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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 01/12/2026 has been entered.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 01/13/2026 was filed after the mailing date of the Final Office Action on 11/25/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Response to Amendment
Acknowledgment is made of the amendment filed 01/12/2026, in which: claims 1-3, 6, 8, 10, 13, and 15-17 are amended; and the rejection of the claims are traversed. Claims 1-17 and 19-21 are currently pending an Office action on the merits as follows.
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.
Claim 15 recites the limitation "the connection portion" in line 23. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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 1-3, 14, and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sim et al. (US Publication 20210384476) in view of Lee et al. (US Publication 20180053905).
Regarding independent claim 1, Sim teaches a display device (fig. 3, 100) comprising:
a substrate (111) including a first non-bendable portion (fig. 2, 1000A1), a second non-bendable portion (1000A3), and a bendable portion (1000A2) having a foldable characteristic that is interposed between the first non-bendable portion and the second non-bendable portion (fig. 2, paragraph 0051);
a metal plate (610) disposed on a rear face of the substrate, wherein the metal plate includes:
a first plate portion (fig. 4, 610-1) overlapping the first non-bendable portion,
a second plate portion (610-3) overlapping the second non-bendable portion, and
a connection portion (610-2) between the first plate portion and the second plate portion, the connection portion including a first bar (see figure below) and a second bar (see figure below) that are separated by a slit (fig. 2, 611);
wherein the substrate includes:
a first area (see figure below) in which the first bar and the bendable portion overlap each other,
a second area (see figure below) in which the slit and the bendable portion overlap each other, and
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a third area (see figure below) in which the second bar and the bendable portion overlap each other, wherein the second area is interposed between the first and third areas (see figure below),
wherein the first plate portion, the second plate portion, and the connection portion are arranged in a second direction (fig. 2, DR1 corresponds to second direction),
wherein the first bar and the second bar extend in a first direction crossing the second direction (fig. 6, first and second bar extend vertically crossing second direction), and
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wherein the first bar and the second bar are connected by a horizontal bar (see figure below) that extends in the second direction.
Sim does not teach an initialization line including: a first portion disposed on the first area, and a second portion disposed on the third area and spaced apart from the first portion with the second area being disposed between the first portion and the [[third]] second portion, a first pixel circuit disposed on the first area and connected to the first portion of the initialization line; a second pixel circuit disposed on the third area and connected to the second portion of the initialization line; and a first connection line connecting the first portion and the second portion to each other, and exposed by an opening in the second area, wherein the first connection line is disposed on the first area, the second area, and the third area, wherein the first connection line is disposed in a different layer from a layer in which the first portion and the second portion are disposed, [[and]] wherein the first connection line is in direct contact with an [[a]] organic via layer containing an organic material at a portion overlapping the opening.
Lee teaches an initialization line (fig. 6) including:
a first portion (181) disposed on the first area (1A), and
a second portion (191) disposed on the third area (2A) and spaced apart from the first portion with the second area (2A) being disposed between the first portion and the [[third]] second portion,
a first pixel circuit (fig. 3, 210 in 1A) disposed on the first area and connected to the first portion of the initialization line;
a second pixel circuit (210 in 2A) disposed on the third area and connected to the second portion of the initialization line (paragraphs 0168-0169); and
a first connection line (fig. 6, 171) connecting the first portion and the second portion to each other, and exposed by an opening (171a) in the second area,
wherein the first connection line is disposed on the first area, the second area, and the third area (fig. 6),
wherein the first connection line is disposed in a different layer from a layer in which the first portion and the second portion are disposed (fig. 3), [[and]]
wherein the first connection line is in direct contact with an [[a]] organic via layer (102) containing an organic material at a portion overlapping the opening (paragraphs 0074, polymer resins are a type of organic material).
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 device of Sim and the initialization line of Lee in order to transfer electric signals to the display device (Lee paragraph 0084).
Regarding dependent claim 2, Lee further teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises:
a buffer layer (fig. 3, 110) disposed on the substrate (101);
a first gate insulating layer (120) disposed on the buffer layer;
a second gate insulating layer (130) disposed on the first gate insulating layer; and
an inter insulating layer (140) disposed on the second gate insulating layer.
