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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species 1 in the reply filed on 6/5/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 15-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 6/5/2026.
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-7 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites “a plurality of grooves located in the peripheral area to be adjacent to an end of the substrate, wherein the end of the substrate is recessed away from the display element, and a side surface of the end of the substrate is one plane”. It is unclear to the Examiner how a side surface of the end of the substrate can be in one plane while at the same time having the end of the substrate recessed away from the display element. In addition, in the context of the elected embodiment of FIG. 11A, it is unclear how the end of the substrate recesses “away from” the display element. Even if the embodiment of FIG. 11B is considered, where a recess appears to be present at the end of the substrate, the recess appears to be toward the substrate, not away from it, and the substrate doesn’t have a planar side surface of the end of the substrate (as claimed) due to the inward recess. For purposes of examination on the merits, these limitations will be understood to convey that a recess caused by a groove or groove-like structure may be considered the claimed recess when it is further from the display elements than the claimed plurality of grooves.
Due to their dependence on claim 1, claims 2-7 are rejected on the same basis.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US patent publication US 20210151533 A1 (Heo et al hereinafter Heo).
Regarding claim 1, Heo discloses a display panel (the device of FIGS. 1, 3, 11, and 13 ¶ [0102, 0111]) comprising: a substrate (FIG. 13, substrate 110, buffer layer 121, and first insulation layer 122 together form a multilayer substrate ¶ [0060-0064]) comprising a display area (FIG. 1, display area DA ¶ [0045]) and a peripheral area (FIG. 1, non display area NDA which includes peripheral PA, which are located around display DA ¶ [0045-0047]) around the display area; a display element (FIG. 3, light emitting element 170 is in display area DA ¶ [0053]) located in the display area; a thin-film encapsulation layer (FIG. 3, encapsulation layer 190 covers display area DA ¶ [0075]) covering the display area, and comprising a first inorganic encapsulation layer (FIG. 3, first inorganic encapsulation layer 191 ¶ [0076]), an organic encapsulation layer (FIG. 3, organic encapsulation layer 192 ¶ [0076]), and a second inorganic encapsulation layer (FIG. 3, second inorganic encapsulation layer 193 ¶ [0076]); and a plurality of grooves (FIG. 13, second crack block grooves CBG2 in peripheral area PA ¶ [0078]) located in the peripheral area to be adjacent to an end of the substrate (FIGS. 1 and 11, the second grooves CBG2 are adjacent to an end of the substrate, that end being considered the cutoff for the cross section shown in FIG. 13 ¶ [0102]), wherein the end of the substrate is recessed away from the display element (FIG. 13, first crack block groove CBG1 in peripheral area PA forms a recess away from light emitting elements in display area DA ¶ [0078]), and a side surface of the end of the substrate is one plane (FIG. 13, the side surface of the end of the illustrated cross-section is planar).
Regarding claim 2, Heo discloses the limitations of claim 1 as detailed above and further discloses an inorganic insulating layer (FIG. 3, portion of second insulating layer 123 formed of an inorganic material in display area DA is between substrate layers 110/121/122 and light emitting element 170 ¶ [0066]) located between the substrate and the display element; and an inorganic layer located on the substrate in the peripheral area (FIG. 13, portion of second insulating layer 123 in peripheral area PA is on substrate layers 110/121/122 ¶ [0066]).
Regarding claim 3, Heo discloses the limitations of claim 2 as detailed above and further discloses that at least one of a barrier layer of the substrate, the inorganic insulating layer, the organic layer, the first inorganic encapsulation layer, and the second inorganic encapsulation layer is located between the plurality of grooves (FIG. 13, both inorganic encapsulation layers 1191 and 1193 are between second crack block grooves CBG2).
Regarding claim 4, Heo discloses the limitations of claim 1 as detailed above and further discloses a first base layer (FIG. 13, substrate 110 ¶ [0060]); a second base layer (FIGS. 3 and 13, first insulation layer 122, which is between substrate 110 and light emitting element 170 ¶ [0064]) located between the first base layer and the display element; and a barrier layer (FIG. 13, buffer layer 121, which is between substrate 110 and first insulation layer 122 ¶ [0062]) located between the first base layer and the second base layer.
