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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 1/5/2024 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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) 11, 14-15 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sui (US 2023/0088187) in view of Zhang (US 2019/0229282).
Regarding claim 11, Sui discloses, in at least figures 3, 8, and related text, a display apparatus including a display panel (100, [76]) in which a penetration- opening (S, [47]) is defined, the display apparatus comprising:
a substrate layer (101, [82]) including a first display portion (left display unit 1, [81], figures), a second display portion (right display unit 1, [81], figures), and a connection portion (connection unit 2, [82], figures) extending to the first display portion (left display unit 1, [81], figures) and the second display portion (right display unit 1, [81], figures);
a pixel disposed (pixel of left display unit 1, [81], [87], figures) on the first display portion (left display unit 1, [81], figures); and
a wiring (202, [89]) disposed on the connection portion (connection unit 2, [82], figures).
Sui does not explicitly disclose concave portions are provided in a rear surface of the substrate layer, and the concave portions overlap at least one of the first display portion, the second display portion, and the connection portion.
Zhang teaches, in at least figures 1-2 and related text, the device comprising concave portions (3, [31]) are provided in a rear surface of the substrate layer (1, [31]), and the concave portions (3, [31]) overlap at least one of the first display portion (2, [31]), the second display portion, and the connection portion, for the purpose of providing a flexible OLED display panel with reduced stress of flexible substrate when the flexible OLED display panel is been curved ([6]).
Sui and Zhang are analogous art because they both are directed to display device and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Sui with the specified features of Zhang because they are from the same field of endeavor.
Therefore, 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 the structure disclosed in Sui to have the concave portions being provided in a rear surface of the substrate layer, and the concave portions overlapping at least one of the first display portion, the second display portion, and the connection portion, as taught by Zhang, for the purpose of providing a flexible OLED display panel with reduced stress of flexible substrate when the flexible OLED display panel is been curved ([6], Zhang).
Regarding claim 14, Sui in view of Zhang discloses the display apparatus of claim 11 as described above.
Zhang further teaches, in at least figures 1-2 and related text, at least two of the concave portions (3, [31]) overlap the first display portion (2, [31]), for the purpose of providing a flexible OLED display panel with reduced stress of flexible substrate when the flexible OLED display panel is been curved ([6]).
Regarding claim 15, Sui in view of Zhang discloses the display apparatus of claim 11 as described above.
Zhang further teaches, in at least figures 1-2 and related text, the concave portions (3, [31]) include a first concave portion (3 located at center, figures), and the first concave portion (3 located at center, figures) overlaps a central portion of the first display portion (2, [31]), for the purpose of providing a flexible OLED display panel with reduced stress of flexible substrate when the flexible OLED display panel is been curved ([6]).
Regarding claim 19, Sui in view of Zhang discloses the display apparatus of claim 11 as described above.
Sui further discloses, in at least figures 3, 8, and related text, an encapsulation layer (3, [77]) disposed on the first display portion (left display unit 1, [81], figures), the second display portion (right display unit 1, [81], figures), and the connection portion (connection unit 2, [82], figures).
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sui (US 2023/0088187) in view of Zhang (US 2019/0229282), and further in view of Choi (US 2018/0046221).
Regarding claim 20, Sui in view of Zhang discloses the display apparatus of claim 19 as described above.
Sui in view of Zhang does not explicitly disclose the encapsulation layer includes a first inorganic layer and a second inorganic layer.
Choi teaches, in at least figure 4 and related text, the device comprising the encapsulation layer (230, [62]) includes a first inorganic layer (233, [62]) and a second inorganic layer (235, [62]), for the purpose of effectively preventing penetration of external oxygen or moisture ([65]).
Sui, Zhang, and Choi are analogous art because they all are directed to display device and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Sui in view of Zhang with the specified features of Choi because they are from the same field of endeavor.
Therefore, 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 the structure disclosed in Sui in view of Zhang to have the encapsulation layer including a first inorganic layer and a second inorganic layer, as taught by Choi, for the purpose of effectively preventing penetration of external oxygen or moisture ([65], Choi).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-10 are allowed because the prior art of record neither anticipates nor render obvious the limitations of the base claims 1 that recite "the inorganic pattern layers overlap at least one of the display area and the connection area" in combination with other elements of the base claims 1.
Claim 12 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 because the prior art of record neither anticipates nor render obvious the limitations of the base claims 11 and 12 that recite "the concave portions include a first concave portion, and the first concave portion overlaps the first display portion, extends along a circumference of the first display portion, and is provided in a closed loop shape" in combination with other elements of the base claims 11 and 12.
Claim 13 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 because the prior art of record neither anticipates nor render obvious the limitations of the base claims 11 and 13 that recite "the first concave portion overlaps the first display portion, extends along a circumference of the first display portion, and is provided in a closed loop shape, and the second concave portion overlaps the first display portion, extends along the circumference of the first display portion, and is provided in a closed loop shape" in combination with other elements of the base claims 11 and 13.
Claim 16 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 because the prior art of record neither anticipates nor render obvious the limitations of the base claims 11 and 16 that recite "the concave portions do not overlap the first display portion and overlap the connection portion" in combination with other elements of the base claims 11 and 16.
Claims 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 because the prior art of record neither anticipates nor render obvious the limitations of the base claims 11 and 17 that recite "a first insulating layer disposed on the substrate layer of the first display portion and including a first tip protruding toward the penetration-opening" in combination with other elements of the base claims 11 and 17.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TONG-HO KIM whose telephone number is (571)270-0276. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Friday; 8:30 AM to 5PM.
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/TONG-HO KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2811