DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Note by the Examiner
2. For clarity, the reference to specific claim numbers are presented in bold. Cited claim limitations are presented in bold the first time they are associated with a particular prior art disclosing the cited limitations, and subsequent reference to the already disclosed claim limitations are presented un-bolded. Certain elements from prior art which are not required by the claims are also presented un-bolded if they are particularly pertinent to understanding how the references are being combined. Item-to-item matching and Examiner explanations for 102 &/or 103 rejections have been provided in parenthesis.
Election/Restrictions
3. Applicant’s election without traverse of Species A and Sub-Species I, identified as encompassing claims 1-14 and 16-20 is acknowledged.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
4. Claims 1-2, 10-11, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Matsueda (US 2022/0199726 A1), hereinafter as M1
5. Regarding Claim 1, M1 discloses a display panel (see in particular Figs. 1-5, see [0034] “display device”) comprising:
a first display area (element 451 region, see [0045] “display region 125 includes a normal region 451”) having a plurality of sub-pixels (each of the elements 51 in the element 451 region, see [0050] “plurality of red subpixels 51R, a plurality of green subpixels 51G, and a plurality of blue subpixels 51B”); and
a second display area (area of element 453, see [0056] “low density region 453”) adjacent to the first display area, wherein the second display area comprises:
a pixel portion (portion of elements 51, see [0050]) including at least one sub-pixel (each of the elements 51); and
a plurality of transmissive portions (see in particular Fig. 4 and [0057] “In order to enable image capture by the camera 465, a transmissive region (not shown) that lets through light from the viewer side to the camera 465 is provided in a suitable arrangement between adjacent main pixels 53C and between the low density region 453 and the normal region 451”) surrounding the pixel portion in a plan view (see Figs. 3-4 empty space separating the pixel regions),
wherein a sub-pixel circuit (see in particular Fig. 10, see [0109] “drive transistor 602 in the low density region 453”) including transistors is in the second display area (see [0109]), the transistors being electrically connected to light-emitting diodes that correspond to the at least one sub-pixel (see Figs. 2, 10 and [0041, 0109]), an
wherein a portion of a wiring (wiring comprising control lines 107, see [0062] “control lines 107 transmit an emission control signal to the normal region 451 and the low density region 453” connected to the gate electrode of the light emission control transistor T3) is between two adjacent transmissive portions among the plurality of transmissive portions, the wiring being electrically connected to the sub-pixel circuit (see Fig. 2 and [0038] “A plurality of pixel circuits that control the current supplied to an anode electrode of each of a plurality of subpixels are formed on the TFT substrate 100”, and [0062]).
6. Regarding Claim 2, M1 discloses the display panel of claim 1, wherein the wiring includes a data line, a scan line, or a driving voltage line electrically connected to the sub-pixel circuit (see [0062]).
7. Regarding Claim 10, M1 discloses an electronic apparatus (see in particular Figs. 1-5, see [0034] “display device”) comprising:
a display panel (see element 10, see [0035] “display device 10”) including a first display area (element 451 region, see [0045] “display region 125 includes a normal region 451”) having a plurality of sub-pixels (each of the elements 51 in the element 451 region, see [0050] “plurality of red subpixels 51R, a plurality of green subpixels 51G, and a plurality of blue subpixels 51B”), and a second display area (area of element 453, see [0056] “low density region 453”) adjacent to the first display area; and
a component (element 465, see [0045] “One or more cameras 465 are disposed below the low density region 453”) below the display panel and corresponding to the second display area (see [0045]), wherein the second display area of the display panel includes:
a pixel portion (portion of elements 51, see [0050]) including at least one sub-pixel (each of the elements 51); and
a plurality of transmissive portions (see in particular Fig. 4 and [0057] “In order to enable image capture by the camera 465, a transmissive region (not shown) that lets through light from the viewer side to the camera 465 is provided in a suitable arrangement between adjacent main pixels 53C and between the low density region 453 and the normal region 451”) located at vertexes of a virtual polygon having N sides (the virtual polygon can be arbitrarily drawn to have N sides multiple of 3 centered in the pixel portion in plan view; note, the manner in which the claim is currently recited does not claim boundaries and/or other structurally distinguish features with sufficient specificity such as to distinguish from the prior art(s) of record through the “virtual polygon”), where N is a multiple of 3, centered located in the pixel portion in a plan view,
wherein the at least one sub-pixel is configured to emit light from a light-emitting diode (see [0114] “The OLED element is constituted of a lower electrode (e.g., anode electrode 651), an upper electrode (e.g., cathode electrode), and an organic light-emitting multilayer film”; see [0056] “The low density region 453 is constituted of main pixels 53C having the same configuration as the first main pixels 53A”) electrically connected to a sub-pixel circuit (see in particular Fig. 10, see [0109] “drive transistor 602 in the low density region 453”) including transistors of the at least one sub-pixel (see Fig. 10), and
wherein a portion of a wiring (wiring comprising control lines 107, see [0062] “control lines 107 transmit an emission control signal to the normal region 451 and the low density region 453” connected to the gate electrode of the light emission control transistor T3) electrically connected to the sub-pixel circuit is between two transmissive portions among the plurality of transmissive portions (see Fig. 2 and [0038] “A plurality of pixel circuits that control the current supplied to an anode electrode of each of a plurality of subpixels are formed on the TFT substrate 100”, and [0062]).
