Ex Parte Yamashita et al

Patent Trial and Appeal Board

Oct 30, 2018

14246524 (P.T.A.B. Oct. 30, 2018)

UNITED STA TES p A TENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
APPLICATION NO. FILING DATE FIRST NAMED INVENTOR
14/246,524 04/07/2014 Junichi Yamashita
26263 7590 10/30/2018
DENTONS US LLP
P.O. BOX 061080
CHICAGO, IL 60606-1080
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
www .uspto.gov
ATTORNEY DOCKET NO. CONFIRMATION NO.
09792909-9186 3586
EXAMINER
ZHOU,HONG
ART UNIT PAPER NUMBER
2623
MAIL DATE DELIVERY MODE
10/30/2018 PAPER
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.
PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
Ex parte JUNICHI Y AMAS HIT A
and
KATSUHIDE UCHINO
Appeal 2018-004828
Application 14/246,524 1
Technology Center 2600
Before CARLA M. KRIVAK, HUNG H. BUI, and JON M. JURGOV AN,
Administrative Patent Judges.
BUI, Administrative Patent Judge.
DECISION ON APPEAL
Appellants seek our review under 35 U.S.C. § 134(a) from the
Examiner's final rejection of claims 19--22, which are all the claims pending
in the application. We have jurisdiction under 35 U.S.C. § 6(b ).
We REVERSE. 2
1 According to Appellants, the real party in interest is Sony Corporation.
App. Br. 1.
2 Our Decision refers to Appellants' Appeal Brief ("App. Br.") filed January
5, 2018; Reply Brief ("Reply Br.") filed April 5, 2018; Examiner's Answer
("Ans.") mailed February 7, 2018; Final Office Action ("Final Act.") mailed
August 9, 2017; and original Specification ("Spec.") filed April 7, 2014.
Appeal 2018-004828
Application 14/246,524
STATEMENT OF THE CASE
Appellants' invention relates to a display device in which "two sub-
pixels ... adjacent to each other along the row direction are regarded as one
group and one auxiliary interconnect contact 24 is formed for each group."
Spec. 32: 12-16, Fig. 9. Additionally, "pixel contacts ... of the upper and
lower two sub-pixels ... of the same group are disposed to face each other
along the row direction." Spec. 33: 10-13, Fig. 9. Appellants' display
device does not form auxiliary interconnects (potential wiring) between
pixels of the same group, thereby increasing pixel density and aperture ratio.
Spec. 27:14--21, 28:21-29:24, 34:3--4, Fig. 9.
Independent claim 19 illustrates Appellants' invention, as reproduced
below:
19. A display device, comprising:
a plurality of pixel circuits including a first pixel circuit, a
second pixel circuit, a third pixel circuit, and a fourth pixel
circuit, which are arranged along a column direction;
a plurality of pixel electrodes including a first pixel
electrode, a second pixel electrode, a third pixel electrode, and a
fourth pixel electrode; and
a potential wiring formed on a same layer as the pixel
electrodes and extending along a row direction which crosses the
column direction,
wherein,
the first pixel electrode is connected to the first pixel
circuit and includes, in a plan view, a first main portion
and a first protruding portion smaller than the first main
portion,
the second pixel electrode is connected to the
second pixel circuit and includes, in the plan view, a
second main portion and a second protruding portion
smaller than the second main portion,
the third pixel electrode is connected to the third
pixel circuit and includes, in the plan view, a third main
2
Appeal 2018-004828
Application 14/246,524
portion and a third protruding portion smaller than the
third main portion,
the fourth pixel electrode is connected to the fourth
pixel circuit and includes, in the plan view, a fourth main
portion and a fourth protruding portion smaller than the
fourth main portion,
the first protruding portion includes a first contact
connected to the first pixel circuit,
the second protruding portion includes a second
contact connected to second pixel circuit,
the third protruding portion includes a third contact
connected to the third pixel circuit,
the fourth protruding portion includes a fourth
contact connected to the fourth pixel circuit,
in the plan view, the potential wiring is located
between the second pixel electrode and the third pixel
electrode,
in the plan view, the potential wiring is opposed to
the second protruding portion across the second main
portion,
in the plan view, the potential wiring is opposed to
the third protruding portion across the third main portion,
in the plan view, the potential wiring is not located
between the first pixel electrode and the second pixel
electrode, and
in the plan view, the potential wiring is not located
between the third pixel electrode and the fourth pixel
electrode.
App. Br. 13-15 (Claims App'x).
Evidence Considered
Kwak US 2005/0179374 Al Aug. 18, 2005
Kim et al. ("Kim") US 2007 /0097072 Al May 3, 2007
Matsueda et al. US 2004/0115989 Al June 1 7, 2004
("Matsueda")
3
Appeal 2018-004828
Application 14/246,524
EXAMINER'S REJECTIONS
(1) Claims 19, 20, and 22 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a)
as being unpatentable over Kwak and Kim. Final Act. 3-8.
(2) Claim 21 stands rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as being
unpatentable over Kwak, Kim, and Matsueda. Final Act. 8-9.
ANALYSIS
With respect to claim 19, the Examiner finds Kwak's OELD (organic
electroluminescence display) device, shown in Figures 3 and 9, teaches a
display device including a plurality of pixel circuits arranged in a column
direction (vertically arranged sub-pixels in Figure 9), a plurality of pixel
electrodes (lower electrodes 281, 282 for first, second, third, and fourth
vertically arranged sub-pixels), and a potential wiring (wiring VDDa)
formed on a same layer as the pixel electrodes and extending along a row
direction which crosses the column direction, as claimed. Ans. 4; Final Act.
3--4 (citing Kwak ,r,r 60, 79, 94, 103, Figs. 1, 3, and 9). The Examiner
further finds Kwak's potential wiring is not located (in plan view) between
(i) the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode, and between (ii)
the third pixel electrode and the fourth pixel electrode, as required by claim
19. Final Act. 5 (citing Kwak, Fig. 9).
Kwak's Figure 9 is reproduced below with additional markings for
illustration.
4
Appeal 2018-004828
Application 14/246,524
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