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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-7, and 9-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US Chae et al. (U.S. 2021/0126077 A1).
The applied reference has a common assignee with the instant application. Based upon the earlier effectively filed date of the reference, it constitutes prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2). This rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) might be overcome by: (1) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(a) that the subject matter disclosed in the reference was obtained directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor of this application and is thus not prior art in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(A); (2) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(b) of a prior public disclosure under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(B) if the same invention is not being claimed; or (3) a statement pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) establishing that, not later than the effective filing date of the claimed invention, the subject matter disclosed in the reference and the claimed invention were either owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person or subject to a joint research agreement.
As to claim 1, Chae et al. disclose in Fig. 7A a display apparatus comprising: a substrate (100) (Figs. 7A, para. [0055]); a component area (comprising "first area" 1A & "second area" 2A) over the substrate (100) (Fig. 7A, para. [0048]), the component area (comprising "first area" 1A & "second area" 2A) comprising a first component area ("first area" 1A) and a second component area ("second area" 2A) (Fig. 7A, para. [0048]); a main display area (Fig. 1 includes a main display area) over the substrate (100), the main display area (Fig. 1) surrounding at least a portion of the component area (comprising "first area" 1A & "second area" 2A) (Figs. 1 and 7A); and a wiring (comprising "electrodes” 230a, 230b) on the substrate (100), the wiring (comprising "electrodes” 230a, 230b) crossing the component area (comprising "first area" 1A & "second area" 2A) and the main display area (Fig. 1), and being bent at least once (see Figs. 1 & 7A, para. [0102], [0128], [0130], [0136], [0138]), wherein a transmittance of the first component area ("first area" 1A) is different from a transmittance of the second component area ("second area" 2A) (Fig. 7A, para. [0166], [0172], [0178], [0184]).
As to claim 2, as applied to claim 1 above, Chae et al. disclose in Fig. 7A all claimed limitations including the limitation: wherein the transmittance of the first component area ("first area" 1A) is higher than the transmittance of the second component area ("second area" 2A) (Fig. 7A, para. [0166], [0172], [0178], [0184]).
As to claim 3, as applied to claim 1 above, Chae et al. disclose in Fig. 7A all claimed limitations including the limitation: wherein the first component area ("first area" 1A) comprises a plurality of first pixel groups and a first transmission area located between the first pixel groups, and wherein the second component area ("second area" 2A) comprises a plurality of second pixel groups and a second transmission area located between the second pixel groups (Fig. 7A, para. [0048], [0069]-[0070]).
As to claim 4, as applied to claims 1 and 3 above, Chae et al. disclose in Fig. 7A all claimed limitations including the limitation: wherein the wiring (comprising "electrodes” 230a, 230b) bypasses at least one of the first transmission area or the second transmission area (Fig. 7A, para. [0102], [0128], [0130], [0136]-[0138]).
As to claim 5, as applied to claims 1 and 3 above, Chae et al. disclose in Fig. 7A all claimed limitations including the limitation: wherein the plurality of first pixel groups comprises first auxiliary display elements and first auxiliary pixel circuits respectively connected to the first auxiliary display elements (Fig. 7A, para. [0020], [0069]-[0070]), and wherein the plurality of second pixel groups comprises second auxiliary display elements and second auxiliary pixel circuits respectively connected to the second auxiliary display elements (Fig. 7A, para. [0006], [0020], [0070], [0102]).
As to claim 6, as applied to claims 1, 3 and 5 above, Chae et al. disclose in Fig. 7A all claimed limitations including the limitation: wherein the wiring (comprising "electrodes” 230a, 230b) is electrically connected to at least one of one of the first auxiliary pixel circuits or one of the second auxiliary pixel circuits (Fig. 7A, para. [0070], [0071], [0100]).
As to claim 7, as applied to claims 1 and 3 above, Chae et al. disclose in Fig. 7A all claimed limitations including the limitation: wherein a planar shape of the first transmission area (the first transmission area of "first area" 1A, Fig 1) comprises a corner (Figs. 1, 7).
