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 .
In the response to this Office action, the Office respectfully requests that support be shown for language added to any original claims on amendment and any new claims. That is, indicate support for newly added claim language by specifically pointing to page(s) and line numbers in the specification and/or drawing figure(s). This will assist the Office in prosecuting this application.
The Office has cited particular figures, elements, paragraphs and/or columns and line numbers in the references as applied to the claims for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant, in preparing the responses, to fully consider each of the cited references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage disclosed by the Office.
Disposition of the Claims
2. The instant application was effectively filed on August 23, 2021, wherein claims 1-20 are pending.
Double Patenting
3. The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the claims at issue are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); and In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on a nonstatutory double patenting ground provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with this application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The USPTO internet Web site contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit http://www.uspto.gov/forms/. The filing date of the application will determine what form should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to http://www.uspto.gov/patents/process/file/efs/guidance/eTD-info-I.jsp.
Claim Comparison Table #1
Claims of Present Application# 19,366,631
Claims of Patent Application# 12,474,797 B2
1. A touch substrate, comprising a plurality of touch electrodes and a plurality of touch leads; wherein the touch substrate comprises a touch region and a non-touch region, the plurality of touch electrodes are located in the touch region, and the plurality of touch leads are located in the non-touch region and configured to provide signals for the plurality of touch electrodes; the touch substrate comprises: a first edge, a second edge adjacent to the first edge, a first corner between the first edge and the second edge, a third edge disposed opposite to the first edge and adjacent to the second edge, and a second corner between the second edge and the third edge; the touch substrate comprises: two bending boundaries close to the first edge and the third edge respectively; wherein the touch substrate is divided into a flat region and bending regions located on two opposite sides of the flat region; the two bending boundaries are at least partially located in the touch region and extend to the non-touch region, the bending boundary close to the first edge substantially extends in an extension direction of the first edge and intersects with the second edge, and the bending boundary close to the third edge substantially extends in an extension direction of the third edge and intersects with the second edge; and at least one touch lead among the plurality of touch leads comprises: a corner lead located in at least the second corner among the first corner and the second corner in the touch substrate, and a first lead portion connected with an end of the corner lead; wherein the first lead portion substantially extends in an extension direction of the second edge, the corner lead is an arc lead, and the first lead portion is a straight lead; a boundary of the touch region and the non-touch region has an arc part, and a radius of the arc part is smaller than a radius of the corner lead.
2. The touch substrate according to claim 1, wherein the corner lead is completely located in the bending region and does not overlap the bending boundary.
3. The touch substrate according to claim 1, wherein the first lead portion is at least partially located in the bending region and overlaps the bending boundary.
4. The touch substrate according to claim 1, wherein the other end of the corner lead is connected with a second lead portion; wherein the second lead portion substantially extends in the extension direction of the third edge, and is completely located in the bending region and does not overlap the bending boundary.
5. The touch substrate according to claim 4, wherein the touch substrate further comprises a plurality of wiring terminals located in the non-touch region; at least one of the plurality of touch leads comprises: two corner leads respectively in the first corner and the second corner and two first lead portions; wherein the second lead portion is connected with the two corner leads; and one of the two first lead portions is electrically connected with one of the plurality of wiring terminals, and the other one of the two first lead portions is electrically connected with one of the plurality of touch electrodes.
6. The touch substrate according to claim 1, wherein the other end of the corner lead is electrically connected with one of the plurality of touch electrodes.
7. The touch substrate according to claim 1, wherein the first lead portion comprises a first lead layer and a second lead layer which are disposed in a stacked manner.
8. The touch substrate according to claim 7, wherein in a region where the bending boundary overlaps the first lead portion, the second lead layer is electrically connected with the first lead layer.
9. The touch substrate according to claim 8, wherein the touch substrate further comprises a first insulating layer between the first lead layer and the second lead layer; wherein the first insulating layer has a first via hole going through the first insulating layer along a thickness direction of the first insulating layer; and the bending boundary overlaps the first via hole, and the second lead layer is electrically connected with the first lead layer through the first via hole.
