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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Amendment, received 1/28/2026, has been entered.
Claims 1 and 3-7 are presented for examination.
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 and 3-7 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 the limitation "the second part" in line 13. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claims 3-7 are indefinite because of their dependence from indefinite claim 1.
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 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.
Claim(s) 1 and 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang et al. (US Pub. No. 2023/0088027 A1), hereafter referred to as Wang.
As to claim 1, Wang discloses a display device (fig 1, 10; [0057]) comprising:
a display panel having a display area (fig 2A, area A) and a peripheral area (B) around the display area (A);
a sealing film (8) covering whole of the display area (A) and at least a part of the peripheral area (B);
a touch electrode (5) included in a touch sensor that is formed in a layer disposed on a display surface side of the display panel (fig 2A, 5 is on top of emission layer 7); and
an antenna wire for a near field communication function formed in a same layer as the touch electrode (fig 2A, antenna wire 2; [0060]),
wherein the sealing film includes a first inorganic insulating layer (81), a second inorganic insulating layer (83), and an organic insulating layer (82),
the sealing film comprises a first part on the display area (sealing film 8 on area A), having a structure that the organic insulating layer (82) is between the first inorganic insulating layer (81) and the second inorganic insulating layer (83), and the second part on the peripheral area (B), having a structure that the second inorganic insulating layer is in contact with the first inorganic insulating layer (81 and 83 in contact with each other in area B),
the touch electrode (5) is on the first part of the sealing film (8 in region A), and
the antenna wire (2) is on the second part of the sealing film (8 in region B).
As to claim 3, Wang discloses the display device according to claim 1 (paragraphs above).
wherein the antenna wire is formed in a coil having a plurality of turns along a peripheral portion so as to surround a display area of the display panel (fig 1, coiled antenna wire 2).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
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.
Claim(s) 4-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang in view of Chen (US Pub. No. 2012/0133597 A1).
As to claim 4, Wang discloses the display device according to claim 1 (paragraphs above).
Wang does not disclose wherein at least one of a touch wire, which is led out from the touch electrode, or the antenna wire conducts to another layer through a through hole provided in the sealing film so that the touch wire and the antenna wire intersect with each other in different layers.
Nonetheless, Chen discloses a similar display device wherein at least one of a touch wire, which is led out from the touch electrode, or the antenna wire conducts to another layer through a through hole provided in the sealing film so that the touch wire and the antenna wire intersect with each other in different layers (fig 3, through hole 121; [0024]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to form the connection of the antenna wire and touch wire of Wang as taught by Chen so that the touch electrode can be connected to a terminal region outside the display region without intersecting the surrounding antenna wire.
As to claim 5, Wang in view of Chen disclose the display device according to claim 4 (paragraphs above).
Wang further discloses wherein the through hole is formed in the second part (fig 9, region C in the peripheral region B).
Claim(s) 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang in view of Chen and further in view of Matsumoto (US Pub. No. 2019/0102005 A1).
As to claim 6, Wang in view of Chen disclose the display device according to claim 4 (paragraphs above).
Wang does not explicitly disclose a touch terminal.
Nonetheless, Chen further discloses wherein a touch terminal, and an antenna terminal are disposed in one of sides of the peripheral portion of the display area of the display panel to constitute a terminal group (fig 3, terminal group 120), the touch terminal connecting to the touch wire, the antenna terminal connecting to the antenna wire ([0021] and [0028]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to include the touch terminal as taught by Chen in the display device of Wang since this will allow for improved interconnection of the touch electrode to the peripheral side portion of the display.
Wang in view of Chen do not explicitly disclose a display terminal connecting to a wire led out from the display panel.
Nonetheless, Matsumoto discloses a display terminal connecting to a wire led out from the display panel ([0025]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to include a display terminal as taught by Matsumoto in addition to the touch terminal and the antenna terminal as taught by Wang in view of Chen since this will further enhance electrical control and operation of the display elements.
As to claim 7, Wang in view of Chen and Matsumoto disclose the display device according to claim 6 (paragraphs above).
Wang further discloses wherein a first coil terminal and a second coil terminal are disposed adjacent to each other in the terminal group, the first coil terminal being connected to one end of the coiled antenna wire, the second coil terminal being connected to the other end of coiled antenna wire (fig 7, terminal group output of wire 2 in region C include the terminals for both ends of the coiled antenna 2).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 1/28/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argued that the encapsulation layer shown in fig 13 of Wang does not meet the claim limitations.
Examiner disagrees because the sealing film 8 shown in figure 2 of Wang does meet the claim limitations.
Pertinent Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US Pub. No. 2018/0061869A1; US Pub. No. 2020/0266542A1; US Pub. No. US 2015/0253602A1; US Pub. No. US 2020/0393936A1; US Pub. No. US 2019/0220123A1.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHAUN M CAMPBELL whose telephone number is (571)270-3830. The examiner can normally be reached on MWFS: 7:30-6pm Thurs 1-2pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Purvis, Sue can be reached at (571)272-1236. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SHAUN M CAMPBELL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893 2/17/2026