3/26 as being acknowledged and entered. By this amendment claims 1-21 are pending and claims 10-21 are withdrawn.
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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, 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 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sung et al. (US PGPub 2021/0005683) in view of Huang et al. (US PGPub 2019/0326544).
Claim 1: Sung teaches (Fig. 4A,4E) display panel comprising: a substrate (100) including a first area (HTA), a second area (LA) at least partially surrounding the first area, and a third area (AA) at least partially surrounding the second area; a barrier part disposed on the substrate in the second area, wherein the barrier part comprises a first partition including a concave-convex structure (DM/GV2) on a surface facing the first area; wherein the concave-convex structure includes convex portions and concave portions alternatively and repeatedly disposed along a circumferential direction about a center of the first area in a plan view; a filling layer (OCT) disposed on the substrate in the first area and the second area, adjacent to the concave-convex structure; and a light emitting diode layer (ELD) disposed in the third area on the substrate and adjacent to the first partition, wherein an opening is disposed in the first area, wherein a pixel is disposed in the third area, and wherein the filling layer is spaced apart from the third area in the plan view (Fig. 4A). Sung does not teach wherein the convex portions extend towards the center of the first area and the concave portions extend away from the center of the first area. Huang teaches a barrier between regions of a display including a concave-convex structure wherein the convex portions extend towards the center of the first area and the concave portions extend away from the center of the first area eliminate the trespassing of water and oxygen through the barrier [0004] (Fig. 4). 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 modified the structure taught by Sung to have the barrier layer with the convex/concave positioned as claimed to eliminate the trespassing of water and oxygen through the barrier [0004] (Fig. 4) as taught by Huang.
Claim 2: Sung teaches (Fig. 4A,4E) wherein the convex portions protrude from the second area to the first area, and wherein the concave portions are each positioned between adjacent convex portions among the convex portions.
Claim 3: Sung teaches (Fig. 4A,4E) the concave-convex structure has a sawtooth or gear shape.
Claim 4: Sung teaches (Fig. 4A,4E) the barrier part further includes a second partition (50) disposed in the second area on the substrate, wherein the second partition at least partially surrounds the first area, and wherein the second partition is spaced apart from the concave-convex structure.
Claim 5: Sung teaches (Fig. 4A,4E) a thickness of the second partition (40) is less than a thickness of the first partition.
Claim 6: Sung teaches (Fig. 4A,4E) a length between the second partition and each of the convex portions is less than a length between the second partition and each of the concave portions.
Claim 7: Sung teaches (Fig. 4A,4E) the barrier part further includes an insulation layer (10) disposed in the second area on the substrate, and wherein the first partition and the second partition are disposed on the insulation layer.
Claim 8: Sung teaches a surface tension of the insulation layer is less than a surface tension of the substrate to prevent moisture from leaking from the substrate into the pixel structure [0128].
Claim 9: Sung teaches (Fig. 4A,4E) the first partition extends along a boundary between the second area and the third area.
Claims 1-7 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al. CN114512514 in view of Huang et al. (US PGPub 2019/0326544).
Claim 1: Li teaches (Fig. 4-6, 8) display panel comprising: a substrate (100) including a first area (TA), a second area (MA) at least partially surrounding the first area, and a third area (DA) at least partially surrounding the second area; a barrier part (209) disposed on the substrate in the second area, wherein the barrier part comprises a first partition including a concave-convex structure (GV) on a surface facing the first area; wherein the concave-convex structure includes convex portions and concave portions alternatively and repeatedly disposed along a circumferential direction about a center of the first area in a plan view; a filling layer (FL) disposed on the substrate in the first area and the second area, adjacent to the concave-convex structure; and a light emitting diode layer ([0066-0067], OLED) disposed in the third area on the substrate and adjacent to the first partition, wherein an opening is disposed in the first area, wherein a pixel is disposed in the third area, and wherein the filling layer is spaced apart from the third area in the plan view (Fig. 6). Sung does not teach wherein the convex portions extend towards the center of the first area and the concave portions extend away from the center of the first area. Huang teaches a barrier between regions of a display including a concave-convex structure wherein the convex portions extend towards the center of the first area and the concave portions extend away from the center of the first area eliminate the trespassing of water and oxygen through the barrier [0004] (Fig. 4). 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 modified the structure taught by Sung to have the barrier layer with the convex/concave positioned as claimed to eliminate the trespassing of water and oxygen through the barrier [0004] (Fig. 4) as taught by Huang.
Claim 2: Li teaches (Fig. 4-6, 8) wherein the convex portions protrude from the second area to the first area, and wherein the concave portions are each positioned between adjacent convex portions among the convex portions.
Claim 3: Li teaches (Fig. 4-6, 8) the concave-convex structure has a sawtooth or gear shape.
Claim 4: Li teaches (Fig. 4-6, 8) the barrier part further includes a second partition (215) disposed in the second area on the substrate, wherein the second partition at least partially surrounds the first area, and wherein the second partition is spaced apart from the concave-convex structure.
