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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/24/2025 and 05/01/2025 have been considered by the examiner.
Response to Amendment
Receipt is acknowledged of applicant' s amendment filed 11/14/2024. Claims 8-9,11,13, 16-17, 19,25-26 cancelled by applicant. Claims 1-7, 10, 12,14-15,18,20-24 and 27-29 are pending and an action on the merits is as follows.
Drawings amendments are acknowledged.
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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim 1, 27 and 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a2 as being anticipated by
Wang et al. (US 20230269975 A).
Regarding claim 1, Wang discloses a substrate(Fure 1-18 and corresponding text) having multiple edges; the substrate(Figures 2-3) comprising a device region(AA1) and at least one bonding region(AA3), the at least one bonding region(AA3)being closer to any edge of the substrate relative to the device region(AA1); the substrate further comprising: a base (substrate 10);a plurality of device groups (pixel driving circuits 10a, light emitting element 200), located on a side of the base (10), wherein the plurality of device groups (l0a,200) are located in the device region (AA1), and the plurality of device groups (l0a,200) are arranged along both a first direction (Fig.2: horizontal/row direction) and a second direction (Fig.2: vertical/column direction), the first direction(row direction) intersecting the second direction (column direction), and the first direction (row direction) and the second direction (column direction) being parallel to the base (10); and a device group (10a,b200) includes at least one electronic component (light emitting element 200);a plurality of signal line groups (groups of signal lines 21, 22), located on the same side of the base (10) as the plurality of device groups (l0a,200), wherein a signal line group (21,22}) includes multiple signal lines (21,22), the multiple signal lines (21,22) all extend along the second direction (column direction), and the multiple signal lines (21,22) are arranged at intervals along the first direction (row direction) (see Fig.2) any signal line (21,22) extends from a bonding region (AA3) to the device region (AA1), and any signal line (21,22) is electrically connected to a column of device groups (10a,200) arranged along the second direction (column direction)(see Fig.2); and a plurality of bridging parts (jumper wires 27), located on the same side of the base (10) as the plurality of device groups (l0a,200), wherein at least one bridging part (27) is located in the device region (AA1) ( see Fig. 6);wherein at least two signal lines (see Fig.6: each of 21,or each of 22) in at least one signal line group ({21,22})are electrically connected together through a bridging part(27) (see Fig.6: the plurality of first signal wires 21 are respectively electrically connected through at least one jumper wire 27, and the plurality of second signal wires 22 are electrically connected through at least one jumper wire(27).
Regarding claim 27, Wang discloses wherein at least one of the pluralities of bridging parts (27) (Figure 3) is a jumper resistor.
Regarding claim 28 an electrostatic loop, disposed around the plurality of device groups and electrically connected to the bonding region; and a circuit board, electrically connected to the bonding region (π54)
Regarding claim 29, Wang discloses an electronic apparatus (Figure 17), comprising the substrate according to claim 1(see rejection above).
Claim 1 and 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a2 as being anticipated by Wang et al. (US 20230269976 A1) (W976, here after).
Regarding claim 1, W976 discloses a substrate (Fig .1), having multiple edges (see Fig.1); the substrate comprising a device region (light emitting area AA) and at least one bonding region (terminal area [of terminals 31, 32, 33, 34] in the bottom frame area NA), the at least one bonding region (terminal
area) being closer to any edge of the substrate (see Fig.1) relative to the device region (AA); the substrate further comprising: a base (Fig.3: substrate 10); a plurality of device groups (pixel driving circuits 20a,light emitting element 200), located on a side of the base(10), wherein the plurality of device groups (20a,200) are located in the device region (AA), and the plurality of device groups (20a,200) are arranged along both a first direction(Fig.1: horizontal/row direction) and a second direction(Fig.1: vertical/column direction), the first direction (row direction) intersecting the second direction(column direction), and the first direction (row direction) and the second direction (column direction) being parallel to the base (10); and a device group (20a,200) includes at least one electronic component (light emitting element 200) ; a plurality of signal line groups (groups of signal lines,23,24), located on the same side of the base (10) as the plurality of device groups (20a,200), wherein a signal line group ({23,24}) includes multiple signal lines (23,24), the multiple signal lines (23,24) all extend along the second direction (column direction), and the multiple signal lines(23,24) are arranged at intervals along the first direction( row direction) ;any signal line (23,24) extends from a bonding region (terminal area) to the device region (AA), and any signal line (23,24) is electrically connected to a column of device groups (20a,200) arranged along the second direction (column direction); and a plurality of bridging parts (jumper wires 25, 26), located on the same side of the base (10) as the plurality of device groups (20a,200), wherein at least one bridging part (25,26) is located in the device region (AA) (see Figs.7, 8) ;wherein at least two signal lines (Fig.7,8: each of 23, or
each of 24) in at least one signal line group ({23,24}) are electrically connected together through a bridging part (25,26) (see Figs.7,8: the first jumper 25 and each of the first signal transfer lines 23 are intersected and electrically connected to each other, the second jumper 26 and each of the second signal transfer lines 24 are intersected and electrically connected to each other).