8. Regarding Claim 11, M1 discloses the electronic apparatus of claim 10, wherein the wiring includes a data line, a scan line, or a driving voltage line electrically connected to the sub-pixel circuit (see [0062]).
9. Regarding Claim 20, M1 discloses the electronic apparatus of claim 10, wherein the component includes a sensor or a camera (element 465, see [0045] “One or more cameras 465 are disposed below the low density region 453”).
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.
10. Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsueda (US 2022/0199726 A1), hereinafter as M1, in view of Yang et al. (US 2022/0069047 A1), hereinafter as Y1
11. Regarding Claim 3, M1 discloses the display panel of claim 1.
M1 does not appear to explicitly disclose wherein each of at least one of the plurality of transmissive portions, or the pixel portion has a hexagonal shape in a plan view.
Y1 discloses (see in particular Fig. 4) wherein each of at least one of the plurality of transmissive portions (portions of element LA in between each of the elements L1, see [0067] “transmission region LA” and [0069] “light-emitting units LU1”), or the pixel portion has a hexagonal shape in a plan view (see [0073] “the first light-emitting unit LU1 may be a square, a hexagon, or another type of polygon”).
The shape of the pixel portion as taught by Y1 is incorporated as a shape of the pixel portion of M1.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to incorporate the teachings of Y1 with M1 because the combination is simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results – simple substitution of one known pixel shape for another in a similar device for which the shapes are provided as alternatively selectable to obtain predictable results (see Y1 [0073]).
12. Claim 4-6 and 12-16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsueda (US 2022/0199726 A1), hereinafter as M1, in view of Ma et al. (US 10,756,136 B1), hereinafter as M2
13. Regarding Claim 4, M1 discloses the display panel of claim 1, further comprising:
a first electrode (see [0114] “The OLED element is constituted of a lower electrode (e.g., anode electrode 651), an upper electrode (e.g., cathode electrode), and an organic light-emitting multilayer film”) in the pixel portion in the second display area (for each of the elements 53C, see [0056] “The low density region 453 is constituted of main pixels 53C having the same configuration as the first main pixels 53A”);
an emission layer (see [0114] the organic light-emitting multilayer film) on the first electrode; and
a second electrode (see [0114] the cathode) on the emission layer.
M1 does not disclose wherein the second electrode includes a plurality of transmissive openings respectively corresponding to the plurality of transmissive portions.
M2 discloses wherein the second electrode includes a plurality of transmissive openings respectively corresponding to the plurality of transmissive portions (see Fig. 13 and Column 9 lines 23-31 “the cathode layer is provided with multiple openings 211 in a position corresponding to the light-transmissive area of the second display area, thereby increasing the transmittance of the light-transmissive area”).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to incorporate the teachings of M2 with M1 because the combination allows for improved light-transmissive performance (see M2 column 9 lines 23-31); and the combination is simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results – simple substitution of one known cathode structure for another in a similar device to obtain predictable results (see M2 in particular Figs. 1, 10-13).
