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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of 1-2, 4-5, 7-11, 13-15, 17-20 and 25-27 in the reply filed on April 21, 2026 is acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on December 2, 2022, August 13, 2024, March 7, 2025, October 14, 2025, and January 19, 2026 are in compliance with time for filing requirements of 37 C.F.R. 1.97, and thus, the information disclosure statement has been considered except as otherwise indicated.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description:
Figs. 3 and 8: element S1 is not defined in the spec.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 1-2, 19, 26-27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xiao et al. (US20230139020A1) in view of Wang et al. (US11244603B1).
Regarding Claim 1:
Xiao discloses a light-emitting substrate (backlight module; Fig. 3) comprising:
a substrate (Fig. 3 element 2) comprising a plurality of light-emitting regions (Fig. 3 element 4) arranged in an array (paragraphs 66-67), each of the plurality of light-emitting regions comprising a driving circuit (controller; element 41) and at least one light-emitting unit (element 42) connected to the driving circuit;
a first electrically conductive portion (metal layer; Fig. 1 element 3) on the substrate and connected to the driving circuit and the at least one light-emitting unit in each light-emitting region (paragraphs 66 and 75);
However, Xiao does not explicitly teach a second electrically conductive portion on the substrate comprising a plurality of pads.
Wang discloses an analogous light-emitting panel (Fig. 4 element 100) comprising a second electrically conductive portion (bonding layer; Fig. 6 element 132) on the substrate (element 120) and comprising a plurality of pads (bonding pads; element PD, paragraph 46), wherein the first electrically conductive portion (Fig. 6 element 131) and the second electrically conductive portion (element 132) are on a same layer (circuit layer; element 130).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device described in Xiao further in view of Wang to explicitly include a second electrically conductive portion – on a same layer as the first electrically conductive portion – comprising a plurality of pads because both are directed to analogous display devices. Doing so allows for a reduction in wiring complexities (Wang, paragraph 4).
Regarding Claim 2:
The combination of Xiao and Wang discloses a light-emitting substrate (backlight module; Fig. 3) according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of light-emitting regions (Fig. 3 element 4) are arranged in M rows along a first direction (direction A) and N columns along a second direction (direction B) intersecting with the first direction, and both M and N are positive integers greater than or equal to 1 (paragraphs 66-69 and 77-78),
wherein the first electrically conductive portion comprises N driving voltage signal lines (Fig. 3 element 31) and N common voltage signal lines (GND line; element 34a, paragraph 91) extending along the first direction (direction A), each column of light-emitting regions comprises one driving voltage signal line and one common voltage signal line (paragraphs 87-88),
wherein in each column of light-emitting regions, the driving voltage signal line (element 31) is connected to a first end of each light-emitting unit (element 42) in the column of light-emitting regions (element 4), and the common voltage signal line (element 34a) is connected to each driving circuit (element 41) in the column of light-emitting regions (Fig. 3, paragraphs 75 and 87-89),
wherein in each column of light-emitting regions, the driving voltage signal line (element 31), the light-emitting unit (element 42), the driving circuit (element 41), and the common voltage signal line (element 34a) are sequentially arranged along the second direction (Fig. 3, direction B), and
wherein orthographic projections of the driving voltage signal line, the light-emitting unit, the driving circuit, and the common voltage signal line on the substrate do not overlap with each other (Figs. 1 and 3, paragraph 92).
Regarding Claim 19:
The combination of Xiao and Wang discloses a light-emitting substrate (backlight module; Fig. 3) according to claim 2, wherein a spacing between the driving voltage signal line (Fig. 3 element 31) and another signal line adjacent (elements 32-33) to the driving voltage signal line is greater than or equal to 0.2 mm (paragraphs 73, 78, and 84).
The examiner first notes that Xiao does not explicitly disclose a specificized range for a spacing between the driving voltage signal line and another adjacent signal line. The examiner next notes that the spacing is a result effective variable because if the spacing is too low, undesirable phenomena can occur such a line breakdown. The examiner additionally notes that the spacing between adjacent signal and connection lines is recognized by the prior art as a result-effective variable (Xiao, paragraphs 78 and 92). The examiner now notes that optimization of result effective variables through routine experimentation is an obviousness expedient and not a patentable distinction. "[W]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation." In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a spacing between the driving the voltage signal line and adjacent signal lines to be greater than or equal to 0.2 mm to avoid short circuits and network structure wiring (Xiao, paragraphs 3 and 73-84.
