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 without traverse of Species A, Subspecies AA, claims 1-9 and 13-20, in the reply filed on 7/7/2026 is acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
Acknowledgement is made of Applicant’s Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) form PTO-1449. The IDS has been considered.
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.
Claim 19 is 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.
(Re Claim 19) It is unclear what structure is required by “privacy mode” and “sharing mode” and how to determine if the device is operating in a privacy or sharing mode. Furthermore, during normal display operation the sub pixel diodes will routinely turn on and off individually, making it unclear when the claimed modes are used.
During examination, the “privacy mode” and “sharing mode” were understood to require only that the first and second diode may be independently turned on or off.
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 1-9 and 13-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Baek et al. (US 2021/0135166) and Kim et al. (US 2022/0140283).
(Re Claim 1) Baek teaches a display device, comprising: a pixel (a collection of sub pixels within A/A; Fig. 10, ¶122) on a substrate (1110; Fig. 12); and
a touch sensor unit (320+396+1195; Fig. 12).
Baek has not been shown to explicitly teach the pixel including a plurality of sub pixels representing different colors, each of the plurality of sub pixels including a first light emitting diode and a second light emitting diode; a touch sensor unit on the first light emitting diode and the second light emitting diode of a sub pixel of the plurality of sub pixels, the touch sensor unit including a plurality of first openings overlapping an emission area of the first light emitting diode of the sub pixel; a plurality of first lenses disposed within the plurality of first openings of the touch sensor unit, the plurality of first lenses having a viewing angle of a first value and each of the plurality of first lenses overlapping the emission area of the first light emitting diode of the sub pixel; and a second lens on the touch sensor unit, the second lens has a viewing angle of a second value that is greater than the first value and the second lens overlapping an emission area of the second light emitting diode of the sub pixel.
Kim teaches forming a pixel (the R, G, and B sub pixels shown in Fig. 8), the pixel including a plurality of sub pixels (a first sub pixel is the grouping of B and right G shown in Fig. 8; and a second sub pixel is the grouping of R and left G shown in Fig. 8; a sub pixel is just portion of a pixel that may be controlled independently to another portion of a pixel) representing different colors (blue compared to red), each of the plurality of sub pixels including a first light emitting diode (first sub pixel has the blue emitting diode; second sub pixel has the red emitting diode) and a second light emitting diode (first sub pixel has the green emitting diode; second sub pixel has the green emitting diode). Furthermore, the sub pixels are formed in the grid pattern made by a touch sensor unit (MSP; Fig. 8, ¶106).
A person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would find it obvious to form the pixel of Baek as taught by Kim, to provide for a color display, rather than one in monochrome; and to form the sub pixels between the portions of 320 forming a grid (Baek: Fig. 10) as taught by Kim to prevent the light emitted by each sub pixel from being blocked by the touch sensor unit.
Furthermore, Baek teaches forming lenses (1151; Fig. 12) over an emission area (1010; Fig. 10 and 15).
A PHOSITA would find it obvious to form the lenses 1151 over each emission area 1010 of Baek, as shown by Baek’s Fig. 12 and 15, to increase light extraction (Baek: ¶190).
Modified Baek then teaches a pixel (each R, G, and B sub pixel that is explicitly marked in modified Baek’s Fig. 10 markup), the pixel including a plurality of sub pixels (the first and second sub pixels shown in Baek’s Fig. 10 markup), each of the plurality of sub pixels including a first light emitting diode (first sub pixel has the B light emitting diode; second sub pixel has the R light emitting diode) and a second light emitting diode (first sub pixel has the G light emitting diode; second sub pixel has the G light emitting diode);
a touch sensor unit (320+396+1195; Fig. 12) on the first light emitting diode (the R diode) and the second light emitting diode (the G diode) of a sub pixel (the second sub pixel; Baek Fig. 10 markup) of the plurality of sub pixels (see Baek’s Fig. 12 for the arrangement of the touch sensor unit over each light emitting diode), the touch sensor unit including a plurality of first openings (see Baek’s Fig. 12 markup below; the first opening shown above a lower one extends across the emission area from the angled side of each 320 shown, while the lower first opening extends across the gap in 1195; the openings overlap, the claim language does not preclude stacked first openings) overlapping an emission area (1010; Fig. 10 of the first light emitting diode of the sub pixel (Fig. 12);
a plurality of first lenses (each part of 950 that overlaps with the regions identified as the leftmost and rightmost 1154 in plan view+the lateral extensions 950 with widths in plan view equal to the diameter of each 1154 as shown in the Fig. 12 markup below; no boundaries for first lenses established in the claim preclude this treatment) disposed within the plurality of first openings (the claim does not require that each opening has a lens within it, only that the plurality of openings has a plurality of first lenses within it) of the touch sensor unit, the plurality of first lenses having a viewing angle of a first value (due to their curvature; Fig. 12) and each of the plurality of first lenses overlapping the emission area of the first light emitting diode of the sub pixel (Fig. 12 markup showing first openings over the first diode R of the sub pixel); and
a second lens (the part of 950 that overlaps with the region identified as 1153 in plan view; Baek Fig. 12 markup below) on the touch sensor unit, the second lens has a viewing angle of a second value (due to curvature) that is greater than (the second lens has a larger diameter than the curved part of the first lenses; 1012 is smaller than 1011+1013; Fig. 15, ¶¶127, 219) and the second lens overlapping an emission area of the second light emitting diode of the sub pixel (Fig. 12 markup showing the second opening over the second diode G of the sub pixel, which extends from the angle side of each 320 shown).
