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 10/09/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 1, 15, 16, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. [US 2021/0167328 A1], “Kim” in view of Lee [US 2020/0348736 A1].
Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses a display apparatus (Fig. 1 – 6B) comprising:
a substrate (Fig. 2, 110) including an upper surface and a lower surface (as shown);
a pixel circuit layer (Fig. 2, layer above the substrate layer containing transistors (120) and ¶[0047] including layers Fig. 4A, 150 and 170) on the upper surface of the substrate;
an emission layer (Fig. 2, 130) on the pixel circuit layer (as shown); and
a bending portion (Fig. 1 and 3 show the flexible film (160), Fig. 4A shows the detail of the bending portion (160)) including a wiring layer (Fig. 4A, 162), a first urethane resin layer (163 and ¶[0076] teaches urethane-based acrylic resin), and a second base layer (161), the wiring layer being electrically connected to the pixel circuit layer (the wiring layer (162) is connected to pad (P1) which is connected to the link line (150) which is connected to the pixel circuit layer ¶[0067]), the first urethane resin layer (163) covering one surface of the wiring layer (162), and the second base layer (161) covering another surface of the wiring layer (162) (as shown). (The Examiner note the term “bending” is a relative term and only requires the portion to be flexible – having the ability to bend).
Kim discloses the base layer (161) is a flexible insulating film and may include polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, polyimide, polyamide, polyester, polyacrylate, polymethyl methacrylate, or the like, but is not limited thereto (¶[0073]). Kim does not disclose the second base layer is an urethane resin layer.
However, Lee discloses the lead bonding layer (Fig. 3, 340) may be disposed on the anisotropic conductive film (330). The lead bonding layer (340) may include an adhesive layer or a resin layer. For example, the lead bonding layer (340) may include a urethane-based polymer material, a silicon-urethane hybrid structured SU polymer (¶[0074]).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use a suitable alternative urethane-based polymer as taught in Lee in the device of Kim such that the second base layer is an urethane resin layer because the use of a suitable material will provide protection to the lead wiring layer and further a suitable alternative material and the selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use supports a determination of obviousness (See MPEP §2144.07).
Regarding claim 15, Kim as modified discloses claim 1, Kim discloses one end of the bending portion (as shown in Fig. 4A, 160) is in direct contact (as shown) with the upper surface of the pixel circuit layer (Fig. 2, layer above the substrate layer containing transistors (120) and ¶[0047] including layers Fig. 4A, 150 and 170).
Regarding claim 16, Kim as modified discloses claim 15, Kim discloses the second urethane resin layer (Fig. 4A, 162 – as modified by Lee – see claim 1) includes at least one through hole ( as shown there is an opening to allow contact for the wiring layer), and the wiring layer (162) and the pixel circuit layer are electrically connected to each other through the at least one through hole of the second urethane resin layer (as shown).
Regarding claim 19, Kim as modified discloses claim 16, Kim discloses a lower structure layer (Fig. 4A, DIC), wherein a second end of the bending portion is attached to a lower surface of the lower structure layer (as shown). Kim discloses the bending portion (160) is a flexible film. Kim as modified does not explicitly disclose a lower structure layer (Fig. 4A, DIC) below the substrate.
However, Lee discloses a display device (Fig. 1, 1) with first circuit board including a circuit area (Fig. 1, CA). The first circuit board (300) may include a first circuit area (CA1) whose one side is attached to the panel pad area (P_PA) of the display panel (100), a second circuit area (CA2) disposed at one side of the first circuit area (CA1), and a third circuit area (CA3) disposed at one side of the second circuit area (CA2) and attached to the second circuit board (500). The second circuit board (500) is below the substrate (101).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have the flexible circuit board bend and curve below the substrate as taught in Lee in the device of Kim as modified such that a lower structure layer (Fig. 4A, DIC) below the substrate because such a modification would allow for a larger display area by reducing the non-display region by putting circuitry beneath the substrate while preventing short of the lead wirings (¶[0140] of Lee).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-14, 17 and 18 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Jang [US 2023/0290751 A1] discloses a display device with a printed circuit board connected to the display panel, and a main circuit board connected to the printed circuit board.
Kwon et al. [US 2025/0143117 A1] discloses a display device with a peripheral area may include a pad area to which the display circuit board is connected. The display circuit board may include a first conductive layer, a first insulating layer, a second conductive layer, and a second insulating layer which are sequentially arranged in a thickness direction of the display circuit board.
Tao et al. [US 2016/0204183 A1] discloses a display driver circuitry such as a display driver integrated circuit may be attached to a flexible printed circuit that is attached to the flexible substrate in the inactive area. The flexible substrate may be bent in the bend region.
Son [US 2021/0048919 A1] discloses a display device with a flexible circuit board may include, e.g., a core layer including a resin or a liquid crystal polymer, and the circuit wiring printed on the core layer. The circuit wiring may include an upper wiring and a lower wiring formed on upper and lower surfaces of the core layer, respectively. The flexible circuit board may further include an upper coverlay film and a lower coverlay film covering the upper wiring and the lower wiring, respectively.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PRIYA M RAMPERSAUD whose telephone number is (571)272-3464. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Wed 9am-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Chad Dicke can be reached at (571)270-7996. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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PRIYA M. RAMPERSAUD
Examiner
Art Unit 2897
/PRIYA M RAMPERSAUD/Examiner, Art Unit 2897
