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 without traverse of Species V, Sub-Species B (claims 1-19) in the reply filed on 5/16/2026 is acknowledged.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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)(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, 14, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kishida (US 2025/0087649 and Kishida hereinafter).
As to claims 1, 14, and 19: Kishida discloses [claim 1] a display module (Fig. 6A; 30A; [0046]), comprising: a first display substrate (U2; [0046]) comprising a first substrate (400; [0046]) and a plurality of first light-emitting units (410; [046]), wherein the plurality of first light-emitting units (410) are disposed at intervals on the first substrate (as shown in the Figure); and a second display substrate (U1; [0046]) disposed on a backside (bottom) of a light-emitting side (top) of the first display substrate (U2) and comprising a second substrate (300; [0046]) and a plurality of second light-emitting units (310; [0046]), wherein the plurality of second light-emitting units (310) are disposed at intervals on the second substrate (as shown in the Figure), and are staggeredly (310 do not overlap with 410 in the vertical direction; [0047]) disposed with the plurality of first light-emitting units (410), respectively; [claim 14] wherein the first display substrate (Figs. 4A and 6A; 400 is a transparent drive substrate; [0046]) further comprises first driving circuits (as shown in Fig. 4A, a transparent drive substrate includes scan lines and data lines, which are interpreted to be (passive) driving circuits as they are used to drive the pixels in combination with the external drive circuit; [0034] and [0039]), and the first driving circuits (data lines and scan lines) are connected to the first light-emitting units (410), respectively; and/or, wherein the second display substrate (300 is a transparent drive substrate; [0046]) further comprises second driving circuits (as shown in Fig. 4A, a transparent drive substrate includes scan lines and data lines, which are interpreted to be (passive) driving circuits as they are used to drive the pixels in combination with the external drive circuit; [0034] and [0039]), and the second driving circuits (data lines and scan lines) are connected to the second light-emitting units (310), respectively; [claim 19] wherein orthographic projections of the plurality of first light-emitting units (410) on the second substrate (300) are adjacent to and spaced apart from orthographic projections of the plurality of second light-emitting units (310) on the second substrate (300), respectively.
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.
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.
Claims 2-7 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kishida in view of Xiang (CN 115274983 and Xiang hereinafter; a machine translation is used as an English language equivalent).
As to claims 2-7 and 9: Although the structure disclosed by Kishida shows substantial features of the claimed invention (discussed in paragraph 7 above), it fails to expressly disclose:
[claim 2] further comprising: a dimming module, wherein at least a portion of the dimming module is disposed on a light-emitting side of the second light-emitting units, an orthographic projection of the dimming module on the second substrate overlaps with orthographic projections of the second light-emitting units on the second substrate, and the dimming module is staggeredly disposed with the first light-emitting units; [claim 3] wherein the dimming module comprises a light condensing unit and a light scattering unit; and wherein at least a portion of the light condensing unit is disposed between the second light-emitting units and the first substrate, and an orthographic projection of the light condensing unit on the second substrate overlaps with the orthographic projections of the second light-emitting units on the second substrate; and the light scattering unit is disposed on a side of the light condensing unit away from the second light-emitting units, and an orthographic projection of the light scattering unit on the second substrate overlaps with the orthographic projection of the light condensing unit on the second substrate; [claim 4] wherein at least one light condensing unit is disposed on the second substrate, and a portion of the second light-emitting units is embedded in the at least one light condensing unit; and/or, at least one light condensing unit is disposed on a surface of the first substrate adjacent to the second display substrate; [claim 5] wherein the light condensing unit comprises a condenser lens; [claim 6] wherein the light scattering unit is disposed on the first substrate, and is disposed adjacent to at least one of the first light-emitting units; [claim 7] wherein the light scattering unit comprises a light-transmitting base material and scattering particles dispersed in the light-transmitting base material; [claim 9] wherein the shape of the light scattering unit is the same as the shape of the first light-emitting units, and the dimension of the light scattering unit is the same as the dimension of the first light-emitting units.
