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 Group D (claims 1-8) in the reply filed on 06/17/2026 is acknowledged. During a telephone conversation with applicant on 08/25/2026, examiner clarified applicant did not respond the way examiner intended and asked applicant to elect one species per each of the following groups listed in the restriction requirement. Applicant’s election with traverse of Species A2, B2, C2, and D2 (claims 1-11 and 18-21) is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the features not taught by Matsueda (US Publication 20220028335) are unsupported by Kim (KR-20190013167A). "In short, KIM's power supply lines that actually supply power to the pixel circuits (PL1a, PL1b, PL2a, PL2b) extend parallel to the data lines in a single direction. The lines that do extend in two intersecting directions (PL1c, PL2c) are mere bridge lines that do not supply power to the pixel circuits. KIM therefore does not disclose-let alone teach-the claimed combination of intersecting power supply lines that directly supply power to the pixel circuits. The Examiner's reliance on KIM to support the Restriction Requirement is therefore misplaced.". This is not found persuasive because the claim does not specifically recite the first and third sub-power supply signal lines to supply power from a direct power source, and since the first and third sub-power supply signal lines PL1c and PL2c of Kim still supply power and extend along a direction perpendicular to the second and fourth sub-power supply signal lines, the reliance on Kim to support the restriction requirement is not misplaced.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 12-16 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.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 08/27/2026.
Claims 2 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
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 Objections
Claim 5 objected to because of the following informalities: phrase "of the claim 1" should read "of claim 1". Appropriate correction is required.
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, 9-11, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsueda et al. (US Publication 20220028335) in view of Kim et al. (KR Publication 20190013167/Machine Translation Document 04/17/2026).
Regarding independent claim 1, Matsueda teaches a display substrate (fig. 4), wherein the display substrate comprises a display region (451), wherein [[is]]comprises a transparent display region (453);
wherein the display substrate comprises a base substrate (fig. 3, 202) and a plurality of pixels located on the base substrate and in the transparent display region (paragraph 0030);
wherein the pixels each comprise a plurality of sub-pixels (fig. 5, 51R, 51G, and 51B) and the sub-pixels each comprise an organic light-emitting element (fig. 2A, E1) and a pixel circuit (fig. 2A) configured to driving the organic light-emitting element;
wherein the organic light-emitting element comprises a first electrode (fig. 3, 308), a second electrode (302) and an organic light-emitting material (304) between the first electrode and the second electrode;
wherein the first electrodes of the sub-pixels are electrically connected with the pixel circuits, respectively (fig. 3, 308 of each sub-pixel connected to respective TFT);
wherein in each of the pixels, at least two of the sub-pixels share a same second electrode so that a number of the first electrodes is greater than a number of the second electrodes (fig. 3).
Matsueda does not teach wherein the display substrate [[is]] further comprises first power supply signal lines and second power supply signal lines, the pixel circuits are connected with the first power supply signal lines, and the second electrodes are connected with the second power supply signal lines; wherein the first power supply signal lines comprise first sub-power supply signal lines extending along a first direction and second sub-power supply signal lines extending along a second directiondirection, or both the first power supply signal lines comprise first sub-power supply signal lines extending along the first direction and second sub-power supply signal lines extending along the second direction and the second power supply signal lines comprise third sub-power supply signal lines extending along the first direction and fourth sub-power supply signal lines extending along the second direction; wherein the first direction intersects with the second direction.
Kim teaches wherein the display substrate (fig. 1, 100) [[is]] further comprises first power supply signal lines (fig. 1, PL1) and second power supply signal lines (PL2), the pixel circuits are connected with the first power supply signal lines (machine translation, page 4 paragraph 8), and the second electrodes are connected with the second power supply signal lines (machine translation, page 5 paragraph 4);
wherein the first power supply signal lines comprise first sub-power supply signal lines (fig. 2, PL1c) extending along a first direction and second sub-power supply signal lines (PL1b) extending along a second directiondirection, or
both the first power supply signal lines comprise first sub-power supply signal lines (PL1c) extending along the first direction and second sub-power supply signal lines (PL1b) extending along the second direction and the second power supply signal lines comprise third sub-power supply signal lines (PL2c) extending along the first direction and fourth sub-power supply signal lines (PL2b) extending along the second direction;
wherein the first direction intersects with the second direction (fig. 2).
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 Matsueda and the power supply signal lines of Kim to supply driving power to each of the plurality of subpixels (machine translation, page 5 paragraph 8).
Regarding dependent claim 9, Kim further teaches the display substrate of claim 1, wherein circuits of at least two adjacent pixels are connected to a same first sub-power supply signal line or a same second sub-power supply signal line of the first power supply signal lines (fig. 5 SP1a and SP1b connected to same PL1b).
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 Matsueda and the first power supply signal lines of Kim per the reason(s) stated above in claim 1.
Regarding dependent claim 10, Kim further teaches the display substrate of claim 1, wherein
wherein at least part of the second sub-power supply signal lines and the first sub-power supply signal lines are disposed in different layers (machine translation, page 6 paragraph 3).
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 Matsueda and the first power supply signal lines of Kim per the reason(s) stated above in claim 1.
Regarding dependent claim 11, Matsueda further teaches the display substrate of claim 10, wherein the display substrate further comprises drive signal lines (fig. 12, 106) disposed in the same layer as the first sub-power supply signal lines (can be configured to be in same layer as first sub-power supply signal lines of Kim per MPEP 2144.04), wherein the drive signal lines are configured to provide drive signals for the pixel circuits (paragraph 0037);
wherein an orthographic projection of the part of the second sub-power supply signal lines disposed in a different layer from the first sub-power supply signal lines onto the base substrate is overlapped with an orthographic projection of the drive signal lines onto the base substrate (fig. 12, 106 is oriented in direction perpendicular to second sub-power supply signal lines of Kim and thus their orthographic projections overlap).
