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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of species I and claims 1-4, 9-11, 13-17, 23, 25, 44-45 and 47-48 in the reply filed on February 16, 2026 is acknowledged.
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 1-4, 9-11, 13-17, 23, 25, 44-45, and 47-48 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bok et al., US 2017/0213873 A1 (hereinafter “Bok”) in view of Liu et al., US 2024/0258327 A1 (hereinafter “Liu”).
Regarding claim 1, Bok discloses a transparent display apparatus (FIGS. 1-6 and [0066]-[0071] further at Abstract describing transparent region therein and [0103]-[0112]), comprising:
a substrate (FIG. 4, [0109]-[0112], substrate 110) including a transmissive area (FIGS. 3-4, [0101]-[0112] transparent region 30) and a non-transmissive area (FIGS. 3-4, [0101]-[0112] opaque region 35), the non-transmissive area including a light emission area (FIGS. 3-4, [0101]-[0112], and sub-pixel regions 15, 20, 25) in which a light emitting element is disposed (FIGS. 3-4 [0109]-[0110] and [0127]-[0131] with OLED structure with a light emitting layer 330 formed within sub-pixel regions 15, 20, 25);
a touch sensor (FIG. 4, [0106]-[0111] and touch sensor electrode 360 and wiring 260 in region 30) disposed in the transmissive area on the substrate (FIG. 4, [0106]-[0111] touch sensor electrode 360 and wiring 260 in region 30); and
at least one undercut line (FIGS. 3-4 [0109]-[0110] and [0129]-[0132] pixel defining layer 310 being disposed adjacent to the sensor 360) disposed to be adjacent to the touch sensor (FIGS. 3-4 [0109]-[0110] and [0129]-[0132] pixel defining layer 310 being disposed adjacent to the sensor 360).
However, although Bok generally suggests signal lines [0104], Bok does not explicitly disclose a plurality of first signal lines disposed in the non-transmissive area on the substrate and extended in a first direction;
at least one second signal line disposed in the non-transmissive area on the substrate and extended in a second direction crossing the first direction.
In the same field of endeavor, Liu discloses a transparent display (Abstract, generally) with a plurality of first signal lines (FIGS. 8-12 [0149]-[0158] first traces 11 comprising 111 and 112 are formed) disposed in the non-transmissive area (FIGS. 8-12 [0149]-[0158], first traces 11 comprising 111 and 112 are formed in non-transmissive region A1) on the substrate (Liu FIG. 5, 100) and extended in a first direction (FIGS. 8-12 [0149]-[0158], first traces 11 comprising 111 and 112 are formed in non-transmissive region A1 extending in the X direction as illustrated therein);
at least one second signal line (FIGS. 8-14 [0149]-[0158] second traces 12 comprising third signal lines 121) disposed in the non-transmissive area (FIGS. 8-12 [0149]-[0158], second traces 12 are formed in non-transmissive region A1) on the substrate (Liu FIG. 5, 100) and extended in a second direction crossing the first direction (FIGS. 8-14 [0149]-[0158] and [0161]-[0164], second traces 12 are formed in non-transmissive region A1 and extend in the Y direction as illustrated therein).
Before the effective filing date, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the transparent display of Bok to incorporate the two sets of crossing signal lines as disclosed by Liu because the references are within the same field of endeavor, namely, transparent displays with transmissive and non-transmissive areas. The motivation to combine these references would have been to maximize the area of the transmissive region surrounded by the non-transmissive region thereby reducing diffraction and improving display quality (see Liu at least at [0159]). Therefore, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine the prior art to achieve the claimed invention and there would have been a reasonable expectation of success.
Regarding claim 2, Bok in view of Liu discloses the transparent display apparatus of claim 1 (see above), wherein the at least one undercut line is extended to be adjacent to the touch sensor in the first direction or the second direction (Bok, (FIGS. 3-4 [0109]-[0110] and [0129]-[0132] pixel defining layer 310 being disposed adjacent to the sensor 360)
Regarding claim 3, Bok in view of Liu discloses the transparent display apparatus of claim 1 (see above), wherein the at least one undercut line is disposed to be adjacent to the touch sensor in the transmissive area (Bok, FIGS. 3-4 [0109]-[0110] and [0129]-[0132] pixel defining layer 310 being disposed adjacent to the sensor 360 and extending at least partially into the transparent region 30 at [0129]).
