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 Species 12 - FIG. 31, in the reply filed on 12/01/2025 is acknowledged.
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 1-2, 8-11 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim et al. 20200176520.
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Regarding claim 1, fig. 7 of Kim discloses a display device, comprising:
a display panel including:
a first display area AA (fig. 1) having a plurality of first pixels P; and
a second display (figs. 2 and 7) having a plurality of second pixels P’ and a light-transmission area TH between the second pixels; and
a sensor or an optical element CM under the display panel and overlapping with the second display area of the display panel,
wherein the display panel includes:
a substrate SUB;
a circuit layer (transistor layer with insulating materials) on the substrate and having a buffer layer BUF and a plurality of insulating layers (GI/ILD/PLN); and
a light emitting element layer (ED layer) on the circuit layer, and
wherein the second display area includes a hole TH penetrating the substrate, the buffer layer, and the plurality of insulating layers, and
a glass CG disposed to cover the hole, and
wherein the glass is disposed in the second display area.
Regarding claim 11, fig. 7 of Kim disclose a display device, comprising:
a display panel including:
a first display area AA (fig. 1) having a plurality of first pixels P; and
a second display area (figs. 2 and 7) having a plurality of second pixels P’ and a light-transmission area TH between the second pixels; and
a sensor or an optical element CM under the display panel and overlapping with the second display area of the display panel,
wherein the display panel includes:
a substrate including a low-transmittance area (solid region) and a high-transmittance area having higher light transmissivity (the TH region) than the low-transmittance area in the second display area, the substrate having a hole (portion of TH in SUB) or at least one first groove penetrating at least a bottom surface of the substrate in the high-transmittance area;
a circuit layer (transistor layer) on the substrate; and
a light emitting element layer (ED layer) on the circuit layer.
Regarding claim 17, fig. 7 of Kim discloses display device, comprising:
a display panel including:
a first display area AA having a plurality of first pixels; and
a second display (figs. 2 and 7) having a plurality of second pixels and a light-transmission area TH between the second pixels; and
a sensor or an optical element CM under the display panel and overlapping with the second display area of the display panel,
wherein the display panel includes:
a substrate SUB;
a circuit layer (transistor layer) on the substrate and having a buffer layer BUFF and a plurality of insulating layers (GI/ILD/PLN); and
a light emitting element layer (ED layer) on the circuit layer, and
wherein the second display area includes a hole TH penetrating the buffer layer, and the plurality of insulating layers, and
wherein the substrate has one or more first grooves (portion of TH in SUB) penetrating a bottom surface of the substrate, the one or more first grooves overlapping with the hole.
Regarding claim 2, fig. 7 of Kim discloses further comprising a back plate LE disposed at a bottom surface of the substrate to cover a bottom surface of the glass (par [0136]).
Regarding claims 8 and 16, fig. 7 of Kim discloses wherein the substrate is formed of one single layer.
Regarding claim 9, fig. 7 of Kim discloses wherein the sensor or the optical element is an image sensor or a lens of a camera module.
Regarding claim 10, fig. 2 of Kim discloses wherein a resolution of the second pixels in the second display area is lower than a resolution of the first pixels in the first display area.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 5-6 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim.
Regarding claim 5. Fig. 7 of Kim discloses wherein the hole has a non-tapered cross section with a wider opening at a top of the hole than at a bottom of the hole.
Kim does not disclose wherein the hole has a tapered cross section with a wider opening at a top of the hole than at a bottom of the hole.
In reDailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966) (The court held that the configuration of the claimed disposable plastic nursing container was a matter of choice which a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found obvious absent persuasive evidence that the particular configuration of the claimed container was significant.).
As such it would have been obvious to form a display device comprising wherein the hole has a tapered cross section with a wider opening at a top of the hole than at a bottom of the hole in order to meet applicant design requirement.
Regarding claims 6 and 13, fig. 7 of Kim discloses further comprising a lens plate at the bottom surface of the substrate and the sensor or the optical element CM.
Kim does not disclose that the Lens is a glass.
However, it would have been obvious to form a lens of glass as lens are conventionally formed of glass in order to use prior art technology.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-4, 7, 12, 14-15 and 18-20 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.
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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/VONGSAVANH SENGDARA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893