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 . 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. Claims 30-49 are pending.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Objections
Claim 30 is objected to because of the following informalities: The limitation: “a touch control layer, on the side of the base substrate as the first electrode layer”, requires either “same” or “opposite” to specify the relationship between the touch control layer and the base substrate as compared with a side of the base substrate. Appropriate correction is required.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
page 15: “In addition, the electrode portion 22 in embodiments of the present disclosure is only located next to a portion of the pixel electrodes 5, which can further improve the problem that excessive electrode portion 22 can cause a reduction in the space between the first signal line 21 and the data line 22, resulting in metal residue caused by particles falling between the first signal line 21 and the data line 22, leading to a low product yield”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
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.
Claims 30-33, and 49 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou (CN 105487719A) in view of Shin (US 2013/0162570). All reference is to Zhou unless otherwise indicated.
Regarding Claim 30 (New), Zhou teaches a touch display panel, comprising:
a base substrate [fig. 4 @410];
a first electrode layer [page 5 lines 32-33, “since the touch signal line 431~434, connecting line 451 and the touch electrode 421~424 are arranged on the same layer”], on a side of the base substrate, wherein the first electrode layer [fig. 1 @comprises:
a plurality of first signal lines [fig. 4 @431-434] extending in a first direction [fig. 4 @vertical], and
a plurality of electrode portions [fig. 4 @451-454] connected to the plurality of first signal lines [page 5 lines 16-21, “the touch electrode 421 through the connecting line 451 and the touch signal line 431 electric connection, a touch electrode 422 through the connecting line 452 and the touch signal line 432 electric connection, a touch electrode 423 through the connecting line 453 and the touch signal line 433 electric connection, a touch electrode 424 through the connecting line 454 and the touch signal line 434 electric connection”];
a plurality of touch control electrodes [fig. 4 @421-424] spaced apart from each other;
a plurality of pixel electrodes [fig. 4 @440], on the same side of the base substrate [fig. 4 @410] as the first electrode layer [page 3 lines 13-20 teaches components of the touch display, including the electrode portions 451-454) and the first signal lines (431-434) are built on the substrate]; wherein
orthographic projections of the plurality of electrode portions [fig. 4 @451-454] on the base substrate [fig. 4 @410] are only located at orthographic projections of gaps between some adjacent pixel electrodes [fig. 4 @440] of the plurality of pixel electrodes on the base substrate [fig. 4 teaches the electrode portions (452) are formed outside the respective pixel electrode (440), the area external to each pixel electrode is construed as a gap between an adjacent pixel electrode]
Zhou does not teach a touch control layer, on the side of the base substrate as the first electrode layer; a first insulating layer, between the first electrode layer and the touch control layer, wherein the first insulating layer is provided with a plurality of first via holes; at least some of the plurality of electrode portions are electrically connected to the touch control electrodes through the first via holes
Shin teaches teaches a touch control layer [fig. 4 @180 (touch sensing electrodes) and 170 (Silicon Oxide layer)] on the side of a base substrate [fig. 4 @ 100] as a first electrode layer [fig. 4 @ 160], wherein
the touch control layer comprises: a first insulating [The Examiner takes Official Notice that it is well known in the display art to use Silicon Oxide or Silicon Nitride as an inorganic insulating material] layer [fig. 4 @170], between the first electrode layer [fig. 4 @ 160] and an touch control layer [fig. 4 @180], wherein
the first insulating layer [fig. 4 @170] is provided with a plurality of first via holes [fig. 4 @165];
at least some of a plurality of electrode portions [fig. 4 @160] are electrically connected to the touch control electrodes [¶0046, “the plural common electrode blocks 180 are connected with the sensing line 160”] through the first via holes [fig. 4 @165]
Before the application was filed it would have been obvious to incorporate a touch sensor layer and an insulating layer above an electrode layer, as taught by Shin, into the touch display taught by Zhou in order to use the common electrodes as a touch sensor and as a second liquid crystal drive electrode.
Regarding Claim 31 (New), Zhou in view of Shin teaches the touch display panel according to Claim 30, wherein
all of the electrode portions [fig. 4 @451 and Shin: fig. 4 @160] are electrically connected to the touch control electrodes [fig. 4 @ 421 and Shin: fig. fig. 4 @180] through the first via holes [Shin: fig. 4 @ 165].
Regarding Claim 32 (New), Zhou in view of Shin teaches the touch display panel according to Claim 31, wherein
a minimum distance between orthographic projections of at least some adjacent electrode portions [vertical distance between fig. 4 @451 and fig. 4 @453] on the base substrate in the first direction [fig. 4 @vertical] is greater [fig. 4 illustrates the claimed structure] than a length of an orthographic projection of the pixel electrode [fig. 4 @440] on the base substrate in the first direction [fig. 4 @vertical].
Regarding Claim 33 (New), Zhou in view of Shin teaches the touch display panel according to Claim 30, wherein
a minimum distance between orthographic projections of at least some adjacent electrode portions [horizontal distance between fig. 4 @451 and fig. 4 @453] on the base substrate in a second direction [fig. 4 @horizontal] is greater [fig. 4 illustrates the claimed structure] than a length of an orthographic projection of the pixel electrode [fig. 4 @440] on the base substrate in the second direction [fig. 4 @horizontal], and
the second direction [fig. 4 @horizontal] is perpendicular to the first direction [fig. 4 @vertical].
Regarding Claim 49 (New), Zhou in view of Shin teaches the touch display panel according to Claim 30, incorporated into a touch display device [Shin: ¶0003, “The present disclosure relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, and more particularly, to a liquid crystal display (LCD) device with a sensing electrode for sensing a user's touch”].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 34-48 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 Douglas Wilson whose telephone number is (571)272-5640. The Examiner can normally be reached 1000-1800 EST. 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, 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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/Douglas Wilson/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2622
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