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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d) to foreign application KR10-2023-0042304 filed on 03/30/2023. The foreign application is not in English. The certified copy of the foreign priority application KR10-2023-0042304 has been received.
Filing Dates for the Claims — All Claims Not Entitled to Priority Date
To be entitled to the filing date of the foreign priority application KR10-2023-0042304 that is not in English, an English translation of the non-English language foreign application KR10-2023-0042304 and a statement that the translation is accurate in accordance with 37 CFR 1.55 is required to perfect the claim for priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The foreign application must adequately support the claimed subject matter, meaning satisfy the written description and enablement requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112(a). See MPEP §§ 215 and 216. 37 C.F.R. 1.55(g)(3)(ii)-(iii). To demonstrate compliance with 35 U.S.C. 112(a), applicant should point to support for their claimed subject matter in their translations.
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.
(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.
Claims 1-2, 5-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Choi et al. (US Pub. 20220199922).
Regarding claim 1, Choi et al. discloses in Fig. 2-Fig. 6B a display device comprising:
a display panel [110] including a flat portion [NF2] and a bending portion [FA1 and FA2] bent from the flat portion [NFA2]; and
a protective film [150, 250, or 350] disposed under the display panel [110] to overlap the flat portion [NFA2] and the bending portion [FA1 and FA2], wherein the bending portion [FA1 and FA2] includes:
a first bending portion [FA2 and NFA3] which extends from a first side of the flat portion [NFA2] and is bent with a first curvature [curvature of FA2] about a first bending axis; and
a second bending portion [FA1 and NFA1] which extends from a second side of the flat portion [NFA2] and is bent with a second curvature [curvature of FA1] different from the first curvature [curvature of FA2] about a second bending axis,
wherein the protective film [150, 250, or 350] includes:
a plurality of first patterns [152a and 152b] which extends in a direction parallel to the first bending axis in a first region to overlap the first bending portion [FA2 and NFA3]; and
a plurality of second patterns [151a and 151b] which extends in a direction parallel to the second bending axis in a second region to overlap the second bending portion [FA1 and NFA1], and
wherein a number of the first patterns [152a and 152b] and a number of the second patterns [151a and 151b] differs from each other.
Regarding claims 2, 5-7, Choi et al. discloses in Fig. 2-Fig. 6B
wherein the first curvature [curvature of FA2] is greater than the second curvature [curvature of FA1];
wherein the protective film [150] includes:
a bending region defined to overlap the first bending portion [FA2 and NFA3] and the second bending portion [FA1 and NFA1]; and
a flat region defined to overlap the flat portion [NFA2];
wherein the bending region includes:
a patterned region in which the first patterns [152a, 152b] and the second patterns [151a, 151b] are defined; and
an unpatterned region in which the first patterns [152a, 152b] and the second patterns [151a, 151b] are not defined;
wherein the unpatterned region includes:
a first unpatterned region disposed at one side of the patterned region and located between the patterned region and the flat region; and
a second unpatterned region disposed at an opposite side of the patterned region which is opposite to the one side of the patterned region.
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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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cho et al. (US Pub. 20170098794) in view of Kim et al. (US Pub. 20240168523) and Choi et al. (US Pub. 20220199922).
Regarding claim 1, Cho et al. discloses in Fig. 6A-Fig. 6B, paragraph [0113]-[0117] a display device comprising:
a display panel [DP4] including a flat portion [FD] and a bending portion [CDP5-CDP8] bent from the flat portion [FD].
wherein the bending portion [CDP5-CDP8] includes:
a first bending portion [CDP8] which extends from a first side of the flat portion [FD] and is bent with a first curvature about a first bending axis; and
a second bending portion [CDP5] which extends from a second side of the flat portion [FD] and is bent with a second curvature different from the first curvature about a second bending axis.
Cho et al. fails to disclose
a protective film disposed under the display panel to overlap the flat portion and the bending portion,
wherein the protective film includes:
a plurality of first patterns which extends in a direction parallel to the first bending axis in a first region to overlap the first bending portion; and
a plurality of second patterns which extends in a direction parallel to the second bending axis in a second region to overlap the second bending portion, and
wherein a number of the first patterns and a number of the second patterns differs from each other.