14. Regarding Claim 5, M1, M2 disclose the display panel of claim 4, wherein the second electrode includes:
a first portion (see M1 portion overlapping the pixel portion [0114] “a cathode electrode (not shown) common to a plurality of pixels is disposed on the side to which light is emitted (the upper side of the drawing; the viewer side). The cathode electrode has a shape that covers the entire display region 125”) overlapping the pixel portion; and
second portions (see M1 second portion selected between two transmissive openings among the plurality of transmissive openings extending in a direction away from the first portion) formed as one body with the first portion and extending in a direction away from the first portion,
wherein one of the second portions is between two transmissive openings among the plurality of transmissive openings (see M1 [0114]; note, the second portion as claimed is broadly recited without additional boundary limitations can be arbitrarily determined and does not distinguish from the cited prior art(s)).
15. Regarding Claim 6, M1, M2 disclose the display panel of claim 5, wherein the plurality of transmissive openings of the second electrode are at vertexes of a virtual hexagon centered in the first portion (see M2 Fig. 13 the hexagons are virtual and can be drawn to have vertexes overlapping the transmissive openings).
16. Regarding Claim 12, M1 discloses the electronic apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a first electrode (see [0114] “The OLED element is constituted of a lower electrode (e.g., anode electrode 651), an upper electrode (e.g., cathode electrode), and an organic light-emitting multilayer film”) in the pixel portion in the second display area (for each of the elements 53C, see [0056] “The low density region 453 is constituted of main pixels 53C having the same configuration as the first main pixels 53A”);
an emission layer (see [0114] the organic light-emitting multilayer film) on the first electrode; and
a second electrode (see [0114] the cathode) on the emission layer.
M1 does not disclose wherein the second electrode includes a plurality of transmissive openings respectively corresponding to the plurality of transmissive portions.
M2 discloses wherein the second electrode includes a plurality of transmissive openings respectively corresponding to the plurality of transmissive portions (see Fig. 13 and Column 9 lines 23-31 “the cathode layer is provided with multiple openings 211 in a position corresponding to the light-transmissive area of the second display area, thereby increasing the transmittance of the light-transmissive area”).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to incorporate the teachings of M2 with M1 because the combination allows for improved light-transmissive performance (see M2 column 9 lines 23-31); and the combination is simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results – simple substitution of one known cathode structure for another in a similar device to obtain predictable results (see M2 in particular Figs. 1, 10-13).
17. Regarding Claim 13, M1, M2 disclose the electronic apparatus of claim 12, wherein the second electrode includes:
a first portion (see M1 portion overlapping the pixel portion [0114] “a cathode electrode (not shown) common to a plurality of pixels is disposed on the side to which light is emitted (the upper side of the drawing; the viewer side). The cathode electrode has a shape that covers the entire display region 125”) overlapping the pixel portion; and
second portions (see M1 second portion selected between two transmissive openings among the plurality of transmissive openings extending in a direction away from the first portion) formed as one body with the first portion and extending in a radial direction away from a center of the first portion,
wherein one of the second portions is located two adjacent transmissive openings among the plurality of transmissive openings (see M1 [0114]; note, the second portion as claimed is broadly recited without additional boundary limitations can be arbitrarily determined and does not distinguish from the cited prior art(s)).
18. Regarding Claim 14, M1, M2 disclose the electronic apparatus of claim 13, wherein a center of each of the plurality of transmissive openings of the second electrode is in a vertex of a virtual hexagon centered in the first portion (see M2 Fig. 13 the hexagons are virtual and can be drawn to have vertexes overlapping the transmissive openings centered in the first portion).
19. Regarding Claim 15, M1, M2 disclose the electronic apparatus of claim 13, wherein a center of each of the plurality of transmissive openings of the second electrode is in a vertex of a virtual triangle centered in the first portion (see M2 Fig. 13 the triangles are virtual and can be drawn to have vertexes overlapping the transmissive openings centered in the first portion).
20. Regarding Claim 16, M1, M2 disclose the electronic apparatus of claim 13, wherein a portion of the wiring (see in particular M1 Fig. 11 the wiring further comprises element 641, see [0107] “electrode 641 connects the gate electrode 621 of the drive transistor to other circuit elements within the pixel circuit”) overlaps one of the second portions of the second electrode (see Fig. 11 see [0114-0115] not shown stacked on the anode element 651).
21. Claim 7-8 and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsueda (US 2022/0199726 A1), hereinafter as M1, in view of Zhang (US 2021/0408194 A1), hereinafter as Z1
22. Regarding Claim 7, M1 discloses the display panel of claim 1.
M1 does not disclose further comprising a metal layer below the sub-pixel circuit, wherein the metal layer includes a plurality of openings respectively corresponding to the plurality of transmissive portions.
