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
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. of BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd. (WO 2021/087650), hereinafter “BOE Technology”, in view of Yuan et al. (US 2019/0064611), each of record.
Regarding claim 1, BOE Technology discloses a display substrate (Figs. 1-11), comprising a base substrate (60), a touch control signal line (31) disposed on the base substrate, and a pixel electrode (40) disposed at a side of the touch control signal line away from the base substrate (Fig. 7); the pixel electrode comprises at least four strip electrodes (Figs. 1-2, 6-7), a slit (41) is provided between adjacent strip electrodes of at least two of the strip electrodes (Figs. 1-2, 6-7), the slit at least comprises a first corner end located on at least one end of the slit (Figs. 1-2, 6-7), the first corner end comprises a first edge and a second edge which are oppositely disposed (Figs. 1-2, 6-7), and a first transition edge connecting an end of the first edge with an end of the second edge (Figs. 1-2, 6-7); the slit comprises a first slit, a second slit, and a third slit disposed between the first slit and second slit (Figs. 1-2, 6-7).
BOE Technology fails to explicitly disclose wherein the first transition edge is in an arc shape protruding along a direction away from the first corner end; an area of an orthographic projection of a first corner end of the third slit on the base substrate is greater than an area of an orthographic projection of a first corner end of the second slit on the base substrate; and the area of the orthographic projection of the first corner end of the second slit on the base substrate is greater than an area of an orthographic projection of a first corner end of the first slit on the base substrate.
However, Yuan discloses a display substrate (Fig. 1), wherein the first transition edge is in an arc shape protruding along a direction away from the first corner end (turning A, Fig. 1); an area of an orthographic projection of a first corner end of the third slit on the base substrate is greater than an area of an orthographic projection of a first corner end of the second slit on the base substrate; and the area of the orthographic projection of the first corner end of the second slit on the base substrate is greater than an area of an orthographic projection of a first corner end of the first slit on the base substrate (see annotated Fig. 1 below).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate wherein the first transition edge is in an arc shape protruding along a direction away from the first corner end; an area of an orthographic projection of a first corner end of the third slit on the base substrate is greater than an area of an orthographic projection of a first corner end of the second slit on the base substrate; and the area of the orthographic projection of the first corner end of the second slit on the base substrate is greater than an area of an orthographic projection of a first corner end of the first slit on the base substrate, as in Yuan, into the display substrate of BOE Technology to implement a dark state region in the area accommodating the touch control signal line to conceal the line (Yuan, para. [0022]).
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Regarding claim 2, BOE Technology in view of Yuan discloses wherein the touch control signal line (31) comprises a first signal line segment (Figs. 1-2), an orthographic projection of the first signal line segment on the base substrate (60) is within an orthographic projection of the third slit (41) on the base substrate (Figs. 1-2, 7), at least one of two ends of the first signal line segment is a first bending portion (Figs. 1-2), and an orthographic projection of the first bending portion on the base substrate is within the orthographic projection of the first corner end of the third slit on the base substrate (Figs. 1-2).
Regarding claim 3, BOE Technology discloses wherein the third slit (41) comprises a first end and a second end (Figs. 1-2, 6); one of the two ends of the first signal line segment (31) is the first bending portion (Figs. 1-2), and the orthographic projection of the first bending portion on the base substrate (60) is within an orthographic projection of the first end of the third slit on the base substrate (Figs. 1-2); another of the two ends of the first signal line segment (31) is a first straight line segment (Figs. 1-2), and an extension direction of the first straight line segment intersects with an extension direction of the second end of the third slit (Figs. 1-2).
BOE Technology fails to explicitly disclose each of the first end and the second end of the third slit is the first corner end.
However, Yuan discloses each of the first end and the second end of the third slit is the first corner end (Fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate each of the first end and the second end of the third slit is the first corner end, as in Yuan, into the display substrate of BOE Technology to implement the same pattern at each side of the pixel.
Regarding claim 4, BOE Technology discloses wherein the first signal line segment (31) comprises a first line segment, a connection line segment and a second line segment (Figs. 1-2), a first end of the connection line segment is connected to the first line segment, a second end of the connection line segment is connected to the second line segment, an end of the first line segment away from the connection line segment is the first bending portion, and an end of the second line segment away from the connection line segment is the first straight line segment (Figs. 1-2).
Regarding claim 5, BOE Technology discloses wherein the third slit (41) further comprises a first main portion, a second main portion and a connection portion connecting the first main portion with the second main portion (Figs. 1-2, 6), an extension direction of the first main portion is different from an extension direction of the second main portion (Figs. 1-2, 6), an orthographic projection of the first line segment (31) on the base substrate (60) is within an orthographic projection of the first main portion on the base substrate (Figs. 1-2, 6-7), an orthographic projection of the second line segment on the base substrate is within an orthographic projection of the second main portion on the base substrate (Figs. 1-2, 6), and an orthographic projection of the connection line segment on the base substrate is within an orthographic projection of the connection portion on the base substrate (Figs. 1-2, 6).
Regarding claim 6, BOE Technology discloses wherein the connection line segment is V-shaped (Figs. 1-2, 6).
Regarding claim 7, BOE Technology discloses wherein the touch control signal line (31) further comprises a second signal line segment (Figs. 1-2), the second signal line segment is connected to the first signal line segment (Figs. 1-2), and an orthographic projection of the second signal line segment on the base substrate (60) is not overlapped with an orthographic projection of the slit (41) on the base substrate (Figs. 1-2).
