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 filed on 04/30/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. See rejection below.
Claim Objections
Claim 17 objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 17 recites “the plurality of first wires” lacks antecedent basis.
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)(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, 2, 5-6, 10-11, 17 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by DU et al. 20220399423.
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Regarding claim 1, figs. 1-4F of Du discloses a display device comprising:
a substrate 101;
a first wiring layer 201 (par [0163] and fig. 4A) on the substrate;
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a planarization layer 107 on the first wiring layer;
a first pixel electrode 134c which is on the planarization layer;
a pixel-defining layer 430 on the planarization layer and overlapping the first pixel electrode; and
a first pixel opening 401/4011 which is defined in the pixel-defining layer and exposes the first pixel electrode to outside the pixel-defining layer,
wherein the pixel-defining layer comprises:
first edges which define the first pixel opening, and among the first edges of the pixel-defining layer:
a 1-1 edge and a 1-2 edge each has a length in a first direction D2 (note the non-linear length from left to right or vice versa extends in D2 as a whole and the linear length at the top and bottom of 134c extends in D2 as well), and
the 1-1 edge and the 1-2 edge are spaced apart from each other in a second direction D1 perpendicular to the first direction,
wherein the first wiring layer comprises:
a first wire 210 and a second wire 230 each having a length in the first direction D2, and the first wire and the second wire spaced apart from each other in the second direction D1, and wherein in the first direction,
the length of the 1-1 edge (total non-linear length) overlaps the length of the first wire 210.
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Regarding clam 17, figs. 1-4F of Du discloses a display device comprising:
a substrate 100;
a pixel electrode 134c of a light-emitting element, on the substrate;
a pixel-defining layer 430 which overlaps the pixel electrode;
a pixel opening 401/4011 which is defined by a plurality of edges of the pixel-defining layer, the pixel opening exposing the pixel electrode to outside the pixel-defining layer;
a wiring layer 201 (par [0163] and fig. 4A) between the substrate and the pixel electrode; and
a planarization layer 107 which is between the wiring layer and the pixel electrode, and between the wiring layer and the pixel-defining layer;
wherein among the plurality of edges of the pixel-defining layer which define the pixel opening:
a first edge has a length in a first direction D2, and
a second edge has a length in a second direction D1 perpendicular to the first direction, the second edge is connected to the first edge at a corner of the pixel opening,
wherein the wiring layer comprises a plurality of wires 210/230 each having a length in the first direction, the plurality of wires being spaced apart from each other in the second direction, and
wherein the length of each of the plurality of wires of the wiring layer overlaps the length of the second edge of the pixel-defining layer to define an overlapping area of the second edge, together with a non-overlapping area of the second edge which is between the plurality of first wires 240 along the second direction.
Regarding claim 2, fig. 4E of Du (as labeled by examiner above) discloses wherein the 1-2 edge has a length in the first direction, and in the first direction, the length of the 1-2 edge overlaps the length of the second wire.
Regarding claim 5, figs. 4B/4F of Du discloses wherein the first wiring layer further comprises:
a third wire 220 and a fourth wire 220 (bottom of page)T (on the top of fig. 4E) each extending along the substrate along the first direction, and the first wire, the second wire, the third wire and the fourth wire in order (order as shown in fig. 4E) along the second direction and spaced apart from each other along the second direction.
Regarding claim 6, fig. 4E of Du discloses further comprising a second pixel electrode 134d which is on the planarization layer and is spaced apart from the first pixel electrode 134a along the second direction D1,
wherein the pixel-defining layer overlaps the second pixel electrode,
a second pixel opening 401/4013 is defined in the pixel-defining layer which exposes the second pixel electrode to outside the pixel-defining layer, and the pixel-defining layer further comprises:
second edges which define the second pixel opening, and among the second edges of the pixel-defining layer,
a 2-1 edge extends along the first direction and overlaps the third wire 220.
Regarding claim 10 (see rejection of claim 6 with the word second equivalent to the word third), Du discloses further comprising a third pixel electrode which is on the planarization layer and is spaced apart from the first pixel electrode along the first direction, wherein the pixel-defining layer overlaps the third pixel electrode, a third pixel opening is defined in the pixel-defining layer which exposes the third pixel electrode to outside the pixel-defining layer, and the pixel-defining layer further comprises: third edges which define the third pixel opening, and among the third edges of the pixel-defining layer a 3-1 edge extends along the first direction and overlaps the first wire.
Regarding claim 11 (see rejection of claim 6 with the word second equivalent to the word third), Du discloses wherein among the third edges of the pixel-defining layer, a 3-2 edge extends along the first direction, is spaced apart from the 3-1 edge and overlaps the second wire.
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Regarding claim 18, fig. 4E of Du discloses wherein the overlapping area is further defined at the corner of the pixel opening and along the first edge.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-9 and 12-16 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.
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 VONGSAVANH SENGDARA whose telephone number is (571)270-5770. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-6PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sue Purvis can be reached on (571)272-1236. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/VONGSAVANH SENGDARA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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