Xiang discloses a display panel structure of a condensing unit and scattering unit that can be applied to at least one of the panels U1 and U2, e.g. the second panel U1, of Kishida.
Xiang discloses [claim 2] further comprising: a dimming module (Fig. 1; comprising 13 and 14; [0036] and [0091]), wherein at least a portion of the dimming module (comprising 13 and 14) is disposed on a light-emitting side (top) of the second light-emitting units (12; [0036]), an orthographic projection of the dimming module (comprising 13 and 14) on the second substrate (11; [0036]) overlaps with orthographic projections of the second light-emitting units (12) on the second substrate (11); [claim 3] wherein the dimming module (comprising 13 and 14) comprises a light condensing unit (13; [0036]) and a light scattering unit (14; [0036] and [0091]); and an orthographic projection of the light condensing unit (13) on the second substrate (11) overlaps with the orthographic projections of the second light-emitting units (12) on the second substrate (11); and the light scattering unit (14) is disposed on (interpreted to mean over) a side (top side) of the light condensing unit (13) away from the second light-emitting units (12), and an orthographic projection of the light scattering unit (14) on the second substrate (11) overlaps with the orthographic projection of the light condensing unit (13) on the second substrate (11); [claim 4] wherein at least one light condensing unit is disposed on the second substrate, and a portion of the second light-emitting units is embedded in the at least one light condensing unit (as the claim is an and/or structure, one of the conditions being met satisfies the claim; Xiang teaches the second condition/limitation); and/or, at least one light condensing unit (13) is disposed on (interpreted to mean attached to a surface; when the light condensing units 13 of Xiang are modified into the second panel U1 of Kishida, the light condensing units 13 will be attached to (be on) the back surface of the first substrate 400 through layers 18 and 15 of Xiang) a surface (bottom surface) of the first substrate (400 of Kishida) adjacent to the second display substrate (U2 of Kishida/100 of Xiang); [claim 5] wherein the light condensing unit (13) comprises a condenser lens ([0060]-[0061]); [claim 6] wherein the light scattering unit (14) is disposed on (interpreted to mean attached to a surface; when the light scattering units 14 of Xiang are modified into the second panel U1 of Kishida, the light scattering units 14 will be attached to (be on) the back surface of the first substrate 400) the first substrate (400 of Kishida), and is disposed adjacent (interpreted to mean near; as the light scattering units are in the same display panel, they are near the first light-emitting units 410 of Kishida) to at least one of the first light-emitting units (410 of Kishida); [claim 7] wherein the light scattering unit (14) comprises a light-transmitting base material (light-transmitting body 141; [0068]) and scattering particles (scattering particles 142; [0068]) dispersed in the light-transmitting base material (141); [claim 9] wherein the shape of the light scattering unit (14) is the same as the shape of the first light-emitting units (as the shape of light scattering unit 14 is the same as that of the second light-emitting units 12 of Xiang/310 of Kishida, and the light-emitting units 310 and 410 of Kishida are the same, the light scattering unit 14 will have the same shape as the first light-emitting units 410 of Kishida), and the dimension (planar size; [0040]) of the light scattering unit is the same as the dimension of the first light-emitting units (as the planar size of light scattering unit 14 is the same as that of the second light-emitting units 12 of Xiang/310 of Kishida, and the light-emitting units 310 and 410 of Kishida are the same planar size, the light scattering unit 14 will have the same planar size as the first light-emitting units 410 of Kishida; [0040]).
As to [claim 2] the dimming module is staggeredly disposed with the first light-emitting units, when the dimming module of Xiang is modified into the second panel U1 of Kishida, the dimming module (comprising 13 and 14) that overlap with second light-emitting units 12/310 will be staggeredly disposed with the first light-emitting units 410 since the second light-emitting units 310 of Kishida are disposed in that manner.
As to [claim 3] wherein at least a portion of the light condensing unit is disposed between the second light-emitting units and the first substrate, when the dimming module of Xiang is modified into the second panel U1 of Kishida, the dimming module (comprising 13 and 14) that overlap with second light-emitting units 12/310 and are on the second substrate 11/300 of the second light-emitting units 12/310 will be between the first substrate 400 and the second light-emitting units 310.
