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 (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 –
Claims 1, 2, 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chae et al. (US 2021/0184155).
Regarding claim 1, Chae discloses a display panel (fig. 1), comprising a first display area (DA2, fig. 1) and a second display area (DA1, fig. 1 and paragraph 0054) at a periphery of the first display area, wherein light transmittance of the first display area is greater than light transmittance of the second display area (DA2, paragraph 0052);
wherein the first display area (DA2, fig. 9) includes a plurality of first pixel areas (Pg, fig. 9 and paragraph 0192) and a plurality of pixel blank areas (TA, fig. 9 and paragraph 0193), each of the plurality of first pixel areas and each of the plurality of pixel blank areas are alternately arranged in a first direction (x direction, fig. 9), the first pixel area and the pixel blank area are alternately arranged in a second direction (y direction, fig. 9), and the first direction and the second direction are different (fig. 9);
wherein the second display area (DA1, fig. 9) comprises a plurality of sub-pixels arranged in an array, and the plurality of sub-pixels comprises a plurality of sub-pixel rows (1N, 2N,…, fig. 9) arranged in the first direction and a plurality of sub-pixel columns (1M, 2M, …, fig. 9) arranged in the second direction;
wherein in the first direction, the first pixel area overlaps two adjacent sub-pixel
rows (fig. 9); and in the second direction, the first pixel area overlaps with three adjacent sub-pixel columns (fig. 9 and paragraphs 0114-0119).
Regarding claim 2, Chae further discloses wherein in the second display area (DA1, figs. 9, 5), the plurality of sub-pixels includes a plurality of first sub-pixels of a first color, a plurality of second sub-pixels of second color, and a plurality of third sub-pixels of third color (paragraph 0109);
wherein each of the plurality of first sub-pixels and each of the plurality of second
sub-pixels are alternately arranged in the first direction to define a plurality of first rows (paragraph 0110),
the plurality of third sub-pixels is arranged in the first direction to define a plurality of second rows (paragraph 0110), and the plurality of sub-pixel rows includes the plurality of first rows and the plurality of second rows alternately arranged (paragraph 0110);
wherein the first sub-pixel and the second sub-pixel are alternately arranged in the second direction to define a plurality of first columns, and the plurality of third sub-
pixels are arranged in the second direction to define a plurality of second columns, and
the plurality of sub-pixel columns includes the plurality of first columns and the
plurality of second columns alternately arranged (figs. 9, 5 and paragraph 0111);
wherein in the first direction, the first pixel area overlaps one of the first rows and
one of the second rows adjacent to the one of the first rows (fig. 9); and
in the second direction, the first pixel area overlaps one of the first columns and
two of the second columns adjacent to the one of the first columns, or the first pixel
area overlaps one of the second columns and two of the first columns adjacent to the
one of the second columns (fig. 9).
Regarding claim 12, Chae further discloses wherein the first color is blue, the third color is green, and the second color is red (paragraph 0109).
Regarding claim 13, Chae discloses an electronic device, comprising a housing and a display panel mounted within the housing (fig. 1 and paragraph 0050), the display panel (fig. 1), comprising a first display area (DA2, fig. 1) and a second display area (DA1, fig. 1 and paragraph 0054) at a periphery of the first display area, wherein light transmittance of the first display area is greater than light transmittance of the second display area (DA2, paragraph 0052);
wherein the first display area (DA2, fig. 9) includes a plurality of first pixel areas (Pg, fig. 9 and paragraph 0192) and a plurality of pixel blank areas (TA, fig. 9 and paragraph 0193), each of the plurality of first pixel areas and each of the plurality of pixel blank areas are alternately arranged in a first direction (x direction, fig. 9), the first pixel area and the pixel blank area are alternately arranged in a second direction (y direction, fig. 9), and the first direction and the second direction are different (fig. 9);
wherein the second display area (DA1, fig. 9) comprises a plurality of sub-pixels arranged in an array, and the plurality of sub-pixels comprises a plurality of sub-pixel rows (1N, 2N,…, fig. 9) arranged in the first direction and a plurality of sub-pixel columns (1M, 2M, …, fig. 9) arranged in the second direction;
wherein in the first direction, the first pixel area overlaps two adjacent sub-pixel
rows (fig. 9); and in the second direction, the first pixel area overlaps with three adjacent sub-pixel columns (fig. 9 and paragraphs 0114-0119).
