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 1-20 are currently pending and prosecuted.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after allowance or after an Office action under Ex Parte Quayle, 25 USPQ 74, 453 O.G. 213 (Comm'r Pat. 1935). Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, prosecution in this application has been reopened pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 16 July 2025 has been entered.
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 16 July 2025 was considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim 20 recites the limitation "the sensing electrode" in line 15. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For purposes of examination, the input sensor will be considered in place of the sensing electrode.
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 1-17 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kishimoto et al., US PG-Pub 2021/0333934, hereinafter Kishimoto, in view of Kurasawa et al., US PG-Pub 2021/0173245, hereinafter Kurasawa.
Regarding Claim 1, Kishimoto teaches a display device (flexible display device 1), comprising:
a display panel ([0060]) including a display region (display area DA) and a non-display region (non-display area NDA) at least partially surrounding the display region ([0068], “the non-display area NDA may be disposed to surround the display area DA on the plane”); and
an input sensor (touch sensing layer 90) disposed on the display panel ([0153], “The touch sensing layer 90 may be disposed on the display substrate 10”) and including a sensing electrode (second electrode 123, [0106]),
wherein the display panel includes:
a base layer (base substrate 103);
a plurality of pixels (first electrodes 121) disposed on the base layer ([0100], “The first electrode 121 may be . . . disposed on the base substrate 103”) and overlapping the display region (Figs. 4C-5, and corresponding descriptions, showing the first electrodes are within the display region; [0101]-[0103]); and
a charge electrode (transistor TR) overlapping the display region (Figs. 4C-5, and corresponding descriptions, showing the transistor are within the display region),
wherein the charge electrode is disposed on a different layer from the sensing electrode (Figs. 4C-5, and corresponding descriptions, showing the transistor are within a different layer than the first electrode).
However, Kishimoto does not explicitly teach the sensing electrode configured to detect an electromagnetically induced current.
Kurasawa teaches the sensing electrode configured to detect an electromagnetically induced current (Kurasawa: [0032]-[0033], “The display panel 20 also has a function to perform electromagnetic induction touch detection to detect a touch pen 100 in contact with or in proximity to the display surface.”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate the electromagnetic induction detection taught by Kurasawa into the device taught by Kashimoto in order to allow for electromagnetic touch detection with a touch pen (Kurasawa: [0032]), thereby providing a variable input method for the user.
Regarding Claim 2, Kashimoto, as modified by Kurasawa, teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the base layer includes:
a first resin layer (Kashimoto: [0132]); and
a second resin layer (Kashimoto: pixel-defining layer 115; [0102], “the pixel-defining layer 115 may include any of materials such as photoresist, polyimide resin, acrylic resin, a silicon compound, and polyacrylic resin.”) disposed on the first resin layer (Kashimoto: Figs. 6-8, and corresponding descriptions), and
the charge electrode is disposed on the first resin layer and is covered by the second resin layer (Kashimoto: Figs. 6-8, and corresponding descriptions, noting the transistor is located between the lower base layer and the pixel-defining layer).
Regarding Claim 3, Kashimoto, as modified by Kurasawa, teaches the display device of claim 2, wherein the display panel further comprises a shielding pattern (Kashimoto: first metal plate 71; [0176]-[0177]) disposed on the second resin layer and overlapping the charge electrode (Kashimoto: Figs. 6-7, and corresponding descriptions).
Regarding Claim 4, Kashimoto, as modified by Kurasawa, teaches the display device of claim 3, wherein the display panel further comprises a connection line connected to the charge electrode through a contact hole passing through the second resin layer (Kashimoto: Figs. 6-8, and corresponding descriptions; [0100], “The first electrode 121 may be electrically coupled to the drain electrode DE or the source electrode SE disposed on the base substrate 103 through a via hole penetrating the protective layer 114”), and including a same material as is included in the shielding pattern (Kashimoto: [0092], [0094], noting the electrodes and connection parts may be made out of various types of metals; [0142], noting the types of metal the metal plate can be made of).
