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 .
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1, 3-7, 10-15, and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lhee et al., US 2010/0207106 in view of Hsin, U.S. Patent 9,608,052.
Lhee et al. shows the invention substantially as claimed including a display panel, wherein the display panel comprises:
A substrate 1;
A transistor layer disposed on the substrate, wherein the transistor layer comprises a transistor 30 and an epitaxial conductor part RP, the transistor is located in the light-emitting area 110, and the transistor comprises a first electrode 35 and a second electrode 37 disposed in a same layer and spaced apart; the epitaxial conductor part RP is located in the non-light emitting area (see fig. 3); the transistor 30 further comprises an active part 31 located below the first electrode; the epitaxial conductor part comprises a first epitaxial part RP, the active part 31 is electrically connected to the first epitaxial part RP, and the active part 31 is connected to the first electrode or the second electrode (35 or 37); and
A light emitting structure layer disposed on the transistor layer, the light-emitting structure layer comprises a lower electrode 51 and an upper electrode 55 disposed in a stack, the lower electrode is connected to the first electrode or the second electrode 37, and the upper electrode 55 extends from the light-emitting area to the non-light-emitting area, wherein an orthographic projection of the epitaxial conductor part on the substrate at least partially overlaps an orthographic projection of the upper electrode on the substrate (see figs. 2-3 and paragraphs 0033-0074).
Lhee et al. does not expressly disclose wherein the display panel comprises a plurality of sub-pixels. Hsin discloses a display panel comprising a multitude of sub-pixels. In view of this disclosure, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the display panel of Lhee et al. so as to comprise a multitude of sub-pixels because this is shown to be a suitable and appropriate means with which to segment or divide a display panel structure.
Concerning dependent claims 3 and 12, note that the transistor further comprises a gate insulating part 3 and a gate electrode 33, the first epitaxial part is composed of the active part extending towards the non-light-emitting area, and the gate insulating part and the gate electrode are sequentially stacked on the active part (see paragraphs 0033-0074).
As to dependent claim 4, note that Lhee discloses wherein the transistor layer further comprises a metal conducting part (for example, 40), the metal conducting part is disposed between the first epitaxial part and the upper electrode, and the metal conducting part is spaced from the gate electrode (see, for example, fig. 2); and the metal conducting part is connected to the first epitaxial part and insulated from the upper electrode and the metal conducting part, the first epitaxial part, and the upper electrode are disposed correspondingly.
Regarding dependent claims 5 and 13, note that the display panel of Lhee further comprises a pixel definition layer, the pixel definition layer is disposed on the transistor layer and the lower electrode, the pixel definition layer is defined with an auxiliary electrode hole, and the auxiliary electrode hole is located in the non-light-emitting area; and the auxiliary electrode passes through the pixel definition layer, the auxiliary electrode hole is provided on the pixel definition layer, and the upper electrode extends into the auxiliary electrode hole (see figs. 1-4 and their descriptions).
Concerning dependent claim 6, note that the display panel of Lhee discloses wherein the display panel further comprises a connecting structure, the connecting structure is disposed between the upper electrode 55 and the metal conducting part 40, the connecting structure (51 or 53) is insulated from the upper electrode and the metal conducting part, and the connecting structure, the first epitaxial part, the metal conducting part, and the upper electrode are disposed correspondingly.
With respect to dependent claims 7 and 15, Lhee discloses wherein the connecting structure comprises a connection electrode (for example, 37), the connection electrode is disposed on the transistor layer, and the connection electrode and the lower electrode 51 are spaced apart (see fig. 2 and its description).
Concerning independent claim 10, Lhee et al. discloses the invention substantially as claimed including a display panel comprising a light-emitting area and a non-light-emitting area disposed adjacent to each other, and the display panel comprises:
A substrate 1;
A transistor layer disposed on the substrate, wherein the transistor layer comprises a transistor 30 and an epitaxial conductor part RP, the transistor is located in the light-emitting area, and the transistor comprises a first electrode 35 and a second electrode 37 disposed in a same layer and spaced apart, the epitaxial conductor part is located in the non-light-emitting area, and the transistor further comprises an active part located below the first electrode 35; the epitaxial conductor part comprises a first epitaxial part, the active part is connected to the first epitaxial part, and the active part is connected to the first electrode or the second electrode; and a light-emitting structure layer disposed on the transistor layer, wherein the light-emitting structure layer comprises a lower electrode 51 and an upper electrode 55 disposed in a stack, the lower electrode is connected to the first electrode or the second electrode, the upper electrode extends from the light-emitting area to the non-light-emitting area, and the upper electrode is connected to the epitaxial conductor part (see fig. 2 and paragraphs 0033-0074).
