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 .
Abstract
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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.
Claim(s) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sano et al. (WO 2021/131265A1 same as Sano 2022/0320259) in view of Kimura et al. (U.S. Patent 7,710,739).
As to claim 1, Sano discloses an electronic device (AS, figure 1, para-0030) as shown in figures 1-6 comprising:
a base material (flexible substrate 100 or insulating base material 4, para-0030, 0032) that has a meander structural part (Aa, Ad, and Aa, Af, para-0033+) and an element area part (Aa);
a wiring (1 or 2, para-0032+) that is positioned at the meander structural part; and
an element (3, para-0032+) that is positioned at the element area part (Aa) and connected to the wiring (1, 2),
wherein the electronic device (AS) has an active area (Aa, the area where the electrical elements 3 located) and a terminal area (Ab),
in the active area, a plurality of element area parts (3) is provided, and the meander structural part (1, 2) is formed so as to connect the element area parts (3) to each other,
a plurality of terminals (p1 or TL) aligned in a first direction is formed in the terminal area (Ab).
Sano does not specifically disclose the base material (4) has a connecting part in the terminal area, the plurality of terminals is positioned at the connecting part, and the connecting part is continuously formed in the first direction.
Kimura teaches a semiconductor device and display device as shown in figures 34 and 36 comprising base material (a substrate 101) has a connecting part (3601) in the terminal area (see figure 36, connection terminal portion), the plurality of terminals (113a, 113b) is positioned at the connecting part (3601), and the connecting part is continuously formed in the first direction.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to have a teaching of Kimura employed in the device of Sano in order to provide a bridge structure to reduce power consumption.
Regarding claim 2, Sano as modified by Kimura teaches the width of the connecting part (3601) in a second direction (vertical or y direction) intersecting the first direction (horizontal or x direction) is (approximately) the same as that of the terminal (113) in the second direction.
Regarding claim 3, Sano as modified by Kimura teaches the width of the connecting part (3601) in a second direction intersecting the first direction is smaller than that of the terminal (113) in the second direction.
Regarding claim 4, Sano as modified by Kimura discloses the base material (4) is formed of polyimide (figure 2).
Regarding claim 5, Sano as modified by Kimura teaches in figures 39A-39B, the connecting part (the element 3903 is made from insulating film) has an insulating layer positioned between the plurality of terminals (3901a-3901b), and the insulating layer is formed of a material different from the base material (101).
Regarding claim 6, Sano as modified by Kimura teaches in figure 39B that the thickness of the insulating layer (3903) is smaller than that of the base material (101).
Regarding claim 7, Sano as modified by Kimura teaches a Young's modulus of the insulating layer (transparent conductive film or ITO) is larger than that of the base material (polyimide).
Regarding claim 8, Sano as modified by Kimura teaches the width of the insulating layer (3903) in a second direction (vertical) intersecting the first direction (horizontal) is the same as that of each of the plurality of terminals (3901a, 3901b) in the second direction.
Regarding claim 9, Sano as modified by Kimura teaches the plurality of terminals (113a, 113b) has a first line aligned in the first direction and a second line separated in a second direction intersecting the first line and the first direction.
As to claim 10, Sano discloses an electronic device (AS) in which an active area (Aa) and a terminal area (Ab) are continuously formed, the device (AS) as shown in figure 1 comprising:
a base material (flexible substrate 100 or insulating base material 4) that has a meander structural part (Aa, Ad, and Aa, Af) and an element area part (Aa);
a wiring (1 or 2) that is positioned at the meander structural part; and
an element (3) that is positioned at the element area part (Aa) and connected to the wiring (1, 2),
wherein in the active area (Aa), a plurality of element area parts is provided, and the meander structural part (Aa, Ab, and Aa, Af) is formed so as to connect the element area parts to each other, see figure 2,
a plurality of terminals (p1, or TL) aligned in a first direction is formed in the terminal area (Ab),
the plurality of terminals (p1 or TL) is formed on one surface of the base material (100 or 4), on the other surface of the base material, except for a connecting part is formed in parts corresponding to the plurality of terminals, and the connecting part is formed of a material having a Young's modulus larger than the base material.
Kimura teaches a semiconductor device and display device as shown in figures 34 and 36 comprising base material (a substrate 101) has a connecting part (3601) corresponding to the terminal area (see figure 36, connection terminal portion), and the connecting part (3601 made from metal) is formed of a material having a Young's modulus larger than the base material (the polyimide).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to have a teaching of Kimura employed in the device of Sano in order to provide a bridge structure to reduce power consumption.
Regarding claim 11, Sano as modified by Kimura teaches in figure 39B the thickness of the connecting part (3903) is smaller than that of the base material (101).
Regarding claim 12, Sano as modified by Kimura teaches in figure 36 the width of the connecting part (3601) in a second direction intersecting the first direction is the same as that of each of the plurality of terminals (113a, 113b).
Regarding claim 13, Sano as modified by Kimura teaches the connecting part (3601) is metal (same material f the electrode 113).
Regarding claims 14-15, Sano as modified by Kimura teaches the connecting part is indium tin oxide (ITO), or an inorganic insulating film (transparent conductive film).
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/TUAN T DINH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2848