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 .
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-8 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang et al. U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015/0060254 (hereinafter Huang) in view of Bulea et al. U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013/0181943 (hereinafter Bulea).
Consider claim 1, Huang teaches a display panel, comprising: a display substrate [0017]; and a touch electrode layer, and comprises a plurality of sub-units arranged in an array along a first direction and a second direction (Figures 1-2a and [0018], 121 and 132), wherein each of the plurality of sub-units comprises at least one first electrode and at least one second electrode, which are insulated from each other, and comprise a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes, respectively, extending along the first direction and alternately arranged in the second direction, the first direction is a column direction of the array, and the second direction is a row direction of the array (Figures 1-2a and [0018], 121 and 132; x-y directions); wherein the display panel further comprises: an additional electrode layer, which is arranged in a layer different from the touch electrode layer and comprises at least one first additional electrode (Figures 1-2a and [0018], 131 and 122); the additional electrode layer further comprises at least one second additional electrode (Figures 1-2a and [0018], 131 and 122), which is insulated from the at least one first additional electrode (Figures 1-2a and [0017-0018], 110), and the at least one first additional electrode and the at least one second additional electrode each are a shaped electrode extending along the first direction (Figures 1-2a and [0018], 131 and 122); an insulating layer, which is arranged between the additional electrode layer and the touch electrode layer (Figures 1-2a and [0017-0018], 110); wherein the at least one first additional electrode is connected to the at least one first electrode through at least one first via in the insulating layer (Figures 1-2a and [0018], 131, 121 and 141) and the at least one second additional electrode is connected to the at least one second electrode through at least one second via in the insulating layer (Figures 1-2a and [0018], 122, 132 and 142); and orthographic projection of each shaped first additional electrode on the substrate is within an orthographic projection of a corresponding first electrode on the display substrate (Figures 1-2a and [0018], 131, 121 and 141), and an orthographic projection of each shaped second additional electrode on the display substrate is withing an orthographic projection of a corresponding second electrode on the display substrate (Figures 1-2a and [0018], 122, 132 and 142), and the at least one first electrode and the at least one second electrode are mesh-shaped ([0049], mesh); the additional electrode layer is mesh-shaped ([0049], mesh). In addition, Huang teaches in [0047], the shape of the first, second conductive electrodes 121, 122 and the shape of the first, second auxiliary electrodes 131, 132 can be different.
Huang does not appear to specifically disclose a touch electrode layer, which is arranged on a light outgoing side of the display substrate; a plurality of first inter-digital electrodes and a plurality of second inter-digital electrodes, respectively, extending along the first direction and alternately arranged in the second direction; and the at least one first additional electrode and the at least one second additional electrode each are an elongated strip-shaped electrode extending along the first direction.
However, in a related field of endeavor, Bulea teaches touch electrodes in figure 5 and further teaches a touch electrode layer, which is arranged on a light outgoing side of the display substrate [0054]; a plurality of first inter-digital electrodes and a plurality of second inter-digital electrodes, respectively, extending along the first direction and alternately arranged in the second direction (Figure 5B, 505-506); and the at least one first additional electrode and the at least one second additional electrode each are an elongated strip-shaped electrode extending along the first direction (Figure 5b, elongated parts of 305).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide interdigitated electrode as taught by Bulea in order to maximize the length of the adjacent edges of the sensor electrodes to improve the capacitive coupling between each pair of sensor electrodes in each sensing element as suggested in [0098].
Consider claim 2, Huang and Bulea teach all the limitations of claim 1. In addition, Huang teaches wherein the additional electrode layer further comprises at least one bridge portion; and the at least one bridge portion is connected to the at least one first additional electrode (Figure 3-4, bridges formed by 141-142); the at least one first electrode comprises two first electrode blocks at both sides of one of the at least one second electrode; the at least one bridge portion electrically connects the two first electrode blocks together through at least two third vias in the insulating layer; or the at least one bridge portion is connected to the at least one second additional electrode (Figures 1-2a and 3, 122 and 142); the at least one second electrode comprises two second electrode blocks at both sides of one of the at least one first electrode (Figures 1-2a and 3, 132 and 121); the at least one bridge portion electrically connects the two second electrode blocks together through at least two third vias in the insulating layer (Figures 1-2a and 3, 122, 132 and 142).
Consider claim 3, Huang and Bulea teach all the limitations of claim 1. In addition, Huang teaches wherein the orthographic projection of an edge of each first electrode of the at least one first electrode, close to an adjacent second electrode of this first electrode, on the display substrate comprises a first edge region, and the orthographic projection of a first additional electrode of the at least one first additional electrode, corresponding to this first electrode, on the display substrate overlaps the first edge region (Figure 1, an edge of 121 overlapping an edge of 131 close to 132); and the orthographic projection of an edge of each second electrode of the at least one second electrode, close to an adjacent first electrode of this second electrode, on the display substrate comprises a second edge region, and the orthographic projection of a second additional electrode of the at least one second additional electrode, corresponding to this second electrode, on the display substrate overlaps the second edge region (Figure 1, an edge of 132 overlapping an edge of 122 close to 121).
