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 .
Specification
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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 05/08/24 was filed in a timely manner; thus, the submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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) #1-13, 15-18, 20, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being unpatentable by Qin (U.S. Pub. No, 2021/0359030), hereinafter referred to as "Qin".
Qin shows, with respect to claim #1, a pixel arrangement structure comprising: a first sub-pixel (fig. #Ex1, item 01) located at a first vertex (fig. #Ex1, item FV1) of a first virtual polygon (paragraph 0056); a second sub-pixel (fig. #Ex1, item 02) located at a second vertex (fig. #Ex1, item SV1) of a first virtual polygon, the first vertex and the second vertex being arranged alternately and spaced apart (fig. #Ex1, item FV1, SV1); and a third sub-pixel (fig. #Ex1, item 05) located inside the first virtual polygon (paragraph 0056-0057); wherein two first sub-pixels are arranged at each first vertex (fig. #Ex1, item 01, 04), and a connecting line (fig. #Ex1, item BL1) of centers of the third sub-pixels in two adjacent first virtual polygons is parallel to a row direction or a column direction (paragraph 0009, 0037, 0056-0057).
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (CL2)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (04)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (CL3)][AltContent: textbox (CL1)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Polygon #1; PL1)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (First Vertex; FV1)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (By-setting Line; BL1)][AltContent: textbox (Bisect Line; BL2)][AltContent: textbox (Polygon #2; PL2)][AltContent: textbox (Polygon #4; PL4)][AltContent: textbox (Polygon #3; PL3)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Second Vertex; SV1)][AltContent: textbox (Ex1)][AltContent: textbox (By-setting Line; BL1)][AltContent: connector][AltContent: oval][AltContent: connector][AltContent: connector][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (05)][AltContent: oval][AltContent: connector][AltContent: connector][AltContent: oval][AltContent: connector][AltContent: connector][AltContent: oval][AltContent: connector][AltContent: connector][AltContent: connector]
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Qin shows, with respect to claim #2, a pixel arrangement structure wherein the pixel arrangement structure comprises a plurality of pixel units (fig. #8) (paragraph 0110), each of the pixel units consists of two first sub-pixels (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 01, 04), two second sub-pixels (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 02, 06) and one third sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 05); or each of the pixel units consists of two first sub-pixels, one second sub-pixel and two third sub-pixels (paragraph 0056-0057).
Qin shows, with respect to claim #3, a pixel arrangement structure wherein the two first sub-pixels (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 01, 04) at each first vertices are disposed symmetrically with respect to the first vertex (paragraph 0056-0057).
Qin shows, with respect to claim #4, a pixel arrangement structure wherein each of the pixel units has one or two first sub-pixels (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 01, 04) at one first vertex (paragraph 0056-0057).
Qin shows, with respect to claim #5, a pixel arrangement structure wherein the two first sub-pixels included in each of the pixel units are located at the same vertex of the first virtual polygon, or located at opposite vertices of the first virtual polygon, respectively (paragraph 0056-0057).
Qin shows, with respect to claim #6, a pixel arrangement structure wherein connecting lines (Above, fig. #Ex1, item BL1-3) of centers of all sub-pixels in each of the pixel units (Above, fig. #Ex1, item PL1-4) form a second virtual polygon, and the third sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 05) is located at a vertex of the second virtual polygon or inside the second virtual polygon (paragraph 0056-0057).
Qin shows, with respect to claim #7, a pixel arrangement structure wherein a group of first sub-pixels (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 02) is provided at each first vertex (Above, fig. #Ex1, item SV1), each group of first sub-pixels comprises two first sub-pixels (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 04, 01), two groups of first sub-pixels (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 02) are arranged in each first virtual polygon (Above, fig. #Ex1, item PL1), the first sub-pixels in one of the two groups of first sub-pixels are symmetrical with respect to a first virtual symmetry line, the first sub-pixels in the other one of the two groups of first sub-pixels are symmetrical with respect to a second virtual symmetry line (Above, fig. #Ex1, item BL1-3), and the first virtual symmetry line and the second virtual symmetry line form an included angle (paragraph 0056-0057).
Qin shows, with respect to claim #8, a pixel arrangement structure wherein in the first virtual polygon, a first distance between a center of the third sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 05) and each of centers of two second sub-pixels (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 02) adjacent to the third sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 05) is the same, a second distance between the center of the third sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 02) and each of centers of two first sub-pixels (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 01) adjacent to the third sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 05) is the same, and the first distance and the second distance are not equal to each other (paragraph 0074-0075).
