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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 recites the limitation “the plurality of light-emitting”. The Examiner believes this to be a mere typo, and will interpret this limitation as “the plurality of light-emitting devices”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-2, 5-6, 9-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee et al. (US 20200110498 A1) hereinafter “Lee”.
Regarding Claim 1, Figures 1-7 of Lee teach: A touch display apparatus (EA) comprising: a device substrate (BF); a plurality of light-emitting devices (OLD) on the device substrate; an encapsulating layer (TFE) on the plurality of light-emitting; a touch sensor (SU) including a plurality of touch electrodes (SE1 and SE2; Paragraph 0086) on the encapsulating layer; a plurality of touch pads (PD) on the device substrate, the plurality of touch pads non- overlapping with the encapsulating layer (Figure 4; item PD is located in peripheral area NTA); a plurality of touch routing lines (DSL1-4), each touch routing line electrically connecting a corresponding touch electrode from the plurality of touch electrodes to a corresponding touch pad from the plurality of touch pads (Figures 4-5, Paragraphs 0092-0094), wherein the plurality of touch routing lines include a plurality of first routing lines (DSL1) and a plurality of second routing lines (DSL2) that are on a different layer (Figure 6A) from the plurality of first routing lines, the plurality of second routing lines insulated (Figure 6A; IL1) from the plurality of first routing lines.
Regarding Claim 2, Figures 1-7 of Lee teach: each of the plurality of touch pads (PD) is electrically connected (Paragraphs 0092-0094) to a corresponding one of the plurality of first routing lines (DSL1) or a corresponding one of the plurality of second routing lines (DSL2).
Regarding Claim 5, Figures 1-7 of Lee teach: a portion of each of the plurality of second routing lines (DSL2) overlaps (Figure 6A) with a portion of a corresponding one of the plurality of first routing lines (DSL1).
Regarding Claim 6, Figures 1-7 of Lee teach: the portion of each of the plurality of second routing line (DSL2) that overlaps with the portion of the corresponding one of the plurality of first routing lines (DSL1) extends in a direction (Figures 4-5) of an edge (NTA) of a display area (AA) that includes the plurality of light-emitting devices (OLD).
Regarding Claim 9, Figures 1-7 of Lee teach: A touch display apparatus (EA) comprising: a device substrate (BF); a plurality of light-emitting devices (OLD) on the device substrate; an encapsulating layer (TFE) on the plurality of light-emitting devices; a plurality of touch pads (PD) on the device substrate, the plurality of touch pads non-overlapping (Figure 4; item PD is located in peripheral area NTA) with the encapsulating layer; a plurality of first touch lines (SL1 and SL2) on the encapsulating layer, the plurality of first touch lines including a plurality of first touch electrodes (DSP) along in a first direction; a plurality of first routing lines (DSL1 and DSL3), each first routing line electrically connecting a corresponding first touch line from the plurality of first touch lines to a corresponding touch pad from the plurality of touch pads (Figure 4-5; Paragraphs 0092-0094); a plurality of second touch lines (SL3 and SL4) between the plurality of first touch lines, the plurality of second touch lines including a plurality of second touch electrodes (KSP) that are connected in a second direction that is different from the first direction (Figure 4); and a plurality of second routing lines (DSL2 and DSL4), each second routing line electrically connecting a corresponding second touch line from the plurality of second touch lines to a corresponding touch pad from the plurality of touch pads (Paragraphs 0092-0094), wherein the plurality of second routing lines are on a different layer than the plurality of first routing lines (Figure 6A).
Regarding Claim 10, Figures 1-7 of Lee teach: the plurality of first touch lines (SL1 and SL2) and the plurality of second touch lines (SL3 and SL4) are non-overlapping (Figure 4) with the plurality of light-emitting devices (OLD).
Regarding Claim 11, Figures 1-7 of Lee teach: a second routing line (DSL2) from the plurality of second routing lines (DSL2 and DSL4) is between (Figure 5) a pair of first routing lines (DSL1 and DSL3) from the plurality of first routing lines (DSL1 and DSL3).
