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 § 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.
Claim 28 is 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.
With respect to claim 28, the recitation of “configured to be cut by a laser” in line two renders the claim as indefinite. It is unclear as to whether any specific changes are made to the material requirements or orientation of the touch bridge line to constitute a configuration to be cut by a laser. With no information on intensity of laser or whether the touch bridge line is actually cut by a laser, the touch bridge line’s materials allow it to be capable to be cut by a laser of proper intensity.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
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) 1-11, 13-23, 26-28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2021/0242284 A1; hereinafter Kim) in view of Lee et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2021/0124448 A1; hereinafter Lee)
With respect to claim 1, Kim discloses a transparent display device with a touch sensor, the transparent display device comprising: a plurality of subpixels [PXL] disposed in a non-transmissive area [NEMA] of a substrate [SUB] (see Figure 2 and 3A-3B; PXL are arranged in [NEMA] with T2 and T6 of the pixels arranged in [NEMA]; ¶[0079-0080], ¶[0087]), the plurality of subpixels including a light emitting element having an anode electrode [EL1], a light emitting layer [EML] and a cathode electrode [EL2] (see ¶[0114] and ¶[0120]); a touch sensor [TS] disposed in a transmissive area [EMA] of the substrate, the touch sensor including a touch sensor electrode [SP] (see Figure 7 and 8; ¶[0137-0138], ¶[0189]). Kim fails to disclose a touch line disposed between the substrate and the anode electrode in the non-transmissive area, the touch line being configured to supply a touch sensing voltage to the touch sensor; and a shielding layer disposed between the touch line and the anode electrode in the non-transmissive area. In the same field of endeavor, Lee teaches a touch line [TL] disposed between the substrate [SUB] and the anode electrode [E1] in the non-transmissive area (see Figure 7; non-transmissive area bordering transmissive area), the touch line being configured to supply a touch sensing voltage to the touch sensor (see ¶[0105]); and a shielding layer [SE] disposed between the touch line and the anode electrode in the non-transmissive area (See Figure 7).
Implementation of a touch line between the substrate and the anode electrode as taught by Lee allows for sufficient separation between the display and the touch sensor to minimize noise (See ¶[0115). Additionally, implementation of a shielding layer prevents noises resulting from voltage or current variances caused by display driving to be prevented (See ¶[0115] and ¶[0146]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention that the combination of references would arrive at the claimed invention.
With respect to claim 2, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses wherein the touch line extends in a first direction, and wherein the shielding layer extends in the first direction along the touch line (See Lee Figure 6 and 12).
With respect to claim 3, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses wherein the shielding layer overlaps with at least a portion of the touch line (See Lee Figure 12).
With respect to claim 4, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses wherein the touch line includes a plurality of touch lines, and wherein the shielding layer at least partially overlaps with the plurality of touch lines, and a width of the shielding layer covers the plurality of touch lines (see Lee Figure 6-7 and 12).
With respect to claim 5, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses a driving transistor [Tdr] disposed on the substrate, the driving transistor including an active layer [SCL], a gate electrode [GE], a source electrode [SE] and a drain electrode [DE] (see Kim Figure 8); and a light-shielding layer [BFL] disposed between the substrate and the driving transistor, the light-shielding layer at least partially overlapping with the driving transistor, wherein the touch line and the light-shielding layer are disposed on a same layer (See Lee Figure 7 and ¶[0078]; both [TL] and the light-shielding layer are disposed on [TPLN]).
With respect to claim 6, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses wherein the shielding layer and the driving transistor are disposed on different layers (see Lee Figure 7).
With respect to claim 7, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses a planarization layer [PSV] (see Kim Figure 8) / [ILD1] (See Lee Figure 7) disposed between the shielding layer and the anode electrode.
With respect to claim 8, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses wherein the touch line includes a first touch line [TL] and a second touch line [TL] spaced apart from the first touch line, and wherein the shielding layer includes a first shielding layer [SE] overlapping with at least a portion of the first touch line and a second shielding layer [SE] overlapping with at least a portion of the second touch line (see Lee Figure 7).
With respect to claim 9, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses wherein the first touch line and the second touch line extend in the first direction, wherein the first shielding layer extends in the first direction along the first touch line, and the second shielding layer extends in the first direction along the second touch line (See Lee Figure 12).
With respect to claim 10, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses wherein the first shielding layer and the second shielding layer are spaced apart from each other (See Figure 7 and 12).
With respect to claim 11, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses wherein the first shielding layer and the second shielding layer include a conductive material (see ¶[0114]).
With respect to claim 13, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses a touch bridge line disposed between the substrate and the anode electrode in the non-transmissive area, the touch bridge line electrically connecting the touch line with the touch sensor, wherein the shielding layer is disposed between the touch bridge line and the anode electrode in the non-transmissive area (see Lee ¶[0099] Figure 12 and Kim [BRP1/BRP2] Figure 8).
