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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 is 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 the claim is presently present the Office was not able to identify a prior art reference which alone, or in combination, providing a teaching, a suggestion or a motivation that could be found either in the art or within the skill of one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify or combine the prior art to disclose the cited claim limitations above and more specifically “wherein the bonding section comprises a plurality of tooth portions sequentially connected, each of the plurality of tooth portions being inclined toward a same side relative to the widthwise direction, each of the plurality of tooth portions comprising two inclined edges connected to each other, and a longest one of the two inclined edges of each of the plurality of tooth portions has a length of 0.5 mm to 1.1 mm” of the claimed invention.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
3. 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 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
The Office is unclear on how “the bonding section bends back and forth in a sawtooth shape”. Applicant’s specification states at 0007 - The bonding section bends back and forth within a range in a widthwise direction and at 0075 - Each of the curved wires 130 extends from the visible zone 111 to the peripheral zone 112 to form a signal transmission path 133. The signal transmission path 133 comprises a trace section 133a and a bonding section 133b. One end of the trace section 133a is connected with one end of the bonding section 133b. How does a bonding section bend with the trace wire, which as Fig. 8 and ( show is formed in a sawtooth pattern, when the bonding section lays upon the flexible Circuit board which bends widthwise. The Office will apply prior art as it understands the claim as presently presented.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Claim(s) 1-4 and 6-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al., US Patent Application (20230354669), herein “Zhang” and Longinotti-Buitino et al., US Patent Application (20180199635), herein “Longinotti-Buitino”
Regarding claim 1 Zhang teaches a touch assembly, the organic light-emitting touch display panel [Zhang para 0031] comprising: a protective cover, comprising a visible zone and a peripheral zone the cover 70 is disposed on a side that is of the polarizer 60 and that is away from the display layer 10 [Zhang para 0033 and see Fig. 5]; a first adhesive layer, disposed on the visible zone of the protective cover a display module and a touch module that are bonded together by using a first optical adhesive layer 023 [Zhang para 0031 and see Fig. 5]; a wire layer the touch layer 20 includes … a touch wiring layer [Zhang para 0031 and see Fig. 5], comprising a plurality of curved wires disposed on the first adhesive layer, a display module and a touch module that are bonded together by using a first optical adhesive layer 023 [Zhang para 0031 and see Fig. 5] (i.e. the curved wires are on the touch module bonded by the adhesive layer) the plurality of curved wires comprising a first group of wires extending along a first direction and a second group of wires extending along a second direction and overlapping the first group of wires, the touch wiring layer may be separately located in two non-adjacent film layers that are disposed in the thickness direction of the organic light-emitting touch display panel. [Zhang para 0036] and the wire layer is configured for touch sensing Mutual-capacitance Drive Sensing Self- Parameter electrode electrode capacitance Sensing region resistance/Ω 475 475 1 Sensing region capacitance/pF 375 375 28 Wire resistance/Ω 800 800 5000 Wire capacitance/pF 8 3 24 Time constant/μs 0.49 0.49 0.26 [Zhang Table 1] mutual-capacitance wire capacitance means capacitance of a touch sensor trace, and self-capacitance wire capacitance means capacitance of a touch sensor trace [Zhang para 0041]; a second adhesive layer, covering the plurality of curved wires and the first adhesive layer a first touch electrode layer 021 disposed on a substrate 023, a second touch electrode layer 022 disposed on a substrate 024, and a second optical adhesive layer 025 used to bond the two parts together [Zhang para 0041];; and a flexible circuit board, comprising a plurality of bonding pads, The bonding pad 50 is bonded (bonding) to an integrated circuit chip. Alternatively, the bonding pad 50 is bonded to a flexible circuit board, and an integrated circuit chip is bonded on the flexible circuit board. [Zhang para 0050] wherein each of the plurality of curved wires extends from the visible zone to the peripheral zone to form a signal transmission path, the touch wiring layer includes a plurality of touch sensor traces 22. The touch-sensitive electrodes 21 are electrically connected to at least one touch sensor trace 22. The touch sensor trace 22 is used to provide a touch drive signal for the corresponding touch-sensitive electrode 21 and receive a touch-sensitive signal. [Zhang para 0037] and the signal transmission path comprising a trace section and a bonding section, the trace section extending in a lengthwise direction, it may be seen from FIG. 4 that a larger distance between the touch-sensitive electrode 21 and the bonding region AA corresponds to a longer length of an electrically connected touch sensor trace 22 [Zhang para 0052] and the bonding section bending back and forth within a range in a widthwise direction and bonded to a corresponding one of the plurality of bonding pads. FIG. 4, the organic light-emitting touch display panel includes a bonded region AA, and the bonded region AA includes a plurality of bonding pads 50. … the bonding pad 50 is bonded to a flexible circuit board [Zhang para 0050] (i.e. by definition a flexible board may bend widthwise and over a range of angles)
Zhang does not teach but wherein each of the plurality of curved wires comprises a conductive inner core and an outer covering, The wires in this example are all enameled copper wires that are 0.05 mm/8 strands thickness. These wires may each be individually color and/or patterned coded, as indicated by the numeric keys to the right of each figure. [Longinotti-Buitino para 0122 and see Fig. 12] (i.e. the outer covering surrounding the conductors is visible in the drawing)
Figs. 4-7 of Zhang
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Fig. 12 of Longinotti-Buitino
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Zhang discloses an organic light-emitting touch display panel and an organic light-emitting touch display apparatus, including a display layer (10), a touch layer (20), and a packaging layer (30) disposed between the display layer (10) and the touch layer (20), where the three layers are disposed along a thickness direction of the organic light-emitting touch display panel, and the touch layer (20) is disposed on the packaging layer (30). The display layer (10) includes a plurality of display units (11), and the display unit (11) includes a first electrode (111), a second electrode (112), and an organic light-emitting layer (113) disposed between the first electrode (111) and the second electrode (112). The touch layer (20) includes a touch-sensitive layer, a first insulation layer (23), and a touch wiring layer that are disposed in the thickness direction of the organic light-emitting touch display panel, and the first insulation layer (23) is disposed between the touch-sensitive sensitive layer and the touch wiring layer. The touch-sensitive layer includes a plurality of touch- electrodes (21) that are insulated from each other, the touch wiring layer includes a plurality of touch sensor traces (22), and the touch-sensitive electrodes (21) are electrically connected to at least one touch sensor trace (22). The organic light-emitting touch display panel reduces impact of the touch layer on a voltage signal of the display layer, reduces touch blind spots, and improves touch accuracy.