Given the teachings of Xiang, a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have readily recognized the desirability and advantages of modifying Kishida by employing the well-known or conventional features of display fabrication, such as displayed by Xiang, by employing a dimming module comprising a light condensing unit and a light scattering unit that both overlap with the second light-emitting units and are staggered with respect to the first light emitting units and that are both over the second substrate and attached to (on) the backside of the first substrate, where the light scattering unit is between the condensing unit and the first substrate, where the condenser unit is a lens, the light scattering unit comprises a base material with scattering particles therein, and the shape and a dimension (planar size) of the light scattering unit is the same as that of the first light-emitting units in order to provide a display that can reduce the risk of light source crosstalk and severe image graininess ([0003]).
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kishida in view of Xiang as applied to claim 3 above, and further in view of Kim et al (US 2019/0148460 and Kim hereinafter).
Although the structure disclosed by Kishida in view of Xiang shows substantial features of the claimed invention (discussed in paragraph 12 above), it fails to expressly disclose:
wherein the light scattering unit comprises a scattering lens.
Kim discloses a display panel wherein the light scattering unit (Fig. 2; 251c; [0080]) comprises a scattering lens (microlens; [0080]).
Therefore, a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have had it within their ordinary capabilities to use a microlens structure for the light scattering unit instead of a flat surface as in Kishida in view of Xiang as the technique of using a lens shape was well-known in the art in view of the teachings of Kim and the use of which would have resulted in the predictable result of a unit that can scatter incoming light.
Claims 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kishida in view of Xiang as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Wang et al (US 2024/0222575 and Wang hereinafter).
As to claims 10-12: Although the structure disclosed by Kishida in view of Xiang shows substantial features of the claimed invention (discussed in paragraph 12 above), it fails to expressly disclose:
[claim 10] wherein the dimming module comprises a light condensing unit and a color conversion unit; and wherein at least a portion of the light condensing unit is disposed between the second light-emitting units and the first substrate, and an orthographic projection of the light condensing unit on the second substrate overlaps with the orthogonal projections of the second light-emitting units on the second substrate; and the color conversion unit is disposed on a side of the light condensing unit away from the second light-emitting units, and an orthographic projection of the color conversion unit on the second substrate overlaps with the orthographic projection of the light condensing unit on the second substrate; [claim 11] wherein the color conversion unit is disposed on the first substrate, and is disposed adjacent to at least one of the first light-emitting units; [claim 12] wherein the color conversion unit comprises at least one of a quantum dot and a phosphor.
Wang discloses a display panel structure of a condensing unit and a color conversion unit that can be applied to at least one of the panels U1 and U2, e.g. the second panel U1, of Kishida.
Wang discloses a display substrate [claim 10] wherein the dimming module (Fig. 2; comprising 60 and 70; [0045], [0046], and [0064]) comprises a light condensing unit (60; [0064]) and a color conversion unit (70; [0045]-[0046]); and wherein at least a portion of the light condensing unit (60) is disposed between the second light-emitting units (when the condensing unit 60 and color conversion unit 70 of Wang is incorporated into Kishida in view of Wang, the light condensing unit 60 can be disposed over the second light-emitting units 310 (20 of Wang) in the second display U1 such that the first substrate 400 is over the light condensing unit 60) and the first substrate (400 of Kishida), and an orthographic projection of the light condensing unit (60) on the second substrate (300 of Kishida/11 of Wang) overlaps with the orthogonal projections of the second light-emitting units (310 of Kishida/20 of Wang) on the second substrate (300 of Kishida/11 of Wang); and the color conversion unit (70) is disposed on a side (top side) of the light condensing unit (60) away from the second light-emitting units (310 of Kishida/20 of Wang), and an orthographic projection of the color conversion unit (70) on the second substrate (300 of Kishida/11 of Wang) overlaps with the orthographic projection of the light condensing unit (60) on the second substrate (300 of Kishida/11 of Wang); [claim 11] wherein the color conversion unit (70) is disposed on (interpreted to mean attached to a surface; when the color conversion unit 70 of Wang are modified into the second panel U1 of Kishida, the color conversion unit 70 will be attached to (be on) the back surface of the first substrate 400) the first substrate (400 of Kishida), and is disposed adjacent (interpreted to mean near; as the color conversion unit 70 is in the same display panel, it is near the first light-emitting units 410 of Kishida) to at least one of the first light-emitting units (410 of Kishida); [claim 12] wherein the color conversion unit (70) comprises at least one of a quantum dot and a phosphor (can be a quantum dot or a phosphor; [0017] and [0050]).
