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 .
Response to Amendment
This Office Action is in response to Applicant’s Amendment filed on February 5, 2026. Claims 1, 6, 8, 12-14, 18, and 26 have been amended. No new claims have been added. Claims 4-5 have been canceled. Claims 14-16, 19, and 21-22 were been withdrawn. Currently, claims 1-3, 6-13, 17-18, 20, and 23-26 are pending.
Applicant’s cancellation of claim 4 and amendment to claim 1 successfully overcomes the 112(b) rejection of original claim 4 and its dependent claims set forth in the previous Office Action.
Applicant’s amendment to claim 18 successfully overcomes the 112(b) rejection of claim 18 set forth in the previous Office Action.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed February 5, 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of amended claim(s) 1, 8, and 26 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Zhang et al. (WO 2023174053 A1) for claims 1 and 26 and Li et al. (US 20220100302) for claim 8.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claim 26 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claim 26 recites the limitation “the functional structure” in lines 14-15 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
For the purposes of examination with regard to the prior art, “the functional structure” will be treated as “a functional structure,” which does provide sufficient antecedent basis for this limitation.
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, 12, 17-18, 20, and 23-26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (WO 2023174053 A1, effective filing date of 3/14/2022, citations made hereinafter to the attached English machine translation), which claims foreign priority to CN 114784058 A cited by Applicant in the Information Disclosure Statement filed on 4/25/2025, and in view of Liu et al. (US 12326412).
Regarding claim 1, Zhang teaches, in Fig. 5, a display panel ([0070]) comprising:
a display area (AA, [0061]);
a non-display area (NA, [0061]);
a substrate 101 ([0058]); and
a conductive structure (1, [0090]) located on a (top) side of the substrate (101), wherein the conductive structure is located in the non-display area (NA) ([0071], see Fig. 5);
at least part of an edge (right edge) of the conductive structure (1) away from the display area (AA) overlaps a cutting edge of the substrate in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the substrate (see Fig. 5, [0075]);
a light emitting device (104, [0061]) located on a (top) side of the substrate (101) in the display area (AA) (see Fig. 5); and
a functional structure (106 and 1044, [0061]) located on a same side (top side) of the substrate (101) as the conductive structure (1) (see Fig. 5),
wherein at least part of the functional structure (1044) is located in the display area (AA) (see Fig. 5),
the light emitting device (104) comprises:
a first electrode layer (1044, [0061]); and
a light emitting layer (1043, [0061]) and a second electrode (1041, [0061]) that are stacked (see Fig. 5), and wherein the first electrode layer extends from the display area to the non-display area ([0061], the first electrode layer extends from the display area AA to the non-display area NA via/through 106); and
wherein the functional structure (106/1044) comprises the first electrode layer (1044),
wherein the non-display area (NA) is provided with a partition structure (see marked box in Fig. 5 below), and
wherein the conductive structure (101) and the first electrode layer (1044) are disconnected at a position of the partition structure (see marked Fig. 5 below).
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Zhang Fig. 5 (partition structure is boxed)
Zhang does not explicitly teach a plurality of light emitting devices located on a side of the substrate in the display area, and that first electrodes of the light emitting devices are connected to each other to form the first electrode layer.
In a similar field of endeavor, Liu teaches, in Fig. 4A, a plurality of light emitting devices (501; col. 7, lines 45-55) located on a side of the substrate (10) in the display area (101, labelled in Fig. 2, col. 5, lines 60-67), and that first electrodes (53) of the light emitting devices are connected to each other to form the first electrode layer (col. 7, lines 54-56), so that “the cathode of the sub-pixel may prevent electrostatic charges from being conducted to the pixel circuit” (col. 7, lines 55-65).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the light emitting device of Zhang with the plurality of light emitting devices with first electrodes forming the first electrode layer, so that the first electrode of the sub-pixel prevents electrostatic charges from being conducted to the pixel circuit (col. 7, lines 55-65).