Regarding Claim 26:
The combination of Xiao and Wang discloses a backlight comprising the light-emitting substrate (Fig. 28 element 200, paragraph 123) according to claim 1.
Regarding Claim 27:
The combination of Xiao and Wang discloses a display device comprising the light-emitting substrate (Fig. 28 elements 100 and 200, paragraphs 123-124) according to claim 1.
Claims 4-5, 7-11, 13-15, 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xiao et al. (US20230139020A1) in view of Wang et al. (US11244603B1) as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Zheng et al. (US10909911B1).
Regarding Claim 4:
The combination of Xiao and Wang discloses a light-emitting substrate (backlight module; Fig. 3) according to claim 2, but neither Xiao nor Wang explicitly teach where the driving circuits comprise a plurality of terminals.
Zheng, however, discloses an analogous display device (Fig. 3 element 300), wherein each driving circuit (Fig. 3 element 320) comprises a plurality of terminals (pins; paragraph 32) arranged in an array (paragraph 11), and the plurality of terminals are arranged in at least two columns along the second direction (direction B; see fig. attached below),
wherein the plurality of terminals comprise at least one output terminal (output pin; element 326) and at least one common voltage terminal (Gnd pin; element 328), the at least one output terminal and the at least one common voltage terminal are in different columns (direction A; Fig. 3, paragraph 30) of the plurality of terminals, and
wherein in each column of light-emitting regions (Fig. 3 element 4), the at least one output terminal (output pin; Fig. 3 element 326) of each driving circuit (element 320) is connected to a second end of the at least one light-emitting unit (LED Zone; element 330) connected to the driving circuit in a one-to-one correspondence (paragraphs 16-18) , and the at least one common voltage terminal (Gnd pin; element 328) of each driving circuit is connected to the common voltage signal line (element Gnd) in the column of light-emitting regions.
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device described in Xiao and Wang further in view of Zheng to explicitly include driving circuits comprising of a plurality of terminals with such functions and arrangements as described above because both are directed to analogous display devices. Doing so allows for improvements in speed of the interfaces while maintaining the integrity of the size (Zheng, paragraphs 2 and 11). The examiner notes that although Xiao does not explicitly teach a driving circuit comprising a plurality of terminals, one of ordinary skill in the art understands that signal and connection lines/wires are connected to driving circuits through terminals.
Regarding Claim 5:
The combination of Xiao, Wang, and Zheng discloses a light-emitting substrate according to claim 4, wherein an extending direction (direction A; Fig. 3) of the first electrically conductive portion (metal layer; Fig. 1 element 3) is parallel to a cascade direction of the driving circuits (Figs. 1 and 3 elements 4, paragraphs 31 and 71-75). However, neither Xiao nor Wang teach a plurality of terminals further comprising an address, a relay and a power terminal nor its functions.
Zheng discloses an analogous display device (Fig. 3 element 300), wherein the plurality of terminals (pins) further comprise an address terminal (data input pin; Fig. 3 element 322), a relay terminal (output pin; elements 326/332/336, paragraphs 42-43) and a power terminal (Power; element 324, paragraph 32),
wherein the driving circuits (element 320) in each column of light-emitting regions are cascaded in sequence, the address terminal (element 322) of the ith-cascaded driving circuit is on a side of the ith-cascaded driving circuit close to the (i-1)th-cascaded driving circuit (Fig. 3), the relay terminal (element 326/332/336) of the ith-cascaded driving circuit is on a side of the ith-cascaded driving circuit close to the (i+1)th-cascaded driving circuit, 1<i<M and i is a positive integer (paragraphs 18-24),
wherein the address terminal is configured to receive an address signal (Comm; paragraph 34), the relay terminal is configured to output a relay signal (paragraphs 39 and 43), and the power terminal (element 324) is configured to receive a power voltage signal (paragraph 38).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device described in Xiao and Wang further in view of Zheng to explicitly include a plurality of terminals further comprising an address, a relay, and a power terminal and their arrangements/functions mentioned above because both are directed to analogous display devices. Doing so allows for improvements in speed of the interfaces while maintaining the integrity of the size (Zheng, paragraphs 2 and 11).
Regarding Claim 7:
The combination of Xiao, Wang, and Zheng discloses a light-emitting substrate according to claim 5, but neither Xiao nor Wang explicitly teach an arrangement for a plurality of terminals of the driving circuit.
