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 .
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.
Claims 1-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, regards as the invention.
Regarding Claim 1: The claim recites a sequence of areas: "wherein the first area is disposed between the active area and the second area... wherein the third area is disposed between the second area and the fourth area... wherein the second area and the third area are disposed between the first area and the fourth area." This description is unnecessarily convoluted. While it defines a sequential order (Active → 1st → 2nd → 3rd → 4th), the redundant clause stating that the "second and third areas are disposed between the first area and the fourth area" adds ambiguity regarding whether the order is strictly linear or if other geometric arrangements are intended. Additionally, claims 2-12 are rejected herewith by virtue of claim dependency.
Regarding Claim 13: The claim recites "wherein a side surface of the first touch line part and a side surface of the second touch line part face each other." It is unclear what specific structural configuration allows the side surfaces of two line parts to "face each other." This language implies a specific geometric shape (e.g., a slit, a diamond pattern, or a bifurcated trace) that is not explicitly defined in the claim body, rendering the metes and bounds of the claim uncertain. Additionally, claims 14-19 are rejected herewith by virtue of claim dependency.
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 of this title, 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.
Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US 2019/0121479).
With respect to Claim 1, Lee teaches a display device comprising:
a substrate having an active area and a non-active area (Lee: Para. [0035]), the non-active area including a first area, a second area, a third area, and a fourth area (Lee: Para. [0055], the non-active area N/A includes distinct regions: a "link area" (first area), a "bent area" (second area), and a "pad area" (fourth area). While Lee fails to expressly disclose “a third area.” The Office takes Official Notice that Lee inherently teaches a third area (routing region) connecting the bent area to the pad area to allow for electrical connection. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that a physical region of the substrate exists between the bend (second area) and the pads (fourth area) to support the extending lines.);
a light-emitting element disposed on the substrate and overlapping the active area (Lee: Para. [0037] – [0039], organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) disposed in the active area);
a touch layer disposed on the substrate and having a main touch area overlapping the active area (Lee: Para. [0037]); and
an encapsulation layer disposed between the light-emitting element and the touch layer (Lee: [0038]),
wherein the first area is disposed between the active area and the second area,
wherein the third area is disposed between the second area and the fourth area
wherein the second area and the third area are disposed between the first area and the fourth area (Lee: Fig. 5, active area AA, Link Area (First), Bent Area (Second), Pad Area (Fourth); Para. [0055], link area located between the active area AA and the bent area, and pad area located in a portion adjacent to the bent area"),
wherein the touch layer includes touch electrodes disposed in the main touch area and touch lines connected to the touch electrodes, a portion of the touch lines overlapping the non-active area (Lee: Para. [0051]), and
wherein the touch lines include a first touch line part overlapping the first area of the substrate and a second touch line part overlapping the third area of the substrate (Lee: Para. [0055], touch lines traverse the link area (first) and continue through the bent area to the pad area (third/fourth)),
wherein the touch layer further includes a touch insulating layer disposed on the touch lines (Lee: Para. [0062], the first insulating layer 610 as a touch insulating layer),
wherein the touch insulating layer comprises a first portion overlapping the first touch line part and a second portion overlapping the second touch line part (Lee: Para. [0062], a first insulating layer 610 in a non-active area N/A), and
wherein the touch insulating layer does not overlap the second area of the substrate (Lee: Para. [0075], [0080] – [0082], patterning the insulating layer in the bent area (second area) to prevent cracking. Lee discloses that in the bent area, the insulating layer includes an "opened area" or is patterned to have a region with a lower height. By removing the layer in this region (creating an "opened area"), the touch insulating layer does not overlap the substrate in the manner of a continuous layer).
With respect to Claim 2, Lee teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the second area comprises an area where the substrate is bent (Lee, Para. [0051]), and
wherein the fourth area is an area where a plurality of pads are disposed on the substrate (Lee: [0055]).
With respect to Claim 3, Lee teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the touch insulating layer and the second portion of the touch insulating layer are spaced apart from each other in a cross-sectional view (Lee: Para. [0077], if the layer is opened or removed in the central bending region, the remaining portions of the insulating layer on either side are necessarily spaced apart in a cross-sectional view).
With respect to Claim 4, Lee teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the touch insulating layer directly contacts the first touch line part, and
wherein the second portion of the touch insulating layer directly contacts the second touch line part (Lee: Para. [0062], first touch line TL1 is disposed on or under the first insulating layer 610 in the non-active area N/A).
