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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Species 2 (claims 1-20) in the reply filed on 12/19/2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that "there is no serious burden to examine the claims of all of Species 1 and 2". This is not found persuasive because burden considerations are not germane to lack of unity restrictions, therefore applicant's arguments are moot. See MPEP 1896 and 808.02.
In an interview on 1/23/2026, examiner acknowledged a mistake in the Restriction Requirement in which species 2 is only directed to figs 5a-5d and 6, which applicant previously acknowledges claims 1, 8-16, and 20 read upon but claims 8-16 and 20 are dependent on claim 2 which did not read on species 2. Applicant elected to amend claim 2 to read only on Species 2.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 3 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 12/19/2025.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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.
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.
Claims 1-2, 8-16, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al. (CN Publication 109326631) in view of An et al. (US Publication 20210134934).
Regarding independent claim 1, Li teaches a display substrate (fig. 1, AA), comprising:
a substrate (fig. 6, 101);
a plurality of pixel driving circuits (fig. 1, sp) arranged in an array on the substrate (machine translation document, page 5 paragraph 2, “a display area comprising: a plurality of arranged in an array of sub-pixel sp”); and
a plurality of data lines (X, machine translation document, page 6 paragraph 2, “the signal line X can be data lines in the display panel”) arranged in sequence along a first direction and each extending along a second direction on the substrate, wherein each data line is connected to one column of pixel driving circuits (fig. 1);
at least part of the plurality of data lines are respectively connected to different numbers of pixel driving circuits (fig. 1).
Li does not teach the display substrate comprises a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer, and the first conductive layer, the second conductive layer and a layer where the plurality of data lines are located are sequentially arranged away from the substrate and insulated from each other; the first conductive layer comprises a first pattern connected to the data lines; and an orthographic projection of the second conductive layer on the substrate partially overlaps with an orthographic projection of the first pattern on the substrate; and/or the display substrate further comprises a third conductive layer between the second conductive layer and the layer where the plurality of data lines are located, and the third conductive layer is insulated from the second conductive layer and the plurality of data lines; and the third conductive layer comprises a plurality of second patterns, orthographic projections of the plurality of second patterns on the substrate overlap with an orthographic projection of the second conductive layer on the substrate, and at least part of the plurality of second patterns are connected to the data lines.
An teaches the display substrate comprises a first conductive layer (paragraph 0090, “scan lines 151, 152, and 154 and the control line 153 may be included in the first conductive layer (including 151, 152, 153, 154, and a driving gate electrode155a)”) and a second conductive layer (paragraph 0090, “the second conductive layer (156 and 157) may be disposed in a layer above the first conductive layer”), and the first conductive layer, the second conductive layer and a layer where the plurality of data lines are located (paragraph 0090, data line 171 and the driving voltage line 172 may be included in a fourth conductive layer (including 171, 172, and a connecting member 179)”) are sequentially arranged away from the substrate and insulated from each other (fig. 3);
the first conductive layer comprises a first pattern (155b, paragraph 0098, “gate electrode 155b may be a portion of the first scan line 151”) connected to the data lines (fig. 2, 171 connected to 155b via 71); and
an orthographic projection of the second conductive layer on the substrate partially overlaps with an orthographic projection of the first pattern on the substrate (fig. 2, 155a overlaps with 157); and/or
the display substrate further comprises a third conductive layer (paragraph 0090, “the third conductive layer (161, 162, 163, 164, and 169) may be disposed on a layer above the second conductive layer”) between the second conductive layer and the layer where the plurality of data lines are located (fig. 3), and the third conductive layer is insulated from the second conductive layer and the plurality of data lines (fig. 3, insulating layers 143 and 144 separate second conductive layer, third conductive layer, and data lines); and
the third conductive layer comprises a plurality of second patterns (162), orthographic projections of the plurality of second patterns on the substrate overlap with an orthographic projection of the second conductive layer on the substrate (162 can be rearranged to overlap 157 per MPEP 2144.04), and at least part of the plurality of second patterns are connected to the data lines (fig. 3, 162 connected to 171).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the display substrate of Li and the conductive layers of An in order to optimize “use of available space and freedom of component design within the display device” (An paragraph 0091).
Regarding dependent claim 2, An further teaches the display substrate of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of pixel driving circuits comprises a storage capacitor (fig. 4, Cst1), the second conductive layer comprises a plurality of third patterns (157);
the first conductive layer further comprises a plurality of fourth patterns (155a);
orthographic projections of the third patterns on the substrate at least partially overlap with orthographic projections of the fourth patterns on the substrate (fig. 4);
each third pattern is common to an electrode plate of the storage capacitor (fig. 7);
each fourth pattern is common to another electrode plate of the storage capacitor (fig. 7); and
the orthographic projections of the third patterns on the substrate at least partially overlap with the orthographic projection of the first pattern on the substrate (fig. 3, 157 can be rearranged to partially overlap 155b per MPEP 2144.04).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the display substrate of Li and the storage capacitor of An per the reason(s) stated above in claim 1.
Regarding dependent claim 8, An further teaches the display substrate of claim 2, wherein the plurality of second patterns are in a one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of third patterns (fig. 3); and
orthographic projections of the second patterns on the substrate overlap with orthographic projections of the third patterns on the substrate (orthographic projection of second patterns 162 can be rearranged to overlap orthographic projection of 157 per MPEP 2144.04).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the display substrate of Li and the second and third patterns of An per the reason(s) stated above in claim 1.
Regarding dependent claim 9, Li in view of An teaches the display substrate of claim 8.
