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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 6, 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 6 recites the limitation " sensing information comprises first sensing information for a position of the first light- receiving element, second sensing information for a position of the second light-receiving element, third sensing information for a position of the third light-receiving element, and fourth sensing information for a position of the fourth light-receiving element," in lines 8-11. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 9 recites the limitation " wherein sensing information comprises first sensing information for a position of the first light-receiving element, second sensing information for a position of the second light-receiving element, third sensing information for a position of the third light-receiving element, and fourth sensing information for a position of the fourth light-receiving element" in lines 1-4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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) 1-5, 10-14, 16-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SONG et al (US Pub 2023/0098891) in view of LEE et al (US Pub 2023/0089207).
With respect to claim 1, SONG discloses a display device (fig. 1; discloses display device DD) comprising: a circuit layer comprising pixel circuits and sensor circuits and an element layer positioned on the circuit layer and comprising light-emitting elements connected to the pixel circuits and light-receiving elements connected to the sensor circuits, (par 0056; discloses Referring to FIG. 2, the display panel DP includes a base layer BL, a circuit layer DP_CL, an element layer DP_ED; par 0058; discloses The circuit layer DP_CL is located on the base layer BL. The circuit layer DP_CL includes at least one insulating layer and a circuit element. The circuit element may include a pixel driving circuit included in each of a plurality of pixels for displaying an image and a sensor driving circuit included in each of a plurality of sensors for recognizing external information; par 0059; discloses The element layer DP_ED may include a light emitting element included in each of the pixels and a light sensing element included in each of the sensors) wherein the light-receiving elements comprise a first light-receiving element, a second light-receiving element, a third light-receiving element, and a fourth light-receiving element (fig. 4; discloses the display panel includes plurality of light sensor FX; see annotated fig. 4C below for reference for a first light-receiving element, a second light-receiving element, a third light-receiving element, and a fourth light-receiving element), wherein the sensor circuits comprise: a first sensor circuit connected to the first light-receiving element; a second sensor circuit connected to the second light-receiving element; and a third sensor circuit connected to the third light-receiving element (fig. 6; discloses a first sensor circuit connected to first light sensing element OPD, a second sensor circuit connected to second light sensing element OPD and a third sensor connected to third light sensing element OPD) and wherein a planar distance between the first light-receiving element and the third light- receiving element is substantially the same as a planar distance between the second light- receiving element and the fourth light-receiving element (fig. 4C; discloses placement of light sensor FX on the display panel where the distance between light sensing element OPDs is substantially same; see annotated fig. 4C below; discloses distance between the first and third light sensing element is substantially same as distance between second and fourth light sensing element;
Song doesn’t expressly disclose a third sensor circuit connected to the fourth light- receiving element;
In the same field of endeavor, LEE discloses a display device comprising plurality of pixels and light sensing circuits (see abstract); LEE doesn’t expressly disclose a fourth light-receiving element; a third sensor circuit connected to the third light-receiving element and the fourth light- receiving element (fig. 5; discloses each light sensing circuit is connected to plurality of light receiving element s LRD1 -LRD4);
Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the invention disclosed by SONG to incorporate the teachings of LEE to connect each light sensor circuit to plurality of light sensing elements such that the number of sensor circuit required is reduced, further reducing the area required by the sensor circuits in the display panel.
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With respect to claim 2, SONG as modified by LEE discloses wherein the first sensor circuit and the second sensor circuit are commonly connected to a first scan line (SONG; fig. 3; discloses each sensor circuit FX (i.e. the first sensor circuit and the second sensor circuit) disposed in the first row are connected to first scan line SCL1).
With respect to claim 3, SONG as modified by LEE discloses wherein a second scan line connected to the third sensor circuit is a next scan line of the first scan line (SONG; fig. 3; discloses third sensor circuit FX disposed in the second row is connected to second scan line SCL2).