Kim et al. discloses in Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4A, paragraph [0068]
a protective film [150] disposed under the display panel [110] to overlap the flat portion and the bending portion.
wherein the protective film [150] includes:
a plurality of first patterns [152a in long BA1] which extends in a direction parallel to the first bending axis in a first region to overlap the first bending portion [long BA1]; and
a plurality of second patterns [152a in short BA1 and shown in Fig. 2 or 4A] which extends in a direction parallel to the second bending axis in a second region to overlap the second bending portion [short BA1].
Choi et al. discloses in Fig. 2-Fig. 6B
wherein a number of the first patterns [152a and 152b] and a number of the second patterns [151a and 151b] overlapping first and second bending portions bent with different curvatures differs from each other.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to incorporate the teachings of Kim et al. and Choi et al. into the method of Cho et al. to include a protective film disposed under the display panel to overlap the flat portion and the bending portion, wherein the protective film includes: a plurality of first patterns which extends in a direction parallel to the first bending axis in a first region to overlap the first bending portion; and a plurality of second patterns which extends in a direction parallel to the second bending axis in a second region to overlap the second bending portion, and wherein a number of the first patterns and a number of the second patterns differs from each other. The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Cho et al. in the above manner for the purpose of supporting a flexible substrate, which constitutes the display panel, so that the flexible substrate does not sag; protecting the constituent elements disposed on the flexible substrate from outside moisture, heat, impact while maintaining the bent shapes in the bending areas and relieving the stress applied to the bending areas [paragraph [0057], [0068], [0078] of Kim et al.; paragraph [0062], [0068] of Choi et al.]].
Regarding claim 2, Cho et al. discloses in Fig. 6B, paragraph [0113]-[0117]
wherein the first curvature [curvature of CDP8] is greater than the second curvature [curvature of CDP5].
Regarding claim 3, Cho et al. discloses in Fig. 6B
wherein the first bending axis and the second bending axis cross each other at a right angle.
Kim et al. discloses in Fig. 1-Fig. 3.
wherein the first patterns are arranged in the direction parallel to the second bending axis, and
wherein the second patterns are arranged in the direction parallel to the first bending axis.
Choi et al. discloses Fig. 3-Fig. 6B
wherein the patterns are arranged in the direction parallel to the corresponding bending axis.
Consequently, the combination of Cho et al., Kim et al. and Choi et al. suggests limitation of claim 3.
Regarding claim 4, Choi et al. discloses in Fig. 4B, Fig. 5B, Fig. 6B
wherein the number of the first patterns [152, 252 or 352] is greater than the number of the second patterns [151, 251 or 351].
Regarding claims 5-7, Kim et al. discloses in Fig. 2-Fig. 3
wherein the protective film [150] includes:
a bending region [152] defined to overlap the first bending portion [long BA1] and the second bending portion [short BA1]; and
a flat region [151] defined to overlap the flat portion [NBA];
wherein the bending region [152] includes:
a patterned region in which the first patterns [158a in long 152] and the second patterns [158a in short 152] are defined; and
an unpatterned region in which the first patterns [158a in long 152] and the second patterns [158a in short 152] are not defined;
wherein the unpatterned region includes:
a first unpatterned region disposed at one side of the patterned region and located between the patterned region and the flat region; and
a second unpatterned region disposed at an opposite side of the patterned region which is opposite to the one side of the patterned region.
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Choi et al. discloses in Fig. 2-Fig. 6B
wherein the protective film [150] includes:
a bending region defined to overlap the first bending portion [FA2 and NFA3] and the second bending portion [FA1 and NFA1]; and
a flat region defined to overlap the flat portion [NFA2];
wherein the bending region includes:
a patterned region in which the first patterns [152a, 152b] and the second patterns [151a, 151b] are defined; and
an unpatterned region in which the first patterns [152a, 152b] and the second patterns [151a, 151b] are not defined;
wherein the unpatterned region includes:
a first unpatterned region disposed at one side of the patterned region and located between the patterned region and the flat region; and
a second unpatterned region disposed at an opposite side of the patterned region which is opposite to the one side of the patterned region.
