DETAILED ACTION
This action is responsive to communication filed 11/07/2023.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/30/2024 is acknowledged. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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
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)(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, 22, and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Jeong et al. (US 11765956 B2).
Regarding claim 1, Jeong et al. (see, e.g., FIG. 3 and annotated FIGS. 2 and 18 below) discloses a display panel (10) with a light-transmitting hole (OA), a display area (DA) located outside the light-transmitting hole, a peripheral area (PA) located outside the display area and a transition area (MA) located between the light-transmitting hole and the display area, comprising: a driving backplane (100 and 200); a barrier dam (PW), disposed on the driving backplane, located in the transition area, and at least surrounding a partial area of the light-transmitting hole; a first separation component (see annotated FIG. 18: “CD 1”), disposed on the driving backplane and located in the transition area, wherein the first separation component and the barrier dam are distributed at intervals in a radial direction (x) of the light-transmitting hole, the first separation component comprises a first separation pillar (see annotated FIG. 18: “pillar”) at least surrounding the partial area of the light-transmitting hole, and a sidewall of the first separation pillar is provided with a cut-off groove (see annotated FIG. 18: “groove”) at least surrounding the partial area of the light-transmitting hole; a light-emitting device (OLED), disposed on a side of the driving backplane and located in the display area; a photoelectric sensing device (20), disposed between the barrier dam and the first separation component (Fig. 2 depicts that sensing device 20 is located in region OA. Region OA is surrounded on the left and right sides by regions MA, DA, and PA. Regions MA and DA are shown more detail in Fig. 18. In other words, a mirror image of Fig. 18 is located on right and left of region OA. Considering Fig. 2 and Fig. 18 together, the sensing device region 20 in region OA is between the barrier dam PW and first separation component (“CD1” in annotated Fig. 18) located on the right of region OA and the barrier dam PW and first separation component located on the left of region OA.)); and an encapsulation layer (310, 320, and 330), covering the light-emitting device, the barrier dam and the first separation component, wherein the encapsulation layer comprises an organic layer (column 23 line 17: “organic encapsulation layer 320”) defined on a side (see annotated FIG. 18: “SA”) of the barrier dam away from the light-transmitting hole.
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Regarding claim 22, Jeong et al. (see, e.g., annotated FIG. 18 above) discloses the display panel according to claim 1, wherein the first separation component surrounds outside (is further along the x axis) the light-transmitting hole, and the barrier dam surrounds outside (is further along the x axis) the first separation component; the display panel further comprises: a second separation component (see annotated FIG. 18: “CD 2”), disposed on the driving backplane and located in the transition area, wherein the second separation component surrounds outside (is further along the x axis) the barrier dam and comprises a second separation pillar (see annotated FIG. 18: same structure as “pillar” of “CD 1”) at least surrounding the partial area of the light- transmitting hole, and a sidewall of the second separation pillar is provided with a cut-off groove (see annotated FIG. 18: same structure as “groove” of “CD 1”) at least surrounding the partial area of the light-transmitting hole; and the second separation component is covered by the encapsulation layer.
Regarding claim 23, Jeong et al. (see, e.g., FIGS. 1 and 3, and annotated FIGS. 2 and 18 above) discloses a terminal device (1), comprising: a display panel (10) with a light-transmitting hole (OA), a display area (DA) located outside the light-transmitting hole, a peripheral area (PA) located outside the display area and a transition area (MA) located between the light-transmitting hole and the display area, comprising: a driving backplane (100 and 200); a barrier dam (PW), disposed on the driving backplane, located in the transition area, and at least surrounding a partial area of the light-transmitting hole; a first separation component (see annotated FIG. 18: “CD 1”), disposed on the driving backplane and located in the transition area, wherein the first separation component and the barrier dam are distributed at intervals in a radial direction (x) of the light-transmitting hole, the first separation component comprises a first separation pillar (see annotated FIG. 18: “pillar”) at least surrounding the partial area of the light-transmitting hole, and a sidewall of the first separation pillar is provided with a cut-off groove (see annotated FIG. 18: “groove”) at least surrounding the partial area of the light-transmitting hole; a light-emitting device (OLED), disposed on a side of the driving backplane and located in the display area; a photoelectric sensing device (20), disposed between the barrier dam and the first separation component (Fig. 2 depicts that sensing device 20 is located in region OA. Region OA is surrounded on the left and right sides by regions MA, DA, and PA. Regions MA and DA are shown more detail in Fig. 18. In other words, a mirror image of Fig. 18 is located on right and left of region OA. Considering Fig. 2 and Fig. 18 together, the sensing device region 20 in region OA is between the barrier dam PW and first separation component (“CD1” in annotated Fig. 18) located on the right of region OA and the barrier dam PW and first separation component located on the left of region OA.)); and an encapsulation layer (310, 320, and 330), covering the light-emitting device, the barrier dam and the first separation component, wherein the encapsulation layer comprises an organic layer (column 23 line 17: “organic encapsulation layer 320”) defined on a side (see annotated FIG. 18: “SA”) of the barrier dam away from the light-transmitting hole; and a photosensitive element (20), disposed on a side of the driving backplane away from the light-emitting device and overlapped with the light-transmitting hole (column 8 lines 17-19: “as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 2, the component 20 may be located under the display panel 10”).
