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
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-11, in the reply filed on 24 November 2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 12-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 24 November 2025.
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 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Hyun (US 2022/0123256).
Regarding independent claim 1, Hyun teaches a display device (Fig. 2, Element 100; ¶ [0055]) comprising a display panel (Fig. 2, Element 10; ¶ [0055]) including a front area (Fig. 1, Element A1; ¶ [0050]), side areas (Fig. 1, Element A2; ¶ [0050]) disposed around the front area, and corner areas (Fig. 1, Element A3; ¶ [0050]) respectively disposed between two adjacent side areas among the side areas, wherein the display panel includes a flat surface in the front area and a curved surface in the side areas and the corner areas (¶ [0050]); and a first resin layer (Fig. 4, Element BL2; ¶ [0070]) disposed under the display panel and partially overlapping the corner areas (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 2, Hyun teaches the first resin layer including a first surface disposed along a portion of an edge of the display device in a plan view (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 3, Hyun teaches the first resin layer having a shape surrounded by the first surface, a second surface extending from the first surface in a first direction, a third surface extending from the first surface in a second direction crossing the first direction, and a fourth surface connecting the second surface and the third surface in a plan view (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 4, Hyun teaches the fourth surface as a curved surface (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 5, Hyun teaches a second resin layer (Fig. 4, Element BL1; ¶ [0070]) disposed under the first resin layer.
Regarding claim 6, Hyun teaches a protective film (Fig. 4, Element BR; ¶ [0071]) disposed between the first resin layer and the display panel.
Regarding claim 7, Hyun teaches a first adhesive layer (Fig. 4, Element BF; ¶ [0071]) disposed between the display panel and the protective film.
Regarding claim 8, Hyun teaches a second adhesive layer (Fig. 2, Element 30; ¶ [0055]) disposed on the display panel; and a cover window (Fig. 2, Element 20; ¶ [0055]) disposed on the second adhesive layer.
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 9-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hyun (US 2022/0123256).
Regarding claim 9, Hyun teaches the limitations of independent claim 1 discussed earlier but fails to exemplify the first resin layer having a modulus of about 0.2 MPa or greater and about 1 GPa or less.
It would have been an obvious choice of design to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the resin layer of Hyun with a modulus of about 0.2 MPa or greater and about 1 GPa or less, since where 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 (MPEP § 2144.05(II)(A)).
Regarding claim 10, Hyun teaches the limitations of independent claim 1 discussed earlier but fails to exemplify the first resin layer having a viscosity of about 300 cps or greater and about 1,000,000 cps or less.
It would have been an obvious choice of design to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the resin layer of Hyun with a viscosity of about 300 cps or greater and about 1,000,000 cps or less, since where 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 (MPEP § 2144.05(II)(A)).
Regarding claim 11, Hyun teaches the limitations of independent claim 1 discussed earlier but fails to exemplify a thickness of the first resin layer being about 20 pm or greater and about 500 pm or less.
It would have been an obvious choice of design to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the resin layer of Hyun with a thickness being about 20 pm or greater and about 500 pm or less, since where 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 (MPEP § 2144.05(II)(A)).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Hyung (US 11,785,795) teaches a display device including a protective layer below the substrate. Kim (US 2022/0199920) teaches a display panel including a penetrating portion.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kevin Quarterman whose telephone number is (571)272-2461. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 10am-6pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James Greece can be reached at (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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/Kevin Quarterman/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875 7 March 2026