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 without traverse of Group I (Claims 1-7, 9-12, 14-15 and 17-18) in the reply filed on 05/11/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 19 and 24-27 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to the nonelected Groups II and III.
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.
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.
Claims 1-3 and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tokuda (US 2010/0045906).
Regarding claim 1, Tokuda teaches a display substrate (the substrate corresponding to 1 in Fig. 5 and 7, Fig. 1-7, [0033-0280]), comprising:
an underlayer (60a in Fig. 5 and 7) and an organic structure (the structure corresponding to 40 in Fig. 5 and 7, [0150]) disposed on the underlayer (60a in Fig. 5 and 7);
wherein the organic structure (the structure corresponding to 40 in Fig. 5 and 7, [0150]) comprises a first surface (the top surface of the first spacer 46 in Fig. 7, [0039, 0148]) arranged away from the underlayer (60a in Fig. 5 and 7);
in a direction (the vertical direction in Fig. 7) perpendicular to a plane where the underlayer (60a in Fig. 5 and 7) is located, a difference between a maximum distance between the first surface and the underlayer and a minimum distance between the first surface and the underlayer is less than or equal to 0.06 µm ([0039, 0148], the difference in height of the top of the first spacer 46 is more preferably 0.05 µm or less).
Regarding claims 2-3, 17-18, Tokuda also teaches the following elements:
(Claim 2) in the direction perpendicular to the plane where the underlayer (60a in Fig. 5 and 7, Fig. 20,) is located, a distance from a geometric center ([0182], Fig. 6-7, the center of the top of the first spacer 46 is flat) of the first surface (the top surface of the first spacer 46 in Fig. 7, [0039, 0148]) to the underlayer (60a in Fig. 5 and 7) is greater than or equal to an average value of distances (Fig. 6-7, Fig. 20, [0182, 0148]) from points [0039, 0148]) on the first surface (the top surface of the first spacer 46 in Fig. 7, [0039, 0148]) to the underlayer (60a in Fig. 5 and 7).
(Claim 3) the organic structure (the structure corresponding to 40 in Fig. 5 and 7, [0150]) comprises a photo spacer (the spacer corresponding to 40 in Fig. 5 and 7), and a surface (the top surface of the first spacer 46 in Fig. 7, [0039, 0148]) of the photo spacer facing away from the underlayer (Fig, 5 and 7) is the first surface (the top surface of the first spacer 46 in Fig. 7, [0039, 0148]).
(Claim 17) in the direction (the vertical direction in Fig. 7) perpendicular to the plane where the underlayer is located (60a in Fig. 5 and 7), a standard deviation of three times the dimension of the organic structure (the structure corresponding to 40 in Fig. 5 and 7, [0150]) in the direction perpendicular to the plane where the underlayer (60a in Fig. 5 and 7) is located is less than or equal to 0.2 μm ([0039, 0148], since Tokuda teaches that the difference in height of the top of the first spacer 46 is more preferably 0.05 µm or less, Tokuda teaches that (1) the difference of the maximum and the minimum of the dimension of the organic structure in the direction perpendicular to the plane where the underlayer is located is 0.05 µm or less, and (2) an maximum value of the standard deviation of the dimension of the organic structure in the direction perpendicular to the plane where the underlayer is located is 0.05/2=0.025 µm or less, therefore, (3) a standard deviation of three times the dimension of the organic structure in the direction perpendicular to the plane where the underlayer is located is 0.025*3=0.075 µm or less).
(Claim 18) display panel (Fig. 5), comprising the display substrate (the substrate corresponding to 1 in Fig. 5 and 7).
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.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tokuda as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Jang (KR 20070005218A) and Zhang (CN 113608390A).
Regarding claim 4, Tokuda does not teach the following elements.
Jang teaches the following elements (Fig. 1-2 and 4-5, Page 7 of English transition of KR 20070005218A):
(Claim 4) an organic structure (the structure including the color filter made of organic composition and the organic layer 171 including the spacer 175 in Fig. 2 and 4-5, Page 7) comprises color filter patterns (Fig. 1-2 and 4-5),
Zhang teaches the following elements (Fig. 1 and 3-7, Pages 5-8 of English translation of CN 113608390A):
(Claim 4) color filter patterns (the patterns of 160 and 130 in Fig. 5-8), a display substrate (the lower substrate in Fig. 5-8) comprises a display area (101 in Fig. 5-7) and a peripheral area (102 in Fig. 5-8) surrounding the display area (Fig. 1 and Fig. 5-8), a dimension (Fig. 5-8), in the direction (the vertical direction in Fig. 5-8) perpendicular to the plane (the plane corresponding to the top surface of 170 or 110 in Fig. 5-8) where the underlayer is located, of a part of the color filter patterns (the patterns of 160 and 130 in Fig. 5-8) located in the peripheral area (102 in Fig. 5-8) is less than or equal to (Fig. 5-8, Page 5, Paragraph 6) a dimension (Fig. 5-8), in the direction (the vertical direction in Fig. 5-8) perpendicular to the plane (the plane corresponding to the top surface of 170 or 110 in Fig. 5-8) where the underlayer is located, of a part of the color filter patterns (the patterns of 160 and 130 in Fig. 5-8) located in the display area (101 in Fig. 5-8); a surface (the top surface of 140 or 141 in Fig. 5-8) on a side facing away from the underlayer in an area not overlapping with an adjacent color filter pattern of the color filter pattern located in the peripheral area (Fig. 3-8, in the area of 102, there are multiple 130/131 as shown in Fig. 3-4, the top surface of 140 or 141 is not overlapping with the nearby adjacent color pattern of 130/131 even there is another color pattern of 130/131 directly under 140 in Fig. 5-8) is the first surface (the top surface of 140 or 141 in Fig. 5-8).