Regarding Claim 12, Figure 8 of Lee teaches: a first end of the second routing line (DSL2) overlaps an end of a first routing line (DSL1) from the pair of first routing lines (DSL1 and DSL3) and a second end of the second routing line that is opposite the first end overlaps an end of a another first routing line (DSL3) from the pair of first routing lines.
Regarding Claim 13, Figures 1-7 of Lee teach: the plurality of first touch lines (SL1 and SL2) include a plurality of first bridge electrodes (DBP) that electrically connect together the plurality of first touch electrodes (DSP), and the plurality of second touch lines (SL3 and SL4) include a plurality of second bridge (KBP) electrodes that electrically connect together the plurality of second touch electrodes (KSP), wherein the plurality of first routing lines include a same material as the plurality of first bridge electrodes (Paragraph 0101).
Regarding Claim 14, Figures 1-7 of Lee teach: a touch insulating layer (IL1) between the plurality of first routing lines (DSL1) and the plurality of second routing lines (DSL2), wherein the plurality of first routing lines and the plurality of first bridge electrodes (DBP) are between the encapsulating layer (TFE) and the touch insulating layer.
Regarding Claim 15, Figures 1-7 of Lee teach: the plurality of second routing lines (DSL2) include a same material (Paragraph 0101) as the plurality of first touch electrodes (DSP).
Regarding Claim 16, Figures 1-7 of Lee teach: A touch display apparatus (EA) comprising: a substrate (BF) including a display area (TA) and a pad area (PD); a plurality of pads (Figure 4) in the pad area, the plurality of pads including a first pad (pad connected to DSL1) and a second pad (pad connected to DSL2); a plurality of light-emitting devices (OLD) on the display area; a touch sensor (SU) including a plurality of touch electrodes (SE1 and SE2) on the display area, the plurality of touch electrodes including a first touch electrode (DSP) and a second touch electrode (KSP); a first routing line (DSL1 and DSL3) connected to the first touch electrode and the first touch pad; a second routing line (DSL2 and DSL4) connected to the second touch electrode and the second touch pad (Figures 4-5; Paragraphs 0092-0094), wherein a portion of the first routing line at least partially overlaps a portion of the second routing line in a direction along a length of the display area in a plan view of the touch display apparatus (Figures 4-6A).
Regarding Claim 17, Figures 1-7 of Lee teach: a center of the portion of the first routing line (DSL1 and DSL3) overlaps a center of the portion of the second routing line (DSL2 and DSL4) in the plan view (Figures 4-5).
Regarding Claim 18, Figures 1-7 of Lee teach: an end of the portion of the first routing line (DSL1 and DSL3) overlaps an end of the portion of the second routing line (DSL2 and DSL4).
Regarding Claim 19, Figures 1-7 of Lee teach: an insulating layer (IL1) between the first routing line (DSL1 and DSL3) and the second routing line (DSL2 and DSL4).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 3-4 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US 20200110498 A1) hereinafter “Lee” in view of Won et al. (US 20200152707 A1) hereinafter “Won.”
Regarding Claim 3, Lee teaches all of the limitations of the claimed invention as stated above.
Lee does not teach: the plurality of second routing lines include a material that is different from a material included in the plurality of first routing lines.
Figure 5 of Won teaches: a display apparatus (Paragraph 0048) with a plurality of first routing lines (162), and a plurality of second routing lines (164); wherein the plurality of second routing lines include a material that is different from a material included in the plurality of first routing lines (Paragraph 0103, where the second routing line is made of the same material as the gate electrode 132, and Paragraph 0068 states molybdenum, chrome, and gold are materials of the gate electrode. Paragraph 102 states the first routing line is formed of the same material as the touch electrodes 152e and 154e, and Paragraph 0138 states the material of the touch electrodes is formed in a triple-layer structure such as a stack of Ti/Al/Ti, MoTi/Cu/MoTi, or Ti/Al/Mo)
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the plurality of second routing lines include a material that is different from a material included in the plurality of first routing lines because Won teaches a second routing line made of a triple-layer structure reduces resistance and the capacitance of the first and second touch electrodes, and the RC time constant may be reduced, which may result in increased touch sensitivity (Won Paragraph 0138).
