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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 07/08/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 06/09/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The Applicant argues that the cited references don’t disclose at least “an entirety of the second spacer group overlaps with the first connection wire and is spaced from the display area in a plan view”. The Examiner respectfully disagrees.
Beon discloses spacer above and overlapping with the first connection wire and entirely of the spacer group overlaps with the first connection wire and is spaced from the display area in a plan view. For example, Beon discloses encapsulation layers 131 and 132 that maybe integrally formed to cover a main display area MDA that is above and overlaps with a voltage supply line 11; see at least Figs. 2-3 and paragraphs 0080 and 0191-0192.
Paragraphs 0108 and 0121 of the current published invention recites that the spacers may include an organic insulating material such as polyimide and may include an inorganic insulating material or an organic insulating material and an inorganic insulating material. Similar to that Beon discloses a first and a second encapsulation layers 131 and 133 that may include organic and inorganic insulating materials; see at least paragraphs 0065-0066.
Regarding claim 5, Beon also discloses an encapsulation substrate that may face a substrate with the display element layer EDL therebetween and a sealant may be disposed between the substrate and the encapsulation substrate and the sealant may be disposed in the display peripheral area DPA; see at least paragraphs 0065 and 0067.
For at least the above reasons, the present claimed invention is not patentable over the cited reference(s).
Claims 1 and 15 have been amended.
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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US 2021/0066642) in view of Beon (US 2021/0280825).
Regarding claim 1, Lee discloses a display apparatus (display 1; see at least paragraph 0056) comprising:
a substrate (substrate; see at least paragraph 0073) comprising:
a display area comprising a plurality of pixels (display layer that include a plurality of pixels; see at least paragraph 0074);
a pad area at one side of the display area (a pad unit including a plurality of pads may be arranged on one side; see at least paragraph 0079); and
an adjacent area between the display area and the pad area (area A4; see at least Fig. 3A and paragraph 0057);
a first connection wire above the substrate in the adjacent area, and configured to transmit a driving voltage from the pad area to the plurality of pixels in the display area (connection lines connecting wires connected to the pixels to the pad unit; see at least paragraphs 0057, 0077, 0079 and 0086);
a first spacer group adjacent to the plurality of pixels in the display area (spacers; see at least paragraphs 0078, 0095-0096, 0117-0119 and 0124-0127); and
a second spacer group above the first connection wire in a supplement area in the adjacent area (spacers; see at least paragraphs 0078, 0095-0096, 0117-0119 and 0124-0127),
wherein the supplement area is defined within a perimeter of the first connection wire between the display area and the pad area to overlap with the first connection wire in a plan view (Area A4 is between the display area A2 and the pad 140, wherein the connection lines are connecting the display area to the pad area; see at least Fig. 3A and at least paragraphs 0057, 0077, 0079 and 0086).
Lee discloses the connection wire being located adjacent to the pad area because it connects the display to the pad area; as above, but is not clear about spacer above and overlapping with the first connection wire, the entirety of a connection wire being spaced from a display area and an entirely of spacer group overlaps with a first connection wire and is spaced from the display area in a plan view.
Beon discloses spacer above and overlapping with the first connection wire, encapsulation layers 131 and 132 maybe integrally formed to cover a main display area MDA that is above and overlaps with a voltage supply line 11; see at least Figs. 2-3 and paragraphs 0080 and 0191-0192 and the entirety of a connection wire being spaced from a display area; a voltage supply line 11 is being spaced from the display and is located closes to the pad area PAD; see at least Figs. 2-3 and paragraphs 0080, 0085 and 0087.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify x by the teachings of y by having the above limitations so to be able to provide a display panel capable of expanding a display area to display images in an area wherein an electronic component is located; see at least paragraph 0002.
Regarding claim 2, Lee in view of Beon disclose the display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the supplement area has as a closed loop shape along the perimeter of the first connection wire in a plan view (Lee; circular arc of the first area A1 having a closed loop shape such as a ring shape or donut shape; see at least Fig. 7 and paragraph 0183).
Regarding claim 3, Lee in view of Beon disclose the display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the supplement area extends in a first direction, and comprises a plurality of line shapes spaced from each other in a second direction crossing the first direction in a plan view (Lee; circular arc of the first area A1 having a closed loop shape such as a ring shape or donut shape; see at least Fig. 7 and paragraph 0183).