Consider claim 4, Huang and Bulea teach all the limitations of claim 1. In addition, Huang teaches wherein the at least one first via comprises a plurality of first vias (Figure 1, 141-142), and orthographic projections of the plurality of first vias on the display substrate are uniformly distributed in an area where the orthographic projection of the at least one first additional electrode on the display substrate overlaps the orthographic projection of the at least one first electrode on the display substrate (Figures 1-2a, 121, 131 and 141).
Consider claim 5, Huang and Bulea teach all the limitations of claim 4. In addition, Huang teaches wherein the at least one second via comprises a plurality of second vias (Figure 1, 141-142), and orthographic projections of the plurality of second vias on the display substrate are uniformly distributed in an area where the orthographic projection of the at least one second additional electrode on the display substrate overlaps the orthographic projection of the at least one second electrode on the display substrate (Figures 1-2a, 122, 132 and 142).
Consider claim 6, Huang and Bulea teach all the limitations of claim 5. In addition, Huang teaches wherein the at least one first additional electrode comprises a plurality of first additional electrodes (Figure 1, 131), and orthographic projection of the plurality of first additional electrodes on the display substrate are distributed in a part or an entirety of the first edge region of the orthographic projection of the at least one first electrode on the display substrate (Figures 1-2a and [0018], 121 and 131).
Consider claim 7, Huang and Bulea teach all the limitations of claim 6. In addition, Huang teaches wherein the at least one second additional electrode comprises a plurality of second additional electrodes (Figure 1, 122), and orthographic projection of the plurality of second additional electrodes on the display substrate are distributed on a part or an entirety of the second edge region the orthographic projection of the at least one second electrode on the display substrate (Figures 1-2a and [0018], 122 and 132).
Consider claim 8, Huang and Bulea teach all the limitations of claim 1. In addition, Bulea teaches the first electrode further comprises at least one first main body extending along the second direction (Figure 5b, horizontal line of 505), and each of the plurality of first inter-digital electrodes is connected to a corresponding first main body of the at least one first main body (Figure 5b, vertical line of 505); and the second electrode further comprises at least one second main body extending along the second direction (Figure 5b, a horizontal line of 506), and the plurality of second inter-digital electrodes are all connected to the at least one second main body (Figure 5b, vertical line of 506).
Consider claim 19, Huang and Bulea teach all the limitations of claim 1. In addition, Huang teaches a display apparatus, comprising the display panel of claim 1 [0017].
Claim(s) 11-12, 15-18 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang and Bulea as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Park et al. U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015/0116252 (hereinafter Park).
Consider claim 11, Huang and Bulea teach all the limitations of claim 1. In addition, Huang teaches wherein each of the at least one first electrode and the at least one second electrode comprises a conductive material [0049].
Huang does not appear to specifically disclose titanium/aluminum/titanium laminated material.
However, in a related field of endeavor, Park teaches a touch sensor (abstract) and further teaches titanium/aluminum/titanium laminated material ([0027-0028], Ti and Al).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide Ti and Al as taught by Park with the benefit that electrodes may be formed in a mesh pattern and formed by plating process or deposition as suggested in [0052].
Consider claim 12, Huang, Bulea and Park teach all the limitations of claim 11. In addition, Huang teaches wherein the additional electrode layer comprises a conductive material [0049].
Huang does not appear to specifically disclose titanium/aluminum/titanium laminated material.
However, Park teaches titanium/aluminum/titanium laminated material ([0027-0028], Ti and Al).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide Ti and Al as taught by Park with the benefit that electrodes may be formed in a mesh pattern and formed by plating process or deposition as suggested in [0052].
Consider claim 15, Huang and Bulea teach all the limitations of claim 12.
Huang does not appear to specifically wherein the display panel further comprises at least one first floating electrode; wherein the at least one first floating electrode and the touch electrode layer are in a same layer, and spaced apart from each other and insulated from each other; and wherein the at least one first floating electrode is floated.
However, Park teaches wherein the display panel further comprises at least one first floating electrode (Figure 1 and [0081], dummy pattern 130); wherein the at least one first floating electrode and the touch electrode layer are in a same layer, and spaced apart from each other and insulated from each other (Figure 1, 130, 135 and 120); and wherein the at least one first floating electrode is floated [0081].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide floating electrodes as taught by Park in order to improve visibility as suggested in [0012].
