DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-4, 10 and 18-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shitagaki et al (US 2012/0205632) in view of Han et al (WO 2015152650) (Han).
In reference to claims 1-4, 10, and 18-24, Shitagaki teaches a light emitting element comprising a light emitting layer containing a phosphorescent compound, a first organic compound, and a second organic compound between a pair of electrodes on a glass substrate (Shitagaki abstract; [0241]) wherein the first organic compound and the second organic compound form an exciplex (Shitagaki [0010]) and wherein the device further comprises a hole injection layer comprising a hole transporting organic compound and an electron acceptor (Shitagaki [0175]), an electron injection layer and an electron transport layer among others (see e.g. Shitagaki Fig. 16A; [0163]). Shitagaki further teaches that the electrodes are anode and cathodes by way of examples (see e.g. Shitagaki [0241] [0250]).
Shitagaki does not expressly teach that the electron transport layer is preferably a material comprising a fluorene group linked to a substituted triazine group by an arylene group as instantly claimed but does teach that it should preferably be a substance that has a high electron transport property.
With respect to the difference, Han teaches in analogous art, an organic light emitting device comprising an electron transport layer material that includes a compound of formula 1 as shown below (Han [8]; [18]-[19]).
PNG
media_image1.png
310
538
media_image1.png
Greyscale
For example wherein in the formula 1, the group Ar1 is phenyl, Ar2 is phenyl, each of L is phenyl, m is 2, R1 to R2 are each methyl and R3 to R4 are each hydrogen.
Han discloses the compound of formula 1 that encompasses the presently claimed compound, including the group Ar1 is phenyl, Ar2 is phenyl, ach of L is phenyl, m is 2, R1 to R2 are each phenyl and R3 to R4 are each hydrogen. Each of the disclosed substituents from the substituent groups of Han are considered functionally equivalent and their selection would lead to obvious variants of the compound of formula 1.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application, in the absence of unexpected results, to have selected these substituents among those disclosed for the compound of formula 1 to provide the compound described above, which is both disclosed by Han and encompassed within the scope of the present claims and thereby arrive at the claimed invention.
Furthermore, Han teaches that the use of this material as an electron transport material improves efficiency, driving voltage and lifetime characteristics of the device (Han [19]).
In light of the motivation of using the electron transport material of Han as described above, it would therefore have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to use the electron transport material as described by Han in order to improve efficiency, driving voltage and lifetime characteristics and thereby arrive at the claimed invention.
While Han does not expressly require a 1,3 biphenylene or 3,3, biphenylene, linkage of L groups, the selection of positional isomers are considered functionally equivalent in the absence of unexpected results.
For Claim 1: Reads on the claimed device structure wherein the electron transport layer is a first layer and the compound of Han is a third compound with an aryl (phenyl) substituted triazine, arylene (biphenylene) bonding to a fluorene substituted with methyl groups and the light-emitting layer comprises a phosphorescent substance and a first and second compound.
For Claim 2: Reads on 2-fluorenyl.
For Claim 3: Reads on formula (α).
For Claim 4: Reads on formula (β).
For Claim 10: Reads on a substrate.
For Claim 18: Reads on wherein the first and second compound form an exciplex.
For Claim 19: Reads on the claimed device structure wherein the hole injection layer is the first layer comprising a hole transport compound and an acceptor, the electron transport layer I as the second layer and an electron injection layer is the third layer comprising an electron transporting material and the compound of Han is a third compound with an aryl (phenyl) substituted triazine, arylene (biphenylene) bonding to a fluorene substituted with methyl groups and the light-emitting layer comprises a phosphorescent substance and a first and second compound.
For Claim 20: Reads on 2-fluorenyl.
For Claim 21: Reads on formula (α).
For Claim 22: Reads on formula (β).
For Claim 23: Reads on wherein the first and second compound form an exciplex.
For Claim 24: Reads on a substrate.
Claims 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shitagaki et al (US 2012/0205632) in view of Han et al (WO 2015152650) (Han) as applied to claim 10 above and further in view of Nowatari et al (US 2010/013357) (Nowatari).
In reference to claims 11-12, Shitagaki in view of Han teaches the device as described above for claim 10. Han does not specifically teach that the organic light emitting device is used in an electronic device comprising the claimed features. However, it is noted that such features are exceptionally well known to the ordinarily skilled artisan as typical device features in consumer devices comprising organic electroluminescent devices.
With respect to the difference, Nowatari teaches, in analogous art, organic light emitting devices such as those taught by Shitagaki in view of Han are used in consumer products such as portable computer that includes a housing and a keyboard (Nowatari [0187]). The use of the device structure of Shitagaki in view of Han in a product such as a portable computer as taught by Nowatari would have been obvious to the ordinarily skilled artisan as a typical application of such technology and the resulting product would inherently have the claimed features e.g. a housing and an operation button.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 02/06/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In reference to the outstanding rejections under 35 USC 103, Applicant argues that the Han reference does not apply as prior art as example compounds 75 and 13 were not disclosed in the earliest foreign priority document. This argument is not convincing. The prior art reference Han teaches the materials as claimed. Han’s earliest priority document teaches each of the options (see paragraphs 7, 13, 14, 17, 28, 31 and 42 of the priority document) required for arriving at the instantly claimed compounds despite not including example compounds 75 and 13. Further, the rejection has been updated to no longer reference these materials.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Sean M DeGuire whose telephone number is (571)270-1027. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday, 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jennifer A. Boyd can be reached on (571) 272-7783. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Sean M DeGuire/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1786