DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 5-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Luo (US 2024/0160306) in view of Kim (US 2022/0199715) in view of Tong (US 2024/0276844) in view of Lee (US 2017/0344141) in further view of .
Regarding claim 1, Luo discloses a display apparatus, comprising:
a substrate (30, fig. 4) including a display area (AA in fig. 4) and a non-display area (B2 in fig. 4);
a light emitting element layer (43, fig. 4) on the substrate in the display area;
an encapsulation layer (44, fig. 4) on the light emitting element layer;
a touch sensing layer (31, fig. 4) on the encapsulation layer;
a gate driving circuit (see gate drive circuit in B11 in para. 136-137) on the substrate in the non-display area (B11, fig. 4);
a dam (513-514, fig. 4) on the substrate in the non-display area and around the display area (see fig. 4-5);
a panel crack detector (516, fig. 4) disposed at an edge portion (B12, fig. 4) of the substrate in the non-display area,
wherein the dam is located between the gate driving circuit and the panel crack detector from a plan view (see fig. 4 and para. 136),
wherein the touch sensor layer comprises:
a plurality of first touch electrodes (321, fig. 3-4);
a touch interlayer insulating layer (301, fig. 4) disposed on the plurality of the first touch electrodes (see fig. 3-4); and
a plurality of first bridge electrodes (322, fig. 3-4) connecting the adjacent first touch electrodes and disposed on the touch interlayer insulating layer (see fig. 4 and para. 121-122);
an inorganic layer (443, fig. 4 and para. 134) on the plurality of fist bridge electrodes (see fig. 4).
Luo fails to disclose a color filter.
Kim discloses a color filter layer (see layer of color filter 720, fig. 2) comprising a black matrix (710, fig. 2) having a plurality of first openings (see opening in the black matrix for color filters 720 in fig. 2) on the touch sensing layer (500, fig. 2).
Kim further discloses wherein a sum of a width of one of the plurality of bridge electrodes (see width of 512 in fig. 2) and the widths of the plurality of the touch electrodes (511, fig. 2) connected through the first bridge electrode is same as a width between adjacent two openings of the plurality of the first openings of the black matrix (see fig. 2 and para. 60; wherein the width of the black matrix 710 in the middle of fig. 2 overlaps the combined widths of the two electrodes 511 and the one bridge 512).
When the invention was made (pre-AIA ) or before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ), it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include the teachings of Kim in the device of Luo. The motivation for doing so would have been to improve the image quality by preventing moire effect (Kim; para. 66).
Additionally, Luo fails to disclose wherein the touch interlayer insulating layer is made of an organic material.
Tong discloses wherein a touch interlayer insulating layer (23, fig. 4) made of an organic material (para. 49).
When the invention was made (pre-AIA ) or before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ), it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include the teachings of Tong in the device of Luo. The motivation for doing so would have been to have an organic insulating layer located between a touch electrode and a bridge electrode that allows for bending (Tong; para. 51, wherein the display is flexible, creating greater usability).
Additionally, Luo fails to disclose wherein the metal density of the first touch electrode is higher than the metal density of the bridge electrode.
Lee discloses wherein a metal density of the plurality of first touch electrodes (22, fig. 3 and para. 54; wherein e.g. the metal electrode is made of silver nanowire) is higher than a metal density of the plurality of first bridge (22a, fig. 3 and para. 76-77; wherein e.g. the bridge electrode is made of aluminum) electrodes (para. 54, 76-77; wherein the touch electrodes and bridge electrodes are made of different materials, further wherein silver has a higher metal density than aluminum).
When the invention was made (pre-AIA ) or before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ), it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include the teachings of Lee in the device of Luo. The motivation for doing so would have been to have to decrease the visibility of the bridge electrodes to user, by making the bridge electrodes in a different material than the material used for the touch electrodes (Lee; para. 54, 76-77; wherein different materials are used to increase or decrease the visibility of the corresponding electrode).
