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.
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.
Claims 1-4, 7-8, 12, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Du et al. (U.S. Patent No. 11,711,956) in view of Sharma et al. (U.S. Patent No. 12,412,835).
Regarding to claim 1, Du teaches a display panel, comprising a display region and a fan-out wire region, wherein
the display region comprises a plurality of data lines, the fan-out wire region comprises a plurality of fan-out wires, and a fan-out wire of the plurality of fan-out wires is electrically connected to a respective data line of the plurality of data lines (Fig. 4, column 8, lines 43-50);
the plurality of fan-out wires comprise a plurality of first fan-out wires and a plurality of second fan-out wires, the display panel further comprises a substrate (Fig. 4).
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Du is silent about cross-sectional view of the fan-out wire structure.
Sharma discloses
a second wire of the plurality of second wires is located on a side of a first wire of the plurality of first wires facing away from the substrate (Fig. 6, please also see the attached figure);
the first wire comprises a first main portion and a first edge portion, the first edge portion is located at an edge of the first main portion, a thickness of the first edge portion is less than a thickness of the first main portion (Fig. 6, please also see the attached figure), the second wire comprises a second main portion and a second edge portion, the second edge portion is located at an edge of the second main portion, and a thickness of the second edge portion is less than a thickness of the second main portion (Fig. 6, please also see the attached figure); and
in a thickness direction, at least one first main portion of first main portions of the plurality of first wires does not overlap at least one second main portion of second main portions of the plurality of second wires (Fig. 6, please also see the attached figure).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Du in view of Sharma to locate a second fan-out wire of the plurality of second fan-out wires on a side of a first fan-out wire of the plurality of first fan-out wires facing away from the substrate, to comprise in the first fan-out wire a first main portion and a first edge portion, the first edge portion is located at an edge of the first main portion, a thickness of the first edge portion is less than a thickness of the first main portion, to comprise in the second fan-out wire a second main portion and a second edge portion, the second edge portion is located at an edge of the second main portion, and a thickness of the second edge portion is less than a thickness of the second main portion, and to configure, in a thickness direction of the display panel, at least one first main portion of first main portions of the plurality of first fan-out wires not to overlap at least one second main portion of second main portions of the plurality of second fan-out wires, in order to reduce footprint for the wiring structure.
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Regarding to claim 2, Sharma discloses the first edge portion partially overlaps the second edge portion in the thickness direction of the display panel; or the first edge portion does not overlap the second edge portion in the thickness direction of the display panel; in a first direction, a minimum distance L between the first edge portion and the second edge portion satisfies that L≤0.3 μm; and the first direction is an arrangement direction of the plurality of fan-out wires (Fig. 6).
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Regarding to claim 3, Sharma discloses the thickness of the second edge portion increases gradually in a direction of the second edge portion pointing to the second main portion.
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Regarding to claim 4, Sharma discloses the second main portion comprises a first surface on a side of the second main portion facing the substrate, the second edge portion comprises a second surface on a side of the second edge portion facing the substrate, a plane where the first surface is located is parallel to a plane where the substrate is located, and a plane where the second surface is located intersects the plane where the substrate is located (Fig. 6).
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Regarding to claim 7, Sharma discloses the first edge portion comprises a second side surface, the second edge portion comprises a second surface on a side of the second edge portion facing the substrate, and a plane where the second side surface is located is parallel to a plane where the second surface is located (Fig. 6).
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Regarding to claim 8, Sharma discloses in a first direction, a width of the second fan-out wire is greater than a width of the first fan-out wire, and the first direction is an arrangement direction of the plurality of fan-out wires (Fig. 6).
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Regarding to claim 12, Du teaches a preparation method of a display panel configured to prepare a display panel, wherein the display panel comprises: a display region and a fan-out wire region, wherein the display region comprises a plurality of data lines (Fig. 4, column 8, lines 43-50), the fan-out wire region comprises a plurality of fan-out wires, and a fan-out wire of the plurality of fan-out wires is electrically connected to a respective data line of the plurality of data lines; the plurality of fan-out wires comprise a plurality of first fan-out wires and a plurality of second fan-out wires, the display panel further comprises a substrate (Fig. 4, column 9, lines 18-20).
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Du is silent about cross-sectional view of the fan-out wire structure.
Sharma discloses a second wire of the plurality of second wires is located on a side of a first wire of the plurality of first wires facing away from the substrate (Fig. 6, please also see the attached figure); the first wire comprises a first main portion and a first edge portion, the first edge portion is located at an edge of the first main portion, a thickness of the first edge portion is less than a thickness of the first main portion, the second wire comprises a second main portion and a second edge portion, the second edge portion is located at an edge of the second main portion, and a thickness of the second edge portion is less than a thickness of the second main portion (Fig. 6, please also see the attached figure); and in a thickness direction, at least one first main portion of first main portions of the plurality of first wires does not overlap at least one second main portion of second main portions of the plurality of second wires; wherein the preparation method comprises: providing the substrate; preparing the first wire on a side of the substrate; and preparing the second wire on a side of the first wire facing away from the substrate (Fig. 6). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Du in view of Sharma to locate a second fan-out wire of the plurality of second fan-out wires on a side of a first fan-out wire of the plurality of first fan-out wires facing away from the substrate; to comprise in the first fan-out wire a first main portion and a first edge portion, the first edge portion is located at an edge of the first main portion, a thickness of the first edge portion is less than a thickness of the first main portion, to comprise in the second fan-out wire a second main portion and a second edge portion, the second edge portion is located at an edge of the second main portion, and a thickness of the second edge portion is less than a thickness of the second main portion; to configure in a thickness direction of the display panel, at least one first main portion of first main portions of the plurality of first fan-out wires does not overlap at least one second main portion of second main portions of the plurality of second fan-out wires; to provide the substrate, to prepare the first fan-out wire on a side of the substrate; and to prepare the second fan-out wire on a side of the first fan-out wire facing away from the substrate, in order to reduce footprint for the wiring structure.