Qin shows, with respect to claim #9, a pixel arrangement structure wherein among center connecting lines formed by the center of the third sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 05) and centers of sub-pixels adjacent to the third sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 05) in the first virtual polygon, an included angle between any two adjacent ones of the center connecting lines is 900 (paragraph 0021, 0023-0026).
Qin shows, with respect to claim #10, a pixel arrangement structure wherein among center connecting lines formed by the center of the third sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 05) and centers of sub-pixels (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 02, 01)adjacent to the third sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 05) in the first virtual polygon, an included angles formed between any two adjacent ones of the center connecting lines is different, and the center of the third sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 05) overlaps with an extending direction of a connecting line of centers of the sub-pixels with the same color that are adjacent to the third sub-pixel (paragraph 0074-0075).
Qin shows, with respect to claim #11, a pixel arrangement structure wherein in the first virtual polygon, a fifth distance between a center of the third sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 05) and each of centers of two second sub-pixels (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 02) adjacent to the third sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 05) is the same, a sixth distance between the center of the third sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 05) and each of centers of two first sub-pixels (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 01) adjacent to the third sub-pixel is different, and the fifth distance and the sixth distance are not equal to each other (paragraph 0074-0075).
Qin shows, with respect to claim #12, a pixel arrangement structure wherein among center connecting lines formed by the center of the third sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 05) and centers of sub-pixels adjacent to the third sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 05) in the first virtual polygon (paragraph 0074-0075). a smaller included angle formed between two adjacent ones of the center connecting lines is greater than 72 degrees and less than 83 degrees (angle ranges from 780-1010) (paragraph 0016).
Qin shows, with respect to claim #13 , a pixel arrangement structure wherein in the first virtual polygon (Above, fig. #Ex1, item PL1), a first connecting line (Above, fig. #Ex1, item CL1) is formed between a center of the third sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 05) and each of centers of the second sub-pixels (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 02) adjacent to the third sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 05), a second connecting line is formed between the center of the third sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 05) and each of centers of the first sub-pixels (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 01) adjacent to the third sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 05) form a second connection line (Above, fig. #Ex1, item CL2), a first included angle formed between each of two first connecting lines and one of second connecting lines is 90 degrees, a second included angle and a third included angle are respectively formed between the two first connecting lines and another one of the second connecting lines, and the first included angle, the second included angle and the third included angle are different from each other (paragraph 0074-0075).
Qin shows, with respect to claim #15, a pixel arrangement structure wherein an aperture area of the first sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 02) is larger than an aperture area of the second sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 01) and is larger than an aperture area of the third sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 05) (paragraph 0029, 0031-0034).
Qin shows, with respect to claim #16, a pixel arrangement structure wherein the first sub- pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 02) is a blue sub-pixel, the second sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 01) is a red sub-pixel, and the third sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 05) is a green sub-pixel (paragraph 0029, 0030-0034).
Qin shows, with respect to claim #17, a pixel arrangement structure wherein the first virtual polygon is a first virtual quadrilateral having a first edge and a third edge parallel to each other, and a second edge and a fourth edge connected between the first edge and the third edge (paragraph 0009, 0037, 0056-0057).
Qin shows, with respect to claim #18, a metal mask for fabricating a pixel arrangement structure wherein the pixel arrangement structure comprises: a first sub-pixel located at a first vertex of a first virtual polygon; a second sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 02) located at a second vertex (Above, fig. #Ex1, item SV1) of a first virtual polygon (Above, fig. #Ex1, item PL1), the first vertex (Above, fig. #Ex1, item FV1)and the second vertex (Above, fig. #Ex1, item SV1) being arranged alternately and spaced apart (paragraph 0056-0057); and a third sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 05) located inside the first virtual polygon (paragraph 0056-0057); wherein two first sub-pixels are arranged at each first vertex, and a connecting line (Above, fig. #Ex1, item CL1) of centers of the third sub-pixels in two adjacent first virtual polygons is parallel to a row direction or a column direction (paragraph 0009, 0037, 0056-0057), and wherein the metal mask comprises: a plurality of aperture regions, a shape of each of the aperture regions corresponding to each sub-pixel is matched with an outer contour shape of the sub-pixel, the two first sub-pixels located at the same vertex of the first virtual polygon share a same aperture region (paragraph 0040, 0080, 0115), the aperture regions corresponding to the sub-pixels with different colors are tangent with respect to a tangent line segment, and any two of the aperture regions corresponding to three adjacent sub-pixels are tangent with respect to each other (paragraph 0040, 0056-0057, 0060, 0080, 0115).
