DETAILED ACTION
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Cross-Reference to Related Applications
2. This application is a CON of PCT/CN2021/134754 12/01/2021.
Oath/Declaration
3. The oath/declaration filed on 06/23/2023 is acceptable.
Priority
4. Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
5. The office acknowledges receipt of the following items from the applicant:
Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) filed on 06/23/2023 and 07/31/2023.
Specification
6. The specification is objected to for the following reason: 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 (see MPEP 606.01).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 of this title, 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.
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 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.
7. Claims 1-2, 4-5 and 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over XU C (CN-111969027-A) in view of LIU H (CN-111445847-A).
Regarding claim 1. XU C discloses a display panel including a first display region (AA1), a second display region (AA2) and a transition display region (TA1) located between the first display region (AA1) and the second display region (AA2), wherein a light transmittance of the first display region (AA1) is greater than a light transmittance of the second display region (AA2), and the display panel comprises:
a first pixel group (group 10) located in the first display region (AA1) and comprising first light-emitting sub-pixels (11a);
a plurality of second sub-pixels (11b) located in the second display region (AA2);
a third pixel group (other group 10) located in the transition display region (TA) and comprising a plurality of third light-emitting sub-pixels (11c);
a plurality of first pixel circuits (21a) located in the transition display region (TA1), wherein the first pixel circuits (21a) are electrically connected to the first light-emitting sub-pixels (11a) for driving the first light-emitting sub-pixels (11a) to display;
a plurality of third pixel circuits (21c) located in the transition display region (TA1), wherein the third pixel circuits (21c) are electrically connected to the third light-emitting sub-pixels (11c) for driving the third light-emitting sub-pixels (11c) to display (Fig. 3 and English Text).
XU C discloses the features of the claimed invention as discussed above, but does not disclose a plurality of second pixel circuits located in the second display region, wherein the second pixel circuits are electrically connected to the second sub-pixels for driving the second sub-pixels to display; and wherein distribution densities of the first pixel circuits and the third pixel circuits in the transition display region and a distribution density of the second pixel circuits in the second display region satisfy a relationship in a formula 1, [(P10+P30)-P20)/P20 ≤ 5% formula 1 wherein P10 is the distribution density of the first pixel circuits in the transition display region, P30 is the distribution density of the third pixel circuits in the transition display region, and P20 is the distribution density of the second pixel circuits in the second display region.
LIU H, however, discloses a plurality of second pixel circuits (12) located in the second display region (AA2), wherein the second pixel circuits (12) are electrically connected to the second sub-pixels (not shown) for driving the second sub-pixels to display (Fig. 1 and English Text).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teaching of XU C to provide a plurality of second pixel circuits located in the second display region, wherein the second pixel circuits are electrically connected to the second sub-pixels for driving the second sub-pixels to display as taught by LIU H for a purpose of improving the brightness for the second display region.
XU C and LIU H disclose the features of the claimed invention as discussed above including the distribution density of the first sub-pixel in the first display area AA1 can be less than the distribution density of the second sub-pixel in the second display area AA2. In order to avoid the first display area AA1 and the second display area AA2 display, the two have obvious boundary; the distribution density of the third sub-pixel in the transition display area TA can be between the distribution density of the first sub-pixel and the distribution density of the second sub-pixel, but does not disclose wherein distribution densities of the first pixel circuits and the third pixel circuits in the transition display region and a distribution density of the second pixel circuits in the second display region satisfy a relationship in a formula 1, [(P10+P30)-P20)/P20 ≤ 5% formula 1 wherein P10 is the distribution density of the first pixel circuits in the transition display region, P30 is the distribution density of the third pixel circuits in the transition display region, and P20 is the distribution density of the second pixel circuits in the second display region.
However, XU C (WO-2020238343-A1) is an evidence that teaches the distribution density of the first sub-pixel 11 is smaller than the distribution density of the second sub-pixel 21, where the distribution density refers to the number of sub-pixels per unit area of the display area (Figs. 3 and 5 and English Text) and also LOU J (CN-110783386-A) suggests that number of pixel circuits corresponding to number of sub-pixels in the first display area may be more than one (see English Text).
Then, it would have been obvious matter of design choice to form wherein distribution densities of the first pixel circuits and the third pixel circuits in the transition display region and a distribution density of the second pixel circuits in the second display region satisfy a relationship in a formula 1, [(P10+P30)-P20)/P20 ≤ 5% formula 1 wherein P10 is the distribution density of the first pixel circuits in the transition display region, P30 is the distribution density of the third pixel circuits in the transition display region, and P20 is the distribution density of the second pixel circuits in the second display region, since the applicant has not disclosed that wherein distribution densities of the first pixel circuits and the third pixel circuits in the transition display region and a distribution density of the second pixel circuits in the second display region satisfy a relationship in a formula 1, [(P10+P30)-P20)/P20 ≤ 5% formula 1 wherein P10 is the distribution density of the first pixel circuits in the transition display region, P30 is the distribution density of the third pixel circuits in the transition display region, and P20 is the distribution density of the second pixel circuits in the second display region solves any stated problem or is for any particular purpose and it appears that the invention would perform equally well with any other applicable technique may use.
Therefore, claim 1 is obviously rendered over XU C and LIU H.
Regarding claim 2, XU C and LIU H disclose the features of the claimed invention as discussed above, but does not disclose wherein a sum of the distribution densities of the first pixel circuits and the third pixel circuits in the transition display region is equal to the distribution density of the second pixel circuits in the second display region.
