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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/12/2023 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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(s) 1-4, 11 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US 2022/0045124) in view of Lee (US 9,146,400).
Regarding claim 1, Lee124 discloses, in at least figures 2-3, 9-10, and related text, a display device comprising:
a plurality of display panel tiles (10-1/10-2/10-3/10-4, [177]), each comprising a display area (DA, [60]) comprising a plurality of pixels (LA1/LA2/LA3, [64]) and a peripheral area (area of NDA, [60]) around the display area (DA, [60]), each one of the plurality of display panel tiles (10-1/10-2/10-3/10-4, [177]) comprising:
a display element (EL, [84]) in the display area (DA, [60]);
a thin-film encapsulation layer (PAS2/OC2/CAP1, [91], [92]) covering the display element (EL, [84]);
a first insulating layer (BK1, [95]) arranged on the thin-film encapsulation layer (PAS2/OC2/CAP1, [91], [92]) and having an opening (opening of BK1 for WLC1/LTU, figures) partially overlapping a pixel of the plurality of pixels (LA1/LA2/LA3, [64]) at an outermost part of the display area (DA, [60]);
a second insulating layer (BS1/BS3, [98], [111]) filling the opening (opening of BK1 for WLC1/LTU, figures) of the first insulating layer (BK1, [95]); and
a film (20, [177]) on the first insulating layer (BK1, [95]) in the peripheral area (area of NDA, [60]).
Lee124 does not explicitly disclose a refractive film.
Lee400 teaches, in at least figures 2A, 2B, 3C, and related text, the device comprising a refractive film (220/350, col. 4/ line 60-col. 5/ line 18), for the purpose of providing seam-concealing optical element to resulted in a tiled multi-panel display with substantially flat surface (col. 3/ lines 57-63).
Lee124 and Lee400 are analogous art because they both are directed to display device and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Lee124 with the specified features of Lee400 because they are from the same field of endeavor.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the structure disclosed in Lee124 to have the refractive film, as taught by Lee400, for the purpose of providing seam-concealing optical element to resulted in a tiled multi-panel display with substantially flat surface (col. 3/ lines 57-63, Lee400).
Regarding claim 2, Lee124 in view of Lee400 discloses the display device of claim 1 as described above.
Lee124 further discloses, in at least figures 2-3, 9-10, and related text, the opening (opening of BK1 for WLC1/LTU, figures) is provided along an edge of the display area (DA, [60]).
Regarding claim 3, Lee124 in view of Lee400 discloses the display device of claim 1 as described above.
Lee124 further discloses, in at least figures 2-3, 9-10, and related text, a side surface of the first insulating layer (BK1, [95]) defining the opening (opening of BK1 for WLC1/LTU, figures) comprises a forward tapered slope.
Regarding claim 4, Lee124 in view of Lee400 discloses the display device of claim 1 as described above.
Lee124 further discloses, in at least figures 2-3, 9-10, and related text, the first insulating layer (BK1, [95]) comprises an inclined surface in the peripheral area (area of NDA, [60]), and the refractive film (20, [177]) is on the inclined surface.
Regarding claim 11, Lee124 discloses, in at least figures 2-3, 9-10, and related text, a display device comprising:
a plurality of display panel tiles (10-1/10-2/10-3/10-4, [177]), each comprising a display area (DA, [60]) comprising a plurality of pixels (LA1/LA2/LA3, [64]) and a peripheral area (area of NDA, [60]) around the display area (DA, [60]), each one of the plurality of display panel tiles (10-1/10-2/10-3/10-4, [177]) comprising:
a display element (EL, [84]) in the display area (DA, [60]);
a thin-film encapsulation layer (PAS2/OC2/CAP1, [91], [92]) covering the display element (EL, [84]);
a first insulating layer (BK1, [95]) arranged on the thin-film encapsulation layer (PAS2/OC2/CAP1, [91], [92]), having an opening (opening of BK1 for WLC1/LTU, figures) provided in the display area (DA, [60]) along an edge of the display area (DA, [60]), and having an inclined surface in the peripheral area (area of NDA, [60]);
a second insulating layer (BS1/BS3, [98], [111]) filling the opening (opening of BK1 for WLC1/LTU, figures) of the first insulating layer (BK1, [95]); and
a film (20, [177]) on the inclined surface of the first insulating layer (BK1, [95]) in the peripheral area (area of NDA, [60]).
Lee124 does not explicitly disclose a refractive film.
Lee400 teaches, in at least figures 2A, 2B, 3C, and related text, the device comprising a refractive film (220/350, col. 4/ line 60-col. 5/ line 18), for the purpose of providing seam-concealing optical element to resulted in a tiled multi-panel display with substantially flat surface (col. 3/ lines 57-63).
Lee124 and Lee400 are analogous art because they both are directed to display device and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Lee124 with the specified features of Lee400 because they are from the same field of endeavor.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the structure disclosed in Lee124 to have the refractive film, as taught by Lee400, for the purpose of providing seam-concealing optical element to resulted in a tiled multi-panel display with substantially flat surface (col. 3/ lines 57-63, Lee400).