10. The touch substrate according to claim 8, wherein the touch substrate further comprises a first insulating layer between the first lead layer and the second lead layer; wherein the first insulating layer has a first via hole going through the first insulating layer along a thickness direction of the first insulating layer; the bending boundary does not overlap the first via hole; and the first via hole is at least partially located in the region where the bending boundary overlaps the first lead portion, and the second lead layer is electrically connected with the first lead layer through the first via hole.
11. The touch substrate according to claim 7, wherein the first lead layer or the second lead layer comprises a first sub-lead portion and a second sub-lead portion which are disconnected at the bending boundary.
12. The touch substrate according to claim 11, wherein a distance between an edge of the first sub-lead portion close to the bending boundary and the bending boundary is equal to a distance between an edge of the second sub-lead portion close to the bending boundary and the bending boundary.
13. The touch substrate according to claim 11, wherein the second lead layer is located on a side of the first lead layer facing a touch surface of the touch substrate, and the first lead layer comprises the first sub-lead portion and the second sub-lead portion.
14. The touch substrate according to claim 1, wherein a bending angle of the bending region is greater than or equal to 80 degrees.
15. A display touch panel, comprising: a drive backplane, comprising a display region and a peripheral region surrounding the display region; a plurality of light emitting devices, located on a side of the drive backplane in the display region; a packaging layer, located on a side of the light emitting devices facing away from the drive backplane; and the touch substrate according to claim 1, directly formed on the packaging layer.
16. The display touch panel according to claim 15, wherein the display region coincides with a touch region, and the display region comprises a plurality of pixels arranged in an array; and a quantity N of pixel columns between an edge of the display region located in a flat region and a bending boundary closest to the display region, a bending radius r1 of a corner lead closest to the display region, a pixel spacing Ppixel, and a total thickness Total of the touch substrate meet a following condition: N=π×r1-Total×1000Ppixel.
17. The display touch panel according to claim
16, wherein the radius r1 of the corner lead closest to the touch region is greater than or equal to 1.5 millimeters and smaller than or equal to 2.4 millimeters.
18. A display apparatus, comprising the display touch panel according to claim 15.
19. The display apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising: a cover plate, attached to the display touch panel on a side of a touch substrate facing away from a drive backplane, wherein the cover plate has a bending region and a flat region same as the touch substrate.
20. The display apparatus according to claim 19, wherein when a first lead portion comprises a first lead layer and a second lead layer which are disposed in a stacked manner, and the first lead layer or the second lead layer comprises a first sub-lead portion and a second sub-lead portion which are disconnected at a bending boundary, a quantity n of pixel columns between the first sub-lead portion and the bending boundary, as well as the second sub-lead portion and the bending boundary meets the following condition: n=(A+W)/Ppixel; wherein, A is attaching accuracy between the cover plate and the display touch panel, and W is a maximum transmission range of bending stress over the display touch panel.
1. A touch substrate, comprising a plurality of touch electrodes and a plurality of touch leads; wherein the touch substrate comprises a touch region and a non-touch region, the plurality of touch electrodes are located in the touch region, and the plurality of touch leads are located in the non-touch region and configured to provide signals for the plurality of touch electrodes; the touch substrate comprises at least one bending boundary, and the touch substrate is divided into a flat region and a bending region located on at least one side of the flat region; the touch substrate comprises a first edge, a second edge adjacent to the first edge, and a corner between the first edge and the second edge; the at least one bending boundary is at least partially located in the touch region and extends to the non-touch region, and the at least one bending boundary substantially extends in an extension direction of the first edge and intersects with the second edge; and at least one touch lead among the plurality of touch leads comprises: a corner lead located in at least one corner in the touch substrate, and a first lead portion connected with an end of the corner lead; wherein the first lead portion substantially extends in an extension direction of the second edge, and the corner lead is completely located in the bending region and does not overlap the bending boundary; wherein the first lead portion comprises a first lead layer and a second lead layer which are disposed in a stacked manner, and in a region where the bending boundary overlaps the first lead portion, the second lead layer is electrically connected with the first lead layer.
2. The touch substrate according to claim 1, wherein the first lead portion is at least partially located in the bending region and overlaps the bending boundary.