Zheng, discloses an analogous display device (Fig. 3 element 300), wherein the plurality of terminals of the driving circuit (Fig. 3 element 320) are arranged in a first column and a second column along the second direction (B direction; paragraph 42), in each column of light-emitting regions (elements 330/320), the first column of terminals of the driving circuit is on a side of the driving circuit close to the driving voltage signal line (element VLED, paragraph 12), and the second column of terminals of the driving circuit is on a side of the driving circuit close to the common voltage signal line (element Gnd, paragraph 12).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device described in Xiao and Wang further in view of Zheng to explicitly include a driving circuit comprising a plurality of terminals that are arranged in a first and second column – where the first column of terminals is close to the driving voltage signal lines and the second is close to the common voltage signal lines – because both are directed to analogous display devices. Doing so allows for improvements in speed of the interfaces while maintaining the integrity of the size (Zheng, paragraphs 2 and 11).
Regarding Claim 8:
The combination of Xiao, Wang, and Zheng discloses a light-emitting substrate (backlight module; Fig. 3) according to claim 7, wherein an orthographic projection (paragraphs 107-113) of the first column of terminals on the substrate and an orthographic projection of the second column of terminals on the substrate are respectively on both sides of an orthographic projection of the power signal line (Fig. 3 element 34b) on the substrate (element 2). However, neither Xiao nor Wang explicitly teach wherein the first electrically conductive portion further comprises power signal lines where each signal line contains a main portion and a first connection portion.
Zheng discloses an analogous display device (Fig. 3 element 300), wherein the first electrically conductive portion (Fig. 4A element 440) further comprises N power signal lines (Pwr1...M; Fig. 3, paragraph 18), each column of light-emitting regions comprises one power signal line, each power signal line comprises a main portion (element Pwr) and a first connection portion (driver current), and the main portion of the power signal line extends along the first direction (direction A), and wherein in each column of light-emitting regions (Fig. 3 elements 330/320), the power signal line (element Pwr) is connected to the power terminal (element 324) of each driving circuit in the column of light-emitting regions via the first connection portion (paragraphs 12 and 18).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device described in Xiao and Wang further in view of Zheng to explicitly include the first electrically conductive portion further comprising N power signal lines where each power signal line comprises a main portion and a first connection portion – wherein both extend along the first direction and the power signal line is connected to a power terminal via the first connection portion – because both are directed to analogous display devices. Doing so allows for improvements in speed of the interfaces while maintaining the integrity of the size (Zheng, paragraphs 2 and 11).
Regarding Claim 9:
The combination of Xiao, Wang, and Zheng discloses a light-emitting substrate according to claim 8, but neither Xiao nor Wang explicitly teach wherein the first electrically conductive portion further comprises an address selection signal line nor where the address selection signal line connects to an address terminal.
Zheng, however, discloses an analogous display device (Fig. 3 element 300), wherein the first electrically conductive portion (Fig. 4A element 440) further comprises N address selection signal lines (Comm1...M; Fig. 3, paragraph 34) extending along the first direction (direction A), each column of light-emitting regions comprises one address selection signal line (paragraphs 12-18), in each column of light-emitting regions, the address selection signal line (element Comm) is connected to the address terminal (element 322, paragraphs 21 and 34) of the first-cascaded driving circuit.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device described in Xiao and Wang further in view of Zheng to explicitly include the first electrically conductive portion further comprising N address selection lines extending the first direction – where in each column of light-emitting regions, the address line is connected to the address terminal of the first-cascaded driving circuit – because both are directed to analogous display devices. Doing so allows for improvements in speed of the interfaces while maintaining the integrity of the size (Zheng, paragraphs 2 and 11).
Regarding Claim 10:
The combination of Xiao, Wang, and Zheng discloses a light-emitting substrate according to claim 9, but neither Xiao nor Wang explicitly teach wherein the first electrically conductive portion further comprises a cascade wiring between two adjacent cascade driving circuits and where the relay terminal is connected to the address terminal.