Regarding claim 14, Chae further discloses wherein in the second display area (DA1, figs. 9, 5), the plurality of sub-pixels includes a plurality of first sub-pixels of a first color, a plurality of second sub-pixels of second color, and a plurality of third sub-pixels of third color (paragraph 0109);
wherein each of the plurality of first sub-pixels and each of the plurality of second
sub-pixels are alternately arranged in the first direction to define a plurality of first rows (paragraph 0110),
the plurality of third sub-pixels is arranged in the first direction to define a plurality of second rows (paragraph 0110), and the plurality of sub-pixel rows includes the plurality of first rows and the plurality of second rows alternately arranged (paragraph 0110);
wherein the first sub-pixel and the second sub-pixel are alternately arranged in the second direction to define a plurality of first columns, and the plurality of third sub-
pixels are arranged in the second direction to define a plurality of second columns, and
the plurality of sub-pixel columns includes the plurality of first columns and the
plurality of second columns alternately arranged (figs. 9, 5 and paragraph 0111);
wherein in the first direction, the first pixel area overlaps one of the first rows and
one of the second rows adjacent to the one of the first rows (fig. 9); and
in the second direction, the first pixel area overlaps one of the first columns and
two of the second columns adjacent to the one of the first columns, or the first pixel
area overlaps one of the second columns and two of the first columns adjacent to the
one of the second columns (fig. 9).
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.
Claims 3-11 and 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chae et al. (US 2021/0184155).
Regarding claims 3 and 15, Chae discloses the display panel of claims 2 and 14, as mentioned above. Chae further discloses wherein in the first display area, the first
pixel area includes a plurality of fourth sub-pixels of the first color, a plurality of fifth
sub-pixels of the second color, and a plurality of sixth sub-pixels of the third color (fig. 11 and paragraphs 0206-0207);
wherein an area of each of the plurality of fourth sub-pixels is equal than an area of the first sub-pixel, an area of each of the plurality of fifth sub-pixel is equal than an area of the second sub-pixel, and an area of each of the plurality of sixth sub-pixels is
equal than an area of the third sub-pixel. Chae does not explicitly disclose wherein an area of each of the plurality of fourth sub-pixels is greater than an area of the first sub-pixel, an area of each of the plurality of fifth sub-pixel is greater than an area of the second sub-pixel, and an area of each of the plurality of sixth sub-pixels is
greater than an area of the third sub-pixel.
Chae further discloses a comparison of the equal area sub-pixels to examples with larger areas of the sub-pixels (fig. 12 and paragraphs 0211-0213), and concludes that the larger pixel areas are more advantageous. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to enlarge the second areas of the sub-pixels since Chae explicitly discloses the advantages.
Regarding claims 4-5, 9-11 and 16-17, the arrangements of the sub-pixels with respect to their shapes and placements in the rows and columns claimed would be deemed obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing given the modifications mentioned above with normal reasonable experimentation of Chae’s teachings.
Regarding claims 6-8 and 18-20, with respect to the claimed data line sharing configurations, the Examiner takes official notice that such data line configurations were conventional and well known in the art at the time of filing.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US Patent Application Publications 20210233970 and 20210225958 disclose display panels with two display areas, one being a transmission area that has relevant sub-pixel configurations.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DOUGLAS M MENZ whose telephone number is (571)272-1877. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jacob Choi can be reached at 469-295-9060. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/DOUGLAS M MENZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2897 3/21/26
Prosecution Insights