Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/946,952

COLOR FILTER SUBSTRATE AND DISPLAY DEVICE

Non-Final OA §102§103
Filed
Nov 14, 2024
Priority
Feb 22, 2024 — provisional 63/556,404 +1 more
Examiner
LIU, SHAN
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
HannStar Display Corporation
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
72%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
5m
Est. Remaining
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 72% — above average
72%
Career Allowance Rate
449 granted / 621 resolved
+12.3% vs TC avg
Strong +39% interview lift
Without
With
+38.9%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Fast prosecutor
2y 1m
Avg Prosecution
33 currently pending
Career history
648
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.2%
-39.8% vs TC avg
§103
84.3%
+44.3% vs TC avg
§102
5.5%
-34.5% vs TC avg
§112
6.5%
-33.5% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 621 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §103
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 . 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 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. 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, 4-5, 7-10 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim (US 2022/0077239, 1st interpretation). Regarding claim 1, Kim teaches a color filter substrate (3000 in Fig. 1-9, [0048-0161]), comprising: a substrate (the substrate corresponding to 310 in Fig. 1-3) having a pixel region (the region corresponding to Pix in picture 1, Fig. 1-3) including a first sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP1 in picture 1, Fig. 1-3), a second sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP2 in picture 1, Fig. 1-3), and a third sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP3 in picture 1, Fig. 1-3), wherein each of the first sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP1 in picture 1, Fig. 1-3) and the second sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP1 in picture 1, Fig. 1-3) includes a first portion (the portion corresponding to R/G in Picture 1) and a second portion (the portion corresponding to P21/P22 in Picture 1); a first color resist (321R/321R-a in Picture 1, Fig. 1-3, [0052-0053]) disposed on the substrate (the substrate corresponding to 310 in Fig. 1-3) and in the first portion (the portion corresponding to R in Picture 1) of the first sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP1 in picture 1, Fig. 1-3); a second color resist (321G/321G-a in Picture 1, Fig. 1-3, [0054-0055]) disposed on the substrate (the substrate corresponding to 310 in Fig. 1-3) and in the first portion (the portion corresponding to G in Picture 1)of the second sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP2 in picture 1, Fig. 1-3); and a third color resist (324 and 324b in Picture 1, Fig. 1-3, [0060-0061, 0097]) disposed on the substrate (the substrate corresponding to 310 in Fig. 1-3) and in the first portion (the portion corresponding to R in Picture 1) and the second portion (the portion corresponding to P21 in Picture 1) of the first sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP1 in picture 1, Fig. 1-3), the first portion (the portion corresponding to G in Picture 1) and the second portion (the portion corresponding to P22 in Picture 1) of the second sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP2 in picture 1, Fig. 1-3), and the third sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP3 in picture 1, Fig. 1-3), wherein the first color resist (321R/321R-a in Picture 1, Fig. 1-3, [0052-0053]), the second color resist (321G/321G-a in Picture 1, Fig. 1-3, [0054-0055]), and the third color resist (324 and 324b in Picture 1, Fig. 1-3, [0060-0061, 0097]) have different colors (Picture 1, Fig. 1-3, [0052-0061, 0097]), and the color of the third color resist (324 and 324b in Picture 1, Fig. 1-3, [0060-0061, 0097]) is blue ([0060-0061, 0097]). Regarding claims 4-5, 7-10 and 12, Kim also teaches the following elements: (Claim 4) the third color resist (324 and 324b in Picture 1, Fig. 1-3, [0060-0061, 0097]) covers (Picture 1, Fig. 1-3) the first color resist (321R/321R-a in Picture 1, Fig. 1-3, [0052-0053]) in the first portion (the portion corresponding to R in Picture 1) of the first sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP1 in picture 1, Fig. 1-3), and the third color resist (324 and 324b in Picture 1, Fig. 1-3, [0060-0061, 0097]) covers (Picture 1, Fig. 1-3) the second color resist (321G/321G-a in Picture 1, Fig. 1-3, [0054-0055]) in the first portion (the portion corresponding to G in Picture 1) of the second sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP1 in picture 1, Fig. 1-3). (Claim 5) a portion of the third color resist (324 and 324b in Picture 1, Fig. 1-3, [0060-0061, 0097]) disposed in the first portion (the portion corresponding to R in Picture 1) of the first sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP1 in picture 1, Fig. 1-3) or the first portion (the portion corresponding to G in Picture 1) of the second sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP2 in picture 1, Fig. 1-3) has a first thickness (t2 in picture 1, Fig. 1-3), another portion of the third color resist (324 and 324b in Picture 1, Fig. 1-3, [0060-0061, 0097]) disposed in the third sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP3 in picture 1, Fig. 1-3) has a second thickness(t1 in picture 1, Fig. 1-3), and the first thickness (t2 in picture 1, Fig. 1-3) is less than the second thickness (t1 in picture 1, Fig. 1-3). (Claim 7) a portion of the third color resist (324 and 324b in Picture 1, Fig. 1-3, [0060-0061, 0097]) disposed in the first portion (the portion corresponding to R in Picture 1) of