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 claims 1-3, 5-12, 13-15 & 17-20 in the reply filed on 05/07/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-3, 5-15 & 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 1 & 13 recite the limitation “at least one of the one or more compensation units at least comprises a compensation wiring on the second metal layer“. This limitation is ambiguous as the compensation wiring 271 is on a first metal layer 25/251 and not on a second metal layer 27/271 (see applicant’s Fig. 5). Correction/clarification is required.
Claims 2-3, 5-12,14-15 & 17-20 are rejected for being dependent on claims 1 & 13.
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.
(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 1-2,7-12, 13-14 & 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and/or 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by WANG et al (CN 113851493) – cited in the IDS submitted on January 21, 2024.
Regarding claim 1, WANG teaches a display panel 1, comprising a display region AA, an opening region TH1, and a transition region SR between the display region AA and the opening region TH1 (see Fig. 1-Fig. 3), the display panel 1 comprising:
a substrate 10 (Fig. 1-3 & Fig. 18);
a first metal layer 30 on a side of the substrate, wherein the first metal layer comprises one or more first scanning lines (61 or 61N1, Fig. 7 & Fig. 18 and associated text);
a second metal layer 40 on a side of the first metal layer away from the substrate 10 (Fig. 7 & Fig. 18); and
a source drain layer 60 arranged on a side of the second metal layer 40 away from the first metal layer 30 (Fig. 18);
wherein the transition region comprises an invalid pixel region (DMP1) and a winding region (DMP2, see Fig. 3),
the winding region DMP2 is between the invalid pixel region DMP1 and the opening region (TH1 or TH2), the invalid pixel region DMP1 is provided with one or more compensation units (Fig. 3 and associated text where WANG expressly teaches the presence of a compensation unit in DMP1), at least one of the one or more compensation units at least comprises a compensation wiring 61N2 on the second metal layer 40, and a projection of the compensation wiring 61N2 on the substrate overlaps with a projection of at least one of the one or more first scanning lines 61N1 on the substrate 10 (see Fig. 7 and note 61N2 overlapping 61N1).
Regarding claim 2, WANG teaches the display panel according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more compensation units further comprises a power supply high-potential signal line, at least part of the power supply high-potential signal line is on the second metal layer, and the power supply high-potential signal line is connected to the compensation wiring (Fig. 1-3, 6-8B & 18 and associated text).
Regarding claim 7, WANG teaches the display panel according to claim 1, wherein a display pixel is in the display region AA, an invalid pixel is in the invalid pixel region DMP1, and the invalid pixel is between the display pixel and at least one of the one or more compensation units (Fig. 1-3, 6-7 & 18).
Regarding claim 8, WANG teaches the display panel according to claim 7, wherein the display panel further comprises an active layer 20, the active layer comprises an active pattern, and a projection area of the active pattern in the invalid pixel on the substrate is greater than a projection area of the active pattern in at least one of the one or more compensation units on the substrate (Fig. 1-3, 7 & 18).
Regarding claim 9, WANG teaches the display panel according to claim 1, wherein the display region AA is around the opening region TH1/TH2, and a shape of the opening region is at least one of a track shape, a circular shape, or a square shape (Fig. 1-3).
Regarding claim 10, WANG teaches the display panel according to claim 1, wherein along an arrangement direction of at least one of the one or more first scanning lines, one or more compensation units comprises a plurality of compensation units (e.g. see Fig. 8B, 21A-21B), the plurality of compensation units are respectively on two sides of the opening region (Fig. 1-3, 6-7, 18 & 21A-21B).
Regarding claim 11, WANG teaches the display panel according to claim 1, wherein the one or more first scanning lines comprises a plurality of rows of first scanning lines, and in the transition region, a corresponding overlapping area between a projection of each of the plurality of rows of first scanning lines on the substrate and a projection of the compensation wiring on the substrate is different (Fig. 6-7 & 18).
Regarding claim 12, WANG teaches the display panel according to claim 1, wherein the one or more first scanning lines comprises a plurality of rows of first scanning lines, and in the transition region, a number of one or more compensation units corresponding to each of the plurality of rows of first scanning lines is different (Fig. 6-7 & 18).
Regarding claim 13, WANG teaches a display apparatus, comprising a display panel 1 and an electronic component, wherein the display panel 1 comprises a display region AA, an opening region TH1/TH2, and a transition region SR between the display region and the opening region (Fig. 1-3), the display panel comprises:
a substrate 10 (Fig. 1-3 & Fig. 18);
a first metal layer 30 on a side of the substrate, wherein the first metal layer comprises one or more first scanning lines (61 or 61N1, Fig. 7 & Fig. 18 and associated text);
a second metal layer 40 on a side of the first metal layer away from the substrate 10 (Fig. 7 & Fig. 18); and
a source drain layer 60 arranged on a side of the second metal layer 40 away from the first metal layer 30 (Fig. 18);
wherein the transition region SR comprises an invalid pixel region (DMP1) and a winding region (DMP2, see Fig. 3), the winding region DMP2 is between the invalid pixel region DMP1 and the opening region (TH1 or TH2), the invalid pixel region DMP1 is provided with one or more compensation units (Fig. 3 and associated text where WANG expressly teaches the presence of a compensation unit in DMP1), at least one of the one or more compensation units at least comprises a compensation wiring 61N2 on the second metal layer 40, and a projection of the compensation wiring 61N2 on the substrate overlaps with a projection of at least one of the one or more first scanning lines 61N1 on the substrate 10 (see Fig. 7 and note 61N2 overlapping 61N1).
Regarding claim 14, WANG teaches the display panel according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the one or more compensation units further comprises a power supply high-potential signal line, at least part of the power supply high-potential signal line is on the second metal layer, and the power supply high-potential signal line is connected to the compensation wiring (Fig. 1-3, 6-8B & 18 and associated text).
Regarding claim 19, WANG teaches the display panel according to claim 13, wherein a display pixel is in the display region AA, an invalid pixel is in the invalid pixel region DMP1, and the invalid pixel is between the display pixel and at least one of the one or more compensation units (Fig. 1-3, 6-7 & 18).
Regarding claim 20, WANG teaches the display panel according to claim 13, wherein the display panel further comprises an active layer 20, the active layer comprises an active pattern, and a projection area of the active pattern in the invalid pixel on the substrate is greater than a projection area of the active pattern in at least one of the one or more compensation units on the substrate (Fig. 1-3, 7 & 18).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-6 & 15-18 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIMOR KARIMY whose telephone number is (571)272-9006. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday: 8:30 AM -5:00 PM.
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, Eva Montalvo can be reached at (571) 270-3829. 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.
/TIMOR KARIMY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818
Prosecution Insights