Notice of 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 .
DETAILED ACTION
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:
“Display Device With Reduced Bezel And Varying Pixel Density In Separate Areas”.
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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moon et al. (US 2018/0083085 A1) in view of Lee et al. (US 2020/0194532 A1).
Regarding independent claim 1: Moon teaches (e.g., Figs. 15-18) a display 5device, comprising:
a display panel ([0193]: 300) including pixels ([0198]: PX) disposed on a substrate ([0170]: 110),
the substrate being divided into a first area disposed at a center area ([0195]: center portion of DA area) of the display device and
a second area ([0195]: portion of DA area spaced away from center portion) being adjacent to the first area;
a data driver ([0195]-[0196]: 460) configured to supply a data signal to the pixels through data lines; and
a gate driver ([0193]-[0194]: 500) including stages (Fig. 18; [0202]: region ST1…STn) configured to supply a gate signal to the pixels through gate lines ([0197-[0199]: G1 to Gn),
wherein each of the stages included in the gate driver (500) is disposed in one of gate areas ([0196]-[0202]), which overlaps the first area and the second area,
wherein the pixels (PX) include first pixels disposed on the first area ([0195]: PX disposed in center portion of DA area) and second pixels disposed on the second area ([0195]: PX disposed in portion of DA area spaced away from center portion).
Moon does not expressly teach that the first pixels are disposed in the first area at a first pixel density and the second pixels are disposed in the second area at a second pixel density being lower than the first pixel density.
Lee teaches (e.g., Figs. 5-6) a display device comprising
first pixels ([0120]-[0123]: pixels in SEA area) are disposed in a first area ([0120]-[0123]: SEA area) at a first pixel density ([0120]-[0123]: density of pixel in standard emission area SEA) and
a second pixels ([0120]-[0123]: pixels in DEA area) are disposed in a second area ([0120]-[0123]: DEA area) at a second pixel density ([0120]-[0123]: density of pixels in DEA area) being lower than the first pixel density ([0120]-[0123]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include in the device of Moon, the first pixels being disposed in the first area at a first pixel density and the second pixels being disposed in the second area at a second pixel density lower than the first pixel density, as taught by Lee, for the benefits of accordingly, the standard emission area SEA can provide image information with a resolution higher than that in the transparent emission area TEA and the driving emission area DEA, and thus, keeping the transparent area visually usable without sacrificing too much display area or resolution; in addition, this layout exploits the geometry of the device structure by including pixels in the peripheral regions and further improving image quality by increasing pixel regions.
Claims 2, 4-6 and 9-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moon et al. (US 2018/0083085 A1) in view of Lee et al. (US 2020/0194532 A1) as applied above and further in view of Kim et al. (US 2021/0183962 A1).
Regarding claim 2: Moon and Lee teach the claim limitation of the display device of claim 1, on which this claim depends.
Moon as modified by Lee does not expressly teach that the device further comprises first plate patterns disposed in the second area, wherein the second pixels are disposed on at least some of the first plate patterns.
Kim teaches (e.g., Figs. 1-4 and Fig. 10) a display device comprising
first plate patterns ([0042], [0050]-[0053]: 111 similar shape as 121 considered as plate shape; see [0142]-[0144]: 121) disposed in a second area ([0047]-[0050]: a portion of display area AA),
wherein a second pixels (Fig. 2; [0064] and [0087]-[0088]: PX on right side of first pixels) are disposed on at least some of the first plate patterns (111).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include in the device of Moon as modified by Lee, the structure further comprising first plate patterns disposed in the second area, wherein the second pixels are disposed on at least some of the first plate patterns, as taught by Kim, for the benefits of increasing the strengthening the device the display region.
Regarding claim 4: Moon, Lee and Kim teach the claim limitation of the display device of claim 2, on which this claim depends.
wherein the second area comprises sub areas (Kim: [0064] and [0087]-[0088]: SPX), wherein each of the sub areas is disposed adjacent to one side of the first area (Kim: Fig. 2; [0064] and [0087]-[0088]: PX on left side area).
Regarding claim 5: Moon, Lee and Kim teach the claim limitation of the display device of claim 4, on which this claim depends,
wherein the first plate patterns (Kim: 111) are disposed in each of the sub areas (Kim: SPX).
Regarding claim 6: Moon, Lee and Kim teach the claim limitation of the display device of claim 4, on which this claim depends, further comprising
second plate patterns (Kim: [0042], [0050]-[0053]: 111 similar shape as 121 considered as plate shape; see [0142]-[0144]: 121; Fig. 2 is portion of Fig. 1; including second plate patterns 121) are disposed in some of the sub areas (Kim: SPX) opposite to upper and lower sides of the first area.
Regarding claim 9: Moon, Lee and Kim teach the claim limitation of the display device of claim 2, on which this claim depends, further comprising at least one first line pattern (Kim: [0095]: 181) disposed in the second area to connect each adjacent first plate pattern (Kim: [0042] and [0050]-[0053]: 111 similar shape as 121 considered as plate shape; see [0142]-[0144]: 121).
Regarding claim 10: Moon, Lee and Kim teach the claim limitation of the display device of claim 9, on which this claim depends
further comprising at least one second line pattern (Kim: [0042] and [0074]-[0075]: 120) disposed in the second area to connect each adjacent second plate pattern (Kim: 111).
