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.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/23/2025 was filed after the mailing date of the application on 05/15/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-2 and 15-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by AHN et al (US Pub. 20210264837).
Regarding claim 1, AHN discloses:
A display apparatus, (at least refer to fig. 1 and paragraph 56. Describes a stretchable display device 1000) comprising:
A display layer comprising a display area in which a plurality of pixels are arranged and a non-display area outside the display area, (at least refer to fig. 17 and paragraph 202. Describes the display panel 1710 includes an active area AA and a non-active area NA adjacent to the active area AA);
A strain sensor layer comprising first sensing lines extending in a first direction in the display area and second sensing lines extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction in the display area, (at least refer to fig. 8-11 and paragraphs 175, 178. Describes the first stretch sensing line 181S disposed in the first direction X and the second stretch sensing line 182S disposed in the second direction Y to sense the degree of stretch in both directions may be disposed together in the same first substrate 111. Para. 178, describes: a stretch sensing line 180S disposed on a first substrate 111 may include a stretch sensing Rx line 180Sa and a stretch sensing Tx line 180Sb. Here, the stretch sensing line 180S may include a first stretch sensing line 181S and a second stretch sensing line 182S);
A display driving unit configured to provide image data to the plurality of pixels, (at least refer to fig. 1, 17 and paragraphs 83-84. Describes the active area AA is an area where images are displayed in the stretchable display device 1000. Para. 84, describes: For example, a driving circuit such as a gate driving unit and a data driving unit, and a plurality of signal pads and power pads may be disposed in the non-active area AA. The driving circuit and each of the pads may be connected to each of the plurality of pixels disposed in the active area AA); and
A stretch compensation unit configured to divide the display area into a plurality of sub-areas respectively comprising intersection areas where the first sensing lines and the second sensing lines intersect with each other, (at least refer to fig. 1, 17 and paragraph 205. Describes the stretch sensing unit 1730 is electrically connected to a stretch sensing line 180S disposed in the display panel 1710 and may sense the degree of stretch before and after stretch of the display panel 1710. The stretch sensing value SV sensed as such may be transmitted to the timing controller 1720. The stretch sensing unit 1730, as described above, senses a capacitance difference before and after stretch between a stretch sensing Rx line 180Sa and a stretch sensing Tx line 180Sb constituting the stretch sensing line 180S and then may transmit a sensed value to the timing controller 1720) to generate comparison data obtained by comparing a measurement voltage value with a reference voltage value for each of the first sensing lines and the second sensing lines, and to generate stretch compensation data correcting the image data in a unit of sub-areas based on the comparison data, (at least refer to fig. 1, 17 and paragraphs 209, 217. Describes the look up table can be created by performing a large number of stretches while measuring the change needed in the data signal to generate a light emitted at each pixel that has the same luminance value and characteristics both when it stretched and when it is not stretched. The stretch value can be measure locally, for a small group of pixels that are undergoing stretch and the compensation amount cdata, can be supplied to only those pixels, or it can be measured for the flexible display as a whole and applied to all active pixels on the display. Para. 217, describes: the timing controller 1720 creates compensation data cdata by comparing the predetermined reference value and the stretch degree sensing value (S1850) and applies the created compensation data cdata to each pixel P through the data driving unit 1750 (S1860) such that image distortion by stretch of the display panel 1710 is compensated by the compensation data).
Regarding claim 2, AHN discloses:
Wherein, k first sensing lines (where k is a natural number greater than or equal to 2) are provided, and I second sensing lines (where I is a natural number greater than or equal to 2) are provided, and the plurality of sub-areas comprise k×l sub-areas, (at least refer to fig. 6, 8 and paragraphs 159, 170. Describes a first stretch sensing line 181S of a plurality of connecting lines 180 disposed on a first substrate 111 may be disposed to extend in a first direction X. That is, at least any one of a plurality of first connecting lines 181 extending in the first direction X may be the first stretch sensing line 181S. Para. 170, describes: a stretch sensing line 182S of a plurality of connecting lines 180 disposed on a first substrate 111 may be disposed to extend in a second direction Y. That is, at least any one of a plurality of second connecting lines 182 extending in the second direction Y may be a second stretch sensing line 182S).
Regarding claim 15, AHN discloses:
An encapsulation layer on the display layer, wherein the strain sensor layer is on the encapsulation layer, (at least refer to fig. 3 and paragraph 124. Describes the encapsulation layers 108 respectively cover the second electrode 163 patterned to respectively overlap the second substrates 112 of the rigid areas RA and may be formed on the second substrates 112, respectively).
Regarding claim 16, AHN discloses:
A substrate comprising a first surface on which the display layer is located, and a second surface facing the first surface, wherein the strain sensor layer is on the second surface of the substrate, (at least refer to fig. 1 and paragraphs 58-59. Describes the display panel 100 includes a lower substrate 110 disposed at a lower portion and an upper substrate 120 disposed on the lower substrate 110. Para. 59, describes: The lower substrate 110 may include a first substrate 111 of the lower substrate 110 made of a pliable material and being able to stretch and contract and a plurality of second substrates 112 disposed on the first substrate 111 of the lower substrate 110).
Regarding claim 17, AHN discloses:
A substrate on which the display layer is located, wherein the strain sensor layer is between the substrate and the display layer, (at least refer to fig. 1 and paragraphs 58-59. Describes the display panel 100 includes a lower substrate 110 disposed at a lower portion and an upper substrate 120 disposed on the lower substrate 110. Para. 59, describes: The lower substrate 110 may include a first substrate 111 of the lower substrate 110 made of a pliable material and being able to stretch and contract and a plurality of second substrates 112 disposed on the first substrate 111 of the lower substrate 110).
Regarding claim 18, AHN discloses:
Wherein each of the second sensing lines comprises a pair of first sub-sensing line and second sub-sensing line, the first sub-sensing line and the second sub-sensing line crossing the display area and being connected to each other in the non-display area, and the pair of first sub-sensing line and second sub-sensing line are adjacent to each other, (at least refer to fig. 2, 8 and paragraphs 149. Describes the second stretch sensing line 182S may include a second stretch sensing Rx line 182Sa (which may be referred as an Rx line) and a second stretch sensing Tx line 182Sb that may sense the degree of stretch. Accordingly, the second stretch sensing Rx line 182Sa and the second stretch sensing Tx line 182Sb that are configured to be able to sense the degree of stretch of the lower substrate 110 are disposed in the second stretch sensing line 182S that is any one connecting line of the plurality of connecting lines 180 in the stretchable display device 1000).
Regarding claim 19, AHN discloses:
Wherein each of the second sensing lines comprises a first portion crossing the display area and a second portion bypassing the display area and extending along the non-display area, (at least refer to fig. 1 and paragraph 88. Describes the flexible connecting film 200 may be bonded by a plurality of bonding pads disposed in the non-active area NA. Further, at least another one of the plurality of flexible connecting films 200 may also perform a function that calculates the degree of stretch by receiving a stretch sensing signal from connecting lines 180).
Regarding claim 20, AHN discloses:
Wherein each of the first sensing lines and the second sensing lines has a curved shape at the intersection areas, (at least refer to fig. 6, 8 and paragraph 147. Describes the plurality of second connecting lines 182 each may be electrically connected to first to third data lines 132a, 132b, and 132c disposed on the second substrate 112. The plurality of second connecting lines 182 may have a curved shape, that is, a wavy shape to correspond to stretching of the lower substrate 110).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-14 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 IFEDAYO B ILUYOMADE whose telephone number is (571)270-7118. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
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/IFEDAYO B ILUYOMADE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2624 02/05/2026