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 § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Moon et al. (US 2022/0115490).
Regarding claim 1, Moon discloses a display substrate, comprising:
a base substrate, comprising a display region (DA, fig. 1 and paragraph 0052) and a bezel region on at least one side of the display region (peripheral area outside DA, fig. 1 and paragraph 0053);
a first electrode on the base substrate, wherein the first electrode extends from the
display region to the bezel region (PL portion connected to bus, figs. 1-4B and paragraphs 0052-0056);
a first power bus between a layer where the first electrode is located and the base
substrate, wherein the first power bus is in the bezel region and is electrically connected with the first electrode (PBL1, figs. 1-4B and paragraphs 0052-0056);
a first power line between the layer where the first electrode is located and the base
substrate, wherein the first power line is in the display region (PL,fig. 1), is of a mesh structure (paragraph 0073), and is electrically connected with the first power bus (paragraphs 0052-0056).
Regarding claim 20, Moon further discloses a display device comprising the display substrate according to claim 1 (fig. 1).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 2, 4, 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moon et al. (US 2022/0115490) in view of Choi et al. (US 2023/0326409).
Regarding claim 2, Moon discloses the display substrate according to claim 1, as mentioned above. Moon explicitly discloses a mesh power line (paragraph 0073) but does not disclose the details of a plurality of first sub-power lines, extending in a first direction and arranged in a second direction; and
a plurality of second sub-power lines, extending in the second direction and arranged in
the first direction;
wherein the first sub-power lines are electrically connected with the second sub-power
lines, the first sub-power lines are in a same layer as the second sub-power lines, or the first sub-power lines and the second sub-power lines are in different layers, and the first direction intersects with the second direction.
However, such details of a mesh power line are well known in the art and would therefore be deemed obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art a the time of filing given Moon’s explicit disclosure of mesh power line. To illustrate such known details see Choi (fig. 4C and paragraphs 0033-0034).
Regarding claim 4, Choi further discloses wherein the display region
comprises a plurality of sub-pixel columns extending in the first direction and arranged in the second direction; the first sub-power lines are located in at least part of the plurality of sub-pixel columns (standard array, fig. 4 and paragraphs 0033-0034).
Regarding claim 6, Choi further discloses wherein the display region comprises a plurality of sub-pixel rows extending in the second direction and arranged in the first direction; the second sub-power lines are located in at least part of the plurality of sub-pixel rows (standard array, fig. 4 and paragraphs 0033-0034).
Regarding claim 7, Moon further discloses wherein the bezel region comprises a first bezel region and a second bezel region opposite to each other on both sides of the display region, and the first bezel region and the second bezel
region both extend in the second direction;
the first power bus comprises a first sub-power bus in the first bezel region and/or the
second bezel region, and the first sub-power bus is electrically connected with the first sub-power line and the first electrode respectively (fig. 1 and paragraphs 0052-0058).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 5 and 8-19 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 3, there is no teaching or suggestion in the art of record disclosing the display substrate according to claim 2, wherein the display region
comprises a plurality of pixel columns and a plurality of dummy sub-pixel columns extending in the first direction and arranged in the second direction;
at least one dummy sub-pixel column is arranged between at least one pair of adjacent
pixel columns, and the first sub-power lines are located in the dummy sub-pixel columns.
Regarding claim 5, there is no teaching or suggestion in the art of record disclosing the display substrate according to claim 2, wherein the display region comprises a plurality of sub-pixel rows and a plurality of dummy sub-pixel rows extending in the second direction and arranged in the first direction;
at least one dummy sub-pixel row is arranged between at least one pair of adjacent sub-pixel rows, and the second sub-power lines are located in the dummy sub-pixel rows.
Regarding claim 8, there is no teaching or suggestion in the art of record disclosing the display substrate according to claim 7, wherein the first sub-power bus
comprises a first branch and a second branch extending in the second direction, and a third branch connecting the first branch and the second branch;
wherein the first branch is arranged adjacent to the display region and is electrically
connected with the first sub-power line, and the second branch is arranged on a side of the first branch away from the display region and is electrically connected with the first electrode.
Claims 9-14 depend on claim 8.
Regarding claim 15, there is no teaching or suggestion in the art of record disclosing the display substrate according to claim 2, wherein the bezel region comprises a third bezel region and a fourth bezel region opposite to each other on both sides of the display region, and the third bezel region and the fourth bezel region both extend in the first direction;
the first power bus comprises a second sub-power bus in the third bezel region and/or
the fourth bezel region, and the second sub-power bus is electrically connected with the second sub-power line.
Claims 16-18 depend on claim 15.
Regarding claim 19, there is no teaching or suggestion in the art of record disclosing the display substrate according to claim 2 further comprising: a first active layer, a first gate metal layer, a second gate metal layer, a second active layer, a third gate metal layer, a first source-drain metal layer, a second source- drain metal layer and a third source-drain metal layer sequentially arranged on the base substrate and insulated from each other;
wherein the first sub-power line and the second sub-power line are arranged in at least
one of: the first gate metal layer, the second gate metal layer, the third gate metal layer, the first source-drain metal layer, the second source-drain metal layer or the third source-drain metal layer.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US Patent Application Publication 2020/0273928 discloses a display with a relevant mesh power line.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DOUGLAS M MENZ whose telephone number is (571)272-1877. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jacob Choi can be reached at 469-295-9060. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DOUGLAS M MENZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2897 9/21/26
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