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.
Claims 2-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jeong et al. (US 11765956 B2) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Chen et al. (US 20140210028 A1).
Regarding claim 2, Jeong et al. teaches the display device according to claim 1.
However, Jeong et al. fails to teach that a number of photoelectric sensing devices is more than one; and the display panel comprises: a color filter layer, disposed on the side of the driving backplane where the light- emitting device is disposed, and comprising a plurality of sensing filter parts with different colors, wherein one sensing filter part is overlapped with one photoelectric sensing device.
Chen et al. (see, e.g., FIGS. 2A and 2B) teaches that a number of photoelectric sensing devices is more than one (204); and the display panel comprises: a color filter layer (100), disposed on the side of the driving backplane where the light-emitting device is disposed (paragraph [0012]: “can be implemented in a frontside illuminate (FSI) sensor”), and comprising a plurality of sensing filter parts with different colors (106, 108, 110, and 112), wherein one sensing filter part is overlapped with one photoelectric sensing device for the purpose of providing an image sensor with smaller scale color filters without inhibiting optical performance (paragraph [0002]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the frontside illuminated sensor as described by Chen et al. to the display device as described by Jeong et al. for the purpose of providing an image sensor with smaller scale color filters without inhibiting optical performance (paragraph [0002]).
Regarding claim 3, Jeong et al. teaches the display panel according to claim 2.
However, Jeong et al. fails to teach that the color filter layer further comprises a transparent part configured to transmit white light, one transparent part is overlapped with one photoelectric sensing device, and the transparent part and the sensing filter parts are distributed around the light-transmitting hole.
Chen et al. (see, e.g., FIGS. 1B and 2B) teaches that the color filter layer (100) further comprises a transparent part (105, 114, and 116) configured to transmit white light, one transparent part is overlapped with one photoelectric sensing device, and the transparent part and the sensing filter parts are distributed around the light-transmitting hole (the modification made in the rejection of claim 2 above replaces the generic image sensor 20 as described by Jeong et al. with the specific image sensors 200 as described by Chen et al. this replacement places the photoelectric sensing devices 200 of which the transparent part and the sensing filter part overlap inside the light-transmitting hole which is “around”, whose broadest reasonable interpretation is taken to mean “in the vicinity of”, the light-transmitting hole) for the purpose of providing an image sensor with smaller scale color filters without inhibiting optical performance (paragraph [0002]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the frontside illuminated sensor comprising a transparent part as described by Chen et al. to the display device as described by Jeong et al. for the purpose of providing an image sensor with smaller scale color filters without inhibiting optical performance (paragraph [0002]).
Regarding claim 4, Jeong et al. teaches the display panel according to claim 3.
However, Jeong et al. fails to teach that the color filter layer further comprises a light-absorbing part, one light-absorbing part is overlapped with one photoelectric sensing device, and the light-absorbing part, the transparent part and the sensing filter parts are distributed around the light-transmitting hole.
Chen et al. (see, e.g., FIGS. 1B and 2B) teaches that the color filter layer (100) further comprises a light-absorbing part (107, 109, and 111), one light-absorbing part is overlapped with one photoelectric sensing device, and the light-absorbing part, the transparent part and the sensing filter parts are distributed around the light-transmitting hole for the purpose of providing an image sensor with smaller scale color filters without inhibiting optical performance (paragraph [0002]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the frontside illuminated sensor comprising a transparent part and a light-absorbing part as described by Chen et al. to the display device as described by Jeong et al. for the purpose of providing an image sensor with smaller scale color filters without inhibiting optical performance (paragraph [0002]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-16 and 18-19 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
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/AIDAN D BANKLER/Examiner, Art Unit 2817
/Kretelia Graham/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2817 February 26, 2026