Regarding claim 12, Zhang in view of Liu teaches the limitations of claim 1. Zhang further teaches, in Fig. 5, an encapsulation layer (1052, [0062]), wherein the encapsulation layer is located on a (top) side of the light emitting device (104) away from the substrate (101), and an edge (right edge) of the encapsulation layer (1052) is located in the non-display area (NA); and the partition structure (see marked Fig. 5 above) is located on a side of the edge (right edge) of the encapsulation layer (1052) away from the display area (see Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 17, Zhang in view of Liu teaches the limitations of claim 1. Zhang further teaches that at least an end (right end) of the conductive structure (1) away from the display area (AA) is in contact with a (top) surface of the substrate (101) (see Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 18, Zhang in view of Liu teaches the limitations of claim 1. Liu further teaches, in Fig. 4A, an array layer (403-406) located on a side of the substrate, wherein the array layer comprises pixel circuits (401; col. 8, lines 8-10) and insulating layers (403-406; col. 8, lines 23-25); and the insulating layers (403-406) are not flush with the cutting edge of the substrate (right edge of 10) at an edge of the non-display area (1025).
Regarding claim 20, Zhang in view of Liu teaches the limitations of claim 1. Liu further teaches, in Fig. 4A, a crack prevention groove (within 1024; col. 5, lines 60-67; col. 6, lines 54-65) (see concave area of layers 60/54/406 filled with 30 and 83) located in the non-display area (1022-1025); wherein at least part of the conductive structure (30; col. 5, lines 20-35) overlaps the crack prevention groove in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate (10) (see Fig. 4A; col. 5, lines 20-35).
Regarding claim 23, Zhang in view of Liu teaches the limitations of claim 20. Liu further teaches, in Fig. 4A, that part of the conductive structure (30) is filled in the crack prevention groove (within 1024; concave area of layers 60/54/406 filled with 30 and 83).
Regarding claim 24, Zhang in view of Liu teaches the limitations of claim 1. Zhang further teaches, in Fig. 5, that the substrate (101) comprises a first flexible substrate (1011, [0059]) and a second flexible substrate (1013, [0059]) that are stacked (see Fig. 5, [0059], polyimide is a flexible material).
Regarding claim 25, Zhang in view of Liu teaches the limitations of claim 1. Zhang further teaches that the conductive structure (1) is made of metal or metal oxide ([0091]).
Regarding claim 26, Zhang teaches, in Fig. 5, a display device ([0070]) comprising:
a display area (AA, [0061]);
a non-display area (NA, [0061]);
a substrate 101 ([0058]); and
a conductive structure (1, [0090]) located on one (top) side of the substrate (101), wherein the conductive structure is located in the non-display area (NA) ([0071], see Fig. 5);
at least part of an edge (right edge) of the conductive structure (1) away from the display area (AA) overlaps a cutting edge of the substrate in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the substrate (see Fig. 5, [0075]);
a light emitting device (104, [0061]) located on a (top) side of the substrate (101) in the display area (AA) (see Fig. 5); and
the light emitting device (104) comprises:
a first electrode layer (1044, [0061]); and
a light emitting layer (1043, [0061]) and a second electrode (1041, [0061]) that are stacked (see Fig. 5) and wherein the first electrode layer extends from the display area to the non-display area ([0061], the first electrode layer extends from the display area AA to the non-display area NA via/through 106); and
wherein the functional structure (106 and 1044, [0061]) comprises the first electrode layer (1044),
wherein the non-display area (NA) is provided with a partition structure (see marked box in Fig. 5 below), and
wherein the conductive structure (101) and the first electrode layer (1044) are disconnected at a position of the partition structure (see marked Fig. 5 below).
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Zhang Fig. 5
Zhang does not explicitly teach a plurality of light emitting devices located on a side of the substrate in the display area, and that first electrodes of the light emitting devices are connected to each other to form the first electrode layer.
In a similar field of endeavor, Liu teaches, in Fig. 4A, a plurality of light emitting devices (501; col. 7, lines 45-55) located on a side of the substrate (10) in the display area (101, labelled in Fig. 2, col. 5, lines 60-67), and that first electrodes (53) of the light emitting devices are connected to each other to form the first electrode layer (col. 7, lines 54-56), so that “the cathode of the sub-pixel may prevent electrostatic charges from being conducted to the pixel circuit” (col. 7, lines 55-65).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the light emitting device of Zhang with the plurality of light emitting devices with first electrodes forming the first electrode layer, so that the first electrode of the sub-pixel prevents electrostatic charges from being conducted to the pixel circuit (col. 7, lines 55-65).
