DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 1, the amendment to independent claim 1, “the curved portion or the bent portion not being located between the pixel electrodes and the straight-line portion”, appears to be new matter.
In independent claim 1, the elements of “curved portion” and “bent portion” were written in alternative form. In the rejection of independent claim 1, the “curved portion” alternative was selected.
Thus, the corresponding limitations of claim 1 would be interpreted as “the outer peripheral edge of the pixel area has a curved portion
In the Remarks, page 5, 1st para., the Applicant cited figures 5a, 7, & 14c of the instant application as supporting the amendment.
There does not appear to be any straight-line portions in figure 5a of the instant application. In figure 14c in the instant application, it only shows the bent portions.
Figure 7 of the instant application appears to contradict the amended claim limitation of “the curved portion or the bent portion not being located between the pixel electrodes and the straight-line portion”, since curved portion is located between pixel electrodes [pixel area 10b] and a straight-line portion.
Further, the specification of the instant application does not appear to explicitly recite or describe the amended claim limitation.
Thus, amendment to independent claim 1 appears to be new matter.
For purposes of examination, the Examiner will be interpreting “the curved portion or the bent portion not being located between the pixel electrodes and the straight-line portion” as “the curved portion or the bent portion being located between the pixel electrodes and the straight-line portion”
Dependent claims 2-5 do not rectify the issue.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 5/8/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding the rejection of claim 1, the Applicant argues [Remarks: pg. 5, last para.], that Wyler fails to teach amended independent claim 1.
The Office respectfully disagrees.
Refer to 112 rejection above.
Refer to figure 3 of Wyler, which shows the curved portion being located between the pixel electrodes and the straight-line portion.
Thus, Wyler teaches amended independent claim 1.
Regarding the rejection of claim 6, the Applicant argues [Remarks: pg. 6, 2nd para.], that Wyler fails to teach amended independent claim 6.
The Office respectfully disagrees.
Refer to figure 3 of Wyler, which two straight-line portions [vertical line and horizontal line] joined via a diagonal corner portion. The longitudinal direction of column driver circuits 10, 11, 12, 13 & row driver circuits 20, 21, 22, 23, not parallel to straight-line portion, vertical & horizontal.
Thus, Wyler teaches amended independent claim 6.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of pre-AIA 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 –
(b) the invention was patented or described in a printed publication in this or a foreign country or in public use or on sale in this country, more than one year prior to the date of application for patent in the United States.
Claim(s) 1-11 is/are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(b) as being anticipated by Wyler et al. (US 5270693).
As to claim 1, Wylder discloses an electro-optical device [abstract & fig. 3] comprising:
a substrate (mounting plane 27 & octagonal glass sheet 36) [figs. 3-5 & col. 5 lines 1-17 & 54-67];
signal lines (scan lines and data lines) [figs. 4-5 & col. 6 lines 18-31] extending in a first direction and arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction on the substrate;
a pixel area (pixel area with electrodes corresponding to circle 30) [figs. 3-5 & col. 5 lines 1-17 & 31-43] in which pixel electrodes are disposed;
a signal output circuit (column driver circuits 10, 11, 12, 13 & row driver circuits 20, 21, 22, 23) [figs. 3-5 & col. 5 lines 54-67] disposed outside the pixel area [fig. 3] and outputting driving signals to the signal lines [figs. 3-5 & col. 5 lines 31-43], the signal output circuit including circuit blocks arranged along an outer peripheral edge of the pixel area (column driver circuits 10, 11, 12, 13 & row driver circuits 20, 21, 22, 23) [figs. 3-5 & col. 5 lines 31-43 & 54-67]; and
connection wirings (wiring that connects column driver circuits and row driver circuits to corresponding data lines and scan lines, respectively) [figs. 3-5 & col. 6 lines18-31], each connecting one of the circuit blocks to a corresponding one of the signal lines (wiring that connects column driver circuits and row driver circuits to corresponding data lines and scan lines, respectively) [figs. 3-5 & col. 6 lines18-31], wherein
the outer peripheral edge of the pixel area has a curved portion or a bent portion (curved portion formed by seal between circle 30 & circle 35) [figs. 3-5 & col. 5 lines 1-17], and a straight-line portion contacting the curved portion or the bent portion (at 12, 3, 6, 9 o’clock portion, straight-line contacting curved seal) [fig. 3], the curved portion or the bent portion not being located between the pixel electrodes and the straight-line portion [fig. 3],
the signal output circuit includes a first circuit group (column driver circuits 10, 11, 12, 13) [figs. 3-5 & col. 5 lines 54-67] and a second circuit group (row driver circuits 20, 21, 22, 23) [figs. 3-5 & col. 5 lines 54-67],
the first circuit group includes first ones of the circuit blocks facing the curved portion or the bent portion (column driver circuits 10 & 11 facing towards curved seal) [figs. 3-4],
the second circuit group includes second ones of the circuit blocks facing the straight-line portion (row driver circuits 20 & 21 facing straight edges) [figs. 3 & 5], and
a first gap between the first circuit group and the second circuit group faces the curved portion or the bent portion (gap between column driver circuit 11 & row driver circuit 20, facing curved seal) [fig. 3].
As to claim 2, Wylder discloses the electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the outer peripheral edge has a contact portion (straight line meets curved seal at 12 o’clock between column driver circuit 11 & row driver circuit 20) [fig. 3] where the straight-line portion contacts the curved portion or the bent portion, and
the first gap faces the contact portion (between column driver circuit 11 & row driver circuit 20) [fig. 3].
