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 .
Status of Claims
The amendment filed on 6/23/2025 has been entered. In the amendment, Applicant cancelled claims 1 and added new claims 2-19. Currently claims 2-19 are pending.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
Claims 2-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jae-Gyun Lee et al. (US 20210026479, referred to as J Lee thereinafter) in view of Yangsik Lee et al. (US 2021/0157432, referred to as Y Lee thereinafter).
Regarding claim 2, J Lee teaches a display device (Abstract; Figs. 1-2), comprising:
a substrate (Fig. 2A: device substrate 100) including a display area (Figs. 1-2A: display area AA) and non-display area (Fig. 2A: bezel area NA) including a dam area (Fig. 2A: area in bezel area NA including dam 800) having a dam (Fig. 2A: dam 800);
a plurality of subpixels (Fig. 1: inherent subpixels in display area AA; Fig. 2A: each subpixel includes light-emitting device 300, thin film transistor 210 and a storage capacitor 230) on the display area, each having a transistor (Fig. 2A: thin film transistor 210), an anode electrode (Fig. 2A: one of first electrode 310 and second electrode 330), a light emitting layer (Fig. 2A: light-emitting layer 320), and a cathode electrode (Fig. 2A: the other one of first electrode 310 and second electrode 330);
an encapsulation layer (Fig. 2A: encapsulating element 400 that is disposed on light-emitting device 300) on the plurality of subpixels;
a touch electrode (Fig. 2A: Touch electrodes 510)
a touch protection layer (Fig. 2A: touch passivation layer 150 disposed on the touch electrode 510; [0084]: “The touch passivation layer 150 can prevent the damage of the touch electrodes 510, the first touch lines 520 and the second touch lines 530 due to the external impact and moisture”) on the touch electrode,
wherein (Fig. 2A: touch passivation layer 150 overlap dam 800).
J Lee does not further teach the display device further comprising
an organic insulating layer on the encapsulation layer;
the touch electrode on the organic insulating layer;
wherein the organic insulating layer overlaps the dam.
The differentiating limitations indicate a technique disposing an organic insulating layer between the encapsulation layer (below which the plurality of subpixels is located) and the touch electrode layer and having the organic insulating layer overlap the dam as a specific arrangement of the touch sensitive display device.
The technique is not new, however.
Y Lee, for instance, teaches in Fig. 9 a display device further comprising
an organic insulating layer (Fig. 9: touch buffer film T-BUF disposed on encapsulation part ENCAP; [0167]: “The touch buffer film T-BUF is formed of an organic insulation material”) on the encapsulation layer;
the touch electrode on the organic insulating layer (Fig. 9: X-touch electrodes X-TE and Y-touch electrodes Y-TE on touch buffer film T-BUF);
wherein the organic insulating layer overlaps the dam (Fig. 9: touch buffer film T-BUF overlap dam 800).
Before the effective filing date of the invention, it would have been obvious for one ordinary skill in the art to modify the technique of J Lee with the technique of Y Lee adding a touch buffer film to J Lee’s display device in the same manner taught by Y Lee to prevent damage to the light emitting layer EL vulnerable to chemicals or moisture related to touch sensor manufacturing (Y Lee: [0166]).
Regarding claim 3, J Lee further teaches the display device of claim 2,
wherein the encapsulation layer includes a first inorganic encapsulation layer (Fig. 2A: first encapsulating layer 410; [0070]: “the first encapsulating layer 410 and the third encapsulating layer 430 can include an inorganic insulating material”), an organic encapsulation layer (Fig. 2A: second encapsulating layer 420; [0070]: “the second encapsulating layer 420 can include an organic insulating material”) on the first inorganic encapsulation layer, and a second inorganic encapsulation layer (Fig. 2A: third encapsulating layer 430; [0070]: “the first encapsulating layer 410 and the third encapsulating layer 430 can include an inorganic insulating material”) on the organic encapsulation layer, and
wherein at least one of the first inorganic encapsulation layer or the second inorganic encapsulation layer is disposed on the dam (Fig. 2A: third encapsulating layer 430 disposed on dam 800).
