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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed on 06/05/2026 has been accepted and entered. Claims 1-13 remain pending in this application.
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(s) 1-5, and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jang et al. (US20210384156A1-Jang56) in view of Kang et al. (US20210375804A1-Kang04).
Regarding claim 1, Jang56 discloses a display device (DD-Fig 1A) comprising:
a circuit board (Circuit board CF and Driving Chip DC-Examiner's annotated Fig 4) including a plurality of circuit pads (Circuit pads DC-PD, CF-PD-Fig 3, Examiner's annotated Fig 4);
a display panel (DP-Fig 3) including
a plurality of pad regions (regions for DP-PD, DC-PD, DP-CPD-Examiner's annotated Fig 3 and Fig 4) and
a plurality of non-pad regions (regions between DP-PD, DC-PD, DP-CPD- Examiner's annotated Fig 3 and Fig 4),
each of the plurality of pad regions and each of the plurality of non-pad regions alternately arranged in a first direction (Regions with/without for DP-PD, DC-PD, DP-CPD alternatively arranged along DR1 direction- Examiner's annotated Fig 3 and Fig 4); and
a conductive adhesive member (conductive adhesive member AF-C and AF-D- Examiner's annotated Fig 4) electrically connecting the circuit board and the display panel (conductive adhesive member AF-C and AF-D connecting circuit board CF+DC to display pads DP-PD and DP-CPD so to display panel-Examiner's annotated Fig 4; [0008] L8-9; [0075]; [0081]) and
including a photoinitiator (the conductive adhesive member material includes two resin layers, each resin layer includes a photoinitiator-[0009] L6-9, [0010] L12-14),
wherein the display panel includes:
a plurality of display pads (display pads DP-PD1 and DP-PD2, DP-CPD-Examiner's annotated Fig 3 and Fig 4, Examiner's annotated Fig 9B)
respectively corresponding to the plurality of circuit pads (DP-PD1 and DP-PD2 corresponding to circuit pads DC-PD1 and DC-PD2- Examiner's annotated Fig 4; DP-CPD corresponding to CF-PD-Examiner's annotated Fig 9B, [0115]),
arranged in the first direction (arranged in the DR1 direction- Examiner's annotated Fig 4, Examiner's annotated Fig 9B), and
disposed in the plurality of pad regions (Disposed in pad regions for DP-PD and DC-PD- Examiner's annotated Fig 4), respectively; and
a base layer (Base layer SUB/IL1/IL2-Examiner's annotated Fig 4, Examiner's annotated Fig 9B, [0095]) disposed under the plurality of display pads (Base layer SUB/IL1/IL2 disposed under DP-PD and DC-PD-Examiner's annotated Fig 4, [0095], Examiner's annotated Fig 9B) and
a width of each of the plurality of display pads in the first direction is less than a width of each of the plurality of circuit pads in the first direction (Width of display pads DP-CPD is less than the width of circuit pads CF-PD because of the second layer CF-P2, in the DR1 direction as shown by the vertical dashed lines-Examiner’s annotated Fig 9B).
Jang56 does not disclose a display device comprising
a base layer having a plurality of openings,
the plurality of openings are arranged in the first direction and
disposed in the plurality of non-pad regions, respectively.
Kang04 teaches a display device comprising
a base layer having a plurality of openings (Openings have been interpretated are areas uncovered/non-covered between the non-pad regions CPD2; Base layer CPD1/IL2/IL1/SUB having openings OP or areas non-covered between non-pad regions CPD2, so arranged in the DR1 direction arranged between the non-pad region so outside the non-pad region CPD2-Examiner's annotated Fig 6, [0116], Fig 7),
the plurality of openings are arranged in the first direction (Base layer CPD1 having openings OP arranged in the DR1 direction arranged between so outside the non-pad region CPD2-Updated Examiner's annotated Fig 6, [0116], Fig 7) and
disposed in the plurality of non-pad regions, respectively (Base layer CPD1 having openings OP or non-covered areas, arranged in the DR1 direction arranged outside the non-pad region CPD2-Updated Examiner's annotated Fig 6, [0116], Fig 7).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the display device of Jang56 as taught by Kang04 for the purpose of improving the electrical connection characteristic between driving pads and circuit pads (Kang04: [0117]).
