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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address; COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`16/776,044
`
`01/29/2020
`
`Teruhisa NAKAGAWA
`
`2020-0085A
`
`2377
`
`wo
`
`v
`
`ACKL.
`
`WENDEROTH, LIND & PONACKL.L.P.
`1025 Connecticut Avenue, NW
`Suite 500
`Washington, DC 20036
`
`DUONG, THOI V
`
`2871
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`07/27/2021
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or 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):
`eoa@ wenderoth.com
`kmiller@wenderoth.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`Office Action Summary
`
`Application No.
`16/776,044
`Examiner
`THO! V DUONG
`
`Applicant(s)
`NAKAGAWA, Teruhisa
`Art Unit
`AIA (FITF) Status
`2871
`Yes
`
`-- The MAILING DATEofthis communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply betimely filed after SIX (6) MONTHSfrom 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) MONTHSfrom 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, evenif timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
`
`
`
`1) Responsive to communication(s)filed on January 29, 2020.
`C} A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
`
`2a)L) This action is FINAL. 2b)¥)This action is non-final.
`3)02 An election was madeby the applicant in responseto a restriction requirement set forth during the interview
`on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`4\0) 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 Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-7 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`C} Claim(s)
`is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1-7 is/are rejected.
`S)
`) © Claim(s)____is/are objected to.
`Cj) Claim(s
`are subjectto restriction and/or election requirement
`)
`S)
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you maybeeligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
`
`) )
`
`Application Papers
`10)() The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11) The drawing(s) filed on 01/29/2020 is/are: a)[¥) accepted or b)( 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) Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d)or (f).
`Certified copies:
`_—_c)L) None ofthe:
`b)L) Some**
`a)¥) All
`1.4) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.2) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.2.) Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been receivedin 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)
`
`1)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date 01/29/2020.
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3) (J Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`(Qj Other:
`
`4)
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20200129
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/776,044
`Art Unit: 2871
`
`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Notice of Pre-AlA 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.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
`
`2.
`
`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 ordinaryskill in the art to which the
`claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention
`was made.
`
`3.
`
`Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (Kim, US
`
`2010/0118221) in view of Wangetal. (Wang, US 2014/0347586).
`
`Re claim 1: As shownin Figs. 1-3, Kim discloses a liquid crystal display device, comprising:
`
`a first substrate (glass substrate, paragraphs 7 and 8),
`
`wherein the first substrate includes
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`a first pixel row (at left of gate line Gn in Figs. 2A and 2B) including a first pixel electrode R+
`
`and a second pixel electrode R- that are arranged in a first direction (vertical direction in Figs. 2A and
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`2B),
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`a second pixel row (between gate lines Gn and Gn+1 including a third pixel electrode G- and a
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`fourth pixel electrode G+ that are arrangedin the first direction, the second pixel row being adjacent
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`to the first pixel row in a second direction (horizontal direction in Figs. 2A and 2B) that crosses the
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`first direction,
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/776,044
`Art Unit: 2871
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`Page 3
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`a first source line Dn+1 and a second source line Dn+2 that extend in the second direction
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`between the first pixel electrode R+ and the second pixel electrode R-, and between the third pixel
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`electrode G- and the fourth pixel electrode G+,
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`a first gate line Gn that extends in the first direction between the first pixel row and the
`
`second pixel row,
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`a first thin film transistor 13 to which the first source line +Dn+1, the first gate line Gn, and
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`the first pixel electrode R+ are electrically connected, and
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`a second thin film transistor 13 to which the second source line —Dn+2, the first gate line Gn,
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`and the second pixel electrode R- are electrically connected.
`
`It is obvious that the liquid crystal display device comprising
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`a second substrate disposed soas to face the first substrate;
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`a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; and
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`a spacer maintaining a gap between the first substrate and the second substrate.
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`However, Kim does not suggest that the spacer is disposed so as to overlap with at least a
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`portion of the first thin film transistor and at least a portion of the second thin film transistor in plan
`
`view.
