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 .
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.
(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) 1-8, 12-13, 16, and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lee et al. (US 2023/0171986).
Regarding claim 1, Lee discloses a display device (Figs. 3-7) comprising: a display module which includes a display panel including a display area (AA; Paragraph [0098]) and a non-display area (BA; Paragraph [0098]) adjacent to the display area and a light control layer disposed on the display panel (188a/288a/388a; Paragraph [0134]); a step difference compensation layer which overlaps the non-display area, is disposed on the display module and compensates for a step difference in the non- display area (186; Paragraph [0064]); and a window disposed on the display module, the window including: a light shielding layer overlapping the non-display area and being disposed on the step difference compensation layer (188b/288b/388b; Paragraph [0134]); and a window coating layer disposed on the light shielding layer and the display module (184/284/384; Paragraph [0053]).
Regarding claim 2, Lee further discloses wherein the display module includes a first surface corresponding to an upper surface of the display module (Figs. 5-7, surface of 100 that faces 184/284/384 within AA and including d3) and a second surface extending outward from the first surface (Figs. 5-7, surface of 100 that faces 184/284/384 within BA), and the step difference is defined between the first surface and the second surface (Figs. 5-7, step difference relative to steps between elements 388).
Regarding claim 3, Lee further discloses wherein the step difference compensation layer overlaps the second surface in a plan view (186; Paragraph [0064]).
Regarding claim 4, Lee further discloses wherein the first surface includes a first portion overlapping the non-display area and a second portion overlapping the display area, and the step difference compensation layer overlaps the first portion (186; Paragraph [0064]).
Regarding claim 5, Lee further discloses wherein the step difference compensation layer is disposed between the light shielding layer and the display module and includes a resin (186; Paragraph [0146]).
Regarding claim 6, Lee further discloses wherein a thickness of the step difference compensation layer is equal to an interval between the first surface and the second surface in a normal direction of the first surface (Fig. 6, 186 & 100 & 188).
Regarding claim 7, Lee further discloses a dam disposed outside the step difference compensation layer in the non- display area (288d; Paragraph [0106]).
Regarding claim 8, Lee further discloses wherein the step difference compensation layer partially overlaps the display area (Fig. 6, 186—partially overlaps display area AA and partially overlaps non-display area BA).
Regarding claim 12, Lee further discloses wherein the window coating layer overlaps the display area and the non-display area and contacts an upper surface of the light control layer in the display area (Fig. 6, 184/284/384 & 188a/288a/388a).
Regarding claim 13, Lee further discloses wherein the display panel includes: a base layer (110; Paragraph [0071]); a pixel defining film which is disposed on the base layer and in which an opening is defined (132; Paragraph [0088]); a light emission element including a light emission layer disposed inside the opening (154; Paragraph [0081]); an inorganic deposition layer disposed on the light emission element (142; Paragraph [0089]); and an encapsulation layer disposed on the inorganic deposition layer (144; Paragraph [0090]).
Regarding claim 16, Lee discloses a method of manufacturing a display device (Figs. 3-7), the method comprising: forming a display module including a display panel including a display area (AA; Paragraph [0098]) and a non-display area (BA; Paragraph [0098]) and a light control layer disposed on the display panel (188a/288a/388a; Paragraph [0134]); forming a step difference compensation layer on the display module so that the step difference compensation layer overlaps the non-display area (186; Paragraph [0064]); forming a light shielding layer overlapping the non-display area on the step difference compensation layer (188b/288b/388b; Paragraph [0134]); and forming a window coating layer on the light shielding layer and the display module (184/284/384; Paragraph [0053]).
Regarding claim 19, Lee further discloses wherein the step difference compensation layer partially overlaps the display area (186; Paragraph [0064]).
Regarding claim 20, Lee further discloses wherein the forming the window coating layer includes: arranging the window coating layer on the light shielding layer and the step difference compensation layer (Fig. 6, 184/284/384 & 188a/288a/388a).
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) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US 2023/0171986) in view of Kishimoto et al. (US 2023/0215301).
Regarding claim 15, Lee teaches the invention of claim 1, but is silent as to wherein the display module further includes an input sensing layer between the display panel and the light control layer.
In the same field of endeavor, Kishimoto teaches a display device with a sensor layer between the display panel and the light control layer (120 & 110 & 340; Paragraph [0089, 0108]) in order to sense an external object (Paragraph [0075]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-11, 14, and 17-18 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.
Specifically, in claim 9, the requirement wherein the step difference compensation layer and the window coating layer include a same material each other, is neither taught nor disclosed by the prior art of record.
Claims 10-11 are objected to based on their dependence from claim 9.
Specifically, in claim 14, the requirement wherein the light control layer includes at least one of a dye and a pigment, and the dye and the pigment included in the light control layer have a maximum absorption wavelength in a wavelength range of about 490 nanometers to about 505 nanometers and about 585 nanometers to about 600 nanometers, is neither taught nor disclosed by the prior art of record.
Specifically, in claim 17, the requirement wherein the forming the step difference compensation layer includes: applying a resin and forming a preliminary step difference compensation layer on the display module; and curing the preliminary step difference compensation layer and forming the step difference compensation layer, is neither taught nor disclosed by the prior art of record.
Claim 18 is objected to based on its dependence from claim 17.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANNE M HINES whose telephone number is (571)272-2285. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 8:00-4:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James Greece, can be reached on 571-272-3711. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Anne M Hines/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2875