Regarding claim 29, Wang discloses an electronic apparatus (Figure 18), comprising the substrate according to claim 1(see rejection above).
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(s) 2-7,10,12,14,20-24 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (US 20230269975 A)/ Wang et al. (US 20230269976 A1) (W976, here after).
Regarding claim 2, Wang and W976 disclose the Substrate set forth above (see rejections claim 1) The features of claims 2 are not disclosed by Wang or W976. It is however unclear which unexpected advantageous technical effects would arise from dividing any one of the signal lines of Wang (signal lines 21,22) or W976 (signal lines 23,24) into at least two sub-portions only to bridge them by a respective bridging part. It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art motivated by optimization to modify the substrate of Wang or 976, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70Regarding claim 3, the same argument given for claim 2 applies mutatis mutandis to the subject-matter of claim 3.
Regarding claim 4, Wang discloses (see Fig.2) the cathode 200b of the light emitting element 200 is connected (obviously through a first conductive pattern) to the voltage signal line 22. Moreover, the pixel driving circuit 10a is connected (obviously through a second conductive pattern) to the voltage signal line 21. The substrate of Wang thus further comprises a plurality of conductive patterns, wherein at least one conductive pattern in the plurality of conductive patterns is located in a region the where a device group (10a,200) is located; wherein at least one signal line (21, 22) in at least one signal line group (130) is electrically connected to a conductive pattern of the plurality of conductive patterns.
Regarding claim 5, Wang/W976 fails to explicitly disclose or suggest that at least one signal line in the at least one signal line group is electrically connected to the bonding region through the conductive pattern. However, it cannot be readily identified what is the special technical effect that arises from such a connection via an additional conductive pattern over the direct connection of the signals lines with the terminals disclosed in either Wang or W976. It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art motivated by optimization to modify the substrate of Wang or W976, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.
Regarding claims 6-7, 10, 12,14-15,18, 20-24, the prior art of Wang or W976 fail to explicitly disclose the limitations of various conductive patterns and there mutually connections defined as set forth in these claims. However, these claims do not appear to contain any additional features which define more than slight constructional changes which come within the scope of the customary (design) practice followed by persons skilled in the art, especially as the advantages thus achieved can be readily contemplated in advance. Alternatively, these limitations are not deemed patentable since the applicant’s disclosure fails to show such limitations to solve any problems or to yield any unobvious advantage that is not within the scope of the teachings applied or define over the prior art applied. Therefore, such limitations would be a matter of design alternative. It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art motivated by design choice to modify the substrate of Wang or 976, as disclosed in the claim above since applicant has not disclosed that solves any stated problem or is for any particular purpose and it appears that the invention would perform equally well with the designs of Wang /w976,and motivated by optimization and design need would require only routine skill.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure can be found in the 892 provided with this document and below:
US 11768413 B2-State of the art- an array substrate, a display panel, a display device, and a driving method
US 11557245 B2-State of the art- a display device having a reduced non-display area.
US 20180158876 A1-state of the art- touch structure is arranged between the base substrate and the TFT array, the organic light emitting display panel has a decreased thickness.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRACIE Y GREEN whose telephone number is (571)270-3104. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thursday, 10am-8pm.
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TRACIE Y. GREEN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2875
/TRACIE Y GREEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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