Regarding claim 4, J Lee in view of Y Lee further teaches the display device of claim 3,
wherein the organic insulating layer and the touch protection layer are disposed on the second inorganic encapsulation layer (J Lee: Fig. 2A, touch passivation layer 150 disposed on third encapsulation layer 430; Y Lee: Fig. 9, T- touch buffer film T-BUF on second encapsulation layer PAS2).
Regarding claim 5, J Lee in view of Y Lee further teaches the display device of claim 3,
wherein the organic insulating layer is in contact with the second inorganic encapsulation layer on the dam (Y Lee: Fig. 9: T- touch buffer film T-BUF in contact with second encapsulation layer PAS2).
Claims 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jae-Gyun Lee et al. (US 20210026479, referred to as J Lee thereinafter) in view of Yangsik Lee et al. (US 2021/0157432, referred to as Y Lee thereinafter), and further in view of Ma et al. (US 2022/0302420).
Regarding claim 10, J Lee in view of Y lee does not further teach the display device of claim 2,
wherein the substrate includes a first layer, a second layer on the first layer, and a third layer (on the second layer, wherein the second layer includes an inorganic material.
In the same field of endeavor, Ma teaches in Fig. 7 a display device,
wherein the substrate (Fig. 7: substrate SB) includes a first layer (Fig. 7: first layer 110a), a second layer (Fig. 7: first barrier layer 1100 disposed between first layer 110a and second layer 110b) on the first layer, and a third layer (Fig. 7: second layer 110b) on the second layer,
wherein the second layer includes an inorganic material ([0105]: “the first barrier layer 1100 may prevent permeation of moisture or the like, and may include, for example, an inorganic insulating material such as a silicon oxide (SiOx), a silicon nitride (SiNx), and a silicon oxynitride (SiOxNy)”).
Before the effective filing date of the invention, it would have been obvious for one ordinary skill in the art to modify the technique of J Lee with the technique of Ma replacing J Lee’s device substrate with Ma’s substrate to prevent permeation of moisture to the display device.
Regarding claim 11. Ma further teaches the display device of claim 10, wherein the first layer and the second layer include polyimide or polyamide ([0104]: “the first layer 110a and the second layer 110b may include at least one of […], polyimide, […]”).
Claims 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jae-Gyun Lee et al. (US 20210026479, referred to as J Lee thereinafter) in view of Yangsik Lee et al. (US 2021/0157432, referred to as Y Lee thereinafter), and further in view of Yoon et al. (US 2021/0391407).
Regarding claim 12, J Lee further teaches the display device of claim 2, further comprising:
a first buffer layer (Fig. 2A: low layer of optional multi-layer buffer layer 110; [0064]: “The buffer layer 110 can have a multi-layer structure. For example, the buffer layer 110 can have a stacked structure of a layer formed of silicon oxide (SiO), and a layer formed of silicon nitride (SiN)”) on the substrate
a second buffer layer (Fig. 2A: upper layer of optional multi-layer buffer layer 110; [0064]: “The buffer layer 110 can have a multi-layer structure. For example, the buffer layer 110 can have a stacked structure of a layer formed of silicon oxide (SiO), and a layer formed of silicon nitride (SiN)”) on the first buffer layer
J Lee in view of Y Lee does not further teach:
a metal layer positioned between the first buffer layer and the second buffer layer.
Yoon, however, teaches in Fig. 7 a display device comprising:
a metal layer (Fig. 7: bottom metal layer BML) positioned between the first buffer layer (Fig. 7: first buffer layer 111a) and the second buffer layer (Fig. 7: second buffer layer 111b).
Before the effective filing date of the invention, it would have been obvious for one ordinary skill in the art to further modify the technique of J Lee in view of Y Lee with Yoon’s technique adding a second buffer layer and a metal layer between the first buffer layer and the second buffer layer in a component area of the display device to block external light that degrades display quality of in component area ([0072]).
Regarding claim 13, Yoon further teaches the display device of claim 12, wherein the metal layer overlaps a semiconductor layer of the transistor (Fig. 7: second semiconductor layer A2 of auxiliary thin-film transistor TFT′).