With respect to claim 4, SONG as modified by LEE discloses wherein the light-receiving elements further comprise a fifth light-receiving element and a sixth light-receiving element, (SONG; fig. 4C; discloses a fifth light-receiving element and a sixth light-receiving element; see annotated fig. 4C below) wherein the sensor circuits comprise: a fourth sensor circuit connected to the fifth light-receiving element; and a fifth sensor circuit connected to the sixth light-receiving element (SONG; fig. 4C; discloses each sensor FX includes a sensor driving circuit SDC connected to light sensing element OPD), and wherein a planar distance between the fifth light-receiving element and the third light- receiving element is substantially the same as a planar distance between the sixth light- receiving element and the fourth light-receiving element (SONG; Annotated fig.4C below discloses distance between the fifth light-receiving element and the third light- receiving element is substantially the same as a planar distance between the sixth light- receiving element and the fourth light-receiving element).
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With respect to claim 5, SONG as modified by LEE discloses wherein the first sensor circuit and the second sensor circuit are commonly connected to a first scan line (SONG; fig. 3; discloses each sensor circuit FX (i.e. the first sensor circuit and the second sensor circuit) disposed in the first row are connected to first scan line SCL1), a second scan line connected to the third sensor circuit is a next scan line of the first scan line, (SONG; fig. 3; discloses third sensor circuit FX disposed in the second row is connected to second scan line SCL2) and a third scan line to which the fourth sensor circuit and the fifth sensor circuit are commonly connected is a next scan line of the second scan line (SONG; fig. 3; discloses fourth and fifth sensor circuit FX disposed in the third row is connected to third scan line SCL3).
With respect to claim 10, SONG discloses a display device (fig. 1; discloses display device DD) comprising: a circuit layer comprising pixel circuits and sensor circuits and an element layer positioned on the circuit layer and comprising light-emitting elements connected to the pixel circuits and light-receiving elements connected to the sensor circuits, (par 0056; discloses Referring to FIG. 2, the display panel DP includes a base layer BL, a circuit layer DP_CL, an element layer DP_ED; par 0058; discloses The circuit layer DP_CL is located on the base layer BL. The circuit layer DP_CL includes at least one insulating layer and a circuit element. The circuit element may include a pixel driving circuit included in each of a plurality of pixels for displaying an image and a sensor driving circuit included in each of a plurality of sensors for recognizing external information; par 0059; discloses The element layer DP_ED may include a light emitting element included in each of the pixels and a light sensing element included in each of the sensors) wherein the light-receiving elements comprise a first light-receiving element, a second light-receiving element, a third light-receiving element, and a fourth light-receiving element (fig. 4A; discloses the display panel includes plurality of light sensor FX; see annotated fig. 4A below for reference for a first light-receiving element, a second light-receiving element, a third light-receiving element, and a fourth light-receiving element), wherein the sensor circuits comprise: a first sensor circuit connected to the first light-receiving element; a second sensor circuit connected to the second light-receiving element; and a third sensor circuit connected to the third light-receiving element (fig. 6; discloses a first sensor circuit connected to first light sensing element OPD, a second sensor circuit connected to second light sensing element OPD and a third sensor connected to third light sensing element OPD) and wherein a planar distance between the first light-receiving element and the third light- receiving element is substantially the same as a planar distance between the second light- receiving element and the third light-receiving element (fig. 4A; discloses placement of light sensor FX on the display panel where the distance between light sensing element OPDs is substantially same; see annotated fig. 4A below; discloses distance between the first and third light sensing element is substantially same as distance between second and third light sensing element;
Song doesn’t expressly disclose a third sensor circuit connected to the fourth light- receiving element;
In the same field of endeavor, LEE discloses a display device comprising plurality of pixels and light sensing circuits (see abstract); LEE doesn’t expressly disclose a fourth light-receiving element; a third sensor circuit connected to the third light-receiving element and the fourth light- receiving element (fig. 5; discloses each light sensing circuit is connected to plurality of light receiving element s LRD1 -LRD4);
Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the invention disclosed by SONG to incorporate the teachings of LEE to connect each light sensor circuit to plurality of light sensing elements such that the number of sensor circuit required is reduced, further reducing the area required by the sensor circuits in the display panel.
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With respect to claim 11, SONG as modified by LEE discloses wherein a planar distance between the first light-receiving element and the fourth light-receiving element is substantially the same as a planar distance between the second light-receiving element and the fourth light-receiving element (SONG; fig. 4A above; discloses in a planer view, a distance between first light receiving element and the fourth light receiving element is substantially same as a distance between second light receiving and the fourth light receiving element).