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(Re Claim 2) Modified Baek teaches the display device according to claim 1, wherein the touch sensor unit further includes a second opening (Fig. 12 markup, where the line is drawn just above 1195) that overlaps the emission area of the second light emitting diode, and the second lens is disposed within the second opening (Fig. 12 markup).
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(Re Claim 3) Modified Bae teaches the display device according to claim 2, wherein the second opening has an aspect ratio (width to depth) that is larger than an aspect ratio of a first opening (upper opening shown in the Fig. 12 markup) from the plurality of first openings.
(Re Claim 4) Modified Bae teaches the display device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of first lenses are arranged in a matrix in the emission area of the first light emitting diode (a 1x2 matrix as seen in the plan view given in Fig. 12).
(Re Claim 5) Modified Baek teaches the display device according to claim 1, wherein the touch sensor unit further comprises: a plurality of bridge electrodes (396; Fig. 12); a touch insulating layer (1195; Fig. 12) on the plurality of bridge electrodes; and a plurality of touch electrodes (320; Fig. 12) on the touch insulating layer, the plurality of touch electrodes electrically connected to the plurality of bridge electrodes (Fig. 12), and the plurality of touch electrodes (due to the overhang of 320; Fig. 12) cover side surfaces (leftmost and rightmost sides of the lower first opening shown in the Fig. 12 markup; the claim does not require covering side surfaces of each first opening identified) of the plurality of first openings.
(Re Claim 6) Modified Baek teaches the display device according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of touch electrodes and the plurality of bridge electrodes are connected on the side surfaces of the plurality of first openings (Fig. 12).
(Re Claim 7) Modified Baek teaches the display device according to claim 5, wherein each first lens from the plurality of first lenses is in contact with a corresponding touch electrode (the left and then right 320 seen in Fig. 12) from the plurality of touch electrodes in a corresponding first opening (the upper and then lower first opening) from the plurality of first openings.
(Re Claim 8) Modified Baek teaches the display device according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of first openings is surrounded by the touch insulating layer (Fig. 12).
(Re Claim 9) Modified Baek teaches the display device according to claim 5, wherein the side surfaces of the plurality of first openings are inclined surfaces (Fig. 12).
(Re Claim 13) Modified Baek teaches the display device according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of touch electrodes include a material (metal; ¶79) that absorbs light.
(Re Claim 14) Baek teaches a display device comprising: a substrate (1110; Fig. 12); a touch sensor (320+396+1195; Fig. 12) including a plurality of first openings (Fig. 12 markup).
Modified Baek has not been explicitly shown to teach a sub-pixel on the substrate, the sub-pixel including a first light emitting diode; a touch sensor including a plurality of first openings that overlap an emission area of the first light emitting diode; and a plurality of first lenses on the touch sensor, each first lens from the plurality of first lenses disposed within a corresponding first opening from the plurality of first openings and in contact with a portion of the touch sensor within the corresponding first opening.
Kim teaches forming a pixel (the R, G, and B sub pixels shown in Fig. 8), the pixel including a plurality of sub pixels (a first sub pixel is the grouping of B and right G shown in Fig. 8; and a second sub pixel is the grouping of R and left G shown in Fig. 8; a sub pixel is just portion of a pixel that may be controlled independently to another portion of a pixel) representing different colors (blue compared to red), each of the plurality of sub pixels including a first light emitting diode (first sub pixel has the blue emitting diode; second sub pixel has the red emitting diode) and a second light emitting diode (first sub pixel has the green emitting diode; second sub pixel has the green emitting diode). Furthermore, the sub pixels are formed in the grid pattern made by a touch sensor unit (MSP; Fig. 8, ¶106).
