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`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
`wwwusptogov
`
`
`
`
`
`13/939,955
`
`07/11/2013
`
`Ryuji MATSUMOTO
`
`20326.003 8US01
`
`3923
`
`03’0”” —HAMRE, SCHUMANN,MUELLER&LARSONP.C. m
`7590
`53148
`45 South Seventh Street
`LE, LONG HUYNH
`Suite 2700
`MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55402- 1683
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`ART UNIT
`2819
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`03/02/2017
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/0r attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above—indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e—mail address(es):
`PTOMail @hsml.com
`
`PTOL—90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`Applicant(s)
`Application No.
` 13/939,955 MATSUMOTO ET AL.
`
`Examiner
`Art Unit
`AIA (First Inventor to File)
`Office Action Summary
`
`LONG H. LE its“ 2819
`
`-- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`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).
`
`In no event, however, may a reply be timely filed
`
`Status
`
`1)IZI Responsive to communication(s) filed on 12/01/2016.
`El A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
`
`2b)|:l This action is non-final.
`2a)|Z| 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
`
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`
`4)|:| Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`
`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`
`5)IZI Claim(s) 5,6 and 14 is/are pending in the application.
`5a) Of the above claim(s)
`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`
`is/are allowed.
`6)I:I Claim(s)
`7)|Z| Claim(s) 5,6 and 14 is/are rejected.
`8)|:I Claim(s)_ is/are objected to.
`
`
`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
`
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`hit
`:/'I’\WIIW.usnto. ovI’ atentS/init events/
`
`
`
`i1/index.‘s or send an inquiry to PPI-iieedback{®usgtc.00v.
`
`Application Papers
`
`10)I:l The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)|Xl The drawing(s) filed on 07/11/2013 is/are: a)IXI accepted or b)|:l 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).
`
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`
`12)IXI Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
`
`a)IZl All
`
`b)|:l Some” c)I:l None of the:
`
`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
`
`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.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`
`
`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)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20170221
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 13/939,955
`
`Art Unit: 2819
`
`Page 2
`
`1.
`
`This action is in response to the application 13/939,955 filed on 07/25/2016.
`
`DETAILED ACTION
`
`2.
`
`The present application is being examined under the pre-AlA first to invent provisions.
`
`Notice of Pre-AIA Status
`
`3.
`
`Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d). The
`
`certified copy of the Japan 2012-156986, application has been received and placed in the file.
`
`Priority
`
`Response to Amendment
`
`4.
`
`Applicant's arguments received on 12/01/2016 in which claims 5 is amended, claims 5 is
`
`independent claims. Claims 5-6 and 14 have been examined and are pending in this application.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
`
`5.
`
`The following is a quotation of pre-AlA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness
`
`rejections set forth in this Office action:
`
`(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.
`
`6.
`
`This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims under
`
`pre-AlA 35 U.S.C. 103(a), the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was
`
`commonly owned at the time any inventions covered therein were made absent any evidence to the
`
`contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and invention
`
`dates of each claim that was not commonly owned at the time a later invention was made in order for the
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 13/939,955
`
`Art Unit: 2819
`
`Page 3
`
`examiner to consider the applicability of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(c) and potential pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(e),
`
`(f) or (g) prior art under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a).
`
`7.
`
`Claims 5 and 6 are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Kim
`
`(U.S. Pub # 2005/0200778 A1, hereinafter ‘Kim778’), and Kim (U.S. Pub # 2005/0099377 A1,
`
`hereinafter ‘Kim377’, prior art of record), in view of Kim (U.S. Pub # 2012/00268396 A1, hereinafter
`
`‘Kim396’), and further in view Liu (U.S. Pub # 2012/0292622 A1, prior art of record).
