`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`PO. Box 1450
`Alexandria1 Virginia 22313- 1450
`www.uspto.gov
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`APPLICATION NO.
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`
`
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` F ING DATE
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`FIRST NAMED INVENTOR
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`ATTORNEY DOCKET NO.
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`
`
`
`CONF {MATION NO.
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`12/547,849
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`08/26/2009
`
`Jae—Han LEE
`
`P2789US00
`
`6030
`
`58027
`
`7590
`
`09/11/2013
`
`H.c.PARK&Assoc1ATEs,PLc
`1894 PRESTON WHITE DRIVE
`RESTON, VA 20191
`
`CHUNG, DAVID Y
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`PAPER NUMBER
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`ART UNIT
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`2871
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`
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`
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` NOT *ICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`09/1 1/2013
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`ELECTRONIC
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`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):
`PATENT@PARK-LAW.COM
`
`PTOL—90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`Applicant(s)
`Application No.
` 12/547,849 LEE ET AL.
`
`
`AIA (First Inventorto File)
`Art Unit
`Examiner
`Office Action Summary
`
`
`StatusNo DAVID CHUNG 2871
`-- 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 3 MONTH(S) OR THIRTY (30) DAYS,
`WHICHEVER IS LONGER, FROM THE MAILING DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available under the provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a).
`In no event however may a reply be timely filed
`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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`Status
`
`1)IXI Responsive to communication(s) filed on 16AQI’i/ 2013.
`[I A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
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`2b)lX| This action is non-final.
`a)I:| 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.
`
`4)|:I 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 EX parte Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`Disposition of Claims
`
`5)|XI Claim(s) 1 3-7 and 9-12 is/are pending in the application.
`5a) Of the above claim(s)
`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`6)|:l Claim(s) _ is/are allowed.
`
`7)IZ| Claim(s) 1 3-7and9-12 Is/are rejected.
`8)I:I Claim(s) _ is/are objected to.
`
`9)|:l Claim((s)
`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement.
`* 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
`htt
`://www.usoto. ov/ atents/init events) .h/index.
`
`
`‘3 , or send an inquiry to PF"I-Ifeedback{<‘buspto.qov.
`
`
`
`Application Papers
`
`10)I:I The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)|Z| The drawing(s) filed on 26 August 2009 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)IZI Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
`
`b)I:I Some * c)I:I None of the:
`a)le All
`1.IZI Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.I:I Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.|:I 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)
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`1) D Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`3) I] Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`
`Paper NOISI/Ma” Date —
`PTO/SB/08
`t
`St t
`I
`D'
`t'
`f
`2 I:l I
`)
`4) I:I Other:
`a emen (s)(
`Isc osure
`n orma Ion
`)
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date
`US. Patent and Trademark Office
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 08-13)
`
`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20130826
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 12/547,849
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`Page 2
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent
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`provisions.
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`The indicated allowability of claims 2-4 and 8-11 is withdrawn in view of a new
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`understanding of the reference(s) to Chen et al (US 2007/0035491) and Hsu et al
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`(US2007/0109235). Rejections based on the new understanding of the cited
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`reference(s) follow.
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`Claim Objections
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`Claim 11 objected to because of the following informalities: This claim is
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`dependent on claim 8, which has been canceled. Appropriate correction is required.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all
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`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.
`
`Claims 1, 3, 4, 7 and 9-11 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being
`
`unpatentable over Chen et al. (US 2007/0035491) in view of Hsu et al. (US
`
`2007/0109235).
`
`As to claims 1 and 7, Chen discloses in figure 6: a flexible circuit film 322; a
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`circuit board 324a connected to the flexible circuit film; a thin film transistor array panel
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`310 connected to the flexible circuit film, and having a display area 312 and a peripheral
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`area 314; a repair line 630; and a repair amplifier 340. See paragraphs [0036j-[0038].
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 12/547,849
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`Page 3
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`See also paragraphs [0054]-[0056]. A repair portion 632 connects the repair input line
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`to the repair bar. A switch 350 connects the repair output line to the repair line 630.
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`Chen does not disclose a driving circuit chip disposed on the flexible circuit film
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`such that the repair amplifier 340 is disposed on the driving circuit chip. Hsu discloses a
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`driving circuit chip with an amplifier disposed inside. Note in figure 1,
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`|C(1) and |C(2)
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`with amplifiers 0P1 and OP2 disposed therein respectively. See abstract and
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`paragraph [0021].