A person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would find it obvious to form the pixel of Baek as taught by Kim, to provide for a color display, rather than one in monochrome; and to form the sub pixels between the portions of 320 forming a grid (Baek: Fig. 10) as taught by Kim to prevent the light emitted by each sub pixel from being blocked by the touch sensor unit.
Furthermore, Baek teaches forming lenses (1151; Fig. 12) over an emission area (1010; Fig. 10 and 15).
A PHOSITA would find it obvious to form the lenses 1151 over each emission area 1010 of Baek, as shown by Baek’s Fig. 12 and 15, to increase light extraction (Baek: ¶190).
Modified Baek then teaches a sub-pixel (the second sub-pixel shown in the Fig. 10 markup) on the substrate, the sub-pixel including a first light emitting diode (the R light emitting diode; Fig. 10 markup); the touch sensor including a plurality of first openings (see Baek’s Fig. 12 markup below; the first opening shown above a lower one extends across the emission area from the angled side of each 320 shown, while the lower first opening extends across the gap in 1195; the openings overlap, the claim language does not preclude stacked first openings) that overlap an emission area (1010; Fig. 10) of the first light emitting diode; and a plurality of first lenses (Fig. 12 markup) on the touch sensor (Fig. 12) , each first lens from the plurality of first lenses disposed within a corresponding first opening (the left first lens in the upper first opening; the right first lens in the lower first opening; Fig. 12 markup) from the plurality of first openings and in contact with a portion (the left 320 and right 320, respectively; Fig. 12) of the touch sensor within the corresponding first opening.
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(Re Claim 15) Modified Baek teaches the display device according to claim 14, wherein the touch sensor further comprises: a plurality of bridge electrodes (396; Fig. 12); a touch insulating layer (1195; Fig. 12) on the plurality of bridge electrodes; and a plurality of touch electrodes (320; Fig. 12) on the touch insulating layer, the plurality of touch electrodes electrically connected to the plurality of bridge electrodes (Fig. 12), and a portion of each of the plurality of touch electrodes is disposed within a corresponding first opening (left touch electrode and right touch electrode respectively corresponding with and are located within the upper and lower first openings; Fig. 12 markup) from the plurality of first openings.
(Re Claim 16) Modified Baek teaches the display device of claim 15, wherein the portion of each of the plurality of touch electrodes is slanted (Fig. 12) with respect to the plurality of bridge electrodes.
(Re Claim 17) Modified Baek teaches the display device of claim 16, wherein each first lens is in direct contact with the slanted portion (Fig. 12 markup) of a corresponding touch electrode from the plurality of touch electrodes within the corresponding first opening.
(Re Claim 18) Modified Baek teaches the display device of claim 16, wherein the sub-pixel further includes a second light emitting diode (the G light emitting diode; Fig. 10 markup) and the touch sensor further includes a second opening (shown in the Fig. 12 markup below, wherein the line is drawn just above 1195) that overlaps an emission area (1010 corresponding to the G light emitting diode shown in the Fig. 10 markup) of the second light emitting diode, wherein a viewing angle of the second lens is greater than a viewing angle of the plurality of first lenses (due to the second lens having a larger diameter than the first lenses; 1012 is smaller than 1011+1013; Fig. 15, ¶¶127, 219).
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(Re Claim 19) Modified Baek teaches the display device of claim 18, wherein the first light emitting diode emits light during a privacy mode without the second light emitting diode emitting light during the privacy mode (when the sub pixel emits red light and not green light), and the second light emitting diode emits light during a sharing mode (when the sub pixel emits green light and not red light) without the first light emitting diode emitting light during the sharing mode (“privacy mode” and “sharing mode” do not introduce device structure; see the 112(b) rejection above).
(Re Claim 20) Modified Baek teaches the display device according to claim 18, wherein the second opening has an aspect ratio (width to depth; Fig. 12) that is larger than an aspect ratio of a first opening from the plurality of first openings (Fig. 12 markups).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Christopher A Schodde whose telephone number is (571)270-1974. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 1000-1800 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jessica Manno can be reached at (571)272-2339. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER A. SCHODDE/Examiner, Art Unit 2898 /ERIK T. K. PETERSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898