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 device of Sim and the buffer/insulating layers of Lee per the reason(s) stated above in claim 1.
Regarding dependent claim 3, Lee further teaches the display device of claim 2, wherein the device further comprises:
a lower metal layer (fig. 3, 171’) disposed between the substrate and the buffer layer,
wherein the first connection line is disposed in the same layer as a layer in which the lower metal layer is disposed (fig. 3, 171 and 171’ are both disposed on top of 103), and
wherein the first connection line is made of the same material as a material of the lower metal layer (paragraph 0119, “additional intermediate line 171′ may be formed simultaneously with the first intermediate line 171 by using the same material as the first intermediate line 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 device of Sim and the lower metal layer of Lee per the reason(s) stated above in claim 1.
Regarding dependent claim 14, Sim further teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein neither of the first pixel circuit and the second pixel circuit overlap the second area (first and second pixel circuits can be arranged to not overlap marked second area per MPEP 2144.04).
Regarding dependent claim 21, Sim further teaches an electronic device (fig. 2, 1000) comprising the display device (100) of claim 1.
Claims 4-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sim in view of Lee as applied to claim 3 above, and further in view of Bok et al. (US Publication 20210296420).
Regarding dependent claim 4, Lee further teaches the display device of claim 3, wherein the first pixel circuit (fig. 20) includes:
a semiconductor layer (211) disposed between the buffer layer and the first gate insulating layer,
a gate electrode (213) disposed between the first gate insulating layer and the second gate insulating layer, and
wherein the first portion is disposed between a portion of the buffer layer and a portion of the first gate insulating layer disposed in the first area (fig. 3, portion of 181 disposed between 110 and 120 in 1CT), wherein the second portion is disposed between a portion of the buffer layer and a portion of the first gate insulating layer disposed in the third area (fig. 3, portion of 191 disposed between 110 and 120 in 1ACT).
Sim in view of Lee does not teach a capacitor electrode disposed between the second gate insulating layer and the inter insulating layer, and wherein the first portion and the second portion are made of the same material as a material of the semiconductor layer.
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Bok teaches a capacitor electrode (fig. 16, GE2) disposed between the second gate insulating layer and the inter insulating layer, and wherein the first portion (see figure below) and the second portion (see figure below) are made of the same material as a material of the semiconductor layer (paragraphs 0092, 0095, and 0097, first and second portions of SL can be made of “molybdenum (Mo), aluminum (Al), chromium (Cr), gold (Au), titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni), neodymium (Nd), and copper (Cu), or any alloy thereof”, which is the same as a material of the semiconductor layer ACT: “which may contain indium (In), zinc (Zn), gallium (Ga), tin (Sn), titanium (Ti), aluminum (Al), hafnium (Hf), zirconium (Zr), magnesium (Mg), for example, and may include indium tin zinc oxide (ITZO) or indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO)”).
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 device of Sim in view of Lee and the capacitor electrode/material of the semiconductor layer and first/second portions of Bok in order to “compensate for a difference between load values in the front display region DA0 as the main display region” (Bok paragraph 0111).
Regarding dependent claim 5, Lee further teaches the display device of claim 4, wherein the lower metal layer overlaps the semiconductor layer (fig. 20).
Regarding dependent claim 6, Bok further teaches the display device of claim 4, wherein the device further comprises a second connection line (fig. 11, SCP) connecting the first portion and the second portion to each other (paragraph 0033), and
wherein the second connection line is disposed in the first area, the second area, and the third area (fig. 11), and wherein the second connection line is disposed in a different layer from a layer of the first connection line (fig. 12, SCP on a layer above CL as seen in figure 10).
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 device of Sim in view of Lee and the second connection line of Bok per the reason(s) stated above in claim 4.
Regarding dependent claim 7, Bok further teaches the display device of claim 6, wherein the second connection line overlaps the first connection line (fig. 12, SCP overlaps space occupied by CL as seen in figure 10).
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 device of Sim in view of Lee and the second connection line of Bok per the reason(s) stated above in claim 4.