With respect to claim 14, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses wherein the shielding layer overlaps with at least a portion of the touch bridge line (See Lee Figure 7).
With respect to claim 15, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses a driving transistor disposed on the substrate, the driving transistor including an active layer [ACT], a gate electrode [GE], a source electrode [SDE] and a drain electrode [SDE], wherein the touch bridge line is disposed on a same layer as at least one of the gate electrode, the source electrode and the drain electrode (see Lee Figure 11; touch bridge line and transistor are on opposite sides of [TPLN]).
With respect to claim 16, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses wherein the touch line includes a first touch line disposed at a first side of the plurality of subpixels and a second touch line disposed on a second side of the plurality of subpixels (see Lee Figure 11), and wherein the shielding layer includes: a first shielding layer overlapping with at least a portion of the first touch line, a second shielding layer overlapping with at least a portion of the second touch line, a third shielding layer protruding from one side of the first shielding layer and overlapping with a portion of the touch bridge line, and a fourth shielding layer protruding from one side of the second shielding layer and provided to overlap another portion of the touch bridge line (See Lee Figures 11-12)
With respect to claim 17, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses wherein the third shielding layer and the fourth shielding layer are disposed to be spaced apart from each other with a gap between the third shielding layer and the fourth shielding layer (See Lee Figure 7 and 11-12)
With respect to claim 18, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses wherein the touch bridge line includes an exposed portion between the third shielding layer and the fourth shielding layer, wherein the exposed portion of the touch bridge line is not covered by the third shielding layer and the fourth shielding layer (see Lee Figure 12).
With respect to claim 19, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses wherein the touch bridge line includes a first touch bridge line extending in a second direction between the plurality of subpixels, wherein the first touch bridge line includes a first branch line and a second branch line, the first and second branch lines being connected to each other at one or more portions, and wherein the shielding layer overlaps with at least a portion of the first branch line and at least a portion of the second branch line (see Kim Figure 7).
With respect to claim 20, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses wherein the touch bridge line includes: a second touch bridge line electrically connected to the first touch bridge line, the second touch bridge line extending in the second direction, and a third touch bridge line protruding from the second touch bridge line, the third bridge touch line extending to an area overlapping with the touch sensor, and wherein the shielding layer does not overlap with the second touch bridge line and the third touch bridge line (see Kim Figure 7-8).
With respect to claim 21, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses wherein the cathode electrode in the light emitting element and the touch sensor electrode in the touch sensor are disposed on a same layer [TFE] (see Kim Figure 8; see also TPLN Lee Figure 11).
With respect to claim 22, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses wherein the cathode electrode in the light emitting element and the touch sensor electrode in the touch sensor are separated from each other by an undercut structure [TFE] (see Figure 3B).
With respect to claim 23, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses wherein the undercut structure has a closed loop shape in a plane view in the transmissive area (see Kim Figure 3B).
With respect to claim 26, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses wherein the cathode electrode in the light emitting element and the touch sensor electrode in the touch sensor are made from a same material (see Kim ¶[0150] and Lee ¶[0085]).
With respect to claim 27, Kim discloses a transparent display device with a touch sensor, the transparent display device comprising: a plurality of subpixels [PXL] disposed in a non-transmissive area [NEMA] of a substrate, the plurality of subpixels including a light emitting element having an anode electrode [EL1], a light emitting layer [EML] and a cathode electrode [EL2] (see ¶[0114] and ¶[0120]); a touch sensor [TS] disposed in a transmissive area [EMA] of the substrate, the touch sensor including a touch sensor electrode [SP] (see Figure 7 and 8; ¶[0137-0138], ¶[0189]); Kim fails to disclose a touch bridge line disposed between the substrate and the anode electrode in the non-transmissive area, wherein a portion of the anode electrode in the light emitting element overlaps with a portion of the touch bridge line, and no metal layers between portion of the anode electrode in the light emitting element overlaps with a portion of the touch bridge line.
In the same field of endeavor, Lee teaches a touch bridge line [TL] disposed between the substrate [SUB] and the anode electrode [E1] in the non-transmissive area, wherein a portion of the anode electrode in the light emitting element overlaps with a portion of the touch bridge line, and no metal layers between portion of the anode electrode in the light emitting element overlaps with a portion of the touch bridge line (see Figure 3).
Implementation of a touch bridge line between the substrate and the anode electrode as taught by Lee allows for sufficient separation between the display and the touch sensor to minimize noise (See ¶[0115). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention that the combination of references would arrive at the claimed invention.
With respect to claim 28, Kim discloses wherein the portion of the touch bridge line is configured to be cut by a laser (see Lee Figure 3; with no information on intensity of laser or whether the touch bridge line is actually cut by a laser, the touch bridge line’s materials allow it to be capable to be cut by a laser of proper intensity).