Claims 2-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (WO 2023174053 A1, effective filing date of 3/14/2022, citations made hereinafter to the attached English machine translation), which claims foreign priority to CN 114784058 A cited by Applicant in the Information Disclosure Statement filed on 4/25/2025, in view of Liu et al. (US 12326412), and further in view of Um et al. (US 10734595).
Regarding claim 2, Zhang in view of Liu teaches the limitations of claim 1. Zhang in view of Liu does not explicitly teach that the conductive structure and the functional structure are made of a same material.
In a similar field of endeavor, Um teaches that the conductive structure (VSSE; col. 12, lines 13-22; col. 13, lines 39-47) and the functional structure (143/153 and right part of 152 from right side of DAM1 to right end; col. 18, lines 5-15; col. 15, lines 30-41) are made of a same material (both structures can be Mo, Cu, Ti, or Al), in order to “maintain a low wiring resistance” (col. 2, lines 10-15).
It would have been obvious to modify the conductive structure and functional structure of Zhang in view of Liu with the conductive structure and functional structure materials of Um, in order to maintain a low wiring resistance (Um, col. 2, lines 10-15).
Regarding claim 3, Zhang in view of Liu and Um teaches the limitations of claim 2. Zhang further teaches that the conductive structure (1) and the functional structure (1044) are not connected to each other (see Fig. 5).
Claims 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (WO 2023174053 A1, effective filing date of 3/14/2022, citations made hereinafter to the attached English machine translation), which claims foreign priority to CN 114784058 A cited by Applicant in the Information Disclosure Statement filed on 4/25/2025, in view of Liu et al. (US 12326412), and further in view of So et al. (US 20200381654) and Um et al. (US 10734595).
Regarding claim 6, Zhang in view of Liu teaches the limitations of claim 1. Zhang in view of Liu does not explicitly teach that the partition structure comprises a first metal portion, and an end of the first metal portion adjacent to the display area is in contact with the first electrode layer, and another end of the first metal portion away from the display area is in contact with the conductive structure.
In a similar field of endeavor, So teaches, in Fig. 3, that the partition structure (212, [0080]-[0081]) comprises a first conductive portion ([0081]), and an end (right end) of the first conductive portion (212) adjacent to the display area (DA, [0047]) is in contact with the first electrode layer (230, [0078]), and another end (left end) of the first conductive portion (212) away from the display area (DA) is in contact with the conductive structure (70, [0080]) (see Fig. 3, [0080]-[0081]), in order to prevent static electricity from affecting the display device ([0093]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the partition structure of Zhang in view of Liu with the partition structure of So, in order to prevent static electricity from affecting the display device ([0093]).
Zhang in view of Liu and So does not explicitly teach that the partition structure comprises a first metal portion.
In a similar field of endeavor, Um teaches that the partition structure (DAM1, Fig. 2) comprises a first metal portion (151; col. 13, lines 39-44), in order to “maintain a low wiring resistance” (col. 2, lines 10-15).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the partition structure material of Zhang in view of Liu and So with the partition structure material of Um, in order to maintain a low wiring resistance (col. 2, lines 10-15).
Regarding claim 7, Zhang in view of Liu, So, and Um teaches the limitations of claim 6. Um further teaches that the partition structure (DAM1) further comprises a second metal portion (152; col. 17, lines 25-30; col. 15, lines 30-41) and a middle portion (171), the middle portion is located on a side of the first metal portion (151) away from the substrate (110), the second metal portion (152) is located on a side of the middle portion (171) away from the first metal portion (151), and the second metal portion (152) extends out of an edge of the middle portion (left edge of 171) to form a step (see Fig. 2).
Claims 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (WO 2023174053 A1, effective filing date of 3/14/2022, citations made hereinafter to the attached English machine translation), which claims foreign priority to CN 114784058 A cited by Applicant in the Information Disclosure Statement filed on 4/25/2025, in view of Liu et al. (US 12326412), and further in view of Li et al. (US 20220100302).