Zheng, however, discloses an analogous display device (Fig. 3 element 300) comprising, wherein the first electrically conductive portion further comprises a cascade wiring (paragraph 57) extending along the first direction (direction A), the cascade wiring is between two adjacent cascaded driving circuits (Fig. 3 element 320) in each column of light-emitting regions (paragraphs 18, 21-25 and 42), and the relay terminal (element 326) of the ith-cascaded driving circuit is connected to the address terminal (element 322) of the (i+1)th-cascaded driving circuit via the cascade wiring (paragraph 42).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device described in Xiao and Wang further in view of Zheng to explicitly include the first electrically conductive portion further comprising a cascade wiring between two adjacent driving circuits, extending in a first direction, and where the relay terminal of the ith-cascade driving circuit is connected to the address terminal adjacent driving circuit because both are directed to analogous display devices. Doing so allows for improvements in speed of the interfaces while maintaining the integrity of the size (Zheng, paragraphs 2 and 11).
Regarding Claim 11:
The combination of Xiao, Wang, and Zheng discloses a light-emitting substrate (backlight module; Fig. 3) according to claim 10, wherein orthographic projections of the driving voltage signal line, the address selection signal line, the cascade wiring, the power signal line, the common voltage signal line, and the feedback signal line on the substrate do not overlap with each other (Figs. 1 and 3, paragraph 92). However, neither Xiao nor Wang explicitly teach wherein the first electrically conductive portion further comprises a feedback signal line nor where the feedback signal line is connected to the relay terminal of the last cascaded driving circuit.
Zheng discloses an analogous display device (Fig. 3 element 300), wherein, the first electrically conductive portion (Fig. 4A element 440) further comprises N feedback signal lines (readback line; Fig. 3 element 325) extending along the first direction (direction A), each column of light-emitting regions comprises one feedback signal line (paragraphs 12 and 42), in each column of light-emitting regions, the feedback signal line is connected to the relay terminal (element 226/326/332) of the last-cascaded driving circuit (paragraph 38), and the feedback signal line is at least partially on a side of the common voltage signal line (Gnd line) away from the driving circuit in the column of light-emitting regions (Fig. 3)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device described in Xiao and Wang further in view of Zheng to explicitly include the first electrically conductive portion further comprising N feedback signal lines extending the first direction – where the feedback signal is connected to the relay terminal of the last-cascade driving circuit and is at least partially on a side of the common voltage signal line away from the driving circuit – because both are directed to analogous display devices. Doing so allows for improvements in speed of the interfaces while maintaining the integrity of the size (Zheng, paragraphs 2 and 11).
Regarding Claim 13:
The combination of Xiao, Wang, and Zheng discloses a light-emitting substrate according to claim 8, but neither Xiao nor Wang explicitly teach wherein a plurality of terminals comprise an address, power, a common voltage, and an output terminal (independently).
Zheng, however, discloses an analogous display device (Fig. 3 element 300), wherein the plurality of terminals (pins) of the driving circuit (Fig. 3 element 320) comprise the address terminal (element 322), the power terminal (element 324), the common voltage terminal (element 328), and the output terminal (element 326), and wherein the first column of terminals comprises the output terminal and the address terminal, and the second column of terminals comprises the common voltage terminal and the power terminal (paragraphs 11, 18, and 55).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device described in Xiao and Wang further in view of Zheng to explicitly include the first columns of terminal to comprises of an output terminal and an address terminal while the second column comprises a common voltage terminal and a power terminal because both are directed to analogous display devices. Doing so allows for improvements in speed of the interfaces while maintaining the integrity of the size (Zheng, paragraphs 2 and 11).
Regarding Claim 14:
The combination of Xiao, Wang, and Zheng discloses a light-emitting substrate according to claim 13, but neither Xiao nor Wang explicitly teach wherein an output and relay terminal are a same terminal.
Zheng, however, discloses an analogous display device (Fig. 3 element 300), wherein the output terminal (Fig.3 element 326) and the relay terminal (elements 326/332/336) of the driving circuit are a same terminal (paragraph 43), the driving circuit is configured to, output a relay signal as the address signal of a next-cascaded driving circuit cascaded with the driving circuit via the output terminal during a first period, and provide a driving signal to the at least one light-emitting unit connected to the driving circuit via the output terminal during a second period (paragraphs 6 and 43)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device described in Xiao and Wang further in view of Zheng to explicitly include where the output terminal and relay terminal of the driving circuit are a same terminal and its specified functions mentioned above because both are directed to analogous display devices. Doing so allows for improvements in speed of the interfaces while maintaining the integrity of the size (Zheng, paragraphs 2 and 11).
Regarding Claim 15:
The combination of Xiao, Wang, and Zheng discloses a light-emitting substrate according to claim 8, but neither Xiao nor Wang explicitly teach wherein a data terminal and power terminal are in different columns.