With respect to Claim 5, Lee teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the touch lines further include a third touch line part overlapping the second area of the substrate,
wherein the third touch line part includes a source connection electrode, and
wherein the source connection electrode is disposed on a layer different from the first touch line part and the second touch line part (Lee: Para. [0063], third touch line TL3 (corresponding to the source connection electrode) disposed on a different layer, specifically the layer where data lines are disposed. The data line layer is a different layer from the touch line layer (TL1/TL2)).
With respect to Claim 6, Lee teaches the display device of claim 5, wherein the source connection electrode is electrically connected to the first touch line part and the second touch line part (Lee: Para. [0065], the source connection electrode (TL3) is electrically connected to the second touch line TL2).
With respect to Claim 7, Lee teaches the display device of claim 6, wherein the touch insulating layer does not directly contact the source connection electrode (Lee: Para. [0063], because the first insulating layer (610) is separated from the third touch line (TL3) by the second insulating layer (620), they do not directly contact each other).
With respect to Claim 8, Lee teaches the display device of claim 7, wherein the touch insulating layer directly contacts the first touch line part and the second touch line part (Lee: Para. [0062]).
With respect to Claim 9, Lee teaches the display device of claim 6, further comprising:
an insulating layer disposed between the substrate and the light-emitting element; and
a display conductive layer disposed between the substrate and the insulating layer (Lee: Para. [0038] – [0040], [0063], the standard OLED backplane structure including an insulating layer between the substrate and light emitting element, and a display conductive layer (data line DL layer)),
wherein the display conductive layer includes an electrode electrically connected to the light-emitting element and the source connection electrode (Lee: Para. [0063], third touch line TL3 on the same layer as data line DL).
With respect to Claim 10, Lee teaches the display device of claim 9, further comprising:
a via layer disposed between the source connection electrode and the substrate (Lee: Fig. 6, Para. [0063], planarization layer PLN on the lower layer Pi); and
a bending protective layer disposed on the source connection electrode, wherein the bending protective layer overlaps a portion of the first touch line part (Lee: Fig. 6, Para. [0063], protective layer 640 on the first touch line TL1; Para. [0070], protective layer 830 on the metal wire 820).
With respect to Claim 11, Lee teaches the display device of claim 10, wherein the bending protective layer contacts the touch insulating layer (Lee: Fig. 6, the protective layer 640 is on the first touch line TL1 and insulating layers).
With respect to Claim 12, Lee teaches the display device of claim 5, wherein the encapsulation layer does not overlap the second area of the substrate (Lee: Para. [0064]).
Claims 13-15 and 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee in view of Kwon et al. (US 2015/0382446, hereinafter “Kwon”).
With respect to Claim 13, Lee teaches a display device comprising:
a display member including a substrate having an active area and a non-active area around the active area (Lee: Fig. 4), and light-emitting elements disposed on the substrate (Lee: Para. [0037] – [0039], organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) disposed in the active area), the non-active area including a bending region (Lee: Fig. 5, Para. [0051], a bent area disposed in the N/A region); and
a touch member disposed on the display member and having a main touch area (Lee: Fig. 5, Para. [0051]),
wherein the touch member includes touch electrodes disposed in the main touch area, touch lines connected to the touch electrodes and a touch insulating layer disposed on the touch lines, the main touch area corresponding to the active area and a portion of the touch lines corresponding to the non-active area (Lee: Fig. 5, Para. [0051]),
wherein the touch lines include a first touch line part disposed on a first side of the bending region and a second touch line part disposed on a second side of the bending region, the first side of the bending region being interposed between the active area and the second side of the bending region (Lee: Para. [0055], touch lines traverse the link area (first) and continue through the bent area to the pad area (third/fourth)), and
wherein the touch insulating layer does not directly contact the side surface of the first touch line part and the side surface of the second touch line part (Lee: Para. [0077], opened area or gap in the insulating layer in the bend. Since the insulating layer is removed/opened in the region where the rhombic traces (with facing side surfaces) are located, the insulating layer does not directly contact those specific side surfaces in the bend gap.).
Lee, fails to expressly disclose:
wherein a side surface of the first touch line part and a side surface of the second touch line part face each other.
However, Kwon discloses:
wherein a side surface of the first touch line part and a side surface of the second touch line part face each other (Kwon: Fig. 8A-B, a diamond trace design for flexible display wires where a trace splits into sub-trace A and sub-trace B that face each other).
Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the display device, as taught by Lee, to incorporate the rhombic/diamond trace geometry, as taught by Kwon, in order to further enhance crack resistance (Kwon: Para. [0086] – [0087]).
With respect to Claim 14, the combination of Lee as modified by Kwon teaches the display device of claim 13,
wherein the touch insulating layer directly contacts an upper surface of the first touch line part and an upper surface of the second touch line part (Lee: Fig. 6, touch insulating layer 610 contacts the surface of the touch lines in the areas where it is present).
With respect to Claim 15, the combination of Lee as modified by Kwon teaches the display device of claim 14,
wherein the touch insulating layer comprises a first portion which directly contacts the upper surface of the first touch line part and a second portion which directly contacts the upper surface of the second touch line part, and
wherein the first portion of the touch insulating layer and the second portion of the touch insulating layer are spaced apart from each other in a cross-sectional view (Lee: Para. [0077], the insulating layer has an opened area in the bend, resulting in the insulating layer portions in the first and third areas being space apart in a cross-sectional view).
With respect to Claim 18, the combination of Lee as modified by Kwon teaches the display device of claim 13, wherein the touch lines further include a third touch line part disposed between the first touch line part and the second touch line part,
wherein the third touch line part includes a source connection electrode disposed in the bending region and electrically connected to the first touch line part and the second touch line part (Lee: Para. [0063], third touch line TL3 (corresponding to the source connection electrode) disposed on a different layer, specifically the layer where data lines are disposed. The data line layer is a different layer from the touch line layer (TL1/TL2)).
With respect to Claim 19, the combination of Lee as modified by Kwon teaches the display device of claim 18, wherein the display member further includes:
a buffer layer disposed on the substrate (Kwon: Para. [0085], [0118], multi-buffer layer 118);
a first display conductive layer disposed on the buffer layer (Kwon: Para. [0072], [0121], gate lines);
a first insulating layer disposed on the first display conductive layer (Kwon: Para. [0082], [0121], gate insulation layer (GI layer) that insulates the semiconductor/gate structure);
a second display conductive layer disposed on the first insulating layer (Kwon: Para. [0121], data/drain of the TFT);
a protective layer disposed on the second display conductive layer (Kwon: Para. [0121], passivation layer formed over the source/drain electrodes);
a via layer disposed between the second display conductive layer and the substrate (Kwon: Fig. Para. [0121], interlayer dielectric layer (ILD)); and
a bending protective layer disposed between the via layer and the protective layer in the bending region (Kwon: Para. [0085], passivation layer 208 covering the edge of the conductive lines in the bend), and
wherein the second display conductive layer includes the source connection electrode (Kwon: Para. [0072], conductive lines extend from the central portion to the bend portions).
Claims 16 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee in view of Kwon, as applied to claims 13-15 and 18-19 above, and further in view of KyunKyung Lee et al. (US 2018/0183001, hereinafter “Lee2”).
With respect to Claim 16, the combination of Lee as modified by Kwon discloses the display device of claim 15.
The combination of Lee and Kwon teaches the flexible display structure with split touch lines and insulating layer gap in the bend. The combination fails to explicitly detail a polarization member in the non-active area. Lee as modified by Kwon fail to expressly disclose:
a polarization member disposed on the first side of the bending region on the first touch line part, wherein the polarization member includes a polarizing layer which overlaps the first portion of the touch insulating layer.
However, Lee2 discloses:
a polarization member disposed on the first side of the bending region on the first touch line part, wherein the polarization member includes a polarizing layer which overlaps the first portion of the touch insulating layer (Lee2: Fig. 1B, Para. [0066], "one side S2 of the polarization layer 130... is adjacent to the bending area B/A”).
Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the display device, as taught by Lee and Kwon, to incorporate the polarization layer, as taught by Lee2, in order to improve outdoor visibility (Lee2: Para. [0061]).
With respect to Claim 17, the combination of Lee as modified by Kwon and Lee2 discloses the display device of claim 16, wherein the polarizing layer does not overlap the second portion of the touch insulating layer (Lee2: Fig. 1B, Para. [0066], the polarization layer 130 is disposed on the display area (active area) and first non-display area, but ends before the bending area. Therefore, the polarizer would not overlap the "third area" or the "second portion of the touch insulating layer" located on the far side of the bend.).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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/BRYAN EARLES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2625