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Regarding claim 8, Cho et al., Choi et al. and Kim et al. fails to disclose
wherein the second unpatterned region has a width in a range from about 20% to about 30% of a width of the bending region.
Choi et al. suggests in Fig. 4B-6B that a width of the second unpatterned region [NFA3] can be adjusted.
In addition, Applicant has not provided any criticality of the claimed range. Thus, it would have been obvious to modify Cho et al., Choi et al. and Kim et al. to provide wherein the second unpatterned region has a width in a range from about 20% to about 30% of a width of the bending region. The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Cho et al., Choi et al. and Kim et al. in the manner set forth above for at least the purpose of optimization and routine experimentation to achieve desired stress relief [paragraph [0075] of Choi et al.]. The claimed ranges are merely optimizations, and as such are not patentable over the prior art. "[W]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation." In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955). "The normal desire of scientists or artisans to improve upon what is already generally known provides the motivation to determine where in a disclosed set of percentage ranges is the optimum combination of percentages." Peterson, 315 F.3d at 1330, 65 USPQ2d at 1382.
Regarding claims 9 and 10, Cho et al. fails to disclose
wherein the bending portion further includes a corner portion connected between the first bending portion and the second bending portion;
wherein the first patterns and the 5 second patterns do not overlap the corner portion.
Kim et al. discloses in Fig. 1, paragraph [0045], [0047]
wherein the bending portion further includes a corner portion [BA2] connected between the first bending portion [long BA1] and the second bending portion [short BA1];
wherein the first patterns [158a in long 152] and the second patterns [158a in short 152] do not overlap the corner portion [BA2].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to incorporate the teachings of Kim et al. into the method of Cho et al. to include wherein the bending portion further includes a corner portion connected between the first bending portion and the second bending portion; wherein the first patterns and the second patterns do not overlap the corner portion. The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Cho et al. in the above manner for the purpose of providing a display device that includes bending areas including corners in which damage to a corner portion of the display panel is reduced [paragraph [0002], [0007]-[0009] of Kim et al.].
Regarding claim 11, Cho et al. discloses in Fig. 6B, paragraph [0113],
a window [WD4] disposed on the display panel [DP4] to overlap the flat portion [FD] and the bending portion [CDP5-CDP8],
wherein the window [WD4] includes a side surface [BP-7 to BP-10] which overlaps the bending portion [CDP5-CDP8] and is bent with a predetermined curvature.
Regarding claim 12, Cho et al. discloses in Fig. 6B, paragraph [0113]-[0117] wherein the bending portion [CDP5-CDP8] further includes:
a third bending portion [CDP7] which extends from a third side of the flat portion [FD] and is bent with a third curvature about a third bending axis parallel to the first bending axis; and
a fourth bending portion [CDP6] which extends from a fourth side of the flat portion [FD] and is bent with a fourth curvature about a fourth bending axis parallel to the second bending axis, and
wherein the third curvature is greater than the fourth curvature.
Regarding claim 13, Kim et al. discloses in Fig. 1-3, paragraph [0046], [0063], [0068]
wherein the protective film [150] further includes:
a plurality of third patterns which extends in a direction parallel to the third bending axis in a third region to overlap the third bending portion; and
a plurality of fourth patterns which extends in a direction parallel to the fourth bending axis in a fourth region to overlap the fourth bending portion.
Choi et al. suggests in Fig. 2-Fig. 6B
a number of patterns [152a and 152b] of a bending portion bent with greater curvature is greater than a number of patterns [151a and 151b] of a bending portion bent with smaller curvature.
Cho et al. discloses the third bending portion [CDP7] is bent with the third curvature that is greater than the fourth curvature of the fourth bending portion [CDP6].
Thus, incorporating the teachings of Kim et al. and Choi et al. into the method of Cho et al. would result “wherein the protective film further includes: a plurality of third patterns which extends in a direction parallel to the third bending axis in a third region to overlap the third bending portion; and a plurality of fourth patterns which extends in a direction parallel to the fourth bending axis in a fourth region to overlap the fourth bending portion, and wherein a number of the third patterns is greater than a number of the fourth patterns.”
