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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 07/02/2026
Claim status
Claims 1-2 and 4-21 are pending; claims 1, 16 and 18 are independent. Claims 8-15 and 20 withdrawn from further consideration. Claim 3 has been cancelled.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 05/01/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to applicant’s argument that, the cited portions of Lee fail to disclose at least "wherein, in the first mode, the first trace line is configured to transmit a signal from the first electrode patterns, and the second trace line is configured to transmit a signal from the second electrode patterns" as now recited in claim 1, and similarly recited in claim 16.
However, the examiner respectfully disagrees, Smith clearly taught in fig. 7B, and Paras 0075-0076, wherein the touch sensor panel 710 stimulates column electrodes 704A-704H with a multi-stimulus pattern of drive signals. For example, a multi-stimulus patterns of drive signals (D0-D7), such as an 8×8 Hadamard, can be concurrently applied to column electrodes 704A-704H (e.g., by drive circuitry, not shown, but represented by drive signals D0-D7). In some examples, the drive signals D0-D7 can be differentially driven (e.g., drive signals D0-D7 can correspond to drive signals D0-D3 and D0′-D3′ of FIG. 7A).
In response to applicant's arguments against the references individually, one cannot show nonobviousness by attacking references individually where the rejections are based on combinations of references. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981); In re Merck & Co., 800 F.2d 1091, 231 USPQ 375 (Fed. Cir. 1986).
The rest of applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-2, 4-6, 16-17, 19 and 21 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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) 1-2, 4-6, 16-17, 19 and 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kang (US 2014/0139447), in view of Smith (US 2021/0373711), both references provided by applicant’s IDS, in view of Lee (US 2021/0263606), and further in view of Whitman (US 2018/0088633).
Regarding claim 1, Kang teaches an electronic device (fig. 1, a touch screen panel) comprising:
a display layer in which a display region, and a non-display region adjacent to the display region, are defined (fig. 1, a substrate 10 and Para 0046, wherein a substrate 10 having flexibility and divided into an active area and a non-active area positioned at the outside of (e.g., surrounding or around) the active area); and
a sensor layer above the display layer for selectively operating in a first mode for sensing a touch, or in a second mode for sensing folding of the display layer and the sensor layer (fig. 1, and Para 0046, wherein sensing patterns 220 formed on the active area of a first surface of the substrate 10. In Para 0052, the touch screen panel according to this embodiment is implemented with a sensor sensing the presence of bending of the substrate 10, i.e., a bending sensor 240. In fig. 2A/B and Paras 0060-0065, folded or unfolded state of the flexible substrate 10 based on bending sensor 240), and comprising:
first electrode groups arranged in a first direction (fig. 1, sensing cells 220a);
second electrode groups arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction, crossing the first electrode groups (fig. 1, sensing cells 220b),
an insulating layer disposed between the first and second trace lines and the first and second electrode patterns (fig. 4 and Para 0083, wherein an insulation layer (not shown) for securing stability is interposed between the first connecting lines 220a1 and the second connecting lines 220b1), in fig. 8 and Para 0122, an insulation layer 270 is interposed between the first connecting lines 220a1 and the second connecting lines 220b1),
Kang does not expressly disclose the second electrode groups comprising a first electrode comprising first electrode patterns, and a second electrode comprising second electrode patterns in a same column as the first electrode patterns; first and second trace lines extending in parallel, and respectively connected to the first electrode patterns and the second electrode patterns in the same column; and wherein, in the first mode, the first trace line is configured to transmit a signal from the first electrode patterns, and the second trace line is configured to transmit a signal from the second electrode patterns.
