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 .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/17/2025 is being considered by the examiner.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. (US 20130021289), in view of Peng et al. (US 20130049771).
As to claim 1, Chen teaches a device [abstract] comprising:
a display panel [figs. 10 & 16 & para. 66] comprising pixels (pixel array 40 comprising pixels 58) [figs. 9-10 & 58 & 65-66], signal lines (vertical control lines 62 & horizontal control lines 64) [fig. 10 & para. 66] and thin film transistors (transistors of electrical components 60) [fig. 10 & para. 66], the pixels including organic light emitting layers (organic material 54) [figs. 9-10 & para. 65] between pixel electrodes and an opposed electrode (electrodes 52) [fig. 9 & para. 65];
an encapsulation layer (thin-film encapsulation layer 84) [fig. 16 & para. 74-76] including an inorganic insulating layer and an organic insulating layer overlapping each other on the display panel (layers formed from alternating patterns of organic layers and inorganic layers utilized to form encapsulation layer 84) [fig. 16 & para. 76]; and
a touch sensor (sensor electrodes 44 on top of thin-film encapsulation layer 84) [fig. 16, 25, & 27 & para. 74-76] comprising touch electrodes including a metal mesh [figs. 14-16 & para. 73-74] on the encapsulation layer.
Chen does not explicitly teach wherein
the touch sensor includes a center region, a first edge region and a second edge region,
the first edge region and the second edge region being positioned at opposite sides of the center region, the first edge region, the center region, and the second edge region are sequentially arranged along a first direction,
the touch electrodes are in a same layer as each other and arranged along the first direction,
the touch electrodes in the first edge region are spaced apart from the first touch electrodes in the center region,
the touch electrodes in the second edge region are spaced apart from the touch electrodes in the center region,
a shape of an envelope of each of the touch electrodes is substantially a rectangle with two opposing horizontal sides and two opposing vertical sides,
a length of the two opposing horizontal sides of the touch electrode in the center region is larger than a length of the two opposing horizontal sides of the touch electrode in the first edge region and a length of the two opposing horizontal sides of the touch electrode in the second edge region.
Peng teaches a device [abstract] wherein a touch sensor (Rx sense elements 804) [figs. 8a & para. 46-50] includes a center region (center region of Rx sense element 804) [figs. 8a & para. 46-50], a first edge region (left region of Rx sense element 804) [figs. 8a & para. 46-50]and a second edge region (right region of Rx sense element 804) [figs. 8a & para. 46-50],
the first edge region and the second edge region being positioned at opposite sides of the center region, the first edge region, the center region, and the second edge region are sequentially arranged along a first direction (Rx sense elements 804) [figs. 8a & para. 46-50],
the touch electrodes are in a same layer as each other and arranged along the first direction (Rx sense elements 804) [figs. 8a & para. 46-50],
the touch electrodes in the first edge region are spaced apart from the first touch electrodes in the center region (Rx sense elements 804) [figs. 8a & para. 46-50],
the touch electrodes in the second edge region are spaced apart from the touch electrodes in the center region (Rx sense elements 804) [figs. 8a & para. 46-50],
a shape of an envelope of each of the touch electrodes is substantially a rectangle with two opposing horizontal sides and two opposing vertical sides (Rx sense elements 804) [figs. 8a & para. 46-50],
a length of the two opposing horizontal sides of the touch electrode in the center region is larger than a length of the two opposing horizontal sides of the touch electrode in the first edge region (Rx sense elements 804, center region utilizes wider electrode than left region or right region) [figs. 8a & para. 46] and a length of the two opposing horizontal sides of the touch electrode in the second edge region (Rx sense elements 804, center region utilizes wider electrode than left region or right region) [figs. 8a & para. 46].
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the touch sensor of the device of Chen, such that the touch sensor includes a center region, a first edge region and a second edge region, the first edge region and the second edge region being positioned at opposite sides of the center region, the first edge region, the center region, and the second edge region are sequentially arranged along a first direction, the touch electrodes are in a same layer as each other and arranged along the first direction, the touch electrodes in the first edge region are spaced apart from the first touch electrodes in the center region, the touch electrodes in the second edge region are spaced apart from the touch electrodes in the center region, a shape of an envelope of each of the touch electrodes is substantially a rectangle with two opposing horizontal sides and two opposing vertical sides, a length of the two opposing horizontal sides of the touch electrode in the center region is larger than a length of the two opposing horizontal sides of the touch electrode in the first edge region and a length of the two opposing horizontal sides of the touch electrode in the second edge region, as taught by Peng, to improve accuracy of touch input by improving accuracy of touch sensing at edges of the touch sensor of the device of Chen, as taught by Peng [para. 4 & 7].
As to claim 2, Chen as modified by Peng teaches the device of claim 1, wherein a length of the two opposing vertical sides of the touch electrode in the center region is substantially the same as a length of the two opposing vertical sides of the touch electrode in the first edge region (Rx sense elements 804) [Peng: figs. 8a & para. 46-50].
As to claim 3, Chen as modified by Peng teaches the device of claim 2, wherein the length of the two opposing vertical sides of the touch electrode in the center region is substantially the same as a length of the two opposing vertical sides of the touch electrode in the second edge region (Rx sense elements 804) [Peng: figs. 8a & para. 46-50].
As to claim 4, Chen as modified by Peng teaches the device of claim 1, wherein an area of the envelope of the touch electrode in the center region is larger than an area of the envelope of the touch electrode in the first edge region (Rx sense elements 804) [Peng: figs. 8a & para. 46-50].
As to claim 5, Chen as modified by Peng teaches the device of claim 4, wherein the area of the envelope of the touch electrode in the center region is larger than an area of the envelope of the touch electrode in the second edge region (Rx sense elements 804) [Peng: figs. 8a & para. 46-50].
As to claim 6, Chen as modified by Peng teaches the device of claim 5, wherein the area of the envelope of the touch electrode in the first edge region is substantially the same as the area of the envelope of the touch electrode in the second edge region (Rx sense elements 804) [Peng: figs. 8a & para. 46-50].
As to claim 7, Chen as modified by Peng teaches the device of claim 1, wherein an area of the first edge region and an area of the second edge region are substantially the same as each other (Rx sense elements 804) [Peng: figs. 8a & para. 46-50].
As to claim 8, Chen as modified by Peng teaches the device of claim 1, wherein
the touch sensor is directly formed on the encapsulation layer (sensor electrodes 44 on top of thin-film encapsulation layer 84) [Chen: fig. 16 & para. 74-76], and
the touch electrodes include a metal mesh [Chen: figs. 14-16 & para. 73-74].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yao et al. (US 20150169121).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID TUNG whose telephone number is (571)270-3385. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday; 10:00AM - 6:00PM.
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, Patrick Edouard can be reached at (571)-272-7603. 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.
/DAVID TUNG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2622
Prosecution Insights