3. The touch substrate according to claim 1, wherein the other end of the corner lead is connected with a second lead portion; wherein the second lead portion substantially extends in the extension direction of the first edge, and is completely located in the bending region and does not overlap the bending boundary.
4. The touch substrate according to claim 3, wherein the touch substrate further comprises a plurality of wiring terminals located in the non-touch region; at least one of the plurality of touch leads comprises: two corner leads and two first lead portions; wherein the second lead portion is connected with the two corner leads; and one of the two first lead portions is electrically connected with one of the plurality of wiring terminals, and the other one of the two first lead portions is electrically connected with one of the plurality of touch electrodes.
5. The touch substrate according to claim 1, wherein the other end of the corner lead is electrically connected with one of the plurality of touch electrodes.
6. The touch substrate according to claim 1, wherein the touch substrate further comprises a third edge disposed opposite to the first edge; and the touch substrate comprises: two bending boundaries close to the first edge and the third edge respectively; wherein the touch substrate is divided into a flat region and bending regions located on two opposite sides of the flat region.
7. The touch substrate according to claim 6, wherein the corner lead in at least one touch lead among the plurality of touch leads is located at a corner between the third edge and the second edge; and/or the corner lead is an arc lead, the first lead portion is a straight lead, and the second lead portion is a straight lead.
8. The touch substrate according to claim 7, wherein a boundary of the touch region and the non-touch region has an arc part, and a radius of the arc part is smaller than a radius of the corner lead.
9. The touch substrate according to claim 1, wherein the touch substrate further comprises a first insulating layer between the first lead layer and the second lead layer; wherein the first insulating layer has a first via hole going through the first insulating layer along a thickness direction of the first insulating layer; and the bending boundary overlaps the first via hole, and the second lead layer is electrically connected with the first lead layer through the first via hole.
10. The touch substrate according to claim 1, wherein a bending angle of the bending region is greater than or equal to 80 degrees.
11. A display touch panel, comprising: a drive backplane, comprising a display region and a peripheral region surrounding the display region; a plurality of light emitting devices, located on a side of the drive backplane in the display region; a packaging layer, located on a side of the light emitting devices facing away from the drive backplane; and the touch substrate according to claim 1, directly formed on the packaging layer.
12. The display touch panel according to claim 11, wherein the display region coincides with a touch region, and the display region comprises a plurality of pixels arranged in an array; and a quantity N of pixel columns between an edge of the display region located in a flat region and a bending boundary closest to the display region, a bending radius r1 of a corner lead closest to the display region, a pixel spacing P.sub.pixel, and a total thickness Total of the touch substrate meet a following condition: N=π×(r1-Total)×1000Ppixel.
13. The display touch panel according to claim 12, wherein the radius r1 of the corner lead closest to the touch region is greater than or equal to 1.5 millimeters and smaller than or equal to 2.4 millimeters.
14. A display apparatus, comprising the display touch panel according to claim 11.
15. The display apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising: a cover plate, attached to the display touch panel on a side of a touch substrate facing away from a drive backplane, wherein the cover plate has a bending region and a flat region same as the touch substrate.
16. The display apparatus according to claim 15, wherein when a first lead portion comprises a first lead layer and a second lead layer which are disposed in a stacked manner, and the first lead layer or the second lead layer comprises a first sub-lead portion and a second sub-lead portion which are disconnected at a bending boundary, a quantity n of pixel columns between the first sub-lead portion and the bending boundary, as well as the second sub-lead portion and the bending boundary meets the following condition: n=(A+W)/Ppixel; wherein, A is attaching accuracy between the cover plate and the display touch panel, and W is a maximum transmission range of bending stress over the display touch panel.
17. The touch substrate according to claim 1, wherein the touch substrate further comprises a first insulating layer between the first lead layer and the second lead layer; wherein the first insulating layer has a first via hole going through the first insulating layer along a thickness direction of the first insulating layer; the bending boundary does not overlap the first via hole; and the first via hole is at least partially located in the region where the bending boundary overlaps the first lead portion, and the second lead layer is electrically connected with the first lead layer through the first via hole.
