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 .
Claims 1-21 are pending.
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 1, 2, 4-7, 10-16, 18-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim2 (US 2023/0093856 A1, Published March 30, 2023) in view of Zhang (US 2022/0100044 A1, Published March 31, 2022) and Lee2 (US 2024/0155928 A1, Published May 9, 2024).
As to claim 1, Kim2 discloses a display apparatus, comprising:
a display panel (Kim2 at Fig. 1, display panel 10) including a plurality of driving electrodes and a plurality of sensing electrodes overlapping the plurality of driving electrodes (Kim2 at Fig. 4, in particular; ¶ [0095]);…
wherein the display panel includes: a plurality of driving signal lines which connects the plurality of driving electrodes and the plurality of touch drivers; a plurality of sensing signal lines which connects the plurality of sensing electrodes and the plurality of touch drivers (Kim2 at Fig. 4, in particular; ¶ [0135]-[0140]);
a plurality of compensation patterns which… and extends from the plurality of sensing signal lines (Kim2 at Figs. 4, 18, in particular, compensation pattern CP2 extends from sensing line RL#).
Kim2 does not disclose that the compensation patterns overlaps the plurality of driving signal lines.
However, Zhang does disclose that fanout wires for the touch sensor overlap with each other (Zhang at Figs. 12, 13, in particular, fanout wires 1201; ¶ [0060], [0064]-[0065]). The combination of Kim2 and Zhang results in the compensation patterns overlapping the plurality of driving signal lines, i.e. the routing the signal lines TL, RL of Kim2 according to Zhang such that compensation patterns CP2 overlap with signal lines TL (MPEP 2144.04(IV & VI) establish the changes in configuration and/or rearrangement of parts are obvious).
Kim2 discloses a base touchscreen device upon which the claimed invention is an improvement. Zhang discloses a comparable touchscreen device which has been improved in the same way as the claimed invention. Hence, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify or add to Kim2 the teachings of Zhang for the predictable result of preventing wire breakage (Zhang at ¶ [0005]).
Although strongly implied in Kim2 (Kim2 at Fig. 4, touch pad part TPD1 to TPD4), the combination of Kim2 and Zhang does not expressly disclose a plurality of touch drivers disposed on one side of the display panel and electrically connected to the plurality of driving electrodes and the plurality of sensing electrodes.
However, Lee2 does disclose a plurality of touch drivers disposed on one side of the display panel and electrically connected to the plurality of driving electrodes and the plurality of sensing electrodes (Lee2 at Figs. 4-5, touch driver 380).
The combination of Kim2 and Zhang discloses a base touchscreen device upon which the claimed invention is an improvement. Lee2 discloses a comparable touchscreen device which has been improved in the same way as the claimed invention. Hence, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify or add to the combination of Kim2 and Zhang the teachings of Lee2 for the predictable result of improving reliability (Lee at ¶ [0010]).
As to claim 2, the combination of Kim2, Zhang, and Lee2 discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of driving signal lines includes a plurality of patterns and a plurality of wiring lines which overlaps and is connected to the plurality of patterns on the plurality of patterns and the plurality of compensation patterns is disposed on a same layer as the plurality of patterns (Kim2 at Figs. 4, 20, in particular, connection patterns CP1).
As to claim 4, the combination of Kim2, Zhang, and Lee2 discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensing signal lines includes a plurality of first sensing signal lines extending in a first direction and a plurality of second sensing signal lines which is connected to the plurality of first sensing signal lines and extends in a second direction, and wherein the plurality of compensation patterns overlaps a plurality of driving signal lines extending in the first direction and extends from the plurality of second sensing signal lines in the first direction (Kim2 at Fig. 4, in particular. MPEP 2144.04(IV and VI)).
As to claim 5, the combination of Kim2, Zhang, and Lee2 discloses the display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein all the lengths of the plurality of compensation patterns connected to one second sensing signal line, among the plurality of sensing signal lines, are the same (Kim2 at Figs. 4, 10, 18, in particular. MPEP 2144.04(IV and VI)).
