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 with respect to claim(s) 1 and 15 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 9 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.
The primary reason for the allowance of the claims is the inclusion of the limitation, along with the other claimed features, “wherein every two adjacent ones of the cathodes are provided with one of the touch bonding portions therebetween, some of the touch bonding portions are arranged on hollow portions, and each of the hollow portions is arranged between one of the cathodes and one of the touch electrodes”, as recited in claim 9.
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, 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 factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-8, 10, 12-15, and 21-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Feng (U.S. 2019/0386069 A1, hereinafter refer to Feng) in view of Lee et al. (U.S. 2018/0143729 A1, hereinafter refer to Lee).
Regarding Claim 1: Feng discloses a array substrate (see Feng, Figs.1-3 as shown below and ¶ [0002]), comprising:
PNG
media_image1.png
311
606
media_image1.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image2.png
448
628
media_image2.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image3.png
667
563
media_image3.png
Greyscale
a base (100) (see Feng, Fig.1 as shown above);
an intermediate layer (200), disposed on the base (100) and comprising a plurality of pixel units (300) (see Feng, Fig.1 as shown above); and
a cathode layer (800), disposed on a side of the intermediate layer (200) away from the base (100), comprising touch electrodes (600), and comprising cathodes (800) corresponding to the pixel units (300) (see Feng, Fig.1 as shown above),
wherein a vertical orthographic projection of each of the cathodes (800) on the base (100) covers vertical orthographic projections of two of the pixel units (300) on the base (100) (see Feng, Figs.1-3 as shown above and ¶ [0033]), and
each of the touch electrodes (600) is spaced apart from one of the cathodes (800) (see Feng, Fig.1 as shown above).
Feng is silent upon explicitly disclosing a plan view wherein each of the touch electrodes surrounds one of the cathodes.
For support see Lee, which teaches a plan view wherein each of the touch electrodes (223) surrounds one of the cathodes (210) (note: the top or plan view of Fig.8 of Lee necessarily results the each of the touch electrodes (223) surrounds one of the cathodes corresponding to the pixel units (221)) (see Lee, Fig.2 and 8 as shown below and ¶ [0006]).
PNG
media_image4.png
308
667
media_image4.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image5.png
449
636
media_image5.png
Greyscale
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Feng and Lee to enable the Feng touch electrodes to surround one of the cathodes corresponding to the pixel units as taught by Lee in order to obtain an OLED display panel with touch sensing electrodes to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned problems.
Regarding Claim 2: Feng as modified teaches a array substrate as set forth in claim 1 as above. The combination of Feng and Lee further teaches wherein each of the pixel units (221) comprises: a first light-emitting unit (230) and a second light-emitting unit (230) arranged along a first direction (see Lee, Fig.2 and 8 as shown above); and
a third light-emitting unit (230) adjacently arranged to the first light-emitting unit (230) and the second light-emitting unit (230) along a second direction which crosses the first direction (see Lee, Fig.2 and 8 as shown above);
wherein the vertical orthographic projection of each of the cathodes (210) on the base (240) covers the vertical orthographic projections of the two of the pixel units (221), that are adjacent to each other along the first direction, on the base (240) (see Lee, Fig.2 and 8 as shown above).
Regarding Claim 3: Feng as modified teaches a array substrate as set forth in claim 2 as above. The combination of Feng and Lee further teaches wherein the cathode layer (210) further comprises: cathode bonding portions (note: the intersection of the grid of cathode layer 210 is equivalent to the claimed limitation of “cathode bonding portions”), provided in one-to-one correspondence with the cathodes (210) (see Lee, Fig.2 and 8 as shown above); and
touch bonding portions (note: the intersection of the grid of touch electrode 223 is equivalent to the claimed limitation of “touch bonding portions”), each arranged between two adjacent ones of the cathodes (210) arranged along the first direction (see Lee, Fig.2 and 8 as shown above);
wherein a vertical orthographic projection of each of the cathode bonding portions on the base (240) is located between vertical orthographic projections of two adjacent third light-emitting units (230) arranged along the first direction on the base (240), and a vertical orthographic projection of each of the touch bonding portions on the base (240) is located between vertical orthographic projections of another two adjacent third light-emitting units (230) arranged along the first direction on the base (240) (see Lee, Fig.2 and 8 as shown above).
