DETAILED ACTION
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Oath/Declaration
2. The oath/declaration filed on 05/03/2024 is acceptable.
Priority
3. Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
4. The office acknowledges receipt of the following items from the applicant:
Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) filed on 05/03/2024, 11/10/2025 and 04/06/2026.
Specification
5. The specification is objected to for the following reason: The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed (see MPEP 606.01).
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 of this title, 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.
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 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.
6. Claims 1-2, 8, 14-15 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over PENG et al., hereafter “PENG” (U.S. Publication No. 2018/0102382 A1) in view of MAO L (KR-20190121692-A) and further in view of ZENG W (CN-117062489-A).
Regarding claim 1, PENG discloses a display panel, comprising:
a substrate (11);
a signal shielding layer (17), disposed on the substrate (11);
an isolation structure (12), disposed on the signal shielding layer (17) and defined with a plurality of first isolation openings (between the first protrusion 122 and the second protrusion) and a plurality of second isolation openings (between the second protrusion 122 and the third protrusion) (e.g. Fig. 3 and para [0049]-[0071]).
PENG discloses the features of the claimed invention as discussed above, but does not disclose a protection layer, disposed on the signal shielding layer.
MAO L, however, discloses a protection layer (832), disposed on the signal shielding layer (840) (Fig. 10 and English Text).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teaching of PENG to provide a protection layer, disposed on the signal shielding layer as taught by MAO L for a purpose of protecting the signal shielding layer of the display panel.
PENG and MAO L disclose the features of the claimed invention as discussed above, but does not disclose a light-emitting function layer, comprising a plurality of light-emitting devices disposed in the first isolation openings;
wherein an orthogonal projection of the signal shielding layer on the substrate covers an orthogonal projection of the plurality of second isolation openings on the substrate, and an orthogonal projection of the protection layer on the substrate covers the orthogonal projection of the plurality of second isolation openings on the substrate.
ZENG W, however, discloses a light-emitting function layer, comprising a plurality of light-emitting devices (220) disposed in the first isolation openings (201) (Figs. 3 or 14B and English Text).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teaching of PENG and MAO L to provide a light-emitting function layer, comprising a plurality of light-emitting devices disposed in the first isolation openings as taught by ZENG W for a purpose of improving the light transmission rate of the area where the light transmission opening is located for the display panel.
Therefore, wherein an orthogonal projection of the signal shielding layer (17) on the substrate will be obviously covered an orthogonal projection of the plurality of second isolation openings (202) on the substrate (100), and an orthogonal projection of the protection layer (832 in MAO L) on the substrate (100) also will be obviously covered the orthogonal projection of the plurality of second isolation openings (202) on the substrate (100) (Figs. 3 or 14B in ZENG W).
Regarding claim 2, PENG, MAO L and ZENG W (citations to PENG unless otherwise noted) discloses wherein the protection layer (832) comprises a protection portion (Left and Right portions); a plurality of first openings (between Left and Right portions) are formed in the protection portion; the plurality of first openings (between Left and Right portions) are communicated with the plurality of first isolation openings (201) correspondingly, and configured to receive the light-emitting function layer (including light-emitting devices (220)); and the protection portion (Left and Right portions) is located on a side, away from the substrate (100), of the signal shielding layer (17), and an orthogonal projection of the protection portion (Left and Right portions) on the substrate (100) covers the orthogonal projection of the signal shielding layer (17) on the substrate (Figs. 3 or 14B in ZENG W).
Regarding claim 8, PENG, MAO L and ZENG W (citations to PENG unless otherwise noted) discloses further comprising a first insulation layer (213) located on a side, close to the substrate (100), of the signal shielding layer (17); wherein the first insulation layer (213) comprises an insulation portion and a plurality of pixel openings (203) formed in the insulation portion; the plurality of pixel openings (203) are communicated with the plurality of first isolation openings (201) correspondingly, and are configured to receive the light-emitting device (220) of the light-emitting function layer; the light-emitting device (220) further comprises a first electrode (221) located on a side, close to the substrate (100), of the light-emitting function layer and the pixel opening (203) exposes at least a part of the first electrode (221); and the first insulation layer (213) comprises a pixel definition layer (Figs. 3 or 14B in ZENG W).
Regarding claim 14, PENG, MAO L and ZENG W (citations to PENG unless otherwise noted) discloses wherein the light-emitting device (220) further comprises a second electrode (222) located on a side, away from the substrate (100), of the light-emitting function layer; and the second electrode (222) is located in the first isolation opening (201) and is in contact with a side wall of the isolation structure (12) (Figs. 3 or 14B in ZENG W).
Regarding claim 15, PENG, MAO L and ZENG W (citations to PENG unless otherwise noted) discloses further comprising a first encapsulation layer (310) located on a side, away from the substrate (100), of the second electrode (222), and a second encapsulation layer (320) located on a side, away from the substrate (100), of the first encapsulation layer (310); wherein the first encapsulation layer (310) comprises a first encapsulation portion and a plurality of second openings (between Left and Right portions 310) formed in the first encapsulation portion; an orthogonal projection of the first encapsulation portion on the substrate (100) covers an orthogonal projection of the second electrode (222) on the substrate (100); the second opening (between Left and Right portions 310) is communicated with the second isolation opening (202); and an orthogonal projection of the second opening (between Left and Right portions 310) on the substrate (100) covers the orthogonal projection of the second isolation opening (202) on the substrate (100); and an orthogonal projection of the second encapsulation layer (320) on the substrate (100) covers the substrate (100) (Figs. 3 or 14F in ZENG W).
Regarding claim 20, PENG, MAO L and ZENG W (citations to PENG unless otherwise noted) discloses a display device, comprising a display panel according to claim 1 (claim 18 in ZENG W).
Allowable Subject Matter
7. The following is a statement of reason for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claims 3-7, 9-13 and 16-19 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.
Cited Prior Arts
8. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
FAN et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2019/0140033 A1) discloses an OLED display, comprising: a TFT substrate (100), which is set on the TFT substrate (100) of a plurality of light-shielded pixel isolation dam (200). a plurality of OLED luminous layer (300) installed on the TFT substrate (100), and a plurality of cathode (400) are respectively set on the plurality of OLED luminous layer (300); the light-shielded pixel isolation dam (200) comprises dam body (210) and light shading part (220) on the dam body (210); the several light shielding pixel isolation dam (200) of the dam body (210) on the TFT substrate (100) surround the plurality of pixel areas (101), the plurality of OLED light-emitting layer (300) are respectively located in the plurality of pixel regions (101) (Fig. 7).
SHIN W (KR-102165742-B1) discloses an OLED display, comprising a blocking layer 170 may be further formed between the display unit 120 and the pad electrode 130. Two or more blocking layers 170 may be formed. When the blocking layer 170 is further formed in this way, as shown in FIG. 11, the area in which the organic layer 144 is formed is limited within the blocking layer 170 (Fig. 10 and English Text).
Conclusion
9. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Phuc T. Dang whose telephone number is 571-272-1776. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:00 am-5:00 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Jacob Choi can be reached on 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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/PHUC T DANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2897
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