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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1, 8-12, 16, 20, 22-30, 35, and 36 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kim (US 2021/0183926).
Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses a display device, comprising: a lower substrate that is stretchable (Fig.3A, numeral 110a) and includes an active area and a non-active area; a first adhesive layer (115) disposed on the lower substrate (110a); a pattern layer (191); (192) disposed on the first adhesive layer (115) and including a plurality of first plate patterns (191) and a plurality of first line patterns (192) overlapping the active area; a plurality of sub-pixels (160) disposed on each of the plurality of first plate patterns; a plurality of connection lines (120) disposed on each of the plurality of first line patterns (192); a filling layer (110b) ([0117]; note: PDMS) including a first filling layer filled in the active area and covering the pattern layer (111), the plurality of sub-pixels (160), and the plurality of connection lines (120); and grooves disposed in lower portions of the plurality of first line patterns (191), wherein the first adhesive layer (115) and the plurality of first line patterns (191) are spaced apart from each other through the grooves.
Regarding claim 8, Kim discloses a display device, comprising: a lower substrate (Fig.3, numeral 110a) that is stretchable and includes an active area and a non-active area; a plurality of first plate patterns (191) disposed on the lower substrate and overlapping the active area; a plurality of sub-pixels (160) disposed on each of the plurality of first plate patterns (191); and a plurality of line units (Fig.2, numeral 181) disposed between adjacent first plate patterns of the plurality of first plate patterns, wherein the plurality of line units include a plurality of linear portions and a plurality of semicircular portions (Fig.2, numeral 181, 182).
Regarding claim 9, Kim discloses wherein the plurality of line units include, a plurality of first line patterns (181) disposed on the lower substrate (11a) and coupling the plurality of first plate patterns to each other (Fig.2); and a plurality of connection lines (120) disposed on the plurality of first line patterns and electrically connected to the plurality of sub-pixels ([0074]).
Regarding claim 10, Kim discloses wherein an arc portion of each of the plurality of semicircular portions is disposed in a same direction as a stretching direction of the plurality of line units (Fig.2).
Regarding claim 11, Kim discloses wherein arc portions of the plurality of semicircular portions of line units extending in a first direction among the plurality of line units are disposed in the first direction, and wherein arc portions of the plurality of semicircular portions of line units extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction among the plurality of line units are disposed in the second direction (Fig.2).
Regarding claim 12, Kim discloses wherein the arc portions of some semicircular portions among the plurality of semicircular portions are disposed to face each other (Fig.2; Fig.5A).
Regarding claim 16, Kim discloses wherein each of the plurality of semicircular portions is coupled to one of the pluralities of linear portions and the plurality of semicircular portions in each of the plurality of line units (Fig.5A).
Regarding claim 20, Kim discloses wherein line units extending in a first direction among the plurality of line units includes five or more of the plurality of linear portions and four or more of the plurality of semicircular (Fig.5A).
Regarding claim 22, Kim discloses a display device, comprising: a stretchable lower substrate (Fig. 3, numeral 110a) having thereon an active area and a non-active area adjacent to the active area; a plurality of plate patterns (191), (192) on the lower substrate (110a) and overlapping the active area; a plurality of connections lines (Fig.2, numeral 180); [0090]) coupled between adjacent plate patterns of the plurality of plate patterns, each connection line (180) of the plurality of connections lines include: at least one stretchable unit (181), (182) ; and a connection portion (120) coupled to the at least one stretchable unit (181), (182), wherein the at least one stretchable unit includes: a plurality of linear portions; (Fig. 2) and a plurality of half-ring shaped portions; wherein the at least one stretchable unit is bisymmetrical (Fig.2) ([0100]).
Regarding claim 23, Kim discloses wherein the at least one stretchable unit includes at least 5 linear portions (Fig.5A).
Regarding claim 24, Kim discloses wherein the at least one stretchable unit includes at least 4 half-ring portions (Fig. 5A).
Regarding claim 25, Kim discloses wherein the plurality of linear portions includes a first linear portion, a second linear portion, a third linear portion, a fourth linear portion, and a fifth linear portion, wherein the plurality of half-ring shaped portions includes a first half-ring portion, a second half-ring portion, a third half-ring portion, and a fourth half-ring portion, wherein the first half-ring portion is between and coupled to the first linear portion and the second linear portion, wherein the second half-ring portion is between and coupled to the second linear portion and the third linear portion, wherein the third half-ring portion is between and coupled to the third linear portion and the fourth linear portion, and wherein the fourth half-ring portion is between and coupled to the fourth linear portion and the fifth linear portion (Fig.5A).
Regarding claim 26, Kim discloses wherein the first, second, and third linear portions overlap with each other (Fig.5).
Regarding claim 27, Kim discloses wherein the third, fourth, and fifth linear portions overlap with each other (Fig.5).
