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
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) 1-8, 12-14 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tanaka et al. (US 2016/0103374).
Regarding claim 1, Tanaka discloses a display panel (see figure 13, for instance), comprising: a first substrate (110), a second substrate (210) and a liquid crystal layer (3), wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are disposed opposite to each other (see figure 13), and the liquid crystal layer (3) is located between the first substrate (110) and the second substrate (210); wherein the first substrate (110) is provided with a planarization layer (180), a surface of a side of the planarization layer (180) facing the liquid crystal layer (3) is provided with a plurality of groove structures (portion of 180 between elements 71 and 72 and 73) and a protrusion structure (71) located between adjacent groove structures (between elements 71 and 72 and 73) of the plurality of groove structures, the second substrate (210) is provided with color film structures (230) which are arranged at intervals, and a color film structure (230 R, 230G) of the color film structures at least partially overlaps with a groove structure (portion of 180 between 71 and 72 and 73) of the plurality of groove structures in a thickness direction of the display panel; and a plurality of first support structures (portions of 220, 230R, 230G and 240 overlapped to contact 71) are disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and a first support structure (left-hand side of figure 13) of the plurality of first support structures and the planarization layer (180) are disposed at intervals in the thickness direction of the display panel (see figure 13).
Regarding claim 2. The display panel of claim 1, wherein in a plane that is parallel to a vertical light emission direction of the display panel, a minimum width of the first support structure is W1 (see 71, figure 13), and a maximum width of the groove structure is W2 (portion between 72, 73, for instance), and W1>W2 (see figure 13).
Regarding claim 3, Tanaka discloses the display panel of claim 2, wherein the plurality of groove structures (portion of 180 between 71 and 72 and 73) are arranged in an array, the protrusion structure (71) comprises a first protrusion structure (71) located between two adjacent rows of groove structures of the plurality of groove structures (see figure 13), and the first support structure (portions of 220, 230R, 230G and 240 overlapped to contact 71) at least partially overlaps with at least one first protrusion structure in the thickness direction of the display panel (see figure 13).
Regarding claim 4, Tanaka discloses the display panel of claim 2, wherein when the display panel is in a squeezed state, the first support structure (portions of 220, 230R, 230G and 240 overlapped to contact 71, wherein 240 overlaps the groove) at least partially overlaps with at least one groove structure (portion of 180 between 71 and 72 and 73) of the plurality of the groove structures in the thickness direction of the display panel.
Regarding claim 5, Tanaka discloses the display panel of claim 3, further comprising a second support structure (right-hand side of figure 13, wherein elements 220, 230, 240 contact 71) located between the first substrate and the second substrate; wherein in the thickness direction of the display panel, the second support structure is in contact with a surface of the planarization layer (180) facing the liquid crystal layer (3), and the second support structure overlaps with the protrusion structure.
Regarding claim 6, Tanaka discloses the display panel of claim 1, further comprising a second support structure (right-hand side of figure 13, wherein elements 220, 230, 240 contact 71) located between the first substrate and the second substrate; wherein in the thickness direction of the display panel, a spacing between the plurality of first support structures and the planarization layer is H1, a depth of the groove structure is H2, a height of the first support structure is H3, and a height of the second support structure is H4, wherein H1<H2, and H4=H3+H1 (see figure 13).
Regarding claim 7, Tanaka discloses the display panel of claim 6, wherein when the display panel is in a squeezed state, the first support structure does not overlap with the groove structure (between elements 73 and 72) in the thickness direction of the display panel.
Regarding claim 8, Tanaka discloses the display panel of claim 7, wherein when the display panel is in a squeezed state, in the thickness direction of the display panel, the second support structure (at right-hand side of figure 13) and the planarization layer (180) are disposed at intervals, and the second support structure at least partially overlaps with the groove structures (since 240 overlaps with groove between 71,73).
Regarding claim 12, Tanaka discloses the display panel of claim 1, further comprising a light-shielding structure (220) located between adjacent color film structures, and the light-shielding structure at least partially overlaps with the protrusion structure in the thickness direction of the display panel (see figure 13).