`
`Regarding independent claim 5, Kim778’s Figs. 31A-32C discloses a liquid crystal display
`
`device, comprising:
`
`a transparent substrate (310, 11131);
`
`a gate electrode (311b, 1129) and a gate line (311, 11129) formed on the transparent substrate
`
`(310), the gate line (311) and the gate electrode 311b being electrically connected (see Figs. 31 8-310);
`
`a gate insulating film (312, 11122) covering the gate electrode (311b) and the gate pad (311a,
`
`1131), a first terminal hole (318a, 1132) being formed in the gate insulating film (312) for access to a part
`
`(see Fig. 320) of the gate line (311);
`
`a semiconductor layer (313a, 1123), a source electrode (314b, 1130), and a drain electrode
`
`(314c, 1130) formed on the gate insulating film (312);
`
`a protective insulating film (316a, 1132) for covering the semiconductor layer (313a), the source
`
`electrode (314b), and the drain electrode (314c), a pixel hole (see examiner mark-up Fig. 320 below)
`
`being formed in the protective insulating film (316a) for access to a part (see Fig. 320) of the source
`
`electrode (314b) or a part of the drain electrode (3140),
`
`a pixel electrode (the combination of the reflective electrode 316b and the transmitting
`
`electrode 315, see Fig. 320, 1132) connected to the source electrode or the drain electrode (314c) via the
`
`pixel hole (see examiner mark-up Fig. 320 below);
`
`Kim778 fails to discloses
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 13/939,955
`
`Art Unit: 2819
`
`wherein the gate pad is a gate line;
`
`Page 4
`
`a terminal connected to the gate line via the second terminal hole
`
`a common electrode between the lower insulating film and the upper insulating film; and
`
`the second terminal hole comprises a lower second terminal hole formed in the lower insulating
`
`film and an upper second terminal hole continuous with the lower second terminal hole and formed in the
`
`upper insulating film,
`
`the lower second terminal hole is inside the first terminal hole, and
`
`the first terminal hole extends beyond the upper second terminal hole in plan view.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 13/939,955
`
`Art Unit: 2819
`
`Page 5
`
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 13/939,955
`
`Art Unit: 2819
`
`Page 6
`
`Kim377’s Figs. 1 and 2 teach the liquid crystal display device, the gate line (21, Fig. 1 and 2,
`
`[0070]) and the gate electrode (221 and/or 222, Figs. 1 and 2, [0070]) being electrical connected (see Fig.
`
`1, section view Fig. 2) and where the gate line (21) has a metal interconnect analogous to the relationship
`
`between 39a and 31a in Kim778 in Figs. 3 and 4).
`
`It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made
`
`to apply the teachings of Kim377 to teachings of Kim778 such as applied the interconnect structure
`
`(Kim377 Figs. 1 and 2) of Kim377 to the gate electrode and associated gate line of Kim778 in order to a
`
`deficiency of Kim778 where Kim778 is silent as to how this is made a interconnect structure suitable for
`
`the intended use of Kim778. See MPEP §2144.07.
`
`Kim778 and Kim377 fail to disclose a terminal connected to the gate line via the second terminal
`
`hole,
`
`a common electrode between the lower insulating film and the upper insulating film; and
`
`the second terminal hole comprises a lower second terminal hole formed in the lower insulating
`
`film and an upper second terminal hole continuous with the lower second terminal hole and formed in the
`
`upper insulating film,
`
`the lower second terminal hole is inside the first terminal hole, and
`
`the first terminal hole extends beyond the upper second terminal hole in plan view.
`
`wherein a mound portion of increased thickness is formed in the upper insulation film at a position
`
`corresponding to the gate insulating film on an upper surface of the upper insulation film and around the
`
`upper second terminal hole.
`
`Kim396’s Fig. 3-5 teach the liquid crystal display device, a common electrode (150, 1142) between
`
`the lower insulating film (145, 1142) and the upper insulating film (155, 1149);
`
`wherein a mound portion (see Fig. 3 show the mound portion or region of layer 155 (the upper
`
`insulating layer)) of increased thickness is formed in the upper insulation film (155, see Fig. 3-5) at a
`
`position corresponding to the gate insulating film (116, Fig. 3 and 5, the gate insulating layer 116 show on
`
`Fig. 3 and 5 is the same layer, 1135) on an upper surface of the upper insulation film (155) and around the
`
`upper second terminal hole (148, Fig. 5, [0042]).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 13/939,955
`
`Art Unit: 2819
`
`Page 7
`
`It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made
`
`to apply the teachings of Jung to teachings of Kim778 and Kim377 such as applied the common electrode
`
`150 (Kim396 Fig. 3-5) of Kim396 to the liquid crystal display device (Kim778 Fig. 3 and 4) of Kim778
`
`between the lower insulating film 35 and an upper insulating film 38 so as to provide the position touched
`
`is detected by analyzing the changed voltages and an operation corresponding to a menu displayed in
`
`the position is performed (Kim396 1171).