However, Smith discloses disclose the second electrode groups comprising a first electrode comprising first electrode patterns, and a second electrode comprising second electrode patterns in a same column as the first electrode patterns; first and second trace lines extending in parallel, and respectively connected to the first electrode patterns and the second electrode patterns in the same column, see fig. 7B, and Paras 0074-0077; and wherein, in the first mode, the first trace line is configured to transmit a signal from the first electrode patterns, and the second trace line is configured to transmit a signal from the second electrode patterns, see fig. 7B, and Paras 0075-0076.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have modified a device of Kang with the teaching of Smith to include a plurality of column electrodes and each column of touch nodes in touch sensor panel can include four conductive segments having the two-barred cross shape, with alternate conductive segments coupled together via routing (and/or driven with the same drive signal) and forming a column electrode, the electrodes can be differentially sensed using differential amplifiers, as a known technique to yield to a predictable result.
Kang in view of Smith does not expressly disclose wherein the first trace line is electrically connected with the first electrode patterns through first contacts penetrating the insulating layer, wherein the second trace line is electrically connected with the second electrode patterns through second contacts penetrating the insulating layer.
However, Lee discloses disclose wherein the first trace line is electrically connected with the first electrode patterns through first contacts penetrating the insulating layer, wherein the second trace line is electrically connected with the second electrode patterns through second contacts penetrating the insulating layer, see fig. 19 and 20 and Paras 0234 and 0268, wherein the sensor electrode SE may be connected to the sensor line SL through the sensor contact unit SCNT, and wherein the first and second trace lines overlap both the display region and the non-display region.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have modified a device of Kang in view of Smith with the teaching of Lee to include a sensor electrode SE that connected to a sensor line SL through a sensor contact unit SCNT which may be a region that penetrates the first sensor insulating film TINS1 to expose the sensor line SL, as a known technique to yield to a predictable result.
Kang in view of Smith and in view of Lee does not expressly disclose wherein, in the second mode, at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode is configured to be grounded or electrically floated, and wherein, in the second mode, at least one of the first trace line or the second trace line is configured to be grounded or electrically floating
However, Whitman discloses wherein, in the second mode, at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode is configured to be grounded or electrically floated; and wherein, in the second mode, at least one of the first trace line or the second trace line is configured to be grounded or electrically floating, see fig. 1A and Paras 0025-0027.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have modified a device of Kang in view of Smith and in view of Lee with the teaching of Whitman to include an electronic device comprises a first portion and a second portion rotatably, e.g. hinged, foldable, connected by a hinge element, each first and second portions includes electrodes. The electrodes in the first portion may be active (e.g., powered, etc.) and the electrodes in the second portion may be grounded and a trace line should be exist to connect the electrode to the ground source. The fold angle of the electronic device at the hinge element may be determined based on the self-capacitance of the active electrodes in the first portion and the effect that the grounded electrodes in the second portion have thereon, as a known technique to yield to a predictable result.
Regarding claim 2, Kang in view of Smith and in view of Lee and in view of Whitman teaches the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first electrode patterns are arranged in the first direction, wherein the second electrode patterns are arranged in the first direction, and wherein the first electrode patterns and the second electrode patterns are arranged such that at least one first electrode pattern and at least one second electrode pattern alternate with each other along the second direction (fig. 7B, and Paras 0074-0075, wherein a plurality of column electrodes and each column of touch nodes in touch sensor panel can include four conductive segments having the two-barred cross shape, with alternate conductive segments coupled together via routing (and/or driven with the same drive signal) and forming a column electrode, Smith).
Regarding claim 4, Kang in view of Smith and in view of Lee and in view of Whitman teaches the electronic device of claim1, wherein at least a portion of the first trace line and at least a portion of the second trace line overlapping the display region have a substantially same length as each other (figs 5A/B and Paras 0040, wherein each differential amplifier 508A-508D can be coupled to a respective pair of the column electrodes 504A-504H, Smith).
Regarding claim 5, Kang in view of Smith and in view of Lee and in view of Whitman teaches the electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a sensor driver configured to drive the sensor layer, and comprising an analog front end and an analog-to-digital converter (figs 3A/B, a sensing circuit 314 includes an operational amplifier 308 and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), Para 0032, Smith).