18. A touch substrate, comprising a plurality of touch electrodes and a plurality of touch leads; wherein the touch substrate comprises a touch region and a non-touch region, the plurality of touch electrodes are located in the touch region, and the plurality of touch leads are located in the non-touch region and configured to provide signals for the plurality of touch electrodes; the touch substrate comprises at least one bending boundary, and the touch substrate is divided into a flat region and a bending region located on at least one side of the flat region; the touch substrate comprises a first edge, a second edge adjacent to the first edge, and a corner between the first edge and the second edge; the at least one bending boundary is at least partially located in the touch region and extends to the non-touch region, and the at least one bending boundary substantially extends in an extension direction of the first edge and intersects with the second edge; and at least one touch lead among the plurality of touch leads comprises: a corner lead located in at least one corner in the touch substrate, and a first lead portion connected with an end of the corner lead; wherein the first lead portion substantially extends in an extension direction of the second edge, and the corner lead is completely located in the bending region and does not overlap the bending boundary; wherein the first lead portion comprises a first lead layer and a second lead layer which are disposed in a stacked manner, and the first lead layer or the second lead layer comprises a first sub-lead portion and a second sub-lead portion which are disconnected at the bending boundary.
19. The touch substrate according to claim 18, wherein a distance between an edge of the first sub-lead portion close to the bending boundary and the bending boundary is equal to a distance between an edge of the second sub-lead portion close to the bending boundary and the bending boundary.
20. The touch substrate according to claim 18, wherein the second lead layer is located on a side of the first lead layer facing a touch surface of the touch substrate, and the first lead layer comprises the first sub-lead portion and the second sub-lead portion.
Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because claim as shown in table#1 above of present application No. 19,366,631 is similar in scope to claims of Patent Application No. 12,474,797 B2, as shown in the claim comparison table #1 above.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-8, 14-15, 18 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lee et al. US PG-PUB 2022100303 A1 (hereinafter Lee).
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Regarding claim 1, Lee teaches A touch substrate (Fig. 3, 5; SUB), comprising a plurality of touch electrodes and a plurality of touch leads (Fig. 5 and Para. [0122]-[0123]); wherein the touch substrate comprises a touch region and a non-touch region (Fig. 5; touch sensor area TSA and touch peripheral area TPA), the plurality of touch electrodes are located in the touch region (Fig’s. 5, 6 and Para. [0120]-[0121]; electrodes TE and RE), and the plurality of touch leads are located in the non-touch region and configured to provide signals for the plurality of touch electrodes (Fig. 5; touch lines TL and RL disposed in touch peripheral area TPA); the touch substrate comprises: a first edge, a second edge adjacent to the first edge (See Fig. 5 above), a first corner between the first edge and the second edge (See Fig. 5 above), a third edge disposed opposite to the first edge and adjacent to the second edge (See Fig. 5 above), and a second corner between the second edge and the third edge (See Fig. 5 above); the touch substrate comprises: two bending boundaries close to the first edge and the third edge respectively; wherein the touch substrate is divided into a flat region and bending regions located on two opposite sides of the flat region (See Fig. 5 in view of fig. 2 above, BL1 BL2); the two bending boundaries are at least partially located in the touch region and extend to the non-touch region , the bending boundary close to the first edge substantially extends in an extension direction of the first edge and intersects with the second edge, and the bending boundary close to the third edge substantially extends in an extension direction of the third edge and intersects with the second edge(See Fig. 5 in view of fig. 2 above); and at least one touch lead among the plurality of touch leads comprises: a corner lead located in at least the second corner among the first corner and the second corner in the touch substrate (See Fig. 5 above), and a first lead portion connected with an end of the corner lead (See Fig. 5 above); wherein the first lead portion substantially extends in an extension direction of the second edge (See Fig. 5 above), the corner lead is an arc lead (See Fig. 5 above), and the first lead portion is a straight lead (See Fig. 5 above); a boundary of the touch region and the non-touch region has an arc part (See Fig. 5 above), and a radius of the arc part is smaller than a radius of the corner lead (See Fig. 5 above; arc area is smaller than corner lead).
Regarding claim 2, Lee teaches The touch substrate according to claim 1, Lee further teaches wherein the corner lead is completely located in the bending region and does not overlap the bending boundary (See Fig. 5 above).