Regarding dependent claim 8, Bok further teaches the display device of claim 2,
wherein the device further comprises a via insulating layer (fig. 16, IL4, paragraph 0135) disposed in the first area, the second area, and the third area (fig. 17, IL4 inside PX1 which is disposed in areas corresponding to first, second, and third areas of Sim),
wherein a via insulating layer is disposed on the inter insulating layer (fig. 16),
wherein the via insulating layer fills the opening in the second area (fig. 12, BFL, IL1, IL2, and IL3 in TA occupy space for opening in the second area of Sim in which via insulating layer IL4 can fill), and wherein the via insulating layer directly contacts a portion of the first connection line through the opening (fig. 17, CL crosses through TP which corresponds to TA of fig. 12, therefore IL4 contacts CL in space which opening in second area of Sim occupies).
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 device of Sim in view of Lee and the second connection line of Bok per the reason(s) stated above in claim 4.
Regarding dependent claim 9, Bok further teaches the display device of claim 8, wherein a thickness of a portion of the via insulating layer disposed in the second area is larger than a thickness of a portion of the via insulating layer disposed in each of the first area and the third area (fig. 12, thickness of IL4 containing opening of Sim disposed in TA which corresponds to second area of Sim is thicker than thickness of IL4 in DA0 and DA1 which correspond to first and third areas of Sim respectively).
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 device of Sim in view of Lee and the second connection line of Bok per the reason(s) stated above in claim 4.
Regarding dependent claim 10, Sim in view of Lee and Bok teaches the display device of claim 6.
Sim in view of Bok does not explicitly teach wherein the device further comprises the buffer layer covering a portion of the first connection line in the second area, wherein the second connection line is in direct contact with the buffer layer, however, Bok discloses the buffer layer to cover the first connection line CL in areas corresponding to the first and third areas of Sim as seen in figure 10 and the second connection line to be electrically connected to the initialization line SL.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the invention to place the first connection line directly on the substrate in the second area so that the buffer layer covers a portion of it and have the second connection line be in direct contact with the buffer layer, since it has been held that rearranging part of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.
Regarding dependent claim 11, Bok further teaches the display device of claim 6, wherein the second connection line is made of the same material as a material of the gate electrode (paragraphs 0092, 0097, 0099, and 0134, SPC made of same material as SE/DE, “may include at least one metal selected from aluminum (Al), molybdenum (Mo), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), silver (Ag), magnesium (Mg), gold (Au), nickel (Ni), neodymium (Nd), iridium (Ir), chromium (Cr), calcium (Ca), titanium (Ti), tantalum (Ta), tungsten (W), and copper (Cu)” which is the same as a material of the gate electrode: ” made of any one of molybdenum (Mo), aluminum (Al), chromium (Cr), gold (Au), titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni), neodymium (Nd), and copper (Cu), or any alloy thereof”).
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 device of Sim in view of Lee and the second connection line of Bok per the reason(s) stated above in claim 4.
Regarding dependent claim 12, Bok further teaches the display device of claim 6, wherein the second connection line is made of the same material as a material of the capacitor electrode (paragraphs 0092, 0097, 0099, 0134, and 0148, SPC made of same material as SE/DE, “may include at least one metal selected from aluminum (Al), molybdenum (Mo), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), silver (Ag), magnesium (Mg), gold (Au), nickel (Ni), neodymium (Nd), iridium (Ir), chromium (Cr), calcium (Ca), titanium (Ti), tantalum (Ta), tungsten (W), and copper (Cu)” which is the same as a material of the capacitor electrode GE2 which is made of the same material as the gate electrode: “made of any one of molybdenum (Mo), aluminum (Al), chromium (Cr), gold (Au), titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni), neodymium (Nd), and copper (Cu), or any alloy thereof”).
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 device of Sim in view of Lee and the second connection line of Bok per the reason(s) stated above in claim 4.
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sim in view of Lee as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Kang et al. (US Publication 20160218162).
Regarding dependent claim 13, Sim in view of Lee teaches the display device of claim 1.
