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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Objections
Claim 9 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 9 recites “…disposed at corer areas…”. The Examiner believes “corer” to be a typographical error and understands claim 9 to be “…disposed at corner areas…”. Appropriate correction is required.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species A (Claims 1-17) in the reply filed on 02/03/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 18-37 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species D and E, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 02/03/2026.
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 12, Claim 12 recites “the plurality of first pixels and the plurality of third pixels are alternately disposed in left areas and right areas with respect to the first diagonal line”. The Examiner is unclear what this language requires as it is unclear what the left area and right area refers to (areas of display panel or of the virtual quadrangle?). A left area with respect to the first diagonal line can literally be anywhere in the display panel to the left of the line and similarly with the right area. Further, it is unclear how first pixels and third pixels can be alternately disposed with respect to the diagonal line when either only a first or only a third pixel is disposed within the virtual quadrangle. As the Examiner is unclear as to the scope of the claim language, the Examiner is also unclear as to which of the Applicant’s figures shows the claimed subject matter. Appropriate correction is required to clarify the language. Further, the Examiner would appreciate an indication in the response as to which of the Applicant’s figures shows the scope of claim 12. For purposes of compact prosecution the Examiner interprets the language to be read upon if the first and third pixels are alternated in a first direction such that an alternate one of the first and third pixels are in each of the virtual trapezoids in the first direction as this would place a first pixel immediately to the left of the virtual diagonal line and would next place a second pixel a distance to the right of the virtual diagonal line in the first direction.
Claims 13 and 14 are rejected similarly as claim 13 also recites left areas and right areas.
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.
Claims 1-7 and 9-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Huang et al. (US 2023/0006003) hereinafter “Huang”.
Regarding claim 1, Fig. 10 of Huang teaches a display device (Paragraph 0003) comprising: a substrate (Item 8); and a plurality of first pixels (Items 6), a plurality of second pixels (Items 5), and a plurality of third pixels (Items 7), positioned on the substrate (Item 8), wherein two of the plurality of first pixels (Items 6) and two of the plurality of third pixels (Items 7) are disposed at corners of a virtual first quadrangle, one of the plurality of second pixels (Item 5) is disposed within the virtual first quadrangle, and a center of the virtual first quadrangle does not overlap (See Picture 1 below) a center of the one of the plurality of second pixels (Item 5).
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Picture 1 (Labeled version of Huang Fig. 10)
Regarding claim 2, Fig. 10 of Huang further teaches wherein four of the plurality of second pixels (Items 5) are disposed at corners of a virtual second quadrangle.
Regarding claim 3, Fig. 10 of Huang further teaches wherein at least one of the virtual first quadrangle and the virtual second quadrangle is a trapezoid.
Regarding claim 4, Fig. 10 of Huang further teaches wherein the plurality of first pixels (Items 6) and the plurality of third pixels (Items 7) are alternately disposed one by one along a first direction (Up and down across the page), and the plurality of first pixels (Items 6) and the plurality of third pixels (Items 7) are alternately disposed one by one along a second direction (Left to right across the page) perpendicular to the first direction.
Regarding claim 5, Fig. 10 of Huang further teaches wherein the plurality of second pixels (Items 5) include a first-second pixel, a second-second pixel, and a third-second pixel that are sequentially disposed on a same line, and a distance between the first-second pixel and the second-second pixel adjacent to each other is different from a distance between the second-second pixel and the third-second pixel adjacent to each other.
Regarding claim 6, Fig. 10 of Huang further teaches (when extrapolated out to the full display of Huang as would be seen in Fig. 6 if Fig. 6 showed a display with the pixel pattern from Fig. 10) wherein the plurality of first pixels include a first-first pixel, the plurality of third pixels include a first-third pixel and a second-third pixel, the first-third pixel, the first-first pixel, and the second-third pixel are sequentially disposed on a same line, and a distance between the first-first pixel and the first-third pixel adjacent to each other is different from a distance between the first-first pixel and the second-third pixel adjacent to each other.
Regarding claim 7, Fig. 10 of Huang further teaches (when extrapolated out to the full display of Hung as would be seen in Fig. 6 if Fig. 6 showed a display with the pixel pattern from Fig. 10) wherein the virtual first quadrangle and the virtual second quadrangle are trapezoids, the plurality of first pixels (Items 6) and the plurality of third pixels (Items 7) are alternately disposed one by one along a first direction (Up and down across the page), a minimum distance and a maximum distance among distances between the plurality of first pixels and the plurality of third pixels in the first direction are alternately repeated, and a minimum distance and a maximum distance among distances between the plurality of second pixels (Items 5) adjacent in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction are alternately repeated.
