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 .
This Office Action is in response to the election filed November 19, 2025.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of claims 1-3, 5-17 and 21 in the reply filed on November 19, 2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that a single search can cover all inventions and species without placing a serious burden on the examiner. This is not found persuasive because the inventions have acquired a separate status in the art in view of their different classification and would require a different knowledge base and/or a different thought processes for a search therefore, restriction for examination purposes as indicated is proper.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: DISPLAY PANEL INCLUDING ISOLATION COLUMNS.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 9-10 and 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Li et al. (US 2020/0280021 A1).
In regard to claim 1, Li et al. teach a display panel (Figure 2), having a display region, at least one opening region 5, and an opening peripheral region (See Figure 2) located between the opening region 5 and the display region, wherein the opening peripheral region surrounds the opening region 5, and the opening peripheral region includes a first isolation region (at 30) surrounding the opening region 5; the display panel comprising: a substrate 1 having an opening in the opening region 5; a driving circuit layer 2 disposed on a side of the substrate 1, wherein the driving circuit layer 2 includes at least one insulating layer 11, and the at least one insulating layer 11 is located in the display region and the opening peripheral region (See Figure 4); and a plurality of first isolation columns 40 disposed on a side of the at least one insulating layer 3 away from the substrate 1, wherein the plurality of first isolation columns 40 are located in the first isolation region (at 30), each first isolation column surrounds the opening region 5, and the plurality of first isolation columns 40 are arranged at intervals in a radial direction of the opening region 5; wherein a portion of the at least one insulating layer located between at least two adjacent first isolation columns 40 is provided therein with a groove, and the groove surrounds the opening region 5; and the groove (at 50) is filled with a filling layer 50, and the filling layer 50 is made of an organic material 56 (Figure 1-2 and 4, pages 2-5, paragraphs [0026]-[0085]).
In regard to claim 9, Li et al. teach the opening peripheral region further includes a first encapsulation dam region 10 and a second isolation region (at 10); the first encapsulation dam region 10 is located between the first isolation region (at 30) and the display region, and surrounds the first isolation region (at 30); the second isolation region (at 10) is located between the first encapsulation dam region 10 and the display region, and surrounds the first encapsulation dam region 10; the first encapsulation dam region 10 is provided therein with at least one first encapsulation dam 10, the at least one first encapsulation dam 10 surrounds the opening region 5, and the at least one first encapsulation dam 10 is disposed on the side of the at least one insulating layer 11 away from the substrate 1; and the second isolation region (at 10) is further provided therein with a plurality of second isolation columns 30, each second isolation column 30 surrounds the opening region 5, and the plurality of second isolation columns 30 are arranged at intervals in the radial direction of the opening region 5 (Figure 1-2 and 4, pages 2-5, paragraphs [0026]-[0085]).
In regard to claim 10, Li et al. teach a portion of the at least one insulating layer 11 between two adjacent second isolation columns 30 provided therein with a depression portion (Figure 1-2 and 4, pages 2-5, paragraphs [0026]-[0085]).
In regard to claim 21, Li et al. teach a display device, comprising the display panel according to claim 1 (Figure 1-2 and 4, pages 2-5, paragraphs [0026]-[0085]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2, 7 and 11 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.
Claims 3, 5-6 and 8 are objected to as being dependent upon objected claim 2.
Claims 12-17 are objected to as being dependent upon objected claim 11.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The following patents are cited to further show the state of the art with respect to display devices:
Shi (US 2020/0203660 A1) Sun et al. (US 2021/0159456 A1)
Yang et al. (CN 113745269 A) Zhou et al. (WO 2021203917 A1).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to IDA M SOWARD whose telephone number is (571)272-1845. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday, 7am to 5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Chang Leonard can be reached on 571-570-3691. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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IMS
January 27, 2026
/IDA M SOWARD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898