`
`Kim778, Kim377 and Kim396 fail to teach a terminal connected to the gate line via the second
`
`terminal hole,
`
`the second terminal hole comprises a lower second terminal hole formed in the lower insulating
`
`film and an upper second terminal hole continuous with the lower second terminal hole and formed in the
`
`upper insulating film,
`
`the lower second terminal hole is inside the first terminal hole, and
`
`the first terminal hole extends beyond the upper second terminal hole in plan view.
`
`Figure 6 of Liu showing layer 58, this layer structure facilitates the connections of figure 4.
`
`Liu’s Fig. 6 teaches a liquid crystal display device, a terminal (60. Fig. 6, 1125) connected to the
`
`gate line (56, Fig. 6, 1125) via the second terminal hole (see examiner mark-up Fig. 6 below).
`
`the second terminal hole (see examiner mark-up Fig. 6 below) comprises a lower second terminal
`
`hole (see Fig. 6) formed in the lower insulating film (581, Fig. 6, 1125) and an upper second terminal hole
`
`(see Fig. 6) continuous with the lower second terminal hole and formed in the upper insulating film (582,
`
`Fig. 6, 1125),
`
`the lower second terminal hole is inside the first terminal hole (see examiner mark-up Fig. 6
`
`below), and
`
`the first terminal hole (see examiner mark-up Fig. 6 below) extends beyond the upper second
`
`terminal hole (see Fig. 6) in plan view.
`
`It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time to uses the layer in 58 of
`
`Liu to interconnect multiple devices like figure 32C of Kim778.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 13/939,955
`
`Art Unit: 2819
`
`Page 8
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`
`Regarding claim 6, Kim778, Kim377 and Kim396 in view of Liu disclose the liquid crystal display
`
`device according to claim 5, wherein
`
`the terminal (60, Le, the connection portion, see Fig. 5 of Liu) doesn't contact the gate insulating
`
`film (581, Le, spaced apart from the gate dielectric, see Fig. 5 of Liu).
`
`8.
`
`Claim 14 is rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Kim (U.S.
`
`Pub # 2005/0200778 A1, hereinafter ‘Kim778’), Kim (U.S. Pub # 2005/0099377 A1, hereinafter
`
`‘Kim377’, prior art of record), and in view of Kim (U.S. Pub # 2012/00268396 A1, hereinafter
`
`‘Kim396’), in view of (U.S. Pub # 2012/0292622 A1, prior art of record) as applied to claim 5 above,
`
`and further in view lshii (U.S. Pub # 2009/0290101 A1).
`
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 13/939,955
`
`Art Unit: 2819
`
`Page 9
`
`Regarding claim 14, Kim778, Kim377, Kim396 and Liu disclose liquid crystal display device
`
`according to claim 5, but fail to disclose wherein
`
`the gate insulating film is harder than the protective insulating film.
`
`lshii’s Fig. 7 teach liquid crystal display device, the gate insulating film (GI, 1172 and 77) is harder
`
`than the protective insulating film (FPS, 1172 and 1177).
`
`It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made
`
`to apply the teachings of lshii to teachings of Kim778 such as substitution the gate insulating film GI and
`
`the protective insulating film FPS (lshii Fig. 7) of lshii to the structure device (Kim778, Fig. 4) of Kim778
`
`so as in order to occurrences of the scratches and cracks can be suppressed and the possibility of the
`
`disconnection can be reduced (lshii, 1177).
`
`Response to Arguments
`
`9.
`
`Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 5-6, and 14 have been considered but are moot
`
`because the arguments are drawn to newly amended subject matter and are moot in view of additional
`
`prior art cited in the instant office action.
`
`Conclusion
`
`Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office
`
`action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 13/939,955
`
`Art Unit: 2819
`
`Page 10
`
`the advisory action.
`
`In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX
`
`MONTHS from the date of this final action.
`
`Contact
`
`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should
`
`be directed to Long H Le whose telephone number is (571) 272-2769. The examiner can normally be
`
`reached on M-F 8:30 AM - 7:30 PM EST.
`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Allen
`
`L. Parker can be reached on (571) 270-5841. The fax phone number for the organization where this
`
`application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application
`
`Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from
`
`either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through
`
`Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should
`
`you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC)
`
`at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative
`
`or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-
`
`1000.
`
`/LONG LE/
`
`Examiner, Art Unit 2819
`
`/Allen Parker/
`
`Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2819
`
`