Regarding claim 5, Heo discloses the limitations of claim 4 as detailed above and further discloses that each of the plurality of grooves is located in the second base layer (FIG. 13, second crack block grooves CBG2 are formed in first insulation layer 122).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US patent publication US 20210151533 A1 (Heo et al hereinafter Heo) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of US patent publication US 20180226617 A1 (Nakagawa).
Regarding claim 6, Heo discloses the limitations of claim 1 as detailed above, but does not further disclose a terminal unit located on the substrate; and an edge inorganic layer located on an end portion of the substrate adjacent to the terminal unit, wherein a side surface of the edge inorganic layer located on the end portion of the substrate adjacent to the terminal unit, and a side surface of the substrate form one plane, such details pertaining to a terminal unit not being of particular importance to the disclosure of their invention. Heo does however contemplate such features in a broad sense, noting that pad portion PP may be connected to a circuit board and data driver to generate a data signal (¶ [0049]).
However, Nakagawa discloses a display device (display device 100 ¶ [0039]) which comprises a terminal unit (FIG. 1C, connection terminal 130 ¶ [0043]) located on the substrate (FIG. 1C, substrate 102 ¶ [0044]); and an edge inorganic layer (FIG. 1C, portions of inorganic insulating layer 110b and inorganic insulating layer 122d in terminal region 102c ¶ [0050, 0059]) located on an end portion (FIG. 1C, terminal region 102c includes an end portion of substrate 102 which is adjacent to connection terminal 130 ¶ [0039]) of the substrate adjacent to the terminal unit, wherein a side surface of the edge inorganic layer located on the end portion of the substrate adjacent to the terminal unit, and a side surface of the substrate form one plane (FIG. 1C, the right outer edges of substrate 102 and inorganic insulating layers 110b and 122d form a coplanar edge at the “B2” line). Nakagawa also teaches that the terminal unit is used to route power and signals between the display panel and a driver IC on a flexible printed circuit board (FPC 138 and driver IC 140, ¶ [0042, 0068]), providing important electrical connection to the device, while also maintaining a suitable substrate and insulation layer structure as demonstrated by Nakagawa; additionally, such elements were contemplated in Heo (¶ [0049]).
Heo and Nakagawa both pertain to the field of display devices, placing them in the same field of endeavor as the claimed invention. Therefore, a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have found it obvious to modify the device of Heo in view of Nakagawa to include a terminal unit located on the substrate; and an edge inorganic layer located on an end portion of the substrate adjacent to the terminal unit, wherein a side surface of the edge inorganic layer located on the end portion of the substrate adjacent to the terminal unit, and a side surface of the substrate form one plane, in order to provide important electrical connection to the device between a driver IC on a flexible printed circuit board and the display panel, while also maintaining a suitable substrate and insulation layer structure as demonstrated by Nakagawa.
Regarding claim 7, Heo in view of Nakagawa discloses the limitations of claim 6 as detailed above, and they further disclose that an inorganic insulating layer (Heo FIG. 3, second insulating layer 123 includes a portion formed of an inorganic material in display area DA is between substrate layers 110/121/122 and light emitting element 170 ¶ [0066]) located between the substrate and the display element, wherein the edge inorganic layer comprises at least one of a barrier layer of the substrate, the inorganic insulating layer, the inorganic layer, the first inorganic encapsulation layer, and the second inorganic encapsulation layer (Heo FIG. 3 shows insulating layer 123 disposed above transistor TR’s gate/control electrode 142 ¶ [0060], and Nakagawa FIG. 1C shows that inorganic insulating layer 110b is disposed above an analogous transistor’s gate electrode 108c, and extends to the edge of the substrate; when modifying the device of Heo in view of Nakagawa as discussed regarding claim 6 above, the person of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to incorporate the substrate edge structure of Nakagawa when forming the terminal unit for connection to the flexible printed circuit board).
Claims 8-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Heo in view of Nakagawa.
