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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: Figure 3, elements 19 and 20. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
A series of singular dependent claims is permissible in which a dependent claim refers to a preceding claim which, in turn, refers to another preceding claim.
A claim which depends from a dependent claim should not be separated by any claim which does not also depend from said dependent claim. It should be kept in mind that a dependent claim may refer to any preceding independent claim. In general, applicant's sequence will not be changed. See MPEP § 608.01(n).
Specifically, claims 9-11 depend from dependent claim 7, while both claims 7 and 8 depend from dependent claim 2.
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 1 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (hereinafter Kim – US Doc. No. 20210202672).
Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses a display substrate (as shown in Figure 1), comprising:
a base substrate (as shown in Figure 3C, element 100), comprising: a display region (see Figure 1, element AA) and a peripheral region outside the display region (see Figure 1 - all regions outside of area AA), wherein the peripheral region comprises at least one bending region (BA), a first subregion located between the at least one bending region and the display region (see annotated Figure 1 below – specifically see ‘SR1’), and a second subregion located on a side of the at least one bending region away from the display region (see annotated Figure 1 below – specifically see ‘SR2’);
a plurality of first connecting leads (Figure 3C, element 910), located on a side of the base substrate, wherein the plurality of first connecting leads extend from the first subregion to the second subregion through the bending region (see annotated Figure 3C below – note that element 910 extends from the first subregion SR1 to the second subregion SR2 through the bending region BA);
an encapsulation layer, located on a side of the plurality of first connecting leads away from the base substrate, wherein the encapsulation layer covers the display region and extends to the first subregion (Figure 3C, element 700 – note that the encapsulation layer exists to the left of the bending area BA which is over the display area AA);
a plurality of first touch signal traces (see Figures 1 and 3C, element 850), located on a side of the encapsulation layer away from the plurality of first connecting leads, wherein the plurality of first touch signal traces and the plurality of first connecting leads are in one-to-one correspondence (as shown in Figure 1 note that the number of connection leads [shown as 900 in Figure 1 though distinguished by element 910 in Figure 3C] appears to be one-to-one with the number of traces 850); each first touch signal trace (Figure 3C, element 910) comprises a first sub-touch signal trace located in the first subregion (see annotated Figure 1 below – specifically see ‘STST1’ – note that STS1 is within the first subregions SR1) and a second sub-touch signal trace located in the second subregion (see annotated Figure 1 below – specifically see ‘STST2’ – note that STS2 is within the first subregions SR2); and one end of each first connecting lead is electrically connected to the first sub-touch signal trace, and the other end of the first connecting lead is electrically connected to the second sub-touch signal trace (as shown in Figure 1 – note that the boxed ‘X’s represent an electric connection; see also Figure 3C – note that the first connecting lead is electrically connected to the first and second sub-touch signal traces via the connecting electrode 930); and
a plurality of second connecting leads (Figure 3C, element 920), located between the encapsulation layer and the plurality of first touch signal traces, or located in the same layer as the plurality of first touch signal traces (note that plurality of second connecting leads 920 appears to be on the same layer as the plurality of first touch signal traces 850), wherein the plurality of second connecting leads and the plurality of first connecting leads are in one-to-one correspondence (see paragraph 0083 – note that elements 910 and 920 appear to be a one-to-one correspondence); and the plurality of second connecting leads penetrate the bending region, and are electrically connected to the first sub-touch signal trace and the second sub-touch signal trace in one-to-one correspondence (as shown in Figure 1 note that the number of connection leads [shown as 900 in Figure 1 though distinguished by element 920 in Figure 3C] appears to be one-to-one with the number of traces 850; it should further be noted that the boxed ‘X’s represent an electric connection; see also Figure 3C – note that the first connecting lead 920 is electrically connected to the first and second sub-touch signal traces via the connecting electrode 930). Although Kim discloses all of the elements of as recited in the claim (as discussed above), Kim does not specifically disclose that link lines (850) and first and second connection leads (910 and 920) are specific to the touch signal traces. Kim does further disclose that the connection electrodes can be used for any signal to get from the pad area (PD) to the display area (AA) through the bending area (BA) (see paragraphs 0081-0082).
