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
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 – 14 and 20 – 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(a) as being anticipated by Kim et al. (DE 10 2019 119 526 A1).
Regarding claim 1, in Figure 9, Kim discloses a display device, comprising: a stretchable lower substrate (110A, Figure 8) including a rigid area and a soft area, the soft area including a plurality of windows (111, Figure 8); a plurality of plate patterns (SPX, Figure 8) disposed on the stretchable lower substrate and spaced apart from each other, the plurality of plate patterns being the rigid area of the stretchable lower substrate (Figure 8); a plurality of connection lines (970, Figure 9) disposed in the soft area between the plurality of plate patterns; and a plurality of reinforcement members (980, Figure 9) disposed between the plurality of connection lines in the soft area, wherein the plurality of reinforcement members are spaced apart from the plurality of connection lines (Figure 9), and wherein the plurality of windows are defined by outermost ones of the connection lines between the plurality of plate patterns (Figure 8).
Regarding claim 2, Kim discloses wherein the plurality of connection lines and the plurality of reinforcement members are absent from the plurality of windows (Figures 8 – 9).
Regarding claim 3, Kim discloses wherein the plurality of windows include only flexible material (Figures 8 – 9).
Regarding claim 4, Kim discloses wherein first ends of at least some of the plurality of reinforcement members are connected to corresponding ones of the plurality of plate patterns, respectively, and second ends of the at least some of the plurality of reinforcement members are spaced apart from the plurality of plate patterns (Figures 8 – 9).
Regarding claim 5, Kim discloses wherein each of the plurality of reinforcement members includes: a reinforcement pattern layer disposed on the stretchable lower substrate; and an inorganic pattern layer disposed on the reinforcement pattern layer, the inorganic pattern layer including one or more inorganic films (Figures 8 – 9).
Regarding claim 6, Kim discloses a plurality of inorganic insulating layers disposed on the plurality of plate patterns, respectively, wherein the inorganic pattern layer is a same material as at least any one of the plurality of inorganic insulating layers (Figures 8 – 9).
Regarding claim 7, Kim discloses wherein a first end of the reinforcement pattern layer is coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of plate patterns and the inorganic pattern layer is coupled to the at least any one of the plurality of inorganic insulating layers (Figures 8 – 9).
Regarding claim 8, Kim discloses wherein the plurality of connection lines includes: a plurality of first connection lines extending in a first direction; and a plurality of second connection lines extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and wherein the plurality of reinforcement members includes: a plurality of first reinforcement members extending in the first direction; and a plurality of second reinforcement members extending in the second direction (Figures 8 – 9).
Regarding claim 9, Kim discloses wherein first ones of the plurality of reinforcement members have different lengths than second ones of the plurality of reinforcement members (Figures 8 – 9).
Regarding claim 10, Kim discloses wherein a length of the plurality of reinforcement members increases from a center area of the stretchable lower substrate toward an outer peripheral area of the stretchable lower substrate in the second direction (Figures 8 – 9).
Regarding claim 11, Kim discloses wherein the first ones of the plurality of reinforcement members are disposed on a same line along the first direction, and a length of the first ones of the plurality of reinforcement members increases toward the center area of the stretchable lower substrate (Figures 8 – 9).
Regarding claim 12, Kim discloses wherein a number of the plurality of reinforcement members disposed in a center area of the stretchable lower substrate is less than a number of the plurality of reinforcement members disposed in an outer peripheral area of the lower substrate in the second direction (Figures 8 – 9).
Regarding claim 13, Kim discloses wherein one of the plurality of reinforcement member is disposed between the plurality of connection lines disposed in the center area and at least two of the plurality of reinforcement members are disposed between the plurality of connection lines disposed in the outer peripheral area of the second direction (Figures 8 – 9).
Regarding claim 14, Kim discloses wherein the plurality of reinforcement members disposed in the outer peripheral area of the second direction are spaced apart from each other (Figures 8 – 9).
Regarding claim 20, in Figure 9, Kim discloses a display device, comprising: a stretchable substrate (110A, 111); a plurality of connection lines (970) disposed on the stretchable substrate; and a plurality of reinforcement members (980) disposed between the plurality of connection lines, wherein the plurality of reinforcement members increase in length or number from a center region of the stretchable substrate toward an outer peripheral region of the stretchable substrate (increase in number --- close to 0 reinforcement members in the center of the substrate, Figure 10).
Regarding claim 21, Kim discloses a plurality of plate patterns disposed on the stretchable substrate, the plurality of connection lines disposed between the plurality of plate patterns (Figures 8 – 9).
Regarding claim 22, Kim discloses wherein the outer peripheral region is a central outer peripheral region of the stretchable substrate (Figures 8 – 9).
Regarding claim 23, Kim discloses wherein the plurality of reinforcement members are spaced apart from the plurality of connection lines (Figures 8 – 9).
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.
Claims 15 – 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim.
Regarding claim 15, in Figure 9, Kim discloses a display device, comprising: a stretchable substrate (110A, 111); a plurality of connection lines (970) disposed on the stretchable substrate; and a plurality of reinforcement members (980) disposed between the plurality of connection lines, wherein the plurality of reinforcement members includes first reinforcement members (980) in a first area (left side of the substrate, Figure 10) of the stretchable substrate and second reinforcement members (980) in a second area (right side of the substrate, Figure 10) of the stretchable substrate, and wherein a length of the first reinforcement members is different from a length of the second reinforcement members. Kim does not specifically disclose wherein a length of the first reinforcement members is different from a length of the second reinforcement members. However, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to provide reinforcement members of different lengths, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art (See Gardner v. TEC Systems, Inc., 725 F.2d 1338, 220 USPQ 777 (Fed. Cir. 1984), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 830, 225 USPQ 232 (1984), in which the Federal Circuit held that, where the only difference between the prior art and the claims was a recitation of relative dimensions of the claimed device and a device having the claimed relative dimensions would not perform differently than the prior art device, the claimed device was not patentably distinct from the prior art device). See also MPEP § 2144.04.
Regarding claim 16, Kim discloses a plurality of plate patterns disposed on the stretchable substrate, the plurality of connection lines disposed between the plurality of plate patterns (Figure 9).
Regarding claim 17, Kim discloses wherein the first area is a central area in a first direction and a second direction of the stretchable substrate, and the second area is an outer peripheral area in the first direction or the second direction of the stretchable substrate (Figure 9).
Regarding claim 18, Kim discloses wherein the length of the second reinforcement members increases from the first area toward the second area (Figure 9).
Regarding claim 19, Kim discloses wherein the plurality of reinforcement members are spaced apart from the plurality of connection lines (Figure 9).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TREMESHA W BURNS whose telephone number is (571)270-3391. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am - 4:30 pm EST.
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TREMESHA W. BURNS
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2847
/TREMESHA W BURNS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847
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