Regarding claim 8, Heo discloses a display panel (the device of FIGS. 1, 3, 11, and 13 ¶ [0102, 0111]) comprising: a substrate (FIG. 13, substrate 110, buffer layer 121, and first insulation layer 122 together form a multilayer substrate ¶ [0060-0064]) comprising a display area (FIG. 1, display area DA ¶ [0045]) and a peripheral area (FIG. 1, non display area NDA which includes peripheral PA, which are located around display DA ¶ [0045-0047]) around the display area; a display element (FIG. 3, light emitting element 170 is in display area DA ¶ [0053]) located in the display area; a thin-film encapsulation layer (FIG. 3, encapsulation layer 190 covers display area DA ¶ [0075]) covering the display area, and comprising a first inorganic encapsulation layer (FIG. 3, first inorganic encapsulation layer 191 ¶ [0076]), an organic encapsulation layer (FIG. 3, organic encapsulation layer 192 ¶ [0076]), and a second inorganic encapsulation layer (FIG. 3, second inorganic encapsulation layer 193 ¶ [0076]); a plurality of grooves (FIG. 13, second crack block grooves CBG2 in peripheral area PA ¶ [0078]) located in the peripheral area to be adjacent to an end of the substrate (FIGS. 1 and 11, the second grooves CBG2 are adjacent to an end of the substrate, that end being considered the cutoff for the cross section shown in FIG. 13 ¶ [0102]).
Heo does not explicitly disclose a terminal unit located on the substrate; and a first edge inorganic layer located on a protruding portion of the substrate located outside the plurality of grooves, wherein, in a plan view, a portion of the first edge inorganic layer close to the terminal unit is open, and a side surface of the end of the substrate and a side surface of an end of the first edge inorganic layer are on a same plane, such details involving such features not being elements of particular importance to the disclosure of their invention.
However, Nakagawa discloses a display device (display device 100 ¶ [0039]) which comprises a terminal unit (FIG. 1C, connection terminal 130 ¶ [0043]) located on the substrate (FIG. 1C, substrate 102 ¶ [0044]); and a first edge inorganic layer (FIG. 1C, an upper-half portion of inorganic insulating layer 122d in terminal region 102c ¶ [0059]) located on a protruding portion of the substrate (FIG. 1C, a rightmost portion of substrate 102 to the right of bottomed hole/recess 111 ¶ [0044]) located outside a groove (FIG. 1C, a through-hole groove 110c ¶ [0052-0053]), wherein, in a plan view, a portion of the first edge inorganic layer close to the terminal unit is open (FIG. 1C, the upper-half portion of inorganic insulating layer 122d is open where connection terminal 130 is inserted inside), and a side surface of the end of the substrate and a side surface of an end of the first edge inorganic layer are on a same plane (FIG. 1C, rightmost edges of substrate 102 and inorganic insulating layer 122d are coplanar). Nakagawa also teaches that the terminal unit is used to route power and signals between the display panel and a driver IC on a flexible printed circuit board (FPC 138 and driver IC 140, ¶ [0042, 0068]), providing important electrical connection to the device, while also maintaining a suitable substrate and insulation layer structure as demonstrated by Nakagawa; additionally, such elements were contemplated in Heo (¶ [0049]). Nakagawa further teaches that the groove structure (FIG. 1C, 110c) is present to limit defects from propagating (¶ [0053]), a further benefit of their disclosed structure at their terminal unit.
Heo and Nakagawa both pertain to the field of display devices, placing them in the same field of endeavor as the claimed invention. Therefore, a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have found it obvious to modify the device of Heo in view of Nakagawa to include a terminal unit located on the substrate; and a first edge inorganic layer located on a protruding portion of the substrate located outside the plurality of grooves, wherein, in a plan view, a portion of the first edge inorganic layer close to the terminal unit is open, and a side surface of the end of the substrate and a side surface of an end of the first edge inorganic layer are on a same plane, in order to provide important electrical connection to the device between a driver IC on a flexible printed circuit board and the display panel, while also maintaining a suitable substrate and insulation layer structure as demonstrated by Nakagawa and also limiting the propagation of defects by means of the groove structures of Heo and Nakagawa.