Regarding claim 3, Lee teaches The touch substrate according to claim 1, Lee further teaches wherein the first lead portion is at least partially located in the bending region and overlaps the bending boundary (See Fig. 5 in view of 2; i.e. BL2 overlaps RL40).
Regarding claim 4, Lee teaches The touch substrate according to claim 1, Lee further teaches wherein the other end of the corner lead is connected with a second lead portion (see Fig. 5 above); wherein the second lead portion substantially extends in the extension direction of the third edge, and is completely located in the bending region and does not overlap the bending boundary (see Fig. 5 above).
Regarding claim 5, Lee teaches The touch substrate according to claim 4, Lee further teaches wherein the touch substrate further comprises a plurality of wiring terminals located in the non-touch region (See Fig. 5 above); at least one of the plurality of touch leads comprises: two corner leads respectively in the first corner and the second corner and two first lead portions (See Fig. 5 above); wherein the second lead portion is connected with the two corner leads (See Fig. 5 above); and one of the two first lead portions is electrically connected with one of the plurality of wiring terminals (See Fig. 5 above), and the other one of the two first lead portions is electrically connected with one of the plurality of touch electrodes (See Fig. 5 above).
Regarding claim 6, Lee teaches The touch substrate according to claim 1, Lee further teaches wherein the other end of the corner lead is electrically connected with one of the plurality of touch electrodes (See Fig. 5 above).
Regarding claim 7, Lee teaches The touch substrate according to claim 1, Lee further teaches wherein the first lead portion comprises a first lead layer and a second lead layer which are disposed in a stacked manner (See Fig’s. 5, 11; TSL1, TSL2 disposed in a stacked manner).
Regarding claim 8, Lee teaches The touch substrate according to claim 7, Lee further teaches wherein in a region where the bending boundary overlaps the first lead portion, the second lead layer is electrically connected with the first lead layer (Fig. 5 and Para. [0192]; The second touch signal layer TSL2 may be connected to the first touch signal layer TSL1 through the second contact holes CT2).
Regarding claim 14, Lee teaches The touch substrate according to claim 1, Lee further teaches wherein a bending angle of the bending region is greater than or equal to 80 degrees (Para. [0024]; A corner at which the short side in the first direction (X-axis direction) meets the long side in the second direction (Y-axis direction) may be rounded to have a predetermined curvature formed at a right angle).
Regarding claim 15, Lee further teaches A display touch panel (Para. [0036]; A touch sensor area overlaps the display area and includes a touch sensing unit), comprising: a drive backplane (Fig. 8 and Para. [0097]; the display panel 100 may include a substrate SUB, the display unit DU including the thin film transistor layer TFTL, the light-emitting element layer EML and the thin film encapsulation layer TFEL which are disposed on the substrate SUB), comprising a display region and a peripheral region surrounding the display region (Para. [0081]; The main area MA may include a display area DA in which pixels are formed to display an image and a non-display area NDA which is a peripheral area of the display area DA); a plurality of light emitting devices, located on a side of the drive backplane in the display region (Fig. 4, 8 and Para. [0101] The light-emitting element layer EML may be disposed on the thin film transistor layer TFTL. The light-emitting element layer EML may include the pixels P); a packaging layer (Fig. 8; BF), located on a side of the light emitting devices facing away from the drive backplane (Fig. 8); and the touch substrate according to claim 1, directly formed on the packaging layer (See Fig. 8).
Regarding claim 18, Lee further teaches A display apparatus (Para. [0076]; display device 10), comprising the display touch panel according to claim 20 (Para. [0036]; A touch sensor area overlaps the display area and includes a touch sensing unit).
Regarding claim 19, Lee teaches The display apparatus according to claim 18, Lee teaches further comprising: a cover plate, attached to the display touch panel on a side of a touch substrate facing away from a drive backplane, wherein the cover plate has a bending region and a flat region same as the touch substrate (Fig. 3 and Para. [0107]; cover window).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-13, 16-17 and 20 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 as well as overcoming rejection under double patenting as set forth above.
Conclusion
4. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AMY ONYEKABA whose telephone number is (571)270-7633. The examiner can normally be reached on 9-5.
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/AMY ONYEKABA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2628
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