Regarding Claim 5, Kashimoto, as modified by Kurasawa, teaches the display device of claim 2, wherein the base layer further comprises a third resin layer (Kashimoto: cushion unit 50; [0118], “the cushion unit 50 may be formed of . . . urethane foam that is foam resin”) disposed below the first resin layer (Kashimoto: Figs. 6-8, and corresponding descriptions, showing the cushion layer below the first resin layer), and
wherein the charge electrode is disposed on the third resin layer and is covered by the first resin layer (Kashimoto: Figs. 6-8, and corresponding descriptions, showing the transistor is located on the cushion layer and covered by the first resin layer).
Regarding Claim 6, Kashimoto, as modified by Kurasawa, teaches the display device of claim 5, further comprising a flexible circuit board (Kurasawa: [0028], “wiring substrate 71 is . . . a flexible printed circuit board”), at least a portion of which is disposed below the display panel (Kurasawa: Fig. 3, showing a portion of the wiring substrate is located below the liquid crystal layer),
wherein the charge electrode is electrically connected to the flexible circuit board through a contact hole defined in the third resin layer (Kurasawa: Figs. 2 and 6, and corresponding descriptions, showing the contact holes connect the elements to the flexible printed circuit board).
Regarding Claim 7, Kashimoto, as modified by Kurasawa, teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the display panel further comprises an encapsulation layer (Kashimoto: encapsulation layer 116) disposed on the base layer and covering the plurality of pixels (Kashimoto: Figs. 4C-5, and corresponding descriptions, showing the encapsulation layer is on the base layer and covers the pixels; [0109]),
wherein the input sensor is disposed directly on the encapsulation layer (Kashimoto: Figs. 4C-5, and corresponding descriptions, showing the input sensor is located on the encapsulation layer; [0109]).
Regarding Claim 8, Kashimoto, as modified by Kurasawa, teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of pixels each comprise a light emitting element (Kashimoto: light emitting elements 120) and at least one transistor (Kashimoto: transistors TR) connected to the light emitting element (Kashimoto: Figs. 4C-5, and corresponding descriptions,; [0086]-[0089]), and
wherein the charge electrode overlaps at least a portion of the light emitting element (Kashimoto: Figs. 4C-5, and corresponding descriptions, showing the charge electrode overlaps the light emitting elements).
Regarding Claim 9, Kashimoto, as modified by Kurasawa, teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the charge electrode defines a current path that receives a constant voltage and generates a magnetic field therefrom (Kashimoto: [0140]).
Regarding Claim 10, Kashimoto, as modified by Kurasawa, teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the charge electrode comprises a plurality of unit charge electrodes (Kashimoto: [0101]) extending in a first direction and spaced apart from one another in a second direction crossing the first direction (Kashimoto: Figs. 4C-6, and corresponding descriptions, showing the charge units are separated)
Regarding Claim 11, Kashimoto, as modified by Kurasawa, teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the charge electrode comprises molybdenum, silver, titanium, copper, and/or aluminum (Kashimoto: [0101]).
Regarding Claim 12, Kashimoto, as modified by Kurasawa, teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the charge electrode has a thickness of about 0.1 μm to about 1 μm (Kashimoto: [0124]-[0125]).
Regarding Claim 13, Kashimoto, as modified by Kurasawa, teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the charge electrode comprises conductive lines having a mesh shape (Kashimoto: [0155], “the plurality of first sensing electrodes and the plurality of second sensing electrodes may respectively include first sensing lines SPL1 and second sensing lines SPL2, each of which has a planar mesh shape”), and
wherein the conductive lines are patterned to correspond to at least some of the plurality of pixels (Kurasawa: Figs. 4, 8 and 11, and corresponding descriptions, showing the conductive lines are in a pattern).
Regarding Claim 14, Kashimoto, as modified by Kurasawa, teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the sensing electrode has a thickness of about 0.1 μm to about 1 μm (Kashimoto: [0124]-[0125]).
Regarding Claim 15, Kashimoto, as modified by Kurasawa, teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the sensing electrode has a line resistance of about 100 Ω or less (Kashimoto: [0124]-[0125]).
Regarding Claim 16, Kashimoto, as modified by Kurasawa, teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the sensing electrode has a mesh shape (Kashimoto: [0155], “the plurality of first sensing electrodes and the plurality of second sensing electrodes may respectively include first sensing lines SPL1 and second sensing lines SPL2, each of which has a planar mesh shape”).