With respect to claim 12, SONG as modified by LEE discloses wherein the light-receiving elements further comprise a fifth light-receiving element and a sixth light-receiving element, (SONG; annotated fig. 4A above; discloses fifth light receiving element and sixth light receiving element) wherein the sensor circuits comprise: a fourth sensor circuit connected to the fifth light-receiving element; and a fifth sensor circuit connected to the sixth light-receiving element,(SONG; fig. 4A above discloses each of the fifth and sixth light receiving elements include corresponding sensor circuits SDC) and wherein a planar distance between the fifth light-receiving element and the fourth light-receiving element is substantially the same as a planar distance of the sixth light-receiving element and the fourth light-receiving element (SONG; annotated fig. 4A; discloses the distance between the fifth light receiving element and fourth light receiving element is substantially same as distance between sixth light receiving element and fourth light receiving element).
With respect to claim 13, SONG as modified by LEE discloses wherein the first sensor circuit and the second sensor circuit are commonly connected to a first scan line, (SONG; fig. 3; discloses each sensor circuit FX (i.e. the first sensor circuit and the second sensor circuit) disposed in the first row are connected to first scan line SCL1) a second scan line connected to the third sensor circuit is a next scan line of the first scan line, (SONG; fig. 3; discloses third sensor circuit FX disposed in the second row is connected to second scan line SCL2) and a third scan line to which the fourth sensor circuit and the fifth sensor circuit are commonly connected is a next scan line of the second scan line (SONG; fig. 3; discloses each sensor circuit FX (i.e. the fourth sensor circuit and the fifth sensor circuit) disposed in the fourth row are connected to fourth scan line SCL4).
With respect to claim 14, SONG as modified by LEE discloses wherein a planar distance of the first light-receiving element and the fourth light-receiving element is different from a planar distance between the second light-receiving element and the fourth light-receiving element (SONG; annotated fig. 4A; below shows the distance between first light receiving element and fourth light receiving element indicated by dotted black line is different from distance between second light receiving element and fourth light receiving element).
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With respect to claim 16, SONG as modified by LEE discloses wherein the light-receiving elements further comprise a fifth light-receiving element and a sixth light-receiving element, (SONG; annotated fig. 4A above discloses fifth light-receiving element and sixth light receiving element) wherein the sensor circuits comprise: a fourth sensor circuit connected to the fifth light-receiving element; and a fifth sensor circuit connected to the sixth light-receiving element, (SONG; fig.4A; discloses each of the of the fifth light receiving element and sixth light receiving element includes corresponding circuit SDC) and wherein a planar distance between the fifth light-receiving element and the fourth light-receiving element is substantially the same as a planar distance between the sixth light- receiving element and the fourth light-receiving element (SONG; annotated fig. 4A above discloses distance between the fifth light-receiving element and the fourth light-receiving element is substantially the same as a distance between the sixth light- receiving element and the fourth light-receiving element).
With respect to claim 17, SONG as modified LEE discloses wherein the second light-receiving element is located in a first direction from the first light-receiving element, and the fifth light-receiving element is located in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction from the second light-receiving element (SONG; annotated fig. 4A above discloses the second light receiving is located in a first direction from the first light receiving element and the fifth light receiving element is located in the second direction from the second light receiving element that is perpendicular to first direction).