Regarding claim 6, Kang in view of Smith and in view of Lee and in view of Whitman teaches the electronic device of claim 5, wherein, in the first mode, the sensor driver is configured to output a transmission signal to the first electrode groups, and the analog front end is configured to output, to the analog-to-digital converter, a signal obtained by calculating a difference between the signal received from the first electrode patterns and the signal received from the second electrode patterns (figs 3A/B and Para 0032, Smith).
Regarding claim 16, Kang teaches an electronic device (fig. 1, a touch screen panel) comprising:
a display layer in which a display region, and a non-display region adjacent to the display region, are defined (fig. 1, a substrate 10 and Para 0046, wherein a substrate 10 having flexibility and divided into an active area and a non-active area positioned at the outside of (e.g., surrounding or around) the active area);
a sensor layer above the display layer, configured to selectively operate in a first mode for sensing a touch or in a second mode for sensing folding of the display layer and the sensor layer (fig. 1, and Para 0046, wherein sensing patterns 220 formed on the active area of a first surface of the substrate 10. In Para 0052, the touch screen panel according to this embodiment is implemented with a sensor sensing the presence of bending of the substrate 10, i.e., a bending sensor 240. In fig. 2A/B and Paras 0060-0065, folded or unfolded state of the flexible substrate 10 based on bending sensor 240), and comprising:
first electrode groups arranged in a first direction (fig. 1, sensing cells 220a);
second electrode groups arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction (fig. 1, sensing cells 220b);
an insulating layer disposed between the first and second trace lines and the first and second electrode patterns (fig. 4 and Para 0083, wherein an insulation layer (not shown) for securing stability is interposed between the first connecting lines 220a1 and the second connecting lines 220b1), in fig. 8 and Para 0122, an insulation layer 270 is interposed between the first connecting lines 220a1 and the second connecting lines 220b1), and
a sensor driver configured to drive the sensor layer (Paras 0046-0047), and
Kang does not expressly disclose second electrode groups comprising a first electrode comprising first electrode patterns, and a second electrode comprising second electrode patterns in a same column as the first electrode patterns; first and second trace lines extending in parallel, and respectively connected to the first electrode patterns and the second electrode patterns in the same column; and a sensor driver comprising first analog front ends that are configured to, in the first mode, receive two signals respectively from the first electrode and the second electrode in the same column of the second electrode groups corresponding to the first analog front ends in a one-to-one correspondence, and output a signal obtained by calculating a difference between the two signals, and wherein, in the first mode, the first trace line is configured to transmit the signal from the first electrode, and the second trace line is configured to transmit the signal from the second electrode.
However, Smith discloses second electrode groups comprising a first electrode comprising first electrode patterns, and a second electrode comprising second electrode patterns in a same column as the first electrode patterns; first and second trace lines extending in parallel, and respectively connected to the first electrode patterns and the second electrode patterns in the same column, see fig. 7B, and Paras 0074-0075; and a sensor driver comprising first analog front ends that are configured to, in the first mode, receive two signals respectively from the first electrode and the second electrode in the same column of the second electrode groups corresponding to the first analog front ends in a one-to-one correspondence, and output a signal obtained by calculating a difference between the two signals, see fig. 8 and Paras 0078-0079; and wherein, in the first mode, the first trace line is configured to transmit a signal from the first electrode, and the second trace line is configured to transmit a signal from the second electrode, see fig. 7B, and Paras 0075-0076.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have modified a device of Kang with the teaching of Smith to include a plurality of column electrodes and each column of touch nodes in touch sensor panel can include four conductive segments having the two-barred cross shape, with alternate conductive segments coupled together via routing (and/or driven with the same drive signal) and forming a column electrode. The electrodes can be differentially sensed using differential amplifiers, as a known technique to yield to a predictable result.
