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 of Species 3, which is associated with claims 1-20 in the reply filed on 05/08/2026 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claim Interpretation
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 1-20 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 and 14 recites “ultra-thin”, the term “ultra-thin” is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “ultra-thin” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. As such the claim is unclear and indefinite.
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 1-6, 10 and 14-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhao 20230255091.
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Regarding claims 1 and 14, fig. 3 of Zhao discloses a display apparatus, comprising a display panel, wherein the display panel comprises:
a panel body 20; and
a protective layer 10 disposed on a light exit side of the panel body, wherein the protective layer comprises an ultra-thin glass 103 (protrusions 103 on the first surface S1 of the first cover plate layer 101) and a protective structure (102/101 which protects the protrusion 103 from the bottom and from the top), the ultra-thin glass comprises a first surface (as labeled by examiner above) close to the panel body 20 and a plurality of side surfaces (as labeled by examiner above) each connected to the first surface, and the protective structure covers at least the plurality of side surfaces,
wherein an orthographic projection of each of the plurality of side surfaces on the panel body is offset from a center of the panel body (the center of A1 is the center of the panel body), and an absolute value of a difference between a refractive index of the protective structure (102/101) and a refractive index of the ultra-thin glass (103) is less than or equal to 0.02 (note that protective structure 101 portion is same material as that of 103 as therefore is less than or equal to 0.02 as claimed).
Regarding claims 2 and 15, fig. 3 of Zhao discloses wherein the display panel has a display region (top surface region) and a non-display region (vertical side region) located on at least one side of the display region, and each of the plurality of side surfaces is within the display region.
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Regarding claims 3 and 16, fig. 3 of Zhao discloses wherein an end of the protective structure away from one of the plurality of side surfaces is flush with an edge of the panel body.
Regarding claims 4 and 17, fig. 3 of Zhao discloses wherein respective orthographic projections of the plurality of the side surfaces (corresponding side surfaces to left and right from center) on the panel body are equally offset from the center of the panel body.
Regarding claims 5 and 18, fig. 3 of Zhao discloses wherein the display region comprises a bending sub-region A1, the first surface of the ultra-thin glass is provided with a groove (103 is a groove) located in the bending sub-region, and the groove is filled with the protective structure (103 is filled with 101 which is part of the protective structure).
Regarding claim 6, fig. 3 of Zhao discloses wherein a width of a side of the groove away from the panel body is less than a width of a side of the groove close to the panel body.
Regarding claims 10 and 19, fig. 3 of Zhao discloses wherein the protective structure further covers the first surface.
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 7-9 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao in view of SONG et al. 20200201033.
Regarding claim 7, Zhao discloses claim 1, but does not disclose further comprising a first adhesive layer and a cover plate that are disposed on a side of the protective layer away from the panel body, wherein the cover plate is bonded to a surface of the protective layer away from the panel body through the first adhesive layer.
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However, fig. 9 of Song discloses a similar invention comprising a protective layer 30 and further comprising a first adhesive layer 200 and a cover plate 100 that are disposed on a side of the protective layer away from the panel body, wherein the cover plate is bonded to a surface of the protective layer away from the panel body through the first adhesive layer.
As such it would have been obvious to form a panel of Zhao further comprising a first adhesive layer and a cover plate that are disposed on a side of the protective layer away from the panel body, wherein the cover plate is bonded to a surface of the protective layer away from the panel body through the first adhesive layer such as taught by Song in order to form a cover window for protection.
Regarding claim 8, Zhao discloses wherein the surface of the protective layer away from the panel body is flat.
Regarding claim 9, Song discloses claim 1, but does not disclose further comprising a second adhesive layer disposed between the protective layer and the panel body, wherein the protective layer is bonded to the panel body through the second adhesive layer.
However, fig. 9 of Song discloses a similar invention comprising a protective layer 30 and further comprising a second adhesive layer 10 disposed between the protective layer and the panel body, wherein the protective layer is bonded to the panel body through the second adhesive layer
As such it would have been obvious to form a panel of Zhao further comprising a second adhesive layer disposed between the protective layer and the panel body, wherein the protective layer is bonded to the panel body through the second adhesive layer such as taught by Song in order to form to a bonding layer.
