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 .
Priority
Acknowledgement is made to claims of foreign priority to Korean application filed on March 24th, 2023, and Korean application filed on July 11th, 2023.
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) filed on March 19th, 2024, is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election without traverse of Species B, shown in FIG. 3A-D and 6A-C, with claims 1-20 being readable thereon, in the reply filed on July 8th, 2026, is acknowledged.
The requirement is made FINAL, claims 1-20 are being examined on their merits.
Specification
The following guidelines illustrate the preferred layout for the specification of a utility application. These guidelines are suggested for the applicant’s use.
Arrangement of the Specification
As provided in 37 CFR 1.77(b), the specification of a utility application should include the following sections in order. Each of the lettered items should appear in upper case, without underlining or bold type, as a section heading. If no text follows the section heading, the phrase “Not Applicable” should follow the section heading:
(a) TITLE OF THE INVENTION.
(b) CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS.
(c) STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT.
(d) THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT.
(e) INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A READ-ONLY OPTICAL DISC, AS A TEXT FILE OR AN XML FILE VIA THE PATENT ELECTRONIC SYSTEM.
(f) STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR A JOINT INVENTOR.
(g) BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION.
(1) Field of the Invention.
(2) Description of Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98.
(h) BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION.
(i) BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S).
(j) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION.
(k) CLAIM OR CLAIMS (commencing on a separate sheet).
(l) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE (commencing on a separate sheet).
(m) SEQUENCE LISTING. (See MPEP § 2422.03 and 37 CFR 1.821 - 1.825). A “Sequence Listing” is required on paper if the application discloses a nucleotide or amino acid sequence as defined in 37 CFR 1.821(a) and if the required “Sequence Listing” is not submitted as an electronic document either on read-only optical disc or as a text file via the patent electronic system.
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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)(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 12-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Niu et al. (US11069268B2).
Regarding claim 12;
Niu et al. teaches a display apparatus (e.g. Brief description of drawings [0036] “FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible display panel…”) comprising: a substrate (e.g. Fig. 10 BS) comprising island areas (e.g. Fig. 10 ref IS) and a connection area between the island areas (e.g. Fig. 10 ref BR), wherein each of the island areas comprises an emission area and an encapsulation area (e.g. see examiner markup below); an inorganic insulating layer on the substrate (e.g. Fig. 10 ref PDL, PLN); a first conductive pattern provided on the inorganic insulating layer in the island areas of the substrate and defining pixel openings (e.g. Fig. 10 ref E1); light-emitting devices provided in the pixel openings of the first conductive pattern (e.g. Fig. 10 ref LE, Detailed description [0058] “A respective one of the light emitting elements LE includes a first electrode E1, a light emitting layer EL on the first electrode E1, and a second electrode E2 on a side of the light emitting layer EL away from the first electrode E1.”); a first inorganic encapsulation layer sealing the light-emitting devices in the emission area of the substrate (e.g. Fig. 10 ref EN1), the inorganic insulating layer comprising: a first inorganic insulating layer provided in each of the island areas of the substrate (e.g. Fig. 10 ref PDL); and a second inorganic insulating layer provided in the connection area of the substrate and spaced apart from the first inorganic insulating layer (e.g. Fig. 10 ref PLN); and a second inorganic encapsulation layer on the first inorganic encapsulation layer, wherein the first inorganic encapsulation layer is spaced apart from the encapsulation area and the connection area of the substrate, and the second inorganic encapsulation layer is provided in the emission area, the encapsulation area, and the connection area of the substrate (e.g. Fig. 10 ref EN3).
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Regarding claim 13;
Niu et al. further teaches that a first thickness of the first inorganic encapsulation layer is greater than a second vertical thickness of the second inorganic encapsulation layer and a third thickness of the first inorganic insulating layer, and the second vertical thickness is greater than the third thickness (e.g. see examiner markup below).
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Regarding claim 14;
Niu et al. further teaches that the display apparatus further comprises a second conductive pattern provided in the connection area of the substrate and covering the second inorganic insulating layer, wherein the second conductive pattern is spaced apart from the first conductive pattern and comprises a same material as a material of the first conductive pattern (e.g. Fig. 10 ref W, SL).
Regarding claim 15;
Niu et al. further teaches that a plurality of second conductive patterns are provided in the connection area of the substrate, and the plurality of second conductive patterns are spaced apart from each other (e.g. see examiner markup in claim 12 rejection).
Regarding claim 16;
Niu et al. further teaches that a plurality of second inorganic insulating layers are provided in the connection area of the substrate, and the plurality of second inorganic insulating layers are spaced apart from each other, and the plurality of second conductive patterns are respectively provided on the plurality of second inorganic insulating layers (e.g. Detailed description [0060] “Optionally, the respective one or more of the plurality of driving wires SL is spaced apart from the first inorganic encapsulating sublayer EN1 by at least one insulating layer, e.g., by the planarization layer PLN. The plurality of driving wires SL are on a side of the first inorganic encapsulating sublayer EN1 away from the plurality of wires W.”).
Regarding claim 17;
Niu et al. further teaches that the display apparatus further comprises: an organic insulating layer disposed in the emission area and the encapsulation area of the substrate (e.g. Fig. 10 ref BUF); and a second inorganic pattern provided on a sidewall of the organic insulating layer (e.g. Fig. 10 ref ILD), wherein the first inorganic insulating layer is disposed on the organic insulating layer, and the second inorganic pattern does not extend onto an upper surface of the first inorganic insulating layer.