Zheng, however, discloses an analogous display device (Fig. 3 element 300), wherein the plurality of terminals (pins) of the driving circuit (Fig. 3 element 320) further comprise a data terminal (Dim; element 334, paragraph 36), and the data terminal and the power terminal (element 324) are in different columns of the plurality of terminals (Fig. 3), and
wherein a number of the at least one output terminal (element 326) of the driving circuit is plural (elements 326/332/336) such that the at least one output terminal comprises a plurality of output terminals (paragraph 4), and a number of the common voltage terminal (element 328) of the driving circuit is at least one (paragraph 4), the first column of terminals comprises the power terminal (element 324) and the at least one output terminal, and the second column of terminals comprises the address terminal (element 322), the relay terminal (elements 326/332/336), the data terminal (element 334), and the at least one common voltage terminal (element 328).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device described in Xiao and Wang further in view of Zheng to explicitly include where the data terminal and power terminal are in different columns of the plurality of terminals and where the number of output terminals, in at least one driving circuit, is plural because both are directed to analogous display devices. Doing so allows for improvements in speed of the interfaces while maintaining the integrity of the size (Zheng, paragraphs 2 and 11).
Regarding Claim 17:
The combination of Xiao, Wang, and Zheng discloses a light-emitting substrate (backlight module; Fig. 3) according to claim 15, wherein the orthographic projection of the first column of terminals on the substrate and the orthographic projection of the second column of terminals on the substrate are respectively on both sides of an orthographic projection of the data driving signal line on the substrate, and the orthographic projection of the data driving signal line on the substrate and the orthographic projection of the power signal line on the substrate do not overlap with each other (Figs. 1 and 3, paragraph 92). However, neither Xiao nor Wang explicitly teach wherein the first electrically conductive portion further comprises data driving signal lines, each containing a main and second connection portion nor its arrangements.
Zheng discloses an analogous display device (Fig. 3 element 300), wherein the first electrically conductive portion (Fig. 4A element 440) further comprises N data driving signal lines (Fig. 3, element Dim1...M), each column of light-emitting regions (Fig. 3 elements 330/320) comprises one data driving signal line, each data driving signal line comprises a main portion (element 375/365) and a second connection portion (Fig. 3), the main portion of the data driving signal line extends along the first direction (direction A),
wherein in each column of light-emitting regions, the data driving signal line (Fig. 3, element Dim1) is connected to the data terminal (element 334) of each driving circuit in the column of light-emitting regions via the second connection portion (paragraph 4).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device described in Xiao and Wang further in view of Zheng to explicitly include the first electrically conductive portion further comprising N data driving signal line – which contain a main portion and a second connection portion – extending along the first direction and its arrangements because both are directed to analogous display devices. Doing so allows for improvements in speed of the interfaces while maintaining the integrity of the size (Zheng, paragraphs 2 and 11).
Regarding Claim 18:
The combination of Xiao, Wang, and Zheng discloses a light-emitting substrate according to claim 15, but neither Xiao nor Wang explicitly teach wherein a plurality of output terminals are connected to the second ends of the plurality of light-emitting units and where the driving circuit is configured to output various signals.
Zheng, however, discloses an analogous display device (Fig. 3 element 300), wherein the plurality of output terminals (Fig. 3 elements 326/332/336) of the driving circuit (element 320) are connected to the second ends of the plurality of light-emitting units (LED Zone; element 330) connected to the driving circuit in a one-to-one correspondence (paragraph 35), and
wherein the driving circuit is configured to output a relay signal as the address signal of a next-cascaded driving circuit cascaded with the driving circuit via the relay terminal during a first period, and provide driving signals respectively to the plurality of light-emitting units via the plurality of output terminals during a second period (paragraphs 6 and 43).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device described in Xiao and Wang further in view of Zheng to explicitly include where the output terminals are connected to the second ends of the plurality of light-emitting units in a one-to-one correspondence and where the driving circuit is configured to output various signals – depending on its function mentioned above – because both are directed to analogous display devices. Doing so allows for improvements in speed of the interfaces while maintaining the integrity of the size (Zheng, paragraphs 2 and 11).
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xiao et al. (US20230139020A1) in view of Wang et al. (US11244603B1) as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Wang et al. (CN111123591A), hereinafter referred to as Wang '591.
