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 § 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.
Claims 1-11 and 19-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gong et al. (US 2023/0207733) in view of Bang et al. (US 2023/0057306).
As to claim 1, Gong discloses in figures 1, 2A and 5A: a substrate 1, including a first main surface 1b and a second main surface 1a arranged opposite to each other in a thickness direction of the substrate, and side surfaces 1c between the first main surface and the second main surface, wherein the side surfaces include a set side surface 1cc; and a plurality of connection lines 4 located on the substrate, wherein the connection lines extend from the first main surface through the set side surface to the second main surface; any one connection line of the plurality of connection lines includes a first surface and a second surface that are arranged opposite to each other, the first surface is closer to the substrate than the second surface
Gong does not disclose wherein an area of the first surface is greater than an area of the second surface. However, this was a conventional structure for connection lines as evidenced by Bang. Bang discloses in figures 7-9, connection lines CDL with a trapezoidal structure such that an area of the first surface is greater than an area of the second surface. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Gong by providing connection lines with a trapezoidal structure such that an area of the first surface is greater than an area of the second surface as disclosed by Bang because conventional structures were known to be cost effective and reliable.
As to claim 2, Gong in view of Bang discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 1. Bang discloses in figures 7-9, connection lines CDL with a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape. Therefore, the connection lines have a plurality of sections made by planes parallel to the substrate (upper and lower surfaces of the trapezoid). Furthermore, an area of a section closer to the substrate (inclined side surface of the trapezoid) is smaller than an area of another section further away from the substrate (upper surface of the trapezoid).
As to claim 3, Gong in view of Bang discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 1. Bang discloses in figures 7-9, connection lines CDL with a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape.
As to claim 4, Gong in view of Bang discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 1. Bang discloses in figures 7-9, connection lines CDL with a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape. Therefore, the connection lines include two first side surfaces (inclined side surfaces of the trapezoid) arranged opposite to each other; the first side surfaces are used to connect the first surface (lower surface of the trapezoid) and the second surface (upper surface of the trapezoid). Gong in view of Bang does not disclose wherein a projection length of an orthographic projection of a first side surface on the substrate in the line width direction of the connection line is in a range of 6 µm to 25 µm. However, it was known to optimize the cross-sectional dimensions of wires such as connection lines in order to maximize conductivity. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Gong wherein a projection length of an orthographic projection of a first side surface on the substrate in the line width direction of the connection line is in a range of 6 µm to 25 µm in order to maximize conductivity.
As to claim 5, Gong in view of Bang discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 1. Gong further discloses wherein the connection lines include: a first line segment, a second line segment and a third line segment that are connected in sequence; the first line segment is located on the first main surface 1b (figure 10A), the second line segment is located on the set side surface 1cc, and the third line segment is located on the second main surface 1a (figure 10B); the second main surface 1a has a fan-out region (figure 10B); the third line segment includes a fan-out portion located in the fan-out region; the fan-out portion gradually approaches a first central axis of the wiring substrate from an end of the fan-out portion close to the second line segment to an end of the fan-out portion away from the second line segment; and the first central axis is perpendicular to the direction in which the plurality of connection lines are arranged.
Gong does not disclose wherein a length of the fan-out region in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the plurality of connection lines are arranged is in a range of 3 mm to 20 mm. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Gong wherein a length of the fan-out region in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the plurality of connection lines are arranged is in a range of 3 mm to 20 mm in order to minimize the size of the fan-out region.
As to claim 6, Gong in view of Bang discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 5, but does not disclose wherein a length of the first line segment is in a range of 0.15 mm to 0.4 mm. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Gong wherein a length of the first line segment is in a range of 0.15 mm to 0.4 mm in order to minimize the peripheral wiring section of the display.
