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 .
Status of the Claims
Amendment filed December 16, 2025 is acknowledged. Claim 11 has been amended. Claims 1-13 are pending.
Action on merits of claims 1-13 follows.
Specification
The newly submitted title is not descriptive. The title is:
FLEXIBLE WIRING BOARD HAVING SIGNAL LINE FORMED BETWEEN TWO INORGANIC LAYERS AND COVERED BY ORGANIC LAYERS OVER THE INORGANIC LAYERS
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
Claims 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
There does not appear to be a written description of the claim limitation “The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a pixel electrode overlapping the first area, wherein: the electrode forms a portion of a thin film transistor; the fourth organic layer overlaps the first area and the second area; and the pixel electrode is electrically connected to the electrode of the thin film transistor through a contact hole formed in the fourth organic layer” (Claim 5); “The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a pixel electrode overlapping the first area, wherein: the fourth organic layer overlaps the first area and the second area; the fourth organic layer comprises a patterned region overlapping the pixel electrode; and an organic layer is disposed in the patterned region, the organic layer being configured to emit light.” (Claim 6) (emphasis added) in the application as filed.
With respect to claim 5, According to the Specification, the “fourth organic layer” 1305 only formed in the “second area” (PA”) (bending area). (See FIGs. 13 and 17).
With respect to claim 6, the limitations of claim 6 direct to embodiment as shown in FIGs. 8-10. Note that, the embodiment as shown in FIGs. 13-15 and 17 is distinct from the embodiment as shown in FIGs. 8-10.
According to the specification the “fourth organic layer 807 is formed directly on the signal line SL without any inorganic layer(s).
Applicant must cancel the un-support new matters in response to the Office Action.
Since the limitations of claims 5-6 are new, unsupported matters, an examination of claim 6 is impossible, thus, excluded.
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.
Claims 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by KWAK et al. (US. Pub. No. 2014/0217397) of record.
With respect to claim 11, KWAK teaches an apparatus as claimed including:
a flexible substrate; and
an electrode (242/243/244) disposed on a plane of a first portion of the flexible substrate, a second portion of the flexible substrate being bent away from the plane, wherein:
a signal line (220) is embedded in the flexible substrate between a pair of inorganic layers (261/262) of the flexible substrate, the signal line being electrically connected to the electrode;
two organic layers (280D) are disposed on each of the pair of inorganic layers (261/262); and
the signal line (220) extends from the second portion into the first portion. (See FIGs. 2C, 2D).
With respect to claim 12, the pair of inorganic layers (261/262) of KWAK are stacked between a first organic layer (210) of the flexible substrate and a second organic layer (269) of the flexible substrate.
With respect to claim 13, a neutral plane of the second portion of KWAK extends in the signal line (220).
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 1-4 and 7-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KWAK ‘397 in view of KAWAI et al. (US. Patent No. 7,348,492).
With respect to claim 1, KWAK teaches an apparatus substantially as claimed including:
a flexible substrate comprising:
a first area extending along a plane; and
a second area extending from the first area, the second area being bent away from the plane;
an electrode (242/243/244) overlapping the first area; and
a signal line (220) disposed in association with the first area and the second area, the signal line being electrically connected to the electrode,
wherein:
in association with the second area, the signal line (220) is arranged in a stack of organic layers and inorganic layers; and
the stack comprises:
a second organic layer (210);
a first inorganic layer (261) disposed on the second organic layer (210);
the signal line (220) disposed on the first inorganic layer (261);
a second inorganic layer (262) disposed on the signal line (220); and
a third organic layer (269) disposed on the second inorganic layer (262). (See FIG. 2C).
Thus, KWAK is shown to teach all the features of the claim with the exception of explicitly disclosing the stack comprising a first organic layer and a fourth organic layer.
However, KAWAI teaches an apparatus including:
in association with the second area (bend), a signal line is arranged in a stack of organic layers and inorganic layers; and
the stack comprises:
a first organic layer (14);
a second organic layer (16) disposed on the first organic layer (14); and
a fourth organic layer (14) disposed on a third organic layer (16). (See FIGs. 2-3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention was made to form the stack of KWAK further including the first and fourth organic layer as taught by KAWAI to provide for more desirable flexibility.
With respect to claim 2, the flexible substrate of KWAK is formed comprising the second organic layer (210), the first inorganic layer (261), the signal line (220), the second inorganic layer (262), and the third organic layer (269).
With respect to claim 3, the second organic layer (210), the third organic layer (269), and, in view of KAWAI, the fourth organic layer (14) comprise polyimide.
With respect to claim 4, in view of KAWAI, coefficients of thermal expansion of the fourth organic layer (14) and the second organic layer (210) of KWAK are different from one another.