Claims 14-15 and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jae-Gyun Lee et al. (US 20210026479, referred to as J Lee thereinafter) in view of Yangsik Lee et al. (US 2021/0157432, referred to as Y Lee thereinafter), and further in view of Hwang et al. (US 2018/0166507).
Regarding claim 14, J Lee in view of Y Lee does not further teach the display device of claim 2, further comprising:
a shielding electrode at least partially overlapping the touch electrode on the organic insulating layer.
The feature indicates a shielding electrode is disposed between the touch electrode and the organic insulating layer to shield the touch electrode. However, adding a shielding electrode under a touch electrode is not new.
Hwang, for instance, teaches in Figs. 2-3 a shielding electrode (i.e., shielding layer 340) at least partially overlapping a touch electrode (i.e., a touch electrode among touch electrodes TE1 and TE2).
Before the effective filing date of the invention, it would have been obvious for one ordinary skill in the art to further modify the technique of J Lee in view of Y Lee with Hwang’s technique including a shielding electrode between the touch electrode and the organic insulating layer to shield the touch electrode for more accurate and reliable touch sensing performance.
Regarding claim 15, Hwang further teaches the display device of claim 14, further comprising:
a touch electrode line (Fig. 2: touch electrode line connecting touch electrodes 353/355 to touch pad portion 350a/350b) coupled to the touch electrode, extending from the display area to the non-display area; and
a shielding electrode line (Fig. 2: shielding electrode line connecting shielding layer 340 to connection terminal 340a) electrically connected to the shielding electrode, extending from the display area to the non-display area.
Regarding claim 17, Hwang further teaches the display device of claim 14, further comprising:
a shielding electrode pad (Fig. 2: connection terminal 340a) electrically connected with the shielding electrode line and configured to provide the shielding electrode with a shielding voltage ([0127]: “the touch driving circuit 750 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is electrically connected with the shielding layer 340 through a connection terminal 340a, whereby the shielding layer 340 is electrically floating or electrically grounded”) through the shielding electrode pad.
Regarding claim 18, Hwang further teaches the display device of claim 17, wherein the shielding voltage is a constant DC voltage (([0127]: “whereby the shielding layer 340 is electrically floating or electrically grounded”).
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jae-Gyun Lee et al. (US 20210026479, referred to as J Lee thereinafter) in view of Yangsik Lee et al. (US 2021/0157432, referred to as Y Lee thereinafter) and Hwang et al. (US 2018/0166507), and further in view of Han et al. (US 2019/0204952).
Regarding claim 19, Hwang does not further teach the device of claim 17, wherein the shielding voltage includes an AC voltage.
Hwang’s teaching, instead, teach the shielding voltage is a constant voltage.
However, it is not new in the related art applying a AC voltage for a shielding electrode.
Han, for instance, teaches in Figs. 6-7 Vadd (shielding voltage) being AC voltage.
Before the effective filing date of the invention, it would have been obvious for one ordinary skill in the art to modify the technique of J Lee in view of Y Lee and Hwang with Han’s technique applying a AC voltage to the shielding electrode when it performs better to eliminate different types of noises during a touch sensing operation.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-9 and 16 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claim 6: “touch buffer layer between the organic insulating layer and the touch electrode” indicates a touch buffer layer different from the organic insulating layer, which is not taught by J Lee in view of Y Lee and not obvious to derive via modification of the technique of J Lee in view of Y Lee.
Claim 7: the feature “a first touch electrode line … extending to the dam area” is not taught by J Lee in view of Y Lee and not obvious to derive via modification of the technique of J Lee in view of Y Lee.
Claim 16: the feature “wherein the touch electrode line is disposed on first side of the shielding electrode line and second side of shielding electrode line in the non-display area” is not taught by J Lee in view of Y Lee and not obvious to be derived via modification of the technique of J Lee in view of Y Lee.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US 2021/0200366 by Bok teaches in Fig. 123 and [1152] “Each of the shielding electrodes SHE may be electrically floating. Alternatively, a ground voltage may be applied to each of the shielding electrodes SHE”.
US 2023/0214076 by Chu, not eligible as prior art, is relevant invention by same Applicant.
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/XUEMEI ZHENG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2629