Regarding claim 13, Tanaka discloses the display panel of claim 12, wherein the second substrate comprises a plurality of color film structures (230 R, G, B) arranged in an array, the light-shielding structure (220) comprises at least a middle light-shielding structure (see figure 12) and an end light-shielding structure disposed to be connected to each other, the middle light-shielding structure and the end light-shielding structure are located between two adjacent color film structures of the plurality of color film structures in a row direction (see figure 12); in a plane that is parallel to a vertical light emission direction of the display panel, an extension width of the middle light-shielding structure is W3, and an extension width of the end light-shielding structure is W4, wherein W3<W4 (see figure 12, wherein width of 220 vertical is less than that of 220 horizontal).
Regarding claim 14, Tanaka discloses the display panel of claim 13, wherein a cross-sectional shape or a top-view shape of the end light-shielding structure (220) comprises at least one of a rectangle, a parallelogram, a trapezoid or a semicircle (see figure 12).
Regarding claim 17, Tanaka discloses the display panel of claim 12, further comprising a second support structure (220, 230, 240 overlapping 71 on right-hand side of figure 13) located between the first substrate and the second substrate; and in the thickness direction of the display panel, the second support structure at least partially overlaps with the light-shielding structure (220), and an extension length of the second support structure is less than or equal to an extension length of the light-shielding structure (see figure 12).
Regarding claim 18, Tanaka discloses the display panel of claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional shape or a top-view shape of the first support structure (overlapped portions of 220, 230, 240 on left-hand side of figure 13) comprises at least one of a rectangle, an ellipse, a semicircle or a trapezoid (see figs. 12-13).
Regarding claim 19, Tanaka discloses a display device (see figure 13, for instance), comprising a display panel, wherein the display panel comprises a first substrate (110), a second substrate (210) and a liquid crystal layer (3), wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are disposed opposite to each other (see figure 13), and the liquid crystal layer (3) is located between the first substrate (110) and the second substrate (210); wherein the first substrate (110) is provided with a planarization layer (180), a surface of a side of the planarization layer (180) facing the liquid crystal layer (3) is provided with a plurality of groove structures (portion of 180 between elements 71 and 72 and 73) and a protrusion structure (71) located between adjacent groove structures (between elements 71 and 72 and 73) of the plurality of groove structures, the second substrate (210) is provided with color film structures (230) which are arranged at intervals, and a color film structure (230 R, 230G) of the color film structures at least partially overlaps with a groove structure (portion of 180 between 71 and 72 and 73) of the plurality of groove structures in a thickness direction of the display panel; and a plurality of first support structures (portions of 220, 230R, 230G and 240 overlapped to contact 71) are disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and a first support structure (left-hand side of figure 13) of the plurality of first support structures and the planarization layer (180) are disposed at intervals in the thickness direction of the display panel (see figure 13).
Regarding claim 20, Tanaka discloses the display device of claim 19, wherein in a plane that is parallel to a vertical light emission direction of the display panel, a minimum width of the first support structure is W1 (see 71, figure 13), and a maximum width of the groove structure is W2 (portion between 72, 73, for instance), and W1>W2 (see figure 13).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-11 and 15-16 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.
Chinen et al. (US 2017/0293180) discloses a display panel comprising a planarization layer having a plurality of groove structures and protrusion structures.
Tang (US 2017/0146843) discloses a display panel comprising a planarization layer having a plurality of groove structures and protrusion structures.
Park (US 2014/0176895) discloses a display panel comprising a planarization layer having a plurality of groove structures and protrusion structures.
Tomioka et al. (US 2013/0021552) discloses a display panel comprising a planarization layer having a plurality of groove structures and protrusion structures.
Nakamura et al. (US 2011/0317104) discloses a display panel comprising a planarization layer having a plurality of groove structures and protrusion structures.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHANAEL R BRIGGS whose telephone number is (571)272-8992. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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/NATHANAEL R BRIGGS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871 4/2/2026