Given the teachings of Wang, a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have readily recognized the desirability and advantages of modifying Kishida in view of Xiang by employing the well-known or conventional features of display fabrication, such as displayed by Wang, by employing a dimming module comprising a light condensing unit and a color conversion unit that both overlap with the second light-emitting units and that are both over the second substrate and attached to (on) the backside of the first substrate and where the condensing unit is between the color conversion unit and the first substrate, and the color conversion unit comprises a quantum dot material in order to provide a display that can achieve a white balance without increasing power consumption ([0047]).
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kishida in view of Wang et al (US 2016/0301027 and Wang2 hereinafter).
Although the structure disclosed by Kishida shows substantial features of the claimed invention (discussed in paragraph 7 above), it fails to expressly disclose:
further comprising: an adhesive member disposed between the first display substrate and the second display substrate, and adhering the first display substrate and the second display substrate.
Kishida discloses two substrates 300 and 400 attached to each other.
Wang2 discloses in Fig. 6 where an adhesive 70 can be formed between adjacent substrates.
Given the teachings of Wang2, a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have readily recognized the desirability and advantages of modifying Kishida by employing the well-known or conventional features of display fabrication, such as displayed by Wang2, by employing an adhesive member between adjacent first and second substrates in Kishida in order to affix the substrates to one another and seal the devices between the substrates ([0078]).
Claims 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kishida in view of Gao et al (US 2022/0366819 and Gao hereinafter).
As to claims 16-18: Although the structure disclosed by Kishida shows substantial features of the claimed invention (discussed in paragraph 7 above), it fails to expressly disclose:
[claim 16] further comprising: an optical modulation layer disposed on a light-emitting side of the first display substrate; [claim 17] wherein the optical modulation layer comprises a slit grating film or lenticular lenses; [claim 18] further comprising: an encapsulation layer disposed between the optical modulation layer and the first display substrate, wherein the optical modulation layer is disposed on the encapsulation layer.
Gao discloses a display panel structure comprising an encapsulation layer and an optical modulation layer that can be applied to at least one of the panels U1 and U2, e.g. the first panel U2, of Kishida.
Gao discloses a display panel [claim 16] further comprising: an optical modulation layer (Figs. 1 and 2; 210 is a lenticular lens, which is an optical modulation layer; [0095]) disposed on a light-emitting side (top side) of the first display substrate (101 of Gao/400 of Kishida); [claim 17] wherein the optical modulation layer (210) comprises a slit grating film or lenticular lenses (210 is a lenticular lens; [0095]); [claim 18] further comprising: an encapsulation layer (104; [0100]) disposed between the optical modulation layer (210) and the first display substrate (101 of Gao/400 of Kishida), wherein the optical modulation layer (210) is disposed on (interpreted to mean over) the encapsulation layer (104).
Given the teachings of Gao, a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have readily recognized the desirability and advantages of modifying Kishida by employing the well-known or conventional features of display fabrication, such as displayed by Gao, by employing an encapsulation layer and a lenticular lens where the encapsulation layer is between the lenticular lens and the first substrate in order to increase the viewing angle of the 3D effect using a simplified manufacturing process (0004]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 13 is 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSEPH C NICELY whose telephone number is (571)270-3834. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30 am - 4 pm, EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven Gauthier can be reached at (571) 270-0373. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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JOSEPH C. NICELY
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2813
/JOSEPH C. NICELY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2813
Prosecution Insights