Regarding Claim 4, Figures 1-7 of Lee teach: the material included in the plurality of second routing lines (DSL2) is the same as a material (Paragraph 0101) included in the plurality of touch electrodes (DSP).
Regarding Claim 20, Lee teaches all of the limitations of the claimed invention as stated above.
Lee does not teach: the first routing line and the second routing line include different materials.
Figure 5 of Won teaches: a display apparatus (Paragraph 0048) with a plurality of first routing lines (162), and a plurality of second routing lines (164); wherein the plurality of second routing lines include a material that is different from a material included in the plurality of first routing lines (Paragraph 0103, where the second routing line is made of the same material as the gate electrode 132, and Paragraph 0068 states molybdenum, chrome, and gold are materials of the gate electrode. Paragraph 102 states the first routing line is formed of the same material as the touch electrodes 152e and 154e, and Paragraph 0138 states the material of the touch electrodes is formed in a triple-layer structure such as a stack of Ti/Al/Ti, MoTi/Cu/MoTi, or Ti/Al/Mo)
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the first routing line and the second routing line include different materials because Won teaches a second routing line made of a triple-layer structure reduces resistance and the capacitance of the first and second touch electrodes, and the RC time constant may be reduced, which may result in increased touch sensitivity (Won Paragraph 0138).
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US 20200110498 A1) hereinafter “Lee” in view of Kim et al. (US 20200152708 A1) hereinafter “Kim”.
Regarding Claim 7, Lee teaches all of the limitations of the claimed invention as stated above.
Lee does not teach: a plurality of connecting patterns across a bending area, the plurality of connecting patterns between the encapsulating layer and the plurality of touch pads, wherein each of the plurality of connecting patterns is electrically connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of first routing lines or a corresponding one of the second routing lines.
Figure 3 of Kim teaches: a display device (Paragraph 0047) with a plurality of light-emitting devices (PXL); an encapsulating layer (140), a plurality of first routing lines (170), and a plurality of touch pads (160); further comprising a plurality of connecting patterns (162) across a bending area (BA; Figure 2) between the encapsulating layer and the plurality of touch pads, wherein each of the connecting patterns is electrically connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of first routing lines (Figure 3).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a plurality of connecting patterns across a bending area, the plurality of connecting patterns between the encapsulating layer and the plurality of touch pads, wherein each of the plurality of connecting patterns is electrically connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of first routing lines or a corresponding one of the second routing lines because the connecting pattern electrically connects the routing line to the touch pad electrode in the bending area (Kim Paragraph 0078).
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US 20200110498 A1) hereinafter “Lee” in view of Kim et al. (US 20200152708 A1) hereinafter “Kim” and Won et al. (US 20180323240 A1) hereinafter “Won’3240”.
Regarding Claim 8, Lee teaches all of the limitations of the claimed invention as stated above.
Figures 1-7 of Lee teach: the plurality of first routing lines (DSL1 and DSL3) are between the device substrate (BF) and the plurality of second routing lines (DSL2 and DSL4)
Lee does not teach: a plurality of intermediate patterns, each intermediate pattern between a corresponding second routing line from the plurality of second routing lines and a corresponding one of the plurality of connecting patterns; and the plurality of intermediate patterns include a same material as the plurality of first routing lines.
Figure 9 of Won’3240 teaches: a display device (Paragraph 0025) comprising a device substrate (111), a first routing line (164), a second routing line (162), and a connecting pattern (161); further comprising an intermediate pattern (163) between the second routing line and the connecting pattern (Figure 9) and wherein the intermediate pattern includes a same material as the first routing line (Paragraph 0059).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a plurality of intermediate patterns, each intermediate pattern between a corresponding second routing line from the plurality of second routing lines and a corresponding one of the plurality of connecting patterns; and the plurality of intermediate patterns include a same material as the plurality of first routing lines because Won’3240 teaches the inclusion of an intermediate pattern increases touch sensitivity (Won’3240 Paragraph 0061).
Conclusion
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/HALEE CRAMER/Examiner, Art Unit 2891
/MATTHEW C LANDAU/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2891