Regarding claim 14, Cho et al. discloses in Fig. 6A-Fig. 6B, paragraph [0113] a display device comprising:
a display panel [DP4] including a flat portion [FD] and a bending portion [CDP5-CDP8] bent from the flat portion [FD].
wherein the bending portion [CDP5-CDP8] includes:
a first bending portion [CDP8] which extends from a first side of the flat portion [FD] and is bent with a first curvature about a first bending axis; and
a second bending portion [CDP5] which extends from a second side of the flat portion [FD] and is bent with a second curvature less than the first curvature about a second bending axis perpendicular to the first bending axis.
Cho et al. fails to disclose
a protective film disposed under the display panel to overlap the flat portion and the bending portion,
wherein the protective film includes:
a first pattern portion which extends in a direction parallel to the first bending axis in a first region to overlap the first bending portion; and
a second pattern portion which extends in a direction parallel to the second bending axis in a second region to overlap the second bending portion, and
wherein a width of the first pattern portion in the direction parallel to the second bending axis is greater than a width of the second pattern portion in the direction parallel to the first bending axis.
Kim et al. discloses in Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4A, paragraph [0046], [0057], [0063], [0068]
a protective film [150] disposed under the display panel [110] to overlap the flat portion and the bending portion.
wherein the protective film [150] includes:
a first pattern portion [portion of 152a in long BA1] which extends in a direction parallel to the first bending axis in a first region to overlap the first bending portion; and
a second pattern portion [portion of 152a in short BA1 and shown in Fig. 2 or 4A] which extends in a direction parallel to the second bending axis in a second region to overlap the second bending portion.
Choi et al. discloses in Fig. 2-Fig. 6B
wherein a width of the first pattern portion [portion of 152a, 152b] overlapping the first bending portion [FA2 and NFA3] is greater than a width of the second pattern portion [portion of 151a, 151b] overlapping the second bending portion [FA1 and NFA1] which has a smaller curvature than curvature of the first bending portion [FA2 and NFA3].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to incorporate the teachings of Kim et al. and Choi et al. into the method of Cho et al. to include a protective film disposed under the display panel to overlap the flat portion and the bending portion, wherein the protective film includes: a first pattern portion which extends in a direction parallel to the first bending axis in a first region to overlap the first bending portion; and a second pattern portion which extends in a direction parallel to the second bending axis in a second region to overlap the second bending portion, and wherein a width of the first pattern portion in the direction parallel to the second bending axis is greater than a width of the second pattern portion in the direction parallel to the first bending axis. The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Cho et al. in the above manner for the purpose of supporting a flexible substrate, which constitutes the display panel, so that the flexible substrate does not sag; protecting the constituent elements disposed on the flexible substrate from outside moisture, heat, impact while maintaining the bent shapes in the bending areas and relieving the stress applied to the bending areas [paragraph [0057], [0068], [0078] of Kim et al.; paragraph [0062], [0068] of Choi et al.]].
Regarding claims 15-16, 18, Kim et al. discloses in Fig. 2-Fig. 3
wherein the protective film [150] includes:
a bending region [152] defined to overlap the first bending portion [long BA1] and the second bending portion [short BA1]; and
a flat region [151] defined to overlap the flat portion [NBA];
wherein the bending region [152] includes:
a first patterned region in which the first patterns [158a in long 152] is disposed;
a second patterned region in which the second patterns [158a in short 152] is disposed; and
an unpatterned region in which the first patterns [158a in long 152] and the second patterns [158a in short 152] are not disposed;
wherein the unpatterned region includes:
a first unpatterned region disposed at one side of the first patterned region and located between the first patterned region and the flat region; and
a second unpatterned region disposed at an opposite side of the first patterned region which is opposite to the one side of the first patterned region.
