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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 1-20 are pending in this application.
Foreign Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
Acknowledgment is made that the information disclosure statement has been received and considered by the examiner. If the applicant is aware of any prior art or any other co-pending applications not already of record, he/she is reminded of his/her duty under 37 CFR 1.56 to disclose the same.
Drawings
There are no objections or rejections to the drawings.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 11, 13 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claims 11 and 13 recite the limitation “in a direction inclined to the first direction and the second direction.”. It is unclear what is meant by in a direction inclined to the first direction and the second direction. One reasonable interpretation is that the direction is a direction inclined with respect to the first direction and the second direction. Another reasonable interpretation is that the direction is a direction inclined towards the first direction and the second direction. One of ordinary skill in the relevant art would not know what structures/steps are covered by the limitation. For these reasons, the claim is indefinite.
Claim 15 recite the limitation “wherein a region in which the second blocking hole crosses is a region in which the first blocking hole does not cross”. It is unclear what is meant by wherein a region in which the second blocking hole crosses is a region in which the first blocking hole does not cross. Claim 15 depends on claim 14. Claim 14 includes the following recitation: the first blocking hole and the second blocking hole cross at least one region between the data link wirings. It is unclear what claim 15 means in the case where claim 14 has exactly one region between the data link wirings. In this case, it would be impossible for the second blocking hole to cross in a region in which the first blocking hole does not cross, since there would only be one region, per claim 14. One of ordinary skill in the relevant art would not know what structures/steps are covered by the limitation. For these reasons, the claim is indefinite.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11, 13 and 15 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. Claim 1-10, 12, 14 and 16-20 allowed.
The following is an examiner's statement of reasons for allowance. No prior art was found that neither anticipates nor renders obvious the claimed subject matter of the instant application as a whole either taken alone or in combination. The closest prior art appears to be Lee (US 2021/0200363) which teaches an analogous device including a display apparatus (abstract) comprising: data link wirings (DL, see figure 3) on a device substrate (110), the data link wirings (LK) electrically connecting a display area (AA) and a pad area (as described in [0039]) of a bezel area (BZ), which are side by side in a first direction (see figures 1-2);
Lee does not specifically disclose or suggest the element/step of “an upper interlayer insulating layer on the data link wirings, the upper interlayer insulating layer overlapping with the display area and the bezel area; a power voltage supply line on the upper interlayer insulating layer, the power voltage supply line electrically connecting the display area and the pad area; a device passivation layer on the upper interlayer insulating layer, the device passivation layer covering the power voltage supply line; a first encapsulating dam on the device passivation layer, the first encapsulating dam extending between the display area and the pad area in a second direction that intersects the first direction; and a planarization layer on the device passivation layer, the planarization layer spaced apart from the first encapsulating dam, wherein the power voltage supply line includes a plurality of blocking holes that extend between the first encapsulating dam and the planarization layer in the second direction, and wherein each of the plurality of blocking holes cross at least one region between the data link wirings.”, as recited by the independent claims, in combination with the other elements/steps of the claim. No prior art was found that taught this novel method/device.
Cited Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Applicants are directed to consider additional pertinent prior art included on the Notice of References Cited (PTOL 892) attached herewith.
The Examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record within the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicant.
Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMI VALENTINE MILLER whose telephone number is (571)272-9786. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday 7am-5pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eva Montalvo can be reached on (571) 270-3829. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Jami Valentine Miller/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818
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