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 § 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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang (US 20220051638 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Huang teaches a display device comprising:
a display panel including a display area (100) in which an image is displayed and a non-display area in which no image is displayed (Fig. 2, [0030]);
a first line (222) disposed in the display area (Figs. 1-4, [0032]);
a second line (221) disposed in the display area (Figs. 1-4, [0032]);
a third line (224) disposed in the display area (Figs. 1-4, [0032]);
a connection line disposed in the non-display area and connected to the first line (Figs. 1 and 2, [0028]-[0030], line outputting from source driving chip to the second data line 222);
a first switching line (250) disposed in the non-display area (Figs. 3 and 4, [0032], [0043]);
a first switching component (244) disposed in the non-display area and including a first gate electrode that is connected to the first switching line (Figs. 3 and 4, [0037], [0043], using the A output from timing controller 260), a first source electrode that is connected to one of the first line or the connection line (Fig. 3, [0032], [0043]), and a first drain electrode that is connected to the second line (Figs. 3 and 4, [0032, [0043]);
a second switching line disposed in the non-display area (Figs. 3 and 4, [0037], using the B output from timing controller 260);
a second switching component disposed in the non-display area and including a second gate electrode that is connected to the first switching line, a second source electrode that is connected to one of the first line or the connection line, and a second drain electrode that is connected to the third line (Figs. 3 and 4, [0032], [0043], the second switching component corresponding to the single P-type MOS transistor in the configuration shown in Fig. 4); and
a signal supply section (120/130/260) disposed in the non-display area and connected to the connection line, the first switching line, and the second switching line (Figs. 1-4, [0028]-[0032]),
the signal supply section being configured to supply an image signal to the connection line and supply a switching signal having a voltage higher than a threshold voltage of the first switching component (Figs. 3 and 4, [0037], [0043]) and the second switching component to the first switching line and the second switching line at different timings (Figs. 1, 2, and 4, [0028], [0037], [0043]),
wherein the first line (222) is disposed between the second line (221) and the third line (224) (Figs. 3 and 4, [0032]).
But, Huang does not teach the display device wherein the second switching component’s second gate electrode is connected to the second switching line. However, Huang does teach that the second switching component could be an N-type MOS transistor (e.g., M2) with a gate connecting to the second switching line (Fig. 3, [0037], where the second switching line is the B output from timing controller 260). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Huang to use two switching lines instead of one such that the two switches could be controlled separately.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang (US 20220051638 A1) in view of Bang et al. (US 20230022014 A1).
Regarding claim 9, Huang would show the display device according to claim 1. But, Huang does not explicitly teach the display device wherein the first line includes a first line portion that is a portion of a first conductive film and a second line portion that is a portion of a second conductive film, the second conductive film is disposed in a layer upper than the first conductive film via a first insulating film, and the first line portion and the second line portion overlap and are connected via a first contact hole formed in the first insulating film. However, this was well known in the art as evidenced by Bang (Fig. 9, [0179], where respective line portions are formed from a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer and connected via contact hole formed in the second insulating layer). Both Huang and Bang teach display devices having signal lines. Huang is silent with respect to signal line portions being formed from different conductive layers. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement Huang’s lines as taught by Bang, especially where lines are crossing.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-8 and 10-14 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PETER D MCLOONE whose telephone number is (571)272-4631. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 AM - 5 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, LunYi Lao can be reached at 5712727671. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PETER D MCLOONE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2621