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 .
Foreign Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in China on 5/13/2024. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the CN 202410592896 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55. Examiner notes that an access code was provided as part of the application data sheet, however the USPTO was unable to retrieve a certified copy.
Objections
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
The lines 300 and 500 are referred to interchangeably as connection lines and connecting lies throughout the specification.
Examples include, but are not limited to:
Paragraph 41 identifies lines 31 as connecting lines, while paragraph 44 refers to them as connection lines.
Paragraph 54, refers to lines 500 as connection lines in the first sentence and in the fifth sentence refers to them as connecting lines.
It is noted that third connection lines 700 are only referred to as connection lines in paragraphs 78-81 and 91.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 6 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 6 recites, “the display panel according to claim 1, further including a plurality of second connection lines and a plurality of second filling lines, wherein: the plurality of second connection lines is electrically connected to the plurality of first connection lines; one first light-emitting element and one corresponding first pixel circuit are electrically connected through a corresponding one of the plurality of first connection lines and a corresponding one of the plurality of second connection lines; and the plurality of second filling lines is arranged in a layer same as the plurality of second connection lines and is located between at least a portion of two adjacent first connecting lines.”
In claim one the “connection lines” are referred to as connecting lines.
For purposes of examination, claim 6 is interpreted to read “The display panel according to claim 1, further including a plurality of second connecting lines and a plurality of second filling lines, wherein: the plurality of second connecting lines is electrically connected to the plurality of first connecting lines; one first light-emitting element and one corresponding first pixel circuit are electrically connected through a corresponding one of the plurality of first connecting lines and a corresponding one of the plurality of second connecting lines; and the plurality of second filling lines is arranged in a layer same as the plurality of second connecting lines and is located between at least a portion of two adjacent first connecting lines.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections 35 U.S.C § 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.
Claims 1, 2, 12 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shi et al. (US Pub. 20230032526), hereinafter referred to as Shi.
Regarding claim 1, Shi teaches a display panel (Shi, 10, Fig. 1, para. 73), comprising;
a first display (Shi, AA1, para 70) area and a second display area (Shi, AA2, AA3, Fig. 1, para. 70), wherein the second display area at least partially surrounds the first display area (Shi, Fig. 1), and light transmittance of the first display area is larger than light transmittance of the second display area (Shi, para. 73); light-emitting elements including first light-emitting elements (Shi, 41, Fig. 11, paras. 87, 127) disposed in the first display area; pixel circuits including first pixel circuits (Shi, 412, Fig. 11, para. 127) disposed in the second display area, wherein the first pixel circuits are used to drive the first light-emitting elements to emit light (Shi, para. 127); a plurality of first connecting lines, wherein one first light-emitting element and one corresponding first pixel circuit are electrically connected through a corresponding one of the plurality of first connecting lines (Shi, 110, Fig. 11, para. 89); and a plurality of first filling lines disposed in a layer same as the plurality of first connecting lines (Shi, 110, Fig. 10, para. 138, referencing the disconnected or dummy lines), wherein the plurality of first filling lines is located between at least a portion of two adjacent first connecting lines (Shi Fig. 10), and an extension direction of the plurality of first filling lines intersects with an extension direction of the plurality of first connecting lines (Shi, Fig. 10, see diagram below).
Regarding claim 2, Shi teaches the display panel according to claim 1, wherein: the plurality of first filling lines forms a plurality of first filling line groups (Shi, Fig. 10, see diagram below), and one of the plurality of first filling line groups includes multiple first filling lines of the plurality of first filling lines that are adjacent and parallel to each other (Shi, Fig. 10, see diagram below).
Regarding claim 12, Shi teaches the display panel according to claim 1, wherein: at least some of the plurality of first filling lines have different lengths (Shi, Fig. 10, see diagram, group 1 and group 2 have markedly different length, and each member of different group has a slightly different length).
