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 .
This Office Action is in response to the application filed June 25, 2024.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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. Therefore, the second area being spaced apart from the first area 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.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: COLOR FILTER SUBSTRATE AND DISPLAY DEVICE INCLUDING COLOR PATTERN STACK.
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 15 and 20 are 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.
In regard to claim 15, it is not understood how the second area is spaced apart from the first area when the second area actually contacts the first area.
In regard to claim 15, it is not understood how the color filter overlaps the plurality of subpixels in the first area when the color filter is actually within the plurality of subpixels in the first area.
In regard to claim 20, it is not understood how the sensor that overlaps the second area when actually the second are overlaps the sensor or the sensor is within the second area.
Claims 16-20 are rejected as being dependent upon rejected claim 15.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 8 and 15-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ota (US 2017/0229528 A1).
In regard to claim 1, Ota teaches a color filter substrate, comprising: a substrate 10; a color filter layer 50 on the substrate 10 and including a first color filter 50R having a first color R, a second color filter 50B having a second color B that is different from the first color R, and a third color filter 50G having a third color G that is different from the first color R and the second color B, and the color filter layer 50 configured to be positioned in areas respectively corresponding to a plurality of subpixels 20R/20G/20B; a color pattern stack 56configured to be disposed over a sensor area 14, the color pattern stack 56 including a first color pattern 56G and a second color pattern 56R on the first color pattern 56G and having a different color from the first color pattern 56G; and a planarization layer 80 on the color filter layer 50 and the color pattern stack 56 (Figure 3, pages 2-7, paragraphs [0026]-[0089]).
In regard to claim 2, Ota teaches the first color pattern 56G having a first thickness and the second color pattern 56R having a second thickness that is different from the first thickness (Figure 3, pages 2-7, paragraphs [0026]-[0089]).
In regard to claim 3, Ota teaches the color pattern stack 56 having a thickness in a range of 1 µm to 5 µm (See pages 5-6, paragraph [0068] as related to 71) (Figure 3, pages 2-7, paragraphs [0026]-[0089]).
In regard to claim 4, Ota teaches the color pattern stack 56 further comprising: a third color pattern 56B on at least one of the first color pattern 56G or the second color pattern 56R, the third color pattern 56B having a color different from the first color pattern 56G and the second color pattern 56R (Figure 3, pages 2-7, paragraphs [0026]-[0089]).
In regard to claim 8, Ota teaches a transparent area (the area to the left of 56) that lacks any color filter (Figure 3, pages 2-7, paragraphs [0026]-[0089]).
As best understood and in regard to claim 15, Ota teaches a display device 100 comprising: a substrate 10 including a first area 12 and a second area 14 that is spaced apart from the first area 10; a plurality of subpixels 20R/20G/20B in the first area 12 without being in the second area 14; a color filter 50 overlapping the plurality of subpixels 20R/20G/20B in the first area 12; and a color pattern stack 56 overlapping the second area 14, the color pattern stack 56 including a first color pattern 56G having a first color G and a second color pattern 56R on the first color pattern 56G and having a second color R that is different from the first color G (Figure 3, pages 2-7, paragraphs [0026]-[0089]).
In regard to claim 16, Ota teaches the color filter 50 including a first color filter 50G having a first color G, a second color filter 50R having a second color R that is different from the first color G, and a third color filter 50B having a third color B that is different from the first color G and the second color R, wherein the first color G of the first color pattern 56G is a same as the first color G of the first color filter 50G and the second color R of the second color pattern 56R is a same as the second color R of the second color filter 50R (Figure 3, pages 2-7, paragraphs [0026]-[0089]).
In regard to claim 17, Ota teaches the first color pattern 56G having a first thickness and the second color pattern 56R having a second thickness that is different from the first thickness (Figure 3, pages 2-7, paragraphs [0026]-[0089]).
In regard to claim 18, Ota teaches the color pattern stack 56 further comprising: a third color pattern 56B on at least one of the first color pattern 56G or the second color pattern 56R, the third color pattern 56B having a color B different from the first color pattern 56G and the second color pattern 56R (Figure 3, pages 2-7, paragraphs [0026]-[0089]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5 and 19 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.
Claims 6-7 are objected to as being dependent upon objected claim 5.
Claims 9-14 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
In regard to claim 9, The prior art of record (Ota (US 2017/0229528 A1)) does not disclose, make obvious, or otherwise suggest the structure of the applicant's claimed invention together with the other limitations of the dependent claims 10-14, such as the configuration of the substrates, subpixels, sensor area, color filter layer, color filters, colors, color pattern stack, color patterns, planarization layer and sensor module.
As best understood, claim 20 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The following patents are cited to further show the state of the art with respect to display devices:
Choi et al. (US 2017/0077187 A1) Kim (KR 20170070495 A)
Kobori (US 2005/0189857 A1) Lee et al. (KR 102409702 B1)
Lu et al. (US 2021/0408488 A1) Won et al. (US 2020/0252707 A1).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to IDA M SOWARD whose telephone number is (571)272-1845. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday, 7am to 5:30pm.
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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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IMS
July 15, 2026
/IDA M SOWARD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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