Regarding claim 18;
Niu et al. further teaches that the second inorganic encapsulation layer extends onto the sidewall of the organic insulating layer, and the second inorganic pattern is between the sidewall of the organic insulating layer and the second inorganic encapsulation layer (e.g. see examiner markup in claim 12 rejection).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-6, and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as anticipated by or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Lin et al. (US11610954B1) for the following reasons:
Regarding claim 1;
Lin et al. teaches a display apparatus comprising: a substrate comprising an emission area and an encapsulation area surrounding the emission area (e.g. Fig. 1A ref 102); a first lower conductive pattern provided in the emission area of the substrate and defining a pixel opening (e.g. Fig. 1A ref 104); a light-emitting device in the pixel opening of the first lower conductive pattern (e.g. Fig. 1A ref 106); a first upper conductive pattern on the first lower conductive pattern, the first upper conductive pattern including: a tip portion protruding from an upper surface of the first lower conductive pattern toward the pixel opening of the first lower conductive pattern (e.g. Fig. 1A ref 110C, 117); and an outermost first upper conductive pattern disposed between the light-emitting device and the encapsulation area of the substrate in a plan view (e.g. Fig. 1A, 1C ref 110A); and a dummy pattern on the first upper conductive pattern (e.g. Fig. 1A, 1C ref 110B), wherein the dummy pattern covers a first upper surface of the outermost first upper conductive pattern in the plan view and is spaced apart from a second upper surface of the outermost first upper conductive pattern, and the second upper surface of the outermost first upper conductive pattern is connected to the first upper surface of the outermost first upper conductive pattern and is disposed between the first upper surface of the outermost first upper conductive pattern and the encapsulation area of the substrate in the plan view.
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In the alternative, even though Lin et al. does not explicitly show in Fig. 1C that the outermost first upper conductive pattern is disposed between the light-emitting device and the encapsulation area of the substrate in a plan view and that the dummy pattern covers a first upper surface of the outermost first upper conductive pattern in the plan view and is spaced apart from a second upper surface of the outermost first upper conductive pattern, and the second upper surface of the outermost first upper conductive pattern is connected to the first upper surface of the outermost first upper conductive pattern and is disposed between the first upper surface of the outermost first upper conductive pattern and the encapsulation area of the substrate in the plan view, it would be obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the effective time of filing that the claimed elements in their respective arrangements in the cross-sectional view shown in Fig. 1A correspond to their relative arrangements and positions in the plan view shown in Fig. 1C (i.e. Fig. 1A is a cross-sectional view along the 1’’-1’’ line of Fig. 1C).
Regarding claim 2;
Lin et al. further teaches that the tip portion of the first upper conductive pattern is provided in the emission area of the substrate and is not provided in the encapsulation area of the substrate (e.g. see examiner markup in claim 1 rejection).
Regarding claim 3;
Lin et al. further teaches that the display apparatus further comprises: a first inorganic encapsulation layer provided on the first upper conductive pattern and covering the light-emitting device (e.g. Fig. 1A ref 116); and a second inorganic encapsulation layer on the first inorganic encapsulation layer (e.g. Fig. 1A ref 120), wherein the first inorganic encapsulation layer is disposed on the first upper surface of the outermost first upper conductive pattern but is spaced apart from the second upper surface of the outermost first upper conductive pattern (e.g. see examiner markup in claim 1 rejection).
Regarding claim 4;
Lin et al. further teaches that the first inorganic encapsulation layer is spaced apart from the encapsulation area of the substrate, and the second inorganic encapsulation layer extends to the encapsulation area of the substrate (e.g. see examiner markup in claim 1 rejection).
Regarding claim 5;
Lin et al. further teaches that the second inorganic encapsulation layer covers the second upper surface of the outermost first upper conductive pattern (e.g. see examiner markup in claim 1 rejection).
Regarding claim 6;
Lin et al. further teaches that the substrate further comprises a connection area, and a portion of the encapsulation area is disposed between the emission area and the connection area, the light-emitting device, the first inorganic encapsulation layer, and the first lower conductive pattern are spaced apart from the connection area of the substrate, and the second inorganic encapsulation layer extends to the connection area of the substrate (e.g. see examiner markup in claim 1 rejection).
Regarding claim 8;
Lin et al. further teaches that the display apparatus further comprises an organic insulating layer between the substrate and the first lower conductive pattern (e.g. Fig. 10 ref 126, Detailed description [0033] “The PDL structures 126 include one of an organic material...”), wherein the encapsulation area comprises a first encapsulation area and a second encapsulation area, and the first encapsulation area is disposed between the emission area and the second encapsulation area, and the organic insulating layer is provided in the emission area and the first encapsulation area of the substrate but is spaced apart from the second encapsulation area of the substrate (e.g. see examiner markup in claim 1 rejection).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7, 9-11, and 19-20 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 WILLIAM ROBERT MANN whose telephone number is (571)270-0210. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Thursday 0800-1800 EST.
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, Jacob Choi can be reached at (469) 295-9060. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WILLIAM ROBERT MANN/Examiner, Art Unit 2897
/JACOB Y CHOI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2897
Prosecution Insights