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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 03/04/2026 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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-9 and 16-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(2) as being anticipated by SASAKI (Pub. No.: US 2017/0294610).
Re claim 1, SASAKI teaches a display device, comprising:
a stretchable substrate;
a pattern layer disposed on the stretchable substrate and including a plurality of plate patterns (522, FIG. 6A/6B, ¶ [0078]) and a plurality of line patterns (40, [0095]);
a plurality of pixels (10/[17R/B/R]) disposed on each of the plurality of plate patterns; and
a plurality of connection lines (18, FIG. 9) coupling the plurality of pixels (10/[17R/B/R]), wherein the plurality of connection lines are disposed on each of the plurality of line patterns (40),
wherein the plurality of line patterns (40) contacts the plurality of plate patterns (522, FIG. 6B) adjacent to each other,
wherein the plurality of line patterns (522) include a buffer hole (opening 523, FIG. 7, ¶ [007]).
Re claim 2, SASAKI teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of connection lines disposed on each of the plurality of line patterns transmit different voltages (Va/Vcat, FIG. 5).
Re claim 3, SASAKI teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of line patterns includes a straight area (diagonal lines portion) extending in a straight line and a curved area extending in a curved line (curve at the intersection between the two diagonal lines).
Re claim 4, SASAKI, FIGS. 6A/6B teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the buffer hole (523, [0070]) is disposed that does not overlap the plurality of connection lines (18).
Re claim 5, SASAKI, FIGS. 6A/6B teaches the display device of claim 4, wherein the buffer hole is filled with a filling member (fill with resin 51, [0069]) having a modulus of elasticity lower than a modulus of elasticity of the plurality of line patterns (metal material of 40, [0116]).
Re claim 6, SASAKI, FIGS. 6A/6B teaches the display device of claim 4, wherein the buffer hole is filled with a filling member (fill with resin 51, [0069]) having a modulus of elasticity higher than or equal to a modulus of elasticity of the plurality of line patterns (metal material of 40).
Re claim 7, SASAKI, FIGS. 6A/6B teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of connection lines (40) disposed on each of the plurality of line patterns include one side connection line (left 40 via 10) and the other side connection line (right 40 via10).
Re claim 8, SASAKI, FIGS. 6A/6B teaches the display device of claim 7, wherein at least one buffer hole (fill with resin 51, [0069]) is formed between the one side connection line (left 40) and the other side connection line (right 40).
Re claim 9, SASAKI, FIGS. 6A/6B teaches the display device of claim 8, wherein the at least one buffer hole is filled with an elastomer (fill with resin 51, [0069]).
Re claim 16, SASAKI, FIGS. 6A/6B teaches a display device, comprising:
a substrate (51, FIG. 2);
a plurality of plate patterns (522) on the stretchable substrate, each plate pattern spaced apart from each other; at least one pixel (10/[17R/B/R]) disposed on each plate pattern;
at least one connection line (18) coupled between adjacent pixels; and
at least one line pattern (40) disposed beneath the at least one connection line,
wherein the plurality of line patterns (181) contacts the plurality of plate patterns (522) adjacent to each other,
wherein the plurality of line patterns (522) include a buffer hole (opening 523, FIG. 7, ¶ [007]).
Re claim 17, SASAKI, FIGS. 6A/6B teaches the display device of claim 16, wherein the at least one connection line has a first curvature (curve at the intersection between the two diagonal lines) at a first area and a second curvature at a second area (curve near the area contact with 10), the second area being contiguous to the first area,
wherein the at least one connection line includes a first connection line (one diagonal lines from left) and a second connection line (one diagonal lines from right) adjacent to and spaced apart from the first connection line,
wherein the first area has a constant first curvature that is greater than zero (curve at the intersection between the two diagonal lines), and
wherein the second area has a constant second curvature that is equal to zero (curve near the area contact with 10).
Re claim 18, SASAKI, FIGS. 6A/6B teaches the display device of claim 17, wherein in the first area, the at least one line pattern includes a buffer hole (253), the buffer hole extending through the at least one line pattern (40 of FIG. 6A) and exposing the substrate.
Re claim 19, SASAKI, FIGS. 6A/6B teaches the display device of claim 18, wherein the buffer hole (253) is between the first connection line (left 40) and the second connection line (right 40).
Re claim 20, SASAKI, FIGS. 6A/6B teaches the display device of claim 19, comprising: a filling member (fill with resin 51, [0069]) disposed in the buffer hole (253), wherein a top surface of the filling member is flush with a top surface of the at least one line pattern (40).