With respect to claim 18, SONG discloses an electronic device comprising: a processor to provide input image data; and a display device to display an image based on the input image data, the display device comprising: (fig. 1; discloses electronic device DD; par 0045; discloses the display device DD may be applied to an electronic device such as a smart watch, a tablet PC, a notebook computer, a computer, or a smart television; par 0069; discloses The driving controller 100 receives an image signal RGB and a control signal CTRL. The driving controller 100 generates an image data signal DATA by converting a data format of the image signal RGB in compliance with the specification for an interface with the data driver 200.) comprising: a circuit layer comprising pixel circuits and sensor circuits and an element layer positioned on the circuit layer and comprising light-emitting elements connected to the pixel circuits and light-receiving elements connected to the sensor circuits, (par 0056; discloses Referring to FIG. 2, the display panel DP includes a base layer BL, a circuit layer DP_CL, an element layer DP_ED; par 0058; discloses The circuit layer DP_CL is located on the base layer BL. The circuit layer DP_CL includes at least one insulating layer and a circuit element. The circuit element may include a pixel driving circuit included in each of a plurality of pixels for displaying an image and a sensor driving circuit included in each of a plurality of sensors for recognizing external information; par 0059; discloses The element layer DP_ED may include a light emitting element included in each of the pixels and a light sensing element included in each of the sensors) wherein the light-receiving elements comprise a first light-receiving element, a second light-receiving element, a third light-receiving element, and a fourth light-receiving element (fig. 4; discloses the display panel includes plurality of light sensor FX; see annotated fig. 4C below for reference for a first light-receiving element, a second light-receiving element, a third light-receiving element, and a fourth light-receiving element), wherein the sensor circuits comprise: a first sensor circuit connected to the first light-receiving element; a second sensor circuit connected to the second light-receiving element; and a third sensor circuit connected to the third light-receiving element (fig. 6; discloses a first sensor circuit connected to first light sensing element OPD, a second sensor circuit connected to second light sensing element OPD and a third sensor connected to third light sensing element OPD) and wherein a planar distance between the first light-receiving element and the third light- receiving element is substantially the same as a planar distance between the second light- receiving element and the fourth light-receiving element (fig. 4C; discloses placement of light sensor FX on the display panel where the distance between light sensing element OPDs is substantially same; see annotated fig. 4C below; discloses distance between the first and third light sensing element is substantially same as distance between second and fourth light sensing element;
Song doesn’t expressly disclose a third sensor circuit connected to the fourth light- receiving element;
In the same field of endeavor, LEE discloses a display device comprising plurality of pixels and light sensing circuits (see abstract); LEE doesn’t expressly disclose a fourth light-receiving element; a third sensor circuit connected to the third light-receiving element and the fourth light- receiving element (fig. 5; discloses each light sensing circuit is connected to plurality of light receiving element s LRD1 -LRD4);
Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the invention disclosed by SONG to incorporate the teachings of LEE to connect each light sensor circuit to plurality of light sensing elements such that the number of sensor circuit required is reduced, further reducing the area required by the sensor circuits in the display panel.
With respect to claim 19, SONG as modified by LEE discloses wherein the first sensor circuit and the second sensor circuit are commonly connected to a first scan line (SONG; fig. 3; discloses each sensor circuit FX (i.e. the first sensor circuit and the second sensor circuit) disposed in the first row are connected to first scan line SCL1).
With respect to claim 20, SONG as modified by LEE discloses wherein a second scan line connected to the third sensor circuit is a next scan line of the first scan line (SONG; fig. 3; discloses third sensor circuit FX disposed in the second row is connected to second scan line SCL2).
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SONG et al (US Pub 2023/0098891) in view of LEE et al (US Pub 2023/0089207) and Lu (US Pat 11,562,686).
With respect to claim 15, SONG as modified by LEE don’t expressly disclose wherein a length of a conductor connecting the third light-receiving element and the third sensor circuit is substantially the same as a length of a conductor connecting the fourth light-receiving element and the third sensor circuit;
In the same field of endeavor, Lu discloses display panel and light detection sensor (see abstract); Lu discloses wherein a length of a conductor connecting the third light-receiving element and the third sensor circuit is substantially the same as a length of a conductor connecting the fourth light-receiving element and the third sensor circuit (fig. 5; discloses multiple light receiving elements 10 connected to single sensing circuit 30; referring to FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, In a same light sensing detection unit 20, the distance between the first electrode E1 of the first light sensing element D1 and the array layer 01 is h1, the distance between the first electrode E1 of the second light sensing element D2 and the array layer 01 is h2, and h1=h2);
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the invention disclosed by SONG as modified by LEE to incorporate the teachings of Lu to form the light receiving elements at equal distance from the sensing circuit such that manufacturing process of the display panel is simplified and a production efficiency of the display panel is improved.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, however would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims and when 112 rejection is overcome.
Claim 7 is 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.
Claim 8 is objected to for being dependent on claim 7.
Conclusion
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/SUJIT SHAH/ Examiner, Art Unit 2624