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.
Information Disclosure Statement
Acknowledgement is made of receipt of Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO-1449) filed 7/13/2023 and 9/30/2025. An initialed copy is attached to this Office Action.
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 7 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.
The term “Chinese character ⽥” in claim 7 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “Chinese character ⽥” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 7-9, 11-15, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nigado, Hitoshi (CN 101546084), hereinafter Nigado.
Regarding claims 1 and 20, Nigado discloses a display panel (30, display device) (paragraph 182), comprising a display area, wherein the display area comprises color pixels and pixel groups; the color pixels comprise a first pixel (311, first coloring layer), a second pixel (312, second coloring layer) and a third pixel (313, third coloring layer) that have different colors from one another (paragraphs 92 and 94; red green blue), and each pixel group (105, pixel) of the pixel groups (paragraphs 177) comprises one first pixel (101, first pixel), one second pixel (102, second pixel), one third pixel (103, third pixel) and at least one color-changing pixel (111-113, first through third switching layers) (paragraphs 171 and 177-178); and an operating state of the at least one color-changing pixel comprises a transparent state and a black state (paragraphs 171-172).
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Regarding claim 2, Nigado discloses wherein: each pixel group of the pixel groups has a first state and a second state, and for one pixel group of the pixel groups: in the first state, at least part of the color pixels in the one pixel group emits light, and the operating state of the at least one color-changing pixel in the one pixel group is the transparent state; in the second state, the color pixels in the one pixel group do not emit light, and the operating state of the at least one color-changing pixel in the one pixel group is the black state (paragraphs 167 and 171-172).
Regarding claim 7, Nigado discloses each pixel group of the pixel groups comprises one color-changing pixel; and in each pixel group of the pixel groups the first pixel, the second pixel, the third pixel and the color-changing pixel are arranged in a grid formation forming a Chinese Character " ⽥ " (figure 9 shows the pixels in a grid pattern).
Regarding claim 8, Nigado discloses each pixel group of the pixel groups comprises one color-changing pixel; and in each pixel group of the pixel groups the color-changing pixel has three notches in which the first pixel, the second pixel, and the third pixel are located respectively (see figure 9 below).
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Regarding claim 9, Nigado discloses wherein: each pixel group of the pixel groups comprises one color-changing pixel; and in each pixel group of the pixel groups: the color-changing pixel has one notch; and the first pixel, the second pixel, and the third pixel are arranged in a first direction, and are located in the notch (see figure 9 above).
Regarding claim 11, Nigado discloses wherein: each pixel group of the pixel groups comprises three color-changing pixels, one color pixel corresponds to one color-changing pixel, and operating states of the three color-changing pixels in one pixel group of the pixel groups are independent from one another (paragraph 144, 147-149, 172, and 179).
Regarding claim 12, Nigado discloses one of the three color-changing pixel has a notch, in which one of the color pixels is located (see figure 9 above).
Regarding claim 13, Nigado discloses wherein: in one pixel group of the pixel groups the color pixels and the color-changing pixels are arranged alternately in the first direction (see figure 9 above and paragraphs 181-184).
Regarding claim 14, Nigado discloses wherein: in one pixel group of the pixel groups the color pixels and the color-changing pixels are arranged in 2 rows and 3 columns, and the color-changing pixels are adjacent to the color pixels in both a row direction and a column direction (see figure 9 above).
Regarding claim 15, Nigado discloses wherein: an area of one of the color-changing pixels is greater than an area of one of the color pixels (figure 9 shows the color-changing pixels is larger than the color pixel area).
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.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nigado, Hitoshi (CN 101546084), hereinafter Nigado as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Yamazaki, Shunpei (TW 201250863), hereinafter ‘863.
Regarding claim 5, Nigado discloses all the limitations in common with claim 1, and such is hereby incorporated.
Nigado does not disclose wherein: each of the at least one color-changing pixel comprises a reference electrode, a color-changing layer and a first pixel electrode that are stacked, the color-changing layer comprises an electrochromic material; or the color-changing layer comprises electronic ink, and color-changing particles in the electronic ink comprise two transparent hemispheres opposite to each other, and a black plane located between the two transparent hemispheres.
