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 § 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 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)(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.
Claims 1, 3-6, 8, 15-17, 19, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0043616 Jung et al.
1. Referring to claim 1, Jung et al. teaches a circuit board, comprising: a plurality of pixel areas, (Figures 2 & 15 #P), wherein each of the pixel areas, (Figures 2 & 15 #P), comprises: a plurality of electrode pad groups, (Figures 2 & 15 #410R, G, & B, 420R, G, & B, & 430R, G, & B), arranged in a first direction, wherein each of the electrode pad groups, (Figures 2 & 15 #410R, G, & B, 420R, G, & B, & 430R, G, & B), comprises a first electrode pad, (Figures 2 & 15 #420), a second electrode pad, (Figures 2 & 15 #410), and a third electrode pad, (Figures 2 & 15 #430), wherein the first electrode pad, (Figures 2 & 15 #420), the second electrode pad, (Figures 2 & 15 #410), and the third electrode pad, (Figures 2 & 15 #430), are arranged in a second direction, the second direction is different from the first direction, the first electrode pad, (Figures 2 & 15 #420), is disposed between the second electrode pad, (Figures 2 & 15 #410), and the third electrode pad, (Figures 2 & 15 #430), the first electrode pad is configured to provide a first voltage potential, (Figures 2 & 15 #420 Cathode pad & Paragraphs 0142, 0144, 0145, & 0150), the second electrode pad and the third electrode pad, (Figures 2 & 15 #410 & 430 Anode pad & Paragraphs 0142, 0144, 0145, & 0150), are configured to provide a second voltage potential, and the first voltage potential is different from the second voltage potential.
2. Referring to claim 3, Jung et al. teaches a circuit board of claim 1, wherein the second electrode pads of any two adjacent electrode pad groups form a continuous structure, (Figures 14 & 23).
3. Referring to claim 4, Jung et al. teaches a circuit board of claim 1, wherein the third electrode pads of any two adjacent electrode pad groups form a continuous structure, (Figures 14 & 23).
4. Referring to claim 5, Jung et al. teaches a light-emitting panel, comprising: a circuit board comprising: a plurality of pixel areas, (Figures 2 & 15 #P), wherein each of the pixel areas, (Figures 2 & 15 #P), comprises: a plurality of electrode pad groups, (Figures 2 & 15 #410R, G, & B, 420R, G, & B, & 430R, G, & B), arranged in a first direction, wherein each of the electrode pad groups, (Figures 2 & 15 #410R, G, & B, 420R, G, & B, & 430R, G, & B), comprises a first electrode pad, (Figures 2 & 15 #420), a second electrode pad, (Figures 2 & 15 #410), and a third electrode pad, (Figures 2 & 15 #430), wherein the first electrode pad, (Figures 2 & 15 #420), the second electrode pad, (Figures 2 & 15 #410), and the third electrode pad, (Figures 2 & 15 #430), are arranged in a second direction, the second direction is different from the first direction, the first electrode pad, (Figures 2 & 15 #420), is disposed between the second electrode pad, (Figures 2 & 15 #410), and the third electrode pad, (Figures 2 & 15 #430), the first electrode pad is configured to provide a first voltage potential, (Figures 2 & 15 #420 Cathode pad & Paragraphs 0142, 0144, 0145, & 0150), the second electrode pad and the third electrode pad are configured to provide a second voltage potential, (Figures 2 & 15 #410 & 430 Anode pad & Paragraphs 0142, 0144, 0145, & 0150), and the first voltage potential is different from the second voltage potential; and a plurality of light-emitting units arranged in the first direction, disposed in the pixel areas, and corresponding to the electrode pad groups, (Figures 2 & 15 #410R, G, & B, 420R, G, & B, & 430R, G, & B), wherein each of the light-emitting units comprises a first electrode and a second electrode, (Figures 2 & 15 #300R, G, & B), the first electrode, (Figures 2 & 15 #300R, G, & B), is electrically connected to the first electrode pad, (Figures 2 & 15 #420), of a corresponding one of the electrode pad groups, (Figures 2 & 15 #410R, G, & B, 420R, G, & B, & 430R, G, & B), and the second electrode, (Figures 2 & 15 #300R, G, & B), is electrically connected to the second electrode, (Figures 2 & 15 #410), of the corresponding one of the electrode pad groups, (Figures 2 & 15 #410R, G, & B, 420R, G, & B, & 430R, G, & B).