With respect to claim 29, Kim discloses a transparent touch display device, comprising: a light emitting element including an anode electrode [E1], a light emitting layer [EML] and a cathode electrode E2; a first transparent touch sensor [SP] (comprising CP1 and CP2 ¶[0128]); and a power line being configured to supply a driving voltage [ELVDD] to the light emitting element.
Kim fails to disclose a first touch line configured to supply a touch sensing voltage to the first transparent touch sensor, the power line disposed between the touch line and the anode electrode. In the same field of endeavor, Lee teaches a first touch line [TL] configured to supply a touch sensing voltage to the first transparent touch sensor (see Figure 7 and ¶[0105]), the power line disposed between the touch line and the anode electrode (See Figure 2 and ¶[0072])
Implementation of a touch line as taught by Lee allows for sufficient separation between the display and the touch sensor to minimize noise and provide substantial voltage to the touch sensor (See Lee ¶[0115). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention that the combination of references would arrive at the claimed invention.
With respect to claim 30, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses wherein a width of the power line is greater than a width of the first touch line (see Lee ¶[0072]).
It has been held that "[W]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation." In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955). Therefore, it would have been appreciated that the width of each of the power line and first touch line could be optimized based on routine experimentation to determine the proper width to best control driving periods between the display and touch (see Kim ¶[0090] and Lee ¶[0088]).
With respect to claim 31, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses a second transparent touch sensor (see Kim Figure 5 and Lee Figure 7); and a second touch line [TL] configured to supply the touch sensing voltage to the second transparent touch sensor, wherein the width of the power line overlaps with both of the first touch line and the second touch line (see Kim ¶[0090] and Lee ¶[0088] Figure 7).
With respect to claim 32, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses wherein the power line extends in a second direction and includes a plurality of protrusions that extend in a first direction (see Lee Figure 2).
With respect to claim 33, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses a plurality of touch bridge lines [BRP1/BRP2] extending in the first direction, wherein each of the plurality of protrusions of the power line overlaps with at least a portion of one of the plurality of touch bridge lines (see Kim Figure 7).
With respect to claim 34, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses wherein a touch bridge line among the plurality of touch bridge lines includes a first touch bridge branch portion and a second touch bridge branch portion, the second touch bridge branch portion being spaced apart from the first touch bridge branch portion (see Kim Figure 6A).
With respect to claim 35, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses wherein one of the plurality of protrusions of the power line overlaps with the first touch bridge branch portion and the second touch bridge branch portion (see Kim Figure 6A-7 and Lee Figure 2)
With respect to claim 36, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses a plurality of scan lines [Si/Si-1/Si+1] extending in the first direction, wherein a scan line among the plurality of scan lines includes a first scan branch portion and a second scan branch portion, the second scan branch portion being spaced apart from the first scan branch portion (See Kim Figure 3A).
With respect to claim 37, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses wherein the first and second touch bridge branch portions of the touch bridge line surround the first and second scan branch portions of the scan line (see Kim Figure 3A and 5).
With respect to claim 38, the combination of Kim and Lee discloses wherein one of the plurality of protrusions of the power line is disposed between the first and second scan branch portions of the scan line and overlaps with the first touch bridge branch portion and the second touch bridge branch portion (see Kim Figure 3A, 5, 6A-7 and Lee Figure 2)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 12 and 24-25 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.
With respect to claim 12, none of the prior art teaches or suggests, alone or in combination, wherein the first shielding layer is a pixel power line configured to supply a first power source to the anode electrode, and wherein the second shielding layer is a common power line configured to supply a second power to the cathode electrode.
With respect to claim 24, none of the prior art teaches or suggests, alone or in combination, wherein the undercut structure extends around an outer perimeter of the touch sensor electrode.
With respect to claim 25, none of the prior art teaches or suggests, alone or in combination, wherein the undercut structure includes a trench or a hole in one or more insulating layers.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. - Kim et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2022/0043528 A1) discloses a touch sensing display but fails to disclose wherein the first shielding layer is a pixel power line configured to supply a first power source to the anode electrode, and wherein the second shielding layer is a common power line configured to supply a second power to the cathode electrode, wherein the undercut structure extends around an outer perimeter of the touch sensor electrode, or wherein the undercut structure includes a trench or a hole in one or more insulating layers. - Huang et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2022/0113826 A1) discloses a touch sensing display but fails to disclose wherein the first shielding layer is a pixel power line configured to supply a first power source to the anode electrode, and wherein the second shielding layer is a common power line configured to supply a second power to the cathode electrode, wherein the undercut structure extends around an outer perimeter of the touch sensor electrode, or wherein the undercut structure includes a trench or a hole in one or more insulating layers.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JONATHAN HAN whose telephone number is (571)270-7546. The examiner can normally be reached 9.00-5.00PM PST.
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/JONATHAN HAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818
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