DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Priority
2. Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. KR 10-2023-0096834, filed on 25th , Jul. 2023.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
3. Claim(s) 1, 5, and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by LEE et al. (US Patent/PGPub. No. 20230246148).
Regarding Claim 1, (Currently Amended)
LEE et al. teach
a substrate ([0092], FIG. 6, i.e. substrate SUB) comprising:
a plurality of display areas ([0061], FIG. 2, i.e. unit pixels UP) including a plurality of light emitting areas ([0061], FIG. 2, i.e. first to third pixels SP1, SP2, and SP3) in which a light emitting element ([0068], FIG. 2, i.e. at least one light emitting element exposed) is disposed;
a non-display area ([0070], FIG. 2, i.e. non-display area NDA) including a plurality of pads ([0070], FIG. 2, i.e. pad parts PAD);
a plurality of wirings ([0070], FIG. 2, i.e. first lead lines LDL1) connected to the plurality of pads (FIG. 2, i.e. as shown by the figure(s) LDL1 connected to PAD);
a pixel driving circuit ([0096], FIG. 6, i.e. TFT may be a transistor of a pixel circuit) disposed within the display area (FIG. 6, i.e. as shown by the figure(s) TFT disposed within DA) and including an electrostatic prevention structure ([0084], FIG. 4 & 6, i.e. second resistance line R2 may be electrically connected to the right antistatic circuit ESD (Please see [0134] applicant’s disclosure “ESD prevention structure … connected to the output terminals of the pixel driving circuits”));
a conductive ring ([0073], FIG. 2, i.e. antistatic layers GR … to surround the display area DA) disposed in the non-display area ([0070], FIG. 2, i.e. non-display area NDA may include … antistatic layers GR) outside the display area and surrounding each of the display areas (FIG. 2, i.e. as shown by the figure(s) GR disposed in NDA surrounding unit pixels UP), and
a plurality of pixels ([0061], FIG. 2, i.e. unit pixels UP) disposed in the light emitting areas (FIG. 2, i.e. as shown by the figure(s) SP1, SP2, and SP3 disposed in their own ),
wherein the plurality of pixels (i.e. please see above citation(s)) including includes a plurality of sub-pixels ([0061], FIG. 2, i.e. first to third pixels SP1, SP2, and SP3).
Regarding Claim 5, (Currently Amended)
LEE et al. teach
the substrate of claim 1, wherein
conductive rings ([0073], FIG. 1-2, i.e. antistatic layers GR … to surround the display area DA (please note that antistatic layers GR of display 10 in FIG. 2 would have been plurality of GRs of tile display device TD which includes plurality of display devices 10s (see [0058])) surrounding each of the plurality of display areas ([0058], FIG. 1, i.e. plurality of display devices 10) are separated and spaced apart from each other (FIG. 1, i.e. as shown by the figure(s) 10s are separated and spaced apart from each other).
Regarding Claim 17, (Original)
LEE et al. teach
the substrate according to claim 1, wherein one of the sub-pixel (i.e. please see above citation(s)) including at least one light-emitting element ([0068], FIG. 2, i.e. Each of the first to third pixels SP1, SP2, and SP3 of FIG. 2 may correspond to at least one light emitting element).
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 of this title, 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.
4. Claim(s) 2, 10, and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LEE et al. (US Patent/PGPub. No. 20230246148) in view of HAN et al. (US Patent/PGPub. No. 20250255103).
Regarding Claim 2, (Original)
LEE et al. teach
the substrate of claim 1.
However, LEE et al. do not explicitly teach
further comprising: one or more dummy pixel driving circuits disposed in the non-display area outside the display area.
In the same field of endeavor, HAN et al. teach
further comprising: one or more dummy pixel driving circuits ([0082], FIG. 6 & 8, i.e. dummy pixel circuits 701) disposed in the non-display area ([0082], FIG. 6 & 8, i.e. located in the first peripheral subregion B1) outside the display area ([0016], FIG. 6 & 8, i.e. the non-display region includes a first peripheral subregion).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention’s effective date was filed to combine LEE et al. teaching of display device comprising plural pixels including sub-pixels having electrostatic protection in display areas surrounded by grounded rings with HAN et al. teaching of display device comprising plural pixels including dummy pixel driving circuits to effectively stabilize printing process utilizing dummy openings/pixel circuits yet not affect the display effect of the display panel (HAN et al.’s [0071]).
Regarding Claim 10, (Currently Amended) the substrate of claim 2,
HAN et al. teach
further comprising:
a dummy pixel ([0084], FIG. 5-8, i.e. dummy pixel circuit 701 … dummy pixel opening 302a/b) in which a dummy light emitting element ([0084], FIG. 5-8, i.e. dummy pixel opening 302a) disposed in the non-display area ([0080], FIG. 5-8, i.e. non-display region 00b … include a first peripheral subregion B1 and a second peripheral subregion B2 (Note that FIG. 6-8 are cross-section views of dummy pixel in non-display area) and coupled to ([0084], FIG. 5-8, i.e. does not apply a drive signal to the first dummy sub-electrode 2021) the dummy pixel driving circuit ([0084], FIG. 5-8, i.e. dummy pixel circuit 701) is disposed.