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`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the
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`time of invention to modify Chen by providing the driving circuit chips of Hsu because it
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`simplifies the manufacturing process by not having to separately mount the amplifiers
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`circuit.
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`Chen does not disclose that the repair amplifier comprises a first repair amplifier
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`and a second repair amplifier formed on respective sides of the driving circuit chip. Hsu
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`further discloses an alternative embodiment in figure 5A comprising a first repair
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`amplifier OP(1) and a second repair amplifier OP(2) formed on respective sides of the
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`driving circuit chip. Hsu teaches that the invention does not impose any restriction with
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`regard to the number of amplifiers and this number can be determined by the user
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`according to the consideration of manufacturing cost or compensation. See paragraphs
`
`[0027] and [0028]. The number of amplifiers is therefore a matter of design choice.
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`Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of
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`invention to further modify Chen by providing a first repair amplifier and a second repair
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`amplifier formed on respective sides of the driving circuit chip as shown in figure 5A of
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`Hsu because it was a matter of design choice.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/547,849
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`Page 4
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`As to claims 3 and 9, Chen in view of Hsu discloses all of the elements of the
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`claimed invention discussed above regarding claims 1 and 7. Hsu further discloses in
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`figure 5A, multiple repair bars R1 -R6 which run from the left side to the right side and
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`are therefore disposed on both the left and right side of the display device. Hsu teaches
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`that the number of repair bars is also not restricted and can be determined by the user
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`according to the consideration of manufacturing cost or compensation. See paragraphs
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`[0027] and [0028].
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`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the
`
`time of invention to further modify Chen by providing multiple repair bars in the manner
`
`shown in figure 5A of Hsu because it was a matter of design choice.
`
`As to claims 4 and 11, Chen in view of Hsu discloses all of the elements of the
`
`claimed invention discussed above regarding claims 3 and 9. Hsu further discloses in
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`figure 5A, a repair line comprising multiple portions L1 -L6. Hsu teaches that the number
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`of repair line portions is also not restricted and can be determined by the user according
`
`to the consideration of manufacturing cost or compensation. See paragraphs [0027]
`
`and [0028].
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`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of
`
`invention to further modify Chen by providing multiple repair line portions in the manner
`
`shown in figure 5A of Hsu because it was a matter of design choice.
`
`As to claim 10, Chen in view of Hsu discloses all of the elements of the claimed
`
`invention discussed above regarding claim 9. Hsu further discloses in figure 5A, repair
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`input lines T(2), T(4) and T(6) connecting the amplifiers to repair bars R1 -R6 and repair
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`output lines T(1), T(3) and T(5) connecting the amplifiers to the repair line portions L1 -
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`L6.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/547,849
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`Page 5
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`Claims 5, 6 and 12 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable
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`over Chen et al. (US 2007/0035491) in view of Hsu et al. (US 2007/0109235) as
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`applied to claims 1 and 7 above, and further in view of Hebiguchi (US 6,249,326).
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`Chen in combination with Hsu discloses all of the elements of the claimed
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`invention discussed above regarding claims 1, 7 and 13. Chen further discloses in
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`figure 6, scan lines 8 (gate lines) and data lines D. See paragraph [0038]. Chen
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`discloses that data lines deliver the data signal of display images to pixel electrodes.
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`See paragraph [0008]. Chen does not disclose that the pixel electrodes have a first
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`edge parallel to the gate lines and a second edge parallel to the data lines, wherein the
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`length of the first edge is three times the length of the second edge. Hebiguchi
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`discloses this in figure 1. Hebiguchi discloses that X, which is parallel to the gate lines
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`G1 and G2, is 3 times Y, which is parallel to the data lines 81 and 82. See column 8,
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`lines 38-53. Hebiguchi discloses that this increases the aperture ratio. Therefore, it
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`would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to
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`further modify Chen by providing pixel electrodes pixel electrodes having a first edge
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`parallel to the gate lines and a second edge parallel to the data lines, wherein the length
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`of the first edge is three times the length of the second edge in order to increase the
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`aperture ratio.
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`Claims 1, 3, 4, 7 and 9-11 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being
`
`unpatentable over Hsu et al. (US 2007/0109235) in view of Chen et al. (US
`
`2007/0035491) and Bahadur (Liquid Crystals).
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/547,849
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`Page 6
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`As to claims 1 and 7, Hsu discloses in figure 2: a thin film transistor array panel
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`120 having a display area and a peripheral area; a driving circuit chip |C(1); a repair line
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`L1 and a repair bar R1 disposed in the peripheral area of the thin film transistor array
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`panel; a repair amplifier OP1 disposed on the driving circuit chip; a repair input line T(2)
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`connected to the repair bar R1 by welding point W2; a repair output line T(1) connected
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`to the repair line L1 by welding point W3. See paragraphs [0021]-[0023]. Hsu discloses
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`that the display panel can further include a printed circuit board. See paragraph [0022].
