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 .
This Office Action is in response to the Applicant’s amendment filed March 23, 2026.
Drawings
The objection to the drawings has been withdrawn due to the amendment filed.
Specification
The objection to the title of the invention has been withdrawn due to the amendment filed.
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) 1-3, 7-20, 23 and 26-28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (US 2021/0050552 A1) in view Lee et al. (WO 2021125695 A1).
In regard to claim 1, Wang et al. teach a display apparatus 10, comprising: a display panel 50 including a variable area FR and a non-variable area NFR1/NFR2; a first adhesive member AM3 disposed on the display panel 50; and a first layer 85 disposed on the first adhesive member AM3, a material of the first layer 85 being different from a material of the first adhesive member AM3, wherein the first layer 85 includes a photoreactive material (Figure 3, pages 3-6, paragraphs [0053]-[0101]).
In regard to claim 26, Wang et al. teach a display apparatus, comprising: a display panel 50 including a variable area FR and a non-variable area NFR1/NFR2; a first layer 85 disposed adjacent to the display panel 50; one or more plates 21/22 below the display panel 50; and a first adhesive member AM1 adjacent to the one or more plates 21/22, wherein the first layer 85 and the first adhesive member AM1 are configured by different materials (Figure 3, pages 3-6, paragraphs [0053]-[0101]).
However, Wang et al. fail to teach the variable area comprising at least a portion of the first layer.
Lee et al. teach a variable area BP comprising at least a portion of a first layer 2 (Figure 10, pages 31-38).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the display apparatus structure as taught by Wang et al. with the display apparatus having a variable area comprising at least a portion of a first layer to provide a light emitting display device with excellent durability and lifespan (page 3, TECH-PROBLEM)
In regard to claim 2, Wang et al. teach the first layer 85 formed of a shape memory material in which a photoreactive material and a polymer are mixed (Figure 3, pages 3-6, paragraphs [0053]-[0101]).
In regard to claim 3, Wang et al. teach the photoreactive material (of 85) being a material which reacts to the visible ray (Figure 3, pages 3-6, paragraphs [0053]-[0101]).
In regard to claim 7, Wang et al. teach the first layer 85 disposed so as to correspond to the variable area FR (Figure 3, pages 3-6, paragraphs [0053]-[0101]).
In regard to claim 8, Wang et al. teach the first adhesive member AM3 including one of an optically cleared adhesive, an optically cleared resin, and a pressure sensitive adhesive (Figure 3, pages 3-6, paragraphs [0053]-[0101]).
In regard to claim 9, Wang et al. teach a first cover member 70 on the first adhesive member AM3, wherein the first layer 85 is disposed on the first cover member 70 (Figure 3, pages 3-6, paragraphs [0053]-[0101]).
In regard to claim 10, Wang et al. teach the first layer 85 being a film integrally configured with the first cover member 70 (Figure 3, pages 3-6, paragraphs [0053]-[0101]).
In regard to claim 11, Wang et al. teach a polarization member 60 below the first cover member 60; and a second adhesive member AM4 between the polarization member 60 and the first cover member 70 (Figure 3, pages 3-6, paragraphs [0053]-[0101]).
In regard to claim 12, Wang et al. teach the second adhesive member AM4 includes a material different from that of the first layer 85 (Figure 3, pages 3-6, paragraphs [0053]-[0101]).
In regard to claim 13, Wang et al. teach the second adhesive member AM4 including one of an optically cleared adhesive, an optically cleared resin, and a pressure sensitive adhesive (Figure 3, pages 3-6, paragraphs [0053]-[0101]).
In regard to claim 14, Wang et al. teach one or more plates 21/22 below the display panel 50; and one or more third adhesive members AM1 between the one or more plates 21/22 (Figure 3, pages 3-6, paragraphs [0053]-[0101]).
In regard to claim 15, Wang et al. teach at least one of the one or more plates 21/22 further including one or more opening patterns (at IDP) (Figure 3, pages 3-6, paragraphs [0053]-[0101]).
In regard to claim 16, Wang et al. teach the one or more opening patterns (at IDP) disposed to correspond to the variable area FR (Figure 3, pages 3-6, paragraphs [0053]-[0101]).
In regard to claim 17, Wang et al. teach the variable area FR being foldable with respect to a folding axis; and the one or more opening patterns (at IDP) extend in a direction parallel to the folding axis and/or are configured in a discontinuous shape (Figure 3, pages 3-6, paragraphs [0053]-[0101]).
In regard to claim 18, Wang et al. teach the one or more opening patterns (at IDP) including two or more opening patterns (at IDP), and the two or more opening patterns (at IDP) are configured in different shapes or with different intervals in the variable area FR (Figure 3, pages 3-6, paragraphs [0053]-[0101]).
In regard to claim 19, Wang et al. teach the one or more third adhesive members AM1 including a material different from that of the first layer 85 (Figure 3, pages 3-6, paragraphs [0053]-[0101]).
In regard to claim 20, Wang et al. teach the one or more third adhesive members AM1 including one of an optically cleared adhesive, an optically cleared resin, and a pressure sensitive adhesive (Figure 3, pages 3-6, paragraphs [0053]-[0101]).
In regard to claim 23, Wang et al. teach the display panel 50 includes a transistor part (inherent for a display panel) and an emission part (inherent for a display panel), and wherein the display apparatus 10 further comprises: an encapsulation part (See paragraph [0076]) on the emission part; and a touch part (See paragraph [0086]) on the encapsulation part (See paragraph [0076]) (Figure 3, pages 3-6, paragraphs [0053]-[0101]).
In regard to claim 27, Wang et al. teach the first layer 85 including a material which reacts to the visible ray, and wherein the first adhesive member AM1 includes one of an optically cleared adhesive, an optically cleared resin, and a pressure sensitive adhesive (Figure 3, pages 3-6, paragraphs [0053]-[0101]).
In regard to claim 28, Wang et al. teach the first layer 85 further including a polymer, and wherein the material which reacts to the visible ray and the polymer configure a shape memory material (Figure 3, pages 3-6, paragraphs [0053]-[0101]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-6, 21, 24 and 29 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. Claim 22 is objected to as being dependent upon objected claim 21. Claim 25 is objected to as being dependent upon objected claim 24.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 1-3, filed March 23, 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-3, 7-20, 23 and 26-28 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) rejection have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Lee et al. (WO 2021125695 A1).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The following patents are cited to further show the state of the art with respect to display devices:
Hwang et al. (US 2021/0367189 A1) Hyun et al. (US 11,758,752 B2)
Lee (KR 20210074638 A) Liang et al. (CN 107230693 A)
Kishimoto et al. (US 2021/0333934 A1) Su et al. (US 2020/0103942 A1).
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 IDA M SOWARD whose telephone number is (571)272-1845. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday, 7am to 5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Leonard Chang can be reached on 571-570-3691. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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IMS
April 28, 2026
/IDA M SOWARD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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