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 § 102
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lee et al. (US 2023/0130999).
Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses a display apparatus (Figs. 1A, 3, 4AA, 8; Paragraph [0093, 0118]) comprising: a display panel comprising a central area (FDA; Paragraph [0062]); and a corner area in a corner of the central area, the corner area comprising a plurality of extension areas each extending in a direction away from the central area (BNP; Paragraph [0106]), and a separation area between the plurality of extension areas (PNP; Paragraph [0106]); and a resin layer disposed on the display panel, the resin layer comprising a plurality of resin layer extension areas respectively overlapping the plurality of extension areas (PF; Paragraph [0134-0135]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-10 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.
Specifically, with regard to claim 2, the requirement wherein the resin layer has a modulus of about 0.8 gigapascal or more and about 1.5 gigapascals or less is not taught or suggested by the prior art of record.
Specifically, with regard to claim 3, the requirement wherein the display panel further comprises first corner dams respectively at opposite end portions of each of the plurality of extension areas in a width direction of an extension area of the plurality of extension areas, and the resin layer is between the first corner dams is not taught or suggested by the prior art of record.
Claims 4-7 are objected to based on their dependence from claim 3.
Specifically, with regard to claim 8, the requirement wherein a thickness of the resin layer is about 70 micrometers or more and about 110 micrometers or less is not taught or suggested by the prior art of record.
Specifically, with regard to claim 9, the requirement wherein the resin layer comprises a transparent material is not taught or suggested by the prior art of record.
Specifically, with regard to claim 10, the requirement wherein a cover window disposed on the resin layer; and an adhesive layer between the resin layer and the cover window, wherein the cover window and the adhesive layer overlap the separation area, and the resin layer does not overlap the separation area is not taught or suggested by the prior art of record.
Claims 11-20 are allowed.
Regarding independent claim 11, the references of the Prior Art of record fail to teach or suggest the combination of the limitations as set forth in claim 11, and specifically comprising the limitation wherein a method of manufacturing a display apparatus comprises corner area arranged in a corner of the central area and comprising a plurality of extension areas each extending in a direction away from the central area; forming a display element on the substrate; forming an encapsulation layer to cover the display element; and forming a resin layer having a modulus of about 0.8 gigapascal or more and about 1.5 gigapascals or less on the encapsulation layer.
Regarding claims 12-20, claims 12-20 are allowable for the reasons given in claim 11 because of their dependency status from claim 11.
Other Prior Art Cited
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
Kim et al. (US 2021/0127517) teaches a display with resin layer and corner area structure, though fails to teach the specific requirements of the independent claims.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANNE M HINES whose telephone number is (571)272-2285. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 8:00-4:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James Greece, can be reached on 571-272-3711. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Anne M Hines/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2879