Regarding Claim 17, Kashimoto teaches a display device (flexible display device 1), comprising:
a display panel ([0060]) including a display region (display area DA) and a non-display region (non-display area NDA) at least partially surrounding the display region ([0068], “the non-display area NDA may be disposed to surround the display area DA on the plane”); and
an input sensor (touch sensing layer 90) disposed on the display panel ([0153], “The touch sensing layer 90 may be disposed on the display substrate 10”) and including a sensing electrode (second electrode 123, [0106]),
wherein the display panel includes:
a base layer (base substrate 103) including a plurality of resin layers ([0087]); and
a plurality of pixels (first electrodes 121) disposed on the base layer ([0100], “The first electrode 121 may be . . . disposed on the base substrate 103”) and overlapping the display region (Figs. 4C-5, and corresponding descriptions, showing the first electrodes are within the display region; [0101]-[0103]).
However, Kishimoto does not explicitly teach the sensing electrode configured to detect an electromagnetically induced current; wherein the sensing electrode comprises: a first group of first electrodes extending in a first direction; a first group of second electrodes extending in a second direction crossing the first direction and capacitively coupled to the first group of first electrodes; a second group of first electrodes extending in the first direction and configured to detect the electromagnetically induced current; and a second group of second electrodes extending in the second direction and configured to detect the electromagnetically induced current.
Kurasawa teaches the sensing electrode configured to detect an electromagnetically induced current (Kurasawa: [0032]-[0033], “The display panel 20 also has a function to perform electromagnetic induction touch detection to detect a touch pen 100 in contact with or in proximity to the display surface.”);
wherein the sensing electrode comprises:
a first group of first electrodes (Kurasawa: first electrodes 67) extending in a first direction (Kurasawa: Figs. 8 and 11, and corresponding descriptions, showing the first electrodes extend in one direction across the touch sensing device);
a first group of second electrodes (Kurasawa: detection electrodes 22) extending in a second direction crossing the first direction (Kurasawa: Figs. 8 and 11, and corresponding descriptions, showing the detection electrodes extend in another direction crossing the first electrodes) and capacitively coupled to the first group of first electrodes (Kurasawa: [0053]);
a second group of first electrodes (Kurasawa: first electrodes 67-1 to 67-10) extending in the first direction (Kurasawa: Figs. 8 and 11, and corresponding descriptions, showing the first electrodes extend in one direction across the touch sensing device) and configured to detect the electromagnetically induced current (Kurasawa: [0088]-[0090], [0108]); and
a second group of second electrodes (Kurasawa: detection electrodes 22) extending in the second direction (Kurasawa: Figs. 8 and 11, and corresponding descriptions, showing the detection electrodes extend in another direction crossing the first electrodes) and configured to detect the electromagnetically induced current (Kurasawa: [0088]-[0090], [0108]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate the electromagnetic induction detection taught by Kurasawa into the device taught by Kashimoto in order to allow for electromagnetic touch detection with a touch pen (Kurasawa: [0032]), thereby providing a variable input method for the user.
Regarding Claim 20, Kashimoto teaches an electronic device (flexible display device 1), comprising:
an electronic module (digitizer module 200);
a display device (display substrate 10) overlapping the electronic module (Figs. 4A-4C and 7, and corresponding descriptions, showing the display module overlaps the digitizer module; and
a pen (electronic pen 2) including a resonance circuit ([0078]-[0079], “The electromagnetic resonance (EMR) may include a scheme in which the electronic pen 2”),
wherein the display device includes:
a display panel ([0060]) including a display region (display area DA) and a non-display region (non-display area NDA) at least partially surrounding the display region ([0068], “the non-display area NDA may be disposed to surround the display area DA on the plane”); and
an input sensor (touch sensing layer 90) disposed on the display panel ([0153], “The touch sensing layer 90 may be disposed on the display substrate 10”),
wherein the display panel includes:
a base layer (base substrate 103);
a plurality of pixels (first electrodes 121) disposed on the base layer ([0100], “The first electrode 121 may be . . . disposed on the base substrate 103”) and overlapping the display region (Figs. 4C-5, and corresponding descriptions, showing the first electrodes are within the display region; [0101]-[0103]); and
a charge electrode (transistor TR) charging the pen ([0077]-[0081]),
wherein the charge electrode is disposed on a different layer from the [input sensor] (Figs. 4C-5, and corresponding descriptions, showing the transistor are within a different layer than the first electrode).
