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 .
Applicant’s submission, filed 22 July 2026, has been entered and acknowledged by the examiner.
Applicant's arguments filed 22 July 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1-8, 11-16, 18-27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hanari (USPN 2021/0367014).
With regard to claim 1,
Hanari discloses a display device, comprising: a lower substrate (126) which includes an active area (106) including a plurality of sub pixels (104) and a non-active area (remainder, see fig. 1) enclosing the active area and is formed of one of transparent conducting oxide and an oxide semiconductor layer (see paragraph 44); a rigid unit (210/212) disposed in the non-active area on the lower substrate that encloses the active area (See fig. 1); an insulating layer (154) disposed on the lower substrate and the rigid unit; a light emitting element (162/164/166/204) on the insulating layer including a cathode (166/204).
With regard to claim 2,
Hanari discloses the display device according to claim 1, wherein the rigid unit (210/212) overlaps an end of the cathode (166/204, see fig. 4).
With regard to claim 3,
Hanari discloses the display device according to claim 1, further comprising an encapsulation substrate (116) on the cathode (166/204).
With regard to claim 4,
Hanari discloses the display device according to claim 3, wherein the rigid unit (210/212) overlaps with an end of the cathode (166/204) and an end of the encapsulation substrate (116).
With regard to claim 5,
Hanari discloses the display device according to claim 4, wherein an end of the cathode (166/204) is disposed to be closer to the active area (106) than an end of the encapsulation substrate (116), and wherein an inner side of the rigid unit (210/212) is disposed so as to be closer to the active area (106) than the end of the cathode (166/204) and an outer side of the rigid unit (210/212) is disposed so as to be farther from the active area (106) than the end of the encapsulation substrate (116, see fig. 4).
With regard to claim 6,
Hanari discloses the display device according to claim 3, wherein an inner side of the rigid unit (210/212) is disposed to be closer to the active area (106) than an end of the cathode (166/204) and an outer side of the rigid unit (210/212) overlaps with an end of the lower substrate (126, see figs. 1,4).
With regard to claim 7,
Hanari discloses the display device according to claim 3, wherein the rigid unit includes a plurality of rigid patterns (210/212, see figs. 1,4) which is spaced apart from each other, each of which at least partially encloses the active area (106, See fig. 1).
With regard to claim 8,
Hanari discloses the display device according to claim 7, wherein a first rigid (210) pattern of the plurality of rigid patterns overlaps with an end of the cathode (166/204) and a second rigid pattern (212) of the plurality of rigid patterns overlaps with an end of the encapsulation substrate (116).
With regard to claim 11,
Hanari discloses the display device according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the plurality of rigid patterns has a closed curve shape (see figs. 1,3).
With regard to claim 12,
Hanari discloses the display device according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the plurality of rigid patterns (210/212) has an open curve shape (see figs. 1,3).
With regard to claim 13,
Hanari discloses the display device according to claim 12, wherein one end and another end of the plurality of rigid patterns (210/212) are spaced apart from each other and a location in which the one end and the another end of each of the plurality of rigid patterns are spaced apart from each other is different for each of the plurality of rigid patterns (see fig. 1).
With regard to claim 14,
Hanari discloses the display device according to claim 13, wherein the location in which one end and another end of each of the plurality of rigid patterns (210/212) are spaced apart from each other is disposed in each corner of the lower substrate (see fig. 1).
With regard to claim 15,
Hanari discloses the display device according to claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of rigid patterns (210/212) includes a plurality of sub patterns which is spaced apart from each other and a location in which the plurality of sub patterns is spaced apart from each other is disposed in a corner of the lower substrate (see fig. 1).
With regard to claim 16,
Hanari discloses the display device according to claim 9, further comprising a printed circuit board (114) which is electrically connected to the lower substrate and is located on a rear surface of the lower substrate (126), wherein each of the plurality of rigid patterns includes a plurality of sub patterns which is spaced apart from each other and a location in which the plurality of sub patterns is spaced apart from each other is disposed in an area overlapping with the printed circuit board (see fig. 1).
With regard to claim 18,
Hanari discloses a display device, comprising: a lower substrate (126) which includes an active area (106) and a non-active area (remainder, see fig. 1) and is formed of one of conducting oxide and an oxide semiconductor (see paragraph 44); a light emitting element (162,164,166/204) in the active area disposed on the lower substrate, including a cathode (166/204); an encapsulation substrate (116) which covers the cathode; and a plurality of rigid patterns (210/212) which is disposed on the lower substrate and is spaced apart from each other, wherein a first rigid pattern (210) of the plurality of rigid patterns overlaps with an end of the cathode (166/204) and a second rigid pattern (212) of the plurality of rigid patterns overlaps with an end of the encapsulation substrate (116, see fig. 4).
