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 .
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 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.
Status of the application
This office Action is in response to Applicant's Application filled on 09/30/2025. Claims 1-18 are pending for this examination.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed on 07/13/2023.
Oath/Declaration
The oath or declaration filed on 05/23/2023 is acceptable.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election, without traverse species I (claims 1-4 and 8-18), in the “Response to Election / Restriction Filed” filed on 09/30/2025 is acknowledged. This office action considers claims 1-18 are thus pending for prosecution of which, non-elected claims 5-7 are withdrawn, and elected claims1-4 and 8-18 are examined on their merits.
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 1-4 and 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by SEO et al (US 2015/0208521 A1; hereafter SEO).
Regarding claim 1. SEO discloses a display device (Fig. [6-7]) comprising:
a substrate (Fig. [6-7], first substrate 110, Para [ 0070]) including an active area ([6-7], display area DA, Para [ 0055]) and a non-active ([6-7], non-display area NDA, Para [ 0055]) area surrounding the active area (Fig. [6-7], first substrate 110, Para [ 0070]);
a sealing substrate (Fig. [6-7], window body 310, Para [ 0086]) disposed on the substrate (Fig. [6-7], first substrate 110, Para [ 0070]);
an adhesive film (Fig. [6-7], bonding member 500, Para [ 0058]) disposed between the substrate (Fig. [6-7], first substrate 110, Para [ 0055]) and the sealing substrate (Fig. [6-7], window body 310, Para [ 0086]);
a dam (Fig. [6-7], dam member 700, Para [ 0059]) disposed between the substrate (Fig. [6-7], first substrate 110, Para [ 0070]) and the sealing substrate (Fig. [6-7], window body 310, Para [ 0086]) to surround the adhesive film (Fig. [6-7], bonding member 500, Para [ 0058]); and
a lower alignment key (Fig. [6-7], touch panel 150, interpreted as alignment key, Para [ 0082]) disposed between the dam (Fig. [6-7], dam member 700, Para [ 0059]) and the substrate (Fig. [6-7], first substrate 110, Para [ 0070]) to overlap the dam (Fig. [6-7], dam member 700, Para [ 0059]).
Regarding claim 2. SEO disclose the display device according to claim 1, SEO further disclose wherein a top surface of the lower alignment key (Fig. [6-7], touch panel 150, interpreted as alignment key, Para [ 0082]) is in contact with a bottom surface of the dam (Fig. [6-7], dam member 700, Para [ 0059]), and a bottom surface of the lower alignment key (Fig. [6-7], touch panel 150, interpreted as alignment key, Para [ 0082]) is in contact with a top surface of the substrate (Fig. [6-7], first substrate 110, Para [ 0070]).
Regarding claim 3. SEO disclose the display device according to claim 1, SEO further disclose wherein a side surface of the dam (Fig. [6-7], dam member 700, Para [ 0059]) and a side surface of the lower alignment key (Fig. [6-7], touch panel 150, interpreted as alignment key, Para [ 0082]) are disposed on the same plane (Fig. [6-7]).
Regarding claim 4. SEO disclose the display device according to claim 3, SEO further disclose wherein a side surface of the substrate (Fig. [6-7], first substrate 110, Para [ 0070]) and a side surface of the sealing substrate (Fig. [6-7], window body 310, Para [ 0086]) are disposed on the same plane with the side surface of the dam (Fig. [6-7], dam member 700, Para [ 0059]) and the side surface of the lower alignment key (Fig. [6-7], touch panel 150, interpreted as alignment key, Para [ 0082]).
Regarding claim 16. SEO disclose the display device according to claim 1, SEO further disclose wherein a side surface of the lower alignment key is exposed (Fig. [6-7], touch panel 150, interpreted as alignment key, Para [ 0082]).
Regarding claim 17. SEO disclose the display device according to claim 1, SEO further disclose wherein the lower alignment key (Fig. [6-7], touch panel 150, interpreted as alignment key, Para [ 0082]) is disposed to correspond to a corner (at least some portion to a corner) of the sealing substrate (Fig. [6-7], window body 310, Para [ 0086]).
Regarding claim 18. SEO disclose the display device according to claim 1, SEO further disclose further comprising:
an additional alignment key (connecting member 930, Para [ 082], interpreted as additional alignment key) disposed in an area of the substrate (Fig. [6-7], first substrate 110, Para [ 0070]) which does not overlap the sealing substrate (Fig. [6-7], window body 310, Para [ 0086]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-15 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is the Examiner's Reasons for Allowance:
The prior art fails to disclose and would not have rendered obvious:
Regarding claim 8. a pad part disposed on one side of the non-active area, wherein the dam includes a first dam disposed in the non- active area between the active area and the pad part, and a second dam connected to one side and the other side of the first dam and surrounding the active area.
Claims 9-15 are objected based on the dependency of claim 8.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOIN M RAHMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-5002. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30-5:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Julio Maldonado can be reached at 571-272-1864. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MOIN M RAHMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898