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.
Claim(s) 1-9 and 16-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KIM (Pub. No.: US 2020/0111390) in view of Chinese Patent No.: CN110289292) (hereinafter `292).
Re claim 1, KIM teaches a display device, comprising:
a stretchable substrate;
a pattern layer disposed on the stretchable substrate (110, FIG. 1) and including a plurality of plate patterns (163, FIG. 2, ¶ [0087]) and a plurality of line patterns (181, [0095]);
a plurality of pixels (PX/SPX) disposed on each of the plurality of plate patterns; and
a plurality of connection lines (CT1/171, FIG. 9) coupling the plurality of pixels (PX/SPX), wherein the plurality of connection lines are disposed on each of the plurality of line patterns (181),
wherein the plurality of line patterns (181) contacts the plurality of plate patterns (163) adjacent to each other.
Re claim 16, KIM teaches a display device, comprising:
a substrate (110, FIG. 1);
a plurality of plate patterns (163) on the substrate, each plate pattern spaced apart from each other; at least one pixel (PX/SPX) disposed on each plate pattern;
at least one connection line (181) coupled between adjacent pixels; and
at least one line pattern (CT1/171, FIG. 9 [flip it upside down]) disposed beneath the at least one connection line,
wherein the plurality of line patterns (CT1/171) contacts the plurality of plate patterns (163) adjacent to each other.
In re claims 1 and 16 KIM fails to teach wherein the plurality of line patterns include a buffer hole.
`292 teaches wherein the plurality of line patterns (415A/415B, note that 415B is formed on the island bridges 102 of FIG. 1) include a buffer hole (103 filled with material 412, FIG. 7 → 9).
It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to include the above said teaching for the purpose of ensuring the stretchability of the structure as taught by `292.
Re claim 2, in the combination, KIM teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of connection lines disposed on each of the plurality of line patterns transmit different voltages (“as gate lines, data lines, high-potential power lines, and reference voltage lines”, [0097]).
Re claim 3, in the combination, KIM, FIG. 7 teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of line patterns includes a straight area extending in a straight line and a curved area extending in a curved line (780).
Re claim 4, in the combination, `292 teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the buffer hole (103) is disposed that does not overlap the plurality of connection lines (415A/415B).
Re claim 5, in the combination, `292 teaches the display device of claim 4, wherein the buffer hole is filled with a filling member (412) having a modulus of elasticity lower than a modulus of elasticity of the plurality of line patterns (415A, page 11, 2nd paragraph).
Re claim 6, in the combination, `292 teaches, the display device of claim 4, wherein the buffer hole is filled with a filling member having a modulus of elasticity (elastic modulus material 0f 412) higher than or equal to a modulus of elasticity of the plurality of line patterns (metal material of 415A/B).
Re claim 7, in the combination, `292 teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of connection lines (middle 412/ left 415A/ right 415A) disposed on each of the plurality of line patterns include one side connection line (left 415A) and the other side connection line (right 415B).
Re claim 8, in the combination, `292 teaches the display device of claim 7, wherein at least one buffer hole (103, FIG 7) is formed between the one side connection line (left 415A) and the other side connection line (right 415A).
Re claim 9, in the combination, `292 teaches the display device of claim 8, wherein the at least one buffer hole is filled with an elastomer (elastic 412, page 11, 2nd paragraph).
Re claim 18, in the combination, `292 teaches the display device of claim 17, wherein in the first area, the at least one line pattern includes a buffer hole (103), the buffer hole extending through the at least one line pattern (415A) and exposing the substrate (403/404/405/407/408/411).
Re claim 19, in the combination, `292 teaches the display device of claim 18, wherein the buffer hole is between the first connection line (left 415A) and the second connection line (right 415A).
Re claim 20, in the combination, `292 teaches the display device of claim 19, comprising:
a filling member (412 of FIG. 9) disposed in the buffer hole (103), wherein a top surface of the filling member is flush with a top surface of the at least one line pattern (left/right 415A).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1 and 16 on the remarks filed on 10/20/2025 have been considered but they are not persuasive because `292 still read on wherein the plurality of line patterns (415A/415B, note that 415B is formed on the island bridges 102 of FIG. 1) include a buffer hole (103 filled with material 412, FIG. 7 → 9) and SASAKI teaches wherein the plurality of line patterns (522) include a buffer hole (opening 523, FIG. 7, ¶ [007]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TONY TRAN whose telephone number is (571)270-1749. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8AM-5PM, EST.
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/TONY TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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