Regarding claim 4, Bok in view of Liu discloses the transparent display apparatus of claim 3 (see above), wherein the at least one undercut line is extended in the first direction to cross the transmissive area (Bok, FIGS. 3-4 [0109]-[0110] and [0129]-[0132] pixel defining layer 310 being disposed adjacent to the sensor 360 and extending at least partially into the transparent region 30 at [0129], may be disposed in the opaque region 35 and transparent region 30).
Regarding claim 9, Bok in view of Liu discloses the transparent display apparatus of claim 1 (see above), wherein the touch sensor includes a touch sensor electrode provided in an island pattern (FIGS. 3-4 [0109]-[0110] and [0129]-[0132] touch sensor 360 isolated and therefore island pattern formed within the transparent area 30).
Regarding claim 10, Bok in view of Liu discloses the transparent display apparatus of claim 9 (see above), wherein the touch sensor electrode does not overlap the at least one second signal line (Bok at FIGS. 3-4 [0109]-[0110] and [0129]-[0132] and touch sensor 360 would be formed in the transmissive area A21-A24 of Liu at FIGS. 8-14 [0149]-[0158] and [0161]-[0164], as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art in order to improve display visibility).
Regarding claim 11, Bok in view of Liu discloses the transparent display apparatus of claim 9 (see above), wherein the touch sensor electrode is disposed in the transmissive area (Bok, FIG. 4, [0106]-[0111] touch sensor electrode 360 and wiring 260 in transparent region 30).
Regarding claim 13, Bok in view of Liu discloses the transparent display apparatus of claim 9 (see above), wherein the touch sensor electrode is provided in at least two transmissive areas adjacent to each other in the first direction (Bok, FIGS. 3-4 and [0104]-[0106] transparent regions 30 being adjacent with each other and containing the touch sensor 360 in the D2 direction as illustrated therein) with the at least one second signal line interposed therebetween (touch sensor 360 would be formed in the transmissive area A21-A24 of Liu at FIGS. 8-14 [0149]-[0158] and [0161]-[0164], as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art in order to improve display visibility).
Regarding claim 14, Bok in view of Liu discloses the transparent display apparatus of claim 1 (see above), wherein the at least one undercut line is provided to separate or disconnect an organic light emitting layer constituting the light emitting element (Bok, FIGS. 3-4 [0109]-[0110] and [0129]-[0132] pixel defining layer 310 being disposed adjacent to pixels within the opaque region including the light emitting layer 330).
Regarding claim 15, Bok in view of Liu discloses the transparent display apparatus of claim 1 (see above), wherein: the light emitting element includes a first electrode (Bok at FIGS. 1-6 and [0106]-[0110] and lower electrode 290), an organic light emitting layer (Bok at FIGS. 1-6 and light emitting layer 330 for the OLED device 100 at [0109]-[0110] and [0129]-[0131]) and a second electrode (Bok at FIGS. 1-6 and upper electrode 340); and the second electrode includes a cathode electrode constituting the light emitting element in the non-transmissive area (Bok at FIGS. 1-6 and upper electrode 340 typical structure known in the art and [0005] as a cathode) and a touch sensor electrode constituting the touch sensor in the transmissive area (Bok at FIGS. 1-6 and [0109]-[0110] and [0129]-[0131]describing 260, 269 and 360 in transparent region 30).
Regarding claim 16, Bok in view of Liu discloses the transparent display apparatus of claim 15 (see above), wherein the at least one undercut line is provided to separate or disconnect the cathode electrode from the touch sensor electrode (Bok at FIGS. 1-6 and [0109]-[0110] and [0129]-[0132] and illustrating separation of 260, 269 and 360 in transparent region 30 from the upper electrode 340 at FIG. 4).
Regarding claim 17, Bok in view of Liu discloses the transparent display apparatus of claim 15 (see above), further comprising: a planarization layer on the substrate (Bok at FIGS. 1-6 and [0124]-[0129] with planarization layer 270); and at least one insulating layer between the substrate and the planarization layer (Bok at FIGS. 1-6 and [0124]-[0129] with insulation layers 150 and 190 above the substrate 110 and underneath the planarization layer 270), wherein the at least one undercut line is provided by removing at least a portion of the planarization layer and the at least one insulating layer (Bok at [0205] describing etching to form pixel defining layer 310).
