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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Species 2, encompassed by claims 1-3, 7, 9, 10-12, 16, and 18 in the reply filed on 08/25/2026 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
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 1-3, 7, 9, 10-12, 16, and 18 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.
Claim 1 recites “the touch electrode layer” lacks antecedent basis. As such it is unclear and indefinite.
Claim 1 recites “the organic insulation layer” lacks antecedent basis. As such it is unclear and indefinite.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by RHE et al. 20200388667.
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Regarding claim 1, figs. 9-10B of RHE discloses a display panel, comprising:
a display region AA, a binding region PA on one side of the display region, and a bending region BA between the display region and the binding region;
wherein the display panel comprises:
a base substrate SUB;
a first metal layer M1 on the base substrate;
a second metal layer M2 on one side, facing away from the base substrate, of the first metal layer;
a third metal layer M3 on one side, facing away from the base substrate, of the second metal layer; and
a touch structure on one side, facing away from the base substrate, of the third metal layer;
wherein the touch structure comprises organic insulation layers and touch electrode layers that are stacked, and a touch lead electrically connected to the touch electrode layer;
the touch lead extends from the display region to the binding region;
the touch lead comprises a first lead RW1 in the bending region BA and a second lead RW2 in the binding region PA, the first lead is in the second metal layer RW1 (M2), and the second lead is in the third metal layer M3; and
an orthographic projection of the organic insulation layer (as labeled by examiner above – par [0015] - insulation layer INS1 is formed of an organic insulation material - layer in AA region between RX and TX) on the base substrate does not overlap orthographic projections of the binding region PA and the bending region BA on the base substrate (see figs. 9-10B – this necessary the case as fig. 10B shows not overlapping regions).
Regarding claim 10, RHE discloses a display device, comprising: the display panel according to claim 1.
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.
Claims 2-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over RHE.
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Regarding claim 2, fig. 10B of RHE discloses further comprising: a first planarization layer PL between the third metal layer and the touch structure, and a second planarization layer PAS between the second metal layer and the third metal layer; and the touch lead further comprises a third lead (as labeled by examiner above) in the display region.
Furthermore, it would have been obvious to form a structure wherein the third lead is electrically connected to the first lead through a via hole penetrating the first planarization layer and the second planarization layer, and the first lead is electrically connected to the second lead through a via hole penetrating the second planarization layer and wherein the third lead is electrically connected to the first lead through a via hole penetrating the first planarization layer and the second planarization layer via hole is conventional in electrically connect one metal layer to another metal layer in order to form electrically connection from one layer to the other metal layer.
Regarding claim 3, fig. 10B of RHE discloses further comprising: a transition region LA between the display region and the bending region; and fig. 9 of RHE discloses wherein the third lead extends to the transition region to be electrically connected to the first lead through the via hole penetrating the first planarization layer and the second planarization layer.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7, 9, 11-12, 16, and 18 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 and overcome the 112 2nd rejection.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VONGSAVANH SENGDARA whose telephone number is (571)270-5770. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-6PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, PURVIS A. Sue can be reached on (571 )272-1236. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/VONGSAVANH SENGDARA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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