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`Hsu further discloses an alternative embodiment in figure 5A comprising a first repair
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`amplifier OP(1) and a second repair amplifier OP(3) formed on respective sides of the
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`driving circuit chip. Hsu teaches that the invention does not impose any restriction with
`
`regard to the number of amplifiers and this number can be determined by the user
`
`according to the consideration of manufacturing cost or compensation. See paragraphs
`
`[0027] and [0028].
`
`Hsu does not disclose a flexible circuit film connected to the circuit board and the
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`thin film transistor array panel such that the driving circuit chip is disposed on the
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`flexible circuit film. Chen discloses in figures 3-6, a flexible circuit film 322 connecting
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`printed circuit board 324a and thin film transistor array panel 310. Bahadur teaches that
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`mounting a driver IC to a flexible circuit film, called chip-on-film or COF, can be cost-
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`effective because it does not require conventional LSI packaging. See page 191.
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`It
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`would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to
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`modify Hsu by providing the flexible circuit films disclosed by Chen because it was cost-
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`effective as taught by Bahadur.
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 12/547,849
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`Page 7
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`As to claims 3 and 9, Hsu in view of Chen and Bahadur discloses all of the
`
`elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claims 1 and 7. Hsu
`
`further discloses in figure 5A, multiple repair bars R1 -R6 which run from the left side to
`
`the right side and are therefore disposed on both the left and right side of the display
`
`device. Hsu teaches that the number of repair bars is also not restricted and can be
`
`determined by the user according to the consideration of manufacturing cost or
`
`compensation. See paragraphs [0027] and [0028].
`
`As to claims 4 and 11, Hsu in view of Chen and Bahadur discloses all of the
`
`elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claims 3 and 9. Hsu
`
`further discloses in figure 5A, a repair line comprising multiple portions L1 -L6. Hsu
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`teaches that the number of repair line portions is also not restricted and can be
`
`determined by the user according to the consideration of manufacturing cost or
`
`compensation. See paragraphs [0027] and [0028].
`
`As to claim 10, Hsu in view of Chen and Bahadur discloses all of the elements
`
`of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 9. Hsu further discloses in
`
`figure 5A, repair input lines T(2), T(4) and T(6) connecting the amplifiers to repair bars
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`R1 -R6 and repair output lines T(1), T(3) and T(5) connecting the amplifiers to the repair
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`line portions L1 -L6.
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`Claims 5, 6 and 12 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable
`
`over Hsu et al. (US 2007/0109235) in view of Chen et al. (US 2007/0035491) and
`
`Bahadur (Liquid Crystals) as applied to claims 1 and 7 above, and further in view
`
`of Hebiguchi (US 6,249,326).
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/547,849
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`Page 8
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`Hsu in combination with Chen and Bahadur discloses all of the elements of the
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`claimed invention discussed above regarding claims 1, 7 and 13. Hsu further discloses
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`scan lines (gate lines), data lines and pixel electrodes. See paragraph [0005]. Hsu
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`does not disclose that the pixel electrodes have a first edge parallel to the gate lines
`
`and a second edge parallel to the data lines, wherein the length of the first edge is three
`
`times the length of the second edge. Hebiguchi discloses this in figure 1. Hebiguchi
`
`discloses that X, which is parallel to the gate lines G1 and G2, is 3 times Y, which is
`
`parallel to the data lines 81 and 82. See column 8, lines 38-53. Hebiguchi discloses
`
`that this increases the aperture ratio. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of
`
`ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to further modify Hsu by providing pixel
`
`electrodes pixel electrodes having a first edge parallel to the gate lines and a second
`
`edge parallel to the data lines, wherein the length of the first edge is three times the
`
`length of the second edge in order to increase the aperture ratio.
`
`Conclusion
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examiner should be directed to David Chung whose telephone number is (571 )272-
`
`2288. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:30AM - 5:00PM.
`
`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 number for the organization where
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`this application or proceeding is assigned is 571 -273-8300.
`
`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the
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`Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 12/547,849
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`Page 9
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`Art Unit: 2871
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`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
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`you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic
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`Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
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`
`/David Y. Chung/
`Examiner, Art Unit 2871
`
`/Edward J Glick/
`
`Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2871
`
`