Claim 5: Li teaches (Fig. 4-6, 8) a thickness of the second partition (70) is less than a thickness of the first partition.
Claim 6: Li teaches (Fig. 4-6) a length between the second partition and each of the convex portions is less than a length between the second partition and each of the concave portions.
Claim 7: Li teaches (Fig. 4-6, 8) the barrier part further includes an insulation layer (207) disposed in the second area on the substrate, and wherein the first partition and the second partition are disposed on the insulation layer.
Claim 9: Li teaches (Fig. 4-6, 8) the first partition extends along a boundary between the second area and the third area.
Claims 1-7 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US PGPub 2022/0158127)/ (KR 20220067655) in view of Huang et al. (US PGPub 2019/0326544).
The applied reference has a common assignee with the instant application. Based upon the earlier effectively filed date of the reference, it constitutes prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2). This rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) might be overcome by: (1) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(a) that the subject matter disclosed in the reference was obtained directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor of this application and is thus not prior art in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(A); (2) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(b) of a prior public disclosure under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(B) if the same invention is not being claimed; or (3) a statement pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) establishing that, not later than the effective filing date of the claimed invention, the subject matter disclosed in the reference and the claimed invention were either owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person or subject to a joint research agreement.
Claim 1: Lee teaches (Fig. 1, 5-6) display panel comprising: a substrate (100) including a first area (TA), a second area (MA) at least partially surrounding the first area, and a third area (DA) at least partially surrounding the second area; a barrier part (209) disposed on the substrate in the second area, wherein the barrier part comprises a first partition including a concave-convex structure (GV) on a surface facing the first area; wherein the concave-convex structure includes convex portions and concave portions alternatively and repeatedly disposed along a circumferential direction about a center of the first area in a plan view; a filling layer (FL) disposed on the substrate in the first area and the second area, adjacent to the concave-convex structure; and a light emitting diode layer ([0066-0067], OLED) disposed in the third area on the substrate and adjacent to the first partition, wherein an opening is disposed in the first area, wherein a pixel is disposed in the third area, and wherein the filling layer is spaced apart from the third area in the plan view (Fig. 5). Sung does not teach wherein the convex portions extend towards the center of the first area and the concave portions extend away from the center of the first area. Huang teaches a barrier between regions of a display including a concave-convex structure wherein the convex portions extend towards the center of the first area and the concave portions extend away from the center of the first area eliminate the trespassing of water and oxygen through the barrier [0004] (Fig. 4). 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 modified the structure taught by Sung to have the barrier layer with the convex/concave positioned as claimed to eliminate the trespassing of water and oxygen through the barrier [0004] (Fig. 4) as taught by Huang.
Claim 2: Lee teaches (Fig. 4-6, 8) wherein the convex portions protrude from the second area to the first area, and wherein the concave portions are each positioned between adjacent convex portions among the convex portions.
Claim 3: Lee teaches (Fig. 4-6, 8) the concave-convex structure has a sawtooth or gear shape.
Claim 4: Lee teaches (Fig. 4-6, 8) the barrier part further includes a second partition (215) disposed in the second area on the substrate, wherein the second partition at least partially surrounds the first area, and wherein the second partition is spaced apart from the concave-convex structure.
Claim 5: Lee teaches (Fig. 4-6, 8) a thickness of the second partition (70) is less than a thickness of the first partition.
Claim 6: Lee teaches (Fig. 4-6) a length between the second partition and each of the convex portions is less than a length between the second partition and each of the concave portions.
Claim 7: Lee teaches (Fig. 4-6, 8) the barrier part further includes an insulation layer (207) disposed in the second area on the substrate, and wherein the first partition and the second partition are disposed on the insulation layer.
Claim 9: Lee teaches (Fig. 4-6, 8) the first partition extends along a boundary between the second area and the third area.
Claim(s) 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al. CN114512514, as applied to claim 7 above, and further in view of Sung et al. (US PGPub2021/005683).
Regarding claim 8, as described above, Li substantially reads on the invention as claimed, except Li does not teach a surface tension of the insulation layer is less than a surface tension of the substrate. Sung teaches a surface tension of the insulation layer is less than a surface tension of the substrate to prevent moisture from leaking from the substrate into the pixel structure [0128]. 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 modified the structure taught by Li to have the surface tension requirements to prevent moisture from entering the pixel structure as taught by Sung [0128].
Claim(s) 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US PGPub 2022/0158127)/ (KR 20220067655), as applied to claim 7 above, and further in view of Sung et al. (US PGPub2021/005683).
Regarding claim 8, as described above, Lee substantially reads on the invention as claimed, except Lee does not teach a surface tension of the insulation layer is less than a surface tension of the substrate. Sung teaches a surface tension of the insulation layer is less than a surface tension of the substrate to prevent moisture from leaking from the substrate into the pixel structure [0128]. 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 modified the structure taught by Lee to have the surface tension requirements to prevent moisture from entering the pixel structure as taught by Sung [0128]
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-9 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.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SARAH KATE SALERNO whose telephone number is (571)270-1266. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 6:30am-2:30pm.
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/SARAH K SALERNO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2814