However, it would have been obvious matter of design choice to form wherein a sum of the distribution densities of the first pixel circuits and the third pixel circuits in the transition display region is equal to the distribution density of the second pixel circuits in the second display region, since the applicant has not disclosed that wherein a sum of the distribution densities of the first pixel circuits and the third pixel circuits in the transition display region is equal to the distribution density of the second pixel circuits in the second display region solves any stated problem or is for any particular purpose and it appears that the invention would perform equally well with any other applicable technique may use.
Regarding claim 4, XU C and LIU H (citations to XU C unless otherwise noted) disclose wherein a circuit structure of the first pixel circuit (21a), a circuit structure of the second pixel circuit and a circuit structure of the third pixel circuit (21c) are any one of a 2T1C circuit comprising two transistors and one capacitor, a 7T1C circuit comprising seven transistors and one capacitor, a 7T2C circuit comprising seven transistors and two capacitors or a 9T1C circuit comprising nine transistors and one capacitor (Fig. 10 and English Text).
Regarding claim 5, XU C and LIU H (citations to XU C unless otherwise noted) disclose wherein the second pixel circuits (12 in LIU H) are distributed in an array and arranged uniformly in the second display region (AA2), and the first pixel circuits (21a) and the third pixel circuits (21c) are distributed in an array and arranged uniformly in the transition display region (TA1) (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 10, XU C and LIU H disclose the features of the claimed invention as discussed above, but does not disclose wherein a distribution density of the third light-emitting sub-pixels in the transition display region and a distribution density of the first light-emitting sub-pixels in the first display region satisfy a relationship in a formula 3, [P31-P11]/P11≤5% formula 3 Wherein P31 is the distribution density of the third light-emitting sub-pixels in the transition display region, and P11 is the distribution density of the first light-emitting sub-pixels in the first display region.
However, it would have been obvious matter of design choice to form wherein a distribution density of the third light-emitting sub-pixels in the transition display region and a distribution density of the first light-emitting sub-pixels in the first display region satisfy a relationship in a formula 3, [P31-P11]/P11≤5% formula 3 Wherein P31 is the distribution density of the third light-emitting sub-pixels in the transition display region, and P11 is the distribution density of the first light-emitting sub-pixels in the first display region, since the applicant has not disclosed that wherein a distribution density of the third light-emitting sub-pixels in the transition display region and a distribution density of the first light-emitting sub-pixels in the first display region satisfy a relationship in a formula 3, [P31-P11]/P11≤5% formula 3 Wherein P31 is the distribution density of the third light-emitting sub-pixels in the transition display region, and P11 is the distribution density of the first light-emitting sub-pixels in the first display region solves any stated problem or is for any particular purpose and it appears that the invention would perform equally well with any other applicable technique may use.
Regarding claim 11, XU C and LIU H (citations to XU C unless otherwise noted) disclose wherein the distribution density of the first light-emitting sub-pixels (11a) in the first display region (AA1) is less than the distribution density of the second sub-pixels (11b) in the second display region (AA2) (Fig. 3 and English Text).
8. Claims 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over XU C and LIU H in view of LOU Z (CN-113140609-A).
Regarding claims 12-13, XU C and LIU H disclose the features of the claimed invention as discussed above, but does not disclose wherein a pixel arrangement structure formed by the third light-emitting sub-pixels is same as a pixel arrangement structure formed by the first light-emitting sub-pixels, wherein the third light-emitting sub-pixel and the first light-emitting sub-pixel of a same color have a nearly same size.
LOU Z, however, discloses wherein a pixel arrangement structure formed by the third light-emitting sub-pixels (140) is same as a pixel arrangement structure formed by the first light-emitting sub-pixels (110), wherein the third light-emitting sub-pixel (140) and the first light-emitting sub-pixel (110) of a same color have a nearly same size (Fig. 3 and English Text).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teaching of XU C and LIU H to provide wherein a pixel arrangement structure formed by the third light-emitting sub-pixels is same as a pixel arrangement structure formed by the first light-emitting sub-pixels, wherein the third light-emitting sub-pixel and the first light-emitting sub-pixel of a same color have a nearly same size as taught by LOU Z for a purpose of providing the uniformity brightness for a pixel arrangement of the display panel.
Allowable Subject Matter
9. The following is a statement of reason for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claims 3, 6-9 and 14-20 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.
None of the prior art of records disclose wherein a circuit arrangement structure jointly formed by the first pixel circuits and the third pixel circuits is same as a circuit arrangement structure formed by the second pixel circuits as cited in claim 3 and wherein the third pixel group further comprises third non-light-emitting sub-pixels, and distribution densities of the third light-emitting sub-pixels and the third non-light-emitting sub-pixels in the transition display region and a distribution density of the second sub-pixels in the second display region satisfy a relationship in a formula 2, |P31+P32-P21|P21≤5% formula 2 wherein P31 is the distribution density of the third light-emitting sub-pixels in the transition display region, P32 is the distribution density of the third non-light-emitting sub-pixels in the transition display region, and P21 is the distribution density of the second sub-pixels in the second display region as cited in claim 6 and wherein the display panel comprises: a substrate; a driving device layer located on the substrate, wherein the first pixel circuits, the second pixel circuits and the third pixel circuits are located in the driving device layer; and a light-emitting device layer located at a side of the driver device layer away from the substrate, wherein the first pixel group, the second sub-pixels and the third pixel group are located in the light-emitting device layer, wherein a part of the driving device layer located in the second display region has a nearly same relative reflectivity as a part of the driving device layer located in the transition display region as cited in claim 14.
Claims 7-9 and 15-20 are directly or indirectly depend on claims 6 and 14, then, they also would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
10. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Phuc T. Dang whose telephone number is 571-272-1776. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:00 am-5:00 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Jacob Choi can be reached on 469-295-9060. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PHUC T DANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2897