Regarding claim 8, BOE Technology discloses wherein the third slit (41) comprises a first end and a second end (Figs. 1-2, 6); one of the two ends of the first signal line segment (31) is the first bending portion (Figs. 1-2), an orthographic projection of the first bending portion on the base substrate (60) is within an orthographic projection of the first end of the third slit on the base substrate (Figs. 1-2); another of the two ends of the first signal line segment is a first straight line segment (Figs. 1-2), an extension direction of the first straight line segment intersects with an extension direction of the second end of the third slit (Figs. 1-2); the second signal line segment comprises a second straight line segment, and an end of the second straight line segment is connected to the first straight line segment (Figs. 1-2).
BOE Technology fails to explicitly disclose each of the first end and the second end of the third slit is the first corner end.
However, Yuan discloses each of the first end and the second end of the third slit is the first corner end (Fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate each of the first end and the second end of the third slit is the first corner end, as in Yuan, into the display substrate of BOE Technology to implement the same pattern at each side of the pixel.
Regarding claim 9, BOE Technology discloses wherein an extension direction of the second straight line segment is the same as the extension direction of the first straight line segment (Figs. 1-2).
Regarding claim 10, BOE Technology discloses wherein the second signal line segment further comprises a second bending portion (Figs. 1-2), and the second bending portion is connected to the other end of the second straight line segment (Figs. 1-2).
Regarding claim 11, BOE Technology discloses further comprising a thin film transistor (Fig. 8), wherein the thin film transistor comprises an active layer (70), the active layer is located on a side of the second bending portion (Figs. 1-2, 8), and the second bending portion is bent in a direction away from the active layer (Figs. 1-2, 8).
Regarding claim 12, BOE Technology discloses wherein the second bending portion is V-shaped (Figs. 1-2).
Regarding claim 13, BOE Technology discloses further comprising a shielding layer (11, Figs. 1-2, 4), wherein the shielding layer is disposed at a side of the touch control signal line (31) close to the base substrate (60) (Fig. 7), the shielding layer comprises a first portion extending along a second direction and a second portion extending along a first direction (Figs. 1-2, 4), an orthographic projection of the second bending portion on the base substrate is at least partially overlapped with an orthographic projection of the first portion of the shielding layer on the base substrate, and the first direction intersects with the second direction (Figs. 1-2, 4).
Regarding claim 14, BOE Technology discloses further comprising a common electrode (20), wherein the common electrode is connected to the second portion of the shielding layer (11) through a first via (Fig. 7).
BOE Technology fails to explicitly disclose wherein the common electrode is disposed between the pixel electrode and the touch control signal line.
However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the common electrode disposed between the pixel electrode and the touch control signal line, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention, or a mere reversal of the essential working parts of a device, involves only routine skill in the art. See MPEP 2144.04.
Regarding claim 15, BOE Technology discloses wherein the second signal line segment further comprises a third straight line segment (31, Figs. 1-2), the third straight line segment is connected to the first portion of the shielding layer (11) through a second via (via0, Figs. 1-2), and the third straight line segment is connected, at the second via, to an end of the second bending portion away from the second straight line segment (Figs. 1-2).
Regarding claim 16, BOE Technology discloses further comprising a gate line (10), wherein the gate line is disposed at the side of the touch control signal line (31) close to the base substrate (60) (Fig. 8), an extension direction of the third straight line segment intersects with an extension direction of the gate line (Figs. 1-2), and an orthographic projection of the third straight line segment on the base substrate is at least partially overlapped with an orthographic projection of the gate line on the base substrate (Figs. 1-2).
Regarding claim 17, BOE Technology discloses wherein the extension direction of the third straight line segment (31) is perpendicular to the extension direction of the gate line (10) (Figs. 1-2).
Regarding claim 18, BOE Technology discloses wherein a distance from an edge of a first side of the touch control signal line (31) to an edge of a first side of a region of the third slit other than the first corner end is equal to a distance from an edge of a second side of the touch control signal line to an edge of a second side of the region of the third slit other than the first corner end (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 19, BOE Technology discloses further comprising a data line (30), wherein the data line is disposed in a same layer as the touch control signal line (31) (Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 20, BOE Technology discloses a display device (para. [0001]), comprising the display substrate according to claim 1.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed June 24, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant has first argued that BOE Technology fails to disclose “the slit at least comprises a first corner end located on at least one end of the slit, the first corner end comprises a first edge and a second edge which are oppositely disposed, and a first transition edge connecting an end of the first edge with an end of the second edge,” as recited in claim 1. However, as shown in an enlarged partial view of Fig. 6 annotated below, BOE Technology discloses these features.
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Applicant has secondly argued that Yuan discloses a pixel electrode having a planar shape and a common electrode having a strip shape. However, a pixel electrode and a common electrode can be interchanged for all intents and purposes of the presented claim and the prior art. Furthermore, Yuan explicitly discloses the pixel electrode can have the strip shape as well (para. [0048]).
Applicant has additionally argued that the “slit” of Yuan actually refers to a slit electrode. However, Yuan shows slit electrode 10 having strip-shaped sub-electrodes 11 in Fig. 1 (see also paras. [0022, 0028]). Turning A as detailed in the enlarged portion of Fig. 1 is a feature of the slit in between sub-electrodes 11.
Therefore, BOE Technology in view of Yuan discloses the limitations of claim 1. Thus, the previous ground of rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 has been maintained.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAISLEY L WILSON whose telephone number is (571)270-5023. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm ET.
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/PAISLEY L WILSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
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