Kang in view of Smith does not expressly disclose wherein the first trace line is electrically connected with the first electrode patterns through first contacts penetrating the insulating layer, wherein the second trace line is electrically connected with the second electrode patterns through second contacts penetrating the insulating layer, and
However, Lee discloses disclose wherein the first trace line is electrically connected with the first electrode patterns through first contacts penetrating the insulating layer, wherein the second trace line is electrically connected with the second electrode patterns through second contacts penetrating the insulating layer, see fig. 19 and 20 and Paras 0234 and 0268, wherein the sensor electrode SE may be connected to the sensor line SL through the sensor contact unit SCNT, and wherein the first and second trace lines overlap both the display region and the non-display region.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have modified a device of Kang in view of Smith with the teaching of Lee to include a sensor electrode SE that connected to a sensor line SL through a sensor contact unit SCNT which may be a region that penetrates the first sensor insulating film TINS1 to expose the sensor line SL, as a known technique to yield to a predictable result.
Kang in view of Smith and in view of Lee does not expressly disclose wherein, wherein, in the second mode, at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode in the same column of the second electrode groups is configured to be grounded or electrically floated, and wherein, in the second mode, at least one of the first trace line or the second trace line is configured to be grounded or electrically floated.
However, Whitman discloses wherein, wherein, in the second mode, at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode in the same column of the second electrode groups is configured to be grounded or electrically floated, and wherein, in the second mode, at least one of the first trace line or the second trace line is configured to be grounded or electrically floated, see fig. 1A and Paras 0025-0027.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have modified a device of Kang in view of Smith and in view of Lee with the teaching of Whitman to include an electronic device comprises a first portion and a second portion rotatably, e.g. hinged, foldable, connected by a hinge element, each first and second portions includes electrodes. The electrodes in the first portion may be active (e.g., powered, etc.) and the electrodes in the second portion may be grounded and a trace line should be exist to connect the electrode to the ground source. The fold angle of the electronic device at the hinge element may be determined based on the self-capacitance of the active electrodes in the first portion and the effect that the grounded electrodes in the second portion have thereon, as a known technique to yield to a predictable result.
Regarding claim 17, Kang in view of Smith and in view of Lee and in view of Whitman teaches the electronic device of claim 16, wherein the first electrode patterns arranged in the first direction, wherein the second electrode patterns are arranged in the first direction, the first electrode patterns and the second electrode patterns being arranged such that at least one first electrode pattern and at least one second electrode pattern alternate with each other (fig. 7B, and Paras 0074-0075, wherein a plurality of column electrodes and each column of touch nodes in touch sensor panel can include four conductive segments having the two-barred cross shape, with alternate conductive segments coupled together via routing (and/or driven with the same drive signal) and forming a column electrode, Smith); and wherein the sensor driver further comprises second analog front ends comprising single-ended analog front ends or differential analog front ends (fig. 8 and Paras 0078-0079, Smith).
Regarding claim 19, Kang in view of Smith and in view of Lee and in view of Whitman teaches the electronic device of claim 17, wherein, in the second mode, the second analog front ends are configured to receive signals provided from the first electrode and the second electrode (fig. 8 and Paras 0078-0079, Smith).
Regarding claim 21, Kang in view of Smith and in view of Lee and in view of Whitman teaches the electronic device of claim 17, wherein the first and second trace lines overlap both the display region and non-display region (fig. 2, a plurality of sense lines 223 and Para 0030, fig. 7B, and Paras 0074-0075, Smith),
Wherein the first trace line extends past an outermost one of the first contacts, and Wherein the second trace line extends past an outermost one of the second contacts (fig. 8 and paras 0082, Smith).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 18 is allowed.
Claims 7 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Krah (US 2020/0103993), relates generally to devices including a sensor panel and, more specifically, to touch-sensitive devices configured to reduce noise levels.
Ko (US 2016/0239133), relate to a display device. More particularly, exemplary embodiments relate to a foldable display device.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAIFELDIN E ELNAFIA whose telephone number is (571)270-5852. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, WILLIAM BODDIE can be reached at (571) 272-0666. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/S.E.E/Examiner, Art Unit 2625 7/10/2026
/WILLIAM BODDIE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2625
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