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 .
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s amendment dated 04/02/2024, in which claims 1, 4, 7, 9, 11, 13-15 were amended, claims 17-20 were added, has been entered.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of species 2 in the reply filed on 07/02/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that “claim 1 does not merely include the above common technical features identified by the Examiner. Independent claim 1 recites, inter alia: a plurality of common voltage signal lines disposed on the same side of the base substrate as the plurality of first units, wherein the plurality of common voltage signal lines are arranged along the first direction and extend along the second direction, each of the plurality of common voltage signal lines travels through the first unit and the second pad region, and each of the plurality of common voltage signal lines comprises a plurality of first portions and a plurality of second portions, wherein the first portions and the second portions are successively alternately connected in the second direction, a width of each of the first portions is greater than a width of each of the second portions in the first direction, and each of the second portions travels through the second pad region and is reused as the ground pad ("technical feature A" hereinafter). Technical feature A is common to Species 1 to 4.” This is not found persuasive because paragraph [00113] of the pending specification discloses “[b]ecause the first unit has sufficient wiring space between two first pad regions adjacent in the first direction, the width, in the first direction, of the first common voltage signal line traveling through the first unit is arranged to be wide in the case of not interfering with the first pad region.” Thus, configuration of the first unit would affect configuration of common voltage signal line. Therefore, arrangement of the first unit and the second pad region are the main technical feature. Further, the alleged “technical feature A” is not a special technical feature as it does not make a contribution over the prior art. See Fig. 39, Fig. 47 of Liu et al. (WO2022160220). See also Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority.
In addition, Applicant admitted that species 1-4 are distinguished from one another.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Regarding claims 15-20, claims 15-20 do not read on elected species 2 shown in Fig. 2 because claim 15 recites “each of the plurality of electronic elements is electrically connected to first pad group, and each of the plurality of drive chips is electrically connected to the second pad group” which requires the plurality of electronic elements connected to the same first pad group and the plurality of drive chips is electrically connected to the same second pad group. However, in Fig. 2, only one drive chip [IC] is connected to one second pad group and each first pad group connects to an electronic element.
Accordingly, claims 15-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. The drawings show second pads in the second pad regions 3 comprising VDD1 pad, O0-O3 output pads, VDD2 pad, DO pad, DI pad. Therefore, the “the plurality of second pads comprising ground pads” of claim 1; “the other end of the first connection lead is electrically connected to the second power pad of the other of the adjacent two second pad regions; and the other end of the second connection lead is electrically connected to the second address pad of the other of the adjacent two second pad regions” of claim 7; “wherein the plurality of first units successively arranged along the second direction form a first unit column” of claim 11 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
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. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-14 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1, claim 1 recites “each of the second portions travels through the second pad region and is reused as the ground pad.” There is insufficient antecedent basis for the limitation “the ground pad” in the claim. Claim 1 previously recited “the plurality of second pads comprising ground pads.” It is unclear how to differentiate between the second portion “ground pad” and “ground pad” of the plurality of second pads. In addition, it is unclear which pads of the plurality of second pads are ground pads because Fig. 2 only show second portion “ground pad” 402/gnd, and only shows VDD1 pad, VDD2 pad, DO pad, DI pad, O0 pad, O1 pad, O2 pad, O3 pad of the plurality of second pads.
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Regarding claim 4, claim 4 recites “the ground pad”. It is unclear “the ground pad” refers to which ground pad: second portion ground pad or one of the ground pads of the plurality of second pads.
Regarding claim 6, claim 6 recites the limitation "the portion of the output pads”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. It is unclear "the portion of the output pads” refers to which portion: portion of the output pads are disposed on one side of the second portion in the first direction or portion of the output pads are disposed on the other side of the second portion in the first direction.
Regarding claim 7, claim 7 recites the limitation "the output pad”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. It is unclear if “the output pad” refers to one of the output pads or refers to an output pad different from the output pads.
Regarding claim 8, claim 8 recites “wherein the first connection lead is disposed between the third connection lead and the common voltage signal line; and the second connection lead is disposed between the third connection lead and the common voltage signal line.” It is unclear how the second connection lead is disposed between the third connection lead and the common voltage signal line when the third connection lead is on an opposite side of the second connection lead.
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Regarding claim 11, claim 11 recites the limitation " the first unit columns”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Regarding claim 13, claim 13 recites the limitation "the constant voltage signal line”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims depending from the rejected claims noted above are rejected at least on the same basis as the claim(s) from which the dependent claims depend.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SOPHIA T NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-1686. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00am -5:00 pm, Monday-Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, BRITT D HANLEY can be reached at (571)270-3042. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SOPHIA T NGUYEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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