Regarding claim 11: Moon and Lee teach the claim limitation of the display device of claim 1, on which this claim depends,
Moon as modified by Lee does not expressly teach that the device further comprises at least one first line pattern and at least one second line pattern which are served as a substrate to support a connection line.
Kim teaches (e.g., Figs. 1-4 and Fig. 10) a display device comprising
first plate patterns ([0042], [0050]-[0053]: 111 similar shape as 121 considered as plate shape; see [0142]-[0144]: 121) disposed in a second area ([0047]-[0050]: a portion of display area AA);
Kim further teaches that the device comprises
at least one first line pattern (Kim: [0042] and [0074]-[0075]: vertical portion 120) and
at least one second line pattern (Kim: [0042] and [0074]-[0075]: horizontal portion 120) which are served as a substrate to support a connection line (Kim: “[0042]: … a plurality of connection supports 120, [0074]: “…plurality of connection supports 120 may be disposed between the plurality of pixel substrates 111 or between the plurality of outer substrates 121”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include in the device of Moon as modified by Lee, the structure comprising at least one first line pattern and at least one second line pattern which are served as a substrate to support a connection line, as taught by Kim, for the benefits of increasing the flexibility of the device, and thus, avoiding mechanical damage and at the same time providing additional support to the display device.
Regarding claim 12: Moon and Lee teach the claim limitation of the display device of claim 1, on which this claim depends.
Moon as modified by Lee does not expressly teach that the device further comprises a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer positioned on layers between the first and second pixels,
wherein at least a part of the first conductive layer forms a connection line having a wavy shape.
Kim teaches (e.g., Figs. 1-4) a display device comprising
a first conductive layer ([0065] and [0099]-[0103]: 181) and a second conductive layer ([0065], and [0099]-[0103]: 182) positioned on layers ([0076], [0081] and [0103]: 113,114,115) between first and second pixels ([0064] and [0070], [0073] and [0094]: left side PX and right side PX),
wherein at least a part of the first conductive layer forms a connection line having a wavy shape (Fig. 2; [0065], and [0099]-[0103]: 181 has a wavy shape).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include in the device of Moon as modified by Lee, the structure comprising a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer positioned on layers between the first and second pixels, wherein at least a part of the first conductive layer forms a connection line having a wavy shape, as taught by Kim, for the benefits of increasing the flexibility of the device, and thus, avoiding mechanical damage and at the same time providing additional support to the display device.
Regarding claim 13: Moon, Lee and Kim teach the claim limitation of the display device of claim 12, on which this claim depends,
wherein the at least a part of the first conductive layer (Kim: 181) forming the connection line is disposed directly on the line pattern serving as a substrate (Kim: [0042]-[0044]: 110a).
Regarding claim 14: Moon, Lee and Kim teach the claim limitation of the display device of claim 12, on which this claim depends,
wherein the at least a part of the first conductive layer is arranged to form a shielding pattern (Kim: [0065] and [0099]-[0103]: conductive layer 181 is arranged as a shielding layer, Fig. 3 for layers under it; thus this meets the claim limitation requirement).
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moon et al. (US 2018/0083085 A1) in view of Lee et al. (US 2020/0194532 A1) as applied above and further in view of Tsubuku et al. (US 2017/0170326 A1).
Regarding claim 3: Moon and Lee teach the claim limitation of the display device of claim 1, on which this claim depends.
Moon as modified by Lee does not expressly teach that each of the gate area extends along a first direction of the display device, and
the gate areas are spaced apart from each other along a second direction of the display device,
the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction, and
wherein the first direction is from top to bottom of the display device.
Tsubuku teaches (e.g., Fig. 35B and Annotated Fig. 35B) a display device comprising gate areas (Annotated Fig. 35B)
each of the gate area extends along a first direction (Annotated Fig. 35B) of the display device (Annotated Fig. 35B), and
the gate areas are spaced apart from each other along a second direction (Annotated Fig. 35B) of the display device,
the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction (Annotated Fig. 35B), and
wherein the first direction is from top to bottom (Annotated Fig. 35B) of the display device.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include in the device of Moon as modified by Lee, the structure comprising gate area extending along a first direction of the display device, and the gate areas being spaced apart from each other along a second direction of the display device, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction, and wherein the first direction is from top to bottom of the display device, as taught by Tsubuku, for the benefits of increasing the pixel density and thus improving the image quality of the display.
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-8 and 15 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 7: the cited prior art of record, either singly or in proper combination, does not teach or make obvious, along with the other claimed features, a display device comprising:
“wherein the gate driver is disposed on the second plate patterns, and wherein the second plate patterns are disposed between the first plate patterns”.
Regarding claim 8: the cited prior art of record, either singly or in proper combination, does not teach or make obvious, along with the other claimed features, a display device comprising:
“wherein the first plate patterns and the second plate patterns are disposed integrally in the some of the sub areas opposite to the upper and lower sides of the first area,
extend in the second direction parallel to the upper and lower sides of the first area, and are spaced apart from each other in the first direction perpendicular to the second direction”.
Regarding claim 15: the cited prior art of record, either singly or in proper combination, does not teach or make obvious, along with the other claimed features, a display device comprising:
“wherein the shielding pattern is arranged between at least a part of a third conductive layer serving as a clock line and an anode of a pixel, and wherein the shielding pattern has a width larger than a width of the anode of the pixel and the pixel”.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HERVE-LOUIS Y ASSOUMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-2606. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 08:30 AM-5:30 PM.
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/HERVE-LOUIS Y ASSOUMAN/ Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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