Qin shows, with respect to claim #20, a display panel comprising a pixel arrangement structure ,wherein the pixel arrangement structure comprises: a first sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 01) located at a first vertex (Above, fig. #Ex1, item FV1) of a first virtual polygon (Above, fig. #Ex1, item PL1); a second sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 02) located at a second vertex (Above, fig. #Ex1, item SV1) of a first virtual polygon, the first vertex and the second vertex being arranged alternately and spaced apart (paragraph 0056); and a third sub-pixel located inside the first virtual polygon (paragraph 0058); wherein two first sub-pixels are arranged at each first vertex, and a connecting line of centers of the third sub-pixels in two adjacent first virtual polygons is parallel to a row direction or a column direction (paragraph 0059).
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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
Claim #14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Qin (U.S. Pub. No, 2021/0359030), hereinafter referred to as "Qin" as shown in the rejection of claim #1 above and in view of SHU et al., (U.S. Pub. No. 2024/0292657), hereinafter referred to as "Shu".
Qin substantially shows the claimed invention as shown in the rejection of claim #1 above.
Qin fails to show, with respect to claim #14, a pixel arrangement structure, wherein each of the two first sub-pixels located at a same vertex of the first virtual polygon comprises an anode layer, and two anode layers corresponding to the two first sub-pixels are respectively connected to a same data signal line.
Shu teaches, with respect to claim #14, a pixel arrangement structure, wherein each of the two first sub-pixels located at a same vertex of the first virtual polygon comprises an anode layer, and two anode layers corresponding to the two first sub-pixels are respectively connected to a same data signal line (paragraph 0045-0046).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made, with respect to claim #14, to modified the invention of Qin as modified by the invention of Shu, which teaches, a pixel arrangement structure, wherein each of the two first sub-pixels located at a same vertex of the first virtual polygon comprises an anode layer, and two anode layers corresponding to the two first sub-pixels are respectively connected to a same data signal line, to incorporate a structural condition that would improve the performance of the anode, as taught by Shu.
//
Claim #19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Qin (U.S. Pub. No, 2021/0359030), hereinafter referred to as "Qin" as shown in the rejection of claim #18 above and in view of Kawase et al., (U.S. Pub. No. 2002/0097356), hereinafter referred to as "Kaawase".
Qin shows, with respect to claim #19, a metal mask wherein the first sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 01) is enclosed by four line segments, a first line segment of the four line segments is arranged opposite to a second line segment of an outer contour of the second sub-pixel (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 02), and an extending direction of the first line segment is parallel to an extending direction of the second line segment, so that the aperture region corresponding to the first sub-pixel (31) is tangent to the aperture region corresponding to the second sub-pixel (32) (Above, fig. #Ex1, item 05) (Above, fig. #Ex1, item CL1)
Qin substantially shows the claimed invention as a shown in the rejection of claim #18 above.
Qin fails to show, with respect to claim 19, a metal mask, wherein the first sub-pixel is in a crescent shape.
Kawase teaches, with respect to claim #19, a metal mask, wherein the first sub-pixel is in a crescent shape (paragraph 0025, 0042-0043).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made, with respect to claim #19, to modified the invention of Qin as modified by the invention of Kawase, which teaches, a metal mask, wherein the first sub-pixel is in a crescent shape, to incorporate a structural condition that would increase the precision of the subpixel, as taught by Kawase.
EXAMINATION NOTE
The rejections above rely on the references for all the teachings expressed in the text of the references and/or one of ordinary skill in the art would have reasonably understood or implied from the texts of the references. To emphasize certain aspects of the prior art, only specific portions of the texts have been pointed out. Each reference as a whole should be reviewed in responding to the rejection, since other sections of the same reference and/or various combinations of the cited references may be relied on in future rejections in view of amendments.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Andre’ Stevenson whose telephone number is (571) 272 1683 (Email Address, Andre.Stevenson@USPTO.GOV). The examiner can normally be reached on Monday through Friday from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Zandra Smith can be reached on 571-272 2429. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Andre’ Stevenson Sr./
Art Unit 2899
06/17/2026
/ZANDRA V SMITH/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2899
Prosecution Insights