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Regarding claim 2, Jang56 and Kang04 combination teaches all the elements of claim 1, as noted above.
Jang56 further discloses a display device
wherein the plurality of display pads entirely overlap the plurality of pad regions in a plan view, respectively (Pad regions overlapped by Display pads DP-PD1, DP-PD2, DP-CPD in the plan view (DR1,DR3)-Examiner's annotated Fig 9B).
Jang56 does not discloses a display device wherein
the plurality of openings entirely overlap the plurality of non-pad regions in a plan view, respectively.
Kang04 further teaches a display device wherein
the plurality of openings entirely overlap the plurality of non-pad regions in a plan view, respectively (Openings OP overlapped Non-pad regions in the plan view (DR1,DR3)-Examiner's annotated Fig 6).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the display device of Jang56 as taught by Kang04 for the purpose of improving the electrical connection characteristic between driving pads and circuit pads (Kang04: [0117]).
Regarding claim 3, Jang56 and Kang04 combination teaches all the elements of claim 1, as noted above.
Kang04 further teaches a display device
wherein a width of each of the plurality of display pads in a second direction intersecting the first direction and a width of each of the plurality of openings in the second direction are same (Opening OP with a width in the DR3 direction being the same as the width of DP-CPD2, second direction DR3 intersecting first direction DR1-Examiner's annotated Fig 6).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the display device of Jang56 as taught by Kang04 for the purpose of improving the electrical connection characteristic between driving pads and circuit pads (Kang04: [0117]).
Regarding claim 4, Jang56 and Kang04 combination teaches all the elements of claim 1, as noted above.
Jang56 further discloses a display device
wherein the plurality of display pads are spaced apart from each other in a plan view (Display pads DP-PD1, DP-PD2, DP-CPD, spaced apart in the plan view (DR1, DR2)-Examiner's annotated Fig 4).
Regarding claim 5, Jang56 and Kang04 combination teaches all the elements of claim 1, as noted above.
Jang56 further discloses a display device
wherein the base layer comprises a flexible material ([0052] L1-5).
Regarding claim 9, Jang56 and Kang04 combination teaches all the elements of claim 1, as noted above.
Jang56 further discloses a display device
wherein the display panel further comprises signal lines (Display panel DP comprises signal lines SGL (DL, CSL, GL, PL)-Examiner's annotated Fig 3) respectively electrically connected to the plurality of display pads (Signal lines SGL (DL, CSL, GL, PL) electrically connected to Display pads DP-PD1, DP-PD2, DP-CPD, spaced apart in the plan view (DR1, DR2)-Examiner's annotated Fig 3).
Claim(s) 10-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jang et al. (US20210384156A1-Jang56) in view of Kang et al. (US20210375804A1-Kang04), and further in view of Park et al. (US20210043600A1-Park00).
Regarding claim 10, Jang56 and Kang04 combination teaches all the elements of claim 9, as noted above.
Jang56 and Kang04 combination does not teach a display device
wherein the signal lines are spaced apart from the plurality of openings in a plan view.
Park00 teaches a display device
wherein the signal lines are spaced apart from the plurality of openings in a plan view (Signal lines DL-P spaced apart from opening HO-Examiner’s annotated Fig 8B).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the display device of Jang56 in view of Kang04 as taught by Park00 for the purpose of preventing oxidation of the driving bumps and the signal pad by shielding them from external air (Park00:[115]).
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Regarding claim 11, Jang56 and Kang04 combination teaches all the elements of claim 1, as noted above.
Jang56 further discloses a display device
wherein the circuit board further includes non-conductive adhesive members (CF-AD-Fig 6A, [0091]).
Jang56 and Kang04 combination does not teach a display device
wherein the circuit board further includes non-conductive adhesive members disposed between the plurality of circuit pads.