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Regarding to claim 20, Du teaches a display apparatus, comprising a display panel, where the display panel comprises display region and a fan-out wire region, wherein
the display region comprises a plurality of data lines, the fan-out wire region comprises a plurality of fan-out wires, and a fan-out wire of the plurality of fan-out wires is electrically connected to a respective data line of the plurality of data lines (Fig. 4, column 8, lines 43-50);
the plurality of fan-out wires comprise a plurality of first fan-out wires and a plurality of second fan-out wires, the display panel further comprises a substrate (Fig. 4).
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Du is silent as to cross-sectional view of the fan-out wire structure.
Sharma discloses
a second wire of the plurality of second wires is located on a side of a first wire of the plurality of first wires facing away from the substrate (Fig. 6, please also see the attached figure);
the first wire comprises a first main portion and a first edge portion, the first edge portion is located at an edge of the first main portion, a thickness of the first edge portion is less than a thickness of the first main portion (Fig. 6, please also see the attached figure), the second wire comprises a second main portion and a second edge portion, the second edge portion is located at an edge of the second main portion, and a thickness of the second edge portion is less than a thickness of the second main portion (Fig. 6, please also see the attached figure); and
in a thickness direction, at least one first main portion of first main portions of the plurality of first wires does not overlap at least one second main portion of second main portions of the plurality of second wires (Fig. 6, please also see the attached figure).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Du in view of Sharma to locate a second fan-out wire of the plurality of second fan-out wires on a side of a first fan-out wire of the plurality of first fan-out wires facing away from the substrate, to comprise in the first fan-out wire a first main portion and a first edge portion, the first edge portion is located at an edge of the first main portion, a thickness of the first edge portion is less than a thickness of the first main portion, to comprise in the second fan-out wire a second main portion and a second edge portion, the second edge portion is located at an edge of the second main portion, and a thickness of the second edge portion is less than a thickness of the second main portion, and to configure, in a thickness direction of the display panel, at least one first main portion of first main portions of the plurality of first fan-out wires not to overlap at least one second main portion of second main portions of the plurality of second fan-out wires, in order to reduce footprint for the wiring structure.
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-6, 9-11, and 13-19 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. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding to claim 5, the prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious the claimed limitations including “the first side surface comprises a curved surface” in combination with the limitations recited in claim 1 and the rest of limitations recited in claim 5.
Regarding to claim 9, the prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious the claimed limitations including “angle between the first wire segment and a preset direction is less than an included angle between the second wire segment and the preset direction, and the preset direction is parallel to a direction of the display region pointing to the bonding region; and a wire width of the first wire segment is greater than a wire width of the second wire segment” in combination with the limitations recited in claim 1 and the rest of limitations recited in claim 9.
Regarding to claim 11, the prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious the claimed limitations including “in two second fan-out wires of the plurality of second fan-out wires, a wire width of a second fan-out wire of the two second fan-out wires closer to an edge of the display panel in a first direction is greater than a wire width of a second fan-out wire of the two second fan-out wires closer to a center of the display panel; and the first direction is an arrangement direction of the plurality of fan-out” in combination with the limitations recited in claim 1.
Regarding to claim 13, the prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious the claimed limitations including “the mask edge portion comprises a plurality of mask protrusions; a hollow region is disposed between two adjacent mask protrusions of the plurality of mask protrusions in an arrangement direction of the plurality of mask protrusions; the exposure photoresist comprises a first region, a second region, and a third region; and in the thickness direction of the display panel, the second region overlaps the mask edge portion, the third region overlaps the mask main portion, and the first region overlaps a region between two adjacent mask edge portions and does not overlap the mask” in combination with the limitations recited in claim 12 and the rest of limitations recited in claim 13.
Pertinent Art
For the benefits of the Applicant, US-20240431163-A1, US-10634499-B2, US-9786229-B2, US-20240006560-A1, US-11309216-B2, US-12144218-B2, US-11587507-B2, US-12259623-B2, US-20240292719-A1, US-12245461-B2, are US-20240162185-A1, are cited on the record as being pertinent to significant disclosure through some but not all claimed features of the defined invention. The references disclose most limitations except for “the first fan-out wire comprises a first main portion and a first edge portion, the first edge portion is located at an edge of the first main portion, a thickness of the first edge portion is less than a thickness of the first main portion, the second fan-out wire comprises a second main portion and a second edge portion, the second edge portion is located at an edge of the second main portion, and a thickness of the second edge portion is less than a thickness of the second main portion.”
Conclusion
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/VU A VU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2897