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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-6, 11, and 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 2011/0050660) in view of Gao et al. (US 2021/0256888)
Regarding claim 1:
Kim discloses:
An active matrix substrate having a display unit in which a plurality of pixel circuits are formed, the active matrix substrate comprising:
a plurality of driving data lines for transmitting, to the plurality of pixel circuits, a driving data signal representing an image to be displayed on the display unit (paragraph 35:D1 to D3m); and
an inspection circuit formed in an IC mounting region in which an integrated circuit configured to generate a plurality of driving data signals including the driving data signal, for directly driving the plurality of driving data lines or to generate a plurality of video data signals for indirectly driving the plurality of driving data lines (paragraph 60) via a predetermined driving circuit is to be mounted (paragraph 37 – where this is before the driving circuit is mounted as per paragraph 41),
a data line driving circuit formed between the IC mounting region and the display unit, and connected to the plurality of data driving lines (paragraph 35: data distribution circuit 140); and
a plurality of video data lines (as seen in Fig. 1, there are lines 01 to 0m between the lighting test circuit and the data distribution circuit),
wherein
in the IC mounting region, a plurality of driving-side pads is formed for the integrated circuit to output the plurality of driving data signals or the plurality of video data signals (paragraph 36),
the inspection circuit includes
a plurality of switching elements separately corresponding to each of the plurality of driving-side pads (paragraph 43, as shown in Fig. 2),
at least one inspection signal line for transmitting an inspection signal to inspect the active matrix substrate (paragraph 44), and
an inspecting control line for transmitting a control signal to be supplied to the plurality of switching elements (paragraph 46),
each of the plurality of switching elements has a first conducting terminal connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of driving-side pads, a second conducting terminal connected to any of the at least one inspection signal line, and a control terminal connected to the inspecting control line (Fig. 2), and
the at least one inspection signal line is formed opposite the plurality of driving-side pads across the plurality of switching elements (as seen in Fig. 2),
the plurality of video data lines is formed to be separately connected to each of the plurality of driving-side pads for transmitting the plurality of video data signals from the integrated circuit to the data line driving circuit (seen in Fig. 1, where as per Fig. 5 once the driving IC is mounted these lines from the integrated circuit to the data distribution circuit)
Kim does not disclose:
“the at least one inspection signal line includes:
“a first inspection signal line, and
“a second inspection signal line, and
“the plurality of switching elements includes:
“a first switching element having the second conducting terminal of the first switching element connected only to the first inspection signal line and not the second inspection signal line, and
“a second switching element having the second conducting terminal of the second switching element connected only to the second inspection signal line and not the first inspection signal line, and
“the first switching element and the second switching element are connectedly alternately,
“each of the first switching element and the second switching element is connected to a pixel via a video data line of the plurality of video data lines and via the data line driving circuit.”
Gao discloses:
the at least one inspection signal line includes:
a first inspection signal line (e.g., Fig. 2: 221), and
a second inspection signal line (e.g., Fig. 2: 222), and
the plurality of switching elements includes:
a first switching element having the second conducting terminal of the first switching element connected only to the first inspection signal line and not the second inspection signal line (as seen in Fig. 2, only switch elements 211 are connected to the first signal line 221), and
a second switching element having the second conducting terminal of the second switching element connected only to the second inspection signal line and not the first inspection signal line (as seen in Fig. 2, only switch elements 212 are connected to the second signal line 222),
the first switching element and the second switching element are connectedly alternately (in Gao Fig. 2 elements 211, 212, and 213 are connected alternately as seen in the figure. So 211 and 212 are connected alternately as part of this – more on this in response to arguments below).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the application was filed to include in Kim the elements taught by Gao.
The rationale is as follows:
Kim and Gao are directed to the same field of art.
Gao discloses this allows testing each color separately (paragraph 71). This is a known improvement that one of ordinary skill in the art could have included with predictable results.
Kim in view of Gao discloses:
each of the first switching element and the second switching element is connected to a pixel via a video data line of the plurality of video data lines and via the data line driving circuit (if the inspection circuit of Gao replaces the lighting test circuit of Kim, this is the result: Kim’s lighting test circuit is connected to a pixel via a video data lines of the plurality of video data lines (Fig. 1: 01 to 0m) and via the data line driving circuit (Fig. 1: data distribution circuit 140)).