Z1 discloses (see Figs. 1, 13) further comprising a metal layer (element 11, see [0037] “light-shielding layer 11”, [0052] “second sub-light-shielding layer 111 is made of a metal material”) below the sub-pixel circuit (comprising element T, see [0037] “driving transistor T”), wherein the metal layer includes a plurality of openings respectively corresponding to the plurality of transmissive portions (see [0039] “the first light-shielding layer 11 is only formed in sub-pixels in light non-transmissive areas S101”).
The metal layer as taught by Z1 is incorporated as a metal layer of M1.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to incorporate the teachings of Z1 with M1 because the combination provides protection from radiation to elements of the device which may be particularly sensitive to types of radiation (see Z1 [0039]).
23. Regarding Claim 8, M1, Z1 disclose the display panel of claim 7, wherein the metal layer includes:
a first portion overlapping the pixel portion (see Z1 Figs. 1, 13 portion selected overlapping the pixel portion and [0039]); and
second portions formed as one body with the first portion and extending in a direction away from the first portion (see Z1 Figs. 1, 13 portions selected attached to and excluding the first portion extending away),
wherein a portion of the wiring overlaps one of the second portions of the metal layer (see Z1 Figs. 1, 13 and see M1 Fig. 11 wiring further comprises element 641, see [0107] “electrode 641 connects the gate electrode 621 of the drive transistor to other circuit elements within the pixel circuit” which overlaps with the metal layer combined with Z1).
24. Regarding Claim 17, M1 discloses the electronic apparatus of claim 10.
M1 does not disclose further comprising a metal layer below the sub-pixel circuit, wherein the metal layer includes a plurality of openings respectively corresponding to the plurality of transmissive portions.
Z1 discloses (see Figs. 1, 13) further comprising a metal layer (element 11, see [0037] “light-shielding layer 11”, [0052] “second sub-light-shielding layer 111 is made of a metal material”) below the sub-pixel circuit (comprising element T, see [0037] “driving transistor T”), wherein the metal layer includes a plurality of openings respectively corresponding to the plurality of transmissive portions (see [0039] “the first light-shielding layer 11 is only formed in sub-pixels in light non-transmissive areas S101”).
The metal layer as taught by Z1 is incorporated as a metal layer of M1.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to incorporate the teachings of Z1 with M1 because the combination provides protection from radiation to elements of the device which may be particularly sensitive to types of radiation (see Z1 [0039]).
25. Regarding Claim 18, M1 discloses the electronic apparatus of claim 17, wherein the metal layer comprises:
a first portion overlapping the pixel portion (see Z1 Figs. 1, 13 portion selected overlapping the pixel portion and [0039]); and
second portions formed as one body with the first portion and extending in a direction away from the first portion (see Z1 Figs. 1, 13 portions selected attached to and excluding the first portion extending away),
wherein a portion of the wiring overlaps one of the second portions of the metal layer (see Z1 Figs. 1, 13 and see M1 Fig. 11 wiring further comprises element 641, see [0107] “electrode 641 connects the gate electrode 621 of the drive transistor to other circuit elements within the pixel circuit” which overlaps with the metal layer combined with Z1).
Allowable Subject Matter
26. Claims 9 and 19 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 an examiner’s statement of reason for indicating allowable subject matter:
The prior art made of record, either singularly or in combination, does not disclose or suggest at least the claim limitations of:
27. Claim 9, “the metal layer is electrically connected to the wiring, a gate electrode of one of the transistors included in the sub-pixel circuit, or a line, wherein the line is electrically connected to the sub-pixel circuit to apply a signal or a voltage to the sub-pixel circuit” – as instantly claimed and in combination with the additionally claimed limitations.
28. Claim 19, “the metal layer is electrically connected to the wiring, a gate electrode of one of the transistors included in the sub-pixel circuit, or a line, wherein the line is electrically connected to the sub-pixel circuit to apply a signal or a voltage to the sub-pixel circuit” – as instantly claimed and in combination with the additionally claimed limitations.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAMUEL PARK whose telephone number is (303)297-4277. The examiner can normally be reached Normal Schedule: M-F Sometime between 6:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m..
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/SAMUEL PARK/Examiner, Art Unit 2818