As to claim 6, the combination of Kim2, Zhang, and Lee2 discloses the display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein intervals between the plurality of compensation patterns connected to one second sensing signal line, among the plurality of sensing signal lines, are not constant (Kim2 at Figs. 4, 10, 18, in particular. MPEP 2144.04(IV and VI)).
As to claim 7, the combination of Kim2, Zhang, and Lee2 discloses the display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of compensation patterns is electrically connected to one second sensing signal line, among the plurality of second sensing signal lines, and wherein intervals between the plurality of compensation patterns in the second direction vary for each of the plurality of second sensing signal lines (Kim2 at Figs. 4, 10, 18, in particular. MPEP 2144.04(IV and VI)).
As to claim 10, the combination of Kim2, Zhang, and Lee2 discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of compensation patterns includes compensation patterns connected to different touch drivers, among the plurality of touch drivers (Kim2 at Figs. 1, 4, in particular).
As to claim 11, the combination of Kim2, Zhang, and Lee2 discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display panel includes sides formed by a straight line and a curved line (Lee2 at Fig. 2).1
The combination of Kim2 and Zhang discloses a base touchscreen device upon which the claimed invention is an improvement. Lee2 discloses a comparable touchscreen device which has been improved in the same way as the claimed invention. Hence, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify or add to the combination of Kim2 and Zhang the teachings of Lee2 for the predictable result of improving reliability (Lee at ¶ [0010]).
As to claim 12, the combination of Kim2, Zhang, and Lee2 discloses the display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the length of each of the plurality of compensation patterns connected to one second sensing signal line is different from a length of each of the plurality of compensation patterns connected to an adjacent second sensing signal line (Kim2 at Figs. 4, 12, in particular. MPEP 2144.04(IV)).
As to claim 14, Kim2 discloses a display apparatus, comprising: a display panel including an active area in which a distance between a top and a bottom varies in every area and a non-active area disposed on one side of the active area (Kim2 at Figs. 1, 4, in particular);
a plurality of flexible circuit films disposed in the non-active area (Kim2 at Figs. 1-2, ¶ [0072]. MPEP 2144.04(VI) establishes duplication of parts is obvious);2
a plurality of driving electrodes and a plurality of sensing electrodes overlap each other on the display panel (Kim2 at Fig. 4, in particular; ¶ [0095]);…
a plurality of driving signal lines which connects the plurality of driving electrodes and the plurality of touch drivers; a plurality of sensing signal lines which connects the plurality of sensing electrodes and the plurality of touch drivers (Kim2 at Fig. 4, in particular; ¶ [0135]-[0140]); and
a plurality of compensation patterns which… and extends from the plurality of sensing signal lines (Kim2 at Figs. 4, 18, in particular, compensation pattern CP2 extends from sensing line RL#).
Kim2 does not disclose that the compensation patterns overlaps the plurality of driving signal lines in the non-active area.
However, Zhang does disclose that fanout wires for the touch sensor overlap with each other (Zhang at Figs. 12, 13, in particular, fanout wires 1201; ¶ [0060], [0064]-[0065]). The combination of Kim2 and Zhang results in the compensation patterns overlapping the plurality of driving signal lines, i.e. the routing the signal lines TL, RL of Kim2 according to Zhang such that compensation patterns CP2 overlap with signal lines TL (MPEP 2144.04(IV & VI) establish the changes in configuration and/or rearrangement of parts are obvious).
Kim2 discloses a base touchscreen device upon which the claimed invention is an improvement. Zhang discloses a comparable touchscreen device which has been improved in the same way as the claimed invention. Hence, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify or add to Kim2 the teachings of Zhang for the predictable result of preventing wire breakage (Zhang at ¶ [0005]).
Although strongly implied in Kim2 (Kim2 at Fig. 4, touch pad part TPD1 to TPD4), the combination of Kim2 and Zhang does not expressly disclose a plurality of touch drivers which is disposed in the non-active area and is electrically connected to the plurality of driving electrodes and the plurality of sensing electrodes.
However, Lee2 does disclose a plurality of touch drivers which is disposed in the non-active area and is electrically connected to the plurality of driving electrodes and the plurality of sensing electrodes (Lee2 at Figs. 4-5, touch driver 380).
