DETAILED ACTION
Status of Application
Claims 1-21 are pending in the instant application.
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.
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.
Claims 1-4 and 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ma et al. (US 20240419284 A1), further in in view of Zhu et al. (US 20240086019 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Ma teaches a touch sensing structure, (Para 47, 59, 66. Touch sensing structure 1 of Figs 3-4 placed on display.)
comprising: a display panel; (Para 66)
a first sensing unit disposed on a first side or a second side of the display panel; (para 59-60. First sensing unit is top electrode 20 of Figs. 3-4)
a second sensing unit disposed on the second side of the display panel; (para 59-60. First sensing unit is electrode 10 of Figs. 3-4 right below the top electrode 20)
and a third sensing unit disposed on the second side of the display panel; (para 59-60. Third sensing unit is electrode 211 OF Fig 4)
wherein in response to the first sensing unit being disposed on the second side of the display panel, the first sensing unit and the second sensing unit belong to a same layer; (Para 56. First sensing 10 and second sensing unit 20 are on the same layer)
wherein each of the first sensing unit and second sensing unit is composed of a plurality of first metal grid units; (Para 56, 64, 70. Metal grid unit in rhombus shape as shown figures 7-9)
wherein each of the first metal grid units is shaped as a rhombus (Para 56, 64, 70. Metal grid unit in rhombus shape as shown figures 7-9)
However Ma does not teach and an acute angle of the rhombus is less than 90 degrees.
However Zhu teaches an acute angle of the rhombus is less than 90 degrees. (Para 44-45. Fig. 3 shows an acute angle of the rhombus is less than 90 degrees)
Therefore it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill, before the effective filing date of the invention, to modify Ma with Zhu to teach an acute angle of the rhombus is less than 90 degrees to produce the predictable result touch detection with electrode comprised of rhombus angle of less than 90 as taught by Zhu.
Regarding claim 2, Ma and Zhu already teach the touch sensing structure of claim 1,
And Ma further teaches wherein the acute angle of the rhombus is oriented toward or away from a propagation direction of light emitted by the display panel. (Para 47. 70. The touch panel is on the display panel, therefore the acute angle of the rhombus is oriented toward or away from a propagation direction of light emitted by the display panel)
Regarding claim 3, Ma and Zhu already teach the touch sensing structure of claim 1,
And Ma further teaches wherein an orthographic projection of the first sensing unit on the display panel is not overlapped with an orthographic projection of the second sensing unit on the display panel. (Para 56, 59-60. The first and second sensing unit 10 and 20 do not overlap as shown in figs 3-4, which means projection of the first sensing unit on the display panel is not overlapped with an orthographic projection of the second sensing unit on the display panel)
Regarding claim 4, Ma and Zhu already teach the touch sensing structure of claim 1,
And Ma further teaches wherein the first sensing unit is a comb-shaped electrode, the second sensing unit is composed of a plurality of first strip-shaped electrodes, and one of the first strip-shaped electrodes is disposed between adjacent two of a plurality of teeth of the comb-shaped electrode. (Figs. 3-4 shows the comb shape electrode 20, and the strip shape part of 20 is between adjacent two of a plurality of teeth of the comb-shaped electrode)
Regarding claim 15, Ma and Zhu already teach the touch sensing structure of claim 1,
And Ma further teaches wherein the third sensing unit is composed of a plurality of second metal grid units, and each of the second metal grid units is shaped as a rhombus. (Para 56, 64, 70. Metal grid unit in rhombus shape as shown figures 7-9)
Regarding claim 16, Ma and Zhu already teach the touch sensing structure of claim 15,
And Ma further teaches wherein an orthographic projection of the first metal grid units on the display panel is perpendicular to an orthographic projection of the second metal grid units on the display panel. (Para 59-60. First sensing unit 20 with projection to the light projection direction of the display and third sensing unit with projection to the side of the display direction, therefore an orthographic projection of the first metal grid units on the display panel is perpendicular to an orthographic projection of the second metal grid units on the display panel)
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ma et al. (US 20240419284 A1), in in view of Zhu et al. (US 20240086019 A1), further in view of Kim et al. (US 20200159362 A1).
Regarding claim 19, Ma and Zhu already teach the touch sensing structure of claim 1,
And Ma further teaches the second sensing unit and the third sensing unit are insulated from each other. (Para 47)
However Ma and Zhu do not teach further comprising: a transparent substrate located between the second sensing unit and the third sensing unit.
However Kim teaches insulation between electrodes are transparent. (Para 57-59, Fig. 3A. insulation IP. silicon dioxide is transparent)
Therefore it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill, before the effective filing date of the invention, to modify Ma and Zhu to teach a transparent substrate located between the second sensing unit and the third sensing unit in order to produce the predictable result of stylus touch detection by ensuring that the electrodes are properly insulated.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-14, 17-18 and 20-21 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
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/HANG LIN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2626