Regarding claim 23, Bok in view of Liu discloses the transparent display apparatus of claim 17 (see above), wherein the at least one undercut line includes: first and second undercut lines spaced apart from each other in the second direction in the transmissive area with the touch sensor electrode interposed therebetween and extended in parallel in the first direction (Bok FIGS. 4 and 10-13 and [0109]-[0110] with 310 surrounding the touch sensor 360 on all sides, in the opaque regions 35); and third and fourth undercut lines spaced apart from each other in the first direction with the touch sensor electrode interposed therebetween between the first undercut line and the second undercut line and extend in parallel in the second direction (Bok FIGS. 4 and 10-13 and [0109]-[0110] with 310 surrounding the touch sensor 360 and disposed in the opaque regions 35 on all sides as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art).
Regarding claim 25, Bok in view of Liu discloses the transparent display apparatus of claim 23 (see above), wherein the third undercut line and the fourth undercut line are connected to the first undercut line and the second undercut line (Bok FIGS. 4 and 10-13 and [0103]-[0110] and [0129]-[0132] and [0155]-[0160] with 310 surrounding the touch sensor 360 and disposed in the opaque regions 35 on all sides as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art).
Regarding claim 44, Bok in view of Liu discloses the transparent display apparatus of claim 1 (see above), wherein the at least one undercut line is configured in a form of a closed loop in which portions parallel in the first direction and extended to be spaced apart from each other in the second direction and portions parallel in the second direction and extended to be spaced apart from each other in the first direction are connected to each other (Bok FIGS. 4 and 10-13 and [0109]-[0110] and [0129]-[0132] and [0155]-[0160] with 310 surrounding the touch sensor 360 and disposed in the opaque regions 35 on all sides as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art).
Regarding claim 45, Bok in view of Liu discloses the transparent display apparatus of claim 1 (see above), wherein the first signal lines include a touch line (Bok at FIG. 1 and 260 wherein the first signal lines as disclosed by Liu at FIGS. 8-12 as placed therein), and a touch sensor contact portion is disposed inside the at least one undercut line (Bok at FIGS. 19-20 and [0178]-[0185] with touch sensing wire 261 being placed within/beneath the pixel defining layer 310), and the touch line and the touch sensor are electrically connected to each other through the touch sensor contact portion (Bok at FIGS. 19-20 and [0178]-[0185] with touch sensing wire 261 being placed within/beneath the pixel defining layer 310 and connects to the sensor 360 by a through hole in layers).
Regarding claim 47, Bok in view of Liu discloses the transparent display apparatus of claim 17 (see above), wherein the at least one second signal line is protected by a line capping pattern, and the line capping pattern includes a first line capping pattern (Liu at FIG. 6H and seventh insulating layer 107 at [0101]) consisting of the at least one insulating layer (Liu at FIG. 6H and seventh insulating layer 107 at [0101]) and a second line capping pattern consisting of the planarization layer on the first line capping pattern (Bok at FIG. 20 with 270 being on top of insulating layers 190 and 150 and the transistor constructed by 250, 210, 170, 130, 230; the combination of which would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to insulate the power, signal, and sense lines to prevent the commonly known issues of crosstalk and parasitic capacitance).
Regarding claim 48, Bok in view of Liu discloses the transparent display apparatus of claim 9 (see above), wherein the touch sensor electrode is configured to cross the non-transmissive area between the adjacent transmissive areas without being separated or disconnected (Bok, FIG. 1 with touch sensor wiring 260 at [0101]-[0109] crossing the opaque area 35 as illustrated).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Liu et al., US 2021/0157188 A1: Abstract and generally FIGS. 1-8 with a plurality of first and second signal lines groups;
Kim et al., US 2024/0224660 A1: Abstract and FIGS. 8-9: illustrating undercut structure in a transparent display device;
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SARVESH J. NADKARNI whose telephone number is (571)270-7562. The examiner can normally be reached 8AM-5PM M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Benjamin C. Lee can be reached at (571)272-2963. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SARVESH J NADKARNI/Examiner, Art Unit 2629
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