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 .
This office action is in response to the application filed on 01/10/2024. Currently, claims 1-7, 9-10, 12-13 and 15-23 are pending.
DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claims 1-3 and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yang et al. (Pub. No. US 2020/0033967 A1, herein Yang).
Regarding claim 1, Yang discloses a touch layer 50 ([0047]), comprising: a first sensing electrode “IE1” ([0060]), including a plurality of first electrode blocks “IE1a/b” electrically connected to each other (Fig. 3 and [0061], [0070]); and a second sensing electrode “IE2” ([0060]), arranged crosswise with the first sensing electrode and insulated from each other (Fig. 3 and [0048], [0050]), including a plurality of second electrode blocks “IE2a/b” electrically connected to each other (Fig. 3 and [0061], [0070]); wherein a first electrode block includes a first body and a plurality of first finger portions protruding from the first body, a second electrode block has a plurality of notches located at an edge thereof, and a first finger portion extends into a notch (Figs. 3-4 and [0069]); the touch layer further comprises: a conductive pattern group “IS1-IS2” ([0062]), including a plurality of conductive patterns distributed spaced apart along a demarcation path segment “Gap” ([0161]), the demarcation path segment being a portion, between root endpoints of two adjacent first finger portions at a same side, of a demarcation line between the first electrode block and the second electrode block (Fig. 4), wherein a conductive pattern “DE” (Fig. 4 and [0062]) is jointly surrounded by the first electrode block and the second electrode block, and is insulated from both the first electrode block and the second electrode block (Figs. 3-4 and [0094]).
Regarding claim 2, Yang discloses the touch layer according to claim 1, wherein the conductive pattern “DE” is formed by a plurality of conductive lines “DE” crossing each other (Fig. 4 and [0062]); and the conductive pattern has one intersection node, or at least two intersection nodes distributed along the demarcation path segment (Fig. 4 and [0094]-[0095], In the enlarged view of Fig. 3 in Fig. 4, four conductive lines are shown for the conductive pattern “DE” where are joined toward one node, and there are a plurality of these conductive lines “DE” throughout the active area “AA”.).
Regarding claim 3, Yang discloses the touch layer according to claim 1, wherein in the conductive pattern group “IS1-IS2” ([0062]), a total length of the conductive patterns is less than or equal to half a length of the demarcation path segment “Gap” (Fig. 4 and [0161]).
Regarding claim 23, Yang discloses a method of manufacturing a touch layer 50 ([0047]), comprising: a first sensing electrode “IE1” ([0060]), including a plurality of first electrode blocks “IE1a/b” electrically connected to each other (Fig. 3 and [0061], [0070]); and a second sensing electrode “IE2” ([0060]), arranged crosswise with the first sensing electrode and insulated from each other (Fig. 3 and [0048], [0050]), including a plurality of second electrode blocks “IE2a/b” electrically connected to each other (Fig. 3 and [0061], [0070]); wherein a first electrode block includes a first body and a plurality of first finger portions protruding from the first body, a second electrode block has a plurality of notches located at an edge thereof, and a first finger portion extends into a notch (Figs. 3-4 and [0069]); and forming a conductive pattern group “IS1-IS2” ([0062]), wherein the conductive pattern group includes a plurality of conductive patterns distributed spaced apart along a demarcation path segment “Gap” ([0161]), the demarcation path segment being a portion, between root endpoints of two adjacent first finger portions at a same side, of a demarcation line between the first electrode block and the second electrode block (Fig. 4), wherein a conductive pattern “DE” (Fig. 4 and [0062]) is jointly surrounded by the first electrode block and the second electrode block, and is insulated from both the first electrode block and the second electrode block (Figs. 3-4 and [0094]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-7, 9-10, 12-13, and 15-22 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
With respect to claim 4, the prior art of record alone or in combination do not teach or fairly suggest, in combination with other elements of the claims, wherein the conductive pattern group includes at least one first conductive pattern, and the first conductive pattern is one of the conductive patterns; and the first electrode block has a grid structure, and at least one first square point vacancy is provided along the demarcation path segment; and the first conductive pattern is disposed at the first square point vacancy. Claims 5-7, 9-10, 12-13, 15-16 are included likewise as they depend from claim 4.
With respect to claim 17, the prior art of record alone or in combination do not teach or fairly suggest, in combination with other elements of the claims, wherein the first finger portion includes a first finger segment and a second finger segment, and the first finger segment is farther from the first body than the second finger segment; a width of the first finger segment is less than a width of the second finger segment. Claim 18 is included likewise as it depends from claim 17.
With respect to claim 19, the prior art of record alone or in combination do not teach or fairly suggest, in combination with other elements of the claims, wherein the first finger portion has a grid structure, wherein along a width direction of the first finger portion, areas of two adjacent squares in the grid structure are not equal; and/or along an extension direction of the first finger portion, areas of two adjacent squares in the grid structure are not equal.
With respect to claim 20, the prior art of record alone or in combination do not teach or fairly suggest, in combination with other elements of the claims, wherein the first finger portion has a grid structure, wherein the first finger portion has a first break, and the first break communicates two adjacent squares in the grid structure in a width direction of the first finger portion; and/or the first finger portion has a second break, and the second break communicates two adjacent squares in the grid structure in an extension direction of the first finger portion.
With respect to claim 21, the prior art of record alone or in combination do not teach or fairly suggest, in combination with other elements of the claims, wherein the first body is provided therein with a plurality of the first dummy portions, and the first dummy portions are electrically insulated from the first electrode block; and/or the second electrode block is provided therein with a plurality of second dummy portions, and the second dummy portions are electrically insulated from the second electrode block.
With respect to claim 22, the prior art of record alone or in combination do not teach or fairly suggest, in combination with other elements of the claims, a touch display apparatus, comprising: a plurality of sub-pixels; a pixel define layer, having a plurality of openings to define positions of the plurality of the plurality of sub-pixels; and the touch layer according to claim 1 ; in the touch layer, the first electrode blocks, the second electrode blocks and the conductive pattern group forming a grid structure, and the grid structure including a plurality of squares; wherein the plurality of squares include at least one first square, and the first square is jointly surrounded by the first electrode block, the second electrode block, and the conductive pattern in the conductive pattern group, and the first square is directly opposite to an opening along a thickness direction of the touch layer.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MALIHEH MALEK whose telephone number is (571)270-1874. The examiner can normally be reached M/T/W/R/F, 8:30-5.
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May 11, 2026
/MALIHEH MALEK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2813
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