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 .
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 6 and 14 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.
► With respect to claims 6 and 14, it is not clear how wherein any two adjacent repeating units are arranged in an axisymmetric manner (see fig 10 of present application for details)
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, 4, 8, 9, 12 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Gu et al [CN-115113428]
► With respect to claim 1, Gu et al (fig 3, whole text & abstract) discloses the claimed pixel structure comprising:
a plurality of repeating units (30) arranged in an array; wherein an outer contour of each repeating unit is a rectangle; each repeating unit comprises four pixel units, and each pixel unit comprises a first sub-pixel (B), a second sub-pixel(R), and a third sub-pixel (32) that are adjacent to each other; an outer contour of each pixel unit is a rectangle; a shape of each of the first sub-pixel, the second sub-pixel, and the third sub-pixel is a polygon;
the four first sub-pixels (B) are arranged around a center of the repeating unit; an outer contour of the four first sub-pixels comprises a first edge, a second edge, a third edge, and a fourth edge, the first edge being disposed opposite to the third edge and the second edge being disposed opposite to the fourth edge;
each of the first edge, the second edge, the third edge, and the fourth edge is arranged with a corresponding second sub-pixel and a corresponding third sub-pixel, and the area of the first sub- pixel is greater than the area of the second sub-pixel, and the area of the first sub-pixel is greater than the area of the third sub-pixel;
a color of the first sub-pixel is one of red, green, and blue; a color of the second sub-pixel is an another one of red, green, and blue; and a color of the third sub-pixel is the remaining one of red, green, and blue;
the four pixel units are a first pixel unit (31), a second pixel unit (34), a third pixel unit (32), and a fourth pixel unit (33); the second pixel unit is formed by rotating the first pixel unit 90 degrees clockwise around the center of the repeating unit, and the fourth pixel unit is formed by rotating the first pixel unit 180 degrees clockwise around the center of the repeating unit, and the third pixel unit is formed by rotating the first pixel unit 270 degrees clockwise around the center of the repeating unit.
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► With respect to claim 9, Gu et al ( fig 3 above, whole text & abstract) discloses the claimed display panel comprising a pixel layout structure, wherein the pixel layout structure comprises:
a plurality of repeating units (30) arranged in an array; wherein an outer contour of each repeating unit is a rectangle; each repeating unit comprises four pixel units, and each pixel unit comprises a first sub-pixel (B), a second sub-pixel (R), and a third sub-pixel (G) that are adjacent to each other; an outer contour of each pixel unit is a rectangle; a shape of each of the first sub-pixel, the second sub-pixel, and the third sub-pixel is a polygon;
the four first sub-pixels are arranged around a center of the repeating unit; an outer contour of the four first sub-pixels comprises a first edge, a second edge, a third edge, and a fourth edge, the first edge being disposed opposite to the third edge and the second edge being disposed opposite to the fourth edge;
each of the first edge, the second edge, the third edge, and the fourth edge is arranged with a corresponding second sub-pixel and a corresponding third sub-pixel, and the area of the first sub- pixel is greater than the area of the second sub-pixel, and the area of the first sub-pixel is greater than the area of the third sub-pixel;
a color of the first sub-pixel is one of red, green, and blue (B); a color of the second sub-pixel is an another one of red, green, and blue (R); and a color of the third sub-pixel is the remaining one of red, green, and blue (G);
the four pixel units are a first pixel unit (31), a second pixel unit (34), a third pixel unit (33), and a fourth pixel unit (32); the second pixel unit is formed by rotating the first pixel unit 90 degrees clockwise around the center of the repeating unit, and the fourth pixel unit is formed by rotating the first pixel unit 180 degrees clockwise around the center of the repeating unit, and the third pixel unit is formed by rotating the first pixel unit 270 degrees clockwise around the center of the repeating unit.
► With respect to claims 4 and 12, Gu et al discloses wherein the first sub-pixel has a rectangular shape, the second sub-pixel has a right-angle trapezoid shape, and the third sub- pixel has a right-angle trapezoid shape; or the first sub-pixel has a right triangle shape, the second sub-pixel has a right triangle shape, and the third sub-pixel has a right triangle shape.
► With respect to claims 8 and 16, Gu et al discloses the four first sub-pixels of the repeating unit are arranged adjacent to each other and in a rectangular shape; and/or, for any two adjacent repeating units, which are a repeating unit A and a repeating unit B, a side of the repeating unit A faces and is adjacent to a side of the repeating unit B, and a sub-pixel on the side of the repeating unit A and a sub-pixel on the side of the repeating unit B are in same colors and are arranged adjacent to each other.
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 5 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gu et al [CN-115113428] in view of Liu et al [WO 2019/153949]
► With respect to claim 5 and 13, Gu et al substantially discloses the claimed pixel layout structure wherein the second sub-pixel has a right-angle trapezoid shape, and the third sub-pixel has a right-angle trapezoid shape.
Wu et al does not expressly teach an acute corner of each right-angled trapezoid is corner-cut.
However, Lin et al (figs 7A & 7B) teaches using a sub-pixel of right-angled trapezoid shape with acute corner can be either corner-cut or without corner-cut.
Therefore, it would have been obvious for those skilled in the art, in view of Lin et al, to have the shapes of the second and third sub-pixels with the acute corners being cut as being claimed in the pixel layout structure of Gu et al to provide designed sub-pixel shapes as being need in the pixel layout structure of display panel.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1, 4-6, 8-9, 12-14 and 16 have been considered but are moot in new ground of rejection.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THANHHA S PHAM whose telephone number is (571)272-1696. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
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/THANHHA S PHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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