Regarding Claim 20:
The combination of Xiao and Wang discloses a light-emitting substrate according to claim 2, but neither Xiao nor Wang explicitly teach where each signal line of the first electrically portion comprises a straight and bent portion nor where an angle between the straight and bent portion is 80°-100°.
Wang '591, however, discloses an analogous array substrate (Fig. 2), further comprising a plurality of flexible printed circuits (Figs. 4 and 5 element 70, paragraphs 46-48) and a fan-out area (see fig. attached below),
wherein each signal line (Fig. 5 elements 30) of the first electrically conductive portion (Fig. 10 element 103, paragraph 67) comprises a straight portion and a bent portion (see fig. attached below), the bent portion of each signal line is within the fan-out area, and the signal lines are connected to the plurality of flexible printed circuits (element 70) via the bent portions, and
wherein a width (D1; see figs. attached) of the bent portion of each signal line along the second direction (direction B) is smaller than a width of two adjacent columns of light-emitting regions (Fig. 5 element AA) along the second direction, and
wherein an angle between the straight portion and the bent portion of each signal line is 80°-100° (see figs. attached).
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The examiner first notes that Wang '591 does not explicitly disclose a specificized range for an angle between the straight and bent portion of each signal line. The examiner next notes that the angle is a result effective variable because adjusting the angle can affect the overall size and linearity of the device. The examiner additionally notes that the angle between the straight portion and bent portion is recognized by the prior art as a result-effective variable (Wang '591, paragraphs 41, 44, 55, and 63). The examiner now notes that optimization of result effective variables through routine experimentation is an obviousness expedient and not a patentable distinction. "[W]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation." In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955).
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Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device described in Xiao and Wang further in view of Wang '591 to have an angle between the straight portion and the bent portion of each signal line to be 80°-100° in order to improve the overall size of the display device (Wang '591, paragraphs 4 and 55).
Claim 25 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xiao et al. (US20230139020A1) in view of Wang et al. (US11244603B1) as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Jung et al. (US20210043616A1).
Regarding Claim 25:
The combination of Xiao and Wang discloses a light-emitting substrate (backlight module; Fig. 3) according to claim 2, further comprising a shielding ring (Figs. 23-24 element 7, paragraphs 106-110) which surrounds a periphery of the plurality of light-emitting regions (element 4, paragraphs 108-110), and an electrical signal received by the shielding ring and an electrical signal received by the common voltage signal line are the same (paragraph 106). However, Xiao does not explicitly teach where the first and second conductive portions comprise copper.
Wang discloses an analogous light-emitting panel (Fig. 4 element 100), wherein a material of the first electrically conductive portion (Fig. 6 element 131) and the second electrically conductive portion (element 132) comprises copper (paragraph 46), and each light-emitting unit (Fig. 4 element 110) comprises a plurality of light-emitting elements (element 112) connected to each other (paragraph 31), each of the plurality of light-emitting elements comprises a sub-millimeter light-emitting diode or a micro light-emitting diode (paragraph 32). However, Wang does not disclose a buffer layer nor an insulating layer.
Jung, however, discloses an analogous display apparatus (Fig. 1) further comprising a buffer layer (Fig. 6 element 103); an insulating layer (elements 111/112/113/114); wherein, the buffer layer (Fig. 6 element 103) is between a layer where the first electrically conductive portion (element 113/120, paragraphs 106 and 120) and the second electrically conductive portion (elements 410/420) are located and the substrate (element 101), and wherein the insulating layer (Fig. 6 elements 111/112/113/114) is on a side of the layer where the first electrically conductive portion and the second electrically conductive portion are located away from the substrate (element 101).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device described in Xiao and Wang further in view of Jung to explicitly include a buffer layer that is between the first/second electrically conductive portions and the substrate and an insulating layer that is located away from the substrate because all are directed to analogous display devices. Doing so allows for better durability of the overall structure (Jung, paragraph 77).
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Wu et al. (CN 116075879 B), Huang et al. (WO 2022147679 A1), Lei et al. (WO 2022110238 A1), Lin et al. (US 10763391 B2), Xiang et al. (US 10269300 B2), Lee et al. (US 9947692 B2), Todorokihara et al. (US 7435633 B2).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Chloë E Benton whose telephone number is (571)272-9976. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday: 8am-6pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Zandra Smith can be reached at (571) 272-2429. 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.
/Chloë E Benton/Examiner, Art Unit 2899
/ZANDRA V SMITH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2899
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