Office Action Predictor
Last updated: April 15, 2026
Application No. 18/362,455

DISPLAY PANEL AND DISPLAY APPARATUS

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Jul 31, 2023
Examiner
HENRY, CALEB E
Art Unit
2818
Tech Center
2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
Assignee
Xiamen Tianma Micro-Electronics Co., LTD.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
86%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 3m
To Grant
89%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 86% — above average
86%
Career Allow Rate
1052 granted / 1217 resolved
+18.4% vs TC avg
Minimal +3% lift
Without
With
+2.7%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 3m
Avg Prosecution
48 currently pending
Career history
1265
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
1.1%
-38.9% vs TC avg
§103
49.9%
+9.9% vs TC avg
§102
36.2%
-3.8% vs TC avg
§112
11.2%
-28.8% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1217 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
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 . Specification 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. 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, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 19, 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gao (11487172) PNG media_image1.png 397 542 media_image1.png Greyscale Regarding claim 1, Gao teaches a display panel (Gao teaches the device above is part of a display panel), comprising: a first base plate (please see device seen in fig. 8 above), wherein the first base plate comprises: a first substrate (fig. 8: 10); a transistor array layer (please see array of TFTs in fig. 8 above) provided at a side of the first substrate and comprising a transistor (please see three TFTs in fig. 8 above); a pixel electrode layer (fig. 8, which shows multiple portions of 60) and a common electrode layer (fig. 8, which show multiple portions of 70) that are provided at a side of the transistor array layer away from the first substrate (please see fig. 8 above), the pixel electrode layer comprising a pixel electrode (fig. 8: 60), and the common electrode layer comprising at least one common electrode (fig. 8: 70); a first inorganic insulating layer (col. 34, lines 51-65 teaches that the ILDs above and below 70 being composed of insulating materials, such as Sin; these ILD layers can be seen in white in fig. 8 above) that is an insulating layer between the transistor array layer and one of the pixel electrode layers and the common electrode layer close to the transistor array layer (please see white ILDs, below 70, in fig. 8 above); and a second inorganic insulating layer (col. 33, lines 11-25 teaches that the ILDs above and below 60 being composed of insulating materials, such as Sin; these ILD layers can be seen in white in fig. 8 above) provided between the pixel electrode layer and the common electrode layer (please see white ILDs, below 60, in fig. 8 above). Regarding claim 3, Gao teaches a display panel according to claim 1, wherein the first inorganic insulating layer comprises at least one of silicon oxide or silicon nitride; or the second inorganic insulating layer comprises at least one of silicon oxide or silicon nitride; or wherein the transistor comprises a polysilicon semiconductor layer (please see rejection for claim 1 above which teaches SiN). Regarding claim 4, Gao teaches a display panel according to claim 1, wherein the first base plate further comprises at least one touch line (TP1) provided on a side of the first inorganic insulating layer close to the first substrate and configured to provide a signal to the at least one common electrode, wherein a first slit is formed in one of the at least one common electrode (please see slits between 70), and at least a part of one first slit of the at least one first slit partially overlaps with one touch line of the at least one touch line along a direction perpendicular to a plane of the display panel (please see this arrangement above), or, the at least one common electrode comprises a plurality of common electrodes, a second slit is formed between adjacent ones of the plurality of common electrodes, and at least a part of the second slit at least partially overlaps with one of the at least one touch line along the direction perpendicular to the plane of the display panel. Regarding claim 6, Gao teaches a display panel according to claim 1, wherein the first base plate further comprises a data line (S) provided on a side of the first inorganic insulating layer close to the first substrate and configured to provide a signal for the pixel electrode (Gao teaches S provides voltage signal to the TFT, which controls the pixel electrode), wherein a first slit is formed in one of the at least one common electrode (please see this arrangement in figure above), and the data line does not overlap with the first slit along a direction perpendicular to a plane of the display panel (please see this arrangement in figure above), or, the at least one common electrode comprises a plurality of common electrodes, a second slit is formed between adjacent ones of the plurality of common electrodes, and the data line does not overlap with the second slit along the direction perpendicular to the plane of the display panel. Regarding claim 7, Gao teaches a display panel according to claim 1, wherein the first base plate further comprises a touch line (TP1) provided on a side of the common electrode layer close to the first substrate; a plurality of first vias (see multiple D1s above) are formed in the first inorganic insulating layer, and a plurality of second vias (please see plurality of vias above D1 above) are formed in the second inorganic insulating layer; and the common electrode layer is provided on a side of the pixel electrode layer close to the transistor array layer, and the pixel electrode layer further comprises a bridge electrode (M3) electrically connected to one of the at least one common electrode through the second vias (Gao teaches that 70 is connected to TP1, through