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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 9-11 and 15 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 11/24/2025 is acknowledged.
After further consideration, the applicant argument is persuasive that Species 1 (FIG. 8A) and Species 2 (FIG. 8B) are sectional views taken along lines IV- IV' and V-V'. respectively, of the structure illustrated in FIG. 6. These figures represent different cross-sectional views of a single embodiment rather than distinct or mutually exclusive species. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter of FIGS. 8A and 8B pertains to the same inventive concept and structure, and does not recite mutually exclusive characteristics as asserted in the Restriction Requirement.
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 1-8, 12-14, and 16-20 are 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.
Claims 1 and 17 recites “the pixel circuit” lacks antecedent basis.
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.
Claims 1-4, 6, 8, 12-14, 16-18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee et al. 20220077271.
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Regarding claim 1, figs. 1 and 7A-7B of Lee discloses a display panel comprising:
a substrate comprising a central area FDA/SDA(1,2,3,4) and a corner area (CDA/MDA) extending from a corner of the central area;
a pixel circuit (figs. 3A/6A) disposed in the central area and a display element OLED connected to the pixel circuit;
a voltage supply line (as labeled by examiner above - fig. 7A) which is disposed in the corner area and supplies a voltage to one electrode of the display element (fig. 7A of shows the voltage supply line is connected to WL2 and par [0174] discloses that the second wiring WL2 may transfer a scan signal or an emission control signal to at least one of the first side display area SDA1, the second side display area SDA2, and the front display area FDA, scan signal which is voltage is transfer to transistor and then to pixel electrode); and
a driving circuit GDC (fig. 7A) which is disposed in the corner area and supplies an electrical signal to the pixel circuit – see GDC is connected to WL2),
wherein the driving circuit GDC is spaced apart from the central area with the voltage supply line therebetween (see fig. 7A).
Regarding claim 17, figs. 1, 7A-7B and 8A-9 of Lee discloses a display panel comprising:
a substrate comprising a central area FDA/SDA(1,2,3,4) and a corner area (CDA/MDA) extending from a corner of the central area, wherein the corner area comprises a first corner area MDA adjacent to the central area and a second corner area CDA outside the first corner area;
a pixel circuit (figs. 3A/6A) disposed in the central area and a display element connected to the pixel circuit;
a voltage supply line (as labeled by examiner above - fig. 7A) which is disposed in the corner area and supplies a voltage to one electrode of the pixel circuit (fig. 7A of shows the voltage supply line as labeled by examiner is connected to WL2 and par [0174] discloses that the second wiring WL2 may transfer a scan signal or an emission control signal to at least one of the first side display area SDA1, the second side display area SDA2, and the front display area FDA, scan signal which is voltage is transfer to transistor which is part of the pixel circuit);
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a driving circuit BL (connected to LWL2) which is disposed in the second corner area (CDA - fig. 9 above) and supplies an electrical signal to the pixel circuit PC; and
an input line LWL2 which is disposed outside the voltage supply line in the corner area and transmits a signal to the driving circuit BL (see fig. 8 showing LWL2 is connected to BL).
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Regarding claim 2, figs. 7A/8A (as labeled by examiner above) of Lee disclose wherein the corner area comprises a first corner area adjacent to the central area and a second corner area outside the first corner area, wherein the voltage supply line is disposed in the first corner area, and the driving circuit is disposed in the second corner area.
Regarding claim 3, fig. 9 of Lee discloses further comprising a thin-film encapsulation layer disposed on the display element, wherein the thin-film encapsulation layer comprises a first inorganic encapsulation layer, an organic encapsulation layer on the first inorganic encapsulation layer, and a second inorganic encapsulation layer on the organic encapsulation layer.
Regarding claim 4, fig. 9 of Lee disclose wherein the first inorganic encapsulation layer and the second inorganic encapsulation layer contact each other in the first corner area and the second corner area.
Regarding claim 6, fig. 9 of Lee discloses wherein, in a cross-sectional view, the first inorganic encapsulation layer and the second inorganic encapsulation layer are spaced apart from each other in a portion of the first corner area.
Regarding claim 8, fig. 8A of Lee discloses wherein the second corner area comprises a plurality of extending areas DL1-DL3, and the driving circuit comprises a plurality of sub-driving circuits (portions between DL1-DL3), wherein at least one of the plurality of sub-driving circuits is disposed in each of the plurality of extending areas.
Regarding claim 12, fig. 9 of Lee discloses further comprising: a first input line UWL1 disposed in the first corner area; a second input line SL1-2 disposed in the second corner area and connected to the driving circuit; and a third input line BL connecting the first input line to the second input line.
Regarding claim 13, figs. 7A-8A of Lee discloses wherein each of the first input line, the second input line, and the third input line is spaced apart from the central area with the voltage supply line therebetween.
Regarding claim 14, fig. 9 of Lee discloses wherein the first input line is disposed in a same layer as the second input line and is disposed in a different layer from the third input line BL.
Regarding claim 16, fig. 9 of Lee discloses further comprising a crack-preventing dam DP disposed at an end of the corner area.
Regarding claim 18, fig. 9 of Lee discloses further comprising a thin-film encapsulation layer TFE comprising a first inorganic encapsulation layer disposed on the display element, an organic encapsulation layer on the first inorganic encapsulation layer, and a second inorganic encapsulation layer on the organic encapsulation layer, wherein the organic encapsulation layer is disposed in the central area and the corner area, and does not overlap the driving circuit LWL2.
Regarding claim 20 (see rejection of claim 8 above), Lee discloses wherein the second corner area comprises a plurality of extending areas, and the driving circuit comprises a plurality of sub-driving circuits, wherein at least one of the plurality of sub-driving circuits is disposed in each of the plurality of extending areas.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 7 and 19 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VONGSAVANH SENGDARA whose telephone number is (571)270-5770. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-6PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, PURVIS A. Sue can be reached on (571)272-1236. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/VONGSAVANH SENGDARA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893