5. Referring to claim 6, Jung et al. teaches a light-emitting panel of claim 5, further comprising a substitute light-emitting unit in a first one of the pixel areas, wherein the substitute light-emitting unit, (Figures 2 & 15 #300R’, G’, & B’), corresponds to a first one of the electrode pad groups in the first one of the pixel areas, the substitute light-emitting unit comprises a first electrode and a second electrode, (Figures 2 & 15 #300R’, G’, & B’), the first electrode of the substitute light-emitting unit, (Figures 2 & 15 #300R’, G’, & B’), is electrically connected to the first electrode pad, (Figures 2 & 15 #420), of the first one of the electrode pad groups, and the second electrode of the substitute light-emitting unit, (Figures 2 & 15 #300R’, G’, & B’), is electrically connected to the third electrode pad, (Figures 2 & 15 #430), of the first one of the electrode pad groups.
6. Referring to claim 8, Jung et al. teaches a light-emitting panel of claim 6, further comprising a first light-emitting unit disposed on one of the first electrode pad and the second electrode pad of the first one of the electrode pad groups, wherein the first light-emitting unit emits light of a same color as light emitted by the substitute light-emitting unit and is electrically disconnected from the other of the first electrode pad and the second electrode pad of the first one of the electrode pad groups, (Paragraph 0140).
7. Referring to claim 15, Jung et al. teaches a light-emitting panel of claim 6, wherein the light-emitting units corresponding to the rest of the electrode pad groups in the first one of the pixel areas emit light, (Figures 2 & 15 #300R), of a different color from light emitted by the substitute light-emitting unit, (Figures 2 & 15 #300G’ & B’).
8. Referring to claim 16, Jung et al. teaches a light-emitting panel of claim 6, wherein the first electrode pad of the first one of the electrode pad groups has a bonding area, (Figures 2 & 15 #410), and a substitute bonding area, (Figures 2 & 15 #430), and the substitute light-emitting unit, (Figures 2 & 15 #300R’), is disposed in the substitute bonding area, (Figures 2 & 15 #430).
9. Referring to claim 17, Jung et al. teaches a light-emitting panel of claim 16, further comprising a second light-emitting unit, (Figures 2 & 15 #300G), disposed on the first electrode pad, (Figures 2 & 15 #410), of the first one of the electrode pad groups, wherein the second light-emitting unit emits light, (Figures 2 & 15 #300G), of a same color as light emitted by the substitute light-emitting unit, (Figures 2 & 15 #300G’), and the second light-emitting unit is disposed in the bonding area of the first electrode pad, (Figures 2 & 15 #420).
10. Referring to claim 19, Jung et al. teaches a light-emitting panel of claim 5, wherein each of the light-emitting units, (Figures 2 & 15 #300), is disposed above the first electrode pad, (Figures 2 & 15 #410), of the corresponding one of the electrode pad groups.
11. Referring to claim 20, Jung et al. teaches a light-emitting panel of claim 5, wherein each of the light-emitting units, (Figures 2 & 15 #300), is disposed above the second electrode pad, (Figures 2 & 15 #420), of the corresponding one of the electrode pad groups.
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 of this title, 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 U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0043616 Jung et al.
12. Referring to claim 7, Jung et al. teaches a light-emitting panel of claim 6, wherein the light-emitting units are removed when a substitute light-emitting unit is mounted, (Paragraph 0140), but is silent to wherein a residual conductive material exists on the first electrode pad connected to the first electrode of the substitute light-emitting unit.
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 to have a residual conductive material exists on the first electrode pad connected to the first electrode of the substitute light-emitting unit because the removal of the original light emitting unit would exist and it would be inefficient and add production costs to remove the bonding material completely and then later add bonding material to the same electrode to bond the substitute light emitting unit.
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
13. Claims 2, 9-14, and 18 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.
14. The prior art teaches the claimed matter in the rejections above, but is silent with respect to the above teachings in combination with the circuit board of claim 1, wherein in any two adjacent pixel areas in the second direction, the second electrode pad of the electrode pad groups of one of the two adjacent pixel areas and the third electrode pad of the electrode pad groups of the other of the two adjacent pixel areas form a continuous structure; the light-emitting panel of claim 6, further comprising an insulating layer laterally surrounding the light-emitting units, wherein the insulating layer has an opening exposing the third electrode pad of the first one of the electrode pad groups, and the insulating layer covers the third electrode pads of the rest of the electrode pad groups; the light-emitting panel of claim 6, wherein the first electrode pad has a contact surface, and a width of the contact surface in the second direction is greater than a sum of half a width of the substitute light-emitting unit and a width of any one of the light-emitting units; the light-emitting panel of claim 6, wherein the first electrode pad has a contact surface, and a width of the contact surface in the second direction is greater than twice a width of the substitute light-emitting unit; and/or the light-emitting panel of claim 5, further comprising an insulating layer laterally surrounding the light-emitting units and covering the third electrode pad of each of the electrode pad groups.
Conclusion
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/VICTOR A MANDALA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2899 2/17/26