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 Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 16, the word “sa” should be spelled “a”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tominaga et al. (US 2019/0324309) in view of Huang (US 2011/0187671).
Regarding claim 1, Tominaga discloses a liquid crystal display device (see figures 1-4, 8N, 9A-10 and 11C, for instance), comprising: a liquid crystal panel including: a first substrate (100), a thin film transistor (70) on the first substrate, a pixel electrode (25) connected to the thin film transistor, a planarization layer (105) between the thin film transistor (70) and the pixel electrode (25), a passivation layer (106) between the thin film transistor (70) and the pixel electrode (25), a touch line (23, see figure 9A) between the planarization layer (105) and the passivation layer (106), a common electrode (26) between the thin film transistor (70) and the passivation layer (106) and overlapped with the pixel electrode (25), a second substrate (200), a color filter layer (103) on the second substrate (200), a black matrix (60, 211, see figure 11C, for instance), and a liquid crystal layer (3) between the first substrate (1) and the second substrate (2); and a backlight unit (5) below the liquid crystal panel, wherein the second substrate (2) is between the backlight unit (5) and the first substrate (1), wherein the liquid crystal panel (3) has a display region and a non-display region (TFT and non-TFT region, see also figure 2, regions 21 and 22 as display, and those outside of 21 and 22 as non-display). However, Tominaga does not expressly disclose an organic buffer layer between the first substrate and the thin film transistor, a black matrix on the second substrate (in Embodiment 2, although Tominaga discloses such a structure in Embodiment 3), and wherein the organic buffer layer is disposed in the display region.
Huang discloses an LCD device (see figure 1B, for instance), comprising an organic buffer layer (236; [0037]) between the first substrate (210) and the thin film transistor (220), a black matrix (124) on the second substrate (120a), and wherein the organic buffer layer (236) is disposed in the display region (see figure 1B).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the black matrix placement and buffer layer structure as Huang in the device of Tominaga. The motivation for doing so would have been to reduce the interference of the active component array to the sensing array in operation, so as to increase the sensitivity of the integrated touch-sensitive substrate, as taught by Huang ([0037]).
Regarding claim 2, Tominaga in view of Huang discloses the liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein the organic buffer layer (Huang 236) on the first substrate overlaps the black matrix (60, 211) and the color filter layer (103) on the second substrate (since 236 of Huang covers the entire display area).
Regarding claim 3, Tominaga in view of Huang discloses the liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein the black matrix (60, 211) includes a reflective metal ([0081]).
Regarding claim 4, Tominaga in view of Huang discloses the liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein the organic buffer layer (Huang 236) includes polyimide, polyamide, photosensitive acrylic polymer, and/or benzocyclobutene ([0037], “a high molecular material layer such as an organic photoresist layer” includes all of the above materials).
Regarding claim 5, Tominaga in view of Huang discloses the liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein the organic buffer layer (Huang 236) includes polyimide ([0037], “a high molecular material layer such as an organic photoresist layer” includes all of the above materials).
Regarding claim 6, Tominaga in view of Huang discloses the liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein the organic buffer layer (Huang 236) is disposed in only the display region (see Huang fig. 1B).
Regarding claim 7, Tominaga in view of Huang discloses the liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein the first substrate (1) includes a gate line (21) and a data line (22), and wherein the touch line (24) is overlapped with the data line (22, see figure 4).
Regarding claim 8, Tominaga in view of Huang discloses the liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein the first substrate (1) includes a touch insulating layer (104), and wherein the touch insulating layer (104) is between the planarization layer (105) and the passivation layer (106, see figure 10).
Regarding claim 9, Tominaga in view of Huang discloses the liquid crystal display device of claim 8, wherein the common electrode (26) is between the touch insulating layer (104) and the passivation layer (106).
Regarding claim 10, Tominaga in view of Huang discloses the liquid crystal display device of claim 9, wherein the touch line (24) is overlapped with the thin film transistor (see figure 4).
Regarding claim 11, Tominaga in view of Huang discloses the liquid crystal display device of claim 10, wherein the common electrode (26) is in contact with the touch line (24) thorough a touch contact hole (35).
Regarding claim 12, Tominaga in view of Huang discloses the liquid crystal display device of claim 11, wherein the touch insulating layer (104) has the contact hole (35) to expose the touch line (24).
Regarding claim 13, Tominaga in view of Huang discloses the liquid crystal display device of claim 8, wherein the common electrode (26) is between the planarization layer (105) and the touch insulating layer (104).
Regarding claim 14, Tominaga in view of Huang discloses the liquid crystal display device of claim 13, wherein the first substrate (1) includes a touch connection electrode (242), and wherein the touch connection electrode (23) is in contact with the common electrode (25) and the touch line (24) thorough a touch contact hole (35).
Regarding claim 15, Tominaga in view of Huang discloses the liquid crystal display device of claim 14, wherein the touch insulating layer (104) and the passivation layer (105) have the contact hole (35) to expose the touch line (24) and the common electrode (26).
Regarding claim 16, Tominaga in view of Huang discloses the liquid crystal display device of claim 14, wherein the touch connection electrode (242) is made of the same material as the pixel electrode (25).
Regarding claim 17, Tominaga in view of Huang discloses the liquid crystal display device of claim 14, wherein the touch connection electrode (242) is overlapped with the data line (22).
Conclusion
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.
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 at (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 published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/NATHANAEL R BRIGGS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871 9/3/2026
Prosecution Insights