Regarding claim 19, Lee124 in view of Lee400 discloses the display device of claim 11 as described above.
Lee124 further discloses, in at least figures 2-3, 9-10, and related text, a side surface of the first insulating layer (BK1, [95]) defining the opening (opening of BK1 for WLC1/LTU, figures) comprises a forward tapered slope.
Claim(s) 10 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US 2022/0045124) in view of Lee (US 9,146,400), and further in view of Kim (US 2022/0137738).
Regarding claim 10, Lee124 in view of Lee400 discloses the display device of claim 1 as described above.
Lee124 further discloses, in at least figures 2-3, 9-10, and related text, the thin-film encapsulation layer (PAS2/OC2/CAP1, [91], [92]) comprises a first encapsulation layer (PAS2, [91]), an organic encapsulation layer (OC2, [91]), and a second inorganic encapsulation layer (CAP1, [92]) sequentially stacked on the display element (EL, [84]), and
wherein, in the peripheral area (area of NDA, [60]), the second inorganic encapsulation layer (CAP1, [92]) contacts the first insulating layer (BK1, [95]).
Lee124 in view of Lee400 does not explicitly disclose a first inorganic encapsulation layer.
Kim teaches, in at least figure 5 and related text, the device comprising a first inorganic encapsulation layer (TFE1, [108]), for the purpose of sealing at least a portion of each of the display area and non-display area ([166]) thereby protecting the device from external influences.
Lee124, Lee400, and Kim are analogous art because they all are directed to display device and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Lee124 in view of Lee400 with the specified features of Kim because they are from the same field of endeavor.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the structure disclosed in Lee124 in view of Lee400 to have the first inorganic encapsulation layer, as taught by Kim, for the purpose of sealing at least a portion of each of the display area and non-display area ([166], Kim) thereby protecting the device from external influences.
Regarding claim 20, Lee124 in view of Lee400 discloses the display device of claim 11 as described above.
Lee124 further discloses, in at least figures 2-3, 9-10, and related text, the thin-film encapsulation layer (PAS2/OC2/CAP1, [91], [92]) comprises a first encapsulation layer (PAS2, [91]), an organic encapsulation layer (OC2, [91]), and a second inorganic encapsulation layer (CAP1, [92]) sequentially stacked on the display element (EL, [84]), and
wherein, in the peripheral area (area of NDA, [60]), the second inorganic encapsulation layer (CAP1, [92]) contacts the first insulating layer (BK1, [95]).
Lee124 in view of Lee400 does not explicitly disclose a first inorganic encapsulation layer.
Kim teaches, in at least figure 5 and related text, the device comprising a first inorganic encapsulation layer (TFE1, [108]), for the purpose of sealing at least a portion of each of the display area and non-display area ([166]) thereby protecting the device from external influences.
Lee124, Lee400, and Kim are analogous art because they all are directed to display device and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Lee124 in view of Lee400 with the specified features of Kim because they are from the same field of endeavor.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the structure disclosed in Lee124 in view of Lee400 to have the first inorganic encapsulation layer, as taught by Kim, for the purpose of sealing at least a portion of each of the display area and non-display area ([166], Kim) thereby protecting the device from external influences.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-6 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 because the prior art of record neither anticipates nor render obvious the limitations of the base claims 1 and 5 that recite "an edge of each one of the cover windows has a curved surface" in combination with other elements of the base claims 1 and 5.
Claims 7-8 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 because the prior art of record neither anticipates nor render obvious the limitations of the base claims 1 and 7 that recite "a first pixel of the first display panel tile and a second pixel of the second display panel tile arranged adjacent to each other in the first direction with the peripheral area therebetween emit light of a same wavelength range" in combination with other elements of the base claims 1 and 7.
Claim 9 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 because the prior art of record neither anticipates nor render obvious the limitations of the base claims 1 and 9 that recite "a refractive index of the second insulating layer is greater than a refractive index of the first insulating layer" in combination with other elements of the base claims 1 and 9.
Claims 12-15 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 because the prior art of record neither anticipates nor render obvious the limitations of the base claims 11 and 12 that recite "a first pixel of the first display panel tile and a second pixel of the second display panel tile arranged adjacent to each other in the first direction with the peripheral area therebetween emit light of a same wavelength range" in combination with other elements of the base claims 11 and 12.
Claims 16-17 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 because the prior art of record neither anticipates nor render obvious the limitations of the base claims 11 and 16 that recite "the refractive film is on an edge of the cover window" in combination with other elements of the base claims 11 and 16.
Claim 18 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 because the prior art of record neither anticipates nor render obvious the limitations of the base claims 11 and 18 that recite "a refractive index of the second insulating layer is greater than a refractive index of the first insulating layer" in combination with other elements of the base claims 11 and 18.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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/TONG-HO KIM/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2811