Regarding claim 13, Zhao disclose claim 1, but does not disclose further comprising: a backplane, a buffer layer and a support layer that are arranged on a side of the panel body away from the protective layer, wherein the backplane is located between the panel body and the buffer layer, and the buffer layer is located between the backplane and the support layer.
However, fig. 9 of Song disclose comprising: a backplane, a buffer layer and a support layer that are arranged on a side of the panel body away from the protective layer, wherein the backplane 500 is located between the panel body and the buffer layer, 701 and the buffer layer is located between the backplane 500 and the support layer 700.
As such it would have been obvious to form a structure of Zhao further comprising: a backplane, a buffer layer and a support layer that are arranged on a side of the panel body away from the protective layer, wherein the backplane is located between the panel body and the buffer layer, and the buffer layer is located between the backplane and the support layer such as taught by Song in order to form a solid frame structural sound display panel.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao.
Regarding claim 12, Zhao discloses claim 1, but does not disclose wherein a distance between each side surface of the plurality of side surfaces and an edge of the panel body close to the each side surface in a direction perpendicular to the each side surface is greater than or equal to 0.05 mm.
However, the of structure inherently discloses wherein a distance between each side surface of the plurality of side surfaces and an edge of the panel body close to the each side surface in a direction perpendicular to the each side surface is greater than or equal to an unknown value but is silence of a value of 0.05 mm.
However, In Gardnerv.TEC Syst., Inc., 725 F.2d 1338, 220 USPQ 777 (Fed. Cir. 1984), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 830, 225 USPQ 232 (1984), the Federal Circuit held that, where the only difference between the prior art and the claims was a recitation of relative dimensions of the claimed device and a device having the claimed relative dimensions would not perform differently than the prior art device, the claimed device was not patentably distinct from the prior art device.
As such it would have been obvious to form a panel of Zhao comprising of a value of 0.05 mm in order to meet the applicant design requirement,
Claims 11 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao in view of UCHIDA 20250057016.
Regarding claims 11 and 20, Zhao discloses claim 1 and 14, but does not disclose wherein the panel body comprises: a substrate, a light-emitting functional layer disposed on the substrate, and a color filter layer disposed on a side of the light-emitting functional layer away from the substrate, wherein the light-emitting functional layer comprises a plurality of light-emitting portions, the color filter layer comprises a plurality of color resist blocks arranged respectively opposite to the plurality of light-emitting portions, and each of the color resist blocks has a same color as light emissible by one of the plurality of light-emitting portions opposite to the each of the color resist blocks.
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However, fig. 3 of Uchida discloses a panel body comprises a substrate, a light-emitting functional layer disposed on the substrate, and a color filter layer disposed on a side of the light-emitting functional layer away from the substrate, wherein the light-emitting functional layer comprises a plurality of light-emitting portions, the color filter layer comprises a plurality of color resist blocks arranged respectively opposite to the plurality of light-emitting portions, and each of the color resist blocks has a same color as light emissible by one of the light-emitting portions opposite to the each of the color resist blocks.
As such it would have been obvious to form a structure of Zhao further comprising wherein a panel body comprises a substrate, a light-emitting functional layer disposed on the substrate, and a color filter layer disposed on a side of the light-emitting functional layer away from the substrate, wherein the light-emitting functional layer comprises a plurality of light-emitting portions, the color filter layer comprises a plurality of color resist blocks arranged respectively opposite to the plurality of light-emitting portions, and each of the color resist blocks has a same color as light emissible by one of the light-emitting portions opposite to the each of the color resist blocks in order to form a complete display panel.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VONGSAVANH SENGDARA whose telephone number is (571)270-5770. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-6PM EST, M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, PURVIS A. Sue can be reached on (571 )272-1236. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/VONGSAVANH SENGDARA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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