It would have been obvious to use the connecting traces through the bending area as disclosed by Kim with any specific wire/trace (including the specific tough signal traces) that runs from the pad area to the display area also as disclosed by Kim, the combination yielding predictable results and no more than one of ordinary skill in the art would expect from such an arrangement, and further it would help maintain connection integrity through the bending layer for a stronger connection.
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Claim 16 has limitations similar to those treated in the above rejection of claim 1, and is met by the reference as discussed above. Claim 16, however, further recites a display device (see Kim – as shown in Figure 1; see also paragraph 0036) comprising the same limitations as claim 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-15 and 17-20 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.
Dependent claim 2 is allowable since the claim recites a plurality of first adapter electrodes and a plurality of second adapter electrodes located between the plurality of first touch signal traces and the encapsulation layer, a first organic insulating layer located between the plurality of first touch signal traces and the plurality of first adapter electrodes, and a first planarization layer located between the plurality of first connecting leads and the encapsulation layer;
the plurality of first adapter electrodes are located in the first subregion, and the plurality of second adapter electrodes are located in the second subregion;
the first sub-touch signal trace is electrically connected to the plurality of first adapter electrodes through via-holes penetrating the first organic insulating layer, and the second sub- touch signal trace is electrically connected to the plurality of second adapter electrodes through via-holes penetrating the first organic insulating layer; and
the plurality of first adapter electrodes and the plurality of second adapter electrodes are respectively electrically connected to the two ends of the first connecting lead through via-holes penetrating the first planarization layer.
Most specifically, Kim does not disclose the first and second adapter electrodes nor the position of the first organic insulating layer as being between the plurality of first touch signal traces and the plurality of first adapter electrodes.
Claims 3-11 are dependent upon aforementioned dependent claim 2.
Dependent claim 12 is allowable since the claim recites
wherein the first connecting lead comprises: a first sub-connecting lead and a second sub- connecting lead; and
the display substrate further comprises: a plurality of third connecting leads, located between the base substrate and the plurality of first connecting leads, and are in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of first connecting leads; and one end of each third connecting lead is electrically connected to the first sub-connecting lead, and the other end of the third connecting lead is electrically connected to the second sub-connecting lead.
Most specifically, Kim does not disclose a plurality of third connecting leads which are electrically connected to the first and second pluralities of connecting leads.
Claims 13-15 are dependent upon aforementioned dependent claim 12.
Dependent claim 17 is allowable since the claim recites wherein the display substrate further comprises: a plurality of first adapter electrodes and a plurality of second adapter electrodes located between the plurality of first touch signal traces and the encapsulation layer, a first organic insulating layer located between the plurality of first touch signal traces and the plurality of first adapter electrodes, and a first planarization layer located between the plurality of first connecting leads and the encapsulation layer;
the plurality of first adapter electrodes are located in the first subregion, and the plurality of second adapter electrodes are located in the second subregion;
the first sub-touch signal trace is electrically connected to the plurality of first adapter electrodes through via-holes penetrating the first organic insulating layer, and the second sub- touch signal trace is electrically connected to the plurality of second adapter electrodes through via-holes penetrating the first organic insulating layer; and
the plurality of first adapter electrodes and the plurality of second adapter electrodes are respectively electrically connected to the two ends of the first connecting lead through via- holes penetrating the first planarization layer.
Claims 18-20 are dependent upon aforementioned dependent claim 17.
Most specifically, Kim does not disclose the first and second adapter electrodes nor the position of the first organic insulating layer as being between the plurality of first touch signal traces and the plurality of first adapter electrodes.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ADAM R GIESY whose telephone number is (571)272-7555. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8-6.
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/ADAM R. GIESY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2622