With respect to claim 7, in view of KAWAI, the thicknesses of the first and fourth organic layer (14) can be adjusted in order to improve the flexibility.
Therefore, in view of KAWAI, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention was made to adjust the thickness of the first and fourth organic layer (14) including forming the first organic layer thicker than the fourth organic layer for optimal flexibility.
It is well settled that "[W]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation." In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955) (Claimed process which was performed at a temperature between 40 ºC and 80 ºC and an acid concentration between 25% and 70% was held to be prima facie obvious over a reference process which differed from the claims only in that the reference process was performed at a temperature of 100 ºC and an acid concentration of 10%.); see also Peterson, 315 F.3d at 1330, 65 USPQ2d at 1382 ("The normal desire of scientists or artisans to improve upon what is already generally known provides the motivation to determine where in a disclosed set of percentage ranges is the optimum combination of percentages.").
With respect to claim 8, flexible organic layers of KWAK can be formed utilizing a variety of polymer material including acrylic polymer.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention was made to form the first organic layer and the fourth organic layer of KAWAI, utilizing an acrylate polymer to improve flexibility.
With respect to claim 9, the stack of KWAK, in view of KAWAI, is configured to form a neutral plane.
With respect to claim 10, the neutral plane of the second area (NA) of KWAK extends in the signal line (220).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed December 16, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Applicant asserts:
The assertion that "the 'fourth organic layer' 1305 only formed in the 'second area' (PA") (bending area)" is incorrect.
Paragraph [0128] of the published specification states that "organic layer 1305 may correspond to at least one of passivation layer 625 and pixel definition layer 630." That is, in a non-limiting example, the passivation layer 625 may correspond to the claimed fourth organic layer. According to a non-limiting example, the claimed first area may correspond to the display area DA. Paragraph [0019] of the published specification states that "FIG. 6A is an enlarged view of portion A of the flexible display panel of FIG. 3A." Fig. 3A shows portion A being in the display area DA, and Fig. 6A shows the passivation layer 625 included in portion A. As such, a person of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the passivation layer 625, which may correspond to organic layer 1305, being in the display area DA. Thus, the specification and drawings include written description support for the fourth organic layer (e.g., passivation layer 625/organic layer 1305) overlaps the first area (e.g., display area DA) and the second area (pad area PA).
However, paragraph [0128] states: “similar to organic layer 1109 of FIG. 11, organic layer 1305 may correspond to at least one of passivation layer 625 and pixel definition layer 630. … It is also contemplated that organic layer 1305 may not correspond to a layer of display area DA. In this manner, organic layer 1305 may be formed separately from the structures formed in display area DA of flexible display panel 10. For instance, organic layer 1305 may be formed of an acrylate polymer”.
Therefore, the “fourth organic layer” 1305 may not correspond to a layer of display area DA.
FIG. 11 illustrate other “stack” structure, where the “fourth organic layer” 1109 is formed on inorganic layer 1107.
The limitation of claim 1, however, recites: “fourth organic layer disposed on the third organic layer”.
Paragraph [0127] states:
[0127] According to one or more exemplary embodiments, organic layer 1305 may be disposed on organic layer 603, whereas organic layer 1307 may be disposed on organic layer 601. In this manner, the order of layers in pad area PA″ may be O-O-I-M-I-O-O, with “O” representing an organic layer, “I” representing an inorganic layer, and “M” representing conductive layer SL. In this manner, the order of layers disposed above conductive layer SL may mirror the order of layers disposed below conductive layer SL, but the organic layers and inorganic layers of FIGS. 13-15 do not alternate with one another, unlike the organic layers and inorganic layers of FIGS. 11 and 12.
As shown in FIG. 6A, the organic layer 625, if layer 1305 correspond to layer 625, must be formed on layer 615, inorganic or organic layer, and layer 611, inorganic layer.
Thus the stack is not an O-O-I-M-I-O-O stack as required by claim 1.
Thus, the limitation of claims 5-6 are new matter.
The rejection of Claims 5-6 under 35 U.S.C 112a, is maintained.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
See the rejection above.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Applicant argues:
However, adding two additional organic layers would make the flexible organic light emitting display device 200C of Kwak less flexible, as the two additional layers must also bend along with the exiting structure. Thus, a person of ordinary skill in the art would not modify Kwak in the manner suggested, as the modification would run squarely against the stated motivation of providing more desirable flexibility.
However, Applicant’s argument is not an evidence to the contrary.
Evidence from KAWAI clearly shows that the stack that includes the first and the fourth organic layers, can be bent without destroying the bendable portion.
The limitations are met.
The rejection of claim 1 and all dependent claims are maintained.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/ANH D MAI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893