Park00 teaches a display device
wherein the circuit board further includes non-conductive adhesive members (the circuit board DC includes non-conductive adhesive members RS-Examiner’s annotated Fig 9D) disposed between the plurality of circuit pads (RS disposed between plurality of circuit pads DC-PD-Examiner’s annotated Fig 9D).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the display device of Jang56 in view of Kang04 as taught by Park00 for the purpose of preventing oxidation of the driving bumps and the signal pad by shielding them from external air (Park00:[115]).
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Regarding claim 12, Jang56 and Kang04 combination teaches all the elements of claim 11, as noted above.
Park00 further teaches a display device
wherein each of the non-conductive adhesive members comprises a photoinitiator (non-conductive adhesive RS/filler is UV-cured so RS is a UV curable resin, and comprises photoinitiator-[0077], [0117]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the display device of Jang56 in view of Kang04 as taught by Park00 for the purpose of preventing oxidation of the driving bumps and the signal pad by shielding them from external air (Park00:[115]).
Claim(s) 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jang et al. (US20210384156A1-Jang56) in view of Kang et al. (US20210375804A1-Kang04), in view of Park et al. (US20210043600A1-Park00), and further in view of Park et al. (KR 20210005350 A-Park50 from IDS; US 20220352290 A1 used as a translation).
Regarding claim 6, Jang56 and Kang04 combination teaches all the elements of claim 1, as noted above.
Jang56 further discloses a display device wherein the base layer (Base layer SUB/IL1/IL2-Examiner's annotated Fig 9B, [0095]) comprises
a first insulating layer (IL1-Examiner's annotated Fig 9B) disposed under the plurality of display pads (IL1 disposed under display pads DP-CPD-Examiner's annotated Fig 9B) and
the first insulating layer is disposed in the plurality of pad regions and the plurality of non-pad regions (First insulating layer IL1 disposed in pad/non-pad regions-Examiner's annotated Fig 9B).
Jang56 and Kang04 combination does not teach a display device wherein
a first base film disposed under the first insulating layer,
the first base film includes first openings disposed in each of the plurality of non-pad regions, and
the plurality of openings include the first openings.
Park00 teaches a display device wherein
a first base film (first base film BFL under first insulating layer 10/20/30- Examiner’s annotated Fig 9D) disposed under the first insulating layer,
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the display device of Jang56 in view of Kang04 as taught by Park00 for the purpose of preventing oxidation of the driving bumps and the signal pad by shielding them from external air (Park00:[115]).
Park00 does not teach a display device wherein
the first base film includes first openings disposed in each of the plurality of non-pad regions, and
the plurality of openings include the first openings.
Park50 teaches a display device wherein
the first base film (first base film BS-b-Fig 15F) includes first openings (First opening HP disposed in each of the plurality of non-pad regions AP-NC-Fig 15F) disposed in each of the plurality of non-pad regions, and
the plurality of openings include the first openings (plurality of openings between pad regions CPD includes first openings HP-Fig 15F).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the display device of Jang56 in view of Kang04, and further in view of Park00 as taught by Park50 for the purpose of improving reliability properties (Park50:[0029] of US 20220352290 A1).
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Regarding claim 7, Jang56 , Kang04, Park00, and Park50 combination teaches all the elements of claim 6, as noted above.
Park50 further teaches a display device
wherein the first base film comprises a polyimide (PI) (First base film BS-b comprising polyimide([0107] of US 20220352290 A1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the display device of Jang56 in view of Kang04, and further in view of Park00 as taught by Park50 for the purpose of improving reliability properties (Park50:[0029] of US 20220352290 A1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8 is 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 8, the prior art of record does not teach or suggest a display device, namely “wherein the base layer further comprises a second insulating layer disposed under the first base film and a second base film disposed under the second insulating layer, the second insulating layer is disposed in the plurality of pad regions and the plurality of non-pad regions, the second base film includes second openings corresponding to the first openings, and the plurality of openings include the second openings.”