Regarding Claim 12, (Original)
the substrate of claim 10, wherein
HAN et al. teach
at least a portion of the dummy pixel ([0084], FIG. 5-8, i.e. dummy pixel opening 302a/b) overlaps the dummy pixel driving circuit ([0084], FIG. 5-8, i.e. dummy pixel circuit 701) in a thickness direction of the substrate (FIG. 6, i.e. as shown by the figure(s) 302 overlaps 701 in a thickness direction of the substrate 100).
5. Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LEE et al. (US Patent/PGPub. No. 20230246148) in view of Yoo et al. (US Patent/PGPub. No. 12588566).
Regarding Claim 16, (Original)
LEE et al. teach
the substrate according to claim 1.
However, LEE et al. do not explicitly teach
wherein the plurality of sub-pixels respectively have the same colors as the plurality of pixels.
In the same field of endeavor, Yoo et al. teach
wherein the plurality of sub-pixels (Col. 19, Ln. 8-19, FIG. 10-11, i.e. first to third sub-pixels SPXL1, SPXL2, and SPXL3) respectively have the same colors (Col. 19, Ln. 8-19, FIG. 10-11, i.e. emit light of a same color) as the plurality of pixels (Col. 9, Ln. 22-29, FIG. 10-11, i.e. pixel PXL).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention’s effective date was filed to combine LEE et al. teaching of display device comprising plural pixels including sub-pixels with Yoo et al. teaching of display device comprising plural pixels including sub-pixels of the same color to effectively reduce cost and manufacturing process utilizing sub-pixels of pixels having the same color (Yoo et al.’s Col. 19, Ln. 20-26).
Response to Argument/Amendment
6. Applicant’s arguments with respect to Claim(s) 1 has/have been considered but are moot because the arguments do not apply to any of the references being used in the current rejection.
7. All dependent claims are properly rejected or objected as shown above.
Please note that dependent Claim(s) 5, 10, and 12 (previously objected) are now currently rejected due to their amendment changing their dependencies.
8. Applicants’ Response to the Non-Final Office Action, 04/01/2026, has been entered and made of record. Claim(s) 1, 4-5, 10, and 18 is/are amended. Thus, Claim(s) 1-25 is/are pending in this application.
9. Applicant’s arguments, see P. 7, filed 06/26/2026, with respect to Rejection(s) under Double Patenting have been fully considered and are persuasive in view of Terminal Disclaimer. The Rejection(s) under Double Patenting has/have been withdrawn.
Allowable Subject Matter
10. Claim(s) 19-25 is/are allowed.
11. Claim(s) 3-4, 6-9, 11, 13-15, and 18 is/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.
12. The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
LEE et al. (US Patent/PGPub. No. 20230246148) teach a display device includes a substrate including a display area including pixels, and a non-display area around the display area, a pad part in the non-display area, antistatic circuits between the pad part and the pixels, respectively, a first resistance line connected to the pad part and to the antistatic circuits, a second resistance line connected to the first resistance line and overlapping the first resistance line, and a fan-out line connected between the second resistance line and a respective one of the pixels.
HAN et al. (US Patent/PGPub. No. 20250255103) teach a display panel includes a substrate, a first electrode layer, a pixel defining layer, a light-emitting layer, a second electrode layer, and a peripheral conductive structure. When the light-emitting layer is formed through an ink-jet printing process, an organic solution may be printed into auxiliary dummy openings in an initial printing phase, and then printed into effective pixel openings after printing becomes stable.
The subject matter of the claim(s) that could neither be found/suggested nor obviously combinable in the prior arts of record. The subject matter was a device/method including
“…a conductive ring disposed in a non-display area adjacent to the display area, the conductive ring surrounding the display area from a plan view;
a dummy driver including one or more dummy pixel driving circuits disposed in the non-display area;
a first electrostatic protection circuit coupled to at least one of the one or more pixel driving circuits of the driving driver; and
a second electrostatic protection circuit coupled to at least one of the one or more dummy pixel driving circuits of the dummy driving driver;
wherein the first electrostatic protection circuit and the second electrostatic protection circuit are the same as each other.” (Claim 19),
“…wherein a dummy pixel driving circuit of the one or more dummy pixel driving circuits has a same electrostatic prevention structure as the pixel driving circuit.” (Claim 3),
“…wherein the dummy pixel driving circuit is disposed in the non-display area between the conductive ring and the display area from a plan view.” (Claim 4),
“…wherein the dummy pixel includes a bank pattern of the dummy pixel, and a solder pattern disposed on the bank pattern of the dummy pixel and in contact with the dummy light emitting element.” (Claim 11),
“…wherein the display panel is separated from the substrate for the display panel according to claim 2 and includes the display area and the pixel driving circuit without the conductive ring and the dummy pixel driving circuit.” (Claim 18),
in combination with the other elements (or steps) of the device or apparatus and method recited in the claims.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VINH TANG LAM whose telephone number is (571) 270-3704. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
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, Nitin K Patel can be reached at (571) 272-7677. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/VINH T LAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2628
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