Regarding claim 9, Fig. 10 of Huang teaches a display device comprising: a substrate (Item 8); and a plurality of first pixels (Items 6), a plurality of second pixels (Items 5), and a plurality of third pixels (Items 7), disposed on the substrate (Item 8), wherein four of the plurality of second pixels (Items 5) are disposed at corner areas of a virtual first quadrangle, one of the plurality of first pixels (Items 6) or one of the plurality of third pixels (Items 7) is disposed in the virtual first quadrangle, and a center of the one of the plurality of first pixels (Items 6) or a center of the one of the plurality of third pixels (Items 7) disposed in the virtual first quadrangle does not overlap a center of the virtual first quadrangle (See Picture 2 below).
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Picture 2 (Labeled version of Huang Fig. 10)
Regarding claim 10, Fig. 10 of Huang further teaches wherein a distance between one of the plurality of second pixels (Items 5) and one of the plurality of first pixels (Items 6) adjacent to each other in a direction is different from a distance between the one of the plurality of second pixels and another one of the plurality of first pixels adjacent to each other in the direction.
Further, Huang teaches where the location of the respective first pixel (Item 6) or third pixel (Item 7) may be altered such that the respective first pixel and third pixel may be placed within the virtual trapezoid at any number of locations (Paragraph 0070).
Therefore, Fig. 10 of Huang and additional embodiments anticipate where a distance between one of the plurality of second pixels (Items 5) and one of the plurality of first pixels (Items 6) adjacent to each other in a direction is different from a distance between the one of the plurality of second pixels and another one of the plurality of first pixels adjacent to each other in the direction such that a close arrangement of pixels is achieved while avoiding the problem of color mixing between pixels cause by evaporation (Huang Paragraphs 0070 and 0071).
Regarding claim 11, Fig. 10 of Huang further teaches wherein a distance between one of the plurality of second pixels (Items 5) and one of the plurality of third pixels (Items 7) adjacent to each other in a direction is different from a distance between the one of the plurality of second pixels and another one of the plurality of third pixels adjacent to each other in the direction.
Further, Huang teaches where the location of the respective first pixel (Item 6) or third pixel (Item 7) may be altered such that the respective first pixel and third pixel may be placed within the virtual trapezoid at any number of locations (Paragraph 0070).
Therefore, Fig. 10 of Huang and additional embodiments anticipate where a distance between one of the plurality of second pixels (Items 5) and one of the plurality of third pixels (Items 7) adjacent to each other in a direction is different from a distance between the one of the plurality of second pixels and another one of the plurality of third pixels adjacent to each other in the direction such that a close arrangement of pixels is achieved while avoiding the problem of color mixing between pixels cause by evaporation (Huang Paragraphs 0070 and 0071).
Regarding claim 12, Fig. 10 of Huang further teaches where a first diagonal line of the virtual first quadrangle passes through a center of one of the plurality of second pixels, and the plurality of first pixels and the plurality of third pixels are alternately disposed in left areas and right areas with respect to the first diagonal line.
Regarding claim 13, Fig. 10 of Huang further teaches where a first diagonal line (See Examiner’s Note below) of the virtual first quadrangle passes through a center of one of the one of the plurality of first pixels or the one of the plurality of third pixels, and the plurality of second pixels (See Examiner’s Note 2 below are alternately disposed in left areas and right areas with respect to the first diagonal line.
Examiner’s Note: The Examiner notes that a first diagonal line of the virtual first quadrangle does not require that the diagonal line run through the vertices of the virtual first quadrangle. Therefore, any diagonal line that traverses the virtual first quadrangle can be considered a diagonal line. This is also evident by Applicant’s Fig. 1 which has a diagonal line which runs from side to side and not from vertex to vertex of the virtual first trapezoid.
Examiner’s Note 2: The Examiner notes that the plurality of second pixels is not defined by either claim 9 or claim 13 such that any of the second pixels in the display may be considered a plurality of second pixels such that Fig. 10 of Huang reads on the claim language.