Regarding Claim 4: Feng as modified teaches a array substrate as set forth in claim 3 as above. The combination of Feng and Lee further teaches wherein the cathode bonding portions are arranged on the cathodes (210), and the touch bonding portions are arranged on the touch electrodes (223) (note: mere duplication of cathode layer as cathode layer and cathode bonding portions and/or touch electrodes and touch electrode bonding portions has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced) (see Lee, Fig.2 and 8 as shown above).
Regarding Claim 5: Feng as modified teaches a array substrate as set forth in claim 3 as above. The combination of Feng and Lee further teaches wherein the cathode layer (800) further comprises hollow portions (note: the space between cathode layer 800 and touch electrode layer 600 is equivalent to the claimed limitation of “hollow portions”) disposed between the cathodes (800) and the touch electrodes (600) (see Feng, Figs.1 and 3 as shown above);
each of the hollow portions surrounds one of the cathodes (800) and is surrounded by one of the touch electrodes (600) (see Feng, Figs.1 and 3 as shown above); and
some of the cathode bonding portions (note: edge of cathode layer 800 which is close to the space between cathode layer 800 and touch electrode 600 is considered as equivalent to the claimed limitation of “cathode bonding portions”) are arranged on the hollow portions and spaced apart from the touch electrodes (600) (see Feng, Figs.1 and 3 as shown above).
Regarding Claim 6: Feng as modified teaches a array substrate as set forth in claim 3 as above. The combination of Feng and Lee further teaches wherein the cathode layer (800) further comprises hollow portions (note: the space between cathode layer 800 and touch electrode layer 600 is equivalent to the claimed limitation of “hollow portions”) disposed between the cathodes (800) and the touch electrodes (600) (see Feng, Fig.1 as shown above);
each of the hollow portions surrounds one of the cathodes (800) and is surrounded by one of the touch electrodes (600) (see Feng, Fig.1 as shown above); and
some of the touch bonding portions (612) (note: edge of touch electrode 600 which is close to the space between cathode layer 800 and touch electrode 600 is considered as equivalent to the claimed limitation of “touch bonding portions/612”) are arranged on the hollow portions and spaced apart from the cathodes (800) (see Feng, Figs.1 and 3 as shown above).
Regarding Claim 7: Feng as modified teaches a array substrate as set forth in claim 3 as above. The combination of Feng and Lee further teaches wherein the cathode layer further comprises hollow portions (note: the space between cathode layer 800 and touch electrode layer 600 is equivalent to the claimed limitation of “hollow portions”) disposed between the cathodes (800) and the touch electrodes (600) (see Feng, Fig.1 as shown above);
each of the hollow portions surrounds one of the cathodes (800) and is surrounded by one of the touch electrodes (600) (see Feng, Fig.1 as shown above);
some of the cathode bonding portions (note: edge of cathode layer 800 which is close to the space between cathode layer 800 and touch electrode 600 is considered as equivalent to the claimed limitation of “cathode bonding portions”) are arranged on the hollow portions and spaced apart from the touch electrodes (600) (see Feng, Figs.1 and 3 as shown above); and
some of the touch bonding portions (612) (note: edge of touch electrode 600 which is close to the space between cathode layer 800 and touch electrode 600 is considered as equivalent to the claimed limitation of “touch bonding portions/612”) are arranged on the hollow portions and spaced apart from the cathodes (800) (see Feng, Figs.1 and 3 as shown above).
Regarding Claim 8: Feng as modified teaches a array substrate as set forth in claim 3 as above. The combination of Feng and Lee further teaches wherein some of the cathodes (210) are not provided with the touch bonding portions therebetween (see Lee, Fig.2 and 8 as shown above).
Regarding Claim 10: Feng as modified teaches a array substrate as set forth in claim 3 as above. The combination of Feng and Lee further teaches wherein some of the cathode bonding portions and some of the touch bonding portions are alternately arranged along the second direction (see Lee, Fig.2 and 8 as shown above).
Regarding Claim 12: Feng as modified teaches a array substrate as set forth in claim 1 as above. The combination of Feng and Lee further teaches wherein the intermediate layer (200) comprises an anode layer (300) comprising anodes of the pixel units (300), and vertical orthographic projections of the touch electrodes (600) on the base (100) do not overlap with orthographic projections of the anodes (300) on the base (100) (see Feng, Figs.1-3 as shown above).
