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 .
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 8 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.
Specifically in claim 8, at lines 1-2, the phrase “the at least one inorganic functional layer” lacks antecedent basis in the claims; there is no antecedent basis for the function layer being inorganic. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 7, 9, 11-12, and 14-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Cao et al. (US 2021/0226175).
Regarding claim 1, Cao discloses a display substrate (Figs. 2 & 7), comprising: a base (01; Paragraph [0051]); a plurality of light-emitting units on a side of the base (03; Paragraph [0052]); a flat light-shielding functional layer, comprising a black matrix (05; Paragraph [0054]) and a first planarization layer (04; Paragraph [0054]), on a side of the plurality of light-emitting units away from the base, a plurality of light outgoing openings being provided in the black matrix and being in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of light-emitting units, and the first planarization layer at least filling the plurality of light outgoing openings (Fig. 2, 03 & 04); and a color filter layer, comprising a plurality of color filter patterns in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of light outgoing openings, on a side of the flat light-shielding functional layer away from the base, an orthographic projection of each of the plurality of color filter patterns on the base covering an orthographic projection of the light outgoing opening corresponding to the color filter pattern on the base (06; Paragraph [0054]).
Regarding claim 2, Cao further discloses wherein a minimum thickness of the flat light-shielding functional layer in a direction perpendicular to the base is Hmin, a maximum thickness of the flat light-shielding functional layer in the direction perpendicular to the base is Hmax, and Hmin/Hmax>0.95 (Fig. 2, 06; Paragraphs [0047-0054]).
Regarding claim 3, Cao further discloses wherein a surface of the flat light-shielding functional layer away from the base is substantially flat (Fig. 2, 06; Paragraphs [0047-0054].
Regarding claim 4, Cao further discloses wherein the first planarization layer is in the plurality of light outgoing openings, and a surface of the first planarization layer away from the base is substantially flush with a surface of the black matrix away from the base (Fig. 2, 04 & 05; Paragraph [0054]).
Regarding claim 5, Cao further discloses wherein the first planarization layer comprises first portions in the plurality of light outgoing openings (Fig. 7, portion of 04 between elements 05) and a second portion on a side of the black matrix away from the base, the second portion completely covers the first portions and the black matrix, and a surface of the second portion away from the base is substantially flat (Fig. 7, portion of 04 above elements 05).
Regarding claim 7, Cao further discloses wherein the flat light-shielding functional layer further comprises at least one inorganic functional layer made of an inorganic material; and for any one inorganic functional layer, the inorganic functional layer is on a side of the first planarization layer away from the black matrix or on a side of the first planarization layer close to the black matrix (0081; Paragraph [0071]).
Regarding claim 9, Cao further discloses wherein the first planarization layer is made of an organic insulating material (Paragraph [0062]).
Regarding claim 11, Cao further discloses wherein the plurality of color filter patterns comprises a first color filter pattern, a second color filter pattern, and a third color filter pattern; and a surface of the first color filter pattern close to the base, a surface of the second color filter pattern close to the base and a surface of the third color filter pattern close to the base are substantially on a same plane (Fig. 3, 06; Paragraph [0054]).
Regarding claim 12, Cao further discloses wherein for the first color filter pattern, the second color filter pattern, and the third color filter pattern, a first one is a red filter pattern, a second one is a green filter pattern, and a third one is a blue filter pattern (Paragraph [0086]).
Regarding claim 14, Cao further discloses an encapsulation layer between the plurality of light-emitting units and the flat light-shielding functional layer (02; Paragraph [0053]).
Regarding claim 15, Cao further discloses a touch functional layer between the encapsulation layer and the flat light-shielding functional layer (08; Paragraph [0061]).
Regarding claim 16, Cao further discloses a display panel, comprising: the display substrate according to claim 1 (Paragraph [0002]).
Regarding claim 17, Cao further discloses a display apparatus, comprising: the display panel according to claim 16 (Paragraph [0002]).
Regarding claim 18, Cao further discloses a method for manufacturing the display substrate (Figs. 2 & 7) according to claim 1, the method comprising forming a plurality of light-emitting units (03; Paragraph [0052]) on a side of a base (01; Paragraph [0051]); forming a flat light-shielding functional layer on a side of the plurality of light-emitting units away from the base, the flat light-shielding functional layer comprising a black matrix (05; Paragraph [0054]) and a first planarization layer (04; Paragraph [0054]), the black matrix being provided therein with a plurality of light outgoing openings in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of light-emitting units, and the first planarization layer at least filling the plurality of light outgoing openings (Fig. 2, 03 & 04); and forming a color filter layer on a side of the flat light-shielding functional layer away from the base, the color filter layer comprising a plurality of color filter patterns in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of light outgoing openings, an orthographic projection of each color filter pattern on the base completely covering an orthographic projection of the light outgoing opening corresponding to the color filter pattern on the base (06; Paragraph [0054]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6, 10, and 13 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.
Specifically, in claim 6, the requirement that for any one color filter pattern, a width b of the color filter pattern in a preset direction parallel to the base satisfies: b>[(hl+h2)/(h2+h3)] *a+[(hl+2*h2+h3)/(h2+h3)] *c, where c is a width of the light outgoing opening corresponding to the color filter pattern in the preset direction; a is a width of the light-emitting unit corresponding to the color filter pattern in the preset direction, hi is a distance between a plane where a surface of the color filter pattern close to the base is located and a plane where a surface of the black matrix close to the base is located, h2 is a distance between a plane where a surface of the light-emitting unit corresponding to the color filter pattern away from the base is located and a plane where the surface of the black matrix close to the base is located, and h3 is a thickness of the black matrix in a direction perpendicular to the base is not taught or suggested by the prior art of record.
Specifically, in claim 10, the requirement that a transmittance p of the first planarization layer for visible light satisfies: p>50% is not taught or suggested by the prior art of record.
Specifically, in claim 13, the requirement that the plurality of color filter patterns are made of amorphous silicon is not taught or suggested by the prior art of record.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANNE M HINES whose telephone number is (571)272-2285. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 8:00-4:30.
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 on 571-272-3711. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Anne M Hines/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2879