Regarding claim 14, Fig. 10 Huang further teaches where a first unit pixel includes one of the plurality of first pixels and one of the plurality of second pixels, and the first unit pixels are alternately disposed in left areas and right areas with respect to a first diagonal line of the virtual first quadrangle (See Picture 3 below).
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Picture 3 (Labeled version of Huang Fig. 10)
Alternately, Regarding claim 9, Fig. 16 of Huang teaches a display device comprising: a substrate (Item 8); and a plurality of first pixels (Items 6), a plurality of second pixels (Items 5), and a plurality of third pixels (Items 7), disposed on the substrate (Item 8), wherein four of the plurality of second pixels (Items 5) are disposed at corner areas of a virtual first quadrangle, one of the plurality of first pixels (Items 6) or one of the plurality of third pixels (Items 7) is disposed in the virtual first quadrangle, and a center of the one of the plurality of first pixels (Items 6) or a center of the one of the plurality of third pixels (Items 7) disposed in the virtual first quadrangle does not overlap a center of the virtual first quadrangle (See Picture 6 below).
Under the alternate interpretation of Huang, Regarding claim 15, Fig. 6 of Huang teaches where four of the plurality of second pixels (Items 5) are disposed at corners of a virtual first rhombus, one of the plurality of second pixels is disposed at a center of the virtual first rhombus, two of the plurality of first pixels or two of the plurality of third pixels are disposed on a side of the virtual first rhombus, and the other two of the plurality of first pixel or the other two of the plurality of third pixels are disposed in the virtual first rhombus (See Picture 5 below).
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Picture 5 (Labeled version of Huang Fig. 6)
Under the alternate interpretation of Huang, Regarding claim 16, Fig. 6 of Huang teaches where two of the four of the plurality of second pixels and the other two of the plurality of second pixels are disposed at corners of a virtual second rhombus that contacts the virtual first rhombus, another one of the plurality of second pixels is disposed in a center of the virtual second rhombus, the other two of the plurality of first pixels or the other two of the plurality of third pixels are disposed on a side of the virtual second rhombus, and the plurality of first pixels or the plurality of third pixels are not disposed in the virtual second rhombus.
Regarding claim 17, Fig. 10 of Huang further teaches where the one of the plurality of first pixels or the one of the plurality of third pixels is disposed on a virtual arc that connects two vertexes of the virtual first quadrangle (See Picture 7 below).
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Picture 7 (Labeled version of Huang Fig. 10)
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 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang et al. (US 2023/0006003) hereinafter “Huang”.
Regarding claim 8, Fig. 10 of Huang (when extrapolated out to the full display of Hung as would be seen in Fig. 6 if Fig. 6 showed a display with the pixel pattern from Fig. 10) teaches a display device (Paragraph 0003) comprising: a substrate (Item 8); and a plurality of first pixels (Items 6), a plurality of second pixels (Items 5), and a plurality of third pixels (Items 7), disposed on the substrate (Item 8), wherein four of the plurality of second pixels (Items 5) are disposed at corners of a virtual first trapezoid, four of the plurality of second pixels (Items 5) are disposed at corners of a virtual second trapezoid, a long side of the virtual first trapezoid and a long side of the virtual second trapezoid overlap each other, each of the plurality of first pixels (Items 6) is disposed within and near the virtual first trapezoid, and each of the plurality of third pixels (Items 7) is disposed within and near a center of the virtual second trapezoid.
Huang does not explicitly teach where each of the first pixels is disposed at a center of the first virtual trapezoid nor where each of the third pixels is disposed at a center of the second virtual trapezoid.
However, Huang further teaches where the location of the respective first pixel (Item 6) or third pixel (Item 7) may be altered such that the respective first pixel and third pixel may be placed within the virtual trapezoid at any number of locations (Paragraph 0070).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have each of the first pixels be disposed at a center of the first virtual trapezoid and each of the second pixels be disposed at a center of the second virtual trapezoid because this achieves a close arrangement of pixels while avoiding the problem of color mixing between pixels cause by evaporation (Huang Paragraphs 0070 and 0071).
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Liu et al. (US 2022/0208891) Fig. 6
Chen et al. (US 2024/0349534) Fig. 1
Liu et al. (US 2020/0402442) Fig. 1
Liu et al. (US 2022/0310711) Fig. 11
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIC K ASHBAHIAN whose telephone number is (571)270-5187. The examiner can normally be reached 8-5:30 PM.
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/ERIC K ASHBAHIAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2891