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 .
Status of Claims
Applicants’ election of invention I, drawn to amended claim 1 and claims 2-6, is acknowledged. Claims 7-20, drawn to an unelected invention is thus withdrawn from further examination. Claims 1-6 are examined herein.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of invention I, drawn to amended claim 1 and claims 2-6, in the reply filed on 07/13/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that inventions I and II share a special technical feature which makes a contribution over the prior art as amended. This is not found persuasive because Cui (Chinese Patent No 112038386A) teaches an inorganic layer having a part that is relatively flush with an anode in (first conductive sub layer 121 + first subpixel defining layer 1111, Figure 1).
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 7-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 07/13/2026.
Applicant is reminded that upon the cancelation of claims to a non-elected invention, the inventorship must be corrected in compliance with 37 CFR 1.48(a) if one or more of the currently named inventors is no longer an inventor of at least one claim remaining in the application. A request to correct inventorship under 37 CFR 1.48(a) must be accompanied by an application data sheet in accordance with 37 CFR 1.76 that identifies each inventor by his or her legal name and by the processing fee required under 37 CFR 1.17(i).
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/28/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “341” has been used to designate both a sloped groove wall and a stepped groove wall. Additionally, reference character “40” has been used to designate both a sloped second inorganic layer and a stepped second inorganic layer. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: reference number 20 and 60. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
In Figure 8, “LCH process” should read “LHC process”.
In paragraph 0014, line 1, “ according to” should read “According to”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
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.
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(s) 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chang (US Patent Application Publication 2021/0399066A1) in view of Sung (US Patent Application Publication 2022/0131103A1) and Hamashita (WIPO Patent Application Publication 2022/054831A1).
Regarding claim 1, Chang (US Patent Application Publication 2021/0399066A1) teaches a display module comprising a display region and a non-display region at a periphery of the display region (display area 112 & peripheral area 114, Figure 1, paragraph 0028), wherein the display module comprises: an array substrate (substrate 110 + active element array layer 120, Figure 4, paragraph 0028); a first mounting groove (peripheral region inclined surface 152, Figure 3, paragraphs 0042-0044) in the non-display region, surrounding a portion of the display region; and an electrode wire layer (electrode layer 170, Figure 4, paragraph 0046) at least partially in the first mounting groove, as claimed
Chang (US Patent Application Publication 2021/0399066A1) is silent to teach a first inorganic layer on the array substrate, wherein the first inorganic layer comprises a first inorganic part in the non-display region; a second inorganic layer on a side of the first inorganic layer far from the array substrate, wherein the second inorganic layer comprises a second inorganic part on the first inorganic part; a first mounting groove in the non-display region penetrating through the first inorganic part and the second inorganic part, wherein the first mounting groove is in an open shape, and in a direction from the array substrate towards the second inorganic layer, a groove wall of the first mounting groove is inclined or stepped; and wherein a part of the first inorganic layer in the display region is relatively flush with a surface of an anode.
In an analogous art, Sung (US Patent Application Publication 2022/0131103A1) teaches a first inorganic layer (inorganic insulating layer IL2, Figure 6, paragraph 0096) on the array substrate, wherein the first inorganic layer comprises a first inorganic part (Figure 6) in the non-display region (peripheral area LA, Figure 6, paragraph 0085); a second inorganic layer (inorganic insulating layer IL3, Figure 5C, paragraph 0099) on a side of the first inorganic layer far from the array substrate, wherein the second inorganic layer comprises a second inorganic part (Figure 6) on the first inorganic part; a first mounting groove in the non-display region penetrating through the first inorganic part and the second inorganic part (Figure 6), wherein the first mounting groove is in an open shape, and in a direction from the array substrate towards the second inorganic layer, a groove wall of the first mounting groove is inclined or stepped (Figure6), as claimed.
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In another analogous art, Hamashita (WIPO Patent Application Publication 2022/054831A1) teaches wherein a part of the first inorganic layer in the display region is relatively flush with a surface of an anode (Figure 13), as claimed
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Therefore, it would have been obvious for someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the teachings of Chang (US Patent Application Publication 2021/0399066A1) with the teachings of Sung (US Patent Application Publication 2022/0131103A1) and Hamashita (WIPO Patent Application Publication 2022/054831A1) thereby having the groove mounting wall penetrate through the first and second inorganic parts, a groove wall that is stepped, and the first inorganic layer being flush with an anode in the display area.
