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.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species A, drawn to Figs. 4-5, in the reply filed on 02/03/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 8-11 and 16-19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to nonelected Species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 02/03/2026.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims.
Therefore, the feature(s) “first power signal lines and second power signal lines which are electrically connected” must be shown with respect to the elected species or the feature(s) canceled from the elected claim(s). See absence of such connections in Fig. 4.
The feature(s) “configured to make the first power signal line electrically connect to the second power signal line under control of the switch signal” must be shown with respect to the elected species or the feature(s) canceled from the elected claim(s). See absence of such configurations in Figs. 4-5 when driven with timing as shown in Fig. 6.
The feature(s) “a signal transmitted on the second power signal lines is a fixed potential signal” must be shown with respect to the elected species or the feature(s) canceled from the elected claim(s). Compare this feature to “the second power signal 220 is floating” as disclosed in SPEC [0055] with respect to elected species A.
No new matter should be entered.
The drawings are objected to because:
Some views are not “grouped together and arranged on the sheet(s) without wasting space” as required by 37 CFR 1.84(h). When a single drawing appears alone on its sheet, the Examiner suggests enlarging and/or rotating some figures to take up more of the available space.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference characters "01" and "10" have both been used to designate the same part. The reference characters 210 and 20 have both been used to designate the same part. The reference characters 220 and 20 have both been used to designate the same part. The reference characters 330 and Scan1 have both been used to designate the same part. See Fig. 4, for example.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “20” has been used to designate both a first power line and a second power line.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it is not drawn to the features of the elected species. For example, the Abstract recites “The first power signal lines and the second power signal lines are electrically connected”, though the timing shown in Fig. 6 appears to suggest that 210 and 220 are at no time electrically connected to one another in the embodiment (see Figs. 4-5) to which elected species A is drawn.
A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Applicant is reminded of the proper content of an abstract of the disclosure.
A patent abstract is a concise statement of the technical disclosure of the patent and should include that which is new in the art to which the invention pertains. The abstract should not refer to purported merits or speculative applications of the invention and should not compare the invention with the prior art.
If the patent is of a basic nature, the entire technical disclosure may be new in the art, and the abstract should be directed to the entire disclosure. If the patent is in the nature of an improvement in an old apparatus, process, product, or composition, the abstract should include the technical disclosure of the improvement. The abstract should also mention by way of example any preferred modifications or alternatives.
Where applicable, the abstract should include the following: (1) if a machine or apparatus, its organization and operation; (2) if an article, its method of making; (3) if a chemical compound, its identity and use; (4) if a mixture, its ingredients; (5) if a process, the steps.
Extensive mechanical and design details of an apparatus should not be included in the abstract. The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph within the range of 50 to 150 words in length.
See MPEP § 608.01(b) for guidelines for the preparation of patent abstracts.
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 1-7, 12-15, and 20 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.
Independent claim 1 recites “first power signal lines and second power signal lines which are electrically connected”. This is misdescriptive of elected Species A. No such electrical connection appears in Fig. 4. Furthermore, the appearance of Fig. 5 suggests that, in order for such electrical connection to occur, both 310 and T1 would need to be simultaneously conductive. The timing shown in Fig. 6 appears devoid of any instant featuring such simultaneous conductivity.
A similar recitation in independent claim 20 is similarly misdescriptive.
Claim 3 recites “a signal transmitted on the second power signal lines is a fixed potential signal” (emphasis added). This limitation contradicts claim 1, which recites “a voltage in a second power signal line facing the first power bus line is different from a voltage in a second power signal line facing away from the first power bus line.” Claim 1 implies that plural second power signal lines must have a plurality of different signals transmitted thereon, rather than a single fixed potential signal driving plural second power signal lines.
Claim 4 recites “a second terminal of the switch element is electrically connected to a first power signal line”. This is misdescriptive of Fig. 5, which shows transistor T1 preventing such electrical connection during times when T1 is off.
Claim 4 recites “the switch element is configured to make the first power signal line electrically connect to the second power signal line under the control of the switch signal”. This is misdescriptive. The timing shown in Fig. 6 suggests that T1 is configured to prevent the recited connection. T1 and 310 do not appear to be simultaneously conductive at any time.
Claim 6 recites “the display panel further comprises … a first scan signal line and a scan driver circuit” (emphasis added). The limitations “first scan signal line and a scan driver circuit” are not “further” insofar as these are merely the same structures already recited (i.e., switch signal line and switch driver circuit).
Other elected claims are indefinite by virtue of dependency from at least one indefinite claim.
Regarding elected claims 1-7, 12-15, and 20: In the absence of a reasonably definite interpretation of a claim, it is improper to rely on speculative assumptions regarding the meaning of a claim and then base a rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 on these assumptions (In re Steele, 305 F.2d 859,134 USPQ 292 (CCPA 1962)). See MPEP 2143.03.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Julie Anne Watko whose telephone number is (571)272-7597. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Tuesday 9AM-5PM, Wednesday 10:30AM-5PM, Thursday-Friday 9AM-5PM, and occasional Saturdays.
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, Ke Xiao can be reached at 571-272-7776. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
JULIE ANNE WATKO
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2627
/Julie Anne Watko/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2627
04/24/2026
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