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Regarding claim 15, Shi teaches a display device (Shi, para 41 describes Fig. 1 as being a display apparatus), comprising a display panel (Shi, 10, Fig. 1, para. 73), wherein the display panel includes; a first display (Shi, AA1, para 70) area and a second display area (Shi, AA2, AA3, Fig. 1, para. 70), wherein the second display area at least partially surrounds the first display area (Shi, Fig. 1), and light transmittance of the first display area is larger than light transmittance of the second display area (Shi, para. 73); light-emitting elements including first light-emitting elements (Shi, 41, Fig. 11, paras. 87, 127) disposed in the first display area; pixel circuits including first pixel circuits (Shi, 412, Fig. 11, para. 127) disposed in the second display area, wherein the first pixel circuits are used to drive the first light-emitting elements to emit light (Shi, para. 127); a plurality of first connecting lines, wherein one first light-emitting element and one corresponding first pixel circuit are electrically connected through a corresponding one of the plurality of first connecting lines (Shi, 110, Fig. 11, para. 89); and a plurality of first filling lines disposed in a layer same as the plurality of first connecting lines (Shi, 110, Fig. 10, para. 138, referencing the disconnected or dummy lines), wherein the plurality of first filling lines is located between at least a portion of two adjacent first connecting lines (Shi Fig. 1), and an extension direction of the plurality of first filling lines intersects with an extension direction of the plurality of first connecting lines (Shi, Fig. 10, see diagram above).
Claim Rejections 35 U.S.C § 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 4, 6, 9 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shi.
Regarding claim 4, Shi teaches the display panel according to claim 2, but does not explicitly wherein: in the plurality of first filling line group, a distance between any two adjacent first filling lines is same.
However, it would be obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to keep the intervals between the connecting lines and filling lines the same to reduce diffraction and reduce glare (Shi, para. 124).
Regarding claim 6, as best understood based on the objection above, Shi teaches the display panel according to claim 1, but does not teach further including a plurality of second connection lines and a plurality of second filling lines, wherein: the plurality of second connection lines is electrically connected to the plurality of first connecting lines; one first light-emitting element and one corresponding first pixel circuit are electrically connected through a corresponding one of the plurality of first connecting lines and a corresponding one of the plurality of second connecting lines; and the plurality of second filling lines is arranged in a layer same as the plurality of second connecting lines and is located between at least a portion of two adjacent first connecting lines.
However, Shi does teach a cathode layer (Shi, 41C, Fig. 12, para. 134) which is electrically connected to the light emitting element (Shi, 41B, Fig. 12, para. 134), and first connection line (Shi, 10, 1Fig. 12, para. 89). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to use a connection line and dummy line method similar to that used for the first connection lines in order to further reduce the diffraction of light in the first display area (Shi para. 124).
Regarding claim 9, Shi teaches the display panel according to claim 6, wherein: the plurality of first filling lines forms a plurality of first filling line groups (Shi, Fig. 10), wherein one of the plurality of first filling line groups includes multiple first filling lines of the plurality of first filling lines that are adjacent and parallel to each other (Shi Fig. 10); and the plurality of second filling lines forms a plurality of second filling line groups (Shi, Fig. 10, because the second connecting lines and filling lines are made in a similar pattern to first filling and connecting lines110, they will be likewise grouped), wherein one of the plurality of second filling line groups includes multiple second filling lines of the plurality of second filling lines that are adjacent and parallel to each other (Shi, Fig. 10, because the second connecting lines and filling lines are made in a similar pattern to first filling and connecting lines110, they will be likewise grouped).
Regarding claim 10, Shi teaches the display panel according to claim 9, wherein: in the plurality of first filling line group, a distance between any two adjacent first filling lines is d1 (Shi, Fig. 11, see diagram above); in the plurality of second filling line group, a distance between any two adjacent second filling lines is d2 (Shi, Fig. 11, see diagram above); and d1 is equal to or different from d2 (Shi, Fig. 11, because they are made from the same technique (see claim 6 above), the distances will be equal).
