The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA
DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 4-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
There is no support in the embodiment of figure 5A for the claimed limitation of “wherein the light-blocking insulating pattern is disposed on the first electrode and the second electrode and between the first pattern and the second pattern”, as recited in claim 4.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-4 and 21-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Min et al. (WO2020/013403, also published as US 6,781,222).
Regarding claims 1, 21 and 22, Min et al. teach in figure 3A and related text a display device comprising:
a first pattern PW1 and a second pattern PW2 that are spaced apart from each other in an emission area;
a first light emitting element LD1 disposed between the first pattern and the second pattern;
a first electrode CNE1 disposed on the first pattern; a second electrode CNE2 disposed on the second pattern; and
a light-blocking insulating pattern 4 disposed under the first light emitting element INSP1 and disposed between the first pattern and the second pattern without overlapping the first pattern and the second pattern, the light-blocking insulating pattern entirely covering a lower surface of the first light emitting element LD1,
wherein the light-blocking insulating pattern has a narrower lower portion (arbitrarily chosen) a wider upper portion (arbitrarily chosen) disposed on the narrower lower portion between the first electrode and the second electrode, and
wherein the first electrode CNE1 and the second electrode CNE2 contact and overlap the wider upper portion of the light-blocking insulating pattern INSP1.
Regarding claim 21, Min et al. teach substantially the entire claimed structure, as recited above, including the first electrode having a first inclined surface, the second electrode having a second inclined surface facing the first inclined surface (since Min et al. do not teach that said surfaces are vertical) and the light emitting element disposed between the first inclined surface of the first electrode and the second inclined surface of the second electrode.
Regarding claims 22 and 3, Min et al. teach substantially the entire claimed structure, as recited above, including a width of the upper portion of the light-blocking insulating pattern in the first direction is greater than a width of the first light emitting element in the first direction and a width of the lower portion of the light-blocking insulating pattern in the first direction is smaller than the width of the first light emitting element in the first direction (since they are chosen as such).
Regarding claim 2, prior art’s device comprises light blocking insulating pattern includes a light blocking insulating material which blocks light emitted from the first light emitting element.
Regarding claim 4, Min et al. teach in figure 3A and related text that the light-blocking insulating pattern INSP1 is disposed on (i.e. on sides walls of) the first electrode and the second electrode and between the first pattern and the second pattern, and the light-blocking insulating pattern covers an area between the first electrode and the second electrode.
Claims 5-10 and 23-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Min et al. (WO2020/013403, also published as US 6,781,222).
Regarding claim 5, Min et al. teach in figure 3A and related text substantially the entire claimed structure, as recited in claim 1 above, including the light-blocking insulating pattern does not overlap the first pattern and the second pattern, and a first inclined surface of the first electrode and a second inclined surface of the second electrode face each other and are exposed by the light-blocking insulating pattern.
Min et al. do not explicitly state that the first and second surfaces are inclined.
and between the first pattern and the second pattern.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to form the first and second surfaces inclined in Min et al.’s device, in order to simplify the processing steps of making the device by not requiring vertical construction of the sidewalls of the first and second electrodes.
Regarding claim 6, Min et al. teach in figure 3A and related text that light- blocking insulating pattern extends to the first electrode, the second electrode, and the first light emitting element.
Regarding claim 7, by considering reflective layers REL_1 and REL_2 as being part of the first electrode and the second electrode, respectively, then Min et al. teach in figure 3A and related text that each of the first electrode and the second electrode includes a reflective material which reflects light emitted from the first light emitting element.
Furthermore, Min et al. teach in figure 3B and related text that each of the first electrode and the second electrode includes a reflective material which reflects light emitted from the first light emitting element.
Regarding claim 8, Min et al. teach in figure 9A and related text that a transistor and a power line Vdd (see figure 7A) that are disposed at a lower level than the first pattern and the second pattern;
a first pixel electrode electrically connecting a first end portion of the first light emitting element and the transistor to each other (see figure 7A); and
a second pixel electrode electrically connecting a second end portion of the first light emitting element and the power line to each other.
Regarding claim 9, Min et al. do not teach that each of the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode includes a transparent conductive material which allows light emitted from the first light emitting element to be transmitted through the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to form each of the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode to include a transparent conductive material which allows light emitted from the first light emitting element to be transmitted through the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode, in Min et al.’s device, in order to be able to operate the device in its intended use.
Regarding claim 10, Min et al. teach in figure 3A and related text that a bank PW1_1 defining the emission area, but does not explicitly state having a color conversion layer disposed on the first light emitting element in the emission area, wherein the color conversion layer converting a color of light emitted from the first light emitting element.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to form a color conversion layer disposed on the first light emitting element in the emission area, wherein the color conversion layer converting a color of light emitted from the first light emitting element, in Min et al.’s device, in order to be able to operate the device in its intended use.
Regarding claim 23, Min et al. teach in figure 7A and related text a first pixel electrode (of pixel SP) connected to a first end portion of the first light emitting element LD but do not explicitly state that a second pixel electrode connected to a second end portion of the first light emitting element, wherein a portion of the first pixel electrode is disposed between the first pattern and the light- blocking insulating pattern in the horizontal direction, and a portion of the second pixel electrode is disposed between the second pattern and the light-blocking insulating pattern in the horizontal direction.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to form a second pixel electrode connected to a second end portion of the first light emitting element, wherein a portion of the first pixel electrode is disposed between the first pattern and the light- blocking insulating pattern in the horizontal direction, and a portion of the second pixel electrode is disposed between the second pattern and the light-blocking insulating pattern in the horizontal direction, in prior art’s device, in order to improve the light blocking capabilities of the device.
Regarding claim 24, Min et al. do not explicitly state that a first end portion of the light-blocking insulating pattern contacts the portion of the first pixel electrode, and does not overlap the first pattern, and a second end portion of the light-blocking insulating pattern contacts the portion of the second pixel electrode, and does not overlap the second pattern.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to form a first end portion of the light-blocking insulating pattern contacts the portion of the first pixel electrode, and does not overlap the first pattern, and a second end portion of the light-blocking insulating pattern contacts the portion of the second pixel electrode, and does not overlap the second pattern, in prior art’s device, in order to improve the light blocking capabilities of the device.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claim(s) have been considered but are moot because of the new ground of rejection.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ORI NADAV whose telephone number is 571-272-1660. The examiner can normally be reached between the hours of 7 AM to 4 PM (Eastern Standard Time) Monday through Friday.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lynne Gurley can be reached on 571-272-1670. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for 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 you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
O.N. /ORI NADAV/
3/23/2026 PRIMARY EXAMINER
TECHNOLOGY CENTER 2800
Prosecution Insights