Consider claim 16, Huang, Bulea and Park teach all the limitations of claim 15. In addition, Park teaches at least one second floating electrode; wherein the at least one second floating electrode and the additional electrode layer are in a same layer, and insulated from each other (Figure 1, 170, 160 and 175); an orthographic projection of the at least one second floating electrode and the additional electrode layer on the display substrate overlaps an orthographic projection of the at least one first floating electrode and the touch electrode layer on the display substrate (Figure 1, 120, 130 and 135; 170, 160 and 175, see motivation to combine in claim 15).
Consider claim 17, Huang, Bulea and Park teach all the limitations of claim 15. In addition, Huang teaches wherein the at least one second via comprises a plurality of second vias (Figure 1, 141-142), and orthographic projections of the plurality of second vias on the display substrate are uniformly distributed in an area where the orthographic projection of the at least one second additional electrode on the display substrate overlaps the orthographic projection of the at least one second electrode on the display substrate (Figures 1-2a, 122, 132 and 142).
Consider claim 18, Huang, Bulea and Park teach all the limitations of claim 15. In addition, Huang teaches wherein the at least one first additional electrode comprises a plurality of first additional electrodes (Figure 1, 131), and orthographic projection of the plurality of first additional electrodes on the display substrate are distributed in a part or an entirety of the first edge region of the orthographic projection of the at least one first electrode on the display substrate (Figures 1-2a and [0018], 121 and 131); and the at least one second additional electrode comprises a plurality of second additional electrodes (Figure 1, 122), and orthographic projection of the plurality of second additional electrodes on the display substrate are distributed on a part or an entirety of the second edge region the orthographic projection of the at least one second electrode on the display substrate (Figures 1-2a and [0018], 122 and 132).
Consider claim 20, Huang and Bulea teach all the limitations of claim 1. In addition, Huang teaches wherein each first additional electrode has a width along the second direction (Figure 1, 122); and each second additional electrode has a width along the second direction (Figure 1, 131).
Huang does not appear to specifically disclose a width in a range of 3µm to 500µm.
However, Park teaches a width in a range of 3µm to 500µm [0053].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a particular width such that the visibility may be improved so as to prevent the patterns from being visible as suggested by Park in [0053].
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang, Bulea and Park as applied to claim 12 above, and further in view of Won et al. U.S. Patent Publication No. 2021/0066401 (hereinafter Won).
Consider claim 13, Huang, Bulea and Park teach all the limitations of claim 12.
Huang does not appear to specifically disclose wherein the insulating layer comprises a silicon nitride material or a silicon oxide material.
However, Won teaches wherein the insulating layer comprises a silicon nitride material or a silicon oxide material [0066].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a particular material as taught by Won with the benefit that the touch insulation layer is patterned by a photolithography process and an etching process as suggested in [0066].
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang, Bulea, Park and Won as applied to claim 13 above, and further in view of Kurasawa et al. al. U.S. Patent Publication No. 2017/0010738 (hereinafter Kurasawa).
Consider claim 14, Huang, Bulea, Park and Won teach all the limitations of claim 13.
Huang does not appear to specifically disclose wherein a mesh located at a boundary between the at least one first electrode and the at least one second electrode comprises a plurality of metal wires, any two adjacent of which have a fracture therebetween, such that the at least one first electrode and the at least one second electrode are electrically insulated from each other.
However, in a related field of endeavor, Kurasawa teaches a touch device (abstract) and further teaches wherein a mesh located at a boundary between the at least one first electrode and the at least one second electrode (electrodes corresponding to mesh 1 in figure 20) comprises a plurality of metal wires (Figure 20, mesh 2), any two adjacent of which have a fracture therebetween, such that the at least one first electrode and the at least one second electrode are electrically insulated from each other (see separation of mesh1 and mesh2).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a mesh as taught by Kurasawa in order to provide a dummy electrode TDD and reduce a difference in light shielding property as suggested in [0124].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-10 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.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: Prior art do not appear to disclose the arrangement of the electrodes mentioned in claim 9 in combination to other limitations of the base claim and any intervening 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.”
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 07/21/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
On page 12, with respect to claim 1, Applicant argues that the amendments… “are never disclosed in any one of the cited reference”
As detailed above, the combination of Huang and Bulea teach all the limitations of claim 1. In addition, Huang teaches in [0047], the shape of the first, second conductive electrodes 121, 122 and the shape of the first second auxiliary electrods 131, 132 can be different. Consequently, these arguments have been considered but they are not persuasive.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 ROBERTO W FLORES whose telephone number is (571)272-5512. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 7am-4pm, EST.
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, AMR A AWAD can be reached at (571)272-7764. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ROBERTO W FLORES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2621
Prosecution Insights