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 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.
Claim(s) 1-7 and 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee et al. (US 2021/0200363).
Regarding claim 1, Lee discloses a display apparatus (Figs 1, 3 and 8; [0032], e.g., a touch display panel 10), comprising:
a substrate including a display area and a non-display area ([0033], [0069], e.g., a substrate 110 includes a display area AA and a non-display area BZ), wherein the non-display area includes a pad area and a bending area ([0051], e.g., a bending area BA and a pad area PDA);
a transistor disposed in the display area, and including a semiconductor layer, a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode ([0072], e.g., a transistor 120 includes a semiconductor layer 122, a gate electrode 124, a source electrode 126 and a drain electrode 128);
a planarization layer disposed on the transistor ([0078], e.g., a planarization layer 118 configured to cover the TFT 120);
at least one dam disposed in the non-display area, and surrounding the display area ([0087]-[0088], e.g., a dam unit 150);
a light emitting diode disposed on the planarization layer, and including a first electrode, an emission unit, and a second electrode ([0080], e.g., a light-emitting element 210 includes a first electrode 220, a light-emitting stack 230 or 230A, and a second electrode 240);
an encapsulation unit disposed on the light emitting diode, and including a first encapsulation layer consisting of an inorganic material, a second encapsulation layer consisting of an organic material on the first encapsulation layer, and a third encapsulation layer consisting of an inorganic material on the second encapsulation layer ([0086], e.g., the encapsulation unit 300 includes inorganic encapsulation layers 310 and 330 and an organic encapsulation layer 320);
a first touch dielectric layer disposed on the encapsulation unit, crossing the dam, and extending to the pad area ([0091]-[0092], e.g., a touch buffer layer 420 is extending to the pad area PDA);
a plurality of touch connection electrodes disposed on the first touch dielectric layer ([0094]-[0096], e.g., a plurality of bridge electrodes BE1);
a lower routing line disposed on the first touch dielectric layer ([0094], e.g., a lower routing line 410);
at least one second touch dielectric layer disposed on the first touch dielectric layer ([0096], e.g., a touch insulating layer 430 on the touch buffer layer 420),
wherein the second touch dielectric layer crosses the dam, and extends to the pad area (e.g., the touch insulating layer 430 crosses the dam 150 and extends to the pad area PDA);
a plurality of touch electrodes disposed on the second touch dielectric layer, connecting to the touch connection electrode ([0095]-[0096], e.g., touch electrodes TE1 connect to the first bridge electrodes BE1 via contact holes 431 formed in the touch insulating layer 43); and
an upper routing line disposed on the second touch dielectric layer, connecting to the lower routing line ([0096], e.g., the upper routing line 412 is connected to the lower routing line 410),
wherein one of the lower routing line and the upper routing line crosses the dam, wherein the lower routing line and the upper routing line are connected through at least one contact hole between a side at the display area and the pad area (Fig. 8; [0096], e.g., the lower routing line 410 and the upper routing line 412 crosses the dam 150 and are connected through the contact hole 432 between a side at the display area AA and the pad area PDA).
Regarding claim 2, Lee further discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lower routing line and the upper routing line crosses the dam (Fig. 8; e.g., the lower routing line 410 and the upper routing line 412 crosses the dam 150).
Regarding claim 3, Lee further discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lower routing line and the upper routing line are connected through other contact hole between a side at the display area and the pad area (Fig. 8; [0096], e.g., the lower routing line 410 and the upper routing line 412 are connected to each other via a plurality of contact holes 432).
Regarding claim 4, Lee further discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of power supply lines and a plurality of data lines disposed on the substrate, wherein the plurality of power supply lines and the plurality of data lines crosses the dam (Figs 3 and 8; [0045]-[0047], e.g., signal lines SL includes a plurality of power lines PL and a plurality of data lines DL crossing the dam 150).
Regarding claim 5, Lee further discloses the display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of power supply lines and the plurality of data lines crosses the bending area (see Figs 3 and 8, e.g., the power lines PL and the data lines DL crosses the bending area BD).
Regarding claim 6, Lee further discloses the display apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising: a plurality of display pad electrodes disposed in the pad area, wherein the plurality of power supply lines and the plurality of data lines are connected to the plurality of display pad electrodes (see Figs 3 and 8, e.g., the power lines PL and the data lines DL are connected to the display pad electrodes D-PD).
Regarding claim 7, Lee further discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of touch pad electrodes disposed in the pad area (Fig. 8; [0095], [0097], e.g., the touch pads 414 and 130 disposed in the pad area PDA), wherein the first touch dielectric layer and the second touch dielectric layer have another contact hole in the pad area ([0098], e.g., the first touch dielectric layer 420 and the second touch dielectric layer 430 have the contact hole 434 in the pad area PDA), and the upper routing line is connected to the plurality of touch pad electrodes through the another contact hole ([0097], e.g., the upper routing line 412 is connected to the touch pads through an contact hole 433 and the another contact hole 434).