M3, which is connected to D1 and via above), wherein the bridge electrode is electrically connected to the touch line through the second via and the first via that communicate with each other. Regarding claim 8, Gao teaches a display panel according to claim 7, wherein at least one first opening is formed in the at least one common electrode, wherein one of the at least one first opening overlap with one of the pluralities of first vias along a direction perpendicular to a plane of the display panel (please see figure 8 above which shows this orientation). Regarding claim 10, Gao teaches a display panel according to claim 1, wherein the transistor comprises a first electrode electrically connected to a data line, and a second electrode electrically connected to the pixel electrode (Gao teaches that 50D is connected to 60), wherein at least one second opening is formed in the at least one common electrode, and one of the at least one second opening at least partially overlaps with the first electrode of the transistor along a direction perpendicular to a plane of the display panel (please see figure 8 above), or, at least one third opening is formed in the at least one common electrode, and one of the at least one third opening at least partially overlaps with the second electrode of the transistor along the direction perpendicular to the plane of the display panel. Regarding claim 12, Gao teaches a display panel according to claim 1, further comprising: a second base plate (fig. 61: M) comprising a second substrate (fig. 61: 001); and at least one support pillar (fig. 61: PS) provided between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the first base plate further comprises scan lines and data lines (Gao teaches TFT array including scanning lines and data lines electrically connected to the TFT), wherein an extension direction of each of the scan lines intersects an extension direction of each of the data lines (please see fig. 15), and one of the at least one support pillar does not overlap with at least one of one of the scan lines and one of the data lines along a direction perpendicular to a plane of the display panel (please see fig. 61 which shows outside pillar which do not intersect any element in a top down view). Regarding claim 19, Gao teaches a display panel according to claim 1, wherein the first base plate further comprises a data line (Gao teaches TFT array including scanning lines and data lines electrically connected to the TFT) and a touch line (TP1), wherein the data line is electrically connected to the pixel electrode (Gao teaches TFT array including scanning lines and data lines electrically connected to the TFT), and the touch line is electrically connected to one of the at least one common electrode (Gao teaches that TP1 is connected to 70) and is located in a same layer as the data line (Gao teaches that TP1 can be in a similar layer as S). Regarding claim 20, Gao teaches a display apparatus, comprising a display panel, wherein the display panel comprises: a first base plate (please see device seen in fig. 8 above), wherein the first base plate comprises: a first substrate (fig. 8: 10); a transistor array layer (please see array of TFTs in fig. 8 above) provided on a side of the first substrate and comprising a transistor (please see three TFTs in fig. 8 above); a pixel electrode layer (fig. 8, which shows multiple portions of 60) and a common electrode layer (fig. 8, which show multiple portions of 70) that are provided at a side of the transistor array layer away from the first substrate (please see fig. 8 above), the pixel electrode layer comprising a pixel electrode (fig. 8: 60), and the common electrode layer comprising at least one common electrode (fig. 8: 70); a first inorganic insulating layer (col. 34, lines 51-65 teaches that the ILDs above and below 70 being composed of insulating materials, such as SiN; these ILD layers can be seen in white in fig. 8 above) that is an insulating layer between the transistor array layer and one of the pixel electrode layers and the common electrode layer close to the transistor array layer (please see white ILDs, below 70, in fig. 8 above); and a second inorganic insulating layer (col. 33, lines 11-25 teaches that the ILDs above and below 60 being composed of insulating materials, such as SiN; these ILD layers can be seen in white in fig. 8 above) provided between the pixel electrode layer and the common electrode layer (please see white ILDs, below 60, in fig. 8 above). Allowable Subject Matter Claim 2 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. Claim 5, which depends on claim 4, 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. Claim 9, which depends on claim 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. Claim 11, which depends on claim 10, 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. Claim 13, which depends on claim 12, 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. Claim 14, which depends on claim 13, 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. Claim 15, which depends on claim 14, 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. Claim 16, which depends on claim 13, 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. Claim 17, which depends on claim 13 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. Claim 18, which depends on claim 13, 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. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CALEB E HENRY whose telephone number is (571)270-5370. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /CALEB E HENRY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818
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Prosecution Timeline

Jul 31, 2023
Application Filed
Nov 23, 2025
Non-Final Rejection — §102
Apr 03, 2026
Response Filed

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
86%
Grant Probability
89%
With Interview (+2.7%)
2y 3m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1217 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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