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 8/14/2025 and 3/5/2024 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 § 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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-8, 10-11, 14, 16 and 18-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Niu et al. (US Patent Application Pub. No. 2021/0134196 A1).
[Re claim 1] Niu discloses the display substrate (BS), comprising a plurality of display units (LEs) spaced apart from each other and a plurality of connecting units (BRs), the connecting unit being connected between two adjacent display units; the plurality of connecting units comprises: two connecting units arranged along a first direction, the first direction being parallel to a stretching direction of the display substrate (corresponding to the rows of LEs connected by BRs in a horizontal direction of fig. 6); wherein the two connecting units arranged along the first direction are axisymmetric about a first reference line (BRs are symmetric about a vertical axis at the centre of each LE), to make the plurality of connecting units arranged along a second direction (vertical direction) have a same deformation amount under a stretching state, the second direction is perpendicular to the stretching direction, and an extension direction of the first reference line is parallel to the second direction (see figure 1-6, 8 and 9 and paragraphs [0052]-[0057]).
[Re claim 2] Niu discloses the display substrate wherein the plurality of connecting units further comprise: two connecting units (BRs) arranged along the second direction (vertical direction), and the two connecting units arranged along the second direction are axisymmetric about a second reference line, and an extension direction of the second reference line is parallel to the first direction (horizontal direction) (see figure 6).
[Re claim 3] Niu discloses the display substrate wherein the two connecting units are connected to a same display unit, and the same display unit has two side edges disposed oppositely in an arrangement direction of the two connecting units, and the two connecting units are connected to different side edges of the two side edges respectively (see figure 6).
[Re claim 4] Niu discloses the display substrate wherein the connecting unit (BR) comprises a first connection line and a second connection line, the first connection line and the second connection line are connected to a same side edge of a same display unit, and are connected to a same position on the same side edge (see figure 6).
[Re claim 5] Niu discloses the display substrate wherein the same position is located at a midpoint of the same side edge (see figure 6).
[Re claim 6] Niu discloses the display substrate wherein the first connection line is bend towards a side away from the second connection line, and the second connection line is bend towards a side away from the first connection line (two BR lines are bended away from each other) (see figure 6).
[Re claim 7] Niu discloses the display substrate wherein the connecting unit comprises a third connection line and a fourth connection line, the third connection line and the fourth connection line are connected to a same side edge of a same display unit, and are connected to different positions on the same side edge (each BR has two connection lines connected to the same side edge of an LE at different positions and at different endpoints, as shown in figure 6).
[Re claim 8] Niu discloses the display substrate wherein the third connection line and the fourth connection line are connected to different endpoints of the same side edge respectively (each BR has two connection lines connected to the same side edge of an LE at different positions and at different endpoints, as shown in figure 6).
[Re claim 10] Niu discloses the display substrate wherein the connecting unit comprises two connection lines, the two connection lines are axisymmetric about a third reference line, and an extension direction of the third reference line is parallel to an arrangement direction of the two display units connected by each of the connection lines (see figure 6).
[Re claim 11] Niu discloses the display substrate wherein the display substrate comprises at least one symmetric unit (two LEs next to each other is considered symmetric unit), the symmetric unit at least comprises a first display unit (each LEs has a display unit) and a second display unit, an arrangement direction of the first display unit and the second display unit is parallel to an arrangement direction of the two connecting units; wherein, the first display unit has a first side edge away from the second display unit, the second display unit has a second side edge away from the first display unit, and the two connecting units are connected to the first side edge and the second side edge respectively (see figure 6).
[Re claim 14] Niu discloses the display substrate wherein the first display unit and the second display unit (each LEs has display unit) are two adjacent display units (see figure 6).
[Re claim 16] Niu discloses the display substrate wherein at least one display unit is further disposed between the first display unit and the second display unit (three LEs next to each other is considered symmetric unit and each LEs having display unit so the at least one display unit can be between first display unit and second display unit) (see figure 6).