Regarding claim 2, Luo discloses wherein the touch sensing layer comprises a plurality of first touch electrodes (321, fig. 2), a plurality of second touch electrodes (311, fig. 2), and a first bridge electrode (322, fig. 2) configured to electrically connect adjacent first touch electrodes.
Regarding claim 3, Kim discloses wherein a plurality of color filters (720, fig. 2) respectively covering the plurality of the first openings (see fig. 2).
Regarding claim 5, Kim discloses wherein the plurality of second touch electrodes (522, fig. 2) are disposed under the black (710, fig. 2) matrix (see fig. 2).
Regarding claim 6, Luo discloses wherein the light emitting element layer comprises a plurality of sub pixels (see sub pixels in para. 117, 131) and a bank layer (434, fig. 4) including a plurality of second openings (see openings for light emitting layer 432, located between two pixel defining layer 343 sections) defining emission areas 432, fig. 4) of the plurality of sub pixels.
Kim discloses wherein the first opening (see opening between black matrix 710 sections in fig. 2) and the second opening (see opening between bank 140 sections in fig, 2) have corresponding shapes, and a size of the first opening is greater than or equal to that of the second opening (see fig. 2).
Regarding claim 7, Luo discloses wherein the touch sensing layer further comprises a second bridge electrode (312, fig. 2) configured to electrically connect adjacent second touch electrodes (311, fig. 2).
Regarding claim 8, Luo discloses wherein the plurality of second touch electrodes and second bridge electrode are integrally formed on a same layer (see fig. 2).
Claim(s) 9-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Luo in view of Kim in view of Tong in further view of Shin (US 2023/0056594).
Regarding claim 9, Luo fails to disclose a gap formed between a first and second opening.
Shin discloses wherein, in a top view, centers of a first opening (see opening of black matrix 1562 in fig. 16) and a second opening (see opening of bank 1530 in fig. 16) overlap each other with a gap (see gap between 1562 and 1530 in fig. 16) formed there between.
When the invention was made (pre-AIA ) or before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ), it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include the teachings of Shin in the device of Luo in view of Kim. The motivation for doing so would have been to provide excellent luminance for the side viewing of the display (Shin; para. 128).
Regarding claim 10, Shin discloses wherein the gap has a circular ring shape or a polygonal ring shape (see gap between 1562 and 1530 in fig. 16) from a plan view (para. 128).
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Luo in view of Kim in view of Tong in further view of Lius (US 2023/0056178).
Regarding claim 11, Luo fails to disclose third openings.
Lius discloses wherein the plurality of first touch electrodes (18a, fig. 1) and the plurality of second touch electrodes (22a, fig. 1) are formed in a mesh shape (para. 38) including a plurality of third openings (22b and 18b in fig. 1), wherein, in a top view, the plurality of sub pixels (PX, fig. 1) is located in the plurality of third openings (see fig. 1 and para. 37, 35), and wherein, in a top view, the sub pixel (PX, fig. 1) is not located in at least one of the plurality of third openings (18b, fig. 1).
When the invention was made (pre-AIA ) or before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ), it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include the teachings of Lius in the device of Luo in view of Kim. The motivation for doing so would have been to decrease resolution of a particular part of the display as desired and/or improve transmittance of the display (Lius; para . 36).
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Luo in view of Kim in view of Tong in further view of Pak (US 2018/0348937).
Regarding claim 12, Luo fails to disclose dummy electrodes.
Pak discloses further comprising a dummy electrode (DE in fig. 7A) formed in a mesh shape (see fig. 7A), and wherein, in a top view, the dummy electrode overlaps the plurality of first touch electrodes and the plurality of second touch electrodes (see fig. 7A-7B and para. 93).
When the invention was made (pre-AIA ) or before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ), it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include the teachings of Pak in device of Luo in view of Kim. The motivation for doing so would have been to further prevent short circuits by making sure that the bridge lines are not over etched (Pak; para. 95).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims have been considered but are moot in view of new grounds of rejection. See new citations above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Lee (US 2022/0206620) discloses wherein the planar shape of the black matrix is the same planar shape of the touch and bridge electrodes.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/ROBIN J MISHLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2628