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 with traverse of claims 10-18 in the reply filed on 04/01/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that inventions I and II are dependent and indistinct. This is not found persuasive because, in the instant case, Invention I requires disposing the light emitting elements on the peelable layer and later removing the carrier and the peelable layer, however, Invention II could be made entirely through selective deposition.
Inventions I and II are related as process of making and product made. The inventions are distinct if either or both of the following can be shown: (1) that the process as claimed can be used to make another and materially different product or (2) that the product as claimed can be made by another and materially different process (MPEP § 806.05(f)).
Claim 10 is generic.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
The examiner has required restriction between product or apparatus claims and process claims. Where applicant elects claims directed to the product/apparatus, and all product/apparatus claims are subsequently found allowable, withdrawn process claims that include all the limitations of the allowable product/apparatus claims should be considered for rejoinder. All claims directed to a nonelected process invention must include all the limitations of an allowable product/apparatus claim for that process invention to be rejoined.
In the event of rejoinder, the requirement for restriction between the product/apparatus claims and the rejoined process claims will be withdrawn, and the rejoined process claims will be fully examined for patentability in accordance with 37 CFR 1.104. Thus, to be allowable, the rejoined claims must meet all criteria for patentability including the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 101, 102, 103 and 112. Until all claims to the elected product/apparatus are found allowable, an otherwise proper restriction requirement between product/apparatus claims and process claims may be maintained. Withdrawn process claims that are not commensurate in scope with an allowable product/apparatus claim will not be rejoined. See MPEP § 821.04. Additionally, in order for rejoinder to occur, applicant is advised that the process claims should be amended during prosecution to require the limitations of the product/apparatus claims. Failure to do so may result in no rejoinder. Further, note that the prohibition against double patenting rejections of 35 U.S.C. 121 does not apply where the restriction requirement is withdrawn by the examiner before the patent issues. See MPEP § 804.01.
Response to Amendment
The response filed 04/01/2026 is accepted, in which, claim 10 is amended. Claims 10-18 are withdrawn while claims 1-9 await an action on the merits as follows.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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 3 and 5 rejected for indefiniteness.
Regarding claim 3, the claims states, "part of the control elements directly contact the connection pads of the light source module." There is insufficient antecedent basis for "the light source module." To further prosecution, Examiner will assume the claim should read, "part of the control elements directly contact the connection pads of the light source substrate." Proper correction is required.
Regarding claim 5, there is insufficient antecedent basis for "display control substrate." To further prosecution, Examiner will assume the claim should read, "display control board." Proper correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 1-3, 5-6, and 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Chung (US 12033995 B2).
Regarding claim 1, Chung teaches a display device (1, Fig 1), comprising:
at least two light source substrates (10), wherein
each of the at least two light source substrates (10) has a first surface (110B: bottom surface of 110, Fig 9) and a second surface (110T: top surface of 110) opposite (shown opposite) to each other,
each of the at least two light source substrates (10) comprises a plurality of light emitting elements (120) and a plurality of connection pads (112, Fig 10),
the light emitting elements (120) are located on (shown on) the second surface (110T), and
the connection pads (112) are located on (shown on) the first surface (110B) and are electrically connected (shown electrically connected) to the light emitting elements (120); and
a display control board (20, Fig 1), comprising:
a back plate (22, Fig 28); and
a plurality of control elements (135, Fig 10), located on (shown on) the back plate (22), wherein
part of the control elements (135) are electrically connected (shown electrically connected) to the connection pads (112) to drive and control (operated and controlled, [Col 9, Ln 41-43]) the light emitting elements (120), and
the second surface (110T) of each of the at least two light source substrates (10) forms a part of a display surface (11, Fig 23) of the display device (1).
Regarding claim 2, Chung teaches the device of claim 1 and goes on to teach wherein the light emitting elements (120, Fig 10) have a plurality of contacts (121/122),
each of the at least two light source substrates (10) further comprises a redistribution layer (113, Fig 13) disposed on (shown on) the light emitting elements (120) and directly connected (shown directly connected; directly connected to connect anode 121 and cathode 122 of LED 120, [Col 16, Ln 1-12) to the contacts (121/122), and
the connection pads (112) are electrically connected (shown electrically connected) to the contacts (121/122) of the light emitting elements (120) through the redistribution layer (113).
