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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 7-11, filed 01/15/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-20 under 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Chung (US 20170062408 A1) for claim 17.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 17, 18, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oh et al. (US 20210265450 A1) in view of Chung (US 20170062408 A1).
Regarding claim 17, Oh discloses a display device comprising:
a pixel array (PX) in a display area (DA); ([0062], Fig. 1)
a fan-out wiring (FL) in a peripheral area (PA1) adjacent to the display area (DA), and in a sealing area (SA) surrounding the display area (DA), and comprising a first fan-out line (FL1), a second fan-out line (FL2), a third fan-out line (FL3), and a fourth fan-out line (FL4) that extend in a first direction (x-direction), that are configured to transmit data signals to data lines (DL), (per [0097]) and that are alternately arranged in a second direction (y-direction) crossing the first direction (x-direction) in the sealing area (SA); (Fig. 1 and 4)
a transmission wiring (PTL) that is in the sealing area (SA)
and a sealing member (SM) in the sealing area (SA). ([0106], Fig. 5)
Oh does not disclose:
and comprises a first transmission wiring extending in the first direction and between the first fan-out line and the second fan-out line when viewed in a plan view, and a second transmission wiring between the third fan-out line and the fourth fan-out line when viewed in plan view, the first transmission wiring and the second transmission wiring being configured to transmit a driving signal or power to power lines;
However, Chung discloses:
and comprises a first transmission wiring (124) extending in the first direction (Chung’s second direction) and between the first fan-out line (annotate below) and the second fan-out line (annotated below) when viewed in a plan view (Fig. 6), and a second transmission wiring (144) between the third fan-out line (annotated below) and the fourth fan-out line (annotated below) when viewed in plan view, the first transmission wiring (124) and the second transmission wiring (144) being configured to transmit a driving signal or power to power lines; ([0007], Fig. 6)
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It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date to combine the teachings of Oh and Chung for a first transmission wiring extending in the first direction and between the first fan-out line and the second fan-out line when viewed in a plan view, and a second transmission wiring between the third fan-out line and the fourth fan-out line when viewed in plan view, the first transmission wiring and the second transmission wiring being configured to transmit a driving signal or power to power lines so that “heat and deterioration at the fan-out area FO or the inlets of the display panel may be reduced. Thus, reliability of the display device may be improved.” (Chung, [0116])
Regarding claim 18, Oh discloses the display device of claim 17, wherein the first fan-out line (FL1) and the third fan-out line are at a first layer (140), and wherein the second fan-out line (FL2) and the fourth fan-out line (FL4) are at a second layer (160). (Fig. 4)
Oh does not explicitly disclose the third fan-out line being the first layer however, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date through rearrangement of parts to put the another fanout layer in the first layer since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70, “In order to reduce a bezel of the display device, an area where the transfer wiring may be disposed may be preferably reduced.” (Oh, [0004]).
Regarding claim 20, Oh discloses the display device of claim 17, wherein a spacing distance between the second fan-out line (FL2) and the third fan-out line (FL3) in the second direction (y-direction) in the sealing area (SA) in plan view is less than a spacing distance between the first fan-out line (FL1) and the second fan-out line (FL2) in the second direction (y-direction) in the sealing area (SA in Fig. 3) in plan view and is less than a spacing distance between the third fan-out line (FL3) and the fourth fan-out line (FL4) in the second direction (y-direction) in the sealing area (SA) in plan view. ([0020], Fig. 4)
Oh does not explicitly disclose that the spacing between the second fanout line and third fanout line in the second direction is less than the spacing between the third fanout line and fourth fanout line in the second direction, however, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date to choose a desired spacing through routine experimentation per MPEP 2144.04, “In order to reduce a bezel of the display device, an area where the transfer wiring may be disposed may be preferably reduced.” (Oh, [0004]).
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oh et al. (US 20210265450 A1) as applied to claim 18 above, and further in view of Youn et al. (US 20210159298 A1).
Regarding claim 19, Oh discloses the display device of claim 18. Oh does not disclose wherein
the first transmission wiring comprises a first transmission line at the first layer, and a second transmission line at the second layer and electrically connected to the first transmission line, and wherein
the second transmission wiring comprises a third transmission line at the first layer, and a fourth transmission line at the second layer and electrically connected to the third transmission line.
However, Youn discloses:
the first transmission wiring (42 and 41) comprises a first transmission line (42) at the first layer (130), and a second transmission line (41) at the second layer (170) and electrically connected to the first transmission line (42), and wherein
the second transmission wiring (44 and 43) comprises a third transmission line (44) at the first layer (130), and a fourth transmission line (43) at the second layer (170) and electrically connected to the third transmission line (44). (Fig. 11)
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date to combine the teachings of Oh and Youn for the first transmission wiring comprises a first transmission line at the first layer, and a second transmission line at the second layer and electrically connected to the first transmission line, and wherein the second transmission wiring comprises a third transmission line at the first layer, and a fourth transmission line at the second layer and electrically connected to the third transmission line because “ a width of the peripheral area PA (e.g. a width along the first direction D1) may be reduced, or a space, in which an additional line may be disposed in the peripheral area PA, may be further secured.” (Youn, [0118]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-16 are allowed.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ASHLEY BLACKWELL whose telephone number is (703)756-1508. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8:00-1600.
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/ASHLEY NICOLE BLACKWELL/Examiner, Art Unit 2897
/JACOB Y CHOI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2897
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