Sim in view of Lee does not teach wherein the device further comprises: a first pixel circuit disposed on the third area; a first light-emitting element disposed on the first area and connected to the first pixel circuit disposed on the first area; a first light-emitting element disposed on the third area and connected to the first pixel circuit disposed on the third area; and a second light-emitting element disposed on the second area and connected to the second pixel circuit disposed on the third area, wherein the first light-emitting element does not overlap the first connection line, and wherein the second light-emitting element overlaps the first connection line.
Kang teaches wherein the device further comprises:
a first pixel circuit (fig. 3, TR2 in S120 top) disposed on the third area (S120 top occupies space for third area of Sim);
a first light-emitting element (20 in S120 bottom) disposed on the first area and connected to the first pixel circuit disposed on the first area (S120 bottom occupies space for first area of Sim);
a first light-emitting element (20 in S120 top) disposed on the third area and connected to the first pixel circuit disposed on the third area (fig. 3); and
a second light-emitting element (10) disposed on the second area and connected to the second pixel circuit (TR1 in S120 top) disposed on the third area,
wherein the first light-emitting element does not overlap the first connection line (DLM occupies space for connection line of Lee), and wherein the second light-emitting element overlaps the first connection line (can be rearranged such that 10 overlaps first connection line of Lee 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 device of Sim in view of Lee and the first/second light-emitting elements of Kang in order to prevent deterioration of thin film transistors (Kang paragraph 0059).
Claims 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sim in view of Bok.
Regarding independent claim 15, Sim teaches a display device (fig. 3, 100) comprising:
a substrate (111) including a first non-bendable portion (fig. 2, 1000A1), a second non-bendable portion (1000A3), and a bendable portion (1000A2) having a foldable characteristic that is disposed between the first non-bendable portion and the second non-bendable portion (fig. 2, paragraph 0051);
a metal plate (610) disposed on a rear face of the substrate, wherein the metal plate includes:
a first plate portion (fig. 4, 610-1) overlapping the first non-bendable portion,
a second plate portion (610-3) overlapping the second non-bendable portion, and wherein the substrate includes:
a first area (see figure below) in which a first bar (see figure below) and the bendable portion overlap each other,
a second area (see figure below) in which a slit (fig. 2, 611) and the bendable portion overlap each other, and
a third area (see figure below) in which a second bar (see figure below) and the bendable portion overlap each other,
wherein the second area is interposed between the first and third areas (see figure below),
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wherein the first plate portion, the second plate portion, and the connection portion are arranged in a second direction (fig. 2, DR1 corresponds to second direction),
wherein the first bar and the second bar extend in a first direction crossing the second direction (fig. 6, first and second bar extend vertically crossing second direction), and
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wherein the first bar and the second bar are connected by a horizontal bar (see figure below) that extends in the second direction.
Sim does not teach a first light-emitting element disposed on each of the first area and the third area; a second light-emitting element disposed on the second area; a first pixel circuit disposed on each of the first area and the third area; and a second pixel circuit disposed on the third area, wherein the first light-emitting element overlaps and is connected to the first pixel circuit in each of the first and third areas, [[and]] wherein the second light-emitting element is in a mutually exclusive area with the first pixel circuit and the second pixel circuit and is connected to the second pixel circuit.
Bok teaches a first light-emitting element (fig. 16, EML) disposed on each of the first area and the third area (EML inside PX1 which is disposed in marked areas corresponding to first and third areas of Sim, see figure below);
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a second light-emitting element (EML) disposed on the second area (EML inside PX1and PX2 which is disposed in marked areas corresponding to second area of Sim, see figure below);
a first pixel circuit (fig. 16, PCL) disposed on each of the first area and the third area (PCL inside PX1 disposed on marked area corresponding to first and third areas of Sim); and
a second pixel circuit (fig. 16, PCL) disposed on the third area (PCL inside PX1 disposed on marked area corresponding to third area of Sim),
wherein the first light-emitting element overlaps and is connected to the first pixel circuit in each of the first and third areas (fig. 16, EML overlaps PCL in each pixel PX1 inside marked areas corresponding to first and third areas of Sim), [[and]]
wherein the second light-emitting element is in a mutually exclusive area with the first pixel circuit and the second pixel circuit (fig. 17, EML in PX2 is in a mutually exclusive area with the first pixel circuit PCL of PX1) and is connected to the second pixel circuit (fig. 17, connected via DL).