With regard to claim 19,
Hanari discloses the display device according to claim 18, wherein one end and another end of the plurality of rigid patterns (210/212) are spaced apart from each other and a location in which the one end and the another end of each of the plurality of rigid patterns are spaced apart from each other is disposed in each corner of the lower substrate (See fig. 1).
With regard to claim 20,
Hanari discloses the display device according to claim 19, wherein each of the plurality of rigid patterns (210/212) includes a plurality of sub patterns which is spaced apart from each other and a location in which the plurality of sub patterns is spaced apart from each other is disposed in a corner of the lower substrate (see fig. 1).
With regard to claim 21,
Hanari discloses the display device according to claim 19, further comprising a printed circuit board (114( which is electrically connected to the lower substrate and is located on a rear surface of the lower substrate, wherein each of the plurality of rigid patterns (210/212) includes a plurality of sub patterns which is spaced apart from each other and a location in which the plurality of sub patterns is spaced apart from each other is disposed in an area overlapping with the printed circuit board (see fig. 1).
With regard to claim 22,
Hanari discloses a display device, comprising: a lower substrate (126) which includes an active area (106) including a plurality of sub pixels (104) and a non-active area (remainder, see fig. 1) enclosing the active area and is formed of one of a conducting oxide and an oxide semiconductor (see paragraph 44); an insulating layer (154) disposed on the lower substrate; a light emitting element disposed (162,164,166/204) on the insulating layer including a cathode(166/204); and an encapsulation substrate (116) disposed on the cathode, wherein the cathode overlaps with an end of the encapsulation substrate (See fig. 4).
With regard to claim 23,
Hanari discloses the display device according to claim 22, further comprising a flexible film (124) disposed on one side of the lower substrate, wherein the cathode (166/204) overlaps with an end of the encapsulation substrate (166) in a side portion excluding the one side of the lower substrate (see fig. 4).
With regard to claim 24,
Hanari discloses the display device according to claim 23, further comprising a rigid unit (212) in the one side of the lower substrate.
With regard to claim 25,
Hanari discloses the display device according to claim 24, wherein the rigid unit (212) is disposed on the same layer (124) as the lower substrate (126), and is in contact with an end of the lower substrate (see fig. 4).
With regard to claim 26,
Hanari discloses the display device according to claim 24, wherein an end of the cathode (166/204) is disposed to be closer to an end of the lower substrate (126) than an end of the encapsulation substrate (116, see fig. 4).
With regard to claim 27,
Hanari discloses the display device according to claim 24, further comprising a protection member (102)( disposed below the lower substrate (126).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 9, 10, 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hanari (as above), in view of Wang et al. (USPN 2021/0328171).
With regard to claims 9, 10,
Hanari discloses the display device according to claim 8. While Hanari does not disclose the third and fourth rigid patterns as claimed, Wang et al. do disclose an analogous device having first, second, third and fourth rigid patterns (14, see figs. 1,2). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to incorporate this concept of Wang et al. into the device of Hanari to try to improve crack resistance
With regard to claim 17,
Wang et al. disclose the display device according to claim 1, wherein the rigid unit is formed of ceramic or a metal material (see paragraph 50). The obviousness of the incorporation of the concept of Wang et al. into the device of Hanari was addressed in the rejection of claims 9, 10.
Response to Arguments
While the applicant argues that Hanari fails to disclose the claimed substrate material, claiming that element 126 does not constitute a substrate, the examiner maintains that as a layer under which subsequent layers are placed renders element 126 a substrate by definition and, without further limitations defining the claimed lower substrate, anticipates the claimed element. Additionally, while the applicant argues that Hanari fails to disclose first rigid pattern overlapping with an end of the cathode or the cathode overlapping with the end of the encapsulation substrate, noting that neither dam 210 nor the end of the substrate 116 overlap with the 166 portion of the cathode, the examiner asserts that such a configuration is disclosed, drawing the applicant’s attention to figure 4 where the both the dam 210 and end of the substrate 116 do overlap with the cathode 166/204.
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 Christopher Raabe whose telephone number is (571)272-8434. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 0530-1430.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James R Greece can be reached at (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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/CHRISTOPHER M RAABE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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