However, Kishimoto does not explicitly teach the input sensor configured to detect a resonance signal transmitted from the pen.
Kurasawa teaches the input sensor configured to detect a resonance signal transmitted from the pen (Kurasawa: [0032]-[0033], “The display panel 20 also has a function to perform electromagnetic induction touch detection to detect a touch pen 100 in contact with or in proximity to the display surface.”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate the electromagnetic induction detection taught by Kurasawa into the device taught by Kashimoto in order to allow for electromagnetic touch detection with a touch pen (Kurasawa: [0032]), thereby providing a variable input method for the user.
Claims 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kashimoto, as modified by Kurasawa, as applied to claim 17 above, and further in view of Kim et al., US PG-Pub 2018/0129352, hereinafter Kim.
Regarding Claim 18, Kashimoto, as modified by Kurasawa, teaches the display device of claim 17. However, Kashimoto, as modified by Kurasawa, does not explicitly teach wherein the first group of the first electrodes comprises: a (1-1)-th extension portion extending in the first direction; a (1-2)-th extension portion extending in the first direction and spaced apart from the (1- 1)-th extension portion in the second direction; and a first middle portion disposed between one end of the (1-1)-th extension portion and one end of the (1-2)-th extension portion, and wherein the first electrode of the second group is disposed between the (1-1)-th extension portion and the (1-2) extension portion.
Kim teaches wherein the first group of the first electrodes comprises:
a (1-1)-th extension portion extending in the first direction (Kim: Figs. 8A-8B, and corresponding descriptions, showing the SSP1 extends across on the right);
a (1-2)-th extension portion extending in the first direction and spaced apart from the (1- 1)-th extension portion in the second direction (Kim: Figs. 8A-8B, and corresponding descriptions, showing the SSP1 extends on the left); and
a first middle portion disposed between one end of the (1-1)-th extension portion and one end of the (1-2)-th extension portion (Kim: Figs. 8A-8B, and corresponding descriptions, showing the SCP1 extends across the middle), and
wherein the first electrode of the second group is disposed between the (1-1)-th extension portion and the (1-2) extension portion (Kim: Figs. 8A-8B, and corresponding descriptions, showing the electrode groups extend across one another to connect).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate the sensor parts taught by Kim into the device taught by Kashimoto, as modified by Kurasawa, in order to reduce the resistance in the electrodes (Kim: [0163]), thereby creating a higher quality touch sensing device.
Regarding Claim 19, Kashimoto, as modified by Kurasawa, teaches the display device of claim 17. However, Kashimoto, as modified by Kurasawa, does not explicitly teach wherein the first group of the second electrodes comprises: a (2-1)-th extension portion extending in the second direction; a (2-2)-th extension portion extending in the second direction and spaced apart from the (2-1)-th extension portion in the first direction; and a second middle portion disposed between one end of the (2-1)-th extension portion and one end of the (2-2)-th extension portion, and wherein the second electrode of the second group is disposed between the (2-1)-th extension portion and the (2-2) extension portion.
Kim teaches wherein the first group of the second electrodes comprises:
a (2-1)-th extension portion extending in the second direction (Kim: Figs. 9B-9D, and corresponding descriptions, showing the SSP2 extends across on the top);
a (2-2)-th extension portion extending in the second direction and spaced apart from the (2-1)-th extension portion in the first direction (Kim: Figs. 9B-9D, and corresponding descriptions, showing the SSP2 extends across on the bottom); and
a second middle portion disposed between one end of the (2-1)-th extension portion and one end of the (2-2)-th extension portion (Kim: Figs. 9B-9D, and corresponding descriptions, showing the C2 extends across on middle between), and
wherein the second electrode of the second group is disposed between the (2-1)-th extension portion and the (2-2) extension portion (Kim: Figs. 9B-9D, and corresponding descriptions, showing the electrode groups extend across one another to connect).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate the sensor parts taught by Kim into the device taught by Kashimoto, as modified by Kurasawa, in order to reduce the resistance in the electrodes (Kim: [0163]), thereby creating a higher quality touch sensing device.
Conclusion
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STEPHEN T. REED
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2627
/Stephen T. Reed/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2627