Regarding claim 2:
Kim in view of Gao discloses:
wherein when mounted in the IC mounting region, the integrated circuit applies the plurality of video data signals to the plurality of video data lines via the plurality of driving-side pads (Kim paragraph 60), and
the data line driving circuit is configured to receive the plurality of video data signals via the plurality of video data lines, generate the plurality of driving data signals based on the plurality of video data signals, and separately apply the plurality of driving data signals separately to each of the plurality of driving data lines (Kim paragraph 36).
Regarding claim 3:
Kim in view of Gao discloses:
wherein the integrated circuit generates, as the plurality of video data signals, a plurality of time-division multiplexed signals representing an image to be displayed on the display unit, and the data line driving circuit is a demultiplexing circuit configured to generate the plurality of driving data signals by demultiplexing the plurality of video data signals (Kim paragraph 36, where Kim doesn’t use the term “multiplexed” or “demultiplexing” but this follows from “distributes and outputs the data signals”).
Regarding claim 4:
Kim in view of Gao discloses:
wherein the plurality of driving-side pads are connected separately to each of the plurality of driving data lines, and when mounted in the IC mounting region, the integrated circuit applies the plurality of driving data signals to the plurality of driving data lines via the plurality of driving-side pads (this is shown in Kim Fig. 1, and as can be seen in Fig. 5 the driving IC is mounted over these pads).
Regarding claim 5:
All elements positively recited have already been identified with respect to earlier rejections. No further elaboration is necessary.
Regarding claim 6:
Kim in view of Gao discloses an active matrix substrate as discussed above.
Kim in view of Gao, as discussed so far, does not disclose:
“wherein the inspecting control line is formed opposite the plurality of driving-side pads across the plurality of switching elements.”
Gao discloses:
wherein the inspecting control line is formed opposite the (display area) across the plurality of switching elements (e.g. Fig. 2, where the inspecting control line is 23).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the application was filed to include in Kim wherein the inspecting control line is formed opposite the plurality of driving-side pads across the plurality of switching elements, as suggested by Gao.
The rationale is as follows:
Kim and Gao are directed to the same field of art.
Kim shows the inspecting control line running directly across the gates of the switching elements. Gao shows it could instead be a separate line across the switching elements from the display. In Kim this is the opposite side from the plurality of driving-side pads. This is a known alternative that could, e.g., simplify manufacturing, that one of ordinary skill in the art could have included with predictable results.
Regarding claim 11:
All elements positively recited have already been identified with respect to earlier rejections. No further elaboration is necessary.
Regarding claim 14:
Kim in view of Gao discloses:
wherein in a plan view, the second switching element intersects with the first inspection signal line (which is first and which is second is not otherwise defined by the claim – in Gao, element 211 intersects with line 222 in that the electrical connection crosses it).
Regarding claim 15:
All elements positively recited have already been identified with respect to earlier rejections. No further elaboration is necessary.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 03 June 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that the new language of the claims renders it allowable over Kim in view of Gao.
The substance of this argument really begins on page 9, where applicant argues that in Gao the inspection circuit is directedly connected to the pixels without another circuit between them.
This is true in Gao. But in the base reference, Kim, there is a data distribution circuit (Fig. 1: 140) between the inspection circuit (Fig. 1: 160) and the pixels. These elements are already present in Kim.
Gao was only relied upon to teach that there could be multiple inspection signal lines with the associated switching elements. This teaching is used to modify the lighting test circuit taught by Kim, but it does not require moving this circuit or eliminating the data distribution circuit of Kim.
Note that Kim discloses (paragraph 39) that there could be a data distribution circuit or there could not be one. Kim is therefore clearly aware of the kind of configuration taught by Gao, but teaches that both arrangements are possible, and prefers the one including the data distribution circuit. From this the claimed structure would have been known to one of ordinary skill in the art.
Therefore applicant’s arguments are not persuasive.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/CHRISTOPHER R LAMB/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2622
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