As to claim 9, as applied to claims 1 and 3 above, Chae et al. disclose in Fig. 7A all claimed limitations including the display apparatus further comprising: a bottom metal layer (210a, 210b) over the substrate (100), the bottom metal layer (210a, 210b) defining the first transmission area and the second transmission area (Fig. 7A, para. [0020], [0048], [0050], [0070]).
As to claim 10, as applied to claims 1, 3 and 9 above, Chae et al. disclose in Fig. 7A all claimed limitations including the limitation: wherein the bottom metal layer (210a, 210b) comprises holes corresponding to the first transmission area and the second transmission area (Fig. 7A, para. [0131], [0146], [0149], [0182]).
As to claim 11, as applied to claims 1 and 3 above, Chae et al. disclose in Fig. 7A all claimed limitations including the display apparatus further comprising: an optical functional layer (para. [0131]) over the substrate (100), the optical functional layer (para. [0131]) defining the plurality of first pixel groups (para. [0102], [0127], [0131]), the plurality of second pixel groups, the first transmission area, and the second transmission area (Fig. 7A, para. [0006], [0102], [0128]-[0129]).
As to claim 12, as applied to claims 1, 3 and 11 above, Chae et al. disclose in Fig. 7A all claimed limitations including the limitation: wherein the optical functional layer (para. [0131]) comprises: a base layer; a color filter on the base layer; and a black matrix in the color filter, the black matrix corresponding to a region between the first and second pixel groups and the transmission areas (Fig. 7A, para. [0065]).
As to claim 13, as applied to claims 1 and 3 above, Chae et al. disclose in Fig. 7A all claimed limitations including the limitation: wherein the wiring (comprising "electrodes” 230a, 230b) surrounds an exterior of at least one of the first transmission area (of "first area" 1A) or the second transmission area (of "second area" 2A) (Fig. 7A).
As to claim 14, as applied to claims 1 and 3 above, Chae et al. disclose in Fig. 7A all claimed limitations including the limitation: wherein the first transmission area (of "first area" 1A) comprises a plurality of first transmission areas, and wherein each of the first transmission areas (of "first area" 1A) and each of the first pixel groups are arranged alternately in one direction (Fig. 7A, para. [0020], [0048], [0058]).
As to claim 15, as applied to claim 1 above, Chae et al. disclose in Fig. 7A all claimed limitations including the limitation: wherein the first component area ("first area" 1A) is inside the second component area ("second area" 2A) (Fig. 7A).
As to claim 16, as applied to claim 1 above, Chae et al. disclose in Fig. 7A all claimed limitations including the display apparatus further comprising: a component in the component area (comprising "first area" 1A & "second area" 2A) (Fig. 7A, para. [0020], [0049], [0059]).
As to claim 17, as applied to claim 1 above, Chae et al. disclose in Fig. 7A all claimed limitations including the limitation: wherein a portion of the wiring (comprising "electrodes” 230a, 230b) extends from another portion of the wiring (comprising "electrodes” 230a, 230b) in a diagonal direction with respect to a longitudinal direction of the another portion of the wiring (comprising "electrodes” 230a, 230b) (Fig. 7A, para. [0102], [0128], [0136]-[0137]).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Chae et al. (U.S. 2021/0126077 A1).
The applied reference has a common assignee with the instant application. Based upon the earlier effectively filed date of the reference, it constitutes prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2).
This rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 might be overcome by: (1) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(a) that the subject matter disclosed in the reference was obtained directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor of this application and is thus not prior art in accordance with 35 U.S.C.102(b)(2)(A); (2) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(b) of a prior public disclosure under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(B); or (3) a statement pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) establishing that, not later than the effective filing date of the claimed invention, the subject matter disclosed and the claimed invention were either owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person or subject to a joint research agreement. See generally MPEP § 717.02.
As to claim 8, as applied to claims 1 and 3 above, Chae et al. disclose in Fig. 7A all claimed limitations except for the limitation: wherein a planar shape of the second transmission area is circular or elliptical. However, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to include a planar shape of the second transmission area which is circular or elliptical in the teaching of Chae et al., since such a modification would have involved a mere change in a shape of an improved structure. A change in shape is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955), MPEP 2144.04.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-17 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THANH Y TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-2110. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 10am-10pm (flex) (PST).
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/Thanh Y. Tran/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2817 March 21, 2026