Regarding claim 2, Chang (US Patent Application Publication 2021/0399066A1), Sung (US Patent Application Publication 2022/0131103A1), and Hamashita (WIPO Patent Application Publication 2022/054831A1) teach the display module according to claim 1, as claimed. Chang (US Patent Application Publication 2021/0399066A1) further teaches wherein the groove wall of the first mounting groove is inclined, and a slope angle (incline angle A2, Figure 3, paragraph 0043, teaches "the angle of inclination of the periphery taper surface is, for example, from 20 degrees to 60 degrees") of the groove wall of the first mounting groove is 20° to 60°, as claimed.
Regarding claim 3, Chang (US Patent Application Publication 2021/0399066A1), Sung (US Patent Application Publication 2022/0131103A1), and Hamashita (WIPO Patent Application Publication 2022/054831A1) teach the display module according to claim 1, as claimed. Sung (US Patent Application Publication 2022/0131103A1) further teaches wherein the groove wall of the first mounting groove is stepped, and the groove wall of the first mounting groove comprises a first groove wall close to the array substrate, a second groove wall far from the array substrate, and a third groove wall connected between the first groove wall and the second groove wall, wherein a step is formed by the third groove wall, as claimed.
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Regarding claim 4, Chang (US Patent Application Publication 2021/0399066A1), Sung (US Patent Application Publication 2022/0131103A1), and Hamashita (WIPO Patent Application Publication 2022/054831A1) teach the display module according to claim 1, as claimed. Chang (US Patent Application Publication 2021/0399066A1) further teaches further comprising: first electrodes (semiconductor layer 122 + first metal layer 124 + third metal layer 128, Figure 4, paragraph 0029, teaches The active element array layer includes a semiconductor layer, a first metal layer, a second metal layer, a third metal layer, and multiple insulation layers. However, in other embodiments, the number of the metal layers and the insulation layers of the active element array layer may be adjusted according to different needs, but not limited thereto. In the embodiment, the insulation layer and the insulation layer are disposed on the substrate in sequence to provide functions such as buffering, isolation, and protection) in the display region on the array substrate and arranged in an array, wherein the first inorganic layer further comprises a third inorganic part (Figure 4) between adjacent two of the first electrodes in the display region, and the second inorganic layer further comprises a pixel defining layer on the third inorganic part, as claimed.
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Regarding claim 5, Chang (US Patent Application Publication 2021/0399066A1), Sung (US Patent Application Publication 2022/0131103A1), and Hamashita (WIPO Patent Application Publication 2022/054831A1) teach the display module according to claim 4, as claimed. Chang (US Patent Application Publication 2021/0399066A1) further teaches wherein second mounting grooves respectively corresponding to the first electrodes are provided in the display region, wherein the second mounting grooves penetrate through the pixel defining layer (pixel opening area O154, Figure 5, paragraphs 0044-0045, teaches the display area inclined surface can be in the display area surrounding the pixel area opening and the pixel electrode exposed in the pixel area opening), as claimed.
Regarding claim 6, Chang (US Patent Application Publication 2021/0399066A1), Sung (US Patent Application Publication 2022/0131103A1), and Hamashita (WIPO Patent Application Publication 2022/054831A1) teach the display module according to claim 4, as claimed. Chang (US Patent Application Publication 2021/0399066A1) further teaches wherein a first electrode material layer (transmission portion CE1 + first metal layer 124 + transmission portion CE2 + third metal layer 128, Figure 1, paragraphs 0031-0032) is provided in the non-display region and between the first inorganic layer and the array substrate, wherein the first electrode material layer and the electrode wire layer are used together to form an electrode area, as claimed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KAREEM M MOHAMED-ALY whose telephone number is (571)270-0312. The examiner can normally be reached Monday – Friday 8am-5pm.
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, Leonard Chang can be reached at (571) 270-3691. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KAREEM M MOHAMED-ALY/Examiner, Art Unit 2898
/Leonard Chang/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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