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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 15 May 2026 has been entered.
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)(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.
(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.
Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Waka (US 2020/0124906).
Regarding independent claim 1, Waka teaches an array substrate (Fig. 4) comprising a first electrode (Fig. 4, Element 10f3; ¶ [0021]); a first insulating film (Fig. 4, Element 20; ¶ [0028]) disposed on an upper layer side of the first electrode, the first insulating film comprising an opening (Fig. 4, Element 26; ¶ [0030]) at a position overlapping at least the first electrode; a second electrode (Fig. 4, Element 10g2; ¶ [0030]) disposed on an upper layer side of the first insulating film, the second electrode overlapping the first electrode in at least the opening, and being connected to the first electrode; a second insulating film (Fig. 4, Element 24; ¶ [0028]) disposed on an upper layer side of the second electrode; and an alignment film (Fig. 4, Element 10n; ¶ [0025]) disposed on an upper layer side of the second insulating film, wherein the first electrode, the first insulating film, the second electrode, the second insulating film, and the alignment film are provided in a display region (Fig. 4, Element AA; ¶ [0020]), the second insulating film includes an insulating portion formed in, and filling, the opening of the first insulating film (Fig. 4), the insulating portion includes a high-level portion higher than an opening edge of the opening (Fig. 4), and the insulating portion is provided in the display region (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 2, Waka teaches a plurality of first electrodes (Fig. 3), including the first electrode, and a plurality of second electrodes (Fig. 3, Element 10g) including the second electrode are disposed side-by-side at intervals in a first direction, the plurality of first electrodes corresponds, respectively, to a plurality of first insulating films comprising a plurality of openings, and the plurality of second electrodes corresponds, respectively, to a plurality of second insulating films comprising a plurality of insulating portions, and each of the plurality of openings and the plurality of insulating portions extends along the first direction and is disposed to cross the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes (Figs. 3-4).
Regarding claim 3, Waka teaches a first light blocking portion (Fig. 4, Element 10l; ¶ [0024]) disposed on a lower layer side of the first electrode, the first light blocking portion comprising a light blocking material, wherein the first light blocking portion extends along the first direction and is disposed overlapping the insulating portion (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 4, Waka teaches a plurality of second light blocking portions (Fig. 4, Element 21; ¶ [0029]) disposed on a lower layer side of the alignment film, the second light blocking portions comprising a light blocking material, wherein second light blocking portions in the plurality of second light blocking portions are disposed side-by-side at intervals to interpose the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes in the first direction, and each high-level portion of the plurality of insulating portions is disposed to be interposed between two of the second light blocking portions in the first direction (Figs. 3-4).
Regarding claim 5, Waka teaches a height of the high-level portion from the opening edge of the opening of the first insulating film being larger than a film thickness of the alignment film (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 6, Waka teaches a height of the high-level portion from the opening edge of the opening of the first insulating film being smaller than a film thickness of the alignment film (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 7, Waka teaches the high-level portion configured to be gradually higher from an outer peripheral end side of the insulating portion toward a center side of the insulating portion (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 8, Waka teaches an upper face of the high-level portion being a plane (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 9, Waka teaches the high-level portion (24) configured to be gradually lower from an outer peripheral end side of the insulating portion toward a center side of the insulating portion (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 10, Waka teaches a liquid crystal display device (Fig. 3) comprising the array substrate according to claim 1; a counter substrate (Fig. 4, Element 10GS; ¶ [0019]) disposed to face the array substrate; and a liquid crystal layer (Fig. 4, Element 10c; ¶ [0019]) disposed between the array substrate and the counter substrate.
Regarding claim 11, Waka teaches the counter substrate provided with a spacer (Fig. 4, Element 10p1; ¶ [0025]) protruding toward the array substrate, a plurality of first electrodes including the first electrode, and a plurality of second electrodes including the second electrode are disposed side-by-side at intervals in a first direction, the plurality of first electrodes corresponds, respectively, to a plurality of first insulating films comprising a plurality of openings, and the plurality of second electrodes corresponds, respectively, to a plurality of second insulating films comprising a plurality of insulating portions, each of the plurality of openings and the plurality of insulating portions extends in the first direction and is disposed to cross the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes (Figs. 3-4), and the insulating portion includes a bump higher than the opening edge of the opening and disposed overlapping the spacer (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 12, Waka teaches the high-level portion lower than the bump (Fig. 4).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 15 May 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. In response to applicant’s argument, in regards to independent claim 1, that Waka does not teach the second insulating film including an insulating portion provided in the opening of the first insulating film and the insulating portion including a high-level portion higher than an opening edge of the opening, the Examiner notes that Figure 4 of Waka shows second insulating film (24) including a portion provided in the opening (26).
Applicant notes that the opening (26) of Waka reaches up to the alignment film (10n), and thus, the second insulating layer (24) is below the opening edge of the opening. The Examiner notes that the opening of the first insulating film (20) of Waka only extends to the upper portion of the first insulating film. The opening extending to the alignment film (10n) would constitute a separate opening in other layers above the first insulating film (20). The second insulating film (24) of Waka includes upper portions disposed above the upper surface of the first insulating film (20). Thus, the second insulating film (24) of Waka is shown to having portions higher than an opening edge of the opening (Fig. 4).
Applicant notes that the second insulating film (24) of Waka is not formed such that it fills the opening. Figure 4 of Waka shows a V-shaped portion of the second insulating film (24) extending into the opening (26) in such a way that it contributes to filling the opening.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kevin Quarterman whose telephone number is (571)272-2461. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 10am-6pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James Greece can be reached at (571) 272-3711. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Kevin Quarterman/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875 30 May 2026
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