DETAILED ACTION
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on November 21, 2025 has been entered.
The amendment dated November 21, 2025 has been entered. Claims 1, 11, and 12 were amended. Claims 2-4, 6, and 7 are canceled. Claims 14-20 were added. Claims 1, 5, and 8-20 are pending.
The rejection of claims 1, 5, and 8-13 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US 2018/0233669 A1) is withdrawn due to the amendment dated November 21, 2025.
Claim Objections
Claims 12 and 20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 12 and 20 contain compounds with unclearly printed portions. In particular, N, Si, O, and S atoms are blurred within some compounds. Clearer structures are requested.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1, 5, 8-11, 13, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Independent claim 1 defines variable R’, but it is not seen where any chemical structure in the claim currently includes a variable R’. Accordingly, the intended meaning of R’ is not understood. Clarification and/or correction are required. Note that claims 5, 8-11, 13, and 20 depend from claim 1 and are also rejected for their dependence upon a rejected claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 12 and 14-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US 2018/0233669 A1) in view of Funahashi et al. (US 2016/0365516 A1).
Lee et al. discloses organic light emitting diodes comprising at least one amine compound represented by Chemical Formula A or B (see abstract) with respect to instant formula 1-1, 1-3, and 1-5 compounds of independent claim 14. See A and B at par. 14:
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242
362
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128
200
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244
358
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252
206
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.
Groups of the above formulas A and B are defined at paragraphs 16-40. Formula A corresponds to instant Formula 1-1 or 1-3 and Formula B corresponds to instant Formula 1-5. The variables R1 and R2 selected individually correspond to instant Z1 and L-X-Z2 groups, respectively. R1 or R2 of Formula A or B may be selected at least as phenyl (see par. 50 – aryl of 6 carbon atoms) that may be further substituted (see par. 72) where the listed substituents include at least deuterium, cyano, halogen, alkyl, alkylsilyl, or arylsilyl per instant Z1 substituents and at least aryloxy, alkylsilyl, and arylamino per substituent groups (see par. 72) in recited instant L-X-Z2 groups in instant claim 14.
With respect to claim 15, R1 or R2 of Formula A or B may be selected as phenyl (see par. 50 – aryl of 6 carbon atoms) that may be substituted with at least halogen (i.e., fluorine), alkyl of 1 to 24 carbon atoms, cyano, deuterium, or alkylsilyl of 1 to 24 carbon atoms (see par. 72).
With respect to claims 16 and 17, groups Ar1 to Ar4 in Formula A or B may be selected as at least phenyl, which may be substituted (see par. 50 – aryl of 6 carbon atoms and see specific groups shown in at least compound 1 of par. 92). With respect to claim 18, Ar1 to Ar4 groups of Formula A or B may be selected as identical substituted aryl groups (see par. 50).
With respect to claim 19, Formula A corresponds to instant 2-1 or 2-2 and Formula B corresponds to instant 2-4, 2-5, 2-7, 2-8, or 2-10. As stated above, Q1 and Q2 may be selected as a group such as
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67
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(see fused ring group in at least compound #204, page on page 41).
With respect to claim 12, groups defined for Formula A and B may be selected to result in compounds the same as specific compounds recited in claim 12. For instance, with respect to at least the following compound of claim 12, a Formula B may comprise Q1 and Q2 oxygen-containing rings as discussed directly above with respect to claim 19, each Ar1 to Ar4 may be phenyl as discussed above for claims 16 and 17 (see par. 50, 74, 75), and R1 and R2 may individually be selected as substituted phenyl with at least one methyl substituent group or a trimethylsilyl substituent group (see par. 50, 74-79, 81):
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[Instant compound in claim 12, page 24 in 11/21/2025 amendment claim set.]
Lee et al. does not show example compounds all possible Formula A or B compounds that are also within the scope of claimed instant Formula 1-1, 1-3, or 1-5 compounds. Given the teachings of the reference, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the instant invention to form compounds of the reference, choosing as the compound, that as described above wherein the resultant compound and material would also meet the limitations of the instant claims.
The Lee et al. Formula A or B compounds are used in a layer between electrodes in a light emitting device structure (see abstract) and Lee et al. teaches spin coating as a method of depositing layers of functional material of a device (see par. 136-148). It is not seen where toluene is specifically mentioned as the solvent for making a coating composition comprising the Formula A or B compounds for a spin coating deposition method. In analogous art, Funahashi et al. teaches “ink compositions” (i.e., coating composition) for forming organic electroluminescent elements comprising an arylamine component (B) as a dopant for a light emitting layer (see Funahashi par. 1, 9-14, 19) and a solvent C) (see Funahashi abstract). The solvent may be selected as toluene (see Funahashi et al. par. 115, 188). Spin coating is a taught method of making the light emitting layer (see Funahashi 145-146). The amount of the material (B) in a composition for forming a light emitting layer is 0.001 wt% or more (see Funahashi claim 19) and further, the solvent portion is taught as from 1 wt % to 99.9 wt. % (see Funahashi par. 185). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the instant invention to form a spin coating composition for making a device according to Lee et al. comprising a Formula A or B compound in combination with toluene as solvent in an amount as taught by Funahashi et al. One would expect toluene as solvent in an amount as taught by Funahashi et al. to be similarly useful in forming a coating composition for a spin coating method to form a light emitting layer of a device according to Lee et al. One would expect to achieve a spin coating composition comprising materials within the disclosures of Lee et al. and Funahashi et al. with a predictable result and a reasonable expectation of success.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claims have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
The office notes with respect to compounds of claim 1 as currently recited, a search of the prior art has not located any references that teach or suggest compounds having the specific instant Z1 and L-X-Z2 groups of claim 1.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Dawn Garrett whose telephone number is (571)272-1523. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday (Eastern Time).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jennifer Boyd can be reached at 571-272-7783. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DAWN L GARRETT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1786
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