DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
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.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 1/17/2025 is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities:
As to claim 8, the claim recites “wo”, which appears to be a typographical error. Examiner suggests changing “wo” to “two”.
For purposes of examination, the Examiner will be interpreting “wo” as “two”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 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 (top straight-line portion joining to 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], 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 wo 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
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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/DAVID TUNG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2622