[Re claim 18] Niu discloses the display substrate wherein the display substrate further comprises a hollow area (GP), the hollow area is located between the display unit and the connecting unit, and among the plurality of the connecting units, and the hollow area penetrates through the display substrate in a normal direction of the display substrate (see figure 6 and paragraph [0057]).
[Re claim 19] Niu discloses the display substrate wherein a driving integrated circuit, configured to provide a driving signal to the display substrate; and a power supply circuit, configured to provide a power supply to the display substrate (see paragraph [0047], [0081]).
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.
Claim(s) 9, 12, 13, 15 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Niu et al. (US Patent Application Pub. No. 2021/0134196 A1).
[Re claim 9] Niu discloses the display substrate as claimed and rejected as claim 8 but Niu does not disclose the display substrate wherein the third connection line is bend towards a side close to the fourth connection line, and the fourth connection line is bend towards a side close to the third connection line. Niu discloses the connection lines bending away from each other (see figure 6). The connection lines bent towards each other seems an obvious design choice for the person skilled in the art so as to avoid tearing of the display.
[Re claim 12] Niu discloses the display substrate as claimed and rejected as claim 11 but Niu does not discloses the display substrate wherein a shape of the display unit is a polygon, the connecting unit comprises a fifth connection line, and the fifth connection line is connected to a vertex of the polygon. Niu discloses a shape of the display unit is a squire (see figure 6). A display unit having a polygon shape seems an obvious design choice for the person skilled in the art to improve the light unit while the substrate is in stretched stage.
[Re claim 13] Niu discloses the display substrate as claimed and rejected as claim 11 but Niu discloses the display substrate wherein a shape of the display unit is a polygon, and a plurality of vertexes of the polygon are connected to the different connecting units respectively. Niu discloses a shape of the display unit is a squire (see figure 6). A display unit having a polygon shape seems an obvious design choice for the person skilled in the art to improve the light unit while the substrate is in stretched stage.
[Re claim 15] Niu discloses the display substrate as claimed and rejected as claim 14 but Niu does not disclose the display substrate wherein the connecting unit each comprises a fifth connection line, a shape of the fifth connection line is U-shaped, U-shaped openings of two adjacent fifth connection lines face different directions respectively. Niu discloses connection line having a half circle shaped (see figure 6). A connection line having U-shaped seems an obvious design choice for the person skilled in the art so as to avoid tearing of the display.
[Re claim 17] Niu discloses the display substrate as claimed and rejected as claim 1 but Niu does not disclose the display substrate wherein the connecting unit comprises at least one connection line, each of the connection lines are connected to the two adjacent display units, and a shape of the connection line comprises at least one of the following: U-shaped and S-shaped. Niu discloses connection line having a half circle shaped (see figure 6). A connection line having U-shaped and S-shaped seems an obvious design choice for the person skilled in the art so as to avoid tearing of the display.
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.
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Niu et al. (US Patent Application Pub. No. 2021/0134196 A1) in view of Liu et al. (US Patent Application Pub. No. 2021/0135154 A1).
[Re claim 20] Niu discloses the display substrate wherein the display substrate further comprises a hollow area (GP), the hollow area penetrates through the display substrate in a normal direction of the display substrate but Niu does not discloses an adhesive layer disposed between the display substrate and the flexible substrate; wherein an orthographic projection of the adhesive layer on the display substrate does not overlap with the connecting unit and the hollow area. Liu discloses the adhesive layer disposed between the display substrate and the flexible substrate; wherein an orthographic projection of the adhesive layer on the display substrate does not overlap with the connecting unit and the hollow area (see figure 1-2 and paragraph [0035]-[0038]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to the effective filing date of the instant application to incorporating an adhesive layer in the stretchable display device of Niu in order to avoid tearing of the display.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KYOUNG LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-1982. The examiner can normally be reached M to F, 10am to 6pm.
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/KYOUNG LEE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2817