Regarding claim 28, Kim discloses wherein the first, second, and third linear portions and the first, second half-ring portions form an S-shape (Fig.8).
Regarding claim 29, Kim discloses wherein the third, fourth, and fifth linear portions and the third, fourth half-ring portions form a reversed S-shape (Fig.5).
Regarding claim 30, Kim discloses wherein the first linear portion is coupled to the connection portion, wherein the first linear portion and the connection portion are continuous and contiguous to each other, wherein the first linear portion and the first half-ring shape portion are continuous and contiguous to each other, wherein the second linear portion and the first half-ring shape portion are continuous and contiguous to each other, wherein the second linear portion and the second half-ring shape portion are continuous and contiguous to each other, wherein the third linear portion and the second half-ring shape portion are continuous and contiguous to each other, wherein the third linear portion and the third half-ring shape portion are continuous and contiguous to each other, wherein the fourth linear portion and the third half-ring shape portion are continuous and contiguous to each other, and wherein the fifth linear portion and the fourth half-ring shape portion are continuous and contiguous to each other (Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 35, Kim discloses a display device, comprising: a stretchable lower substrate (Fig.3, numeral 110a) having thereon an active area and a non-active area adjacent to the active area; a plurality of plate patterns (191); (192) on the lower substrate and overlapping the active area; a plurality of connections lines (Fig.2, numeral 180) coupled between adjacent plate patterns of the plurality of plate patterns, each connection line of the plurality of connections lines include: at least one stretchable unit (181); (1982) ([0100]); and a connection portion (120) coupled to the at least one stretchable unit, wherein the at least one stretchable unit includes: a plurality of linear portions; and a plurality of half-ring shaped portions; wherein the at least one stretchable unit includes an S-shape portion and a reversed S-shape portion comprising the plurality of linear portions and the plurality of half-ring shaped portions (Fig.2).
Regarding claim 36, Kim discloses wherein the at least one stretchable unit includes at least 5 linear portions, and wherein the at least one stretchable unit includes at least 4 half-ring portions (Fig.5).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-7, 13-15, 17-19, 21, 31-24 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The search of the prior art does not disclose or reasonably suggest a second filling layer filled in the grooves and disposed between the first adhesive layer and the plurality of first line patterns as required by claim 2.
The search of the prior art does not disclose or reasonably suggest wherein the arc portion of each of the plurality of semicircular portions is disposed in an inclined direction with respect to a stretching direction of the plurality of line units as required by claim 13.
The search of the prior art does not disclose or reasonably suggest wherein arc portions of the plurality of semicircular portions of line units extending in a first direction and line units extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction among the plurality of line units are disposed in directions different from the first direction and the second direction as required by claim 14.
The search of the prior art does not disclose or reasonably suggest wherein the plurality of linear portions and the plurality of semicircular portions are alternately coupled in each of the plurality of line units as required by claim 15.
The search of the prior art does not disclose or reasonably suggest wherein the plurality of line units further include a plurality of quadrant portions configured in a quadrant shape, wherein each of the plurality of quadrant portions is coupled to any one of the pluralities of linear portions, the plurality of semicircular portions, and the plurality of quadrant portions as required by claim 17.
The search of the prior art does not disclose or reasonably suggest wherein the connection portion includes a first point coupled to a plate pattern of the adjacent plate patterns and a second point that is between the connection portion and the first linear portion, wherein none of the portion of the at least one stretchable unit extends below an imaginary extended line that connects between the first point and the second point as required by claim 31.
33. The display device of claim 22, wherein the plurality of connections lines includes a first connection line and a second connection line adjacent to the first connection line, wherein the first connection line includes a first stretchable unit and a first connection portion, wherein the second connection line includes a second stretchable unit and a second connection portion, wherein the first stretchable unit and the first connection portion of the first connection line is symmetric with the second stretchable unit and the second connection portion of the second connection line with respect to a first imaginary symmetric line between the first connection line and the second connection line.
The search of the prior art does not disclose or reasonably suggest wherein the plurality of connections lines includes a third connection line and a fourth connection line adjacent to the third connection line, wherein the third connection line includes a third stretchable unit and a third connection portion, wherein the fourth connection line includes a fourth stretchable unit and a fourth connection portion, wherein the third stretchable unit and the third connection portion of the third connection line is symmetric with the fourth stretchable unit and the fourth connection portion of the fourth connection line with respect to a second imaginary symmetric line between the third connection line and the fourth connection line, and wherein first and second connection lines are symmetric with the third and fourth connection lines with respect to a third imaginary symmetric line between the second connection line and the third connection line as required by claim 34.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JULIA SLUTSKER whose telephone number is (571)270-3849. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9 am-6 pm.
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, Matthew Landau can be reached at 571-272-1731. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JULIA SLUTSKER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2891