As to claim 7, Gong in view of Bang discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 5. Gong further discloses in figure 10B, wherein the second main surface further has a lead-out region, and the lead-out region is located on a side of the fan-out region close to the set side surface 1cc, the third line segment further includes a lead-out portion located in the lead-out region, and the lead-out portion is used to connect the second line segment and the fan-out portion. Gong does not disclose wherein a length of the lead-out portion is in a range of 0.06 mm to 1 mm. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Gong wherein a length of the lead-out portion is in a range of 0.06 mm to 1 mm in order to minimize the size of the lead-out portion.
As to claim 8, Gong in view of Bang discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 7. Gong further discloses wherein extending directions of the first line segment, the second line segment and the lead-out portion that are connected in sequence are located in a same plane.
As to claim 9, Gong in view of Bang discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 5, but does not disclose wherein a ratio of a thickness of the first line segment to a thickness of the second line segment is in a range of 0.3 to 0.8 or a ratio of a thickness of the third line segment to the thickness of the second line segment is in a range of 0.3 to 0.8. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Gong wherein a ratio of a thickness of the first line segment to a thickness of the second line segment is in a range of 0.3 to 0.8 or a ratio of a thickness of the third line segment to the thickness of the second line segment is in a range of 0.3 to 0.8 in order to optimize the thickness of the connection lines to maximize conductivity.
As to claim 10, Gong in view of Bang discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 5, but does not disclose wherein a thickness of the second line segment is in a range of 0.9 µm to 5 µm, a thickness of the first line segment is in a range of 0.6 µm to 2 µm, or a thickness of the third line segment is in a range of 0.6 µm to 2 µm. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Gong wherein a thickness of the second line segment is in a range of 0.9 µm to 5 µm, a thickness of the first line segment is in a range of 0.6 µm to 2 µm, or a thickness of the third line segment is in a range of 0.6 µm to 2 µm in order to optimize the thickness of the connection lines to maximize conductivity.
As to claim 11, Gong in view of Bang discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 1. Gong further discloses in figure 2A, a plurality of first electrodes 3, wherein the first electrodes are located on the first main surface 1b and close to the set side surface 1cc, and a first electrode is electrically connected to a first line segment of the connection line 4.
As to claim 19, Gong in view of Bang discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 1. Gong further discloses in figures 1, 2A and 5A: a plurality of functional elements (light emitting devices 2); at least one circuit board (paragraph [0134], “electrodes 5 are configured to be electrically connected to the driver chip or the flexible printed circuit”); wherein an end of the connection line 4 in the wiring substrate is connected to the functional element 2, and another end of the connection line is connected to the circuit board.
As to claim 20, Gong in view of Bang discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 19. Gong does not disclose a backlight module and a liquid crystal display panel. However, it was well known to use a wiring substrate comprising light emitting diodes as a direct lit backlight for a liquid crystal display device comprising a liquid crystal display panel. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Gong by using the disclosed wiring substrate comprising light emitting diodes as a direct lit backlight for a liquid crystal display device comprising a liquid crystal display panel, because conventional structures were known to be cost effective and reliable.
As to claim 21, Gong in view of Bang discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 19. Gong further discloses in figure 1, a display panel which includes a backplane wherein the functional elements 2 include light-emitting diodes. See abstract.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-17 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: none of the prior art taught or fairly suggested a mask assembly comprising the combination required by claim 12, including: a carrier film; and an organic photosensitive material layer located on a side of the carrier film, wherein the organic photosensitive material layer includes a plurality of hollow regions; any one hollow region of the plurality of hollow regions has a plurality of sections made by planes parallel to the carrier film cutting the hollow region; among the plurality of sections, an area of a section closest to the carrier film is smaller than an area of a section farthest from the carrier film; in an extending direction of any one hollow region, the hollow region includes a first hollow portion, a second hollow portion and a third hollow portion that are communicated in sequence; the third hollow portion in any one the hollow region gradually approaches a second central axis of the mask assembly from a side of the third hollow portion close to the second hollow portion to a side of the third hollow portion away from the second hollow portion; and the second central axis is perpendicular to a direction in which the plurality of hollow regions are arranged. Claims 13-17 are allowed by virtue of their dependency.
Conclusion
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/DAVID Y CHUNG/Examiner, Art Unit 2871
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