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Choi et al. discloses in Fig. 2-Fig. 6B
wherein the protective film [150] includes:
a bending region defined to overlap the first bending portion [FA2 and NFA3] and the second bending portion [FA1 and NFA1]; and
a flat region defined to overlap the flat portion [NFA2];
wherein the bending region includes:
a first patterned region in which the first pattern portion [portion of 152a, 152b] is disposed;
a second patterned region in which the second pattern portion [portion of 151a, 151b] is disposed; and
an unpatterned region [NFA1, NFA3, portion of FA1 and FA2 adjacent to NFA2 ] in which the first pattern portion [portion of 152a, 152b] and the second pattern portion [portion of 151a, 151b] are not disposed;
wherein the unpatterned region includes:
a first unpatterned region disposed at one side of the first patterned region and located between the first patterned region and the flat region; and
a second unpatterned region disposed at an opposite side of the first patterned region which is opposite to the one side of the first patterned region.
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Regarding claim 17, Cho et al., Choi et al. and Kim et al. fails to disclose
wherein the first patterned region has a width in a range from about 60% to about 70% of a width of the bending region.
Choi et al. suggests in Fig. 4B-6B that a width of the first patterned region [region of 152, 252 or 352] can be adjusted.
In addition, Applicant has not provided any criticality of the claimed range.
Thus, it would have been obvious to modify Cho et al., Choi et al. and Kim et al. to provide wherein the first patterned region has a width in a range from about 60% to about 70% of a width of the bending region. The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Cho et al., Choi et al. and Kim et al. in the manner set forth above for at least the purpose of optimization and routine experimentation to achieve desired stress relief [paragraph [0075] of Choi et al.]. The claimed ranges are merely optimizations, and as such are not patentable over the prior art. "[W]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation." In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955). "The normal desire of scientists or artisans to improve upon what is already generally known provides the motivation to determine where in a disclosed set of percentage ranges is the optimum combination of percentages." Peterson, 315 F.3d at 1330, 65 USPQ2d at 1382.
Regarding claim 19, Cho et al., Choi et al. and Kim et al. fails to disclose
wherein the first unpatterned region has a width in a range from about 20% to about 30% of a width of the bending region.
Choi et al. suggests in Fig. 4B-6B that a width of a first unpatterned region can be adjusted.
In addition, Applicant has not provided any criticality of the claimed range. Thus, it would have been obvious to modify Cho et al., Choi et al. and Kim et al. to provide wherein the first unpatterned region has a width in a range from about 20% to about 30% of a width of the bending region. The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Cho et al., Choi et al. and Kim et al. in the manner set forth above for at least the purpose of optimization and routine experimentation to achieve desired stress relief [paragraph [0075] of Choi et al.]. The claimed ranges are merely optimizations, and as such are not patentable over the prior art. "[W]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation." In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955). "The normal desire of scientists or artisans to improve upon what is already generally known provides the motivation to determine where in a disclosed set of percentage ranges is the optimum combination of percentages." Peterson, 315 F.3d at 1330, 65 USPQ2d at 1382.
Regarding claim 20, Kim et al. discloses in Fig. 1-3, Fig. 4A, paragraph [0046], [0063], [0068]
wherein the first pattern portion [portion of 158a in long 152] includes a plurality of first patterns [158a] which extends in the direction parallel to the first bending axis,
wherein the second pattern portion [portion of 158a in short 152] includes a plurality of second patterns [158a] which extends in the direction parallel to the second bending axis.
Choi et al. discloses in Fig. 2-Fig. 6B
wherein a number of the first patterns [152a and 152b] of a first bending portion bent with greater curvature is greater than a number of the second patterns [151a and 151b] of a second bending portion bent with smaller curvature.
Cho et al. discloses the first bending portion [CDP8] is bent with the first curvature that is greater than the second curvature of the second bending portion [CDP5].
Thus, incorporating the teachings of Kim et al. and Choi et al. into the method of Cho et al. would result “wherein the first pattern portion includes a plurality of first patterns which extends in the direction parallel to the first bending axis, wherein the second pattern portion includes a plurality of second patterns which extends in the direction parallel to the second bending axis, and wherein a number of the first patterns is greater than a number of the second patterns.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The cited art discloses similar materials, devices and methods.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SOPHIA T NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-1686. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00am -5:00 pm, Monday-Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, BRITT D HANLEY can be reached at (571)270-3042. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SOPHIA T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893