Regarding claim 10, Lee further discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a first touch pad electrode and a second touch pad electrode disposed in the pad area ([0097]-[0098], e.g., the upper touch pad 414 and the lower touch pad 130 are disposed in the pad area PDA), wherein the first touch pad electrode is formed of a same layer and of a same material as the source electrode of the transistor or the drain electrode of the transistor ([0099], e.g., the lower touch pad 130 is formed of a same layer and of the same material as the source and drain electrodes 126 and 128 of the TFT 120).
Regarding claim 11, Lee further discloses the display apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the second touch pad electrode disposed on the first touch pad electrode ([0098], e.g., the upper touch pad 414 is disposed on the lower touch pad 130).
Regarding claim 12, Lee further discloses the display apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the second touch pad electrode is formed of a same layer and of a same material as the upper routing line and one of the plurality of touch electrodes ([0095], [0099], e.g., the upper touch pad 414 is formed of the same metal layer as the upper routing line 412 and one of the touch electrodes).
Regarding claim 13, Lee further discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a third touch dielectric layer disposed on the second touch dielectric layer (Fig. 8; [0091], e.g., the touch passivation layer 440 is disponed on the touch insulating layer 430).
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, 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(s) 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US 2021/0200363) in view of Lee et al. (US 2021/0200360, hereinafter referred to as “Lee360”, cited in IDS dated 3/19/2025).
Regarding claim 8, Lee the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second touch dielectric layer comprises a plurality of dielectric layers, wherein some of the plurality of dielectric layers consists of an organic material.
However, Lee360 discloses a display apparatus (Fig. 1, [0028], e.g., a touch display device) comprising:
a first touch dielectric layer disposed on an encapsulation unit (Fig. 8; [0066], [0068], e.g., a touch buffer layer 410 is disposed on an encapsulation unit 300);
a plurality of touch connection electrodes disposed on the first touch dielectric layer ([0045], [0071], e.g., a plurality of bridge electrodes BE1);
at least one second touch dielectric layer disposed on the first touch dielectric layer ([0045], e.g., touch insulating layers 420 and 430 are disposed on the touch buffer layer 420); and a plurality of touch electrodes disposed on the second touch dielectric layer, connecting to the touch connection electrode ([0045], [0073], e.g., touch electrodes TE1 connect to the first bridge electrodes BE1 via contact holes 431 formed in the touch insulating layers 420 and 430),
wherein the second touch dielectric layer comprises a plurality of dielectric layers, wherein some of the plurality of dielectric layers consists of an organic material ([0045], [0070], e.g., each of the touch buffer 410 and the touch insulating layer 430 can be formed of an organic insulating material).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use the teachings of Lee360 in the invention of Lee for providing a second touch dielectric layer having multilayer structure using an organic insulating material which can be deposited at a low temperature so that damage to touch connection electrodes can be prevented.
Regarding claim 9, Lee in view of Lee360 further discloses the display apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of dielectric layers is disposed between the lower routing line and the upper routing line (Fig. 8 of Lee, e.g., the touch insulating layer 430 having the plurality of dielectric layers is disposed between the lower routing line 410 and the upper routing line 412).
Claim(s) 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US 2021/0200363) in view of Lee et al. (US 2021/0200365, hereinafter referred to as “Lee365”).
Regarding claim 14, Lee further discloses the display apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising: an overcoat layer disposed on the third touch dielectric layer (Fig. 8; [0106], e.g., an overcoat layer 510 is disposed on the touch passivation layer 440), wherein each of the first and second touch dielectric layers comprises an inorganic material and the third touch dielectric layer comprises an organic material ([0092], e.g., the touch buffer layer 420 and the touch insulating layer 430 are formed of an inorganic insulating material and the touch passivation layer 440 comprise an organic material).
Lee does not specifically disclose wherein the overcoat layer is a touch dielectric layer comprising an organic material.
However, Lee365 discloses a display apparatus comprising: a fourth touch dielectric layer comprising an organic material (Fig. 6; [0114], e.g., an organic passivation layer 510 disposed on the touch passivation layer 440 so as to cover the color filter CF and the black matrix BM).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use the teachings of Lee365 in the invention of Lee for providing a fourth touch dielectric layer comprising an organic material in order to provide an overcoat layer that can be deposited at a low temperature (see [0114] of Lee365).
Regarding claim 15, Lee further discloses the display apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the fourth touch dielectric layer is thicker than each of the first and second touch dielectric layers (Fig. 8 of Lee, e.g., the overcoat layer 510 is thicker than the touch buffer layer 420 and the touch insulating layer 430).
Claim(s) 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US 2021/0200363) in view of Kim et al. (US 2017/0090661, cited in IDS dated 3/19/2025).