Li in view of An does not explicitly teach wherein each second pattern has a shape like an inverted letter “L”, however, An discloses the shape of the second pattern to be rectangular (fig. 6).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to have changed the shape of the second pattern in the shape of an inverted letter “L”, since it has been held that adjusting the shape of an article involves only routine skill in the art. In re Dailey, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966). See MPEP 2144.04.
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Regarding dependent claim 10, An further teaches the display substrate of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of seventh patterns (see figure below), wherein the plurality of seventh patterns and the plurality of data lines are located in a same layer (fig. 3), and the plurality of seventh patterns are connected to the data lines (fig. 3);
an insulating layer (144) is arranged between the layer where the plurality of data lines are located and the third conductive layer;
each seventh pattern extends along the first direction from the data line connected to the seventh pattern into an area in which orthographic projections of the seventh pattern and the second pattern corresponding to each other on the substrate overlap with each other (fig. 3); and
the seventh pattern and the second pattern corresponding to each other are connected to each other through a first via (71) in the insulating layer in the area in which the orthographic projections of the seventh pattern and the second pattern on the substrate overlap with each other.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the display substrate of Li and the second and seventh patterns of An per the reason(s) stated above in claim 1.
Regarding dependent claim 11, An further teaches the display substrate of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of power supply lines (fig. 2, 172) and a plurality of eighth patterns (178), wherein the plurality of power supply lines and the plurality of eighth patterns are located in the same layer as the plurality of data lines (paragraph 144), and each eighth pattern is connected to the power supply line corresponding thereto (paragraph 0086);
the plurality of power supply lines are sequentially arranged along the first direction and each extend along the second direction (paragraph 0086);
each eighth pattern extends along the first direction from the power supply line connected to the eighth pattern into an area in which orthographic projections of the eighth pattern and the second pattern, corresponding to the eighth pattern, not connected to the data line on the substrate overlap with each other (fig. 2); and
the eighth pattern and the second pattern, corresponding to the eighth pattern, not connected to the data line are connected to each other through a second via in the insulating layer in the area in which the orthographic projections of the eighth pattern and the second pattern not connected to the data line on the substrate overlap with each other (fig. 6, 178 can be rearranged such that its orthographic projection overlaps with orthographic projection of 162 per MPEP 2144.04).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the display substrate of Li and the second and eighth patterns of An per the reason(s) stated above in claim 1.
Regarding dependent claim 12, An further teaches the display substrate of claim 10, further comprising an active layer (fig. 2, 130) between the substrate and the first conductive layer (fig. 3, see also paragraph 0094), wherein the active layer and the first conductive layer are insulated from each other (paragraphs 0120-0121);
an orthographic projection of the active layer on the substrate partially overlaps with orthographic projections of the plurality of seventh patterns and the plurality of data lines on the substrate (fig. 2); and
the second conductive layer further comprises ninth patterns (156) connected to the third patterns (fig. 2), and orthographic projections of the ninth patterns on the substrate overlap with the area where the orthographic projection of the active layer on the substrate overlaps with the orthographic projections of the plurality of seventh patterns and the plurality of data lines on the substrate (fig. 2, 157 can be rearranged such that its orthographic projection overlaps with orthographic projections of marked seventh patterns and 171 per MPEP 2144.04).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the display substrate of Li and the active layer and ninth patterns of An per the reason(s) stated above in claim 1.
Regarding dependent claim 13, An further teaches the display substrate of claim 11, further comprising an active layer (fig. 2, 130) between the substrate and the first conductive layer (fig. 3, see also paragraph 0094), wherein the active layer and the first conductive layer are insulated from each other (paragraphs 0120-0121);
an orthographic projection of the active layer on the substrate partially overlaps with orthographic projections of the plurality of data lines on the substrate (fig. 2); and
the second conductive layer further comprises ninth patterns (156) connected to the third patterns (fig. 2), and each ninth pattern extends along the first direction (fig. 2) from a position, in which the eighth pattern and the second pattern corresponding to each other are connected to each other, into an area in which the orthographic projections of the data lines on the substrate overlap with the orthographic projection of the active layer on the substrate, so that an orthographic projection of the ninth pattern on the substrate overlaps with the area in which the orthographic projections of the data lines on the substrate overlap with the orthographic projection of the active layer on the substrate (fig. 2, ninth pattern 156 can be rearranged such that it extends from position where 178 and 162 connect and orthographic projection of 156 overlaps with orthographic projection of 161 and 130 per MPEP 2144.04).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the display substrate of Li and the active layer and ninth patterns of An per the reason(s) stated above in claim 1.
Regarding dependent claim 14, An further teaches the display substrate of claim 12, wherein each ninth pattern is between two adjacent third patterns along the first direction, and connects the two adjacent third patterns along the first direction (fig. 5).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the display substrate of Li and the ninth patterns of An per the reason(s) stated above in claim 1.
Regarding dependent claim 15, Li further teaches a display panel (fig. 1), comprising the display substrate (AA) of claim 1.
Regarding dependent claim 16, Li further teaches a display apparatus (fig. 18), comprising the display panel (100) of claim 15.
Regarding dependent claim 20, An further teaches the display substrate of claim 13, wherein each ninth pattern is between two adjacent third patterns along the first direction, and connects the two adjacent third patterns along the first direction (fig. 5).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the display substrate of Li and the ninth patterns of An per the reason(s) stated above in claim 1.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GRACE Y CHA whose telephone number is (703)756-5393. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm and every other Friday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jacob Choi can be reached at (469) 295-9060. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GRACE CHA/Examiner, Art Unit 2897
/JACOB Y CHOI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2897