Regarding claim 3, Chung teaches the device of claim 1 and goes on to teach wherein part of the control elements (135, Fig 10) directly contact (shown in direct contact) the connection pads (112) of the light source module (10).
Regarding claim 5, Chung teaches the device of claim 1 and goes on to teach wherein an area of an entire region (22A: area of 22, Fig 28) in which the control elements (135) are distributed in the back plate (22) of the display control substrate (20) is greater than an area (11A: area of display surface 11, Fig 10) of each of the at least two light source substrates (10).
Regarding claim 6, Chung teaches the device of claim 1 and goes on to teach wherein each of the at least two light source substrates (10, Fig 28) is electrically connected (shown electrically connected) to part of the control elements (135, Fig 10) located in different regions (located in different regions; since control elements 135 are included in each light source substrate 10 and the light source substrates 10 are distributed around the back plate 22 as shown in Fig 28, different light source substrates are connected to control elements in different regions of the back plate) of the back plate (22), and
light exiting surfaces (120T: top surface of 120, Fig 10) of the at least two light source substrates (10) form different parts (shown forming different parts) of the display surface (11) of the display device (1), respectively.
Regarding claim 8, Chung teaches the device of claim 1 and goes on to teach wherein each of the at least two light source substrates (10, Fig 19) has an active area (P: areas of P1-P4, Fig 12) and a blanking area (BA: area outside of P on 110) surrounding (shown surrounding) the active area (P), and
a distribution density of the light emitting elements (120) adjacent to the blanking area (BA) in each of the at least two light source substrates (10) is less (shown less) than a distribution density of the light emitting elements (120) away from the blanking area (BA).
Regarding claim 9, Chung teaches the device of claim 1 and goes on to teach wherein each of the at least two light source substrates (10, Fig 19) has an active area (P: areas of P1-P4, Fig 12) and a blanking area (BA: area outside of P on 110) surrounding (shown surrounding) the active area (P),
the blanking area (BA) of one of the source substrates (10) and the blanking area (BA) of another one of the light source substrates (10) overlap (shown overlapping) with each other, and
the blanking area (BA) of any one of the light source substrates (10) does not overlap (shown not overlapping) with any one of the light emitting elements (120) of another one of the light source substrates (10).
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.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chung (US 12033995 B2) as applied to claims 1-6 and 8-9 above, and further in view of the obviousness of range optimization.
Regarding claim 7, Chung teaches the device of claim 1 and goes on to teach wherein there is a spacing distance (BM3, Fig 30; space between modules, [Col 21, Ln 45-46]) between (shown between) the at least two light source substrates (10), and
the spacing distance (BM3) … a pitch (PX: horizontal spacing between 120, Fig 11) between the light emitting elements (120) located next (shown next to) to the spacing distance (BM3).
Chung discloses the claimed invention except for the spacing distance is less than half of a pitch between the light emitting elements. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made such that the spacing distance is less than half of a pitch between the light emitting elements in order to gain a seamless effect, (Chung, [Col 21, Ln 51]). Since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233 (CCPA 1955).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chung (US 12033995 B2) as applied to claims 1-6 and 8-9 above, and further in view of Lee (US 20180052275 A1).
Regarding claim 4, Chung teaches the device of claim 1, the control elements (135, Fig 10), the connection pads (112), and the light source substrate (10).
Chung fails to explicitly teach part of the control elements are electrically connected to the connection pads of the light source substrate through a circuit connection element.
However, Lee teaches wherein part of the control elements are electrically connected to the connection pads of the light source substrate through a circuit connection element (140, Fig 1; equipped for transmitting electric signals, [0043]).
Chung and Lee are considered analogous to the claimed invention because both are from the same field of endeavor of semiconductor display devices. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the device of Chung with the features of Lee to create a device with part of the control elements are electrically connected to the connection pads of the light source substrate through a circuit connection element having advantages including long lifespan, low power consumption, fast response rate, and environmental friendly properties (Lee, [0003]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lin (US 20080265781 A1) - Light source module
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jeremy D Watts whose telephone number is (703)756-1055. The examiner can normally be reached M-R 8:00am-4:30pm, F 8:00-3pm EST.
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/JEREMY DANIEL WATTS/Examiner, Art Unit 2897 /CHAD M DICKE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2897
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