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 device of Sim and the initialization/connection lines of Bok in order for pixels of different regions to connect to a side of the connection line can be disposed in the same row (Bok paragraph 0012).
Regarding dependent claim 16, Bok further teaches the display device of claim 15, wherein the device further comprises:
a voltage line (fig. 17, SL) having:
a first portion (left portion of SL in marked first area, see last marked figure corresponding to claim 15) disposed on the first area, and a second portion (right portion of SL in marked third area, see last marked figure corresponding to claim 15) disposed on the third area and spaced apart from the first portion while the second area is disposed therebetween (see last marked figure corresponding to claim 15), and a connection line (CL) connecting the first portion and the second portion to each other,
wherein the first portion is connected to the first pixel circuit on the first area (fig. 17),
wherein the second portion is connected to the second pixel circuit on the third area (fig. 17),
wherein the connection line is disposed on the first area, the second area, and the third area (fig. 17), and
wherein the connection line is disposed in a different layer from a layer of each of the first portion and the second portion (fig. 10, CL disposed on a lower layer than SL).
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 device of Sim and the voltage line of Bok per the reasons stated in claim 15 above.
Regarding dependent claim 17, Bok further teaches the display device of claim 16, wherein the device further comprises a connection electrode (fig. 16, ANOCE) disposed on the first area and the second area (fig. 17, ANOCE inside PX1 and PX2 which is disposed in area corresponding to first and second areas of Sim), and connected to the second pixel circuit on the third area (fig. 17, ANOCE inside PX1 connected to second pixel circuit PCL in area corresponding to third area of Kim),
wherein the second light-emitting element is connected to a portion of the connection electrode on the second area (fig. 16, EML connected to ANOCE via ANO, disposed in area corresponding to second area of Sim), and
wherein at least a portion of the connection line overlaps the connection electrode (fig. 17, CL can be rearranged to partially overlap PX1 which contains ANOCE and thus partially overlap ANOCE 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 device of Sim and the connection electrode of Bok per the reasons stated in claim 15 above.
Regarding dependent claim 19, Bok further teaches the display device of claim 16, wherein the connection line and the first light-emitting element are on mutually exclusive parts of each of the first and third areas (fig. 17, EML in PX1 and connection line CL are on mutually exclusive parts of each of the areas corresponding to the first and third areas of Sim marked in figure corresponding to claim 15).
Sim in view of Bok does not explicitly teach wherein the connection line overlaps the second light-emitting element; however, Bok discloses wherein the connection line overlaps a load compensation element (fig. 11) which can be implemented with a dummy pixel (paragraph 0119).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the invention to rearrange the pixels so that the connection line overlaps the pixels containing the connection electrode, since it has been held that rearranging part of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.
Regarding dependent claim 20, Sim in view of Bok teaches the display device of claim 15.
Sim in view of Bok does not explicitly teach wherein neither of the first pixel circuit and the second pixel circuit overlaps the second area, however, Bok discloses the second pixels PX2 may be partially omitted at the transmission part TP of the transmission region TA (paragraph 0111), which correlates to the marked area corresponding to the second area of Sim.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the invention to arrange the first and second pixel circuits in a way such where neither circuit overlaps the second area, since it has been held that rearranging part of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-17 and 19-21 have been fully considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection (Amendments).
Applicant’s arguments filed 01/12/2026 have been fully considered but are not persuasive.
Applicant argues on page 10 of the instant Remarks: “As can be seen in Fig. 5 below, first and second bars (vertical bars VBAR) extending in a first direction DR1 are connected by a horizontal bar HBAR extending in the second direction DR2. Kim neither alone nor in combination with Lee teach or suggest the features of claim presented above.”
However, as stated above, Sim teaches wherein the first bar and the second bar are connected by a horizontal bar that extends in the second direction (see marked figure corresponding to claims 1 and 15. Therefore, claim 1 is unpatentable over Sim in view of Lee.
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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/GRACE CHA/Examiner, Art Unit 2897
/JACOB Y CHOI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2897
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