Regarding Claim 13: Feng as modified teaches a array substrate as set forth in claim 1 as above. The combination of Feng and Lee further teaches wherein a cross-sectional shape of each of the cathodes (800) is a regular quadrilateral (see Feng, Figs.1-3 as shown above).
Regarding Claim 14: Feng as modified teaches a array substrate as set forth in claim 1 as above. The combination of Feng and Lee further teaches wherein a cross-sectional shape of each of the cathodes (800) is an irregular polygon, and each of the cathodes (800) correspondingly covers light-emitting units (700) of the pixel units (300) and covers a part of a gap between the pixel units (300) (see Feng, Figs.1-3 as shown above).
Regarding Claim 15: Feng discloses a display panel, comprising an array substrate (see Feng, Figs.1-3 as shown above and ¶ [0002]), wherein the array substrate comprises:
a base (100) (see Feng, Fig.1 as shown above);
an intermediate layer (200), disposed on the base (100) and comprising a plurality of pixel units (300) (see Feng, Fig.1 as shown above); and
a cathode layer (800), disposed on a side of the intermediate layer (200) away from the base (100), comprising touch electrodes (600), and comprising cathodes (800) corresponding to the pixel units (300) (see Feng, Figs.1-3 as shown above),
wherein a vertical orthographic projection of each of the cathodes (800) on the base (100) covers vertical orthographic projections of two of the pixel units (300) on the base (100), and is spaced apart from one of the cathodes (800) (see Feng, Fig.1 as shown above and ¶ [0033]).
Feng is silent upon explicitly disclosing a plan view wherein each of the touch electrodes surrounds one of the cathodes.
For support see Lee, which teaches a plan view wherein each of the touch electrodes (223) surrounds one of the cathodes (210) (note: the top or plan view of Fig.8 of Lee necessarily results the each of the touch electrodes (223) surrounds one of the cathodes corresponding to the pixel units (221)) (see Lee, Fig.2 and 8 as shown above and ¶ [0006]).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Feng and Lee to enable the Feng touch electrodes to surround one of the cathodes corresponding to the pixel units as taught by Lee in order to obtain an OLED display panel with touch sensing electrodes to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned problems.
Regarding Claim 21: Feng discloses an array substrate (see Feng, Figs.1-3 as shown above and ¶ [0002]), comprising:
a base (100) (see Feng, Fig.1 as shown above);
an intermediate layer (200), disposed on the base (100) and comprising a plurality of pixel units (300) (see Feng, Fig.1 as shown above); and
a cathode layer (800), disposed on a side of the intermediate layer (200) away from the base (100), comprising touch electrodes (600), and comprising cathodes (800) corresponding to the pixel units (300) (see Feng, Figs.1-3 as shown above),
wherein a vertical orthographic projection of each of the cathodes (800) on the base (100) covers vertical orthographic projections of two corresponding ones of the pixel units (300) on the base (100), and is spaced apart from the corresponding one of the cathodes (800) (see Feng, Fig.1 as shown above and ¶ [0033]).
Feng is silent upon explicitly disclosing a plan view wherein each of the touch electrodes surrounds one of the cathodes.
For support see Lee, which teaches a plan view wherein each of the touch electrodes (223) surrounds one of the cathodes (210) (note: the top or plan view of Fig.8 of Lee necessarily results the each of the touch electrodes (223) surrounds one of the cathodes corresponding to the pixel units (221)) (see Lee, Fig.2 and 8 as shown above and ¶ [0006]).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Feng and Lee to enable the Feng touch electrodes to surround one of the cathodes corresponding to the pixel units as taught by Lee in order to obtain an OLED display panel with touch sensing electrodes to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned problems.
Regarding Claim 22: Feng as modified teaches an array substrate as set forth in claim 21 as above. The combination of Feng and Lee further teaches wherein each of the pixel units (221) comprises:
a first light-emitting unit (230) and a second light-emitting unit (230) arranged along a first direction (see Lee, Fig.2 and 8 as shown above); and
a third light-emitting unit (230) adjacently arranged to the first light-emitting unit (230) and the second light-emitting unit (230) along a second direction which crosses the first direction (see Lee, Fig.2 and 8 as shown above);
wherein the two corresponding one of the pixel units (221) are adjacent to each other along the first direction (see Lee, Fig.2 and 8 as shown above).