The combination of Kim2 and Zhang discloses a base touchscreen device upon which the claimed invention is an improvement. Lee2 discloses a comparable touchscreen device which has been improved in the same way as the claimed invention. Hence, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify or add to the combination of Kim2 and Zhang the teachings of Lee2 for the predictable result of improving reliability (Lee at ¶ [0010]).
As to claim 15, the combination of Kim2, Zhang, and Lee2 discloses the display apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of driving electrodes and the plurality of compensation patterns extend in a first direction and the plurality of sensing electrodes and the plurality of sensing signal lines extend in a second direction transverse to the first direction (Kim2 at Fig. 4).
As to claim 16, the combination of Kim2, Zhang, and Lee2 discloses the display apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of driving signal lines includes: a plurality of patterns which extends in the first direction and is spaced apart from each other with the plurality of sensing signal lines therebetween; and a plurality of wiring lines which is in contact with the plurality of patterns on the plurality of patterns, and wherein the plurality of compensation patterns is disposed on the same layer as the plurality of patterns (Kim2 at Fig. 4, in particular RL, TL. MPEP 2144.04(IV and VI)).
As to claim 18, the combination of Kim2, Zhang, and Lee2 discloses the display apparatus according to claim 15, wherein all the lengths of the plurality of compensation patterns connected to one sensing signal line, among the plurality of sensing signal lines, are the same (Kim2 at Figs. 4, 10, 18, in particular. MPEP 2144.04(IV and VI)).
As to claim 19, the combination of Kim2, Zhang, and Lee2 discloses the display apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of compensation patterns is electrically connected to one sensing signal line, among the plurality of sensing signal lines and minimum intervals between the plurality of flexible circuit films and the plurality of compensation patterns vary for each of the plurality of sensing signal lines (Kim2 at Figs. 4, 18, in particular. MPEP 2144.04(IV and VI)).
As to claim 20, the combination of Kim2, Zhang, and Lee2 discloses the display apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of compensation patterns is electrically connected to one sensing signal line, among the plurality of sensing signal lines and wherein the plurality of compensation patterns electrically connected to one sensing signal line includes at least two or more compensation patterns having different lengths (Kim2 at Figs. 4, 18, in particular. MPEP 2144.04(IV and VI).
As to claim 21, the combination of Kim2, Zhang, and Lee2 discloses the display apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of compensation patterns includes compensation patterns connected to different touch drivers, among the plurality of touch drivers (Kim2 at Figs. 1, 4, in particular).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 8, 9, 13, 17 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all limitations of the objected to claim and all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
As to claim 3, none of the prior art found by the Examiner discloses the claimed aspect of: wherein the display panel further includes an insulating layer disposed on the plurality of compensation patterns, entire top surfaces of the plurality of compensation patterns are in contact with a bottom surface of the insulating layer and entire top surfaces of the plurality of patterns are in contact with bottom surfaces of the plurality of wiring lines.
As to claim 8, none of the prior art found by the Examiner discloses the claimed aspect of: wherein the plurality of compensation patterns is electrically connected to one second sensing signal line, among the plurality of second sensing signal lines and wherein the plurality of compensation patterns which is electrically connected to one second sensing signal line includes at least two compensation patterns having different lengths.
As to claim 17, none of the prior art found by the Examiner discloses the claimed aspect of: wherein the display panel further includes an insulating layer disposed on the plurality of compensation patterns, wherein entire top surfaces of the plurality of compensation patterns are in contact with a bottom surface of the insulating layer and wherein entire top surfaces of the plurality of patterns are in contact with bottom surfaces of the plurality of wiring lines.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lee (US 2020/0167037 A1, Published May 28, 2020) is made of record for its relevance to claims 1, 14 by its disclosure of compensation patterns CPTN at Fig. 12:
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Kim (US 20240260402 A1, Published August 1, 2024) is made of record for its relevance to claim 11 by its disclosure of the following at Fig. 12.
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Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Sanjiv D Patel whose telephone number is (571)270-5731. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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/Sanjiv D. Patel/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2625
07/18/2026
1 See also Kim in Conclusion Section below.
2 See also Lee2 at Fig. 4.
Prosecution Insights