Regarding claim 8, Zhang in view of Liu teaches the limitations of claim 1. Zhang in view of Liu does not teach that the partition structure comprises a groove having a groove bottom and a notch; and a length of the notch is less than a length of the groove bottom in a direction from the display area to the cutting edge.
In a similar field of endeavor, Li teaches, in Fig. 14, that the partition structure (621, [0124]) comprises a groove having a groove bottom (bottom surface) and a notch (area above the bottom surface); and a length of the notch (length of the upper surface of the concave area) is less than a length of the groove bottom (bottom surface) in a (horizontal) direction from the display area to the cutting edge ([0125]), in order to better “prevent external water and oxygen from intruding into a region of island area S1 where the pixels are located” ([0124]-[0125]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the partition structure of Zhang in view of Liu with the groove partition structure of Li, in order to better prevent external water and oxygen from intruding into the display area ([0124]-[0125]).
Regarding claim 9, Zhang in view of Liu and Li teaches the limitations of claim 8. Li further teaches, in Fig. 14, that the groove (621) is located at the substrate ([0094], [0109], top layer of substrate is 62, while bottom layer of substrate is 1).
Claims 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (WO 2023174053 A1, effective filing date of 3/14/2022, citations made hereinafter to the attached English machine translation), which claims foreign priority to CN 114784058 A cited by Applicant in the Information Disclosure Statement filed on 4/25/2025, in view of Liu et al. (US 12326412) and Li et al. (US 20220100302), and further in view of He et al. (CN 109686866 B, citations made hereinafter to the English machine translation attached to the Office Action mailed on November 6, 2025).
Regarding claim 10, Zhang in view of Liu and Li teaches the limitations of claim 8. Liu further teaches, in Fig. 4A, that a conductive wire (83; col. 6, lines 40-55) is located on a side (right side) of the groove (partition structure 1022/1023) away from the display area (left of 1022); and the conductive structure (30) is connected to the conductive wire (83) (see Fig. 4A).
Zhang in view of Liu and Li does not explicitly that the conductive wire is metal.
In a similar field of endeavor, He teaches that the conductive wire (FM, Fig. 5) is metal ([0037]), in order to have the function of electrostatic discharge ([0037]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the conductive wire material of Zhang in view of Liu and Li with the metal wire material of He, in order to improve electrostatic discharge ([0037]).
Regarding claim 11, Zhang in view of Liu, Li, and He teaches the limitations of claim 10. Liu further teaches that the metal wire (83, Fig. 4A) is connected to a fixed potential (fixed potential; col. 6, lines 45-50).
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (WO 2023174053 A1, effective filing date of 3/14/2022, citations made hereinafter to the attached English machine translation), which claims foreign priority to CN 114784058 A cited by Applicant in the Information Disclosure Statement filed on 4/25/2025, in view of Liu et al. (US 12326412), and further in view of So et al. (US 20200381654).
Regarding claim 13, Zhang in view of Liu teaches the limitations of claim 1. Zhang further teaches a power structure (107) located in the non-display area (NA) ([0061]).
Zhang in view of Liu does not explicitly teach that an edge of the first electrode layer is connected to the power structure located in the same layer as the second electrode; and an end of the conductive structure adjacent to the display area is connected to the power structure.
In a similar field of endeavor, So teaches, in Fig. 3, that an edge of the first electrode layer (230, [0078]) is connected to the power structure (212; [0057], [0080]-[0081], 212 is a power structure because it is electrically connected to common power supply wiring 70) located in the same layer (120) as the second electrode (230) (see Fig. 3); and
an end (right end) of the conductive structure (70) adjacent to the display area (DA) is connected to the power structure (212) (see Fig. 3),
in order to prevent static electricity from affecting the display device ([0093]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the display panel of Zhang in view of Liu with the power structure configuration of So, in order to prevent static electricity from affecting the display device ([0093]).
Conclusion
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/ERIKA H SON/Examiner, Art Unit 2893
/YARA B GREEN/Supervisor Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2893
