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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) was submitted on 11/1/22. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-17 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites a first sub-power supply line is “applied by a first power supply voltage” (lines 4-5). Apply, as a verb, is defined as “to lay or spread on” (Webster’s Online Dictionary). It is unclear how the first sub-power supply line is laid or spread on by a first power supply voltage.
For the purposes of examination, the examiner interprets the limitation “a first sub-power supply line disposed on the insulating film and applied by a first power supply voltage” as - - a first sub-power supply line disposed on the insulating film and wherein a first power supply voltage is capable of being applied to the first sub-power supply line” - -. However, appropriate correction and/or clarification is requested. Claims 2-13 inherit the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, rejections based on their dependencies on claim 1.
Claim 6 recites a fourth sub-power supply line is “applied by a second power supply voltage” (lines 2-3). Apply, as a verb, is defined as “to lay or spread on” (Webster’s Online Dictionary). It is unclear how the fourth sub-power supply line is laid or spread on by a second power supply voltage.
For the purposes of examination, the examiner interprets the limitation “a fourth sub-power supply line disposed on the insulating film and applied by a second power supply voltage” as - - a second sub-power supply line disposed on the insulating film and wherein a second power supply voltage is capable of being applied to the fourth sub-power supply line” - -. However, appropriate correction and/or clarification is requested. Claims 7-13 inherit the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, rejections based on their dependencies on claim 6.
Claim 14 recites a first sub-clock line is “applied by a clock signal” (line 5). Apply, as a verb, is defined as “to lay or spread on” (Webster’s Online Dictionary). It is unclear how the first sub-clock line is laid or spread on by a clock signal.
For the purposes of examination, the examiner interprets the limitation “first sub-clock line disposed on the insulating film and applied by a clock signal” as - - a first sub-clock line disposed on the insulating film and wherein a clock signal is capable of being applied to the first sub-clock line” - -. However, appropriate correction and/or clarification is requested. Claims 15-17 inherit the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, rejections based on their dependencies on claim 14.
Claim 19 recites a first sub-power supply line is “applied by a first power supply voltage” (lines 2-3). Apply, as a verb, is defined as “to lay or spread on” (Webster’s Online Dictionary). It is unclear how the first sub-power supply line is laid or spread on by a first power supply voltage.
For the purposes of examination, the examiner interprets the limitation “a first sub-power supply line disposed on the insulating film and applied by a first power supply voltage” as - - a first sub-power supply line disposed on the insulating film and wherein a first power supply voltage is capable of being applied to the first sub-power supply line” - -. However, appropriate correction and/or clarification is requested. Claims 19 inherits the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, rejection based on its dependency on claim 18.
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.
Claim(s) 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee et al. (U.S. 2021/0064172 A1; “Lee”).
Regarding claim 18, Lee a display device comprising:
A substrate (SUB, Fig. 9);
An insulating film (GI, Fig. 9) disposed on the substrate ([0129]);
A pad (Y-TP, Fig. 9) disposed on the insulating film ([0141]);
A first organic film (PCL, Fig. 9) disposed on (“on top of”) the pad ([0136]);
A pad-shielding electrode (Y-TE, Fig. 9) disposed on the first organic film and electrically connected to the pad through a pad hole formed in the first organic film ([0141]);
A pixel electrode (E1, Fig. 9) disposed on the first organic film ([0131]);
A light-emitting element (EL, Fig. 9) disposed on the pixel electrode ([0131]);
A planarization film (BANK, Fig. 9) disposed on sides of the light-emitting element ([0141]); and
A common electrode (E2, Fig. 9) disposed on the light-emitting element and the planarization film ([0131]).
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Song et al. (U.S. 2019/0103455 A1; “Song”) in view of Shin et al. (U.S. 2020/0312248 A1; “Shin”).
Regarding claim 1, Song discloses a display device comprising:
A substrate (SUB, Fig. 5);
An insulating film (GI, ILD1, Fig. 5) disposed on the substrate;
A first sub-power supply line (APL/UE, Fig. 5) disposed on the insulating film and a first power supply voltage is capable of being applied to the first sub-power supply line;
A second insulating film (ILD2, Fig. 5) disposed on the first sub-power supply line;
A second sub-power supply line (PL1, Fig. 5) disposed on the second insulating film and electrically connected to the first sub-power supply line through a first power supply hole formed in the second insulating film;
A third sub-power supply line (PL2, Fig. 5) disposed on the second sub-power supply line;
A pixel electrode (EL1, Fig. 5) disposed on (“on top of”) the second insulating film;
A light-emitting element (EML, Fig. 5) disposed on the pixel electrode;
A planarization film (PDL, Fig. 5) disposed on sides of the light-emitting element; and
A common electrode (EL2, Fig. 5) disposed on the light-emitting element and the planarization film, wherein the planarization film is disposed on (“on top of”) the third sub-power supply line.
Yet, Song does not disclose the second insulating film (ILD2, Fig. 5) is an organic film ([0162]). However, Shin discloses a second insulating film is an organic film ([0159]). Because both Song and Shin teach methods of forming insulating films in display devices, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to substitute one method for the other to achieve the predictable result of forming the second insulating film as an organic film. KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007).
Regarding claim 5, Song discloses an upper surface of the second sub-power supply line (PL1, Fig. 5) is in contact with a lower surface of the third sub-power supply line (PL2, Fig. 5).
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Song et al. (U.S. 2019/0103455 A1; “Song”) as modified by Shin et al. (U.S. 2020/0312248 A1; “Shin”) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Jo et al. (U.S. 2020/0119126 A1; “Jo”).
Regarding claim 2, Song and Shin disclose the pixel electrode (Song: EL1, Fig. 5) and the third sub-power supply line (Song: PL2, Fig. 5) but do not disclose they include a same material. However, Jo discloses a pixel electrode and a third sub-power supply line including a same material (Cu) ([0112], [0146]). This has the advantage of utilizing copper which has the advantage of high electrical conductivity with a relatively low resistance which improves overall device performance. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to modify the invention of Song and Shin with the pixel electrode and third sub-power supply line including a same material as taught by Jo, so as to improve overall device performance.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-4, 6-13, 16-17, and 19-20 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
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/REEMA PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812