Regarding dependent claim 18, Matsueda further teaches the display substrate of claim 1, wherein the transparent display region comprises light-emitting regions (53C) and non-light-emitting regions (area of 453 not occupied by 453C), and the pixels are disposed in the light-emitting regions (fig. 5);
wherein the display substrate further comprises a pixel definition layer (fig. 3, 307) provided with openings (306) located in the non-light-emitting regions.
Kim further teaches wherein at least a part of an orthographic projection of the openings (fig. 3, 161) on the base substrate is located outside an orthographic projection of the second electrodes (fig. 3, portion of orthographic projection of 161 is outside orthographic projection of E2 of ED, see also fig. 4) on the base substrate, an orthographic projection of the second power supply signal lines on the base substrate and an orthographic projection of the first power supply signal lines on the base substrate (fig. 3).
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 Matsueda and the orthographic projections of Kim per the reason(s) stated above in claim 1.
Claims 2-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsueda in view of Kim as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Luo et al. (WO Publication 2021164602/Machine Translation Document 09/01/2026).
Regarding dependent claim 2, Matsueda in view of Kim teaches the display substrate of claim 1.
Matsueda in view of Kim does not teach wherein the display substrate further comprises overlapping portions in electrical connection with the second power supply signal lines, and the second electrodes of at least two adjacent pixels are in contact with a same overlapping portion.
Luo teaches the display substrate (fig. 2) further comprises overlapping portions (30) in electrical connection with the second power supply signal lines (can be configured to connect to second power supply signal lines of Kim per MPEP 2144.04), and the second electrodes (111) of at least two adjacent pixels are in contact with a same overlapping portion (fig. 2).
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 Matsueda in view of Kim and the overlapping portions of Luo in order to reduce transparency (machine translation, page 7 paragraph 1).
Regarding dependent claim 3, Kim further teaches the display substrate of claim 2, wherein third sub-power supply signal line through a same overlapping portion, or electrically connected with a fourth sub-power supply signal line through a same overlapping portion (page 6 paragraph 8, can be connected to either third or fourth sub-power supply signal line through overlapping portion of Luo 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 Matsueda in view of Kim and the overlapping portion of Luo per the reason(s) stated above in claim 2.
Regarding dependent claim 4, Luo further teaches the display substrate of claim 3, wherein a multitude of the overlapping portions arranged in the first direction are electrically connected through a third sub-power supply signal line, and/or, a multitude of the overlapping portions arranged in the second direction are electrically connected through a fourth sub-power supply signal line (fig. 1, 30 is arranged horizontally in first direction and can be configured to connect to third sub-power supply signal line of Kim 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 Matsueda in view of Kim and the overlapping portion of Luo per the reason(s) stated above in claim 2.
Regarding dependent claim 5, Matsueda in view of Kim teaches the display substrate of the claim 1.
Matsueda in view of Kim does not teach wherein the display substrate further comprises overlapping portions in electrical connection with the second power supply signal lines, the second electrodes of at least four adjacent pixels are in contact with a same overlapping portion, and the four adjacent pixels are arranged into two rows and two columns.
Luo teaches wherein the display substrate (fig. 2) further comprises overlapping portions (30) in electrical connection with the second power supply signal lines (can be configured to connect to second power supply signal lines of Kim per MPEP 2144.04), the second electrodes of at least four adjacent pixels are in contact with a same overlapping portion (machine translation, page 7 paragraph 1, can be configured to connect at least four adjacent pixels instead of two per MPEP 2144.04), and the four adjacent pixels are arranged into two rows and two columns (fig. 1).
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 Matsueda in view of Kim and the overlapping portions of Luo in order to reduce transparency (machine translation, page 7 paragraph 1).
Regarding dependent claim 6, Kim further teaches the display substrate of claim 5, wherein
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 Matsueda in view of Kim and the overlapping portion of Luo per the reason(s) stated above in claim 5.
Regarding dependent claim 7, Luo further teaches the display substrate of claim 6, wherein the display substrate comprises a plurality of overlapping portions (fig. 1, 30), and at least one overlapping portion is electrically connected with other overlapping portions arranged in the first direction through a third sub-power supply signal line, and electrically connected with other overlapping portions arranged in the second direction through a fourth sub-power supply signal line (can be configured to connect to other overlapping portions through the third and fourth sub-power supply signal lines of Kim 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 Matsueda in view of Kim and the overlapping portion of Luo per the reason(s) stated above in claim 5.
Regarding dependent claim 8, Kim further teaches the display substrate of
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 Matsueda in view of Kim and the overlapping portion of Luo per the reason(s) stated above in claim 5.
Claims 20-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsueda in view of Kim as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Lai et al. (US Publication 20200211477).
Regarding dependent claim 20, Matsueda further teaches a display panel (fig. 1, 125) comprising the display substrate o
Matsueda in view of Kim does not teach and a glass cover disposed on a side of the display substrate away from the base substrate.
Lai teaches and a glass cover (fig. 17, 304, see also paragraph 0175) disposed on a side of the display substrate away from the base substrate (100).
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 panel of Matsueda in view of Kim and the glass cover of Lai to cover the peripheral and display areas (Lai paragraph 0171).
Regarding dependent claim 21, Kim further teaches a display apparatus (fig. 8, 700), comprising the display panel of claim 20 (fig. 1, 10) and a housing (fig. 8, 750).
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 panel of Matsueda and the display apparatus of Kim per the reason(s) stated above in claim 20.
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.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/GRACE CHA/Examiner, Art Unit 2897
/JACOB Y CHOI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2897
Prosecution Insights