Regarding claim 9, Heo in view of Nakagawa discloses the limitations of claim 8 as detailed above, and they further disclose an inorganic insulating layer (Nakagawa FIG. 1C, a portion of inorganic insulating layer 122d located in display region 102a is between substrate 102 and light emitting element 114 ¶ [0058]) located between the substrate and the display element; and an inorganic layer (Nakagawa FIG. 1C, an upper-half portion of inorganic insulating layer 122d located in both terminal region 102c and periphery region 102b ¶ [0039]) located on the substrate between the first edge inorganic layer and the inorganic insulating layer (Nakagawa FIG. 1C, the portion of insulating layer 122d in periphery region 102b is between the portions located in display region 102a and terminal region 102c).
Regarding claim 10, Heo in view of Nakagawa discloses the limitations of claim 9 as detailed above, and they further disclose that the first edge inorganic layer comprises at least one of a barrier layer of the substrate, the inorganic insulating layer, the inorganic layer (Nakagawa FIG. 1C, as described regarding claims 8-9, the first edge inorganic layer is designated as the upper-half portion of insulating layer 122d in terminal region 102c, and the inorganic layer is designated the upper-half portion of insulating layer 122d in both the periphery region 102b and terminal region 102c; ergo, the first edge inorganic layer comprises the inorganic layer), the first inorganic encapsulation layer, and the second inorganic encapsulation layer.
Regarding claim 11, Heo in view of Nakagawa discloses the limitations of claim 8 as detailed above, and they further disclose a first base layer (Heo FIG. 13, substrate 110 ¶ [0060]); a second base layer (Heo FIGS. 3 and 13, first insulation layer 122, which is between substrate 110 and light emitting element 170 ¶ [0064]) located between the first base layer and the display element; and a barrier layer (Heo FIG. 13, buffer layer 121, which is between substrate 110 and first insulation layer 122 ¶ [0062]) located between the first base layer and the second base layer.
Regarding claim 12, Heo in view of Nakagawa discloses the limitations of claim 11 as detailed above, and they further disclose that each of the plurality of grooves is located in the second base layer (Heo FIG. 13, second crack block grooves CBG2 are formed in first insulation layer 122).
Regarding claim 13, Heo in view of Nakagawa discloses the limitations of claim 8 as detailed above, and they further disclose a second edge inorganic layer (Nakagawa FIG. 1C, a lower-half portion of inorganic insulating layer 122d in terminal region 102c ¶ [0059]; that region is at the right end of substrate 102 and adjacent to terminal connection 130) located on an end portion of the substrate adjacent to the terminal unit, wherein a side surface of the second edge inorganic layer located on the end portion of the substrate adjacent to the terminal unit and a side surface of the substrate are on a same plane (Nakagawa FIG. 1C, right ends of substrate 102 and lower-half portion of inorganic insulating layer 122d are coplanar).
Regarding claim 14, Heo in view of Nakagawa discloses the limitations of claim 13 as detailed above, and they further disclose an inorganic insulating layer (Nakagawa FIG. 1C, a lower half portion of inorganic insulating layer 122d in each of regions 102a, 102b, and 102c; a sub-portion located in display region 102a is between substrate 102 and light emitting element 114 ¶ [0058]) located between the substrate and the display element, wherein the second edge inorganic layer comprises at least one of a part of the substrate and the inorganic insulating layer (Nakagawa FIG. 1C, as discussed regarding claim 13, the lower half portion of inorganic insulating layer 122d in terminal region 102c is the designated ‘second edge inorganic layer’, and is inclusive of a sub-portion of the designated ‘inorganic insulating layer’, which is the lower half portion of inorganic insulating layer 122d in each of regions 102a, 102b, and 102c).
Cited Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: US patent publications US 20240172528 A1, US 20220285598 A1, US 20210384465 A1, US 20200343481 A1, and US 20180108863 A1, and US patent US 11251412 B2.
Conclusion
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/E.R.C./Examiner, Art Unit 2813
/STEVEN B GAUTHIER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2813
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