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`As shownin Figs. 1 and 2, Wangdisclosesa liquid crystal display comprising
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`a first substrate 210 (array substrate);
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`a second substrate 220 (color filter substrate) disposed so as to face the first substrate 210;
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`a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate 210 and the second substrate 220
`
`(paragraph 2); and
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`a spacer 123 maintaining a gap between the first substrate 210 and the second substrate 220
`
`(paragraph 17),
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/776,044
`Art Unit: 2871
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`Page 4
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`wherein the spacer 123 is disposed so as to overlap with at least a portion of the first thin film
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`transistor 106 and at least a portion of the second thin film transistor 107 in plan view in order to
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`improvelight transmission rate and solve light leakage problem resulting from depression in the display
`
`(Fig. 2 and paragraphs 4-6).
`
`Accordingly, it is obviously applicable to the liquid crystal display device of Kim in order to
`
`realize the same advantage.
`
`Thus, as taught by Wang,it would have been obvious to one havingskill in the art at the time
`
`the invention was madeto dispose the spacer so as to overlap with at least a portion ofthe first thin
`
`film transistor and at least a portion of the second thin film transistor in plan view in order to improve
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`light transmission rate of the display.
`
`Re claim 2: The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, as shownin Figs. 2A and 2B of
`
`Kim, further comprising:
`
`a third pixel row (between gate lines Gn+1 and Gn+2) includingafifth pixel electrode B+ anda
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`sixth pixel electrode B- that are arranged in the first direction, the third pixel row being adjacent to the
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`second pixel row in the second direction; and
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`a second gate line Gn+1 that extends in thefirst direction between the second pixel row and the
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`third pixel row; wherein
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`the first source line Dn+1 and the second source line Dn+2 extend in the second direction
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`between the fifth pixel electrode B+ and the sixth pixel electrode B-.
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`Re claim 3: The liquid crystal display device according to claim 2, as shownin Figs. 1, 2A and 2B
`
`of Kim, further comprising:
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`a first end connection wiring that connectsthe first gate line Gn to the second gate line Gn+1 at
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`an end portion of the second pixel row; wherein
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/776,044
`Art Unit: 2871
`
`Page 5
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`a common gatesignal is supplied to the first gate line Gn and the second gate line Gn+1 via the
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`first end connection wiring (paragraph 9).
`
`Re claim 4: The liquid crystal display device according to claim 2, further comprising:
`
`a third source line Dn disposed so as to sandwich, together with the first source line Dn+1, the
`
`first pixel electrode R+ and the third pixel electrode G-;
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`a fourth source line Dn+3 disposed so as to sandwich, together with the second sourceline
`
`Dn+2, the second pixel electrode R- and the fourth pixel electrode G+;
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`a third thin film transistor 13 to which the third source line Dn, the second gate line Gn+1, and
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`the third pixel electrode G- are electrically connected; and
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`a fourth thin film transistor 13 to which the fourth source line Dn+3, the second gate line Gn+1,
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`and the fourth pixel electrode G+ are electrically connected.
`
`Re claim 5: The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein as shownin Fig. 2A of
`
`Kim:
`
`the first gate line Gn includes a first width in the second direction in a region between the first
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`pixel electrode R+ and the third pixel electrode G-, that does not overlap with the first thin film
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`transistor 13 in plan view, and
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`a width (square portion connected to the first width) in the second direction that is larger than
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`the first width, in a region that overlaps with the first thin film transistor 13 and the second thin film
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`transistor 13 in plan view.
`
`Re claim 6: The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein as shownin Fig. 2 of
`
`Wang:
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`the counter substrate 220 includes a black matrix 221, and the black matrix 221 is disposed so as
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`to overlap with at least a portion ofthe first thin film transistor 106, at least a portion of the second thin
`
`film transistor 107, and the spacer 123 in plan view (paragraph 18).
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/776,044
`Art Unit: 2871
`
`Page 6
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`Re claim 7: The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein as shownin Fig. 2A of
`
`Kim:
`
`the first source line Dn+1 is disposed at a position closer to the first pixel electrode R+ than the
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`second source line Dn+2, and the second source line Dn+2 is disposed at a position closer to the second
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`pixel electrode R- than the first source line Dn+1.
`
`Conclusion
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`4.
`
`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner
`
`should be directed to THO! V DUONG whosetelephone numberis (571)272-2292. The examiner can
`
`normally be reached on Monday - Friday from 9:00 AM — 5:00 PM.
`
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`
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`
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`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ed
`
`Glick, can be reached on 571-272-2490. The fax phone numberfor the organization where this
`
`application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
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`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/776,044
`Art Unit: 2871
`
`/THOI V DUONG/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
`
`July 21, 2021
`
`Page 7
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