Lhee et al. does not expressly disclose wherein the display panel comprises a plurality of sub-pixels. Hsin discloses a display panel comprising a multitude of sub-pixels. In view of this disclosure, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the display panel of Lhee et al. so as to comprise a multitude of sub-pixels because this is shown to be a suitable and appropriate means with which to segment or divide a display panel structure.
Concerning dependent claim 11, note that Lhee et al. discloses wherein the first epitaxial part is composed of the active part extending towards the non-light-emitting area; the transistor layer further comprises a metal conducting part 40, the metal conducting part is disposed on the first epitaxial part 37, and the metal conducting part is connected to the upper electrode and the first epitaxial part.
With respect to dependent claim 14, note that the display panel further comprises a connecting structure, the connecting structure is disposed between the pixel definition layer 8 and the first epitaxial part (for example, RP), and the connecting structure is connected to the upper electrode 55 and the first epitaxial part (see fig. 2 and its description).
With respect to independent claim 19, Lhee et al. shows the invention substantially as claimed including a repairing method of a display panel, comprising:
Providing a panel to be repaired, where the panel comprises a light-emitting area and a non-light emitting area disposed adjacent to each other, and the panel to be repaired comprises:
A substrate 1;
A transistor layer disposed on the substrate, wherein the transistor layer comprises a transistor 30 and an epitaxial conductor part RP, the transistor is located in the light-emitting area 110, and the transistor comprises a first electrode 35 and a second electrode 37 disposed in a same layer and spaced apart; the epitaxial conductor part RP is located in the non-light emitting area (see fig. 3); the transistor 30 further comprises an active part 31 located below the first electrode; the epitaxial conductor part comprises a first epitaxial part RP, the active part 31 is electrically connected to the first epitaxial part RP, and the active part 31 is connected to the first electrode or the second electrode (35 or 37); and
A light emitting structure layer disposed on the transistor layer, the light-emitting structure layer comprises a lower electrode 51 and an upper electrode 55 disposed in a stack, the lower electrode is connected to the first electrode or the second electrode 37, and the upper electrode 55 extends from the light-emitting area to the non-light-emitting area, wherein an orthographic projection of the epitaxial conductor part on the substrate at least partially overlaps an orthographic projection of the upper electrode on the substrate (see figs. 2-3 and paragraphs 0033-0074); and connecting the epitaxial conductor part with the upper electrode (see, for example, paragraphs 0057-0058).
Lhee et al. does not expressly disclose wherein the display panel comprises a plurality of sub-pixels. Hsin discloses a display panel comprising a multitude of sub-pixels. In view of this disclosure, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the display panel of Lhee et al. so as to comprise a multitude of sub-pixels because this is shown to be a suitable and appropriate means with which to segment or divide a display panel structure.
As to dependent claim 20, note that in Lhee et al. the step of connecting the epitaxial conductor part with the upper electrode comprises: irradiating the epitaxial conductor part and the upper electrode by laser to connect the epitaxial conductor part with the upper electrode (see paragraphs 0057-0058).
Claim(s) 2 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lhee et al., US 2010/0207106 in view of Hsin, U.S. Patent 9,608,052. as applied to claims 1, 3-7, 10-15, and 19-20 above, and further in view of CN 110797351.
Lhee et al. and Hsin are applied as above but do not expressly disclose wherein the transistor further comprises a light shielding part located below the first electrode, the epitaxial conductor part further comprises a second epitaxial part, the light shielding part is connected to the second epitaxial part, and the light shielding part is connected to the first or second electrode. CN ‘351 discloses wherein the transistor further comprises a light shielding part 2 located below the first electrode, the epitaxial conductor part further comprises a second epitaxial part, the light shielding part is connected to the second epitaxial part, and the light shielding part is connected to the first or second electrode (see fig. 5 and its description). In view of this disclosure, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the device of Lhee modified by Hsin so as to comprise the claimed light shielding configuration because CN ‘351 shows this to be a suitable configuration for a display device.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-9 and 16-17 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art, either singly or in combination, particularly Lhee et al., US 2010/0207106, fail to anticipate or render obvious, the following limitations in combination with the other claimed limitations: wherein the connecting structure comprises a switching part and a first conducting part connected to the switching part, the switching part is disposed on a side of the first conducting part close to the upper electrode, and the switching part, the first electrode, and the second electrode are disposed in a same layer and spaced apart, as required by dependent claims 8 and 16. Furthermore, the prior art also fails to suggest: wherein the transistor further comprises a light shielding part, the light shielding part is disposed corresponding to the active part, and the light shielding part is connected to the first electrode; and the first electrode is connected to an end of the active part and the upper electrode, the second electrode is connected to the first epitaxial part and another end of the active part, and an orthographic projection of the active part on the substrate is staggered with an orthographic projection of the first epitaxial part on the substrate, as required by dependent claims 9 and 17.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Zhang, US 2023/0189564 discloses a display device in combination with a storage electrode (see abstract).
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/RICHARD A BOOTH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812
March 3, 2026
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