Longinotti-Buitino discloses elastic electrical connectors that may be incorporated into a garment to connect multiple electrical components in the garment. These electrical connectors are typically long strips of fabric substrate to which wires are attached along a length of one side in a sinusoidal or zig-zag pattern. The connector may also include an adhesive coating on one side to secure it to a fabric. The wires are electrically insulated, which may be a thermoremoable insulation (e.g., a polyurethane having a melting point of <400° C.). The wires may be attached to the surface of the fabric strip by a stitch at each peak and trough of the sinusoidal or zig-zag pattern with a length between peak and trough stitches between about 1 mm and 15 mm.
Prior to the effective date of the invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teachings of Zhang’s and Longinotti-Buitino in the art of a data input device and operating the same, as one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable as the combined teachings and technologies were well known in the art. Longinotti-Buitino improves Zhang’s systems, methods and/or apparatus by using wires consisting of conductors that sense signals and have a protective covering.
Regarding clam 2 Zhang and Longinotti-Buitino teach claim 1 in addition Zhang teaches wherein the bonding section bends back and forth in a sawtooth shape. the bonding pad 50 is bonded to a flexible circuit board, [Zhang para 0050] the touch-sensitive electrode 21 and the bonding region AA corresponds to a longer length of an electrically connected touch sensor trace 22, [Zhang para 0052] the touch sensor trace 22 on the touch-sensitive layer overlaps some metal parts 211. [Zhang para 0043] metal parts 211 on a periphery that are neither parallel to the row direction nor parallel to the column direction constitute a specific sawtooth structure. [Zhang para 0044] (i.e. Zhang and the applicant have trace electrodes in a sawtooth pattern and bonding pads on a flexible circuit board) see also section 112 rejection above
Regarding clam 3 Zhang and Longinotti-Buitino teach claim 2 in addition Zhang teaches wherein the bonding section comprises a plurality of tooth portions sequentially connected; and an included angle between two adjacent tooth portions is 10 degrees to 16 degrees. [See Figure seven of Zhang above] As shown Zhang teaches tooth portions and adjusting the angles between said tooth positions would be a design choice within the ability of one of ordinary skills in the art.
Regarding clam 4 Zhang and Longinotti-Buitino teach claim 2 in addition Zhang teaches wherein the bonding section comprises a plurality of tooth portions sequentially connected; and a number of the tooth portions is 4 to 6. [See Figure seven of Zhang above] As shown Zhang teaches tooth portions and adjusting the number said tooth positions would be a design choice within the ability of one of ordinary skills in the art.
Regarding clam 6 Zhang and Longinotti-Buitino teach claim 1 in addition Zhang teaches wherein the bonding sections of two adjacent signal transmission paths are staggered in the lengthwise direction. [See Figure four of Zhang above] As shown Zhang teaches multiple trace paths and the staggering of said paths would be a design choice within the ability of one of ordinary skills in the art.
Regarding clam 7 Zhang and Longinotti-Buitino teach claim 1 in addition Zhang teaches wherein the plurality of bonding pads are arranged in at least one row. [See Figure seven of Zhang above]
Regarding clam 8 Zhang and Longinotti-Buitino teach claim 1 in addition Zhang teaches pointed tip. the bonded region AA includes a plurality of bonding pads 50. The bonding pad 50 is bonded (bonding) to an integrated circuit chip. Alternatively, the bonding pad 50 is bonded to a flexible circuit board, [Zhang para 0050 and See Figure four of Zhang above] As shown Zhang teaches multiple pads and the shape of said pads would be a design choice within the ability of one of ordinary skills in the art.
Regarding clam 9 Zhang and Longinotti-Buitino teach claim 1 in addition Zhang teaches wherein each of the plurality of bonding pads has a width of 0.3 mm to 0.7 mm and a length of 0.1 mm to 6 mm, and a spacing between two adjacent ones of the plurality of bonding pads is 0.3 mm to 1.1 mm. the bonded region AA includes a plurality of bonding pads 50. The bonding pad 50 is bonded (bonding) to an integrated circuit chip. Alternatively, the bonding pad 50 is bonded to a flexible circuit board, [Zhang para 0050 and See Figure four of Zhang above] As shown Zhang teaches multiple pads and the width and length along with the spacing of said pads would be a design choice within the ability of one of ordinary skills in the art.
Regarding clam 10 Zhang and Longinotti-Buitino teach claim 1 in addition Zhang teaches wherein a metal layer on the plurality of bonding pads has a thickness of 3 µm to 11 µm. the bonded region AA includes a plurality of bonding pads 50. The bonding pad 50 is bonded (bonding) to an integrated circuit chip. Alternatively, the bonding pad 50 is bonded to a flexible circuit board, [Zhang para 0050 and See Figure four of Zhang above] As shown Zhang teaches metal components connected to the bonding pads and the thickness of said metal parts would be a design choice within the ability of one of ordinary skills in the art.
Conclusion
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/ROBERT J MICHAUD/Examiner, Art Unit 2622
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