Claim 14 /are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shi as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Wu et al. (CN 112186021), hereinafter referred to as Wu
Regarding claim 14, Shi teaches the display panel according to claim 1, but does not teach wherein: one first connecting line of the plurality of first connecting lines includes a first routing line and a second routing line which are arranged in a same layer and are electrically connected to each other, wherein the first routing line is at least partially located in the second display area and is electrically connected to one corresponding first pixel circuit; and the second routing line is at least partially located in the first display area and is electrically connected to one corresponding first light-emitting element; and the plurality of first filling lines is arranged between at least a portion of two adjacent first routing lines; and/or the plurality of first filling lines is arranged between at least a portion of two adjacent second routing lines.
However, Wu teaches a display panel wherein there is a first display area (Wu, DA1, Fig.2) , and a second display area (Wu, DA1, Fig. 2) wherein the pixel circuits for the light emitting elements in the first area are located in the second area and are connected to the light emitting elements by connecting lines (Wu, 130, Fig. 2). Further, these connecting lines are made up of two separate portions (Wu, 131, 133, Fig. 2) wherein the first portion is made up of a metal write and the second is made up of ndium tin oxide (Indium tin oxide, ITO), indium zinc oxide (Indium Zinc Oxide, IZO) and other transparent conductive material. Additionally, Fig 5 which shows a variation of this wherein there is a second metal section shows that wire section 131 and 133 both are placed in the device layer (Wu, 102, Fig. 5).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the are to combine the wires of Wu with the layout of Shi in order to improve the uniformity of the display brightness of the display areas (Wu, abstract)
Allowable Material
Claims 3-5, 7, 8, 11 and 13 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.
Regarding claim 3, Shi teaches the display panel according to claim 2, but does not teach wherein: in the plurality of first filling line group, a distance between any two adjacent first filling lines is d1, and 1 μm≤d1≤11 μm. Shi is mute on the spacing and no other prior art of record suggests the listed intervals.
Regarding claim 5, Shi teaches the display panel according to claim 2, but does not teach wherein: in the plurality of first filling line group, a distance between any two adjacent first filling lines is one of 2 μm, 5 μm, or 10 μm. Shi is mute on the spacing and no other prior art of record suggests the listed intervals.
Regarding claim 7, Shi teaches the display panel according to claim 6, but does not teach, nor does the prior art of record suggest wherein: in a thickness direction of the display panel, one of the plurality of first connecting lines at least partially overlaps with a corresponding one of the plurality of second connecting lines; and/or in the thickness direction of the display panel, one of the plurality of first filling lines at least partially overlaps with a corresponding one of the plurality of second filling lines.
Regarding claim 8, Shi teaches the display panel according to claim 6, but does not teach nor does the prior art of record suggest wherein: in a thickness direction of the display panel, one of the plurality of first connecting lines and a corresponding one of the plurality of second connecting lines are at least partially spaced apart from each other; and/or in the thickness direction of the display panel, one of the plurality of first filling lines and a corresponding one of the plurality of second filling lines are at least partially spaced apart from each other.
Regarding claim 11, Shi teaches the display panel according to claim 6, but does not teach, nor does the prior art of record suggest, further including a plurality of third connection lines, wherein: in the thickness direction of the display panel, a film layer where the plurality of third connecting lines is located is located between a film layer where the plurality of first connecting lines is located and a film layer where the plurality of second connecting lines is located; and one of the plurality of first connecting lines is electrically connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of second connecting lines via a corresponding one of the plurality of third connecting lines.
Regarding claim 13, Shi teaches the display panel according to claim 1, but does not teach, nor does the prior art of record suggest, wherein: along a direction perpendicular to an extension direction of the plurality of first connecting lines, there are a dense area with relatively dense arrangement of the plurality of first connecting lines and a sparse area with relatively sparse arrangement of the plurality of first connecting lines; and the plurality of first filling lines is arranged in the dense area and/or the plurality of first filling lines is arranged in the sparse area.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Wang et al. (CN 112038381) teaches a display panel with physically separate circuits and pixels linked by connecting lines.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KIERAN M CUNNINGHAM whose telephone number is (571)272-9654. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8:30-5:30.
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/KIERAN M. CUNNINGHAM/Examiner, Art Unit 2893
/Britt Hanley/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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