the first sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP1 in picture 1, Fig. 1-3) or the first portion (the portion corresponding to G in Picture 1) of the second sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP2 in picture 1, Fig. 1-3) has a thickness (t2 in picture 1, Fig. 1-3), and the thickness (t2 in picture 1, Fig. 1-3) of the portion of the third color resist is less than (Fig. 1-3) a thickness of the first color resist or a thickness of the second color resist (Fig. 1-3). (Claim 8) a portion of the third color resist (324 and 324b in Picture 1, Fig. 1-3, [0060-0061, 0097]) disposed in the third sub-pixel region has a thickness (t1 in Fig. 1-3), and the thickness of the portion of the third color resist (324 and 324b in Picture 1, Fig. 1-3, [0060-0061, 0097]) is greater than (Fig. 1-3) a thickness of the first color resist (321R/321R-a in Picture 1, Fig. 1-3, [0052-0053]) or a thickness of the second color resist (321G/321G-a in Picture 1, Fig. 1-3, [0054-0055]). (Claim 9) the color of one of the first color resist (321R/321R-a in Picture 1, Fig. 1-3, [0052-0053]) and the second color resist (321G/321G-a in Picture 1, Fig. 1-3, [0054-0055]) is green (Fig. 1-3, [0052-0055]), and the color of the other of the first color resist (321R/321R-a in Picture 1, Fig. 1-3, [0052-0053]) and the second color resist (321G/321G-a in Picture 1, Fig. 1-3, [0054-0055]) is red (Fig. 1-3, [0052-0055]). (Claim 10) a portion of the third color resist (324 and 324b in Picture 1, Fig. 1-3, [0060-0061, 0097]) disposed in the second portion (the portion corresponding to P21 in Picture 1) of the first sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP1 in picture 1, Fig. 1-3) or the second portion (the portion corresponding to P22 in Picture 1) of the second sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP2 in picture 1, Fig. 1-3) has a first thickness (the thickness of 324 in the area of BA in Picture 1, Fig. 1-3), another portion of the third color resist (324 and 324b in Picture 1, Fig. 1-3, [0060-0061, 0097]) disposed in the third sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP3 in picture 1, Fig. 1-3) has a second thickness (t1 in Picture 1, Fig. 1-3), and the first thickness (the thickness of 324 in the area of BA in Picture 1, Fig. 1-3) is less than the second thickness (t1 in Picture 1, Fig. 1-3). (Claim 12) A display device (Fig. 4-9), comprising: the color filter substrate (3000 in Fig. 1-9); and an array substrate (1000 in Fig. 4-9), wherein the array substrate and the color filter substrate are disposed opposite to each other (Fig. 4-9). PNG media_image1.png 366 352 media_image1.png Greyscale Picture 1, from Fig. 1 of Kim (US 2022/0077239) Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim (US 2022/0077239, 2nd interpretation). Regarding claim 1, Kim teaches a color filter substrate (3000 in Fig. 1-9, [0048-0161]), comprising: a substrate (the substrate corresponding to 310 in Fig. 1-3) having a pixel region (the region corresponding to Pix in picture 2, Fig. 1-3) including a first sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP1 in picture 2, Fig. 1-3), a second sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP2 in picture 2, Fig. 1-3), and a third sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP3 in picture 2, Fig. 1-3), wherein each of the first sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP1 in picture 2, Fig. 1-3) and the second sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP1 in picture 2, Fig. 1-3) includes a first portion (the portion corresponding to S11 or S21 in Picture 2) and a second portion (the portion corresponding to S21 or S22 in Picture 2); a first color resist (321R/321R-a in Picture 2, Fig. 1-3, [0052-0053]) disposed on the substrate (the substrate corresponding to 310 in Fig. 1-3) and in the first portion (the portion corresponding to S11 in Picture 2) of the first sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP1 in picture 2, Fig. 1-3); a second color resist (321G/321G-a in Picture 2, Fig. 1-3, [0054-0055]) disposed on the substrate (the substrate corresponding to 310 in Fig. 1-3) and in the first portion (the portion corresponding to S21 in Picture 2) of the second sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP2 in picture 2, Fig. 1-3); and a third color resist (324 and 324b in Picture 2, Fig. 1-3, [0060-0061, 0097]) disposed on the substrate (the substrate corresponding to 310 in Fig. 1-3) and in the first portion (the portion corresponding to S11 in Picture 2) and the second portion (the portion corresponding to S12 in Picture 2) of the first sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP1 in picture 2, Fig. 1-3), the first portion (the portion corresponding to S21 in Picture 2) and the second portion (the portion corresponding to S22 in Picture 2) of the second sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP2 in picture 2, Fig. 1-3), and the third sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to SP3 in picture 2, Fig. 1-3), wherein the first color resist (321R/321R-a in Picture 2, Fig. 1-3, [0052-0053]), the second color resist (321G/321G-a in Picture 2, Fig. 1-3, [0054-0055]), and the third color resist (324 and 324b in Picture 2, Fig. 1-3, [0060-0061, 0097]) have different colors (Picture 2, Fig. 1-3, [0052-0061, 0097]), and the color of the third color resist (324 and 324b in Picture 2, Fig. 1-3, [0060-0061, 0097]) is blue ([0060-0061, 0097]). PNG media_image2.png 438 352 media_image2.png Greyscale Picture 2, from Fig. 1 of Kim (US 2022/0077239) Regarding claims 2-3, Kim also teaches the following elements: (Claim 2) a ratio of an area of the first portion (the portion corresponding to S11 in Picture 2) of the first sub-pixel region to an area of the first sub-pixel region (the portion corresponding to SP1 in Picture 2) or a ratio of an area of the first portion (the portion corresponding to S21 in Picture 2) of the second sub-pixel region to an area of the second sub-pixel region (the portion corresponding to SP2 in Picture 2) is greater than or equal to 0.4 and less than or equal to 0.8 (Picture 2). (Claim 3) the ratio of the area of the first portion of the first sub-pixel region to the area of the first sub-pixel region or the ratio of the area of the first portion of the second sub-pixel region to the area of the second sub-pixel region is 0.6 (Picture 2). Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Araki (US 2015/0331278). Regarding claim 1, Araki teaches a color filter substrate (20A in Fig. 1-2, [0026-0034]), comprising: a substrate (the substrate corresponding to 21 in Fig. 1) having a pixel region (the region corresponding to 22A_R, 22A_G and 22A_B in picture 3, Fig. 2) including a first sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to 22A_R in picture 3, Fig. 2), a second sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to 22A_G in picture 3, Fig. 2), and a third sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to 22A_B in picture 3, Fig. 2), wherein each of the first sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to 22A_R in picture 3, Fig. 2) and the second sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to 22A_G in picture 3, Fig. 2) includes a first portion (the portion corresponding to R1 or G1 in Picture 3) and a second portion (the portion corresponding to R2 or G2 in Picture 3); a first color resist (CF_R in picture 3, Fig. 2) disposed on the substrate (picture 3, Fig. 2) and in the first portion (R1 in Picture 3) of the first sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to 22A_R in picture 3); a second color resist (CF_G in picture 3, Fig. 2) disposed on the substrate (picture 3, Fig. 2) and in the first portion (G1 in Picture 3) of the second sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to 22A_G in picture 3); and a third color resist (CF_B in picture 3, Fig. 2) disposed on the substrate (picture 3, Fig. 2) and in the first portion (R1 in Picture 3) and the second portion (R2 in Picture 3) of the first sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to 22A_R in picture 3), the first portion (G1 in picture 3) and the second portion (G2 in picture 3) of the second sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to 22A_G in picture 3), and the third sub-pixel region (the region corresponding to 22A_B in picture 3), wherein the first color resist (CF_R in picture 3, Fig. 2), the second color resist (CF_G in picture 3, Fig. 2), and the third color resist (CF_B in picture 3, Fig. 2) have different colors (Picture 3, Fig. 1-2, [0029]), and the color of the third color resist (CF_B in picture 3, Fig. 2) is blue ([0029]). PNG media_image3.png 312 420 media_image3.png Greyscale Picture 3, from Fig. 2 of Araki (US 2015/0331278) 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 of this title, 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. Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 2022/0077239, 1st interpretation). Regarding claim 6, Kim also teaches that the first thickness (t2 in picture 1, Fig. 1-3) is in a range of about 0.5 to about 3 μm ([0058]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to recognize that the claimed range of greater than or equal to 0.2 micrometers and less than or equal to 0.5 micrometers overlaps with the range disclosed by the prior art (MPEP 2144. 05 I.). Before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to the artisan of ordinary skill to recognize and try the claimed range of greater than or equal to 0.2 micrometers and less than or equal to 0.5 micrometers for the system of Kim since this would help to provide a display device capable of improving display quality while simplifying a manufacturing process (Kim, [0005]). Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Araki as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Lee (US 2019/0155106). Regarding claim 11, the embodiment of Fig. 1-2 of Araki does not teach the following elements. Lee teaches the following elements (Fig. 2, Fig. 4, [0083, 0104-0106]): (Claim 11) a transparent conductive layer (EL2 in Fig. 2 and Fig. 4, [0083]) disposed on a first color resist, a second color resist, and a third color resist (Fig. 4). Before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to the artisan of ordinary skill to employ the above elements as taught by Lee for the system of the embodiment of Fig. 1-2 of Araki such that in the system of the embodiment of Fig. 1-2 of Araki, (Claim 11) a transparent conductive layer disposed on the first color resist, the second color resist, and the third color resist. The motivation is to provide electric field to drive the liquid crystal molecules, so that an image is displayed by passing or blocking light through the liquid crystal layer (Lee, [0088). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHAN LIU whose telephone number is (571)270-0383. The examiner can normally be reached on 9am-5pm EST M-F. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jennifer Carruth can be reached on 571-272-9791. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /Shan Liu/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Nov 14, 2024
Application Filed
Jul 01, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102, §103 (current)

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
72%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+38.9%)
2y 1m (~5m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 621 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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