Regarding claim 4, Lee in view of Beon disclose the display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first connection wire comprises:
a first wire portion in the adjacent area (Lee; connection lines connecting wires connected to the pixels to the pad unit; see at least paragraphs 0057, 0077, 0079 and 0086); and
a second wire portion extending from the first wire portion toward the pad area (Lee; connection lines connecting wires connected to the pixels to the pad unit; see at least paragraphs 0057, 0077, 0079 and 0086), and
wherein the supplement area is located at a boundary between the first wire portion and the second wire portion in a plan view (Lee; connection lines connecting wires connected to the pixels to the pad unit; see at least paragraphs 0057, 0077, 0079 and 0086).
Regarding claim 5, Lee in view of Beon disclose the display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
an encapsulation substrate covering the display area and the adjacent area (Lee; see at least paragraph 0075 and Beon’s encapsulation substrate; see at least paragraphs 0065 and 0067); and
a sealing member surrounding the display area, and sealing between the substrate and the encapsulation substrate (Lee; see at least paragraph 0075 and Beon; see at least paragraph 0067),
wherein the supplement area is located between one side of the display area and the sealing member in a plan view (Lee; see at least Fig. 7 and paragraph 0183 and Beon; see at least paragraph 0067).
Regarding claim 6, Lee in view of Beon disclose the display apparatus of claim 5, wherein a distance from the encapsulation substrate to an upper surface of the first spacer group is the same as a distance from the encapsulation substrate to an upper surface of the second spacer group (Lee; see at least paragraph 0130).
Regarding claim 7, Lee in view of Beon disclose the display apparatus of claim 1, wherein a distance from an upper surface of the substrate to an upper surface of the first spacer group is the same as a distance from the upper surface of the substrate to an upper surface of the second spacer group (Lee; see at least Fig. 19).
Regarding claim 8, Lee in view of Beon disclose the display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second spacer group comprises a single second spacer covering the supplement area (Lee; see at least Fig. 7 and paragraphs 0183-0184).
Regarding claim 9, Lee in view of Beon disclose the display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second spacer group comprises a plurality of second spacers forming a pattern in the supplement area (Lee; see at least Fig. 7 and paragraphs 0183-0184).
Regarding claim 10, Lee in view of Beon disclose the display apparatus of claim 9, wherein:
the first spacer group comprises a plurality of first spacers surrounding at least one of the plurality of pixels, and spaced from each other by a first distance (Lee; see at least Fig. 7 and paragraphs 0183-0184),
the plurality of second spacers are spaced from each other by a second distance, and
the first distance is the same as the second distance (Lee; see at least Fig. 7 and paragraphs 0183-0184).
Regarding claim 11, Lee in view of Beon disclose the display apparatus of claim 10, wherein a size of each of the plurality of first spacers is the same as a size of each of the plurality of second spacers (Lee; see at least Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 12, Lee in view of Beon disclose the display apparatus of claim 10, wherein a shape of each of the plurality of first spacers is the same as a shape of each of the plurality of second spacers (Lee; see at least Fig.7).
Regarding claim 13, Lee in view of Beon disclose the display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first spacer group and the second spacer group comprise the same material as each other (Lee; organic insulative material; see at least paragraphs 0011 and 0014).
Regarding claim 14, Lee in view of Beon disclose the display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a pixel defining layer covering the substrate in the display area and the adjacent area, and having an opening defining an emission area of a corresponding one of the plurality of pixels,
wherein the first spacer group and the second spacer group are located on the pixel defining layer (Lee; pixel defining layer; see at least paragraphs 008-0010, 0097 and 0110).
Claim 15 is rejected on the same grounds as claim 1, wherein Lee discloses a vehicle comprising:
a body forming an exterior of the vehicle and a display apparatus inside the body (Lee; the display device can be an instrument panel for automobile; see at least paragraph 0070).
Regarding claim 16, Lee in view of Beon disclose the vehicle of claim 15, further comprising:
a cluster located in front of a steering wheel;
a center fascia at one side of the cluster; and
a dashboard spaced from the cluster with the center fascia therebetween,
wherein the display apparatus is located in at least one of the cluster, the center fascia, or the dashboard (Lee; inherently from the automobile; see at least paragraph 0070).
Claim 17 is rejected on the same grounds as claim 2.
Claim 18 is rejected on the same grounds as claim 3.
Claim 19 is rejected on the same grounds as claim 4.
Claim 20 is rejected on the same grounds as claim 5.
Conclusion
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/YASSIN ALATA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2426
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