Before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to the artisan of ordinary skill to employ the above elements as taught by Jang and Zhang for the system of Tokuda such that in the system of Tokuda,
(Claim 4) the organic structure comprises color filter patterns, the display substrate comprises a display area and a peripheral area surrounding the display area, a dimension, in the direction perpendicular to the plane where the underlayer is located, of a part of the color filter patterns located in the peripheral area is less than or equal to a dimension, in the direction perpendicular to the plane where the underlayer is located, of a part of the color filter patterns located in the display area; a surface on a side facing away from the underlayer in an area not overlapping with an adjacent color filter pattern of the color filter pattern located in the peripheral area is the first surface.
The motivation is to provide a display device which can reduce manufacturing cost and improve productivity (Jang, page 2, Paragraph 8), and it helps to improve the display panel of the production efficiency and yield, and ensure the display panel in the box and the height of the box outside (Zhang, Page 3, Paragraph 3).
Claims 1, 3 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable Lin (US 2005/0157245) in view of Tokuda (US 2010/0045906).
Regarding claim 1, Lin teaches a display substrate (the substrate corresponding to 1 in Fig. 7a, Fig. 7a-8c, [0049-0059]), comprising:
an underlayer (10 in Fig. 7a) and a spacer (PS in Fig. 7b) disposed on the underlayer (10 in Fig. 7a);
wherein the spacer (PS in Fig. 7b) comprises a first surface (the bottom surface of PS including 61 and 62 in Fig. 7b) arranged away from the underlayer (10 in Fig. 7a);
in a direction (the vertical direction in Fig. 7b) perpendicular to a plane where the underlayer (10 in Fig. 7a) is located, a difference between a maximum distance between the first surface and the underlayer and a minimum distance between the first surface (the bottom surface of PS including 61 and 62 in Fig. 7b) and the underlayer (10 in Fig. 7a) is between about 0.05 and 0.3 µm ([0057-0059]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to recognize that the claimed range of less than or equal to 0.06 μm overlaps with the range disclosed by the prior art (MPEP 2144. 05 I.).
Before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to the artisan of ordinary skill to to recognize and try the claimed range of less than or equal to 0.06 μm for the system of Lin since this would help to effectively lowering the probability of an uneven cell gap (Lin, Abs).
Lin does not teach that the spacer is an organic structure.
Tokuda teaches that a spacer is an organic structure (the structure corresponding to 40 in Fig. 5 and 7, [0150]).
Before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to the artisan of ordinary skill to employ the above elements as taught by Tokuda for the system of Lin such that in the system of Lin, the spacer is an organic structure. The motivation is to obtain a desired difference in height of spacer and suppress generation of uneven cell gap (Tokuda, [0150, 0118]).
Regarding claim 3, Tokuda also teaches the following elements:
(Claim 3) the organic structure (the structure corresponding to 40 in Fig. 5 and 7, [0150]) comprises a photo spacer (the spacer corresponding to 40 in Fig. 5 and 7), and a surface (the top surface of the first spacer 46 in Fig. 7, [0039, 0148]) of the photo spacer facing away from the underlayer (Fig, 5 and 7) is the first surface (the top surface of the first spacer 46 in Fig. 7, [0039, 0148]).
Before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to the artisan of ordinary skill to employ the above elements as taught by Tokuda for the system of Lin in view of Tokuda such that in the system of Lin in view of Tokuda,
(Claim 3) the organic structure comprises a photo spacer, and a surface of the photo spacer facing away from the underlayer is the first surface.
The motivation is to obtain a desired difference in height of spacer and suppress generation of uneven cell gap (Tokuda, [0150, 0118]).
Regarding claim 10, Lin also teaches the following elements:
(Claim 10) a plurality of the protrusions (the protrusions corresponding to 61 in Fig. 7a-7b and 8c) are provided at an outer contour (Fig. 7a-7b and 8c) of the first surface (the bottom surface of PS including 61 and 62 in Fig. 7b), and a maximum distance between a part (the left side protrusion in Fig. 7a-7b and 8c) of the protrusions located on the outer contour of the first surface and the underlayer (10 in Fig. 7a) is less than or equal to (Fig. 7b, [0057-0059]) a maximum distance between other protrusions (the other sides protrusions in Fig. 7a-7b and 8c) and the underlayer (10 in Fig. 7a).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-7, 9, 11-12 and 14-15 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
None of the prior art of record discloses or suggests all the combination of a display substrate as set forth in claims 5-7, 9-12 and 14-15.
Regarding claims 5-7, 9, 12 and 14-15, none of the prior art discloses or suggests a display substrate recited in claim 3, wherein “a plurality of protrusions and a plurality of dents are provided on the first surface, and each of the dents are located between at least two of the protrusions; a geometric center of the first surface is provided with the protrusion” in combination with the other required elements of the claim.
Regarding claim 11, none of the prior art discloses or suggests a display substrate recited in claim 3, wherein “the first surface comprises a center area and an edge area surrounding the center area, and a geometric center of the first surface is located in the center area; a curvature radius of a part of protrusions located in the center area is less than or equal to the curvature radius of a part of the protrusions located in the edge area” in combination with the other required elements of the claim.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHAN LIU whose telephone number is (571)270-0383. The examiner can normally be reached on 9am-5pm EST M-F.
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/Shan Liu/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
Prosecution Insights