Regarding Claim 23: Feng as modified teaches an array substrate as set forth in claim 22 as above. The combination of Feng and Lee further teaches wherein the cathode layer (210) further comprises:
cathode bonding portions (note: the intersection of the grid of cathode layer 210 is equivalent to the claimed limitation of “cathode bonding portions”), provided in one-to-one correspondence with the cathodes (210) (see Lee, Fig.2 and 8 as shown above); and
touch bonding portions (note: the intersection of the grid of touch electrode 223 is equivalent to the claimed limitation of “touch bonding portions”), each arranged between two adjacent ones of the cathodes (210) arranged along the first direction (see Lee, Fig.2 and 8 as shown above);
wherein a vertical orthographic projection of each of the cathode bonding portions on the base (240) is located between vertical orthographic projections of two corresponding third light-emitting units (230), that are adjacent to each other along the first direction, on the base (240) (see Lee, Fig.2 and 8 as shown above); and
wherein a vertical orthographic projection of each of the touch bonding portions on the base (240) is located between vertical orthographic projections of two corresponding third light-emitting units (230), that are adjacent to each other along the first direction, on the base (240) (see Lee, Fig.2 and 8 as shown above).
Regarding Claim 24: Feng as modified teaches an array substrate as set forth in claim 23 as above. The combination of Feng and Lee further teaches wherein the cathode layer (800) further comprises hollow portions (note: the space between cathode layer 800 and touch electrode layer 600 is equivalent to the claimed limitation of “hollow portions”) disposed between the cathodes (800) and the touch electrodes (600) (see Feng, Fig.1 as shown above);
each of the hollow portions surrounds a corresponding one of the cathodes (800) and is surrounded by a corresponding one of the touch electrodes (600) (see Feng, Fig.1 as shown above); and
some of the cathode bonding portions (note: edge of cathode layer 800 which is close to the space between cathode layer 800 and touch electrode 600 is considered as equivalent to the claimed limitation of “cathode bonding portions”) are arranged on the hollow portions and spaced apart from the touch electrodes (600), and/or some of the touch bonding portions (note: edge of touch electrode 600 which is close to the space between cathode layer 800 and touch electrode 600 is considered as equivalent to the claimed limitation of “touch bonding portions/612”) are arranged on the hollow portions and spaced apart from the cathodes (800) (see Feng, Figs.1 and 3 as shown above).
Regarding Claim 25: Feng as modified teaches an array substrate as set forth in claim 23 as above. The combination of Feng and Lee further teaches wherein every two adjacent ones of the cathodes (800) are provided with a corresponding one of the touch bonding portions (612) therebetween, some of the touch bonding portions (612) are arranged on hollow portions (note: the space between cathode layer 800 and touch electrode layer 600 is equivalent to the claimed limitation of “hollow portions”), and each of the hollow portions is arranged between a corresponding one of the cathodes (800) and a corresponding one of the touch electrodes (600) (see Feng, Figs.1 and 3 as shown above).
Claim(s) 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Feng (U.S. 2019/0386069 A1, hereinafter refer to Feng) and Lee et al. (U.S. 2018/0143729 A1, hereinafter refer to Lee) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Kim et al. (U.S. 2024/0224660 A1, hereinafter refer to Kim).
Regarding Claim 11: Feng as modified teaches a array substrate as set forth in claim 3 as above; however, The combination of Feng and Lee is silent upon explicitly disclosing wherein materials of the cathodes and the touch electrodes all comprise magnesium-silver alloy.
For support see Kim, which teaches wherein materials of the cathodes and the touch electrodes all comprise magnesium-silver alloy (see Kim, ¶ [0120]).
Feng discloses the claimed invention except for the materials of the cathodes and the touch electrodes. Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Feng, Lee, and Kim to enable the known material for forming the cathodes and the touch electrodes layers as taught by Kim increase light emitting efficiency, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the base of its suitability, for its intended use involves only ordinary skill in the art. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 BITEW A DINKE whose telephone number is (571)272-0534. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7 a.m. - 5 p.m..
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.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Davienne Monbleau can be reached at (571)272-1945. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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.
/BITEW A DINKE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812