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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 02/05/2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3, 5-9, 18, 19 and 23-26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Park et al. (US 2017/0110521 A1; hereinafter, “Park”, prior art of record).
Regarding claims 1-3 and 5-9:
re claim 1, Park discloses (in Figs. 2 and 11) a transparent display apparatus comprising:
a substrate 10 [0039] having a display area DA [0039] and a non-display area NA ([0039], Note: non-display area, NA, comprises PA and SA) adjacent to the display area;
a plurality of pixels PX [0040] disposed in the display area DA, each pixel having a first transmissive portion 200 [0040];
a plurality of second transmissive portions 400 [0049] provided in the non-display area NA;
a slit portion 300 [0049] disposed between the plurality of second transmissive portions 400 in the non-display area NA; and
a flat portion 213 (or 215, see Fig. 11 and [0073]) disposed in the display area DA and the non-display area (SA, PA),
wherein the flat portion 213 (or 215) in the non-display area (SA, PA) is disconnected by the slit portion 300 (in the cross section shown in Fig. 11, the flat portion 213 is disconnected by the slit portion 300, i.e., the flat portion 213 not continuous through the slit portion 300).
re claim 2, the transparent display apparatus of claim 1, wherein second transmissive portions 400 adjacent to each other are connected to each other at the slit portion 300 (i.e., in Fig. 11, at least element “218” connects adjacent portions “400”);
re claim 3, the transparent display apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of second transmissive portions 400 is connected to at least one slit portion 300 (Fig. 11);
re claim 5, the transparent display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the slit portion 300 has a width narrower than that of each of the second transmissive portions 400 (Fig. 2);
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re claim 6, the transparent display apparatus of claim 1, wherein a plurality of slit portions (combination of “First slit portions” and “Second slit portions” in Fig. 2 above) are disposed between the plurality of second transmissive portions 400,
the plurality of slit portions include:
a plurality of first slit portions (“First slit portions” in Fig. 2 above) disposed to be elongated in a first direction (horizontal, in Fig. 2) that is toward the display area DA from the non-display area NA; and
a plurality of second slit portions (“Second slit portions” in Fig. 2 above) disposed to be elongated in a second direction (vertical, in Fig. 2) crossing the first slit portions;
re claim 7, the transparent display apparatus of claim 6, wherein the plurality of second slit portions (“Second slit portions” in Fig. 2 above) are disposed to be connected to each of the plurality of second transmissive portions 400 disposed in the first direction (horizontal), and
the plurality of first slit portions (“First slit portions” in Fig. 2 above) are disposed to be connected to only odd-numbered second transmissive portions 400 (e.g., connected to only to odd-numbered “400” in Fig. 2 above) or even-numbered second transmissive portions 400 of the plurality of second transmissive portions disposed in the second direction;
re claim 8, the transparent display apparatus of claim 6, wherein at least a portion of each of the plurality of second slit portions overlap each other in the first direction (see “overlap of second slit portions in horizontal (and vertical) direction” in Fig. 2 above); and
re claim 9, the transparent display apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plurality of first slit portions are disposed in a zigzag pattern in the second direction (see “three first slit portions in a zigzag pattern” in the second/vertical direction in Fig. 2 above).
Therefore, Park anticipates claims 1-9.
Regarding claims 18, 19 and 23-26:
re claim 18, Park discloses (in Figs. 2 and 11) a transparent display apparatus comprising:
a substrate 10 having a display area DA having a plurality of first transmissive portions 200 and a non-display area PA (Note: non-display area, NA, comprises PA and SA) having a plurality of second transmissive portions 170/400 [0051 and 0049] near the display area DA;
a plurality of electrically conductive lines (e.g., power supply line 160 and signal lines in “300”, see [0050 and 0067]) disposed between the plurality of second transmissive portions 170/400; and
a slit portion 180/300 (Fig. 2) partially overlapped with the plurality of electrically conductive lines (e.g., power supply line 160 and signal lines in “300”, see [0050 and 0067]); and
a flat portion 213 (or 215, see Fig. 11 and [0073]) disposed in the display area DA and the non-display area (SA, PA),
wherein the flat portion 213 (or 215) in the non-display area (SA, PA) is disconnected by the slit portion 300 (in the cross section shown in Fig. 11, the flat portion 213 is disconnected by the slit portion 300, i.e., the flat portion 213 not continuous through the slit portion 300).