References such as Jang et al. (US20210384156A1-Jang56), Kang et al. (US20210375804A1-Kang04), Park et al. (US20210043600A1-Park00), and Park et al. (KR 20210005350 A-Park50 from IDS; US 20220352290 A1 used as a translation) combination, teaches a display device, but does not teach or suggest a display device, namely “wherein the base layer further comprises a second insulating layer disposed under the first base film and a second base film disposed under the second insulating layer, the second insulating layer is disposed in the plurality of pad regions and the plurality of non-pad regions, the second base film includes second openings corresponding to the first openings, and the plurality of openings include the second”, in combination with other claimed elements.
Claim 13 is allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 13, the prior art of record does not teach or suggest a display device, namely “wherein a width of each of the first and second base parts in the first direction is less than a width of each of the first and second circuit pads in the first direction.”
References such as Jang et al. (US20210384156A1-Jang56), Kang et al. (US20210375804A1-Kang04), Park et al. (US20210043600A1-Park00), and Park et al. (KR 20210005350 A-Park50 from IDS; US 20220352290 A1 used as a translation) combination, teaches a display device, but does not teach or suggest a display device, namely “wherein a width of each of the first and second base parts in the first direction is less than a width of each of the first and second circuit pads in the first direction”, in combination with other claimed elements.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments see pages 6-8 of Remarks, filed on 06/05/2026 with respect to claim(s) 1-12 have been considered but are not persuasive. For clarification, Examiner’s annotated Fig 6 has been updated to better explain how claim 1 stands rejected, as noted above.
Applicant’s arguments are two folds:
The openings are not in the base layer identified in the Office Action. The openings have been interpretated as areas non-covered and free to receive the adhesive layer and conductive particles of the base layer. Therefore, the base layer has openings as recited in claim 1.
The openings are not disposed in the non-pad regions. Non-pads regions are defined between the pad regions given by CPD2, so the openings are disposed in the plurality of non-pad regions are recited in claim 1.
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Claim(s) 1-5, and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jang et al. (US20210384156A1-Jang56) in view of Kang et al. (US20210375804A1-Kang04), as described above.
Therefore, claim(s) 1-5, and 9 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jang et al. (US20210384156A1-Jang56) in view of Kang et al. (US20210375804A1-Kang04).
Claim(s) 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jang et al. (US20210384156A1-Jang56) in view of Kang et al. (US20210375804A1-Kang04), in view of Park et al. (US20210043600A1-Park00), and further in view of Park et al. (KR 20210005350 A-Park50 from IDS; US 20220352290 A1 used as a translation), as described above.
Therefore, claim(s) 6-7 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jang et al. (US20210384156A1-Jang56) in view of Kang et al. (US20210375804A1-Kang04), in view of Park et al. (US20210043600A1-Park00), and further in view of Park et al. (KR 20210005350 A-Park50 from IDS; US 20220352290 A1 used as a translation).
Claim(s) 10-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jang et al. (US20210384156A1-Jang56) in view of Kang et al. (US20210375804A1-Kang04), and further in view of Park et al. (US20210043600A1-Park00), as described above.
Therefore, claim(s) 10-12 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jang et al. (US20210384156A1-Jang56) in view of Kang et al. (US20210375804A1-Kang04), and further in view of Park et al. (US20210043600A1-Park00).
Claim 13 has been amended to further define the claimed subject matter see pages 4-5 of Amendments to Claims, filed on 06/05/2026.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 13, page 8 of Remarks filed on 06/05/2026, have been fully considered and are persuasive. The 35 U.S.C. 103 of claims 13 has been withdrawn.
Therefore, claim 13 is 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 NATHALIE R FAYETTE whose telephone number is (571)272-1220. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30 am-6pm ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christine Kim can be reached at (571) 272-8458. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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NATHALIE R. FAYETTE
Examiner
Art Unit 2812
/NATHALIE R FAYETTE/Examiner, Art Unit 2812 06/29/2026
/CHRISTINE S. KIM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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