As to claim 3, Wylder discloses the electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the first circuit group has a second gap between two of the circuit blocks included in the first circuit group (note gap between column driver circuits 10 & 11) [figs. 3-4].
As to claim 4, Wylder discloses the electro-optical device according to claim 3, wherein the first circuit group has a third gap between two of the circuit blocks included in the first circuit group (gap between column driver 10 & 12) [fig. 3],
the second gap is disposed between the first gap and the third gap (gap between column driver 10 & 11 between gap between column driver 11 & row driver 20 as well as column drivers 10 & 12) [fig. 3], and
the second gap is smaller than the third gap [fig. 3].
As to claim 5, Wylder discloses the electro-optical device according to claim 3, wherein the second gap is smaller than the first gap [figs. 3-4].
As to claim 6, Wylder discloses an electro-optical device [abstract & fig. 3] comprising:
a substrate (mounting plane 27 & octagonal glass sheet 36) [figs. 3-5 & col. 5 lines 1-17 & 54-67];
signal lines (scan lines and data lines) [figs. 4-5 & col. 6 lines 18-31] extending in a first direction and arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction on the substrate;
a pixel area (pixel area with electrodes corresponding to circle 30) [figs. 3-5 & col. 5 lines 1-17 & 31-43] in which pixel electrodes are disposed;
a signal output circuit (column driver circuits 10, 11, 12, 13 & row driver circuits 20, 21, 22, 23) [figs. 3-5 & col. 5 lines 54-67] disposed outside the pixel area [fig. 3] and outputting driving signals to the signal lines [figs. 3-5 & col. 5 lines 31-43], the signal output circuit including circuit blocks arranged along an outer peripheral edge of the pixel area (column driver circuits 10, 11, 12, 13 & row driver circuits 20, 21, 22, 23) [figs. 3-5 & col. 5 lines 31-43 & 54-67]; and
connection wirings (wiring that connects column driver circuits and row driver circuits to corresponding data lines and scan lines, respectively) [figs. 3-5 & col. 6 lines18-31], each connecting one of the circuit blocks to a corresponding one of the signal lines (wiring that connects column driver circuits and row driver circuits to corresponding data lines and scan lines, respectively) [figs. 3-5 & col. 6 lines18-31], wherein
the outer peripheral edge of the pixel area has a curved portion or a bent portion facing the signal output circuit (curved portion formed by seal between circle 30 & circle 35) [figs. 3-5 & col. 5 lines 1-17],
an edge of the substrate has two straight-line parts connecting with each other at corner part of the edge (two straight-line portions, vertical line & horizontal line, joining via diagonal corner portion) [figs. 3-5],
at least one of the two straight-line parts faces to the curved portion or the bent portion (at 12, 3, 6, 9 o’clock portion, straight-line contacting curved seal) [fig. 3],
some of the circuit blocks are disposed between the at least one of the two straight- line parts and the curved portion or between the at least one of the two straight-line parts and the bent portion [figs. 3-5], each of the some of the circuit blocks has a longitudinal direction that is parallel to none of the two straight-line parts (longitudinal direction of column driver circuits 10, 11, 12, 13 & row driver circuits 20, 21, 22, 23, not parallel to straight-line portion, vertical & horizontal) [figs. 3-5 & col. 5 lines 31-43 & 54-67], and
the some of the circuit blocks are arranged in a linear manner along the at least one of the two straight-line parts (column driver circuits 10 & 11 arranged along diagonal corner portion of straight-line) [figs. 3-5].
As to claim 7, Wylder discloses the electro-optical device according to claim 6, wherein some of the circuit blocks are arranged in a linear manner along a first one of the two straight-line parts (column driver circuits 10 & 11 arranged along diagonal corner portion of straight-line) [figs. 3-5], and others of the circuit blocks are arranged in a linear manner along a second one of the two straight-line parts (column driver circuit 11 & row driver circuit 20 arranged along top straight-line portion) [fig. 3].
As to claim 8, Wylder discloses the electro-optical device according to claim 6 wherein a first one of the two straight-line parts extend in a direction different from the first and second directions (straight-line corresponding to diagonal corner portion) [figs. 3-5], and
a second one of the two straight-line parts extend in the second direction (top straight-line portion) [fig. 3].
As to claim 9, Wylder discloses the electro-optical device according to claim 6, wherein some of the circuit blocks are arranged in a direction different from the first and second directions (column driver circuits 10 & 11) [figs. 3-4], and
others of the circuit blocks are arranged in the second direction (column driver circuit 11 & row driver circuit 20) [fig. 3].
As to claim 10, Wylder discloses the electro-optical device according to claim 6, wherein the corner part faces to the curved portion or the bent portion in the first direction [figs. 3-5].
As to claim 11, Wylder discloses the electro-optical device according to claim 6, wherein a first one of the two straight-line parts extend in a direction different from the first and second directions (straight-line corresponding to diagonal corner portion) [figs. 3-5],
a second one of the two straight-line parts extend in the second direction (top straight-line portion) [fig. 3],
the second one of the two straight-line parts faces some of the circuit blocks arranged in a direction different from the first and second directions (column driver circuit 11) [fig. 3], and others of the circuit blocks arranged in the second direction (column driver circuit 11 & row driver circuit 20) [fig. 3].
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID TUNG whose telephone number is (571)270-3385. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday; 10:00AM - 6:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Patrick Edouard can be reached at (571)-272-7603. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DAVID TUNG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2622
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