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 . All the claims have been examined on the basis of the merit of the claims.
Priority
The present application claims foreign priority benefits from KR 1020220139675 filed in Korea on 10/26/2022. The certified copy of the priority documents was electronically retrieved on 10/22/2023. Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/12/2023 is considered and attached.
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.
Claim(s) 15-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al., (US-20190348487-A1, hereinafter as, Kim).
In regard to claim 15, Kim discloses a display apparatus (fig. 1) comprising: a substrate (base substrate 101, fig. 1); and a pad terminal disposed on the substrate in a pad area (fig.1, pad terminal PE disposed on the substrate 101 in the pad area PA as shown, also fig. 4), wherein the pad terminal comprises: a lower conductive layer (120b as lower conductive layer, fig. 2); a plurality of convex portions disposed on the lower conductive layer (convex portions of layer 163, which includes insulating layer or openings, para 0114, fig.2); and an upper conductive layer (fig.2, conductive layer 130d) disposed on the plurality of convex portions (formed over the convex portions, fig.2) and electrically connected to the lower conductive layer (fig.2, electrically connected to 120b), the plurality of convex portions are arranged in a first direction and include an outer convex portion disposed at outer side of the pad terminal and an inner convex portion disposed at inner side than the outer convex portion (inner convex portions as above 120b and side portions as outer convex portions, fig.2).
Changes in Shape:
Kim discloses the invention except for “a cross-sectional shape of the outer convex portion is different from a cross-sectional shape of the inner convex portion.”
It would have been an obvious matter of design choice to make a cross-sectional shape of the outer convex portion is different from a cross-sectional shape of the inner convex portion, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the shape of a component. A change in shape is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966) (The court held that the configuration of the claimed disposable plastic nursing container was a matter of choice which a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found obvious absent persuasive evidence that the particular configuration of the claimed container was significant.). The one of ordinary skill in the art would have found motivation to use different shape or size of the openings/convex portions to connect different sized terminal leads as the openings/convex portions may serve as a contact holes for electrically connecting the third pad electrode 130d to the second pad electrode 120b and/or the first pad electrode 110c, para 0114. Additionally, para 0138, convex portions protruding upward (thickness direction) as compared with the openings may be formed between the plurality of openings. In an exemplary embodiment, each of the convex portions may have a patterned strip shape. Although it is shown in the drawings that each of the convex portions has a linear strip-shape, the present invention is not limited thereto, and convex portions that can be seen in a substantially strip shape may be included.
In regard to claim 16, Kim discloses the display apparatus of claim 15,
Changes in Size:
Kim discloses the invention except “wherein a width of a bottom surface of the outer convex portion is greater than a width of a bottom surface of the inner convex portion in a second direction crossing the first direction.”
It would have been an obvious matter of design choice to make wherein a width of a bottom surface of the outer convex portion is greater than a width of a bottom surface of the inner convex portion in a second direction crossing the first direction, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).
In regard to claim 17, Kim discloses the display apparatus of claim 15, wherein the outer convex portion comprises: a first portion having a first thickness; and a second portion integrally connected to the first portion and having a second thickness less than the first thickness in a thickness direction of the substrate (in the direction of the substrate: the thickness of 163 which is formed after the end portion of 110C has first thickness and the other outer convex portions of 163 have a second thickness which is less than the first thickness when measured from 110C, figs. 4, 7).
In regard to claim 18, Kim discloses the display apparatus of claim 17, wherein a thickness of the inner convex portion and the first thickness of the outer convex portion are substantially same in the thickness direction (fig.4, the inner convex portions 163 corresponding to 120b have same height with outer convex portions 163 at the sides when measured from 120 b and 110c respectively).
In regard to claim 19, Kim discloses the display apparatus of claim 15, further comprising: an integrated circuit device disposed on the pad terminal, wherein the integrated circuit device directly contacts the upper conductive layer (fig. 3 driving IC 220 and/or driving member 260 contacts PE therefore it directly electrically contacts the upper conductive layer 130d, para 0085).
In regard to claim 20, Kim discloses the display apparatus of claim 19, further comprising: an adhesive tape disposed between the integrated circuit device and the pad terminal (para 0088, unlike that shown in the drawing, the bump 250 of the driving member 260 and the pad terminal PE may be attached to each other through an anisotropic conductive film.).
In regard to claim 21, Kim discloses the display apparatus of claim 15, wherein the lower conductive layer comprises: a first lower conductive layer (110C, fig. 2, as the first lower conductive layer); an insulating layer covering an edge of the first lower conductive layer (163 includes an insulating layer and covers the edge of the 110C at end points, fig. 2) and comprising an opening overlapping a part of the first lower conductive layer in a plan view (insulating layer 163 includes openings in the pad area as described in para 0114); and a second lower conductive layer electrically connected to the first lower conductive layer through the opening of the insulating layer (para 0114, specifically, the third insulating layer 163 on the pad area PA may include a plurality of openings partially exposing the second pad electrode 120b and/or the first pad electrode 110c. The openings may serve as a contact holes for electrically connecting the third pad electrode 130d, which will be described later, to the second pad electrode 120b and/or the first pad electrode 110c).
In regard to claim 22, Kim discloses the display apparatus of claim 15, wherein the upper conductive layer is disposed on a top surface and a side surface of each of the plurality of convex portions and directly contacts the lower conductive layer (upper conductive layer 130d on top surface and side surface of the convex portions and directly connected to 120 b - - the lower conductive layer, fig.2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-14 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
In regards to claim 1, Kim discloses a display apparatus comprising: a substrate; and n pad terminals disposed on the substrate, arranged in a first direction in a pad area, and comprising a first pad terminal disposed at outer side from among the n pad terminals in the first direction and an i.sup.th pad terminal disposed at inner side from among the n pad terminals in the first direction, wherein n is a natural number greater than or equal to 3, i is greater than 1 and less than n, each of the first pad terminal and the i.sup.th pad terminal comprises: a lower conductive layer; convex portions on the lower conductive layer; and an upper conductive layer disposed on the convex portions and electrically connected to the lower conductive layer (figs.1-2 and fig. 4, the pad area PA comprising pad terminal PE including n pad terminals and a first pad terminal in the outer side with lower conductive layer, 120b and convex portions and upper conductive portion 130d connected to 120b and as cited in claim 1 rejection).
Kim does not disclose “an overlapping area between the lower conductive layer of the first pad terminal and the convex portions of the first pad terminal is different from an overlapping area between the lower conductive layer of the i.sup.th pad terminal and the convex portions of the i.sup.th pad terminal in a plan view.”
Accordingly, the independent claim 1 is allowed. The dependent claims 2-14 are also allowed based on their respective dependencies from the independent claim 1.
Conclusion
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/DEEPROSE SUBEDI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2627