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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on September 16, 2024 and April 16, 2025 have been considered by the examiner.
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 Objections
Claim 6 is objected to because of the following informalities: Line 3 states: “the first touch electrode”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Please amend claim 6 to depend upon claim 5 or amend the claim to read as “a first touch electrode” OR just “touch electrode”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6 and 12-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee (USPGPUB 2022/0344441—hereinafter “Lee”).
As to Claim 1, Lee teaches a display device (Pg. 1, ¶ 2) comprising:
a substrate including a display area and a non-display area (Fig. 1-2, 5-6 and 9 at DA and NDA);
a plurality of sub-pixels disposed in the display area (Fig. 1 at P and Pg. 3, ¶ 58), each sub-pixel including at least one transistor (Fig. 4 at Ts and Td and Pg. 5, ¶ 84);
a bendable area disposed in the non-display area (Figs. 5-6 and 8-9 at BA);
a plurality of connection area disposed between the non-display area and the display area (Figs. 6-7 at CW, FW and CH and Pgs. 9-10, ¶s 152-155 and 158-161);
a light-emitting layer (Figs. 2-3 at DU and Pg. 4, ¶ 74) connected to the transistor (Fig. 4 at Ts and Td);
an encapsulation layer on the light-emitting layer (Figs. 3 and 6 at TFE and Pg. 4, ¶ 74); and
a touch electrode on the encapsulation layer (Figs. 3 and 6 at TU and Pg. 4, ¶ 74).
As to Claim 2, Lee teaches a touch planarization layer on the touch electrode (Figs. 3 and 6 at 510 and 520 and Pg. 8, ¶ 141-142).
As to Claim 3, Lee teaches a partitioning wall disposed in the bendable area and adjacent to the plurality of connection area (Figs. 8C-8E at PW3 and Pgs. 11-12, ¶’s 181-184).
As to Claim 4, Lee teaches that the partitioning wall and the touch planarization layer are made of a same material (Abstract and Pg. 9, ¶ 151, Pg. 10, ¶ 160, Pg. 11, ¶ 177 and Pgs. 12-13, ¶’s 196 and 198).
As to Claim 5, Lee teaches that the touch electrode includes a first touch electrode and a second touch electrode (Fig. 9 at MTL1 and MTL2 and Pg. 8, ¶’s 134-135).
As to Claim 6, Lee teaches that a touch buffer layer (Fig. 6 at 410) is on the encapsulation layer (Fig. 6 at TFE), wherein the first touch electrode (MTL1) is on the touch buffer layer (410), wherein a touch insulating layer (420) is on the touch buffer layer (410) and the first touch electrode (MTL1), wherein the second touch electrode (MTL2) is on the touch insulating layer (420).
As to Claim 12, Lee teaches that each of the touch buffer layer (Fig. 8E at 410) and the touch insulating layer (Fig. 8E at 420) overlaps at least a portion of the partitioning wall (Fig. 8E at PW3).
As to Claim 13, Lee teaches that the at least one transistor includes a driving transistor (Fig. 4 at Td) and a switching transistor (Fig. 4 at Ts), and wherein at least one insulating film is disposed between a gate electrode of the driving transistor and a gate electrode of the switching transistor (See Fig. 6 and Pgs. 6-7, ¶’s 107-115).
As to Claim 14, Lee teaches that an end of at least one insulating film is closer to the display area than an end of each of the touch buffer layer and the touch insulating layer (Fig. 6 note IOL with respect to 410 and 420).
As to Claim 15, Lee teaches a protective layer (Fig. 2A at OU) on the touch planarization layer (Fig. 2A at TU), wherein the protective layer partially contacts the partitioning wall (See Fig. 2A).
As to Claim 16, Lee teaches a cover glass (Fig. 2A at WU) on the protective layer (Fig. 2A at OU), wherein an adhesive layer is disposed between the cover glass and the protective layer (Fig. 2A at OCA).
As to Claim 17, Lee teaches a bendable protective layer disposed in the bendable area, wherein the bendable protective layer overlaps the partitioning wall (Fig. 6 at 800 and Pg. 10, ¶’s 162-163 and Pg. 12, ¶’s 190-191).
As to Claim 18, Lee teaches that the substrate comprises a first substrate and a second substrate, and an intermediate layer between the first substrate and the second substrate (Pg. 5, ¶ 91).
As to Claim 19, Lee teaches a light blocking layer disposed under the driving transistor (Fig. 6 at 119 and Pg. 7, ¶ 122).
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.
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.
Claim(s) 7-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee.
As to Claim 7, Lee teaches that the connection area includes: a driving signal bendable wiring for driving the sub-pixel (Fig. 6 at CW and FW and Pg. 6, ¶ 99 and Pgs. 9-10, ¶ 152). Lee, however, fails to teach that the connection area includes a touch line for transmitting a touch signal. Examiner takes Official Notice that it is well-known in the art for connection areas to include a touch line for transmitting a touch signal. At the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate a touch line in the connection area of the display device taught by Lee, in order to effectively transmit any touch signals that are received so that they may be processed accordingly.
As to Claim 8, Lee teaches a dam is disposed in the non-display area (Fig. 6, the region between the display area DA and the bendable area BA including the partition walls PW1 and PW2), wherein the driving signal bendable wiring extends in the non-display area (Fig. 6, CW in NDA), wherein the driving signal bendable wiring is disposed under the dam and partially overlaps the dam from a plan view (Fig. 6 at CW).
As to Claim 9, Lee fails to teach that the touch line and the touch electrode are made of a same material. Examiner takes Official Notice that it is well-known in the art for traces and electrodes to be made of the same material. At the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to form the touch line and touch electrode of the same material, in the display device taught by Lee, in order to simplify the manufacturing process and lower production costs.
As to Claim 10, Lee teaches a driving signal bendable wiring (Fig. 6 at CW and FW and Pg. 6, ¶ 99 and Pgs. 9-10, ¶ 152) disposed in the bendable area (Fig. 6 at BA), and wherein a link wiring is connected to the driving signal bendable wiring (Fig. 6 at FW and Pgs. 9-10, ¶ 152-153). Lee, however, fails to teach a touch bendable wiring are disposed in the bendable area and that the touch line is connected to the touch bendable wiring. Examiner takes Official Notice that touch bendable wiring in a bendable area is well-known in the art. At the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate a touch bendable wiring in the bendable area of the display device taught by Lee, in order to effectively transmit any touch signals that are received so that they may be processed accordingly.
As to Claim 11, Lee teaches that the driving signal bendable wiring and the touch bendable wiring are disposed in a same layer (See Fig. 6 at CW).
Inquiries
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RODNEY AMADIZ whose telephone number is (571)272-7762. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Thurs; 9AM - 5PM EST.
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/RODNEY AMADIZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2622