‘863 discloses wherein: each of the at least one color-changing pixel comprises a reference electrode (587, first electrode) (paragraph 9), a color-changing layer (see annotated figure 22 below) and a first pixel electrode (588, second electrode) that are stacked, the color-changing layer comprises an electrochromic material; or the color-changing layer (see annotated figure 22 below) comprises electronic ink, and color-changing particles (594, cavity) in the electronic ink comprise two transparent hemispheres (590a, black region and 590b, white region) opposite to each other (paragraph 9 and figure 22), and a black plane (line through the middle of the hemispheres; see annotated figure 22 below) located between the two transparent hemispheres
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-4, 6, 10, and 16-19 are allowed.
The prior art taken either singularly or in combination fails to anticipate or fairly suggest the limitations of the independent claim(s), in such a manner that a rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102 or 103 would be proper. The prior art fails to teach a combination of all the claimed features as presented in claim(s) 3, wherein the claimed invention comprises, in claim 3, wherein: each of the at least one color-changing pixel comprises a reference electrode, a color-changing layer and a first pixel electrode that are stacked, and each of the color pixels comprises a common electrode, and common electrodes of the color pixels are interconnected; and the reference electrode and the common electrode are manufactured with a same material and are arranged in a same layer; in claim 6, wherein: each pixel group of the pixel groups comprises one color-changing pixel; and in each pixel group of the pixel groups: the first pixel, the second pixel and the third pixel are arranged in a first direction, the color-changing pixel is adjacent to the first pixel, the second pixel and the third pixel in a second direction, and the first direction intersects with the second direction; in claim 10, wherein: the pixel groups are arranged into pixel rows in a first direction, and are arranged into pixel columns in a second direction intersecting with the first direction; each pixel group of the pixel groups comprises one color-changing pixel; and the color-changing pixels in at least two pixel groups of the pixel groups that are adjacent in the first direction are interconnected; or the color-changing pixels in at least two pixel groups of the pixel groups that are adjacent in the second direction are interconnected; in claim 16, further comprising: a first data line and a first selector line, wherein: the at least one color-changing pixel comprises a driving switch, a reference electrode, a color-changing layer and a first pixel electrode, wherein the reference electrode, the color-changing layer and the first pixel electrode are stacked; and the driving switch has a control electrode coupled to the first selector line, a first electrode coupled to the first data line, and a second electrode coupled to the first pixel electrode; in claim 17, further comprising: a second data line and a second selector line, wherein: the at least one color-changing pixel comprises a driving switch, a reference electrode, a color-changing layer and a first pixel electrode, wherein the reference electrode, the color-changing layer and the first pixel electrode are stacked; and the driving switch has a first electrode coupled to one second data line, a second electrode coupled to the first pixel electrode, and a control electrode coupled to one second selector line; in claim 18, further comprising: a second data line, a second selector line, a first selector line and a drive circuit, wherein: the at least one color-changing pixel comprises a driving switch, a reference electrode, a color-changing layer and a first pixel electrode, wherein the reference electrode, the color-changing layer and the first pixel electrode are stacked; the driving switch has a first electrode coupled to one second data line, a second electrode coupled to the first pixel electrode, and a control electrode coupled to the first selector line; the driving circuit comprises cascaded shift registers; and the first selector line and the second selector line are coupled to a same driving circuit; in claim 19, further comprising: a driving chip, a reference signal line and a color-changing signal line, wherein: each of the at least one color-changing pixel comprises a reference electrode, a color-changing layer and a first pixel electrode that are stacked; and the reference signal line has one end coupled to the driving chip, and another end coupled to the reference electrode; and the color-changing signal line has one end coupled to the driving chip, and another end coupled to the first pixel electrode, as claimed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRANDI N THOMAS whose telephone number is (571)272-2341. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30 - 3:30.
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/BRANDI N THOMAS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872