Regarding claim 16, Lee does not specifically disclose the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the non-display area includes a cutting surface, wherein at least a portion of the encapsulation unit is exposed at the cutting surface.
However, Kim discloses a display apparatus (Fig. 4; [0041]-[0042], e.g., a TSP) comprising:
a display area (e.g., AA) and a non-display area (e.g., NA), wherein the non-display area includes a touch pad (e.g., PD);
wherein the non-display area includes a cutting surface, wherein at least a portion of an encapsulation unit is exposed at the cutting surface ([0015], [0053], e.g., the base film BF1 functions as an encapsulation substrate and has a cutting surface).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use the teachings of Kim in the invention of Lee for putting a preset cutting margin with respect to an edge of an encapsulation substrate and disposing a touch pad closer to a display area than a cutting surface in order to provide enough space to avoid pool contact with terminals and cutting margin space required for a blanking process for forming touch pads.
Claim(s) 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US 2021/0200363) in view of Kim (US 2018/0182818).
Regarding claim 18, Lee further discloses the display apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising: a first routing line which connects the plurality of touch electrodes arranged in a first direction to at least first one of at least one of a plurality of touch pad electrodes (Fig. 3; [0055], e.g., first routing line RL2 is connected a touch electrode arranged in a first direction to a first touch pad electrode); a second routing line which connects the plurality of touch electrodes arranged in the first direction to at least second one of the at least one of the plurality of touch pad electrodes ([0055], e.g., second routing line RL3 is connected the touch electrode arranged in the first direction to a second touch pad electrode); and a third routing line which connects the plurality of touch electrodes arranged in a second direction to at least third one of the at least one of the plurality of touch pad electrodes (e.g., [0055], e.g., a third routing line RL1), and wherein each of the first, second, and third routing lines is configured by the lower routing line and the upper routing line (Fig. 8; e.g., the lower routing line 410 and the upper routing line 412).
Lee does not specifically disclose wherein the first routing line connects an odd-numbered electrode of the plurality of touch electrodes arranged in the first direction to at least first one of at least one of a plurality of touch pad electrodes; and the second routing line connects an even-numbered electrode of the plurality of touch electrodes arranged in the first direction to at least second one of the at least one of the plurality of touch pad electrodes.
However, Kim discloses a touch display apparatus (Figs 1-2; [0021]) comprising:
a first routing line which connects an odd-numbered electrode of a plurality of touch electrodes arranged in a first direction to at least first one of at least one of a plurality of touch pad electrodes (Fig. 2; [0050]-[0052], e.g., a first routing line 156 connects to an odd-numbered electrode of a plurality of touch electrodes 152 arranged in a first direction to at least first one of at least one of a plurality of touch pad electrodes 170); a second routing line which connects an even-numbered electrode of the plurality of touch electrodes arranged in the first direction to at least second one of the at least one of the plurality of touch pad electrodes (e.g., a second routing line 156 connects an even-numbered electrode of the plurality of touch electrodes 152 arranged in the first direction to at least second one of the at least one of the plurality of touch pad electrodes 170); and a third routing line which connects the plurality of touch electrodes arranged in a second direction to at least third one of the at least one of the plurality of touch pad electrodes (e.g., a third routing line 156).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use the teachings of Kim in the invention of Lee for connecting a first routing line to an odd-numbered electrode of a plurality of touch electrodes arranged in a first direction and connecting a second routing line to an even-numbered electrode of the plurality of touch electrodes arranged in the first direction so that the disposition of routing lines can be variously changed depending on a design of a display device.
Claim(s) 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US 2021/0200363) in view of Won et al. (US 2018/0323240, cited in IDS dated 3/19/2025).
Regarding claim 19, Lee does not specifically disclose the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a height of the lower routing line is equal to a height of at least one of the plurality of touch connection electrodes.
However, Won discloses a display apparatus wherein a height of a lower routing line is equal to a height of at least one of a plurality of touch connection electrodes (Fig. 3; [0052], e.g., a height of a lower routing line 162 is equal to a height of a touch connection electrodes 154b).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use the teachings of Won in the invention of Lee for forming a lower routing line to have a height that is equal to a height of at least one of a plurality of touch connection electrodes so that the lower routing line and the plurality of touch connection electrodes can be formed by the same mask process and using the same material.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 17 and 20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lee et al. (US 2022/0206620) and (US 2021/0202812) disclose a touch display device comprising an upper routing line electrically connected to a lower routing line through a routing contact hole.
Lee et al. (US 2022/0035504) discloses a touch display device comprising an upper routing line electrically connected to a lower routing line, wherein a thickness of the upper routing line is greater than a thickness of the lower routing line, and wherein a width of the lower routing line is greater than a width of the upper routing line.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HONG ZHOU whose telephone number is (571)270-5372. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00-5:00 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, 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.
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.
/HONG ZHOU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2629