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 Species 5, FIG. 12. Claims 1-4, 11-13, 24, and 29 in the reply filed on 12/24/2025 is acknowledged. Claims 5-9, 14-17, and 19 are withdrawn as being directed to non-elected subject matter. In addition, claim 10 depends on claim 9 is withdrawn as being directed to non-elected subject matter.
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.
Claim 24 is 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.
Claim 24 lines 10-11 and 16-17 recite “a region having transistors and capacitors of one or more pixel driving circuits of the respective island” is unclear and indefinite if the two recitations are referring to one and the same or not. As such the claim is unclear and indefinite.
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 and 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Park et al. 20170278920.
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Regarding claim 1, figs. 1-19 of Park discloses a display substrate, comprising a plurality of islands 101 and a plurality of bridges 102 connecting the plurality of islands;
wherein the display substrate comprises a signal line DL;
wherein the signal line comprises: a first bridge connecting line (as labeled by examiner above) at least partially in a first bridge of the plurality of bridges;
a second bridge connecting line (as labeled by examiner above) at least partially in a second bridge of the plurality of bridges; and
a connecting structure (as labeled by examiner above) at least partially in a respective island of the plurality of islands, connecting the first bridge connecting line with the second bridge connecting line;
wherein at least a portion of the connecting structure is in a layer different 300 (which is one island – see figs. 3-8 showing 300 on island only) from the first bridge connecting line or the second bridge connecting line.
Regarding claim 2, fig. 1 of Park discloses wherein the first bridge connecting line connects the connecting structure with a connecting structure in an adjacent island of the plurality of islands in a first adjacent column and in a same row; and the second bridge connecting line connects the connecting structure with a connecting structure in an adjacent island of the plurality of islands in a second adjacent column and in a same row.
Regarding claim 3, fig. 1 of Park discloses wherein the first bridge connecting line connects the connecting structure with a connecting structure in an adjacent island of the plurality of islands in a first adjacent row and in a same column; and the second bridge connecting line connects the connecting structure with a connecting structure in an adjacent island of the plurality of islands in a second adjacent row and in a same column.
Regarding claim 4, fig. 15 of Park discloses wherein at least the portion of the connecting structure is in a first conductive layer (DL); and the first bridge connecting line and the second bridge connecting line are in a first signal line layer spaced apart from the first conductive layer by one or more insulating layers 310 (which has 3 layers).
Regarding claim 11, fig. 15 of Park discloses wherein at least the portion of the connecting structure is in a second conductive layer DL; and the first bridge connecting line and the second bridge connecting line are in a second signal line layer spaced apart from a first conductive layer by one or more insulating layers 310 (which has 3 layers).
Regarding claim 12, Park discloses comprising a plurality of reset signal lines (ELVDD and ELVSS are reset signal lines as turning on and off reset the display);
wherein the signal line is a respective reset signal line of the plurality of reset signal lines (DL need power from ELVDD);
the first bridge connecting line is a first bridge reset signal line (first portion of DL line); and
the second bridge connecting line is a second bridge reset signal line (second portion of DL line);
wherein the connecting structure comprises:
a first reset signal branch line (the bending branch in fig. 15) connected to the first bridge reset signal line;
a second reset signal branch line (the other bending branch in fig. 15) connected to the second bridge reset signal line; and
one or more first reset signal connecting lines connecting the first reset signal branch line with the second reset signal branch line (they are all connected to ELVDD and ELVSS).
Regarding claim 13, Park discloses wherein the first reset signal branch line and the second reset signal branch line are in the second conductive layer (the connecting current of ELVDD and ELVSS are in); and the one or more first reset signal connecting lines are in a first signal line layer (the current lines are in).
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.
Claim 24 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park in view of Park et al. 20210005700 (Park700).
Regarding claim 24, figs. 1-19 of Park discloses a display substrate, comprising a plurality of islands 101 and a plurality of bridges 102 connecting the plurality of islands;
wherein the display substrate comprises:
a base substrate 101;
a planarization layer 209;
an encapsulating layer (see figs. 11-12 - 310 and D combination) on a side of the planarization layer away from the base substrate; and
one or more first grooves T (see figs. 5-7 - trenches surround 4 sides island 101) of in a respective island 101 of the plurality of islands, the one or more first grooves at least partially extending into the planarization layer; and
a respective first groove of the one or more first grooves substantially surrounds a region of the respective island;
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wherein the encapsulating layer comprises one or more first pillars (as labeled by examiner above);
a respective first pillar of the one or more first pillars extends into the respective first groove; and
the respective first pillar substantially surrounds a region of the respective island (as labeled by examiner above).
Park does not disclose that the region having transistors and capacitors of one or more pixel driving circuits.
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However, Park700 discloses a similar invention a pixel circuit region having transistors and capacitors of one or more pixel driving circuits of an island.
Note to form an island having different color OLEDs requires having transistors and capacitors of one or more pixel driving circuits on the island.
As such it would have been obvious to form a display substrate of Park comprising wherein the region having transistors and capacitors of one or more pixel driving circuits of the respective island such as taught by Park700 in order to form different color sub-pixels on the respective island.
The resulting structure would have been one wherein the respective first pillar substantially surrounds a region having transistors and capacitors of one or more pixel driving circuits of the respective of the respective island.
Claim 29 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park in view of Park
Regarding claim 29, Park discloses claim 1, but does not disclose of one or more integrated circuits connected to the display substrate. However, Park disclose of scan line and data line which would require scan driver and data driver.
As such it would have been obvious to form a display substrate of Park further comprising one or more integrated circuits connected to the display substrate in order for drivers integrated circuit to provide require signals.
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