`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMIVHSSIONER FOR PATENTS
`PO. Box 1450
`Alexandria1 Virginia 22313-1450
`www.uspto.gov
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`
`
`
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`14/716, 829
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`05/19/2015
`
`Tetsuya KAWAMURA
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`1497—42192CV4CON
`
`5385
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`TYPHA IP LLC
`18 19 L Street NW Suite 200
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`Washington, DC 20036
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`NGUYEN, LAUREN
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`ART UNIT
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`2871
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`MAIL DATE
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`04/ 12/2017
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`PAPER NUIVIBER
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`PAPER
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`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
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`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
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`PTOL—90A (Rev. 04/07)
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`

`

`
`
`Applicant(s)
`Application No.
` 14/716,829 KAWAMURA ET AL.
`
`
`AIA (First Inventor to File)
`Art Unit
`Examiner
`Office Action Summary
`
`
`LAUREN NGUYEN its“ 2871
`-- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
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`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLY IS SET TO EXPIRE g MONTHS FROM THE MAILING DATE OF
`THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available under the provisions of 37 CFR1. 136( a).
`after SIX () MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133).
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, even if timely filed, may reduce any
`earned patent term adjustment. See 37 CFR 1 .704(b).
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`In no event, however, may a reply be timely filed
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`Status
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`1)IZI Responsive to communication(s) filed on 3/13/2017.
`El A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
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`2b)|ZI This action is non-final.
`2a)|:l This action is FINAL.
`3)I:I An election was made by the applicant in response to a restriction requirement set forth during the interview on
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`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
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`4)|:| Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
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`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
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`Disposition of Claims*
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`5)IZI Claim(s) 1-10 is/are pending in the application.
`5a) Of the above claim(s) 6-10 is/are withdrawn from consideration.
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`is/are allowed.
`6)I:I Claim(s)
`7)|Z| CIaim(s)_1-5is/are rejected.
`8)|:I Claim(s)_ is/are objected to.
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`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement.
`9)I:I Claim((s)
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you may be eligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
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`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`hit
`:/'/\W¢W.LISI>I‘.0. ovI’ atentS/init events/
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`
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`iindex.‘s or send an inquiry to PPI-iieedback{®usgtc.00v.
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`Application Papers
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`10)I:l The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)I:l The drawing(s) filed on
`is/are: a)I:I accepted or b)I:I objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
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`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
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`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
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`12)IXI Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
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`a)IZl All
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`b)|:l Some” c)I:l None of the:
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`1.IXI Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.|:l Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.|:| Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this National Stage
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`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`** See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
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`Attachment(s)
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`
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`3) D Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`1) E Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date.
`.
`.
`4) I:I Other'
`2) I] InformatIon DIsclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date
`US. Patent and Trademark Office
`PTOL—326 (Rev. 11-13)
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`Office Action Summary
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`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20170408
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 14/716,829
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`Page 2
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`1.
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`The present application is being examined under the pre—AIA first to invent provisions.
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
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`2.
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`A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in
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`37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is
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`eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e)
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`has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to
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`37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 03/13/2017 has been entered.
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`Response to Amendment
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`3.
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`Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1—5 have been considered but are moot
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`because the arguments do not apply to any of the references being used in the current rejection.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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`4.
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`The following is a quotation of 35 USC. 112(b):
`(b) CONCLUSION.7The 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.
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`The following is a quotation of 35 USC. 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.
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`5.
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`Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 USC. 112(b) or 35 USC. 112 (pre—AIA), second
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`paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject
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`matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre—AIA the applicant regards as the
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`invention. The specific limitation “the top and the side surface of organic film, and a top surface
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`of the inorganic insulation film are in direct contact with a conductive layer and covered by the
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`conductive layer over a plurality of pixel regions in plan view” appears to be unclear. As shown
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 14/716,829
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`Page 3
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`in figure 26A of the originally filed specification, the conductive film CVL does not appear to
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`cover the plurality of pixel regions. Appropriate correction is required.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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`6.
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`The following is a quotation of pre—AIA 35 USC. 103(a) which forms the basis for all
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`obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
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`(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set
`forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and
`the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the
`invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains.
`Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
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`7.
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`Claims 1-5 rejected under pre—AIA 35 USC. 103(a) as being unpatentable over
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`Imayama et al. (US 2003/0103181) in view of Koyama et al. (US 5,731,855).
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`8.
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`Regarding claim 1, Imayama et 31. (figures 1—2) discloses a display device comprising:
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`a first substrate and a second substrate (GLSl and GLS2), the first substrate being larger
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`than the second substrate;
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`the first substrate having a display portion, a peripheral portion, and a terminal portion
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`(display area, sealant area and terminal area);
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`the display portion and the peripheral portion are arranged in overlapping regions of the
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`first substrate and the second substrate, the terminal portion is arranged in a non—
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`overlapping region of the first substrate and the second substrate,
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`the first substrate having a gate signal line, a drain signal line, a switching element
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`connected to the gate signal line and the drain signal line,
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`an inorganic insulation film (ILI or G1) formed in the display portion and the peripheral
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`portion;
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`Application/Control Number: 14/716,829
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`Page 4
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`0
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`an organic film (FPAS or PAS) disposed on the inorganic insulation film, and formed in
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`the display portion and a part of the peripheral portion.
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`9.
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`Imayama et al. discloses the limitations as shown in the rejection of claim 1 above.
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`However, Imayama et al. is silent regarding wherein the organic film has an end portion which
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`is disposed in the peripheral portion, and the end portion includes a top surface and a side
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`surface, wherein the top and the side surface of organic film, and a top surface of the inorganic
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`insulation film are in direct contact with a conductive layer and covered by the conductive layer
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`over a plurality of pixel regions in plan view. Koyama et al. (figure 14B) teaches wherein the
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`organic film (44) has an end portion which is disposed in the peripheral portion, and the end
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`portion includes a top surface and a side surface, the top and the side surface of organic film, and
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`a top surface of the inorganic insulation film (102) are in direct contact with a conductive layer
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`(38) and covered by the conductive layer over a plurality of pixel regions in plan view.
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`Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the
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`invention to modify the insulating films as taught by Koyama et al. in order to improve an
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`adhesive between the sealant and the lower substrate, so that a leakage of the liquid crystal
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`caused by the exterior impact can be prevented.
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`10.
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`Regarding claim 2, Koyama et al. (figure 14B) teaches the conductive layer directly
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`contacts with the top surface of the inorganic insulation film.
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`11.
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`Regarding claim 3, Imayama et al. (figures 1—2) discloses the conductive layer made of
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`transparent material.
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`12.
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`Regarding claim 4, Imayama et al. (figures 1—2) discloses the conductive layer is made
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`of a material which is the same as a material of the plurality of pixel electrodes.
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`Application/Control Number: 14/716,829
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`Page 5
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`13.
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`Regarding claim 5, Imayama et 31. (figures 1—2) discloses the inorganic insulation film
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`is a gate insulator of the switching element.
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`Conclusion
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to Lauren Nguyen whose telephone number is (571) 270—1428. The
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`examiner can normally be reached on M—Th, 7:30-6:00 EST.
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
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`supervisor, Edward Glick can be reached on (571) 272—2490. The fax phone number for the
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`organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571—273—8300.
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`may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished
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`information system, call 800—786—9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571—272—1000.
`
`/Lauren Nguyen/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
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`