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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 4/28/2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2020/0211941 A1 (Xi).
Re claim 1, Xi teaches display device (display panel 20) comprising:
a display area (active zone 12) and a non-display area (regions 13,14,15,16,17);
pixels (light emitting elements 120) disposed in the display area;
a pad area (upper pad zone 13) including pads (upper pads 130), the pad area being disposed in the non-display area;
first power lines (signal lines SL connected to 161A/161B) electrically connected to the pixels in the display area;
first fan-out lines (outer connecting ends 163A/163B) extending in a first direction (direction D2 in Fig. 6A) in the non-display area, the first fan-out lines being electrically connected to the pads (Fig. 6A); and
a first power connection line (inner connecting end 161A/161B and body 162A/162B) extending in a second direction (lateral direction orthogonal to D2 direction) intersecting the first direction in the non-display area, the first power connection line electrically connected to the first fan out lines and connecting the first power lines to the first fan-out lines,
wherein the first power connection line includes outer parts (bodies 162B Fig. 6A) that are disposed at an outer portion of the first power connection line and are located in the non-display area, and includes a central part (162A/161A Fig. 6A) disposed at a central portion of the first power connection line, wherein the central part of the first power connection line is disposed between outer parts, and
a width of a central part of the first power connection line in the first direction is wider than a width of an outer part of the first power connection line in the first direction (Fig. 6A).
Re claim 2, Xi teaches wherein the central part of the first power connection line is disposed between the first fan-out lines (narrowest portion of 162A is disposed between 163B on either side Fig. 6A).
Re claim 3, Xi teaches wherein a distance between the central part of the first power connection line and the pad area is shorter than a distance between the outer part of the first power connection line and the pad area (central part includes 161A which is closer to pad area 13 than bodies 162B Fig. 6A).
Re claim 4, Xi teaches wherein a width of the central part of the first power connection line in the second direction expands in a direction adjacent to the display area from the pad area (Fig. 6A).
Re claim 5, Xi teaches second power lines (signal lines SL connected to 161C) electrically connected to the pixels in the display area; and second fan-out lines (outer connecting end 163C) electrically connected to the pads in the non-display area (Fig. 6A).
Re claim 6, Xi teaches wherein the pads include: a first pad electrically connected to the first fan-out lines; and a second pad electrically connected to the second fan-out lines (separate pads 130 Fig. 6A).
Re claim 7, Xi teaches wherein the first fan-out lines are supplied with a first power source from the first pad, the second fan-out lines are supplied with a second power source from the second pad, the first power source is a high-potential driving power source, and the second power source is a low-potential driving power source (current density to 160C is lower than current density to 160B [0052-0053]).
Re claim 8, Xi teaches third fan-out lines (outer pads 170) disposed in the non-display area, wherein the first fan-out lines are disposed on the third fan-out lines (163A disposed on 170 Fig. 6C).
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Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the pending claim(s) have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on the reference as it is currently applied in the current art rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. Specifically, Applicant argues that the prior art fails to teach wherein the first power connection line is connected to the first fan out lines. The current rejection relies upon 163A/163B being the first fan out lines and relies upon 161A/162A/161B/162B as the first power connection line. As shown in Fig. 6A 161A/162A are electrically connected to 163A and 161B/162B are electrically connected to 163B.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRIGITTE A PATERSON whose telephone number is (571)272-1752. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00AM-5:00PM.
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BRIGITTE A. PATERSON
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2896
/BRIGITTE A PATERSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896
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