re claim 19, the transparent display apparatus of claim 18, wherein the slit portion 180/300 (Figs. 2 and 11) is disposed to connect the plurality of second transmissive portions 170/400 (Figs. 2 and 11) adjacent to each other.
re claim 23, the transparent display apparatus of claim 18, wherein the non-display portion includes a plurality of slit portions (combination of “First slit portions” and “Second slit portions” in Fig. 2 above),
the plurality of slit portions include:
a plurality of first slit portions (“First slit portions” in Fig. 2 above) disposed to be elongated in a first direction (horizontal, in Fig. 2) that is toward the display area DA from the non-display area NA; and
a plurality of second slit portions (“Second slit portions” in Fig. 2 above) disposed to be elongated in a second direction (vertical, in Fig. 2) crossing the first slit portions;
the plurality of second slit portions (“Second slit portions” in Fig. 2 above) are disposed to be connected to each of the plurality of second transmissive portions 400 (an additional second slit portion can be readily added between elements 170 in Fig. 2 above) disposed in the first direction (horizontal), and
the plurality of first slit portions (“First slit portions” in Fig. 2 above) are disposed to be connected to only odd-numbered second transmissive portions 400 (e.g., connected to only to odd-numbered “400” in Fig. 2 above, and an additional second slit portion that can be readily added between 170 in Fig. 2 above) or even-numbered second transmissive portions 400 of the plurality of second transmissive portions disposed in the second direction;
re claim 24, the transparent display apparatus of claim 23, wherein at least a portion of each of the plurality of second slit portions overlap each other in the first direction (see “overlap of second slit portions in horizontal (and vertical) direction” in Fig. 2 above, and an additional second slit portion that can be readily added between 170 in Fig. 2 above);
re claim 25, the transparent display apparatus of claim 23, wherein the plurality of first slit portions are disposed in a zigzag pattern in the second direction (see “three first slit portions in a zigzag pattern” in the second/vertical direction in Fig. 2 above, and additional second slit portions that can be readily added between 170 in Fig. 2 above); and
re claim 26, the transparent display apparatus of claim 18 wherein the plurality of electrically conductive lines are power lines 160 (Fig. 11 and [0050]) configured to carry power.
Therefore, Park anticipates claims 18, 19 and 23-26.
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Park, evidenced by Kim et al. (US 2021/0026419 A1; hereinafter, “Kim”, prior art of record).
Regarding claim 4:
Park discloses the transparent display apparatus of claim 2, wherein the non-display area NA includes a plurality of in portion 300, [0049]) and a Figs. 1, 2 and [0067]) having a plurality of [signal] lines [0067] connected to the
the slit portion 300 is disposed in the [signal] lines (i.e., slit portion 300 comprises signal lines [0067]; accordingly, at least a portion of “300” overlaps a signal line).
Park does not explicitly disclose the driver 140 as a “gate” driver, the driving circuits in the slit portion 300 are “gate” driving circuits, or the signal lines are “GIP” (Gate-in-Panel or Gate-Driver-in-Panel) lines; however, Kim (Fig. 6 and [0096]) is cited as evidence that driving
circuits 4331 comprise wiring structures 4332 [0096] that could be readily referred to as GIP lines. Therefore, this claim is anticipated by Park, evidenced by Kim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 27 and 28 are allowed.
Claims 10-17 and 20-22 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:
Claims 10-17, 20-22, 27 and 28 are allowed for reasons stated in a prior Office action.
Remarks
Applicant’s remarks have been fully considered, but with regard to the amendments to independent claims 1 and 18, they are not persuasive for reasons provided hereinbefore. Specifically, a flat portion required by the current claim language essentially reads on any layer comprising a flat portion; accordingly, Park’s insulating layer 218, noted by applicant, is not the only flat portion that would read on the limitations in claims 1 and 18. For example, either layer 213 or layer 215 comprises a flat portion, and both layers 213, 215 are disconnected by the slit portion 300 (in Fig. 11 of Park). Therefore, the rejection of claims 1 and 18 are maintained under the same grounds.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LEX H MALSAWMA whose telephone number is (571)272-1903. The examiner can normally be reached M-F (4-12 Hours, between 5:30AM-10PM).
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/LEX H MALSAWMA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2892